Japan

Japanese Disaster Results in Biggest Financial Loss for Sony

A lot of people were affected by March’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan, but Sony’s the first technology company to claim that it resulted in poor financial numbers for them. They made a $3.2 billion loss over the last financial year—the company’s biggest in 16 years—which they’re blaming on the nine damaged factories that slowed…

Tech News Kat Hannaford May 23

American Nuclear Plants Have Fukushima’s Flaws—And We’ve Ignored the Warning

Five years ago, Anthony Sarrack, an engineer at a Minnesota nuclear plant, warned the US government that their common emergency vents wouldn’t work in a disaster. He was ignored. Two months ago, Fukushima exploded because of those same vents. The vents at Sarrack’s plant require electricity to open—which is exactly what workers at Fukushima didn’t…

Tech News Sam Biddle May 19

Every House Should Come Equipped With a Towel-Folding Robot

Handy robots are like the cute puppies of the world. No-one wants a stationery ‘bot, as much as they don’t want one of these. *shudder* Surely the golden retriever of the robot world is one that actually does household chores. https://gizmodo.com/if-fonts-were-dogs-comic-sans-would-be-a-whateverthef-5801666 This Japanese robot can fold towels—albeit very small towels—faster than it takes to dirty…

Tech News Kat Hannaford May 19

Fukushima Was Ruined by Quake Even before the Tsunami

We’ve long assumed that the double decker disaster scenario of a massive earthquake and tsunami caused the Fukushima meltdown. Turns out, all it took was the former, which knocked out Fukushima’s cooling in less than 10 minutes. Records released by TEPCO from the day of the quake show that the plant began to plunge into…

Tech News Sam Biddle May 17

The Lost Animals of Fukushima

After much hand-wringing, the Japanese government finally created a mandatory evacuation zone around the radiation-spewing Fukushima plant. Humans should be safe now. But the same can’t be said of the hundreds of thousands of abandoned of animals left behind. https://gizmodo.com/japan-makes-radiation-evacuation-zone-mandatory-5794412 In the midst of a hurried and uneven evacuation plan, the creatures—both household pets and…

Biology Sam Biddle May 16

Fukushima Evacuation Widened, Again

The Japanese government has taken the bold and somewhat confusing step of evacuating residents of towns outside the official isolation zone, in what amounts to a de facto enlargement. Babies and pregnant women will be the first of thousands removed. The decision comes in the wake of last week’s meltdown revelation, and will affect around…

Tech News Sam Biddle May 16

TEPCO Installing Giant Tents over Radiation-Leaking Reactors

With radiation still seeping from Fukushima, TEPCO is taking an odd step: installing enormous polyester tents around the cores. Each steel-framed tent will be “will be 55 meters high, 47 meters long and 42 meters wide,” Dow Jones reports. We’re not sure if this is silly, desperate or effective. While it will probably aid in…

Tech News Sam Biddle May 13

This Unwanted Monstrosity of a Floodgate Saved a Japanese Village From Tsunami Ruin

At the time, the 3,000 Fudai villagers despised the $30 million (in today’s money) floodgate when the now-deceased mayor built it in the ’70s, but after March’s devastating tsunami, they’re thankful to still have their lives and homes intact. https://jezebel.com/the-complete-japan-crisis-timeline-live-updates-5780998 Like a giant wall that surrounds the village, which lies about 320 miles north of…

Tech News Kat Hannaford May 13

It’s Official: Fukushima Was Hit With a Nuclear Meltdown

The flow of bad news (and radiation) out of Fukushima’s reactors has diminished to a trickle over the past several weeks, as rescue work has proceeded. Not today. TEPCO’s admitted for the first time that Fukushima experienced a grave meltdown. What exactly is a meltdown, you might ask? There’s a lot of confusion as to…

Tech News Sam Biddle May 12

Japanese Maid Mods a Furby

This is Julie Watai. Don’t ask why she’s wearing a maid’s uniform — it doesn’t really matter. All that matters is that she’s WAY better at hacking Furbies than you are. [Julie Watai via Japan Probe]

Tech News Andrew Tarantola May 10

Japan Has to Borrow Generators from Thailand to Stay Running

Losing a nuclear plant after being devastated by an earthquake and tsunami tend to have negative effects on a small country’s grid. So Japan’s looking outward for juice—borrowing Thai diesel generators for up to five years. [In Focus]

Tech News Sam Biddle May 10

Japanese researchers building sidewalks that look like discotheques

Researchers at Tokyo’s University of Electro-Communications are working on sidewalk innovations that will transform public thoroughfares into shimmering corridors of light. The first of these are lenticular lenses embedded in walkways — these lenses offer subtle navigational cues to pedestrians when they’re stuck in crowded spaces. Note the researchers: The images on the sheets laid…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar May 10

Japanese university can’t stop building robotic babies

Researchers at Osaka University previously brought us Affetto, the disembodied baby head who was supposed to teach us empathy (or something). Now roboticists at Osaka’s Hosoda Lab have built Pneuborn-7II and Pneuborn-13, pint-sized robots that emulate infants’ movements. https://gizmodo.com/this-robotic-infant-head-was-designed-not-to-scare-baby-5755349 The robots get their names from their tiny pneumatic muscles — Pneuborn-7II mimics the movement of…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar May 9

Oops: Japanese Gov Didn’t Send out Fukushima Radiation Spread Map

After the devastating quake rocked the rads out of Fukushima’s reactors, the Japanese government took over eight hours to deliver an atmospheric map showing where radiation was likely to spread—an action that should have been immediate. Failing to deliver the data in the midst of the crisis—where hours are a long, long time—likely held up…

Tech News Sam Biddle May 9

Japanese TV show pranks unsuspecting victim with a haunted mirror

In this clip from a Japanese candid camera program, a fellow sits down to use a mirror and is immediately harassed by angry ghosts straight out of Ringu (or perhaps Hausu). Shit gets extremely real around the 30-second mark. https://gizmodo.com/in-the-japanese-cult-classic-hausu-schoolgirls-are-eat-5778012 See also: a similar prank for Spanish television, using a creepy kid and a hotel…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar May 8

Cat Ears Pick Up on Brainwaves and Act as Furry Mood Rings For Those Around You

Of course these cat ears come from Japan, and of course they’ll be on sale soon. Neurowear’s Necomimi ears sit on a hairband (though don’t let that put you off, guys!) and have sensors inbuilt for detecting brainwaves. Depending on the signals decoded by the sensors, the ears can twitch, wriggle or even flop down,…

Tech News Kat Hannaford May 5

Humans Enter Fukushima Reactor for First Time Since Quake Disaster

Not since an enormous quake (and subsequent explosions) crippled the Fukushima plant has anyone stepped foot inside—the radiation has been too thick for humans, leaving robots to do the job. But not today, as workers braved the millisieverts. After the robot squad reported lowered radiation levels, a team of twelve, working on quick shifts to…

Tech News Sam Biddle May 5

Long-distance relationships of the future will be more depressing, thanks to this Japanese kissing machine

Researchers at Japan’s Kajimoto Laboratory at the University of Electro-Communications are developing a device that allows the user to engage in some telepresence smooching by furiously tonguing an apparatus that resembles an electric toothbrush or talk box. Sexy futurism? Additionally, the kissing styles can be recorded for posterity. Your children’s children will know that Keith…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar May 4

Another Japanese Nuke Plant Leaking Radiation

Just when the hemorrhage of bad news from Fukushima started to slow down, this: local government in Fukui prefecture, Japan say the Tsuruga nuclear plant is oozing radiation from its fuel rods—iodine-133 and xenon gas. The plant’s operators are shutting down the leaking reactor in question, and gov reps are repeating the Fukushima shimmy, denying…

Tech News Sam Biddle May 2

New Japanese Cars Are Slightly Radioactive

The AP says that a VERY small percentage (

Tech News Adrian Covert May 2

Japanese Disaster Results in Biggest Financial Loss for Sony

American Nuclear Plants Have Fukushima’s Flaws—And We’ve Ignored the Warning

Every House Should Come Equipped With a Towel-Folding Robot

Fukushima Was Ruined by Quake Even before the Tsunami

The Lost Animals of Fukushima

Fukushima Evacuation Widened, Again

TEPCO Installing Giant Tents over Radiation-Leaking Reactors

This Unwanted Monstrosity of a Floodgate Saved a Japanese Village From Tsunami Ruin

It’s Official: Fukushima Was Hit With a Nuclear Meltdown

Japanese Maid Mods a Furby

Japan Has to Borrow Generators from Thailand to Stay Running

Japanese researchers building sidewalks that look like discotheques

Japanese university can’t stop building robotic babies

Oops: Japanese Gov Didn’t Send out Fukushima Radiation Spread Map

Japanese TV show pranks unsuspecting victim with a haunted mirror

Cat Ears Pick Up on Brainwaves and Act as Furry Mood Rings For Those Around You

Humans Enter Fukushima Reactor for First Time Since Quake Disaster

Long-distance relationships of the future will be more depressing, thanks to this Japanese kissing machine

Another Japanese Nuke Plant Leaking Radiation

New Japanese Cars Are Slightly Radioactive

Two Songs We Really Wish Were the Anime Outros for ‘Steel Ball Run’

AI Training Data Giant Mercor Is Reportedly Looking to Buy the Work You Did at Your Old Job

Utah Is Giving Dr. AI the Power to Renew Drug Prescriptions

Here’s the Perfect Excuse to See ‘Project Hail Mary’ Again

US Airlines Are Hiking Bag Fees Amid Iran War Oil Crisis

This Ridiculously Simple Trick Might Stop Gulls From Nabbing Your Lunch

‘Starfleet Academy’ Season 3 Could Have Done the ‘Voyager’ Sequel Episode of Robert Picardo’s Dreams

Judge Kills Lawsuit Against Infamous Study That Might Have Increased Teen Suicides

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