GW-90

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J@pan Inc Magazine Presents:
G A D G E T W A T C H
The Hottest Gadgets and Gizmos from Japan
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Issue No. 90
Thursday, February 13, 2003
(Long URLs may break across two lines, so copy to your browser.)

Name: Sony FSV-PGX1
Category: PC
Price: Open (but approx 70,000 yen)
Release date in Japan: March 29, 2003

The Gist: You'll be tempted to tuck the FSV-PGX1 into your coat pocket
as you leave the office, since it looks a lot like a PDA or Pocket PC,
but, if you do, you may well stuff up your boss' plans for an evening
of high level meetings with the lawyers. That's because the FSV-PGX1
is, in fact, a wireless handheld file server from Sony -- not an
electronic diary at all. Stick it in the middle of a meeting table,
have everyone sit around it with their laptops, and the FSV-PGX1 will
act as a file distributor -- kinda like a blackjack dealer -- tossing
out the files to anyone who needs to take a peek. There's a 20GB
internal hard disk for storage and it uses the IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi)
standard for file transfer at speeds of up to 11Mbps. Shunning your
regular Windows OS flavors, the PGX1 runs on the Linux 2.4.20
operating system but can, of course, route any file system from any
computer OS. There's a back-up battery, effectively providing UPS
capability if the power goes down via the AC adapter and a neat little
cradle with built-in Ethernet for sale separately.

More info: http://www.sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/200302/03-0204/

===========================ADVERTISEMENT==============================
On the occasion of the SECOND ROUNDTABLE ON BRANDING IN JAPAN
organized by the Economist Conferences, J@PAN INC magazine invites
you to participate in a "Marketing & Advertising Agencies" special ad
section scheduled for the April 2003 issue.

The April 2003 special ad section will feature the major companies
that are actively responding to this competitive industry.
Your company will be interviewed for the ad section article and will
be included in the Directory Listings page, providing a tremendous
opportunity for your company to engage customers, build relationships
and explain your services to a highly targeted audience.

For more information please contact:
Fabien Brogard on 3499-2175 ext: 1709 or email fabien@japaninc.com
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Name: Panasonic NV-GS70K
Category: AV
Price: Open (but approx 120,000 yen)
Release date in Japan: April 1, 2003

The Gist: Not just any camcorder but, in fact, the world's smallest
3-CCD DV camcorder at 77x132x71mm, the NV-GS70K makes for
super-stunning images, putting out 3x 290,000-pixel moving and 3x
280,000-pixel still images (1,280x960-dot) onto the SD memory card. It
can also record MPEG-4 movies onto the card at 320x240 dots. The
camera has a "Quick Start" function, taking only 1.7 seconds to start
up, a 10x optical zoom and a large, 2.5-inch, 113,000-pixel LCD
viewfinder. There are loads of other specs but, to be honest, what's
great about this camcorder will all become clear when you see it and,
more importantly, pick it up. It's truly handheld, looks great, and
you'll love it!

More info: http://panasonic.jp/dvc/DIGICAM/gs70k/

=================================EVENT================================
Attend a free seminar on cost reduction strategies on February 28,
2003 at the ANA Hotel in Akasaka from 3-5PM (followed by a cocktail
party).
Organized by Linc Media and the Ibaragi Prefectural Government, case
studies and incentives for relocation outside of the capital will be a
major topic. For more information or to register in advance,
please send an email to events@japaninc.com
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Name: am3 Adapter for GBA SP
Category: Gaming
Price: TBA
Release date in Japan: February 4, 2003

The Gist: In anticipation of Nintendo's startlingly brilliant and,
frankly, revolutionary addition to its Game Boy franchise -- what do
you mean "all they did is stick a light behind the screen?! -- am3 has
produced an "am3 Smart Media" memory card for use in the new, only
very slightly improved Game Boy Advance. Owners of the new GBA SP (the
SP bit stands for "Same as Previous" ... Not really) will need to slot
the am3 Smart Media card into the am3 adapter, and that in turn is
slotted into the Game Boy Advance for playback of movie and sound
files. The actual content will, naturally, depend on how trials of the
unit goes, reckons am3, but could range from simple tunes right up to
full-blown, 30 frames-per-second video. Blank smart media cards are
expected to sell for about 2,000 yen, cards with cool stuff already
recorded on them about 2,300 yen, and just the contents themselves --
downloaded from places such as your local "konbini" (convenience
store) -- from about 200 yen a pop. Hurrah.

More info: http://www.am3.co.jp/common/pdf/press_030204.pdf

===========================ADVERTISEMENT==============================
SECOND ROUNDTABLE ON BRANDING IN JAPAN
Brand Mythology: results-driven strategies to leverage the brand story
Four Seasons Hotel, Tokyo
Wednesday May 28th 2003
http://www2.economistconferences.com/doc/ap/brand03/i.htm

Main issues to be discussed:
- Fusion of the brand and business strategy
- Brand management in crisis and recession
- Delivering global brands in foreign markets
- B2B targeted versus consumer sector branding
- Global and local case studies of failure and success

Online registration is available at:
http://www2.economistconferences.com/doc/ap/brand03/r.htm
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Name: Matsushita "DIGA" series
Category: DVD
Price: Open (but from approx 90,000 yen)
Release date in Japan: from March 1, 2003

The Gist: Matsushita announces a whole bunch of new DVD recorders and
the entire Western world is left reeling in shock and disbelief. Not
really, but it sounds more dramatic that way. But the company has
managed a simultaneous worldwide release for two of the five models --
the DMR-E50 and DMR-E60 -- which isn't as regular a feat as we might
think or like. In their fourth incarnations, the two machines record
on both DVD-RAM and DVD-R, so you don't have to make that ridiculous
and horribly risky choice of which format to buy and support. Both
feature that clever "Time Shift" function, progressive scan and
instant editing facilities. They'll also both cope with most any disc
you find laying around the house: DVD, regular CDs, CD-R, CD-RW2 and
discs with MP3s on them.

The nickname "Diga," formed from "DVD" and "Giga," is meant to imply
that the players are, in fact, gigantically enormous, with the
footprint of a large African male elephant. Just joking -- it's meant
to refer to the gigantic storage capability of the hard disk. This has
more relevance in the Japan market, where the heavy hitter of the new
five-machine range, the DMR-E90H, houses a 120GB hard disk. In any
case, the recorders do all the clever stuff you've come to associate
with digital devices, making your old VCRs look very much like last
millennium's news -- particularly since both recorders will allow
users to transfer their old magnetic tape recordings onto their hard
disks or, even more sensibly, straight across onto DVD disc, so you
have nice, almost-future-proof hard copies to stick in an archive
somewhere. The E60 model will even allow the display of digital still
images, thanks to the integral SD/PC card slot.

More info: http://panasonic.jp/dvd/recorder/diga/index1.html

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Subscribers: 3,013 as of February, 13, 2003

STAFF
Written by: Max Everingham (max@everingham.net)
Edited by: J@pan Inc editors (editors@japaninc.com)

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