Whenever the US economy hits speed bumps, through bitter experience business people in Japan start battening down the hatches. Such is the business environment now, that is not just hatch battening, but many are also starting to think about retrenchment, both as firers and fired. Today we look at severance packages, and what you should expect.

Digital TV on a mobile phone appears to be a trend fast gathering momentum in Japan. Is this a passing fad or a taste of things to come? What prospects are there for this to become an international phenomenon? To find out Read Terrie's Take Now

Probably the biggest consideration for most people in wanting to set up a company is the issue of having the money to pay for it. As I teach in my entrepreneur classes, starting a company with any number of employees will always cost more than you think. In fact, my rule of thumb is to set aside about JPY5m for each person employed, quite apart from the cost of any office move, furniture, tools of the trade, company registration, licenses, etc.

This week's Gadget Watch covers the new Sony ICD-UX70, UX80 digital voice recorder, the Buffalo RSDC-GC6 new memory card and the Mustardgiga Visuals PC Peripherals. Read Now