Aug 23rd - Sharp introduced three new AQUOS Blu-Ray recorders with enhanced Wireless connectivity

Sharp announced yesterday three new AQUOS Blu-Ray recorder with the 2TB BD-W2000, 1TB BD-W1000 and 500GB BD-W500. While each models comes with basic features found on such products, they however integrate for the first time in these models, a SKYPerfectTV! Tuner, as well as the usual Digital ones, Wireless and DLNA connectivity as well as being now featuring Sharp’s “Wi-Fi Connection” that will allow to get direct access to all your recorded program from any Wired or Wireless compatible Sharp AQUOS TVs but also directly from your Sharp AQUOS Smartphone.
Working only within your home network this service could be a real killer if Sharp would at least let people stream contents on their tablets or phone on the go.

Aug 23rd - Molycorp to open office in Tokyo

Molycorp, Inc, the western hemisphere’s only producer of rare earth oxides and the largest producer outside of China, announced that it is opening an office in Tokyo in order to better serve its customers there and to build new relationships in the world’s largest rare earth consuming nation outside of China.

The office will provide customer support as well as consulting and technical services to Molycorp’s customers in Japan. 

“We are very pleased to be opening a Molycorp office in Tokyo,” said Mark A Smith, Molycorp President and Chief Executive Officer. “This will help us better serve our many valued customers in Japan, as well as help us forge new relationships, improve communications, and increase our understanding of the needs of this very important market. Coupled with our offices in Europe and the U.S., this provides Molycorp with a more comprehensive global reach and will help us significantly improve our customer service capabilities.”

Smith said that Molycorp plans to host an open house event in the Molycorp Tokyo office in the fall.

Aug 23rd - Sanken offering switching power supply ICs with 10mW no-load consumption

Sanken today announced the development of new switching power supply ICs, STR3A100 series, featuring the industry’s top-class power consumption of only 10 mW at no load. Samples will be available in August 2011, priced at JPY 450 each. Volume production will begin in October 2011, starting at one million units per month, ramping up to 4 million units per month by April 2012.
1.	Development background and product overview
	Today’s home appliances and office machines require efficient operations, consuming less power than ever before. Various countries set regulatory standards on not only operating power efficiency but also on standby power consumptions (*1). Consumers’ environmental awareness is also increasing, prompting appliance and office equipment manufacturers to develop products that meet standby power requirement standards. *1. Such as the U.S. ENERGY STAR label requirements (for products that consume 1.0 W or less) and the European Union’s Ecodesign initiatives (applicable to products that consume 1.0 W or less: to be lowered to 0.5 W or less in 2012) To lower equipment’s standby power consumption levels, a switching power supply IC that features lower power consumption at no load is required.  Up to now, Sanken’s lineup of switching power supply ICs featured no-load power consumption of as low as 25 mW. With improved internal circuitries, STR3A100 series has attained no-load power consumption of 10 mW, a 60% reduction.  STR3A100 series come in a new, heat-resistant DIP8 package. Previous switching power supply ICs in a DIP8 package were limited in output power to about 20W. Thus, any equipment, such as small televisions, Blu-ray disc players, air conditioners, and other, whose output power exceeded the 20 W limit, would require TO220F package with attached heat sink.  STR3A100’s new heat-resistant DIP8 package enables maximum output power of 40 W, nearly doubling the capability of earlier DIP8 packages. STR3A100’s DIP8 may replace TO220F and significantly reduce the size of the equipment’s power block.  Pin layout has also been redesigned. The distance between the high and low-voltage pins is extended from 5.08 mm to 7.6 mm, eliminating the need for time-consuming application of isolation resin between the pins. Thus, STR3A100 series are ideal for air conditioners with strict isolation requirements between the high and low-voltage pins that are placed close together.
2.	Features
	(1)Improved internal circuits achieved significant reduction in no-load power consumption to 10 mW. (2)New, heat-resistant DIP8 package (resin dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 3.4 mm) offer higher output power to 40 W (3)Improved pin layout extended distance between high and low-voltage pins from 5.08 mm to 7.6 mm (4)Random switching function reduces EMI noise (5)Guaranteed avalanche energy tolerance simplifies the design of snubber circuit,using a 2-chip structure (6)Overvoltage protection and overheating protection functions
3.	Applications
	Secondary and standby power supplies for FPD TVs and audio amplifiers, power supply for Blu-ray Disc players, CD players, and small televisions, auxiliary power supply for air conditioner units, AC adapter for mobile phones and game devices, etc.
4.	Lineup
	Product Name MOS FET Pout VDSS (V) RDS (ON) (Ω) 230 V/85 to 264 V STR3A151 650 4.0 16 W/12 W STR3A152 650 3.0 23 W/20 W STR3A153 650 1.9 36 W/30 W STR3A154 650 1.4 40 W/33 W STR3A155 650 1.1 43 W/35 W

Aug 23rd - Samsung to supply CPU for Sony PSP Vita

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA UNVEILS
EXCITING DETAILS ABOUT NEXT GENERATION HARDWARE AND
EXCLUSIVE SOFTWARE
SCEA Continues Long-Standing Tradition of Delivering Groundbreaking Technology and
Unrivaled Content at the 2011 E3 Media & Business Summit

Los Angeles, California, June 6, 2011– Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. (SCEA) today announced at its annual press conference at the E3 Media & Business Summit in Los Angeles, Calif., a stunning line-up of PlayStation® products, services and exclusive content that will change the way consumers experience their favorite games and entertainment at home and on-the-go.

"We are dedicated to providing our consumers with the types of entertainment offerings that have made PlayStation a definitive leader in the gaming and portable entertainment industries for more than 15 years," said Jack Tretton, CEO and President of SCEA. "With the official North American unveiling of PlayStation®Vita as well as the introduction of an extensive line-up of software, hardware and services, the PlayStation platform has never been stronger or more exciting for our customers. We believe that 2011 will be a defining year as we usher in a new era of portable gaming and drive widespread adoption of 3D through our content and hardware offerings."

Introducing PlayStation®Vita

In March 2005, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system defined new standards in portable entertainment and provided game enthusiasts worldwide with a new way to experience games outside of their living room. The PSP system broke through traditional boundaries then and has gone on to sell more than 70 million units since its launch. In January, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) announced a new portable device for a new generation of gamers --- the next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP).

Today, SCE announced PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) as the official platform name for NGP. A Wi-Fi model will be available for 24,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $249 MSRP in US and €249 in Europe, while a 3G/Wi-Fi model will be available for 29,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $299 MSRP in US and €299 in Europe. PS Vita will launch in the global market starting at the end of 2011.

Derived from the Latin word "Vita", which means "Life" this next generation portable entertainment system enables a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context.

The PS Vita system incorporates a beautiful 5-inch multi-touch organic light emitting diode (OLED) as the front display and a unique multi-touch pad on the rear. Together with the front touch screen and the rear touch pad, the PS Vita system offers new game play allowing users to interact directly with games in three dimension-like motion, through "touch, grab, trace, push and pull" finger motions. Also the PS Vita system features two analog sticks which enable a wider range of game genres to be brought into the portable experience.

In addition to the PS Vita system pricing, SCEA also revealed today that AT&T, which powers the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, will be the exclusive service provider in the United States for the PS Vita system. The speed and coverage of AT&T’s mobile broadband network will ensure that PS Vita system users will remain connected to content and each other on the go.

On the content front, SCEA showcased a robust collection of software titles developed exclusively for the PS Vita system. Featured titles including UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss™, LittleBigPlanet™ and Ruin (working title), utilize the platform’s groundbreaking technology to make unprecedented immersive, interactive and social game play available on-the-go. UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss takes full advantage of PS Vita’s stunning OLED screen to deliver vibrant cinematic visuals and combines input from the front-touch screen and dual-analog sticks to create the most intuitive 3rd person shooter experience available on a portable system. Also making use of PS Vita’s unique feature set, LittleBigPlanet allows users to Play, Create and Share like never before with the system’s front touch screen and rear touch pad as well as its front and rear cameras. Finally,Ruin brings the ultimate social action RPG experience and also delivers interoperable compatibility for players to save their game on the PS Vita system and continue on at home using the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system. Adding to this selection of innovative games, SCEA unveiled a collection of PS Vita titles that will be available including wipEout®, ModNation™ Racers, Reality Fighter (working title), Super Stardust™ Delta,Sound Shapes, Hot Shots Golf®, Hustle Kings™ and more.

Additionally, conference attendees received a look at Capcom’s STREET FIGHTER® x TEKKEN® for the PS Vita system which will feature Cole MacGrath as a playable character from the popular PS3 franchise,inFAMOUS™.

PlayStation®3 system

Currently in its fifth year, the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system continues to experience tremendous momentum, recently surpassing 50 million units sold worldwide. To-date, more than 2,300 games have been made available for PS3 including 108 stereoscopic 3D titles and 184 PlayStation®Move titles, and that momentum continues into 2012. Expanding PS3 system’s industry-leading catalog of stereoscopic 3D games, SCEA presented a selection of new entries from fan-favorite series featuring full stereoscopic 3D support including UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception™, Resistance®3 and God of War®: Origins Collection. SCEA also announced the return of one of PlayStation’s most beloved franchises, Sly Cooper®: Thieves in Time™, which will treat players to an all-new adventure in stereoscopic 3D featuring classic characters, Sly, Murray and Bentley. In addition, SCEA introduced new titles utilizing the innovative PlayStation Move controller to deliver unique motion gaming experiences such as Everybody Dance™, Carnival Island (working title), and Medievil Moves: Deadmund's Quest™.

In addition to an unprecedented line-up of first-party titles, third-party support for the PS3 system has never been stronger. Content shown at the conference includes the highly anticipated first-person shooterBioShock Infinite from 2K and Irrational Games which will support the PlayStation Move motion controller, and will also include the original BioShock on the PS3 Blu-ray disc.

Additional exclusive content that will only be found on the PS3 system was announced for titles includingSaint’s Row: The Third from THQ, Electronic Arts’ SSX™, Need for Speed™ The Run, and Battlefield 3™. For Battlefield 3, the PS3 version promises to be bigger than any other as Electronic Arts will be using the extra storage capacity of the Blu-ray to add a second game to the disc, Battlefield 1943, one of the most popular games available on PlayStation®Network.

Innovations in stereoscopic 3D

As a leader in 3D entertainment and gaming, SCEA kicked off the 2011 press conference at E3 on the world’s largest 3D screen – showcasing a breadth of first- and third-party titles coming this year in 3D that is unmatched.

SCE today also announced the upcoming availability of the new PlayStation branded 3D Display. The 24-inch full HD LCD display will give PS3 users easy, affordable access to stereoscopic 3D entertainment. Available this fall, the 3D Display comes bundled with 3D Glasses, an HDMI cable and the highly anticipatedResistance 3 title from Insomniac Games for PlayStation®3 (PS3®) at an attractive recommended retail price (MSRP) of US$499.99. The 3D Glasses will also be sold separately, concurrently with the 3D Display launch for MSRP of US$69.99.

Designed to deliver the ultimate gaming experience, the 3D Display comes equipped with a special two-player feature, which allows two players playing a multi-player game to see individual, unique, full-screen images of gameplay using the bundled 3D Glasses and supported software title.

PlayStation®Network

With more than 77 million accounts worldwide, PlayStation®Network continues to be one of the largest networked entertainment platforms in the world and is the premier destination for games, TV and movies, sports and music entertainment. Today, SCEA announced that coming this fall , BestBuy’s CinemaNow video service will be accessible to PS3 owners, providing consumers with access to more than 12,000 of their favorite TV episodes and movies for rental or purchase.

Publisher support for PlayStation Network continues to remain strong as CCP introduced a new PlayStation Network exclusive title, Dust 514®, which will feature PlayStation Move support and also be made available for the PS Vita system. Another exciting game coming exclusively to the PS3 system and PlayStation Network in 2012 is Star Trek™ from Paramount Digital Entertainment. The game, which continues the adventure that director and producer J.J. Abrams envisioned with Star Trek™ (2009), boasts a story filled with action- packed combat and will be fully PlayStation Move enabled. Paramount Digital Entertainment will also offer an exclusive prequel to the game only on PlayStation Network.

About Sony Computer Entertainment LLC.

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store. Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one, PlayStation 2, PSP and PS3 systems for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. serves as headquarters for all North American operations.

* AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

###

PlayStation, PS3 and PSP are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Aug 22nd - Samsung launches solar powered laptop

After Russia, Africa and North America Samsung Electronics unveiled this morning its solar-powered mini notebook (NC215) in Korea. The 10.1″ laptop comes in with a solar panel on the lid, so two-hours of sunlight charges makes it possible for it to run for about an hour.

When its battery is fully recharged, The Samsung NC215 can power on for up to 14 hours and up to 1,000 times of recharge is possible thanks to Samsung’s proprietary Power Plus technology.

This MC215, like in other countries comes with a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N570 dual core processor, 1GB of DDR3 memory, and a 250GB, 5400 RPM hard drive. It runs Windows 7 Starter Edition. This is a great product if you are an outdoor person — it can be used off the grid while camping, or visiting or living in an area without reliable electricity.

Aug 22nd - Sharp update its Android Clamshell Smartphone

Introduced early this may in Japan, the AQUOS Phone "The Hybrid 007SH"  an Android 2.3 Clamshell phone that comes with everything you could think of! An IPX5/IPX7 Waterproof body, a 16.10Mpix sensor, a 3.4” WVGA 3D New Mobile ASV touchscreen, 720p video recording mode, 3D Photo and Video Mode, AQUOS TV connector Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, has now be announced in with a new design featuring the most famous Japanese cat : Hello Kitty!

Sold under the name 007SH KT, this Hello Kitty version of the Hybrid 007SH features the same basic specification as the standard model with however a nice Hello Kitty paint job and UI.

Aug 22nd - Fujitsu launches FENICS network service

Fujitsu has launched a network service that enables smartphones and tablets to securely connect to a corporate intranet.

With the new Mobile Browser Connection Service, customers can connect to a company’s internal network over the FENICS II Universal Connect service from a mobile device equipped with a special FENICS Browser application from Fujitsu. This, in turn, enables enterprise users to access websites, applications, web e-mail, groupware, address books, and other resources without leaving business data and logs on their mobile devices. As a result, users are freed from having to worry about information leaks and can securely browse and update data.

Amid a remarkable spread in the use of smartphones and tablets, companies are increasingly facing the need to employ such devices in a wide range of business scenarios. On the other hand, due to uncertainty about information leaks and other security risks, as well as concerns about deployment costs and operational burdens, many customers are hesitant to use mobile devices as part of their business processes.

In light of these circumstances, Fujitsu is offering the Mobile Browser Connection Service, a network service that enables mobile devices to securely connect to a corporate intranet. In addition, as an added service, Fujitsu will be offering the Mobile Content Conversion Service, which converts website content intended for PCs into a format that is easily viewable on mobile devices.

Aug 21st - DeNA to expand Asian operations in Singapore

DeNA Co Ltd on Friday announced plans to establish DeNA Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd (DeNA Asia) in Singapore on Septr 1. A wholly-owned subsidiary of DeNA, DeNA Asia will work with developers in Southeast and South Asia to bring high-quality social mobile games to smartphone users worldwide.

DeNA Asia will serve as a hub for DeNA Group’s social games business in Southeast and South Asia. The subsidiary will also seek to strengthen the group’s development capabilities through acquisitions of local developers. Future activities will include localization of the global edition of Mobage, a social mobile gaming network launched last month by DeNA’s subsidiary ngmoco, LLC. 

DeNA Asia complements DeNA’s strong presence in China and Korea, which includes Shanghai Zongyou Network Technologies Co Ltd, also known as DeNA China, and DeNA Seoul Co Ltd in South Korea. DeNA has been exploring business opportunities with local developers in these locations as well, aiming to position Mobage as the world’s top social gaming platform by delivering the finest social games to smartphone users worldwide.

Aug 21st - ST’s MEMS Module Provides Six Degrees of Freedom in Advanced Motion-Sensing Applications

STMicroelectronics has expanded its portfolio with a new device that combines three-axis sensing of both linear and angular motion. ST’s high-performance multi-sensor module with six degrees of freedom targets advanced motion-sensing applications, including remote controls, black-box recorders, and enhanced GPS systems.

ST’s LSM330DL multi-sensor module detects acceleration up to 16g and angular rate up to 2,000 dps along the pitch, roll and yaw axes . The integration of a 3-axis digital accelerometer with a 3-axis digital gyroscope in a single device increases system robustness and the advanced design of the mechanical sensing structure guarantees outstanding thermal and mechanical stability.

ST’s LSM330DL multi-sensor module is available now, with unit pricing at $3.80 for volumes in the range of 1,000 pieces. If your company has a high-volume need, please contact your ST sales office.

Aug 21st - Sony introduces Digital Recording Binoculars

Life’s “can’t miss” moments are now easier to observe and capture with the world’s first digital binoculars to record in AVCHD™ 2.0 format, from Sony. The new models, DEV-3 and DEV-5, are ideal for nature/bird watching, they can record Full HD video with stereo sound at the touch of a button, and even add a 3D mode that records scenes as thrilling stereoscopic video footage for playback on most 3D HDTVs.

“Now consumers can watch birds, wildlife, sports action and more in steady, sharply-focused close-up views, while capturing their subjects in crisp Full HD,” said Andy Bubala, director of the camcorder business at Sony Electronics. “These new models add entirely new levels of flexibility and convenience to viewing, recording and enjoying your favorite images and scenes.”

Users can select the variable zoom on both models to scan a wide area at low magnification before zooming in seamlessly to pinpoint a subject, such as birds in a field. Turning on the digital zoom at magnification settings over 10x boosts the DEV-5 model’s total magnification range from 0.9x up to 20x digital (image quality is reduced when digital zoom is on and recording 2D video at magnifications higher than 10x), rivalling many high-powered conventional binoculars. The DEV-3 model pulls wildlife, sporting subjects and architectural details closer with a maximum magnification of 10x optical. In 3D mode, the binoculars’ maximum magnification is 5.4x optical.

Aug 20th - Toshiba TEC develops two-sided label printer

Toshiba TEC Corp has launched the DB-EA4D, a two-sided direct thermal label printer. The first of a new series, the DB-EA4D can print directly onto a label’s backing paper, thus increasing usability without effecting functionality. Not only does the printer add value, but importantly, it reduces waste and is ideal for applications requiring dual output, providing an efficient alternative to single sided solutions - perfect for the transport and logistics industry.

Specifically, shipping label can be used for service logistics, E-Commerce company and food & beverage manufacturing. Event ticketing is for ticketing center such as theaters, and tag printing can be used in retail stores, service logistics, and clothing stores.

Compact and solid, the DB-EA4D’s small footprint is the perfect solution for the tightest of spaces. Printing using two thermal heads to simultaneously print on the front and back of direct thermal labels, this high performing printer can reach speeds of up to 6ips in a single pass eliminating waste and reducing labeling errors. Furthermore, on-demand printing is available for mutable data and dual conjunction data.

Offering customers a low cost of ownership, the DB-EA4D saves organizations money by using fewer consumables in the print process, and thus reduces storage space and shipping costs.

Easy to operate, the intuitive LCD backlit menu is supported by color LED notification lights with a universal design. The auto feed function enables quick paper loading without opening the cover and the tool-less replacement of essential components such as the printhead and platen roller offer ease of maintenance.

The DB-EA4D comes with BarTender as standard and with the added option to download enhanced software, customers can design bespoke labels to meet their specific business needs. Optional extras include a paper roll holder that gives the printer greater flexibility.See  full article at Japan Today