Stories by Jay Alabaster

NTT DoCoMo phone: you're hungry, but don't eat yet

"Your hunger level is 60%. Refrain from snacking even if you are hungry."

At Ceatec, Intel pitches among Japanese heavyweights

In a corner of the sprawling exhibition hall of Ceatec, the annual electronics show running this week in Japan, this booth is packed with a varied display of technology -- a cyborg arm that boosts biceps strength, a futuristic classroom with touchscr...

Toshiba to sell 5TB home media server in Japan

Toshiba announced a new home media server with five terabytes of storage on Monday: It has enough capacity to store 15 days of digital TV broadcasts from six channels.

Softbank announces 110 Mbps network, may handle iPhones

Softbank, Japan's third-largest mobile carrier and exclusive purveyor of the Apple iPhone in the country, said Thursday it would launch in November a new data network allowing downloads of up to 110 Mbps (megabits per second), faster than many wired ...

Sony buys medical device maker, eyes new business line

Sony said Wednesday it had acquired a small medical researcher in the U.S. and plans to enter the market for portable medical testing.

Sony clip-on screen attachment makes Vaio laptops 3D

Sony said Tuesday it will sell a screen attachment for its Vaio laptops that allows users to view 3D movies and images without glasses.

Quake-prone Japanese area runs disaster system on Force.com

A coastal region of Japan due for a major earthquake and possible tsunamis has implemented a cloud-based disaster management system run by <a href="http://salesforce.com">Salesforce.com</a>.

Canon, Oracle to develop document processing technology

Canon will work with Oracle to integrate its business copiers and printers with the software giant's database and server products.

KDDI accelerates smartphone shift, stays mum on iPhone

KDDI, Japan's second-largest mobile operator, on Monday announced a new range of smartphones, accompanying services, and a low-cost pricing plan, but stayed mum on whether it would offer Apple's new iPhone next year.

Report: Japan KDDI to sell iPhone 5 from next year

KDDI, which runs Japan's second-largest mobile carrier, will offer the iPhone 5 from early 2012, ending Softbank's monopoly of the device in Japan, the country's largest business newspaper reported Thursday.

Sony Vita handheld to go on sale in Japan on Dec. 17

Sony said Wednesday that its PlayStation Vita portable game console will go on sale Dec. 17 in Japan, with 26 game titles and a 3G version that will run on NTT DoCoMo's network.

Nintendo aims for 3DS revival with games, button add-on

Nintendo on Tuesday announced a fleet of new game titles for its 3DS handheld, along with a new peripheral add-on, promising to rekindle interest in the device.

Report: DoCoMo, Samsung to form mobile chip venture

NTT DoCoMo will partner with several Japanese hardware makers and Korean manufacturer Samsung Electronics to develop core chips for use in future smartphones, Japan's biggest business newspaper reported Monday.

Softbank founder backs Japan's shift to renewable energy

Japan's richest entrepreneur outlined a plan Monday to rebuild the country's energy infrastructure in the wake of its nuclear disaster, shifting the majority of supply to natural, renewable resources by 2030.