February, 2012
Tower of Power: Tokyo Sky Tree Officially Completed on Leap Day 2012
by Steve Levenstein
Tokyo Sky Tree, the world's tallest free-standing broadcasting tower, was officially completed on Leap Day of 2012. The 2,080 ft (634 meter) tall tower soars almost twice as high as the 1958-built Tokyo Tower and will take over most of the orange & white downtown landmark's digital broadcasting duties.
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Add new comment Higher Heart Disease & Cancer Risks Posed By Sleeping Pill Use
by T Goodman
When you see the data that researchers from Scripps Sleep Center have gathered connecting the use of sleeping pills with serious disease and early death, it will surely be enough to keep you awake....
1 comment Buffalo Announces Frustration-Free USB Hub
by Rey M.L.
Japanese company Buffalo is coming out with a brand new USB hub. Boring, right? Nope! This hub carries the interesting quirk that its USB ports can accept your cords in any orientation – upwards or downwards.
Unhappy Meals: China's Top 8 Fake Foods
by China.new
China's 1.3 billion people are hungry for wealth and riches. Too often, however, making a buck means taking a buck by foisting imitation nutrition on the unwary. These top 8 Chinese fake foods and drinks may leave a bad taste in your mouth but consider yourself lucky you're just reading, not eating.
Toxic Glue Puts Chinese Migrant Workers in Sticky Situation
by China.new
If you thought toxic glue was a “first world problem” whose only victims were women engaged to marry George Costanza, think again. A major scandal brewing in China's southern city of Guangzhou has shone the spotlight on a vast, unlicensed leather-goods trade that exposes tens of thousands of migrant worker employees to high levels of dangerous chemicals.
Hitachi's Travelstar Z7K500: 500GB Of High-Performance, Slimline Storage For Notebooks
by Rey M.L.
Hitachi has released a new family of products in its already broad lineup of notebook hard drives, boasting 500GB of capacity in a single-platter design, rotating at 7200 RPM.
Four Random Things Every Mobile User Should Know
by Gadgetry Inc
The world is slowly shifting to mobile. People use mobile phones for more reasons than you think: to call their loved ones, to send text messages, to access social networking sites, and maybe read and reply to a few emails or so from work.
Cosplay Cyclops Anime Girl Rocks Tokyo Wonder Festival
by Steve Levenstein
Teenage mutant Leela's girdle? The Cosplay Corner at the Winter 2012 “Wonfes” sported someone (or some thing) so shocking, disturbing and, er, cute it deserves a blog post to try to explain it... and the more you know, the more disturbing it gets.
The Top Ten Weird and Bizarre Chinese Soft Drinks
by China.new
Though Japan is infamous (and rightly so) for its weird and bizarre soft drinks, China is quickly narrowing the gag gap with its own unique canned & bottled horrors. These ten terrifying tipples may not be available in your local supermarket unless you've been Shanghai'd, so to speak, but that's a GOOD thing. Just consider yourself lucky China doesn't export everything they make.
China's First Homegrown Anti-Cancer Drug to be Handed out Free of Charge
by China.new
A working group of Chinese associations has agreed that Conmana, China's first independently developed small molecule-targeted anti-cancer drug, will be distributed to those needing it free of charge. It's about the last thing you'd expect to hear in today's big business friendly, entrepreneurial China but in this case at least, profits are taking a back seat to national pride.
When It Comes to Office Chairs, One Size Does Not Fit All
by Gadgetry Inc
If you've put on a bit of weight or have always been on the heavy side, then it might be time to go look at office chairs for large people. Not only will you find them roomier and more comfortable, you'll also be doing your body good.
Chinese-made Cars are Coming to Canada. Beauty, eh?
by China.new
In fact, they're already here... but you wouldn't know it just from looking. Japanese automaker Honda has begun importing the subcompact Honda Fit into Canada from Guangqi Honda Automobile Co. Ltd., in China. The move may pave the way for the long-awaited next step: Chinese-made cars from Chinese automakers.
Darth Vader Alarm Clock Helps Prevent Snore Wars
by Steve Levenstein
With the Darth Vader Alarm Clock you'll never wake up on the wrong side of the bed again... you'll wake up on the Dark Side! This Official Japan Licensed Lucas Films product plays the main theme from Star Wars to help “force” you out of bed each morning.
4 Utterly Terrible Valentine’s Day Experiences and Gifts
by Jill Harness
Valentine’s Day is here again, which means it’s time to begrudgingly give your loved one an amazing experience for one day so he or she will be willing to stay with you for the other 364 days of the year. Because love is all about meeting, not exceeding, your partner’s minimum expectations. Of course, these gifts probably won't even do that.
Pinterest: Latest Social Media Experiment Pinned With Skimming Charges?
by Ron Callari
With record-breaking pageviews and generating more traffic than
Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube combined, social media's latest shiny
thing has ridden into our zeitgeist quicker than Superman's speeding
bullet. Pinterest's ability to scale to 7.2 million visitors in the U.S. alone, with other reports stating its tallied 11 million total visits during one week in December sounds like Facebook's early ascendancy during its 2004 debut.
Economic Boom: 7 Things in China that Unexpectedly Explode
by China.new
Things are booming in China, though not always in a good way – just the opposite, actually. From watermelons to whales and coffee makers to coins, these 7 unexpectedly explosive objects prove even well-designed products can bomb in the marketplace.
Hand Grenade Key & Coin Case Blows (Up) Your Cover
by Steve Levenstein
The frighteningly fashionable Hand Grenade Key & Coin Case from Motif comes in your choice of 6 cool colors, any one of which will garner the owner oodles of attention... from the TSA, at least.
Domino's Japan Brings Back Heart-Shaped Pizza for Valentine's Day
by Steve Levenstein
Feed your passion this Valentine's Day with a heart-shaped pepperoni pizza from Domino's Japan. This year, Domino's has partnered with Italian confectioner BABBI to ensure pizza-sharing couples get their just desserts. Now that's one sweet deal!
Paid 'People Pushers' Press Passengers on China's Subways
by China.new
Subway authorities in China's larger cities have seemingly taken a page from Japan's book on passenger management. Uniformed, white-gloved “people pushers” in Shanghai and Chongqing subway stations are now encouraging – with a helpful push or two – train riders to squeeze into the cars so the doors can close.
Logitech Announces Buttonless Touch Mouse M600
by Rey M.L.
Along with the influx of keypad-less phones come the arrival of buttonless mice. Logitech looks to be trying to further this slightly questionable category with its new Touch Mouse M600.
Driving Colorblind? See This New LED Traffic Signal!
by Steve Levenstein
Red light, green light, what light? That's the question a growing number of colorblind people are asking when confronted by new LED traffic signal lights. Since up to 10 percent of the population suffers from red-green colorblindness, an answer is needed pronto... and Professor Taro Ochiai of Japan's Kyushu Sangyo University thinks he's got one: a redesigned LED traffic light easily visible by everyone.
Panasonic Eneloop Batteries Celebrate Walt Disney's 110th Anniversary
by Steve Levenstein
Panasonic's popular Eneloop rechargeable batteries are showing their “LoveLove” for the late Walt Disney. Officially approved, limited edition battery designs in red, white and black honor the award-winning animation pioneer by celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Surprise Your Valentine with Chocolate Dipped Squid!
by Steve Levenstein
Finding the perfect Valentine's Day gift for your ex-spouse, ex-boss or ex-friend can be ex-hausting... until now, thanks to Saki Ika Chocolate. This "sweet dainty" snack from Japan combines fragrant dried squid with sweet milk chocolate. The term “snack attack” was never so appropriate.
Social Media Marketing Platform Flip.to Integrates With Hotel Management System
by Ron Callari
The Flip.to social media marketing platform just launched direct integration with the Hotel Concept's RezExchange
channel management and distribution system for hotels. The service is a
new means for the hospitality industry to convert guests and website
visitors into engaged advocates while extending a brand's reach
exponentially and finally providing hotels with a means to push past
basic social media engagement, to a definable ROI.
Louis Vuitton Belt Buckle Cell Phone: Call it Garish
by China.new
Show me the money? In modern China it's more like “show YOU the money”, and what better way to tell the world you're rich and successful than with the Louis Vuitton Belt Buckle Cell Phone?
Fabulous Frizz Free Hair At Home – J F Lazartigue
by LeFleur
First there was Japanese hair straightening; it was all the rage until it wasn’t. Then came the Brazilian keratin treatments promising to turn your curly hair into sleek, shiny straight strands of goodness. And now with the economy in dire straights everyone is tightening their belts and trying to be more budget conscious. I searched for some at-home remedies for curly or frizzy hair that would provide similar results for a fraction of the cost. J F Lazartigue has come to the rescue with a line of straightening products consisting of shampoo, conditioner and a gel.
Sing-a-Long Tongs: Microphone Tongs that Rock the Kitchen
by Steve Levenstein
Reckon you're the chef of the treble clef? Then you'll love Sing-a-Long Tongs, microphone tongs that rock the kitchen! They may not improve your cooking but at least you'll be burning water in style.
Twittamentary, First Documentary Screenings Dedicated To The Twitterverse, Go Global
by Ron Callari
With a movie project that has virtually taken years to "wrap," Twittamentary,
is a film about communities that is now available for communities around
the world. Having received numerous request from folks and organizations
across the globe, the film's producer is thrilled to announce an "open
call" for community screenings to take place between February 1 and May
1, 2012. That's right, if you have a suitable venue and meet the screening requirements, all you need is 20 of your closest friends or fans to put on a show - for free!
The 'iFeng' 4S Blow Dryer Salutes Steve Jobs While Styling Your Hair
by China.new
Honorable homage or a lot of hot air? You'll pay a little more for the white “iFeng 4S” limited edition blow dryer at China's online Tmall but only 100 of the “Steve Jobs 1955-2011” gold embossed tributes are set to be sold.