Miscellaneous

China's First Mars Mission Prepares to Explore the Red Planet

by China.new

China's first Mars exploration probe, Yinghuo-1, will be launched in early November along with Russia's Fobos-Grunt sample return spacecraft. The mission to the Red Planet is just the latest great leap forward – or should we say, outward – for the ambitious Chinese space program.

USB Big Mouse Makes Other Computer Mice Seem Inadequate

by China.new

If you're unsatisfied with your mouse, supersize it! That's what the tech tyros at Brando Workshop have done, and the result is the USB Big Mouse, a glowing blue optical mouse that's bigger, bolder, and better than before... well, bigger at least.

Sanrio Hello Kitty Monster Collection Introduces 5 Cute Scaredy Cats

by Steve Levenstein

Hallow Kitty? Just in time for Halloween, Japan's favorite friendly feline gets her horror on. The Sanrio Hello Kitty Monster Collection scares up 5 BOO-tiful plush dolls modeled after classic fright film stars Frankenstein, The Mummy and more.

Leg Hair Font Adds Kick to Your Cursive

by Steve Levenstein

Desktop publishers rejoice! If you thought every possible typeface theme had already been explored, you haven't seen Leg Hair Font. Created by 20-year-old Japanese art student Mayuko Kanazawa, Leg Hair Font is a kinky, curly, shag-adelic cursive that comes in both upper and lower case.

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99 Percenters Will "Occupy Earth" To Prove The 1 Percent Wrong

by Ron Callari

Awakened like a sleeping giant, the 99 Percenters were first motivated by the Arab Spring - but now have orchestrated a movement that has taken on a whole life of their own. Commencing with a make-shift tent city constructed overnight in downtown Manhattan four weeks ago, Occupy Wall Street has caught not only America's zeitgeist but one that is cyberventilating across the globe as well.

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Double-Edged Frozen Food Knife Cuts Cold Turkey and More

by Steve Levenstein

The innovatively designed CHIC Frozen Food Knife from Japan makes short work of ice-cold meats, poultry, seafood, bread and more thanks to its wickedly sharp, double-sided molybdenum-steel blade.

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Chinese Demonstrators Support 'Occupy Wall Street' Protesters

by China.new

Call it “Occupy Great Wall Street”: Hundreds of Chinese citizens recently held a rally in the city of Zhengzhou, ostensibly to support the ongoing and growing Occupy Wall Street movement in the United States.

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Let Your iPhone Shine with The Swarovski Ball Earphone Jack Accessory

by Steve Levenstein

Bored with your plain-jane iPhone, smartphone, iPod or MP3 player? Japan's Strapya World has got something for that: the Swarovski Ball Earphone Jack Accessory. Plug in any one of the 15 different crystal colors and you'll be shouting “iBling, therefore iAm!”

New Brand Advocate Platform for Hotels Generates ROE & ROI

by Ron Callari

Flip.to is a new marketing platform that helps hotels turn their guests into advocates. After completing a successful beta, today the Flip.to team is announcing a new batch of results that would make any hotelier smile.

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New Study Proves Crows Understand the Concept of Numbers

by Steve Levenstein

Crows may have bird brains but they're not dummies, according to a new study by a Japanese research team. Test results published in the October issue of Animal Behavior indicate crows are able to understand the concept of numbers and can recognize symbols representing quantities.

Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs Mourned by China's New Tech Generation

by China.new

Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and visionary former CEO, was tremendously admired and respected by China's newly wealthy, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy generation. In the wake of his sudden passing, a number of instant memorials paying homage to Jobs have sprung up at Apple's flagship Chinese stores.

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American Farmers Eager to Fill China's Rice Bowls

by China.new

Rice rice baby! China could take a big bite out of the U.S. trade deficit if they open their markets to American rice exports. It's taken years of patient and persistent negotiating but rice farmers in the United States are so close to victory they can taste it.

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Meet 'Pepsi Pink', Japan's New Strawberry Milk Flavored Cola

by Steve Levenstein

Just in time for Japan's “winter party season” comes Pepsi Pink, a blush-tinted cola which should sell well in the homeland of Hello Kitty. According to Pepsi Japan, new Pepsi Pink is bursting with the rich aroma and refreshing taste of strawberry milk.

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Winklevii Bust A Nut While Crackin' Joke About Arch Nemesis Zuckerberg

by Ron Callari

The not-so-dynamic duo who continually fall short in bringing down the one man who stood between them and a billion dollar social network are seeking alternate means for remuneration. That's right, the Winklevoss twins have taken to the TV airwaves to zing their arch nemesis Mark Zuckerberg in a Roll Global commercial for pistachios.

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Ten Even Weirder and Funnier Japanese Condoms

by Steve Levenstein

Following up on our previous look at The Top 10 Weirdest and Funniest Japanese Condoms, these 10 amusingly odd male contraceptive packages illustrate Japan's undeclared intent to make laughs, not babies.

New Japanese Smartphone Case Doubles as Radiation Monitor

by Steve Levenstein

Japan's largest mobile phone service provider, NTT DoCoMo, has produced a prototype cellphone case that adds a radiation detecting function to your smartphone.

Flag Stickers for Galaxy Phones Show Off Your Home (Button)

by Steve Levenstein

Samsung Galaxy smartphone owners, raise the flag when you lift your phone! 'Touch Me!' Button Stickers from Japan's Strapya World allow patriotic Galaxy S and S-II owners to customize their Android handsets' Home buttons to show off their national flag.

Flip.to Identifies Net Promoters & Streamlines Reviews On Hotel Websites

by Ron Callari

While hundreds of CRM metric systems have evolved over the years, guests have been inundated with hotel survey requests that are lengthy and antiquated. Recently, with the extensive research conducted by loyalty expert Fred Reichheld, it has been found that brands are best served when they distill the whole process down to one simple question: "Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?"

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Tiger Woods Takes On Japan's Best Female Golfers in 9-Hole Charity Event

by Steve Levenstein

Tiger Woods, American professional golfer and reluctant celebrity, is taking his talents to Japan! The former World No. 1 and Japan's top 3 female pro golfers are set to tee off this November 1st in “Challenge! Tiger Woods”, a 9-hole charity event to benefit Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief.

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Nissin's 'Hybrid Ramen' Fuses Fried & Unfried Noodles

by Steve Levenstein

Nissin Foods, Japan's instant ramen powerhouse, has found a solution to noodle-slurpers' most trying conundrum: should ramen noodles be fried or unfried? Actually it's more of a compromise, as Nissin's hard-working ramen engineers have created the world's first Hybrid Ramen.

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