Tokyo Social - Episode 19:
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about Pre-school picnics, Google I/O announcements, and cool Medium.com articles. Now with Intro music, let us know what you think!
What’s new in Japan:
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Kevin: Pre-school picnics sound like fun, but in reality are .. exhausting for everyone involved.
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Follow up: has Rick been running away from Zombies this week? Kevin watched the original Evil Dead.
Tech Corner
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Google I/O Conference was this week our thoughts on the announcements.
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Kevin: The tech press keep comparing the new Google Game APIs to Apple’s Game Center, but I’d say it’s much closer to Amazon’s Game Circle APIs that have been available to developers for about a year.
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Kevin: I also wonder if the new Android Studio SDK will be as open to plug-ins as the Eclipse IDE. If the Android Studio SDK is not open to plug-ins how will Amazon update their Kindle SDK libraries that currently use Eclipse? This could further fragment the Kindle devices from Android.
App Recommendations
Kevin
Rick
Podcast of the week
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Kevin: Gaming in the 90’s - 1993
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Rick: can’t think of a podcast, instead here’s a diet spreadsheet. Cool story over on Medium by Paul Smylera
Subscribe: http://tokyosocial.com/subscribe
(Source: lonelybob)
Tokyo Social - Episode 18:
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about Softbank Health (Care?), Google I/O expectations, TokyoSocial is now on Stitcher, and some useful text diff/merge tools.
What’s new in Japan:
- Softbank announces Softbank Health (Care?) with subsidized Fitbit accessory
Tech Corner
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What type of circus show will Google put on at next week’s I/O conference. Last year they did skydiving and mountain biking with Google Glass.
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TokyoSocial Podcast is now on Stitcher search for us on Stitcher on iPhone/Android
App Recommendations
Kevin
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KDiff - open source/free diff and merge tool
- DropboxDiff (can run KDiff, I think)
Rick
Podcast of the week
Subscribe: http://tokyosocial.com/subscribe
(Source: lonelybob)
Tokyo Social - Episode 17:
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about the Golden Week holiday, Google Glass, and our Podcast picks of the Week.
What’s new in Japan:
- The Golden Week holiday, what it is, and what we did.
Kevin: Golden Week pic
Rick: I worked most of it. :(
Tech Corner
- Rick and Kevin’s thoughts on Google Glass.
Japan connection:
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Google Glass, you’ve got company! Sekai Camera inventor introduces Telepathy One
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Laying the foundation for Google Glass: Japanese projects that pushed the space forward
App Recommendations
Kevin
Rick
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Break Timer for iPhone (paid version, ad free)
- not to be confused with Break Time
Podcast of the week
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Kevin: Bionic
Subscribe: http://tokyosocial.com/subscribe
(Source: lonelybob)
Tokyo Social - Episode 16:
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about Japan’s trouble keeping up with pre-school demand, car purchases and challenges with getting a Japanese Driver’s license, and some discussion about the Evil Dead remake.
What’s new in Japan:
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NHK reports not enough pre-schools for Japanese kids
Above link is broken, apparently NHK has a very short article life time. Updated link: http://news-report-plus.doorblog.jp/archives/26985892.html
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Rick bought a car. It looks like a cube-shaped booger.
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Getting a Japanese Driver’s license
Tech Corner
- Kevin suggests don’t depend on Pulse for Google Reader replacement - Pulse acquired by LinkedIn
Not Tech related
- What do you think of the reviews of Evil Dead? The Midnight Spookshow guys loved it, but other reviews have been mixed.
App Recommendations
Kevin
Rick
Podcast of the week
Subscribe: http://tokyosocial.com/subscribe
(Source: lonelybob)
Tokyo Social - Episode 15:
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about different video streaming options in Japan and which of the big US video streaming players are not yet available in Japan.
What’s new in Japan:
Tech Corner
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Overview and comparison of Video streaming services in Japan
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Hulu Japan Price: monthly ¥980. With a library of shows like the Walking Dead and HBO shows The Wire, The Sopranos, and Six Feet Under as well as popular action and SciFi shows such as 24 and The X-Files, Hulu is quickly becoming a favorite. Videos can be streamed from their iOS app, Playstation 3 app, Android app (though limited to Android devices sold in Japan), TVs with Hulu built-in, and their website. Probably the best english support of the services in Japan thanks to it’s Hulu.com US parent company.
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Gyao Buy individual shows. A Yahoo Japan service with a variety of Japanese TV (& movies?), has Android app.
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Youtube/Google Play Google Play/Youtube launched their own digital movie rental/purchase option in Japan last year. This is focussed mostly on Android users. Not an option for iOS users.
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Apple iTunes movie purchase or rental from the iTunes store for PC, Mac, and iOS devices. No Android support.
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DMM mostly PC Browser focussed viewing, though their videos can be streamed on iOS and Android Browsers as well. DMM is known for it’s library of Adult films.
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Sony PSN movies and TV shows for rental or purchase on Playstation 3.
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Niconico Douga: Japanese online video site puts discussion front and center
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Japan’s mobile video service NotTV hit 700,000 subscribers. But can it go much further?
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1Seg Kevin: My primary TV is a 1Seg adaptor for iPod touch & iPad
US video streaming players who have not yet become available in Japan:
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Netflix standard geo-IP message “Sorry, Netflix hasn’t come to this part of the world yet.”
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Amazon videos DVD and Bluray video sales, digital streaming has not yet launched in Japan. The Kindle Fire is sold in Japan but if used with an Amazon Japan account digital video streaming or downloading are not available. This comes down to licensing and making deals with the right holders. Google was able to do it, so I expect Amazon will launch their service sometime this year.
App Recommendations
Kevin
Rick
Podcast/video of the week
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Kevin: iSteve
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Rick: Magic script video
Subscribe: http://tokyosocial.com/subscribe
(Source: lonelybob)
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about April fool’s day, the Facebook Home announcement, and Rick’s impressions on the AppleTV.
What’s new in Japan:
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April Fool’s. Not traditionally a Japanese thing, but maybe more so these days? Companies getting involved, on the net at least.
Tech Corner
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Our thoughts on Facebook Home
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Why this is a smart strategic move for Facebook, rather than one ‘Facebook Phone’ it can be used on a large portion of Android phones.
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Rick’s thoughts on the AppleTV
App Recommendations
Kevin
Rick
Podcast of the week
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Kevin: Mommy Beta
Subscribe: http://tokyosocial.com/subscribe
(Source: lonelybob)
Tokyo Social - Episode 13:
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about spring — the absence of Easter, and the abundance of cherry blossoms — Flipboard plus the problem with the state of tech blogging.
[Download episode as mp3]
What’s new in Japan:
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Easter in Japan
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Hanami/Cherry Blossom Season
Tech Corner
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Thoughts on Flipboard user magazines Curation or Creation?
* [interesting comment](http://bit.ly/X5J4ri) -
Kevin’s Podcasts on Flipboard
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We’re now on the Zune Podcast Directory, that also is integrated into Windows Phone 8, and Player.fm
App Recommendations
Kevin
Rick
Podcast of the week
Subscribe: http://tokyosocial.com/subscribe
(via lonelybob)
Tokyo Social - Episode 12:
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about dress code for nursery school plays in Japan, Google free/beta services falling out of favor, and this weeks App and Podcast recommendations.
What’s new in Japan:
- Nursery school plays, a black tie event in Japan?
Tech Corner
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Continuing RSS Feed Reader discussion.
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Google free beta services/apps falling out of favor.
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Good read Scaling Newsblur
App Recommendations
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Kevin
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Rick
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Trickle twitter reader
Podcast of the week
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Kevin’s Horror movie recommendation: Sinister
Subscribe: http://tokyosocial.com/subscribe
(Source: lonelybob)
Tokyo Social - Episode 11:
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about the 3/11 North Japan Earthquake, Google Reader shutting down, and the 70Decibels news.
What’s new in Japan:
- Two year anniversary of the 3/11 Earthquake.
- QuakeMap 3/11 Earthquake Map
Tech Corner
- Google Reader announces shutdown in July. Thoughts on the news and plans for your Feed reader switch.
- RIP Google Reader
- Dave Winer’s Thread: One great thing about the demise of Google Reader
- Fever° Red hot. Well read.
- Reeder
- Slow Feeds
App Recommendations
Podcast of the week
Subscribe: http://tokyosocial.com/subscribe
(Source: lonelybob)
Kevin (@lonelybob) and Rick (@1rick) talk about E-books and their favorite apps.
What’s new in Japan:
- iBooks Store Launches in Japan finally. Discussion about E-book options in Japan.
- Links:
- Google Play Books
- Rakuten Kobo
- Amazon Kindle
- Apple iBooks
- Rick: I don’t buy many ebooks, with the exception of O’Reilly books, which I have bought a ton of. I read those in iBooks. Recently I’ve been linking Readlists, and have been using it for distributing collections of articles on blogs.
App Recommendations
- Kevin
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Rick
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Podcast of the week -
(Source: lonelybob)
