Yamaha releases app that 'translates' engine sounds
First came the dog-interpretation gadget, Bowlingual. Now a Japanese company is offering humans a way to understand another nonhuman species: engines. Major motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha Motor Co. released on Wednesday the Rev Translator app, which supposedly translates engine sounds into Japanese. The company is planning ...
Over 30 financial institutions defrauded by phone apps used to intercept passwords
More than 30 financial institutions in six countries have been defrauded by sophisticated criminal software that convinces bank customers to install rogue smartphone programs, a major security company reported Tuesday. Though many of the elements of the malicious software, including the interception of one-time passwords ...
Apps help parents control kids' mobile devices
Parents struggling to get their children away from smartphones and tablets for meals, homework, exercise and other activities can arm themselves with new apps to remotely block access to the devices.
Apps take new lead from social games
On Japanese TV, you may notice that a lot of commercials for smartphone social games emphasize the word muryō (free). Consumers have been purchasing digital content on their phones for years, even since the clam-shell cellphone days. Now, more and more Japanese people are ...
App that makes face look skinnier in photos raises body-image concerns
A new app that lets users shed virtual weight so their faces look skinnier on selfie photos is raising concerns about health and body-image issues. SkinneePix, for iPhone and Android devices, can trim from 5-15 pounds (2-6 kg) of virtual fat for a slimmer selfie ...
Moms may depend on apps but experts urge real interaction
Many of today's women appear to be depending on smartphone applications to prepare for pregnancy or the birth of a baby, and to take care of or even discipline their children. Experts warn that parents shouldn't give smartphones to their infants to have them play ...
Farmers reaping benefits with apps
Smartphone apps that help farmers monitor crops and control costs are becoming popular as the rapid graying of the population continues to thin the ranks of skilled veterans in agriculture. Software developers are interested in developing applications for agriculture because the threat perceived from the ...
Smartphone game developer creates romance in virtual world
Waka Yoshida, who develops story lines for smartphone games, gets her inspiration from watching dramas and movies on TV every day. Yoshida, a 30-year-old executive officer who heads the social business unit at Voltage Inc., has been a TV drama fan since childhood. She went to ...
![[Video] International Tokyo Toy Show 2013](https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Screen-Shot-2013-06-15-at-1.27.15-AM-200x200.png)
Tokyo Toy Show . . . for little people and grown-up kids
Manufacturers from Japan and overseas gather in Tokyo to show off the latest in toy tech.
Two men are arrested for allegedly using an illegal app for smartphones and similar devices to steal more than ¥200,000 worth of electronic books.
LG's Optimus G Pro gets a Japan release Customers on NTT Docomo's network recently received another attractive Android smartphone option in LG's Optimus G Pro, which launched early this month. Interestingly, the Japanese version of the handset is marginally smaller than the one that originally ...
