Study Joyo Kanji on your iPhone with iKIC

Study Joyo Kanji on your iPhone with iKIC

Posted by harvey in Gadgets, Language, Media on 12. Feb, 2010 | 2 Comments

Yet another iPod Touch or iPhone App to help you learn Japanese has been released. This one was released my my former school, IUC Japan.
iKIC is available as a free limited download, and as a iKIC full paid version with more content. You can also purchase add-ons for the paid version that adds even more [...]

PlaySay Revisited

PlaySay Revisited

Posted by harvey in Culture, Gadgets, Language on 01. Feb, 2010 | 8 Comments

Learn Japanese Vocab on your iPod-like Device with PlaySay

You may have noticed mention of PlaySay on and off on this blog over the past year so. Recently Ryan, the head Japan-head at PlaySay, contacted me to let me know that PlaySay has really been taking off. You can read a quick article about Ryan and [...]

Hello Kitty Toaster for the Kitty Geek who has Everything

Hello Kitty Toaster for the Kitty Geek who has Everything

Posted by harvey in Crazy Consumers, Gadgets on 23. Dec, 2009 | 1 Comment

Burn Hello Kitty’s Face into your Toast

Now you can burn Hello Kitty’s face into your toast with this too-cute-to-be-owned Hello Kitty Toaster!
I don’t have one of these.
Probably never will…
Unless of course I have a daughter someday who learns of this product and demands that I buy it.
Scary thought.
Seriously though. Hello Kitty is powerful stuff. Powerful.
- [...]

Takoyaki USB Memory Stick

Takoyaki USB Memory Stick

Posted by harvey in Crazy Consumers, Food, Gadgets, Osaka on 20. Dec, 2009 | 1 Comment

What better gift for a Japan-loving Osaka-friendly Kansai-dreaming friend of yours than a Takoyaki USB Memory Stick? Afterall, the best gifts are the things that no one in their right mind would ever go out and buy on their own… but on the other hand would be happy to receive! Yummy.

Takoyaki USB Memory Stick (1GB)

For [...]

Fully Automatic Takoyaki Maker

Fully Automatic Takoyaki Maker

Posted by harvey in Crazy Consumers, Culture, Food, Gadgets on 17. Dec, 2009 | 7 Comments

Finally, a place where you can buy a Fully-Automatic Takoyaki Maker online and have it shipped overseas. If you still haven’t made that last minute holiday gift purchase for that special Japanese-loving someone, this might be worth a look!

Automatic Takoyaki Maker, not cheap, but awesome!

Did I say “fully automatic?” Why yes, yes I did.

I [...]

A little lost in translation – i-Fukkin for iPhone

A little lost in translation – i-Fukkin for iPhone

Posted by harvey in Gadgets, Humor, Language on 29. Sep, 2009 | 4 Comments

Here is a great Japanese iPhone app that encourages you to do sit-ups. i-Fukkin!

i-Fukkin

They should have done some research before settling on their application name though.
FUKKIN is 腹筋 (ふっきん) in Japanese, which means “abdominal muscles,” and isn’t funny at all. You can use 腹筋 as a verb too and say, 「腹筋をする」to mean “to do sit-ups.”
The [...]

Japanese Phrases & Lessons 2.0 Video

Japanese Phrases & Lessons 2.0 Video

Posted by harvey in Gadgets, Language on 25. Sep, 2009 | No Comments

Judging by its popularity many of you have probably have probably already downloaded this app, but Japanese Phrases 2.0 has a new preview video on YouTube. Lots of improvements and additions!

If you’re wondering whether or not it’s worth the money, check out the Free Version of Japanese Phrases first. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. [...]

Japanese 101: Kansai-ben App Updated

Posted by harvey in About, Gadgets, Language on 18. Jul, 2009 | No Comments

Just a quick note. I finally got my first app update through the Apple review process. That took forever!
The update is super minor, but it’s free of course, so if you have the Kansai-ben App already see if it updates on your iPhone or iPod Touch. [Direct iTunes Link to Japanese 101: Kansai-ben]
Look forward to [...]

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