The Chris Phelan Chronicle

Yodobashi Camera Number Modility Event

Yodobashi Camera held a big event to launch number mobility between the mobile phone carriers. Now everyone can change their carrier but keep their old phone number. Until now, you had to change numbers, which kept a lot of people from changing carriers. The three large carriers were there, AU, Docomo and Softbank Mobile. Song San, CEO of Softbank, was present, which is a pretty big deal. All of the major news organziations were there as well and it got a lot of coverage on the evening news. I was hoping to get some good pictures of Song San but ended up with some pretty boring ones. I have put them in the photo album on the left called Number Mobility Event at Yodobi.

The fact that this event was held at Yodobashi Camera's flagship store in Akihabara shows what a great location it is and how influential Yodobashi Camera is in the consumer electronics, Internet and mobile spaces. This also shows the marketability of Yodobashi Vision as a media.

Fusion GOL launch Piqniq

GOL launched a new SNS (Social Network Service) aimed at English-speaking families living in Japan called (drum roll) piqniq (picnic). It is an "International Family Network" that will offer targeted content such as information about International Schools, etc.

Here is what GOL wrote on their press release.  "Just like other Social Networks, users can make a profile, write a blog, and interact with other users through forums and private messaging. Most importantly, however, is the ability to add or comment on the growing list of companies, organizations, schools, etc., that provide services in English. In this way, Piqniq is more than just an SNS, it is a user-reviewed Information Resource that will be available to both registered users and non-users alike.                

In its first incarnation, Piqniq will not have a lot of advanced features but, with helpful user feedback and close monitoring, additional features and updates will be added as the needs present themselves. We, at FUSION GOL are very proud of this new service and invite anyone who is raising a family in Japan to join the community!"

New Yodobi Photos

Took some nice pictures of Akiba Yodobi.

Yodobi Photo

Apple broke my iPod

A few weeks ago I downloaded the latest version of the iTunes/iPod update and installed it, and my iPod stopped working. After a few hours of frustrating troubleshooting, I realized that my iPod would never work again. I hate it when a new software version breaks something and there is no way to escalate. Now that it is broken I am considering getting either a new iPod or the new Microsoft product,  Zune.  Zune is not going to be available in Japan for a while. I have read that Toshiba is working on an FM Tuner and Wireless capability for the Japan version of Zune. Japanese radio is garbage so I do not need that feature. I am not sure about the wireless functionality though.

McCain blames Bill

John McCain blamed Bill Clinton for North Korea's test of a nuke. I guess that gives a pretty clear indication of what kind of a president he would make. "Its Clinton's fault" is not really something I want to hear anymore. It really is pretty pathetic that McCain thinks that is a reasonable claim to make 6 years into the Bush administration, with a Republican lead House, Senate, Supreme Court and press.