Rakuten to buy Internet messaging app Viber for $900 million
Japan's Rakuten will acquire instant messaging and calling app developer Viber Media for US$900 million, the e-commerce giant said Friday, highlighting its moves to penetrate new markets.
Stories by Tim Hornyak
Mitsubishi creates a predictive agent to anticipate drivers' needs
Mitsubishi Electric is developing a vehicle assistant system that can anticipate driver needs when controlling things like car navigation systems and stereos.
NTT, NEC launch real-time 4K/60p video compression unit
NTT and NEC have launched a compression unit for 4K/60p high-resolution video that can compress video in real time using the HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) format.
Bitcoin exchanges hit by DDoS attacks
The problems plaguing Bitcoin worsened Tuesday as online attacks on the digital currency's software affected two more exchanges.
Bitcoin price plunges as Mt. Gox says flaw in protocol allows fraud
Bitcoin software has a bug that allows fraud, Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox said Monday. The news was followed by a new fall in the value of the digital currency.
Japan gadget wizards conjure hay-fever hoods, spy cam specs
In February, the hills around Tokyo come alive with cypress pollen, and that means one thing: hay fever.
Shoot in 4K with Panasonic's Lumix GH4
Panasonic is bringing 4K video content creation to video buffs with its Lumix GH4 camera, which launches globally this spring.
No need to dim the lights with new Hitachi projectors
Hitachi has developed projector technology that makes video display clearly in brightly lit rooms.
Sony sheds Vaio PC business, turns TV unit into subsidiary
Sony will sell its struggling PC business to a Japanese investment firm, the company said Thursday, meaning the slick "Vaio" brand could all but disappear from markets outside Japan.
PS4, smartphones power Sony to profit during third quarter
Sales of the PlayStation 4 and smartphones helped Sony turn a net profit of ¥27 billion (US$266 million) in the October to December quarter of last year, up sharply from a loss of ¥10.8 billion a year earlier.
Osaka train station set for large face-recognition study
Japan's Osaka Station could become another focal point in the global battle over personal privacy protection as a Japanese research center prepares for a long-term face-recognition study there.
For Sony, a good time to offload struggling Vaio business
Struggling electronics giant Sony painted a rosy picture of its future at CES last month, but it will likely have to shed divisions that are battling intense headwinds.
Fujitsu optical connector may cut server connectivity costs
Fujitsu Laboratories and Furukawa Electric have developed an optical connector that could reduce connectivity costs for servers.
NTT DoCoMo reveals smart clothing, fitness band in healthcare push
Japan's dominant mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo is pushing into wearable technology with new smart clothing and a wrist band that can monitor wearers' health while sending data to smartphones and the cloud.
Nintendo sticks to its console guns despite Wii U flop
Nintendo won't be abandoning hardware or licensing its game titles for use on smartphones, its President Satoru Iwata told analysts in Tokyo.