Tokyo Times

Mar 13 2004 2 Comments

What’s next? This is

A matter of days after Sony’s Qrio conducted the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Toyota has gone and topped it with their new robot band.

This isn’t some kind of stunt, the little fellas are really playing those trumpets. They have artificial lungs allowing them to produce the necessary air, and also lips to form the notes. The robots apparently wowed the crowd with a rousing rendition of When You Wish Upon a Star.

When the performance was over, the robots bowed and waved to the audience. No doubt thinking to themselves that it will only be a matter of time before it is the humans who are bowing to them, their robotic (and trumpet playing) masters.

Mar 12 2004 3 Comments

The J-League

The J-League season kicks-off tomorrow, and seeing as my local team FC Tokyo are playing at home, I shall be participating in the first-game-of-the-season festivities.

I’ll be the first to admit that the J-League can’t compete with the excitement of say the English Premier League (there’s no Bolton Wanderers to start with!), but it’s live football nonetheless.

And get this, they have pretty young ladies moving around the stadium dispensing alcoholic beverages. Yes, smiling beauties walking about with packs on their backs containing beer. A quick call and they will happily come over and satisfy your needs. So even a dull game is guaranteed a few highlights. If it’s a particularly warm day, maybe they will look like this.

Or more than likely not, but there’s no harm in dreaming. It’s obviously a great sales ploy, as losers like myself will happily keep on ordering more beer, but it’s something I can quite happily live with.

Anyway, back to the football. Like any team worth its salt, FC Tokyo has a nickname, although it has to be said that the gasmen isn’t one of the best. There is a (reasonably) good reason, as their sponsor is Tokyo Gas. But still…

There again, with a stadium packed full of blokes furiously gulping down beer, it’s perhaps quite appropriate.

Mar 11 2004 1 Comment

What next?

A while ago I reported the rumour concerning Sony’s Qrio robot, and its alleged place in the national football team. If you want to see the picture and story, just click here.

Now maybe I lack ambition, but personally, playing for the national team would be more than enough for me. Young Qrio however appears to think very differently. As just recently (presumably between training sessions) the robotic wonder conducted the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

There can be no charge of Qrio taking the easy option either, as the piece in question was Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

And people say robots won’t take over the world. Going by this story, it’s hard to imagine them being content with cleaning the house and looking after old people.

Look at the little smart arse

Mar 11 2004 4 Comments

Say it isn’t true

Due to a popular television drama, there is seemingly the real danger of a fully blown Queen revival hitting these shores. Initially I calmed myself with the thought that it would only be a brief fad, but today at school I saw a teenage schoolgirl lovingly writing Brian May on one of her files. Yes, Brian May! And just to compound my fears, two other students approached me to ask me if I knew of Queen, whilst at the same time declaring their new found love of the band.

Is the current music scene so bereft of talent that Queen’s bloated and self-indulgent rock has to be dragged up from its murky depths?

And perhaps even more disturbing. Does this mean the return of big hair and dodgy moustaches?

Heaven help us all!

Mar 10 2004 8 Comments

Cold coffee?

Do you ever find that after spending much more time than you intended browsing certain, ahem cultural sites, your coffee (or even tea) has gone cold?

Yes? Well fret no more, as this USB powered hot coaster is the answer to all you problems. And as the picture shows, it’s Windows and Mac compatible.