By Talicia Marie Stewart

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Nikon’s new full-frame DSLR D780, set to release on January 23, offers a new and improved replacement for the D750. But at double the price, you can see why some may be hesitant to buy. In terms of specs, improvements and new features, the D780 shows promise in allowing enthusiasts and semi-professional photographers to experiment with a wide range of new features not seen in a DLSR before.

To start, its battery life is insane. The D780s predecessor, the D750, was formerly the longest-lasting Nikon camera in terms of battery life, allowing for roughly 1230 shots per charge. But the D780 is said to surpass that by almost double. Users can expect to shoot roughly 2020 shots on just one charge, perfect for long photoshoots and travel photography. Also exceeding the D750, the D780 has two SD card slots installed. Typically, with both Canon and Nikon cameras, two slots would be available; one for an SD card and one for a CF or faster card slot. But two SD cards slots allows for multiple storage locations, shooting RAW images to one card and JPEGs to another or using one for backup in case the other gets lost.

In terms of new features, there is a lot to talk about. The D780 effectively implements the same sensor and chip phase detection as the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera. This means that when focussing via the optical viewfinder, users get the same 51-point autofocus with 15 cross-type points as the D750 and when in Live view, users get 273-point phase-detection autofocus. This is the first time Nikon has used their AF system for Live View, from one of their mirrorless models, on a DSLR.

The thing that most people can’t seem to get enough of is the prolonged shutter speed. With the ability to extend the exposure to 900 seconds you can believe astrophotographers will be out all-night shooting stars. This means that you could potentially take a photo exposed for fifteen minutes long. The previous D750 could only go as long as 30 seconds and as quick as 1/4000s. On the other end, the D780 can photograph images at 1/8000s of a second, allowing the capture of subjects at incredible speeds whilst still retaining high quality.

The new and improved hybrid AF system “supports Eye-detection AF, which automatically detects human eyes with still photography, greatly increasing flexibility with portrait photography.” It is also the first Nikon DSLR to utilize focal-plane phase-detection AF. This changes the game for video capture. One reviewer even commented that “this is, so far, the best focusing Nikon DSLR in live view that has ever been made.”

Because it has those focusing sensors on the imaging sensors itself, the performance in live view is going to be drastically improved. This is something Nikon has never done with its DSLR’s before. Tracking, facial tracking, and eye detection are all included in this camera and will be better than ever.

In silent live view mode, the FPS can go up to 12 frames per second with auto-focus and full auto-exposure, as opposed to the D750 which can only manage 6.5. It is now capable of 4K recording at 30FPS using the full width of the sensor. In Full HD it can shoot up to 120FPS which is great for people that want to experiment with slow-motion shooting.

The ISO is also something to admire. It has a ridiculous range (equivalent to) ISO 50 to ISO 204800, the latter allowing for incredibly low light shooting. While, in other cheaper cameras, such a high ISO would render the image blurry and incredibly pixilated, the D780 is equipped with focal-plane phase-detection auto-focus (AF) pixels. When this is utilised with the EXPEED 6 image-processing engine, “even at higher sensitivity settings, noise is effectively reduced to preserve sharp and clear images.”

The D780 is a DSLR with all the right parts of a mirrorless camera. It borrows Z series mirrorless tech and turns in into a new kind of DLSR that has never been seen before. There are parts of it that are familiar to the D750 and the Z6, and there are parts that are completely new. Do not be mistaken, this camera is aimed at photographers that want to buy a DSLR and are enthusiastic enough to try all is new features. But if you can spare the bucks, it’s definitely worth looking into when it arrives.

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Panasonic (Osaka) — Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has developed the world’s first High Dynamic Range (HDR) capable ultra high definition (UHD) virtual reality (VR) eyeglasses which boasts a comfortable fit that makes users feel as if they were wearing eyeglasses.

With anticipation of the forthcoming full-fledged commercial services of the fifth generation (5G) mobile communications system, a number of new services using VR glasses are expected to be offered, including for VR sports viewing and engaging virtualtravel experiences. While conventional VR glasses with high-quality images and high sound quality provide users with highly immersive simulated experiences, these glasses tend to be big in size and require users to strap them to their head with a headband, which could cause wearer discomfort.

For the new VR glasses, Panasonic has developed a high performance display device in cooperation with Kopin Corporation, which is a leading manufacturer of display devices for VR glasses. In addition, Panasonic’s audio and visual technologies have been incorporated into this new device, including signal processing technologies cultivated through the development of video equipment such as TVs and Blu-ray Disc players, acoustic technologies of Technics audio products, and optical technologies used in Lumix digital cameras. These technologies enabled Panasonic to achieve compact and lightweight VR glasses offering high-quality images and optimal sound that deliver realistic sensations drawing the user into the images projected before their eyes, while in the comfort of wearing eyeglasses.

Gearing up for the forthcoming full-scale commercial 5G services, Panasonic will continue to further develop the new VR glasses so that they can be used in a variety of applications, thereby creating new customer value.

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Toyota (Las Vegas) — Toyota has revealed plans to build a prototype “city” of the future on a 175-acre site at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan.

Called the Woven City, it will be a fully connected ecosystem powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

Envisioned as a “living laboratory,” the Woven City will serve as a home to full-time residents and researchers who will be able to test and develop technologies such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence in a real-world environment.

“Building a complete city from the ground up, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop future technologies, including a digital operating system for the city’s infrastructure. With people, buildings and vehicles all connected and communicating with each other through data and sensors, we will be able to test connected AI technology… in both the virtual and the physical realms… maximizing its potential,” said Akio Toyoda, president, Toyota Motor Corporation.

Toyota will extend an open invitation to collaborate with other commercial and academic partners and invite interested scientists and researchers from around the world to come work on their own projects in this one-of-a-kind, real-world incubator.

“We welcome all those inspired to improve the way we live in the future, to take advantage of this unique research ecosystem and join us in our quest to create an ever-better way of life and mobility for all,” said Toyoda.

For the design of Woven City, Toyota has commissioned Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). His team at BIG have designed many high-profile projects: from 2 World Trade Center in New York and Lego House in Denmark, to Google’s Mountain View and London headquarters.

“A swarm of different technologies are beginning to radically change how we inhabit and navigate our cities. Connected, autonomous, emission-free and shared mobility solutions are bound to unleash a world of opportunities for new forms of urban life. With the breadth of technologies and industries that we have been able to access and collaborate with from the Toyota ecosystem of companies, we believe we have a unique opportunity to explore new forms of urbanity with the Woven City that could pave new paths for other cities to explore.” Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director, BIG.

Design of the City

The masterplan of the city includes the designations for street usage into three types: for faster vehicles only, for a mix of lower speed, personal mobility and pedestrians, and for a park-like promenade for pedestrians only. These three street types weave together to form an organic grid pattern to help accelerate the testing of autonomy.

The city is planned to be fully sustainable, with buildings made mostly of wood to minimize the carbon footprint, using traditional Japanese wood joinery, combined with robotic production methods. The rooftops will be covered in photo-voltaic panels to generate solar power in addition to power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. Toyota plans to weave in the outdoors throughout the city, with native vegetation and hydroponics.

Residences will be equipped with the latest in human support technologies, such as in-home robotics to assist with daily living. The homes will use sensor-based AI to check occupants’ health, take care of basic needs and enhance daily life, creating an opportunity to deploy connected technology with integrity and trust, securely and positively.

To move residents through the city, only fully-autonomous, zero-emission vehicles will be allowed on the main thoroughfares. In and throughout Woven City, autonomous Toyota e-Palettes will be used for transportation and deliveries ,as well as for changeable mobile retail.

Both neighborhood parks and a large central park for recreation, as well as a central plaza for social gatherings, are designed to bring the community together. Toyota believes that encouraging human connection will be an equally important aspect of this experience.

Toyota plans to populate Woven City with Toyota Motor Corporation employees and their families, retired couples, retailers, visiting scientists, and industry partners. The plan is for 2000 people to start, adding more as the project evolves.

The groundbreaking for the site is planned for early 2021.

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KDDI (Tokyo) — KDDI Corporation, Loyalty Marketing, Inc., and Lawson, Inc. agreed to a new initiative designed to create new consumption experiences that merge the online and offline worlds.

In recent years, the number of contact points with customers through the Internet is increasing due to the penetration of digital technologies, and the structure of the consumption society is significantly changing. Amidst such changes, KDDI, LM, and Lawson shared a common desire to adapt to the changing consumption society and sustainably provide value to customers.

Starting from May 2020, KDDI and LM will integrate the point systems of both companies into the common Ponta service operated by LM and promote the linking of their respective IDs. The result will create Japan’s largest class member base of over 100 million people and further integration with settlement services will lead to over 22 million mobile accounts and annual points awarded of over 200 billion yen. Moreover, KDDI and LM will strive to cooperate in regard to deeper data marketing utilizing the member base and the creation of new businesses.

The companies will provide new consumption experiences through Online Merges with Offline (OMO) utilizing a member base of over 100 million people and advanced technologies (“5G” fifth-generation mobile communication system and robotics) at the real-world points of contact in Lawson’s roughly 14,600 stores.

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SoftBank (Tokyo) — The University of Tokyo and SoftBank Corp. today announced an agreement to establish the Beyond AI Institute, a new research facility that will gather the world’s best minds and launch programs to develop businesses with research results.

The Beyond AI Institute aims to be an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) research organization that brings together top-level researchers from the University of Tokyo and leading universities abroad. The institute will conduct fundamental research for key AI technology and for incorporating research from other academic fields. Using these fundamental research results, applied research will be conducted for the purpose of utilizing AI to address issues facing society and industry. Along with linking fundamental research areas to applied research domains, for business development the Beyond AI Institute will actively utilize the Collaborative Innovation Partnership (CIP) system that was newly formulated by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), which enables universities and companies to rapidly set up joint ventures.

Through the Beyond AI Institute, the University of Tokyo and SoftBank Corp. will contribute to Japan’s AI research and AI-related businesses to lead Japan’s AI revolution.

Specific Initiatives

(1) Advanced AI research conducted by top level researchers from the University of Tokyo and universities abroad. To forge new AI-related fundamental research areas such as the radical evolution of AI enabled by quantum physics and the combination of AI and biofunctions, researchers at the University of Tokyo involved in physics and medical fields—areas that the university excels in—will be assigned to the institute to realize AI integration. In conjunction with this, researchers at top universities abroad will be brought on board to create a world-class team that conducts advanced AI fundamental research.

(2) Commercialization of research results using new joint venture system. Promising results from fundamental research will be passed on to applied research for application to fields such as “Health and Medical,” “Public Works and Social Infrastructure” and “Manufacturing.” Furthermore, the CIP system, which makes it possible to rapidly set up joint ventures between universities and companies, will be utilized to commercialize research. Using this system will create an ecosystem where it will be possible to quickly envision commercialization through joint ventures at the research stage and invest returns from business ventures into future research activities. This will in turn contribute to the nurturing of next-generation AI experts and educational activities (The Beyond AI Institute will also collaborate with Deepcore Inc., Innovation Platform for The University of Tokyo Inc. and related venture capital companies in forming ventures).

(3) Research facilities to be located at University of Tokyo’s Hongo Campus and the future SoftBank headquarters in Takeshiba. The research facility dedicated to fundamental research will be located in the University of Tokyo’s Hongo Campus and the research facility for applied research will be established at the future SoftBank headquarters in Takeshiba, which is expected to open during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. These two locations will be linked by the Science and Information Network (SINET) that is run by the National Institute of Informatics (NII) to build a structure that enables seamless transitions from research to commercialization.

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Foundation: 1889

Headquarters: Kyoto

President: Shuntaro Furukawa

Nintendo is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics and video game company headquartered in Kyoto. Originating as a card company and eventually evolving from toys to video games, Nintendo is one of the world’s largest video game companies, creating some of the best-known and top-selling video game franchises. Its annual income is in the range of US$11 billion.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Pokemon Sword and Shield sold around 1.37 million copies in Japan within the first three days of release, according to Shukan Famitsu magazine, which is a new record for any title developed for Nintendo’s Switch console.

These sales figures edge out 2018’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the previous record holder.

The worldwide figure for the launch weekend was in the neighborhood of 6 million units sold in the launch weekend.

Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing, commented, “With such a momentous launch, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield have proven to be two of the must-have games this holiday season.”

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Sony (Tokyo) – Sony Corporation today announced the establishment of Sony AI. This new organization, with offices globally in Japan, Europe, and the United States, will advance fundamental research and development of AI (artificial intelligence).

Sony’s Purpose is to “Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.” Recognizing that AI will play a vital role in the fulfillment of this purpose, Sony AI is being established with the mission to “unleash human imagination and creativity with AI.”

Sony AI will combine world class fundamental research and development with Sony’s unique technical assets, especially in imaging & sensing solutions, robotics and entertainment (games, music and movies), driving transformation across all existing business domains and contributing to the creation of new business domains. In addition, one of Sony AI’s long-term goals is to contribute to the resolution of shared global issues extending beyond Sony’s business domains.

Sony AI will drive the research and development of AI in both physical and virtual space through multiple world-class flagship projects as well as other explorative research projects, including AI ethics.

Initially, Sony AI will launch three flagship projects in the areas of gaming, imaging & sensing, and gastronomy. The adoption of new AI technologies developed through these flagship projects will be critical to further enhancing the value of Sony’s gaming and sensor businesses in coming years. This research will be pursued in close collaboration with the relevant Sony Group business units.

In order to drive these projects and achieve truly innovative research, Sony is eager to work with top global AI talent with an aim to attract world-class AI researchers and engineers. Sony believes that extraordinary innovation requires diversity of both talent and approaches, and this will be reflected in the composition and operation of Sony AI. Recognizing the power and influence of AI technologies, Sony AI will contribute to society through the development of AI that is fair, transparent, and accountable.

Sony AI will be headed globally by Hiroaki Kitano (President and CEO, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.; Corporate Executive, Sony Corporation), and the American site will be headed by Peter Stone.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The merger of online firms Line and Yahoo Japan is aimed squarely at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry, hoping to give the combined holding company, Line and Z Holdings, the financial heft it needs to compete against the tech giants.

The merger statement explained, “Social and industrial conditions surrounding us are changing drastically and daily on a global basis. Particularly in the Internet market, overseas companies, especially those based in the United States and China, are overwhelmingly dominant, and even when comparing the size of operations, there is currently a big difference between such overseas companies and those in Japan and other Asian countries, other than China.”

It continued, “Furthermore, in Japan, which is working to increase the declining productivity that comes along with a shrinking workforce and to respond rapidly to natural disasters, the use of artificial intelligence and technology in these fields has great potential.”

The combined firm will target “growth in the areas of AI, commerce, Fintech, advertising and O2O and other new business areas.”

Currently, Line Corporation, owned by the South Korean firm Naver, has a user base of about 82 million people in Japan, and Yahoo Japan, owned by SoftBank Corporation through its subsidiary Z Holdings Corporation, has a user base of about 50 million Japanese.

The full merger is expected to be completed within a year.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — With the launch of the Stadia cloud service this week, Google becomes a heavyweight gaming company taking on the established Sony PlayStation Now and the incipient Microsoft Project xCloud.

Stadia games will be playable using televisions, desktop Google Chrome web browsers, or Google-made Pixel smartphones. In a later stage it is expected to be integrated with YouTube.

At the time of launch, 22 games will be available in the Stadia lineup. These are Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Attack on Titan: Final Battle 2, Destiny 2: The Collection, Farming Simulator 2019, Final Fantasy XV, Football Manager 2020, Grid 2019, Gylt, Just Dance 2020, Kine, Metro Exodus, Mortal Kombat 11, NBA 2K20, Rage 2, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Red Dead Redemption 2, Samurai Shodown, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Thumper, Tomb Raider 2013, Trials Rising, and Wolfenstein: Youngblood.

Initially, Stadia is launching in fourteen countries in North America and Europe, but is not available in Japan or any other Asian country.

Google originally announced the coming of its Stadia game service in March, and by June began accepting preorders for the US$130 Founder’s Edition controllers.

The global video game industry is worth an estimated US$135 billion.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Fujifilm has put an end to both its two-year takeover battle with Xerox Holdings as well as its 57-year partnership with the US firm.

In January 2018, Fujifilm launched a US$6.1 billion bid to gain a majority stake in its erstwhile US partner, but the deal foundered under the opposition of activist shareholders Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason. Fujifilm persisted by launching a US$1 billion lawsuit against Xerox in June 2018.

In an announcement yesterday, Fujifilm put an end to all that. The lawsuit has been dropped and instead Fujifilm will buy out all of Xerox’s 25% stake in their joint venture firm, Fuji Xerox. In this US$2.3 billion deal, Fuji Xerox will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujifilm.

In other words, Fujifilm and Xerox have made a clean break from one another and will now go their separate ways.

Shigetaka Komori, chairman and chief executive officer of Fujifilm, commented, “Full ownership of Fuji Xerox will facilitate faster decision making in a rapidly changing business environment. At the same time, Fuji Xerox will be able to further strengthen its business by capturing new original equipment manufacturer opportunities in the global market, leveraging our world-leading product development and manufacturing capabilities.”

Founded in 1962, the joint venture Fuji Xerox has been a leading document solutions company with revenues growing to above 1 trillion yen (about US$9.2 billion). It had also been regarded as one of the most successful joint ventures between a Japanese and a non-Japanese company.

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Foundation: 1920

Headquarters: Fuchu, Hiroshima

President: Akira Marumoto

Mazda Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational automaker, which for several decades had a partnership with the Ford Motor Company of the United States. Its annual income is in the range of US$32 billion.

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Foundation: 1933

Headquarters: Yokohama

President: Yasuhiro Yamauchi

Nissan Motor Company is one of Japan’s leading automotive firms and part of an international alliance that includes Renault of France and Mitsubishi Motors of Japan. Nissan has been a pioneer in the development of electric vehicles. Its annual income is in the range of US$110 billion.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — NTT Docomo has announced that it will terminate services for i-mode, the world’s first mobile internet service, at the end of March 2026.

A groundbreaking new technology at the time of its launch in February 1999, it ultimately peaked at about 49 million users in 2010.

Gradually, however, the inability to spread i-mode internationally, and more importantly the competition from the superior Apple iPhone and Google Android systems, relegated the technology to obsolescence. At present, there are about 7.6 million subscribers and declining.

An NTT Docomo statement explained, “Given the decline in the number of contracts and the allocation of more corporate resources to 5G), we have decided to end services.”

In its heyday in the early 2000s, i-mode offered its mostly Japanese users services that were otherwise unknown. It allowed users mobile access to email and the internet, and played a key role in popularizing the now ubiquitous emoji.

In the end, however, it largely became another galapagos technology. Although Japan had taken a global lead with the introduction of i-mode, it was ultimately blown away by Steve Jobs and his iPhone, introduced in June 2007.

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Toyota (Tokyo) — Toyota Research Institute (TRI) announced that its Platform 4 (P4) automated driving test vehicle will be available for public demonstration rides next summer in Tokyo. Offered from July to September 2020, the P4 will demonstrate Toyota’s “Chauffeur” SAE Level-4 capabilities in a specific “mobility as a service” (MaaS) driving environment.

The P4 experience will take place in Tokyo’s Odaiba district, a busy and often congested waterfront subcenter. Odaiba’s complex environment of pedestrians, vehicle traffic, diverse road infrastructure and tall glass buildings provide a challenging setting in which to demonstrate the capabilities of Toyota’s automated driving technology. The public will be invited to register for the experience, and individuals will be selected to participate. In accordance with Japanese law, a safety driver will be present during the experience.

“By challenging ourselves to successfully operate autonomously in Odaiba, we have set a high bar that requires us to rapidly expand the capabilities of our technology in a short amount of time,” said TRI CEO Gill Pratt. “To accomplish that, we are working closely with the Advanced R&D Division of Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development (TRI-AD) based in Tokyo, who is responsible for bringing the P4’s automated driving software to the public.”

TRI has been testing the P4 in the United States at its Ottawa Lake, Michigan, closed-course test facility. There, TRI replicated Odaiba’s most challenging infrastructure characteristics and driving scenarios for which the P4 will have to navigate autonomously. Further testing of P4 software is being conducted on public roads in Odaiba and around TRI’s Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Los Altos, California, research offices.

The P4 test vehicle is based on the fifth-generation Lexus LS sedan. It is being used in TRI’s research and development of both “Toyota GuardianTM” active safety and “Chauffeur” automated driving applications.

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Foundation: 1934

Headquarters: Minato Ward, Tokyo

Chairman and CEO: Shigetaka Komori

Fujifilm is a multinational photography and imaging company which produces digital cameras, color film, color paper, photofinishing equipment, and much more. It is a pioneer Japanese film company. Its annual income is in the range of US$22 billion.

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