NEWSWORTHY
Telemedicine via smartphone apps gaining in popularity in Japan
Remote medical consultation services that connect doctors and patients via smartphones and other devices are spreading across Japan, with their popularity boosted by recent deregulation of telemedicine. Under deregulation in April, health insurance can now be used for such consultations, and health care startups are ...
Gree-owned firm launches app aimed at boosting Japan's booming world of 'virtual YouTubers'
An app offering livestreamed videos featuring virtual stars debuted Tuesday with the aim of accelerating Japan's emerging world of avatar entertainers. Wright Flyer Live Entertainment, wholly owned by mobile game producer Gree Inc., said the app — called Reality — is designed to help virtual ...
Google hit with €4.3 billion fine by EU and told to alter Android model
Google was fined €4.3 billion ($5 billion) by the European Union and ordered to change the way it puts search and web browser apps on Android mobile devices, setting a global record for antitrust penalties. The penalty — the same amount the Netherlands contributes to ...
Stay fresh and ahead of the game
Summer activities: a gadget to keep an eye body odor, plus smartphone apps to enhance mahjong and fishing.
Startup delivers fresh Kyushu veggies to Tokyo customers in just an hour
A speedy veggie service in Kyushu is growing popular with wealthy Tokyoites hungry for greens they feel are safe to eat, raising expectations the delivery business can improve the fortunes of regional farmers. Vegeo Vegeco Inc., a startup based in Aya, Miyazaki Prefecture, stocks Kyushu-grown ...
Apple dangling more goodies while tackling technology addiction
Apple will offer more ways for people to limit the time they spend on iPhones while introducing features designed to make its products even more indispensable. The paradox emerged Monday as Apple executives previewed new versions of free software due out this fall. The forthcoming controls ...
Japanese IT venture launches AI-aided foodie app in rapidly growing Myanmar
A Japanese information technology venture in Myanmar has launched a gourmet information app assisted by artificial intelligence technology to cater to growing numbers of smartphone users in the country. World Street Myanmar Yathar Co., established by Aichi Prefecture-based advertising agency Nagata Co. as a major ...
Japanese flea market app operator Mercari to go public June 19
Flea market app operator Mercari Inc. said Monday it will list its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Mothers section for start-up companies on June 19. Mercari is known as a rare Japanese "unicorn" — a startup valued at more than $1 billion. Its market ...
It is not unusual for overseas visitors on their first visit to Japan to be impressed by the country's efficient rail network, with its heated seats and computerized message boards providing passengers with information updates. That was certainly true of James Mmari, 35, a Tanzanian ...
New Japan travel app pairs Microsoft's AI chatbot with Navitime guidance
Two Tokyo-based firms and Microsoft Japan on Thursday launched an English-language tourism app with an AI agent to target a surge in inbound tourists that is projected to continue. The Japan Trip Navigator app for Apple iOS was released by travel agency JTB Corp., navigation ...
Uber CEO eyes Japan taxi partnerships as Asia trip highlights global ambitions
Uber Technologies Inc. isn't ready to give up the world. Dara Khosrowshahi, in his first trip to Asia since becoming chief executive officer, made it clear that the ride-hailing company isn't about to scale back its business to just countries where it already has a ...
For young Japanese seeking romance, beauty is in the eye of the dating app
Japan's millennials are apathetic about romance, and everyone knows it. But according to Hirokazu Nakamura, chief product officer and chief marketing officer of Tokyo-based startup Eureka Inc., young people are not losing interest in love itself. "It's more about the whole process of falling in love ...
