Yamatologic

NicoNama iPhone App is out!

Not exactly quick on the heels of the NicoDou iPhone app, we now have the ニコ生放送 (Nico Namahousou, “Nico Live Broadcast”) app!

Yes, you can watch NicoNama while on the go. Yes, you can broadcast while on the go (I was able to do it on my old 2G, though it crashed halfway through. Check it out!). But no cruise. You can also just look for current iPhone broadcasts here.

While it is free, you have to have a Japanese iTunes account, but remember, you don’t need a credit card to make one.

Technorati Tags: app, ニコ, ニコ生, ニコ動, ニコ動画, 生放送, iPhone, iTunes, NicoLive, NicoNama, NicoNicoNamahousou

Japanese iPhone app hits 2.0!

After a long wait, the iPhone/iPod Touch app simply called “Japanese” has finally hit 2.0. The 1.0 version was fantastic and fully replaced my 電子辞書 (denshijisho, we often called them our “gaijin cards“).

The 1.0 version had a lot of good features for searching, even by ローマ字 (romaji) or 部首 (bushu), but the new one has multiple radical search (they call it “By Component” search) and even search by conjugated form. I think my favorite new feature is the ability to use the by component entry system to look up things in the main dictionary. Brilliant.

In addition, they are challenging Anki mobile with their own flashcard system and a JLPT study list that also has how many days until the next test! I wonder if they account for the fact that the test is done twice in Japan per year, but only once overseas…

The animations showing you how to draw the 漢字 (kanji) are back. That was really one thing that set 1.0 out and above everything else.

Anyway, it is normally $20, but was on sale until 2.0 was released… which seems like it was today. The app store description and website aren’t updated yet, so go get it NOW while it is still cheap! Even at $20, you get the functionality of a $300 piece of equipment. After breaking 3 electronic dictionaries over the years, I’m glad to have this all in 1 app. Go convergence! (More screen shots after the jump.)
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Technorati Tags: anki, Anki Mobile, Apple, code from tokyo, iPhone, iPod Touch, Japanese, jlpt, kanji, nihongo, 日本語, 日本語能力試験, 漢字

NicoNicoDouga iPhone Application First Look!

Finally, after all this time… the NicoDou iPhone/iPod Touch app has finally been released!

After using it, I can safely say it is better than I expected. I guess the wait was worth it after all.

I have a lot to say, but for those of you with limited blog reading time, here are the main points:

1. Views NicoDou videos
2. Shows comments
3. Publishes comments
2. Available on US iTunes Store
3. Runs over Edge, 3G, and WiFi

Go get it! (iTunes Link)

Remember, you need a NicoDou account to use this app. If you don’t have one, go get one here!

Full review and lots of screen shots after the jump!

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Technorati Tags: app, app review, Apple, ニコニコ動画, Dwango, edge, gadgets, iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone Apps, NicoDou, NicoNicoDouga, screenshots, ss, technology, wifi

NicoNicoDouga App is done!

【ニコニコ動画】iPhoneのニコニコ再生アプリ

I didn’t think this day would ever come. The ニコニコ動画 (NicoNicoDouga) for iPhone and iPod Touch is complete, as reported by ascii.jp! The video above shows many of the features. Basically, it looks to be a nice experience overall, with rankings, search, and of course the ability to comment. You’ll also note, they don’t show comments actually over the video until the very end. I was freaking out. I mean, without the comments, ニコ動 is nothing.

In any case, now they are just waiting for approval from Apple. More will be revealed in the April 7th issue of Weekly Ascii magazine. The second I find a copy of that or the app is actually released, I will be doing everything in my power to bring you guys the juicy details!

NicoNicoDouga 4 life!!!

Technorati Tags: app, Apple, ascii, ニコニコ動画, cell phones, iPhone, iPod Touch, mobile, mobile video, nico on youtube, NicoNicoDouga, nicovideo

Most Dramatic Timer Ever: Eva Clock

This morning, a friend of mine showed me one of the coolest iPhone apps I’ve seen in a while. It is the Evangelion vol.2 Clock (iPhone Link, iTunes Link). Very simple in idea, but huge on execution. It essentially is a clock and an alarm that look just like the battery timer when an Eva gets disconnected. The regular time mode is cool, but the timer mode is the best URGENT countdown timer I have seen for the iPhone to date. It feels so urgent that I was like freaking out as it got to the end… for no good reason.

Anyway, $2.99 is pricey, but it really is a must have for Eva fans. It is the first (although it says vol.2, I dunno what happened to vol.1) in a series of Evangelion movie tie ins.

The other eva app puts eva stuff in a picture, which is silly and fun, but not as urgent.

They also make a katana app… but it feels racist somehow. Watch the video and tell me what you think.

Technorati Tags: anime, app, cell phones, clock, eva, Evangelion, iPhone, timer

False Alarm, Still No NicoDou on the iPhone

The iMobileCinema mobile Safari plug-in application for jailbroken iPhones claims that it plays “any flash video, in iPhone Safari.” This, of course, made me install it ASAP in an attempt to get ニコニコ動画 (NicoNicoDouga) videos on my iPhone.

The results are shown at the right. What I got was a page where the flash elements were just gray space. Alas.

So, still no ニコ動 on the iPhone. For those keeping track, that’s 0 for 3. Flash support, a ニコ動 App, or this Safari plug-in… Nothing has been released yet that will lot us watch our favorite video site on the iPhone as of yet.

Maybe I should stop holding my breath.

Technorati Tags: Apple, flash, iMobileCinema, iPhone, iPhone Apps, jailbreak, NicoNicoDouga, softbank, videos

Emoji on iPhone, for reals this time.

Emoji are a go. Like I was saying, 絵文字 (emoji) are now available with the 2.2 update.

There is a catch however. You have to be a Softbank user sending things to other Softbank users.

And we cry…

UNLESS you are a l33t haxor. If you phone is jailbroken, you can tweak a file or just download the springboard update by searching for “emoji” in Cydia (what I did, cause I’m lazy). After that, you go into Settings ⇒ General ⇒ International ⇒ Keyboards ⇒ Japanese ⇒ Emoji (turn in ON). After that, when you hit the little globy thing, it will cycle to 絵文字 eventually. It even has a commonly used 絵文字 section!

And it works. I sent the mail shown in the image to my gmail and got this:

「えもじ」

If you see 絵文字 above, you are a mad haxor with 絵文字 fonts. Reveal your secrets! I see little squares (on PC, when browsing on my iPhone, the above showed up as their 絵文字 counterparts). However, on my iPhone, they arrived safe and sound, even when I sent those boxes copied and sent from gmail.

In anycase, if that isn’t reason to jailbreak your iPhone, I don’t know what is.  (It’s a 絵文字, I swear.)

Technorati Tags: Apple, cell phones, cydia, 絵文字, email, emoji, firmware, hacking, iPhone, jailbreak, jailbreaking, Japanese language, pwnage, smilies, technology, texting

KITA! NicoNicoDouga iPhone App Announced!

Yomiuri/CNET Japan are reporting that Softbank customers on certain models will be able to use the mobile ニコニコ動画 (NicoNicoDouga) service starting on November 4th. The ニコニコニュース (NicoNicoNews) page didn’t say anything about the iPhone, but the CNET Japan article says this down at the bottom:

さらに、iPhone 3Gでもニコニコ動画を視聴できるように開発を進めていることも明らかになった。ニワンゴ代表取締役社長の杉本誠司氏は、具体的な時期や内容は語らなかったものの、「ニコニコ動画らしいものができるように開発を進めている」と述べている。

[My translation]
Additionally, it has been announced that development is progressing so that NicoNicoDouga can be viewed on iPhone 3G as well. Niwango’s representative director, Mr. Seiji Sugimoto, explained that while we cannot give specific details as to when and how this will happen, he did say that, “Development is progressing so that we can make something that is wholly like the NicoNicoDouga experience.”

Yes! But, no… development progresses, but it won’t be available on Nov. 4th. And there’s no guarantee that it will work on my old iPhone, or that it will even work in America. BUT, I still have hope that someday, I will be watching and commenting (yes, that is possible on mobile ニコニコ動画 as well) on videos anywhere I want!

Technorati Tags: Apple, ニコニコ動画, cell phones, CNET Japan, iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone Apps, mobile, NicoNicoDouga, Niwango, Seiji Sugimoto, softbank

Softbank + NicoNicoDouga = iPhone App?!

キターーーーーーーーーーーーー (kita~~~~~~~~~~~~~)! On October 30th at 13:30 JST, Softbank and ニコニコ動画 (NicoNicoDouga) will be having a press conference talking about new services… What could these be?! Since Softbank is the company that has the iPhone in Japan, could this possibly mean that they will FINALLY have a ニコニコ動画 viewer app?!

I really hope so. But, the fact that the iPhone wasn’t really as big in Japan as people had hoped is not really giving me much hope that it will EVER happen…

We will see though come Thursday! Watch this site for results!

Technorati Tags: cell phones, gadgets, Internet, iPhone, NicoNicoDouga, softbank, tech, video

Emoji in iPhone!

[Update: Emoji are here!!!!]

It is about freaking time. They are adding 絵文字 (emoji) to the new iPhone firmware. Which means that all of us JP loving folks can put a little picture of a beer next to our 「今夜飲もうよ！」 emails.

I’m particularly excited about this because, as a pseudo-Japanese-expat, I love that I can send Japanese on my American iPhone. The addition of 絵文字 is just icing on the cake. And judging from the fact that Japanese people send more emails on their phones than SMS texts, that means they have to work in email too. That being the case, there is a good chance I will never write an email on a computer again.

So, they obviously are listening to the people about this… or at least the Wall Street Journal. Does this also mean a ニコニコ動画 (NicoNicoDouga) viewer app is on the way? Only time will tell…

[Via MacRumors]

Technorati Tags: Apple, cell phones, 絵文字, email, emoji, firmware, iPhone, Japanese language, smilies, technology, texting