Japan's Telecom Services Guide

Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Ltd. (J:COM), Japan's CATV MSO (multiple system operator) giant, announced on November 30 that it will begin to provide a WiMAX service in the cities of Sapporo and Sendai and the areas of Kanto and Kyushu on December 15.

J:COM will provide its WiMAX service “J:COM WiMAX” as an MVNO of UQ Communications Inc.

Justsystems Corp. released a prototype of IME (input method editor) application for Japanese language input that is intended for use on NTT DoCoMo's Android-based smartphones of the GALAXY S SC-02B and the Xperia SO-01B on November 26.

The prototype of application ATOK for Android is available from the Android Market for free through February 28, 2011.

The Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350) with a 5-inch screen, which costs ¥20,000, and the Reader Touch Edition (PRS-650) with a 6-inch screen, which costs ¥25,000, are Sony Corp.'s e-book readers available in Japan from December 10.

The e-book readers sport a black-and-white electronic paper display.

However, they don't feature wireless connection.

Therefore, the user will need to connect them to a PC that runs Windows XP/Vista/7 and has the dedicated software installed in order to get e-book data from Sony's online Reader Store and transfer it to them.

Logicool, a Japan subsidiary of Switzerland's Logitech International S.A., will launch a wireless solar-powered keyboard on December 15.

Its keyboard Logicool Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 has a price tag of ¥7,980 on Logicool's website.

It works with a Windows XP/Vista/7 PC that carries the company's proprietary USB wireless receiver.

Sony Corp. unveiled its e-book reader Reader in Japan on November 25.

The two models of the Reader have different sizes of display screen.

The Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350) with a 5-inch screen and the Reader Touch Edition (PRS-650) with a 6-inch screen will go on sale on December 10.

The fourteen member companies of the Association of IP Simulcast Radio announced on November 25 that they will establish a joint-stock corporation on December 1 that operates the IP simulcast radio “radiko.”

The corporation is expected to expand the coverage of radiko to put it into production.

The radiko service now covers the prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama.

Robot Communications Inc. announced on November 22 that it had launched a picture story book for the iPad on November 19.

Its picture story book “Stray Sheep ‘Poe's Christmas’” is available from the App Store at ¥800 in Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese.