Asimo Learns a New Trick: Tea Service
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Hondaâs Asimo humanoid robot may be headed for a lifetime of domestic chores: engineers at the company have taught the robot how to serve tea to guests and give a nice little bow when itâs done.
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(InfoWorld) - Forget Web service orchestration: IBM is getting into something a lot more fun. The company has worked with Japanese karaoke equipment maker XingÂ to develop a new type of wireless karaoke controller. People in bars and restaurants can use the controller to scroll through thousands of songs listed by artist, song or category, and choose the one they want by touching the screen, IBM said. The device sends the information over a Wi-Fi network to Xing's "karaoke command center," which cues up the song. Most karaoke systems today require people to leaf through a big catalog of songs and then type a corresponding number into a device. That can be difficult in a dark and crowded bar, especially after a second drink. The new controller comes in two models: the Kyoku-NAVI II and Kyoku-NAVI S. It is shock-proof and water-resistant, and can also be used to place food and drink orders. They'll be on sale in Japan starting in early November, IBM said. Pricing hasn't been announced. IBM has worked with Xing (pronounced ex-sing) on karaoke products for about two years, and this is the second set of controllers they've designed together, said June Namioka, an IBM spokeswoman in Japan. Xing approached IBM for the joint project because it has a long history designing portable products in Japan, including its ThinkPad notebooks, now owned by Lenovo, Namioka said. The storage and search capabilities come from IBM's DB2 Everyplace, a version of its database designed to be embedded in devices. The controllers are for use with two new Karaoke centers announced by Xing last month. Xing, a subsidiary of Brother Industries, has no plans to sell the devices outside of Japan, Namioka said. They will be sold by Xing, and not by IBM, she emphasized. "We're not getting into the karaoke market."
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DUBLIN, May 31 (Reuters Life!) - Visitors to one of Dublin's most famous hotels will be offered the chance to trace their Irish roots over a cup of tea with a 'genealogy butler'.
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A Japanese firm pioneers a system to share fragrances over the internet.  Also: A Bollywood movie makes its debut on cell phones & hellip;. Merck smarting from Vioxx pull & hellip;. and more.
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Just when you thought Starbucks could go anywhere -- think again.
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Japan's top seasonings-maker Ajinomoto announced a major boost in production of the low-calorie sweetener aspartame as global concerns over obesity boost demand for diet foods and drinks.
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It can greet people, show DVDs, and hand out balloons. Ubiko, a robot-on-wheels with a catlike face, is joining the crew of temporary workers supplied by a Japanese job-referral company to stores, events, and even weddings.
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A new experiment demonstrates that knowing about a secret ingredient actually changes the experience of taste itself.
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An electronic device that uses spinach to convert light into electrical charge has been developed by US researchers. Shuguang Zhang at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, and research collaborators
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NEW YORK  - A green tea extract may pack a  stronger antioxidant punch than the beverage itself does, new  research suggests.
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It promotes an interesting strategy of combo meal customization.
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Michael Seidman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, hates the taste of green tea. But that doesn't stop him from drinking a cup five days a week. When he's done, Seidman squeezes the liquid out of the tea leaves and then -- get this -- eats...
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A robot that can taste and recommend wine and food is unveiled by Japanese researchers.
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Here's a smart way to take advantage of what isn't working.
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Green tea can substantially cut the risk of dying from a range of illnesses, a Japanese study finds.
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According to fdi.gov.cn: Sichuan has recently scored a breakthrough in its tea exports to Japan, which have passed its "positive list system".
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Soon you'll be able to run your kid's toy train, flip on the tube or channel surf without lifting a finger. A new Japanese technology developed by Hitachi lets you control electronic devices translates brain activity into electrical signals.