Nerd Alert! A corner of Tokyo called Akihabara has technology that is at least two years ahead of US. On a recent trip there, I was surprised to find Netbooks with dual core Atom processors at very reasonable prices. These support hyperthreading (allowing its CPU to perform multiple activities simultaneously).
Although not for public use (yet), Fujitsu, a Japanese based tech firm claims that its new “Venus” 8 core processor is the fastest in the world (2.5x faster than anything produced by SiVal giant Intel).
Almost everyone has a cell phone in Japan, capable of HDTV viewing on subways. Their 4G network allows underground internet access at 100Mbps while moving at high speeds. All politely deactivate audio while riding the train preferring email/SMS.
Robotics is a buzzword as well. A robot school teacher is currently being developed by Tokyo University of Science professor Hiroshi Kobayashi. According to one article: “Children even start crying when they are scolded.”
As an NYC tech-head, I can’t quite explain how impressed I was with its implementation into everyday life in Tokyo. It seemed around every corner I wound up asking myself, “why don’t we have this stuff over here?”
