Gackt 白露-HAKURO- [Download Sample]

I recently posted about Gackt's latest single Hakuro.

Get a free sample to Gackt's new single here.

SEAMO×SPYAIR collaboration single: “ROCK THIS WAY”

SEAMO is collaborated with SPYAIR and they released a new single titled “ROCK THIS WAY”.

Their collaboration was planned after SEAMO participated in a live event hosted by SPYAIR back in August, and this rock tune is said to be a message song to send a yell to those who face themselves and keep chasing after their dreams.

Get a sample of this song here.

SPYAIR’s ENZEL☆ to leave the band

It’s been revealed that SPYAIR’s ENZEL☆ (DJ) will be leaving the band after their Nippon Budokan concert on December 18th.

ENZEL☆’s withdrawal was decided after a number of discussions with the members. He explained, “Leaving everything up to the members, when I seriously thought about my future, I came to a conclusion that it would be difficult for me to continue as a member of the band.”

Meanwhile, the members also commented, “We respect ENZEL☆’s decision, and we want to see him off in the best way possible. This is why we chose Nippon Budokan, our biggest challenge thus far, as the last stage for the 5-member SPYAIR.”

SPYAIR formed back in 2005 in Aichi, and made their major debut with the single, “LAIR“, in August of 2010. ENZEL☆ joined the band in 2009, and is known among fans as the mood-maker.

Source & Image: natalie, tokyohive

UVERWORLD to provide theme song for anime film, ‘Ao no Exorcist’

It’s been revealed that UVERWORLD will be providing the theme song for the upcoming anime film, ‘Ao no Exorcist‘ (December 28th release).

‘Ao no Exorcist’ is a popular manga by Kato Kazue that’s been serialized in ‘Jump Square‘ since 2009. UVERWORLD has provided the opening theme song for the TV anime series’ 1st season which started airing in April of 2011.

The title and release date of the theme song haven’t been revealed at this time because it’s still under production. TAKUYA∞ commented, “UVERWORLD is made up of members that we gathered in our hometown, so we’re old friends from before forming the band. There’s a link between ‘Ao no Exorcist’ and how we move forward with irreplaceable friends. We are currently producing a song that will find its way in the movie’s story.”

Source & Image: natalie, tokyohive

SuG to withdraw from PS Company and go on hiatus in December

Visual kei band SuG will be going on hiatus after their one-man live on December 29th. The band will also be removed from their agency PS COMPANY.

Through his official blog, Takeru (Vo) explained, “The reason is very simple. To continue our activities in this situation, we will be betraying everyone who has been involved with us as well as our history. ‘We are here now because we aren’t ashamed of the past’, we feel that’s the only way for us to shine. In order for us to challenge ourselves to things that we feel is cool from the bottom of our hearts, we decided to halt our activities.”

Regarding their withdrawal from PS COMPANY, he revealed, “It’s not that we had a disagreement, neither were we dismissed. I just feel that our directions started to shift little by little. If we hadn’t met PS COMPANY, we wouldn’t be here now. That is why we decided not to avoid this vague relationship, and faced the result of withdrawal.”

SuG will kick off their nationwide tour, ‘SuG TOUR 2012: sweeToxic‘, on October 10th. They will go into hiatus after their one-man live, ‘SuG Oneman Show 2012: This is O‘, on December 29th at Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

Source: natalie, tokyohive

Kuroko's Basketball Character Song CD Sells 24,886 at #3

According to the Oricon Singles charts for October 8, the "Kuroko no Basuke Character Song Duet Series Vol. 3" single released on September 26 sold 24,886 copies in five days to rank at #3 for the week's CD single sales.

The single features songs and a mini drama from characters Shintarō Midorima (voiced by Daisuke Ono) and Kazunari Takao (voiced by Tatsuhisa Suzuki). This is the first character song single for the series that has ranked in the top three on Oricon's chart.

Shueisha released the 19th volume of Tadatoshi Fujimaki's original Kuroko no Basuke sports manga last month. Production I.G's television anime adaptation of the series ended on September 22 and the series will receive an original video anime included with the eighth Blu-ray Disc/DVD volume of the television anime series in February.

Crunchyroll streamed the television anime into several countries as it aired in Japan.

Sources: Listen, Oricon, ANN

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Sings New Crayon Shin-chan Theme

Model/singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu announced on Saturday that she is singing the new theme song for the Crayon Shin-chan television anime. The announcement came during the TV Asahi Dream Festival 2012 event at Tokyo's Yoyogi National Gymnasium. This is her first anime theme song.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is a self-described huge Crayon Shin-chan fan who has all of the original manga volumes and catches the anime films as they come out. As Kyary Pamyu Pamyu appeared onstage at Saturday's event, Crayon Shin-chan's title character Shinosuke (or rather, a costumed performer) made a surprise entrance to express his excitement over the news.

Music producer and DJ Yasutaka Nakata (One Piece Film Z, Five Numbers!) wrote and scored the new "Kimi ni 100 Percent" song, and Shinosuke is contributing by shouting during the song's interludes. The song will begin airing in the anime on October 19.

The Mainichi Shimbun paper's Mantan Web posted more photographs from the announcement.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web, ANN

Hello Kitty, My Melody Transformed Into US$2,500 Sofas

Sanrio announced a line of mascot-inspired sofas on Friday. The company is offering three designs including their most popular character, Hello Kitty, as well as My Melody and Purin.

Hello Kitty and My Melody both retail for 198,000 yen (about US$2,520) with an additional charge of 3,150 yen (US$40) for shipping, while Purin is priced at 178,500 yen (US$2,270). Each piece of furniture is individually handmade by artisans in the Shizuoka prefecture.

More pics here.

GACKT reveals the PV for ‘Hakuro’

Gackt has released the music video for Hakuro. “Hakuro” is GACKT’s 42nd single and it was written as the ending theme to the drama, ‘Sengoku BASARA -MOONLIGHT PARTY-‘.
Check out the PV below!

 

Japan Passes Jail-for-Downloaders Anti-Piracy Law

Japan’s legislature has approved a bill revising the nation’s copyright law to add criminal penalties for downloading copyrighted material or backing up content from a DVD. The penalties will come into effect in October.

The Upper House of the Japanese Diet approved the bill by a vote of 221-12, less than a week after the measure cleared the lower house with almost no opposition. Violators risk up to two years in prison or fines up to two million yen (about $25,000).

Opponents of the bill worry it will lead to unnecessary prosecutions because of the way it is written. To face charges, a person must be aware that the material is illegal to download.

“We shouldn’t risk making the general public — including youths — the subject of criminal investigations,” said Upper House member Yuko Mori, as quoted in the Japan Times.

Japanese attorney Toshimitsu Dan told IT Media that even watching a YouTube video could be grounds for arrest “if the viewer is aware that downloading [such material] is illegal.”

Unauthorized uploading and downloading of copyrighted material such as music, movies and video games have been illegal in Japan for years, but until now only uploaders were subject to criminal penalties: up to 10 years in prison or fines as much as 10 million yen ($125,000), according to the Times.

Source.

Offical Japan Government Website.

PSotD - Start it right away

Title: Start it right away

Artist: Hyadain
Year: 2012

Notes: First ending song from the anime Kuroko no Basuke.
>I'll give anyone a choc chip cookie if they can sing they chorus part.

DDL: here

PSotD - Catal Rhythm

Title: Catal Rhythm

Artist: OLDCODEX
Year: 2012

Notes: Second ending song from the anime Kuroko no Basuke.

DDL: here

Daily Lives of High School Boys Manga Abruptly Ends

Manga creator Yasunobu Yamauchi released the final chapter of the Daily Lives of High School Boys (Danshi Kōkōsei no Nichijō ) series on Square Enix's Gangan Online website on Thursday. There was no previous sign that the manga would end this week. Square Enix will publish the manga's seventh volume this December.

The gag comedy manga follows the humorous yet "realistic" everyday life of Tadakuni, Hidenori, Yoshitake, and other students at a boys' high school. In the final chapter, the three main characters have a light and comedic talk about the masked hero that saved Hidenori from bullies when he was a child. The ending of the chapter reveals the truth behind the hero.

Source: ANN

PSotD - Knocking on the mind

Title: Knocking on the mind

Artist: Hijirikawa Masato (Suzumura Kenichi)
Year: 2011

Notes: Character song from the anime Uta no Prince sama.

DDL: here

PSotD - Rimfire

Title: Rimfire

Artist: Granrodeo
Year: 2012

Notes: Second opening song from the anime Kuroko no Basuke.

My dear bishies. (All MINE! Keep your hands off!)

DDL: here

PSotD - Boku no Invitation

Title: Boku no Invitation

Artist: JP
Year: 2012

Notes: The opening song to the ongoing anime Shirokuma Cafe (Polar bear cafe).

A catchy and upbeat tune to begin a hilarious slice-of-life anime centered around a polar bear, a panda and a penguin.

DDL: here

Uta no Prince sama Live Event 2012 @ Yuubouto Hall

As our dedicated readers will know, I'm a die-hard fan of Uta no Prince sama. I was brimming with happiness tonight when I found a download link for the live event held in Japan earlier this year. Sure, the video quality isn't great, but I get to see and hear the amazing voices of my dearest Masato and Natsuki, my cute Syo, sexy Ren, hot Tokiya, and a somewhat annoying Ittoki. Unfortunately, this video is not English subbed. So please enjoy 2.5 hours worth of magic from the link below.

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?ii1sf96lrzqzp#myfiles

Ps. To the kind-hearted soul who uploaded this, I, and other fangirls, are forever grateful and indebted to you.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu unleashes PV for “Fashion Monster”

The PV for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s upcoming single, “Fashion Monster“, has been revealed through Warner Music Japan’s official YouTube channel!

“Fashion Monster” is Kyary’s 3rd single, and it’s scheduled for release on October 17th. This electronic rock number is written and composed by Nakata Yasutaka (capsule), and it serves as the CM song for apparel brand, ‘g.u.‘.

Source: TH

Check out the PV below!

Btooom! Survival Action Anime's TV Ads Streamed

The anime music production unit Flying Dog began streaming three commercials for the Btooom! survival action television anime series on Friday. The anime's main character Ryōta Sakamoto (as voiced by Kanata Hongou) narrates the 30-second commercial and the first 15-second commercial.

Junya Inoue's original manga centers around Sakamoto, a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) young man and a top-ranked player in the online combat game Btooom! One day, he wakes up on a tropical island without remembering how he got there. He sees a figure in the distance and asks for help. However, the figure responds by throwing something at Ryūta — a "BIM" bomb.

The anime from the studio MADHOUSE will begin airing in Japan on October 4, after streaming on the niconico (formerly Nico Nico Douga) video service beginning on October 8.

Source: ANN

Raise Hatsune Miku Into a Star in New Sega iOS/Android Game

Sega announced at Tokyo Game Show 2012 on Thursday that it will release Hatsune Miku Live Stage Producer, an Autumn 2012 iOS/Android game in which the player raises the Vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku and trains her to be a star. In the raising simulation game, the player assumes the role of a concert venue manager.

The player can select the set lists, stage design, and character design modules for Miku's special live concerts, roughly similar to Namco Bandai Games' The IDOLM@STER franchise. The player can also train Miku to build up her singing, dancing, and even her onstage chatting. When Miku wins contests, she can receive new character design modules and accessory items.

The single-player game will be free to download, although there will be items with fees.

Source: AppBank via Hachima Kikō

K-ON! Portable GPS Car Navigator Revealed

The Japanese company RWC unveiled its portable GPS car navigation system with a K-ON! anime theme on Tuesday. The voices of the entire Ho-Kago Tea Time high school band — Yui (Aki Toyosaki), Ritsu (Satomi Satou), Mio (Yōko Hikasa), Mugi (Minako Kotobuki), and Azusa (Ayana Taketatsu) — guide the users to their destinations. The cast recorded 984 words in total for the device.

The system starts up with an image of a cassette tape with the words, “Ho-Kago Tea Time Navi” scribbled on it. A stylus in the shape of the neck of Yui's Guitar Gita is included, along with an original clear holder case (shaped like a cassette tape), detachable stand with cap, cigarette lighter DC plug, AC adapter, USB cable, manual, and quick-start guide. The map service is provided by Zenrin Chizu.

The system will go on sale in Japan on Saturday.
Source: ANN

Hatsune Miku Song 'Senbonzakura' Inspires Novel

Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works has announced that it will be publishing a novel adaptation of the Hatsune Miku song "Senbonzakura" (One Thousand Cherry Blossoms) written and composed by Kurousa-P.

In an interview about the new novel, ASCII Media Works editor-in-chief Takayasu Hatano noted that he cannot yet divulge the details of the novel's story, but he did note that because the original song is loved by so many, the staff is making sure that the original mood of the song is not harmed, and the novel will contain the same characteristics of the original song.

Hatano did reveal that the novel will feature Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Kagamine Len attending school, and the trio will wear the uniforms featured in Ittomaru's designs in the original music video. Ittomaru is also in charge of the character design and the original story for the upcoming novel.

When the original "Senbonzakura" music video was uploaded to Nico Nico Douga, it received more than 4.3 million views in less than a year. The song was also the second-most used song in Joysound's karaoke rankings for the first half of 2012. 

The novel is due out this winter.

Source: ANN

Life-Size Gundam Bust Made of Flowers, Shot on Camera

The self-described "Gundam videographer" darwinfish posted a video of "Flower Gundam," the life-size topiary bust of the title robot from the Mobile Suit Gundam anime. The topiary stands about 7 meters (about 23 feet) tall next to the full-length, life-size Gundam statue erected at the Diver City Tokyo plaza on Odaiba island.

The topiary will be on display from September 29 through October 28 to celebrate the "29th National Urban Greenery Fair Tokyo" event.

Source: ANN

PSotD - Magenta Another Sky

Title: Magenta Another Sky

Artist: Hitomi Harada
Year: 2012

Notes: The opening song to Arcana Famiglia.
An exciting rock song which totally suits the theme of the anime. I really like this artist, her voice sounds powerful. I'll keep an eye out for her from now on.

DDL: here.

Anime Review (v.P): La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia

The anime was well presented, but it could be better.
After watching the anime, I wouldn't mind playing the original game to understand the storyline better.

Synopsis: (from myanimelist.net)

Things are NOT going well for Felicitá. For years, the island of Regalo, has been protected by her father's "organization," the Arcana Tarroco, whose success is due in no small part to the members' unusual skills with Tarot Cards, not to mention the usual guns and knives. But now, unexpectedly, her father has decided to retire and, while the fact that his position will be filled by the winner of a series of duels doesn't worry Felicitiá, the fact that he's decided to throw HER into the contest as part of the prize certainly does! Especially since some of the contestants are her cousins, which is keeping things WAY too much in the family! Fortunately, our lady shark has two aces up her sleeve: as the head of the Swords division, she's eligible to compete for herself, and with her favored Card, The Lovers, she can snoop into the minds of her would be suitors/rivals! It's just too bad they have their own card tricks!

Review:

[STORY]

The idea of the main character growing up in a mafia family is neither new nor unique. Nevertheless, I didn't feel this story to be too mundane or boring. Certainly, the first five episodes felt really slow because they had to introduce each of the 11+ main/semi-main characters one by one. After spending almost half the amount of episodes acquainting the audience with the various roles, they add in what I felt like "filler" episodes. In the sense that these intermediate episodes didn't help with answering questions posed at the start of the story, rather they piled on even more questions about past events and the relationships between each of the characters. In the end, these questions were not answered in the anime very clearly, if at all! Finally, in the last episode, where it reaches the climax of the story, they totally ruined it by squeezing mediocre explanations and rushing the ending. It's meant to be a showdown between all the main and secondary characters, but they cut all the fight scenes down to:

Voice: "It's a match between _character A_ and _character B_"
*flash of swords clashing for two seconds*
Voice: "And _character A_ wins. Onto the next match!"

It left me feeling rather disappointed as I'm a big fan of action.
As I alluded to above, many questions were raised but only a few were answered. This was a big let down for me.
Another aspect was that keeping in mind that this is a "reverse harem" anime, meaning that it's an anime designed to focus on relationships between the main female lead with all other male (and female) personnel, I think the connections and bonds between characters weren't well portrayed or adequately developed throughout this anime. I think it was too much for the producers to completely cover both emotional and physical (special powers) growth of all the characters.

Rating: 6

[ART] 

This anime caught my interest mainly because of the bishies. So the art category gets a tick. I would say the art is typical "reverse harem" bijins (*pretty people). As well as all the males, I think mama was really pretty and I really liked her. The backgrounds were moderately detailed; the production company certainly weren't low on funding or time. The colouring scheme of the characters' clothing and background were chosen reasonably and logically.

Rating: 7.5

[SOUND]

I absolutely loved the opening and ending songs. The OP song was one of the reasons why I decided to keep watching this anime. I think this song managed to capture the action and excitement of this anime. The opening scenes also matched the changing phrases of the OP song. The ED song was sung by some of my favourite seiyuus, who makes an appearance in the anime, so it definitely has my vote. However, I didn't really notice much of the background music. I thought the seiyuus were able to capture the distinctive traits of each character, especially the older males: Debito, Pace, Luca, Dante and Jolly.

Rating: 8

[CHARACTER]

Art wise, the character designs were good. Each character had their own unique styles, be it clothing, hair, weapon or habits.
In terms of developing the personalities of each of the characters, 12 episodes is simply not enough time to let the audience understand and bond with so many characters. Unfortunately, they weren't able to explain clearly the development of the bonds between the main female character and the main male characters. One thing that annoyed me was the hesitant personality of the female lead.

Rating: 5

[ENJOYMENT]

If you don't mind having questions unanswered or poorly answered then this anime is enjoyable, with the superb voice acting and beautiful art. I relished in my big dose of bishies, swords and guns.

Rating: 7

[OVERALL] 

The way that this story was setup, I thought that it had a lot of potential for an exciting adventure. It's a shame that the story was rushed and left incomplete in the anime. 12 episodes is too short for the audience to develop a deep relationship with all the characters. Especially in the case with reverse harems, the main point is to have meaningful developments with all your potential (male) partners. Perhaps this problem is fixed in the original game. I certainly hope so, and the game reviews are definitely positive. I wouldn't mind a second series to answer the remaining questions, but I highly doubt there will be one.

Rating: 6.5

Shoujo Jidai (Girls Generation) releases “Oh!” PV

After releasing the preview, Shoujo Jidai has unveiled the PV of “Oh!”, which will be the title of their next Japanese single that’s scheduled for release on September 26th.
“Oh!” is the title track off of Shoujo Jidai’s 2nd album which was released in Korea back in January of 2010. Its cute lyrics describe the feelings of a woman in love, and the video became a hit with the members dancing in cheer leading outfits.

Check out the PV below!


Source: tokyohive

Anime Chart Fall 2012 (Japan)

The list of animes airing in Fall 2012 (Japan; ie. September, October and November 2012) has been released.

Which of these animes will be on your 'to watch list'?

Download for larger view.

The following are some of the animes which I am looking forward to:

• Bakuman 3 (been waiting for this for a long time now; highly recommended! Be sure to watch the first two seasons first.)
• Jormungand (this looks interesting)
• Robotics;Notes (I think I've mentioned quite a lot about this anime previously)
• Psycho-Pass (Character designs by Amano Akira - author of Katekyo Hitman Reborn!)
• Ixion Saga DT
• Magi
• Busou Shinki
• Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter
• Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
• Suki-tte Ii na yo.
• Zetsuen no Tempest
• Code:Breaker
• Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
• Shin Sekai Yori
• Girls und Panzer
• K
• 009 Re:Cyborg

Source: squidoo

ONE OK ROCK to sing theme song for movie, ‘GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!’

It’s been revealed that ONE OK ROCK will be providing their song, “the same as…“, for the upcoming movie, ‘GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!‘.

‘GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!’ portrays the bond of a complicated family, and it’s scheduled to open in theaters on December 15th. Besides Aso Kumiko and Oizumi Yo as the lead roles, the movie stars Takemura Akira (SNAIL RAMP), MAH (SHAKALABBITS), and Tsuchiya Anna.

Source: tokyohive

Gunslinger Girl Manga Confirmed to End Next Month

Yu Aida's action manga Gunslinger Girl will end in its 100th installment in the November issue of ASCII Media Works' Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh magazine on September 27. The Japanese retailer Mangaoh already listed the 15th book volume of the manga as the final volume.

Source: Comic Natalie, ANN

Bakuman. 3's Theme Songs Performed by nano.RIPE, Sphere

This year's 40th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine is revealing on Monday that the guitar rock band nano.RIPE is contributing the opening theme song to the third season of Bakuman., while the voice actress group Sphere is contributing the ending theme. The new season will premiere in Japan on October 6.

Source: ANN

Robotics;Notes' 2nd Promo Video Reveals Theme Songs

The official website for the Robotics;Notes television anime series began streaming its second promotional video on Saturday. The video reveals singer fumika's ending theme song "Umikaze no Brave" and the female band Zwei's opening theme "Junjō Spectra." It also confirms the premiere date of October 11 in Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block.

Zwei already performed "Kakuchou Place," the opening theme for the original Robotics;Notes game that shipped in June.

The third "science adventure game" (after Chaos;HEAd and Steins;Gate) is set in an alternate future world after Tokyo's Shibuya district was destroyed in 2009, followed by the destruction of the Radio Kaikan building in Tokyo's Akihabara a year later. The world is immersed in realistic augmented reality technology in 2019, but a high school robotics club in danger of being disbanded after shrinking to just two members. The club's revival is tied to the robot it is building.

The game and anime's shared cast includes Ryohei Kimura (Kaito Yashio), Yoshino Nanjou (Akiho Senomiya), Rie Kugimiya (Airi),Kaori Nazuka (Frau Koujiro), Yoshimasa Hosoya (Subaru Hidaka), and Sora Tokui (Junna Daitoku). Kazuya Nomura (Sengoku Basara 2) is directing the anime at Production I.G. Jukki Hanada (My Ordinary Life, sola, Steins;Gate) is in charge of the series scripts under the supervision of the game's Tatsuya Matsubara and Naotaka Hayashi. Chikashi Kubota (Shikabane Hime: Aka, From the New World) is adapting Tomonori Fukuda's original game character designs for the anime. The original game's Takeshi Abo is scoring the music with television composer Yūki Hayashi.

Source: ANN

PSotD - 流行曲 (Pop Songs)

Title: 流行曲 (Pop Songs)

Artist: 林海峰 (Jan Lamb)

Year: 2011

Notes: I was on my way home when this song was playing in the car.
I laughed so much because of its lyrics.

It pretty much made fun of all the "typical" elements of a successful pop song.
You have to make a 'smooth tune', make sure you 'repeat and keep repeating' phrases, must add 'falsetto and harmonies', after the chorus you keep moving up the tones/scale of the song, then finally you have a section of 'triplets'.

Random Miku picture.

DDL: 

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Trailer Previews Limit Breaks

Square Enix began streaming a new "Limit Break Trailer" for its massive multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on Saturday. A Realm Reborn's upcoming overhaul will introduce a new version of the franchise's signature Limit Break system, and "heroes of Eorzea unite to defeat a dragon" in this trailer made from in-game footage.

Square Enix announced on Thursday that alpha testing will begin this winter, and Square Enix is already recruiting testers on Windows PCs.

The current incarnation of Final Fantasy XIV will go offline on November 11 with plans to migrate players over to the new game. Producer Naoki Yoshida had revealed at Germany's GamesCom event on August 15 that the game will undergo server-load tests this fall and enter a beta test period this winter.

Source: Game Watch via Hachima Kikou (link 2)

New Single: UVERworld - The Over

Another amazing and inspiring single by JRock band UVERworld gets released today!

The single titled The Over contains three tracks: 1) The Over, 2) The Song and 3) Massive.

Give these songs a try by downloading here.

Also, enjoy the PV for The Over below!

Samsung loses in Apple trial, ordered to pay $1 billion in damages

In what will no doubt be a precedent for the tech industry, a jury has found Samsung infringed on Apple’s patents in the Apple and Samsung trial. 

A nine person Jury is still reading the verdict. So far, Samsung has been found in violation of 4 patents for most of the devices in question. Samsung has also been found guilty of willful infringement for most patents in question for most of the company’s devices, except for the Galaxy Tab. All of Apple’s patents were found valid as well, another big blow to Samsung. As far as damages, the jury has awarded Apple $1.051 billion for Samsung’s infringements. 

Samsung’s claims against Apple are all turning out to be found in Apple’s favor…

Source: bgr.com

Yet another reason to leave Facebook?

Facebook purges Cosplayers’ accounts, gamers likely to be targeted next

If you’re a cosplayer who goes under an alias on your Facebook profile, it might be a good idea to go to your Account Settings – right now – and click on “Download a copy of your Facebook data”.Also, try to avoid common words in your username.  It might potentially save you from a lot of trouble and heartache. 

Several cosplayers found themselves in for a rude shock when they accessed the popular social network service Facebook earlier this week, only to discover that their user accounts – along with years of accumulated personal data including photos, videos, and hundreds if not thousands of contacts – had been deleted.

According to news site Examiner.com, their accounts were deleted due to a mass purge Facebook performed on Monday that targeted usernames containing the word “cosplay“, in an attempt to clamp down on “duplicate” or “fake” accounts that go by an alias rather than the users’ real names.

These “duplicate accounts” were said to comprise approximately 8.7 percent of Facebook’s monthly active users.

When the social network revealed this 8.7 percent figure in a regulatory filing made earlier in August, the information did not sit well with investors and caused a dip in the publicly traded company’s stock price. This might have been the prompt for the mass account purge on Monday, in an attempt to dwindle the figures and restore investor confidence.

It is unclear, however, why Facebook has chosen to target specifically user accounts with the word “cosplay” in it.

Oddly enough, it would seem that users who had the word “cos” – a term that many Japanese cosplayers include in their cos names – were not affected at all.

It could very well be that the term “Cosplay” is simply the most frequent term employed in Facebook usernames (possibly the sole silver lining to this gloomy story: “cosplay” could be the most popular term included in Facebook usernames).

Examiner.com postulates that other common terms found in user account like “photography”, “gamer”, and “sports”, are likely to be targeted next.

Our hearts go out to cosplayers affected by Facebook’s thoughtless, extremist measure.

Source: Examiner.com, New.com.au, sgcafe.com

PSotD - Make My Day!

Title: Make My Day!

Artist: Piko
Year: 2012

Notes: Another freakin' awesome song from Piko!
This is the opening song to the anime Binbougami ga! I highly recommend this comedy anime. 

DDL: Full single here

ONE OK ROCK releases PV for "The Beginning"

On Tuesday, JRock band ONE OK ROCK released the full official PV on their YouTube channel for the new single "The Beginning". This single is the theme song for the movie Ruroushin Kenshin.

PSotD - Gangnam Style

Title: GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일)

Artist: Psy
Year: 2012

Notes: The latest craze from Korea. 
Are you gangnam styling to this awesome beat? Don't know how? Here's 4 easy steps to get you gangnam styling.

DDL: