Step into the boots of a superhero, as the very first anime character - Astro Boy launches at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

source:http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/article.asp?id=65092&nav=81

‘Blue’ energy abound at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, as the attraction launched its very first anime superhero wax figure – Astro Boy – one of the world’s most-loved anime characters. Dubbing artists Aaron Kwok and Ian Gouw, who voiced characters for the local release of Astro Boy were also in full flight at the launch, officially unveiling Astro Boy’s figure.

Having left Metro City to make a new home in the World Premiere section of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, Astro Boy delighted guests as he posed for photos in his exciting interactive display, set in front of a giant image of the Metro City skyline: designed to appear as though the young robot and guests are flying high in the sky.

A large, hollow pair of Astro Boy’s rocket boots and a wig of his iconic hair are also a part of the interactive experience, allowing guests to look like they are wearing his costume as they snap their ‘photo moment’.

Celebrating the cinematic rebirth of the character that has created a cult following locally and internationally since it first appeared in manga in the 1950s and on television in the 1960s, the launch of Astro Boy at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong is the result of a successful collaboration between the attraction; Imagi Studios, the movie’s producers; and Tezuka Productions, the licensor of Astro Boy.

“We are proud to be able to offer Astro Boy fans in Hong Kong the opportunity to interact with their hero,” said Bret Pidgeon, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and Shanghai. “This has been such an exciting project for us. Not just because of our love of Astro Boy, but because there have been so many ‘firsts’, making it that much more interesting as it all comes together. For that we would like to thank our partners at Imagi Studios and Tezuka Productions, who not only worked hard to bring Astro Boy here, but made the whole process fun.”

Creating the lovable figure took a production team of about 20 skilled staff more than six weeks to complete the sculpting process, using research based on the information provided by Imagi Studios. It also involved much co-ordination between Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and the other partners – all done across various time zones.

The senior sculptor at Merlin Studios, John Cormican, said: “From the outset I was saying to anyone who asked ’I'm the happiest person in the building’ (the Studio’s building, housing 120 people, working as the creative heart of Merlin Entertainments), and when asked why, I would say ’I'm doing Astro Boy's portrait!’”

“At first I felt this way because he was a anime and a Manga one at that, and a year ago I was holidaying in Japan and photographed a statue of him outside Kyoto Station, just because it caught my eye. When I learnt he was a robot boy with a heart of gold, who wants to bring peace to the world it made me even happier. Now that I've had a peek at the incredible world of the god of manga and father of anime, Osamu Tezuka, that initial feeling has done nothing but grow.”

Imagi Studios pulled in resources from the United States and Hong Kong to work on the production of the Astro Boy movie, with creative consultancy from the Tezuka estate in Japan. With Director David Bowers (Flushed Away) and Producer Maryann Garger at the helm of the motion picture, the U.S. team contributed such creative elements as story, screenplay, visual development, as well as post-production, while animation was done in Hong Kong.

Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Imagi Studios, Francis Kao said, “Bringing everybody’s favourite robot boy back to Hong Kong has been in the works for us for some time now. We are so excited that he will finally be here in cinemas on October 23, and we can share with others the joy he has brought us. Thanks to Madame Tussauds, fans in Hong Kong will be able to get even closer to their hero. I know they are going to love him as much as we do.”

Golden Horse Award winner for Best Actor and voice for Dr. Tenma, Aaron Kwok said, “I’m really happy that Madame Tussauds Hong Kong has added a new member to its family.

Creating the Astro Boy movie took about 400 feature animation specialists to join together and bring this Japanese classic comic to life. This is a great partnership between China and Japan and is something Hong Kongers can be proud of.”

The voice for Astro Boy, Ian Gouw added, “This is my first time dubbing on a motion picture and I hope that everyone likes my version of Astro Boy. If you are a fan of Astro Boy like I am, you can come to Madame Tussauds Hong Kong after watching the movie and take photos with him.”

The film Astro Boy will be released on October 23, 2009 in Hong Kong. The story is set in futuristic Metro City where a young robot – Astro Boy – with incredible powers is created by a brilliant scientist Dr. Tenma, in the image of the son he had lost. The young robot is powered with ‘blue’ energy and programmed with the best of human characteristics and values; yet he is unable to find acceptance from his father. Astro Boy’s search for his identity takes him on an adventurous journey, in which he builds the courage to control his own destiny, as well as learns about human emotions. In the end, Astro Boy accepts his human-robot nature, returns to save Metro City, and reconciles with his father.

Bret Pidgeon, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and Shanghai, Aaron Kwok, Ian Gouw and Francis Kao, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Imagi Studios took to the stage for Astro Boy’s big reveal today. Astro Boy’s figure joined the “world famous home of the famous” on September 29, 2009 in the World Premiere section of the attraction.

Bret Pidgeon, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and Shanghai, presented miniature figurine of Astro Boy and Dr. Tenma to Aaron Kwok, Ian Gouw and Francis Kao, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Imagi Studios during the unveiling event of the Astro Boy figure at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong today. Astro Boy’s figure joined the “world famous home of the famous” on September 29, 2009 in the World Premiere section of the attraction.

The voice for Astro Boy, Ian Gouw smiles as he poses by the anime’s figure at the unveiling event of the Astro Boy likeness at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong today. Astro Boy’s figure joined the “world famous home of the famous” on September 29, 2009 in the World Premiere section of the attraction.

Astro Boy’s figure joins the “world famous home of the famous” on September 29, 2009, in the World Premiere section. Guests to Madame Tussauds Hong Kong can also participate in an interactive display where they can literally step into the boots of Astro Boy and feel as if they are flying over Metro City.

IBM Aims at Google, Microsoft With New Webmail

source:http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/173003/ibm_aims_at_google_microsoft_with_new_webmail.html
Chris Kanaracus, IDG News Service

Thursday, October 01, 2009 9:20 PM PDT

IBM has launched LotusLive iNotes, an on-demand e-mail, calendaring and contact management system meant to compete with the likes of Gmail and Microsoft Exchange, the company said Friday.

Pricing starts at US$3 per user per month, undercutting Google Apps Premier Edition, which costs $50 per user per year.

IBM is aiming the software at large enterprises that want to migrate an on-premise e-mail system to SaaS (software as a service), particularly for users who aren't tied to a desk, such as retail workers. It is also hoping to win business from smaller companies interested in on-demand software but with concerns about security and service outages, such as those suffered by Gmail in recent months.

LotusLive iNotes is based on technology IBM purchased from the Hong Kong company Outblaze.

"What we brought to Outblaze and to the marketplace is what you'd expect from IBM in terms of security, reliability and privacy," said Sean Poulley, vice president of online collaboration.

While alluding to Google's service outages, Poulley acknowledged that no company can guarantee 100 percent uptime for on-demand applications. But IBM has a long-standing track record of running "the world's mission-critical systems," he said.

IBM will also have an opportunity to win customers from Microsoft who aren't ready to migrate to the upcoming Exchange 2010 release, given the headaches and investments involved, Poulley said.

Overall, the main point of interest in IBM's announcement is price, said Gartner analyst Matt Cain.

"Outblaze always sold low-cost mailboxes and that's what this is," he said. "Google's long been in it, Microsoft's long been in it. Now IBM's in it."

However, that's not to say IBM's brand on the software isn't of some value, Cain added. ."From an enterprise perspective, you'd rather buy e-mail from IBM than a company called Outblaze."

It's unlikely that IBM's pricing strategy will cause competitors to lower fees for their offerings, according to Cain. For one thing, Microsoft already has a $2 per month Exchange Online option called "Deskless Worker," Cain noted.

10 Reasons Why We Don't Need Another Browser

source:http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Enterprise-Applications/10-Reasons-Why-We-Dont-Need-Another-Browser-705823/


By: Don Reisinger
2009-08-14

News Analysis: Marc Andreessen, venture capitalist and founder of Netscape Communications—the company that created the first popular Web browser—has invested in a new startup called RockMelt. The business plan of this venture: to market yet another new browser. But with so many browsers already available, it hardly seems possible that there is room for another.

Famed investor Marc Andreessen is at it again. Andreessen announced recently that he has invested in an early-stage startup called RockMelt, which promises a new browser experience. He wouldn't divulge any information about the browser, but he said that it's being built from scratch to reflect market desire. Great. But the problem is, we just don't need another browser.

Right now, the market is overrun with a variety of browsers that appeal to every need. Flock is for the social-networking fanatic. Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google's Chrome browser are for companies and consumers looking for a traditional browsing experience. Opera and Safari are less-popular than the competition, but they also offer some nice features that appeal to end users. And that's just a small sampling. There are many more browsers. It's a crowded space.

The companies competing in the market are innovating at a rapid rate. Mozilla's Firefox is faster than ever. Microsoft has high hopes for Internet Explorer 8, and Chrome is one of the most user-friendly browsers ever made. Is there room for another browser to further segment the market? I don't think so.

Here's why:

1. What will it offer?
Unless RockMelt has something innovative and unique that Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla employees haven't thought about, it's doubtful that RockMelt will grab users attention. At this point, consumers want speed and more usability. Current browsers are addressing those desires with each new update.

2. The name means something
Microsoft is the leader in the browser market because its software is installed on Windows and, just as importantly, Internet Explorer is a browser that comes from a trusted source. The same can be said for Mozilla's Firefox, Google's Chrome, and Apple's Safari. Companies and consumers tend to deploy browsers from companies they know. RockMelt will have a difficult time addressing that issue.

3. Is it really worth it?
Although Mozilla is gloating that its browser has hit over one billion downloads, it took seven years to do it. Microsoft has far more users than that. RockMelt would have to win over users from the millions of people who are already comfortable working with Mozilla and Internet Explorer.

4. What we have is just fine
Maybe it's me, but I think the selection of browsers currently available to end users is just fine. If the user wants extensions, they can use Firefox. If they want a Microsoft product, they can have Internet Explorer. If they want speed, they can use Chrome. What purpose will RockMelt serve?

Resource Library:

5. Extensions are extremely important
One of the main reasons why users download Firefox and subsequently stick with it is its thousands of extensions. From social networking tools to e-commerce add-ons, the browser goes beyond Web surfing. It's a key advantage Mozilla enjoys. It's also one of the main reasons why so many Firefox users are loath to switch to other browsers. RockMelt will be no exception.

6. Third-party application integration
Several companies use Internet Explorer because some enterprise software is only compatible with Microsoft's browser. If employees want to be able to access an online application when they're away from the office, it might require Internet Explorer. If Mozilla and Chrome haven't been able to break those companies away from Internet Explorer, I don't see how RockMelt can.

7. Innovation continues
Although every browser on the market today is in need of some improvements, they're constantly being updated to address those shortcomings. Google, Apple, Microsoft, and the others are currently working on ways to increase their userbase with new features. Who's to say RockMelt can improve upon the innovation that continues in the market?

8. Time matters
When RockMelt finally releases its browser is anyone's guess. Andreessen told The New York Times in a recent interview that RockMelt is still in its early development stages. And since it's building the browser "from scratch," it could take quite a long time before it's released. The market could be a different place by then. And RockMelt's browser might be obsolete the day it's released.

9. The OS is going online
We also can't forget about Chrome OS. With Google and Microsoft vying for the online OS market, it's possible that browsers might be a thing of the past. Over time, I believe more computing will move to the Web, causing browsers to be a part of the computing experience, rather than being a tool to help us surf the Web. If RockMelt isn't prepared for that, it could be a problem.

10. Competition is fierce enough
There is still competition in the marketplace. RockMelt will be up against major companies with billions of dollars in cash to invest in anything they want. If RockMelt innovates in the marketplace, Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla probably wouldn't hesitate to build a similar feature into their own browsers. In the meantime, RockMelt and its relatively nominal market share would be pushed aside.

Overall, it seems that a new browser is an awfully tough sell.

Netscape founder backs new browser RockMelt

source:http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/08/10/daily82.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Netscape Communications founder Marc Andreessen is reportedly back in the Internet browser business, backing a new browser named RockMelt that is being created by a pair of former business partners.

The New York Times reported that it has been told by unnamed sources that Andreessen is helping Eric Vishria and Tim Howes, who he co-founded Opsware Inc. with. Howes also worked with him at Netscape. Opsware was sold to Hewlett-Packard Co. (NASDAQ:HPQ) in 2007 for $1.6 billion.

Little is known about the new browser, but the Times reported that language that was included in the privacy policy indicated that it is designed to work somehow with Facebook. Andreessen is on the board of the Palo Alto social networking service.

In an interview with the Times earlier this summer, Andreessen hinted that he was backing creation of a new browser but didn't provide details, only saying, "There are all kinds of things that you would do differently if you are building a browser from scratch."

2D love: Pillow GFs the rage in Japan

source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/World/Rest-of-World/2D-love-Pillow-GFs-the-rage-in-Japan/articleshow/4823586.cms

Lisa Katayama, New York Times 27 July 2009, 12:58am IST
Nisan didn’t mean to fall in love with Nemutan. Their first encounter — at a comic-book convention that Nisan’s gaming friends dragged him to in Tokyo — was serendipitous.

Nisan was wandering aimlessly around the crowded exhibition hall when he suddenly found himself staring into Nemutan’s bright blue eyes. In the beginning, they were just friends. Then, when Nisan got his driver’s license, he invited Nemutan for a ride around town in his beat-up Toyota. They went to a beach, not far from the home he shares with his parents in a suburb of Tokyo. “I’ve experienced so many amazing things because of her,” Nisan told me, rubbing Nemutan’s leg. “She has really changed my life.”

Nemutan doesn’t really have a leg. She’s a stuffed pillowcase — a 2-D depiction of a character, Nemu, from an X-rated version of a videogame called Da Capo, printed on synthetic fabric. In the game, which is less a game than an interactive visual novel about a schoolyard romance. “Of course she’s my girlfriend,” he said. “I have real feelings for her.”

Nisan is part of a thriving subculture of men and women in Japan who indulge in real relationships with imaginary characters. These 2-D lovers, as they are called, are a subset of otaku culture— the obsessive fandom that has surrounded anime, manga and video games in Japan in the last decade.

According to many who study the phenomenon, the rise of 2-D love can be attributed partly to the difficulty many young Japanese have in navigating modern romantic life. More than a quarter of men and women between the ages of 30 and 34 are virgins; 50% of Japanese don’t have friends of the opposite sex, a survey found.

Most 2-D lovers prefer a different kind of self-help. The guru of the 2-D love movement, Toru Honda, 40, has written several books advocating it. His site generated enough buzz to earn him a publishing contract, and in 2005 he released a book condemning “romantic capitalism.”