Japan

Japanese company Sharp has revealed that it will dedicate one of its TV factories in Japan to producing face masks amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The company's facility, which is capable of producing high-end electronics, can churn out tens of thousands of these masks every single day. Though they aren't useful for protecting against the virus, these masks are vital for healthcare workers and can be used by sick individuals to help guard against the spreading of germs.

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United Airlines, the third largest airline in the world, is officially the first US airline to suspend some flights to Asia out of coronavirus concerns. This is bad news for travelers who want to risk trips to outbreak regions -- United offers more service to Asia than any other US airline, potentially forcing customers to seek flights with other services. The changes will take place over the next couple of months, with the specifics varying based on airport.

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A senior member of the International Olympics Committee spoke this week about the possibility that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would be cancelled due to novel coronavirus (nCoV-2019). According to Olympics Committee member Dick Pound, there was a 3-month window in which the 2020 Tokyo, Japan-based sports event's fate would be decided. He apparently "did not sound alarmist", but did acknowledge a real possibility that the Tokyo Olympics for 2020 could be affected by nCoV-2019 in one way or another.

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Japan's space agency JAXA has approved a mission that will, if successful, achieve a new milestone for human space exploration. The agency will launch the Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) mission in 2024, assuming everything goes according to schedule, with the goal of plucking a sample from the Martian moon Phobos. After studying the moons, MMX will return to Earth in 2029 carrying the small sample of Martian moon dust.

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Japan is known for many things ranging from food to anime to, of course, robots. And not just the industrial or cutesy kind, mind, but the fictional ones that come to save the day or play. Of all the robots that the country's creative minds have produced, Yoshiyuki Tomino's Gundam has achieved the widest renown and the most number of recreations. The most ambitious one yet is coming later this year in Yokohama, featuring a 60-foot tall Gundam robot that will be able to walk.

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Despite all of the controversy surrounding Pokemon Sword and Shield, it seems the games are off to a strong start in Japan. According to reports, Pokemon Sword and Shield managed to sell 1.36 million copies in Japan in their first three days of availability. Not only is that a strong start, but it's the strongest start for any Switch game so far.

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You've heard of Web 2.0 and perhaps even the Web 3.0 that browser maker Opera loves talking about. But have you ever heard of Society 5.0, much less the previous versions that came before it? No, it's not a hot new piece of software but Japan's trendy label for what historians often refer to as "ages". With Society 5.0, the Japanese government and companies are working together to put developments in technology, especially in AI and automation, at the service of improving human society and evolving civilization as a whole.

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As one of Japan's major airlines, All Nippon Airways or ANA knows just how many people wish they could go places easily. It also knows just how much that travel is beyond the reach of most people, even when it is necessary to reach out to or help a loved one. That is why parent company ANA Holdings is developing a new platform called "avatar-in" that will let you "teleport" your consciousness even when your body can't. And it is starting with a robot arm that can cook or even fish for you in your stead.

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The Sony Xperia 8 was revealed today for Japan - but it's good news for you, too. Even if you're living in the United States and will never see this smartphone in person, nor (of course) hold this phone in your hand - it's good news. Because with this phone we have confirmation that Sony hasn't given up hope in the smartphone business, regardless of their less-than-great performance over the last several years. With this release, we also see that Sony's taking on a more focused approach - a smart approach.

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There's a 7-11 app here in the United States that's released a Beta version for product testing. This app was recently given a big update with Mobile Checkout and what's called "7NOW delivery" - but the interesting bit is the call out to the public issued by the Product Owner for 7-Eleven's apps just this week on Reddit. There he suggested that beta testers would get "reward points" for signing up, and that he'd be looking to get some "exclusive rewards and benefits" for testers as they "scale the beta group up" later this year.

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It would seem that the developers of the Japan-based 7-Eleven wallet app (7 Pay) had not heard of phone fraud. If they had, they'd have built a more secure method of changing user passwords in said app. As a result of their relative lack of finesse when it came to developing this one bit of the app, 900 customers lost a grand total of approximately 55-million Yen (which converts to roughly $506k).

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Today we're going to run down the effective Huawei ban list, the basics in China-based spy fears, and the fallout. This has a little to do with ZTE, a lot to do with China's government, and what might be the worst bout of luck a company ever had (with regard to their native country's timing for a trade war with the United States). But most importantly, we're going to list all the places Huawei's been banned, rejected, or removed in the recent past. SEE: Updates at the end of this text.

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