Electronic display instantly identifies customer's sex, age range

TOKYO —

NEC Corp says it has developed a new plasma display that can instantly identify people’s sex or age range and target them with advertisements to suit them. The 50-inch (127-cm) display is being demonstrated at an annual festival in Tokyo run by Fuji Television network. The event, which runs through Aug 31, drew more than four million visitors last summer.

A camera on top of the display recognizes on-the-spot the age and sex of viewers who are standing in front of it.

If the device finds viewers are predominantly female in their 20s, it will show cute miscellaneous items sold by Fuji Television for young women or an NEC cell phone designed for the demographic.

“Conventional advertisements may show cell phones for young women to men over 60,” said Hiroshi Takahashi at NEC’s solution business promotion division.

“Changing advertising products in accordance with the viewer would bring advertising closer to the purchaser,” he said.

The system is presented as entertainment at the Fuji event, with visitors knowing they are being watched, Takahashi said.

But the system is seen as having growth potential as companies struggle to win the attention of customers who are increasingly bombarded by advertisements throughout the day.

Those who are interested in what is being advertised can hold their cell phones over a special device, which feeds them a URL link, coupons and other information on the products.

Advertisers can tell whether the promotion has been effective by checking whether viewers visited their stores or made purchases.

JapanToday.

Matsushita Electric develops new lighting device

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Read other half of article at JapanToday.

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While other car manufacturers are concentrating on fuel cells and hybrids, Tokyo-based Nissan Motor Co is going all out on electric vehicles, promising to mass-market the emissions-free cars globally in 2012, with the first models arriving in Japan and the U.S. in 2010.

“We are feeling more strongly than ever that we must speed up our development of electric vehicles,” said Nissan Senior Vice President Minoru Shinohara.

Continue reading at JapanToday.

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Torrance, Ca., July 11, 2008 (JCN) - Honda's all-new, completely redesigned 2009 Acura TL employs dramatic new styling along with a luxurious interior that includes more driver relevant technology than ever.

Featuring the most powerful Acura engine ever, the 2009 TL will be available in two distinctive versions including the first ever application of Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (TM) on TL. Available in the fall of 2008, the new TL will deliver a driving experience that achieves new highs within the performance luxury sedan category.

Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance luxury vehicles through a network of 270 dealers within the United States. The Acura lineup features five distinctive models including the RL luxury performance sedan, the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports sedan, the turbocharged RDX luxury crossover SUV and the award-winning MDX luxury sport utility vehicle.

JCN.

Showa Shell to build big solar power panel plant

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The combined power generation capacity of solar panels produced in a year at the factory would be as large as 1,000 megawatts, which matches that of a nuclear reactor, they said.

JapanToday.

A prototype video camera able to take 360 degree vertical videos from Olympus

"The Future Creation Laboratory of Olympus Corp announced that it developed a lens capable of shooting omnidirectional images and prototyped a CCD camera incorporating the lens."

Continue reading at TechOn!