42 inch LG 1080p HDTV : LG 42LH55 LCD TV
Editor's Choice for Value & Picture Quality
Now we are going to introduce a very cool 42 inch LG 1080p HDTV, LG 42LH55, which has been a bestselling HDTV on Amazon, more and more people are falling in love with it, seems it would be super popular quite soon, so I think I should share it with you guys today. Well, let’s go to find out why so many people are choosing it.
LG LH55 series overview
LG LH55 series power indicator
The LG LH55 looks slick enough but lacks any overt, eye-catching styling cues. Its most remarkable external feature is the thin, transparent strip along the left and right edges of the frame. That frame rounds slightly along the top edge and is thicker below than above, and its gloss-black coloration is interrupted only by the LG logo. A bump on the bottom left edge houses the blue-lit power indicator. The stand swivels and matches the panel with its glossy black.
LG LH55 series side view
Seen from the side the LH55 looks like most other flat-panel TVs.
LG LH55 series remote control
LG's remote is relatively disappointing. We found the cluster of similar buttons around the cursor control difficult to differentiate without constantly having to look down at them. A little illumination would have gone a long way. There's a prominent button labeled "Energy Saving" key that directly accesses said control and a little energy saving graphic to provide enviro-geeks a warm fuzzy. The remote can't control other brands of gear directly with infrared commands.
LG LH55 series back panel inputs
The LG's back panel offers three HDMI inputs, a PC input and a pair of component-video jacks.
LG LH55 series side panel inputs
On the side is a fourth HDMI port, a USB jack and an AV input with composite video. No S-Video is available.
LG LH55 series quick menu
The menu system is quite extensive, so the easy-access quick menu for aspect ratio, picture and sound modes, the timer and other oft-used functions, is welcome.
LG LH55 series dejudder control
LG's implementation of dejudder, called TruMotion 240Hz, is similar to past 120Hz and 240Hz displays, which force you to engage the smoothing effect of dejudder if you want to enjoy the benefits of reduced blurring. 2009 models from Samsung and Toshiba, on the other hand, allow you to separate the two functions, an option we really prefer to have. The LH55 series offers two strengths of dejudder, Low and High, and also offers a separate "Real Cinema" function designed to work with 1080p/24 sources.
LG LH55 series Expert menu
Like other LG displays, the picture controls on the LH55 series surpass most of the competition. Its Expert modes, which bear the logo and the input of the Imaging Science Foundation, offer a passel of additional controls.
LG LH55 series white balance menu
Our favorite controls, first introduced by LG last year and still exclusive to the company, are the 2- and a 10-point white balance system that can really help get a more accurate grayscale.
LG LH55 series color filter
The company upped the ante for 2009, adding the capability to target a 2.2 gamma, internal test patterns, and even color filters for blue-only, green-only, and red-only to help set color balance
LG LH55 series picture quality
The LH55 series can deliver excellent color accuracy, a positive trait balanced by less impressive black-level performance. Its 240Hz processing reduces blur better than 120Hz displays but not as well as some other 240Hz models, for what it's worth, and off-angle performance was another issue.
Review
At CES this year, LG made a big deal out of its 240Hz technology, claiming it bested similar blur-busting tech from other LCD TV makers. The LH55 series represents the company's least expensive HDTV equipped with a 240Hz refresh rate, and when it comes to that feature, as usual, we weren't particularly impressed. The results were similar to those seen on other 240Hz displays--reduced blur that was difficult for us to really discern, although test patterns prove it's there--but we were a bit annoyed that you have to engage the smoothing effect of dejudder if you want to reduce blur. In its favor, the LH55 brings a boatload of other picture quality adjustments to bear, most of them leading to excellent color accuracy, but its overall picture is hampered by lighter black levels, among other minor problems. If you can handle those issues, are sensitive to blur and enjoy picture tweaks, the LH55 is one of the more tempting LCDs out there.
Series note:
We performed a hands-on evaluation of the 42-inch LG 42LH55 is one series of 42 inch LG 1080p HDTV , but this review also applies to the other sizes in the series, namely the 37-inch 37LH55, the 47-inch 47LH55, and the 55-inch 55LH55. All sizes share identical specs and features and should provide very similar picture quality.
Design
Editors' note: Many of the design and features elements are identical between the LG LH55 series and the LG LH30 series we reviewed previously, so readers of the earlier review may experience some déjà vu when reading the same sections below.
The LG LH55 looks slick enough but lacks any overt, eye-catching styling cues. Its most remarkable external feature is the thin, transparent strip along the left and right edges of the frame. That frame rounds slightly along the top edge and is thicker below than above, and its gloss-black coloration is interrupted by the LG logo only. A bump on the bottom left edge houses the blue-lit power indicator. The stand swivels and matches the panel with its glossy black.
LG's remote is relatively disappointing. We found the cluster of similar buttons around the cursor control difficult to differentiate without constantly having to look down at them. A little illumination would have gone a long way. There's a prominent button labeled "Energy Saving" that directly accesses said control and a little energy saving graphic to provide enviro-geeks a warm and fuzzy feeling. The remote can't control other brands of gear directly with infrared commands.
The menu system is quite extensive, so the easy-access quick menu for aspect ratio, picture and sound modes, the timer, and other oft-used functions is welcome. The main menu is laid out the same as last year's model, with the addition of a new onscreen "simple manual" that provides basic setup and function information. One miscue: we'd really like to see explanations of menu items appear onscreen, too, especially since many of them are so advanced.
Features
As we mentioned above, the LH55's main step-up feature is a 240Hz refresh rate, which is designed to combat blurring in motion. There are two species of 240Hz and LG employs the "scanning backlight" variety, which augments the usual 120Hz technique of doubling the standard 60-frame signal with a backlight that flashes very rapidly on and off (much faster than humans can perceive) to help reduce motion blur. In our tests the other 240Hz technique, which actually quadruples the standard signal and is used by Sony and Samsung, produced slightly better results than LG's method, which is also employed by Toshiba and Vizio. Unlike Toshiba, which carefully calls the scanning backlight a "240Hz effect," LG's marketing department has no qualms about touting its method as unqualified 240Hz.
LG's implementation of dejudder is similar to past 120Hz and 240Hz displays, which force you to engage the smoothing effect of dejudder if you want to enjoy the benefits of reduced blurring. 2009 models from Samsung and Toshiba, on the other hand, allow you to separate the two functions, an option we really prefer to have. The LH55 series offers two strengths of dejudder, Low and High, and also offers a separate "Real Cinema" function designed to work with 1080p/24 sources. Check out the performance section for more details.
Like other LG displays, the picture controls on the LH55 series surpass most of the competition. The company included even more adjustments than last year, starting with a well-thought-out Picture Wizard that uses internal test patterns to help you perform your own basic calibrations of the controls for brightness, contrast, color, tint, horizontal and vertical sharpness, and backlight. Once you've finished, your settings are saved to the Expert1 picture memory slot for your choice of inputs.
Each of the eight adjustable picture memory slots is independent per input, and we appreciated that all of them, aside from the two Expert slots, indicate whether they're in the default settings. A ninth mode, called Intelligent Sensor, reacts to ambient lighting conditions and automatically sets picture parameters accordingly. Advanced controls abound in even the nonexpert modes, with three color temperature presets, settings for dynamic contrast and color, noise reduction, three levels of gamma, a black level control, wide and standard color spaces, edge enhancement, a room-lighting sensor, and even an "eye care" setting designed to prevent the screen from being too bright (it's disabled in Vivid and Cinema modes).
Those Expert modes, which bear the logo and the input of the Imaging Science Foundation, offer a passel of additional controls. Our favorite, first introduced by LG last year and still exclusive to the company, is a 10-point white balance system that can really help get a more accurate grayscale. The company upped the ante for 2009, adding the capability to target a 2.2 gamma, internal test patterns, and even color filters for blue-only, green-only, and red-only to help set color balance. A full color management system is also on tap, and we love the capability to apply Expert settings to all inputs or just one at a time. Of course, most of these settings will appeal only to pro calibrators and HDTV geeks, but either way, LG's 2009 models offer the most complete suite of user-menu picture adjustments we've seen on any HDTV to date.
LG touts the efficiency of this set, and rightly so, according to our tests (see below). In addition to the "home use" and "store demo" initial settings common to the Energy Star 3.0-qualified televisions, there's a quartet of progressively more aggressive Energy Saving settings that reduce the backlight--and thus light output along with wattage consumed. Engaging the settings disables the standard backlight control.
The LH55 series is missing picture-in-picture, but does provide plenty of aspect ratio control, including five modes or use with HD sources and four with standard-def. Two modes are adjustable zooms, and there's a "set by program" mode designed to automatically choose the correct aspect ratio setting based on the signal. We recommend using the Just Scan mode with 1080i and 1080p material, which assures zero overscan and proper 1:1 pixel matching for this 1080p display.
Connectivity is fairly extensive on the LH55, beginning with four total HDMI ports--three on the back and one on the side. The back panel also offers two component-video inputs, an AV input with composite video, a RF input for antenna or cable, an RGB-style analog PC input, an optical-digital-audio output, and an RS-232 port for custom installations. In addition to the fourth HDMI port, the side panel has a second AV input with composite video and a USB port for display of digital photos and playback of MP3 music files. Our one connectivity complaint is the lack of any S-Video inputs.
Performance
Deep Black levels provide for excellent contrast in this scene from The Road Warrior.
This shot of Tom Cruise in Risky Business shows a good contrast presentation from this rough 480i DVD
The LH55 series can deliver excellent color accuracy, a positive trait balanced by less impressive black-level performance. Its 240Hz processing reduces blur better than 120Hz displays, but not as well as some other 240Hz models, for what it's worth, and off-angle performance was below average.
All of those picture settings really helped nail the LG's calibration. Prior to our adjustments, the display's Movie mode came closest to our ideal settings, although it was a bit too dim (33 ftl) and too blue up and down the grayscale. After making all those adjustments, the grayscale was superb in all but the darkest areas, gamma came close to the 2.2 ideal at an average of 2.16, and light output hit our nominal 40ftl level. We didn't need to tweak primary colors or color decoding much, although we couldn't resist making those already-close parameters even closer.
Our comparison involved a few other 240Hz LCDs, including the Toshiba 47ZV650U, the Samsung LN52B750 and the Sony KDL-52XBR9, as well as a couple of plasmas, the Panasonic TC-P46G10 and our reference Pioneer PRO-111FD. This round of image quality tests was conducted with the help of scenes from "Step Brothers" on Blu-ray.
Black level:
The LH55 produced a lighter shade of black that, as usual, robbed the image of some of the punch and impact seen on most of the other displays. The difference was most visible in darker scenes, such as the nighttime car ride home from Derek's birthday party, where the guys' dark suits, the shadows inside the car and the letterbox bars all appeared a noticeably lighter shade than on the other plasmas and LCDs, with the exception of the Toshiba, which was slightly lighter than the LG. Shadow detail, such as the outline of the car in the dark driveway or the bark of the tree in the yard, also suffered a bit--although, to be fair, the LG's shadow detail looked as good as can be expected given the lighter black levels.
Color accuracy:
In most scenes, especially brighter ones, the LG's color looked superb. When Alice accosts Dale in the men's room, for example, her skin tone looked flush enough but certainly not ruddy, and thankfully without the greener tinge seen on the Panasonic. The green of the grass under the For Sale sign and the plants downtown appeared true compared with our reference, as did the other primary and secondary colors. The LG's imperfect blacks did contribute to a less saturated look than we saw on the other displays, but our biggest complaint on the color accuracy front was the LG's blue tinge to blacks and very dark shadows. The issue was most obvious in very dark scenes, such as when Brennan buries Dale in the back yard, and the blue was more pronounced than on any of the other displays, including the Toshiba.
Video processing:
With the LG's "TruMotion 240Hz" processing set to either Low or High mode, the LH55 resolved between 700 and 800 lines of motion resolution according to our test. The test pattern didn't show the same sort of interference and breakup we saw on the Toshiba. If you're keeping track, we saw between 900 and 1000 lines from the Sony and Samsung 240Hz displays we tested, and even more from the Panasonic plasma. Disabling the LG's processing caused the test to register between 300 to 400 lines, which is typical of a 60Hz LCD. Of course, in our experience, the blurring seen in test patterns, despite the large differences in the motion resolution, is quite difficult to perceive in real-world program material. As we noted above, it's impossible to get the improved motion resolution of the antiblur effect without also engaging dejudder processing.
We've never been fans of the overt smoothing effect of dejudder, and while we understand some viewers might like it, we feel it makes film-based sources look too much like video. The LG is no exception. During the car ride home, for example, the motion seemed too video-like even in the Low setting, which was about the equivalent of Standard on the Sony and Samsung. Artifacts in Low mode weren't very common, which is a good thing, but in High they appeared more frequently. One example came during the first awkward dinner, when Brennan got up from the table and his fast-moving arm created a sort of halo or trail in the background. This issue was slightly less obvious than a similar artifact we saw on the Sony and Samsungs in High and Smooth modes, but in any case, we recommend leaving the TruMotion 240Hz setting turned off for films.
We did appreciate the LG's Real Cinema setting, however, which functioned as advertised to preserve the true frame rate of film. We set our Blu-ray player to 1080p/24 output mode, turned the Real Cinema setting on and fed the LG our favorite test clip for evaluating film cadence, the helicopter flyover of the Intrepid from "I Am Legend." The LH55 showed the proper amount of judder without the slight hitching motion characteristic of 2:3 pulldown, which returned when we set Real Cinema to Off.
Finally, the LH55 series delivered every line of static resolution and properly de-interlaced video-based sources, but, like other LG sets we've reviewed (and unlike most other current 1080p HDTVs), it failed to properly de-interlace film-based sources.
Uniformity:
The LH55 sample we reviewed exhibited average uniformity across its screen, with slightly darker areas around the edges and corners compared with the middle, but no overly bright spots or visible backlight structure.
When seen from off-angle, the LH55 performed worse than either the Sony or the Samsung, becoming washed out quite a bit more quickly--at about the same rate as the Toshiba, in fact. The screen didn't discolor too badly when seen from either side of the sweet spot directly in front of the screen, however.
Bright lighting:
As a matte-screen display, the LH55 handled ambient lighting better than the shiny-screen Toshiba, Samsung LCDs, and both plasmas. Bright lights in the room weren't reflected as brightly in its screen, and the screen did an adequate job of preserving black levels in the bright room--if not as good as the Samsung.
Standard definition: With standard-def sources, the LG turned in a fine performance. It resolved every line of the DVD format and detail in the grass and the stone bridge was solid. Jaggies were kept to a minimum and the waving American flag looked smooth. Noise reduction worked well to remove moving motes from the skies and sunsets, and we appreciated that 2:3 pulldown detection kicked in quickly and effectively to remove moire from the grandstands behind the racecar.
PC:
The LH55 series delivered every line of resolution from a 1920x1080 PC input with no overscan or edge enhancement via both HDMI and VGA. The latter input showed some interference in the highest-frequency test patterns, and text appeared a bit softer than via HDMI, but it was still better than many VGA sources we've seen.
Power consumption:
Like most late-model LCDs we've tested, the LG 42LH55 was extremely efficient, using just 10 watts more power in default mode than the company's entry-level 42LH30 model. After calibration, the two were nearly identical, and the LH55 used less energy (93.3 watts) than just about any other 42-inch flat-panel we've tested, including models like the Philips Eco TV (193), the Toshiba 42RV530U (114.6), and easily beat 42-inch plasmas like the Panasonic TC-P42S1 (235.3), the Vizio VP422 (146.4), and the Panasonic TH-42PX80U (190.5).
Product Summary
The good: Accurate color; extensive picture controls, including unique Picture Wizard; solid connectivity with four HDMI and one PC input; energy efficient.
The bad: Reproduces relatively light black levels; does not separate antiblur and antijudder processing; benefits of 240Hz difficult to discern; below-average off-angle viewing; no S-Video input.
The bottom line: Although its overall picture quality falls short of the best 240Hz LCDs, the LG LH55 series offers plenty of picture tweaks and accurate color.
Compare ALL LCD TV Reviews
About Our Rating System
The following product reviews are based on a rating scale from 70 (denoting poorest quality) to 100 (signifying the very best quality). A rating in the 60s for any particular category of a product review indicates a serious defect which causes the product not to operate properly. Picture quality is double-weighted in the Overall Score calculation.
Price range: $889.00 - $1,299.95 check prices
Buy The Best Price LG 42 LCD HDTV 1080p from Amazon:
Recession Can't Stop Japan's Online Shoppers
A rise in the number of stay-at-home shoppers in Japan means the online shopping industry outstrips sales at department stores and convenience stores
It never rains but it pours for Japan's department store operators, once the driving force behind Japan's bubble-era consumerism. This summer already-flagging sales plunged further as recession-hit consumers cut back on spending. Nature didn't help out, either, as poor weather hurt sales.
Yet, even when the recession eases and the weather improves, don't expect a big bounce in sales. These days, Japan's recession-hit shoppers increasingly prefer to shop without ever leaving home.
The numbers are startling. Using data from the Japan Direct Marketing Assn. and Nomura Research Institute (NRI), the Nikkei daily estimates online shopping sales in Japan rose 22% to $67.2 billion. That's despite Japan's deepest recession in the postwar era savaging consumer confidence following the collapse of Lehman Brothers last fall.
If catalog shopping is also included, the figure rises to over $86 billion—or more than is spent in Japan's department stores or ubiquitous convenience stores. Noritaka Kobayashi, senior consultant at Nomura Research Institute in Tokyo, says that while the growth will likely slow due to the recession, the consumer e-commerce market will continue to outstrip other forms of shopping. Excluding eating out and other forms of consumption that can't be easily conducted online, Kobayashi reckons $2.2 trillion of consumption could be made from computers and cell phones. "A growing number of people are simply avoiding the trouble of visiting stores," he says. "This market has a big growth potential."
Sugomori: "Chicks in the Nest"
What explains Japanese consumers' shift to shopping online? In the last year, as the global recession pounded the Japanese economy, pundits began using the term sugomori ("chicks in the nest") to describe people who stay home to keep outside expenses to a minimum. Shopping online is not only often cheaper, especially when compared with expensive department stores, but it also saves on transportation and eating out while shopping.
Other reasons for the rapid expansion of online shopping in Japan are perhaps more compelling—and Japan-specific. One factor is undoubtedly the widespread use of high-speed Internet. Fast broadband connections are the norm in Japan, while high-speed Internet-enabled mobile phones are long established. NTT DoCoMo's (DCM) 3G service is now in its 10th year of operation. The upshot: Japanese young and old are comfortable and experienced online.
According to the Internal Affairs & Communications Ministry, the mobile-commerce market in 2007 was worth $7.8 billion, a 29% increase from the previous year. The NRI, meanwhile, estimates mobile phones account for about 20% of online shopping and that share will increase to 24.5% by 2013. "Sooner or later it will be half," says Kobayashi. He adds that many teenagers buy games, books, or accessories via mobile phone but never use a PC for e-commerce.
Superior Delivery Service
It helps that workers in Japan typically take long commutes, often in crowded trains. That leaves plenty of time to text, read the news, play games, or shop using a mobile phone.
Marketers are also getting savvier at appealing to mobile shoppers. While eBay (EBAY) isn't a big player in Japan, Rakuten, Amazon Japan, and Yahoo Japan are among Japan's most visited Web sites and are huge conduits for online shopping. Small players, meanwhile, are finding creative ways to woo Net-based shoppers. One example: In March, dozens of young women swarmed to the Tokyo Girls Collection fashion show. At the show, held in Tokyo's youthful Shibuya district, audience members could order what they saw on the runway using their mobile phones, via a dedicated retail site. In a single night, the show sold $615,000 worth of clothes.
Meticulous home-delivery service is another factor boosting online shopping. Delivery companies such as Yamato Transport, Sagawa Express, and JP Express are famously reliable. The companies usually offer to deliver within a two-hour time slot selected by the customer and are rarely late. They are also remarkably fast. Yamato, for instance, has a tieup with Amazon (AMZN) and other mail-order companies by which it offers next-morning delivery for orders made by midnight the previous day. And if the customer prefers, deliveries can be made to one of Japan's 50,000 convenience stores. For only a small extra fee, delivery firms will deliver frozen or chilled products, leading to the rapid expansion of online purchasing of fresh produce, such as freshly caught crab from Hokkaido or pineapple from subtropical Okinawa.
Payment options have evolved to meet customer needs and soothe fraud concerns. For consumers who don't want to input credit-card numbers over the Internet, Yamato and others offer a pay-on-delivery service. "These finely tuned delivery services are boosting the mail-order business," says Masao Ueda, chief researcher at the Distribution Economics Institute of Japan.
By Hiroko Tashiro
Japan's 'Idea Products'
In Japan they are called aidea shohin ("idea products" ), unusual gadgets that would be convenient to own but not practical enough for most retailers to sell in Japanese stores. Although some people might call them pointless, these idea products are popular among Japanese consumers shopping online or via catalogs and TV. And that's a big business: According to the daily Nikkei, home shopping grew 10% last year, to $86 billion. That's bigger than the sales at either convenience stores or department stores. Here are some examples of the latest idea products.
Mattress with a Built-In Fan
Manufacturer: Kuchofuku
Price: $300
http://www.9229.co.jp or http://www.rakuten.co.jp/pc2b
A good night's sleep during the Japanese summer often means using the air conditioner. The Fumin is a low-cost, more environmentally sound alternative. Produced by a clothing maker Kuchofuku, the $300 Fumin ("wind-sleep") includes a built-in fan at the foot of the mattress. Running it eight hours every day costs less only 30¢ a month.
Computer-Heated Lunch Box
Manufacturer: Thanko
Price: $20
http://www.thanko.jp
Many Japanese workers take a prepared bento ("lunchbox") with them to the office. Typically steamed rice and side dishes, bento can be economical and appetizing. One challenge, though, is keeping the food, warm. Thanko, an innovative gadget shop in Akihabara, Tokyo's premier electronics district, may have the answer: A heated lunchbox that plugs into a PC's USB port.
Security-Enhanced Personalized Stamp
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Pencil
Price: $220
http://www.mpuni.co.jp/product/category/stamps/dialbank/index.html
Westerners usually sign contracts or other important documents in ink, but Japanese traditionally prefer an engraved stamp called a hanko. One concern, though, is that the stamped signature, usually the owner's name, can be easily forged. Mitsubishi Pencil's Dial Bank Seal alleviates the risk of fraud by adding a two-digit dial that creates a series of marks around the printed name, making it difficult for an unauthorized person to copy someone's stamp. It also wards against theft by requiring a code to be entered before use.
Safety Socks
Manufacturer: Pearl Star
Price: $17
http://corporation-pearlstar.com/
Developed by Pearl Star, an original socks maker, and Hiroshima University, Tento Boshi ("Fall Prevention") socks help keep you on your feet by encouraging the toes to point upwards. The socks won an outstanding performance award in a 2007 competition sponsored by the Japan Rehabilitation Engineering Assn.
Tap-Controlled Touch Screen Camera
Manufacturer: Olympus
Price: $461
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1448
Camera maker Olympus markets its tap-controlled Stylus Tough-8000 camera as a tool for extreme conditions. Shockproof, waterproof, and freezeproof, it is "virtually indestructible," the maker claims. In Japan, though, where it is sold as the mju-TOUGH 8000, its tap-control system (the camera's functions are controlled by tapping or tipping the camera body) is winning plaudits for enabling people with long nails to use the camera easily.
Rain Poncho for Bicycles
Manufacturer: Asahi
Price: $20
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/cyclemall/
A recent change in the law means that Japanese police are taking sterner action against cyclists who use umbrellas while cycling. Asahi's Rain Poncho, which is designed to cover the bike's front basket as well as the rider, may be the answer.
Curved Chopsticks
Manufacturer: H Partners
Price: $9
http://www.h-partners.jp
At a properly set Japanese table, a chopstick rest is used to keep your chopsticks clean. Ukihashi chopsticks, with their distinctive curvature, stay clean while resting directly on the table.
Talking Piggy Bank
Manufacturer: ToyBox
Price: $36
http://www.toybox-jp.com/commodity/img/img08a9b0452_1.jpg
Toymaker ToyBox's speaking piggy bank tells you what coin you have put in and how much you've saved. The box is 15 cm wide and 20 cm high. There are three colors: white, black, and red.
Water-Proof Cloths
Manufacturer: Takashimaya
Price: $30
Furoshiki, square pieces of cloth used for wrapping everyday items, aren't exactly cutting-edge. They date from the 17th century, when Japanese bathers would use them to carry their change of clothes. Still, after renewed interest from younger people in recent years, department store operator Takashimaya has developed a modern, water-repellent version.
Pedometer with a Safety Alarm
Manufacturer: Tanita
Price: $49
http://www.tanita.co.jp/products/models/fb728.html
This is for someone who wants to exercise but is worried about unwanted advances from strangers. Tanita's Stylish Walker pedometer includes a built-in siren. If you want to frighten someone away, just pull the cord, and the alarm goes off.
Earphone Alarm
Manufacturer: Honda Tsushin Kogyo
Price:$11
http://www.konna.jp/shop/goods/A012.htm
The Anshinkun-2 is a light, small timer that you wear like an earphone. With this gadget, you won't miss your stop on the train even if you're napping. Simply set the alarm for the time you want to get off, and the Anshinkun-2 will wake you up before the train leaves the station.
Long-Distance Pet Feeder
Operator: NTT DoCoMo
Price: $215
http://www.konna.jp/shop/goods/A122.htm
Forgotten to feed Fido? By using NTT Docomo's third-generation FOMA mobile phone and its Pet Phone feature, you can provide nourishment for your dog even when you're on the road. First call home on your mobile phone. Ten seconds later you receive live footage of your pet at home. Then push one button to release food from the Pet Phone food unit into the dog's bowl.
Earless Eyeglasses
Manufacturer: Uemura
Price: $20
http://www2.wbs.ne.jp/~uemura/page151.html
The frames of these Coloring Sonotokini eyeglasses rest on your temples, not your ears. According to Uemura, that makes them ideal to wear while coloring your hair.
Vibrating Alarm Pillow
Manufacturer: Funabashi Bussan
Price: $85
http://www.konna.jp/shop/goods/A168.htm
An ordinary alarm clock rouses the whole room. Funabashi Bussan, a maker of auto accessories and health products, has an answer for those who don't want to wake their loved one on the other side of the bed. The company's Mezamashi Bururun is a vibrating pillow only wakes the person sleeping on it.
Hands-Free Umbrella
Manufacturer: Dplus
Price: $32
http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/d-plus/dokodemo-sasube-gr.html
This simple device is especially popular with Japanese women who like to protect their skins from the summer sun, while cycling or pushing a baby stroller.
No-Frills Shampoo Dispenser
Manufacturer: Sanki
Price:$19
http://www.sanki-web.net/index.html/tsumekae.html
This lets you use refills for shampoo, conditioner or body soap rather than buying new bottles. Sanki is originally a backstreet factory in Tokyo making metal parts. At home, the 57-year-old factory owner, Masayuki Abe, grew tired of refilling shampoo bottles for his family and so spent three years to come up with his product as an alternative. Since its release last December, it has sold more than 30,000 sets in eight months. "While our main business has been slow due to the economic climate, this side business is unexpectedly covering the losses," he says.
This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.