Thoughts on innovation and cameras in cell phones, the "next" Brad Pitt as an Otaku, and update on all those lovely fires...

Is teen heart-throb Zac Efron, the so-called "next Brad Pitt," an otaku? That's the question asked in a Japanese magazine I happened to come across the other day. Zac is getting a lot of press in Japan because of the popularity of the High School Musical films which made quite a splash here, and he's accumulated a sizeable base of screaming female fans. The article was especially interested in whether or not Zac's love of anime like Dragonball Z, Death Note and Evangelion qualified him as a bona fide otaku or not. Zac is quite taken with Japan, and whenever he's here he reportedly heads to Akihabara for some serious shopping. In a way I guess it's no mystery that Zac's name goes hand-in-hand with anime in the minds of Japanese fans, since he's named after one of the most famous mecha from the Gundam universe, the MS-05J Zaku, the backbone of the Principality of Zeon. The Japanese certainly are no strangers to cute male idols. Between the constant flow of new "boy talents" from the Johnny's Entertainment management agency and the current crop of South Korean male idols hoping to make it on Japan's lucrative idol circuit, Japanese fans have a place in their hearts prepared for Zac.

As in most other parts of the world, the cellular phone has taken root in Japan in a big way, and a lot of the innovations we now take for granted came about as a result of the stiff competition in the "keitai" (portable phone) market here. Take the humble in-phone digital camera, a feature that just about every unit sports nowadays. The first phone to feature a built-in camera was the Sanyo J-SH04, released back in 2000 by J-Phone, formerly Vodafone and now part of Yahoo Japan mogul Masayoshi Son's Softbank empire. This feature started the era of "Sha-Mail" (picture mail), allowing people to email 80x160 pixel postage stamp-sized pics to each other, surely a landmark in the progress of mankind. Which brings me to one more big difference between Japan and the U.S. -- patents and how they're used. While all modern countries allow for new ideas to be patented for a period of time so that the owners can realize benefit from their inventions, I've seen some pretty bizarre patent claims over the years, including individuals asserting "ownership" of the concept of the mouse click, a virtual shopping cart, and the hierarchial menu. Somehow, the Japanese manage to get by without these kinds of "patent wars," and it's very rare that the subject comes up at all. When Nissan comes up with a nifty new way to add storage space to a sedan, they don't try to patent it to keep Toyota from copying it, and when the first camera was put inside a phone, no company tried to get a own the concept of "A method for mounting a CCD censor in a communications device." Yet somehow, the Japanese economy seems to move along pretty well, with competition making sure the best products are chosen most often by consumers. I wonder what it is the Japanese are doing differently when it comes to patents? Although my adopted country is always fun, I still have love my real home town of San Diego -- the beautiful weather, the laid-back attitude, being able to go to the beach in January. Unfortunately the warm Santa Ana winds that make California such a nice place most of the time to be are causing absolute havoc right now, as fires engulf hundreds of thousands of acres. San Diego has several fires still burning, and winds are still whipping the flames to incredible temperatures, causing tragedy for many and forcing a mind-blowing 300,000 people to be evacuated. Our thoughts are with everyone caught up in these events, and we hope things will start to turn around soon. While J-List's San Diego office isn't in danger, several of our employees are affected by the flames, including two who can't get to work because of closed roads. We're striving to make sure any delays in shipping products are minimal while firefighters get the flames under control, and we thank everyone for your understanding in advance. We have some good news to tell fans of PC dating-sim games: the newest English-translated game title, Bazooka Cafe, is in stock and shipping now! A super game by G-Collections, Trabulance and talented artist Kohaku Sumeragi, it puts you in the role of a young man surrounded by some of the most beautiful females ever seen. When your aging father collapsed, you dutifully quit your office job to take over running his cafe with the help of your beautiful gaijin waitress Cocoa (she's from some exotic South Pacific island). One day, your former coworker Mizuki comes in an announces that she's going to work at your cafe, then before you know it, two other gorgeous beauties -- childhood friend Narumi and former boss Yayoi also join the staff. It's like a dream come true! The game includes the Bazooka Cafe Valentine Special, a bonus game featuring all-new art, too. Order this great title right now! Announcing the beginning of Totoro Blanket Season! Every year Japanese toy maker Sun Arrow releases fabulous Studio Ghibli blankets that are incredibly soft to the touch, and they've become quite a favorite with J-List customers. The new Totoro blankets for the 2007-2008 season are great to look and warm to snuggle under with their high quality acrylic materials, and they're so soft you'll find yourself going out of your way to keep one nearby. We've gotten in three convenient sizes for you, so whether you want to enjoy a good night sleep with Totoro, curl up on the sofa or keep warm at work, you will love these new items! They make great gift items, too. Here are today's "really cool products" that I thought were especially noteworthy. Note: the J-List links below may be for adult products and should probably be considered "not safe for work" (a yes/no verification screen will be displayed to filter products from our mature site). To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link. We also recommend watching our "new products" RSS feed

	Aya Sensei -- Aya Nakata. Gorgeous photobook for fans of beautiful Japanese girls.
	Himekuri ~ All Girl Photobook Special. This is a photobook featuring women posing together, no guys allowed in any photograph. I love the approach the photographer takes.
	Bazooka Cafe. This outstanding game, a cool "maid cafe" dating-sim, is finally in stock and shipping. Fascinating story and characters!
	Patlabor on Television vol. 1 ~ Perfect Establishment Data. Great Patlabor item for fans of the show.
	Sweet Girls ~ Dengeki Hime Illust Collection. Indeed, this art book is filled with sweet girls. Love the art in here.
	The Ring Finger Honey ~ Kusuriyubi Honey. While most "H" manga creators are guys, this artist is a female, and I love her unique work.
	Ai Enma Hug Pillow ~ Hell Girl Body Pillow. A giant Hug Pillow for you, featuring Ai Enma from Hell Girl, one of the strangest (yet most beautiful) anime shows I've seen in a whiile.
	Nihongo Journal Oct 2007. Learn Japanese with this helpful monthly magazine.
	Totoro Fluffy Blanket -- 140 x 200cm. If you haven't touched one of the extra-soft Japanese acrylic blankets ever, this is a great time to consider it. They're so soft and so warm, you'll treasure your Totoro blanket for years.
	Karen Stadtfeld 1/8 Figure ~ Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion *Preorder*. Great new figure for Code Geass fans to preorder.
	Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary 350mm Canned Potion. Final Fantasy fans, we've gotten in limited stock of the canned potion, which is far more suited to actually drinking than the other one.
	Kit Kat Little. A new Kit Kat variation is on the block.
	Street Fighter II 1/7 Figure ~ Chun-Li. Chun-Li, looking really stylish, and in stock now.
	Nadia 1/10 Scale Figure ~ Nadia The Secret of Blue Water. I am a big Nadia fan, and the prospect of a "cast off" Nadia figure is just too much.
	Meiji Melty Kiss -- Green Tea. The new Meltykiss for the 2007/2008 season is in stock now!
	Ghibli Short Short Special (region 2). This is a collection of all the short films Ghibli has done over the years, including their great TV commercials and the legendary music video with Chage and Aska.
	Zebra Japonesque "Minna" Pen -- Blue (Bell Flower). Really cool pen that's small enough, you'll always have it with you.
	Fuwarinka Soft Candy -- Rose Flavor. A huge hit at J-List, candy and gum that makes you smell nicer from the inside out, with the power of roses.
	2008 Calendar -- Domo-Kun . Domo-kun's 2008 calendar is finally in stock! Get your copy of this really cool item right now!