Toyota unveils home batteries that hook up to hybrids, EVs
Nikkei -- Jun 03
Toyota Motor will enter the home battery market, offering outdoor units that can be charged from hybrid and electric vehicles, the automaker said Thursday.
As demand grows for power products that can keep the lights on in homes during emergencies, Toyota aims to grab market share by providing a convenient battery that connects with various energy sources, including solar panels.
The product debuts in August and includes a battery unit with a capacity of 8.7 kilowatt-hours and an adapter to connect with electrified vehicles.
Toyota drew on expertise with automotive batteries that it amassed over the years as a pioneer in gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles. The home batteries work in temperatures ranging from 45 C to minus 20 C, and users can check how much charge is left and change settings from a custom smartphone app.
1 in 3 beds meant for the critically ill fail to live up to expectations
Nikkei - Jul 03
Nearly 35% of acute care beds in Japanese hospitals have failed to serve their intended purpose, a serious misallocation of human and financial resources, according to a study by Nikkei and the Japan Center for Economic Research.
How Japan UPGRADED these American inventions!
Mrs Eats - Jul 02
Did you know Japan made some American inventions EVEN BETTER? You might not believe it, because USA #1, but constant improvement is part of Japanese DNA!
Deep-sea camera captures giant 'yokozuna iwashi' in Pacific
NHK - Jul 01
Japanese researchers say they have successfully filmed a giant rare deep-sea fish in the Pacific called the "yokozuna iwashi."
Fireball observed in skies over Japan
NHKn - Jun 29
People around Japan have reported seeing what appeared to be a fireball blazing across the night sky.
Japan eyes restart of nuclear plants offline since 2011 Fukushima disaster as temperatures soar
South China Morning Post - Jun 29
With temperatures across Japan soaring and the government imploring the public and businesses to limit their consumption of energy, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has signalled that nuclear power plants not used since 2011’s Fukushima disaster will be brought back online.
Observing different mating tactics in the Japanese scorpionfly
phys.org - Jun 28
Owing to the high competition and the prevalence of natural selection, many male insects must develop alternative tactics to mate with a female.
Quake jolts southwestern Japan, no tsunami warning issued
Nikkei - Jun 26
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 shook Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan on Sunday, but no tsunami warning was issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
How Japan uniquely recycles plastic
Paolo fromTOKYO - Jun 25
This is how Japan Recycles Plastic Trays. I’m at the Ibaraki Kanto recycling factory of Japan’s largest plastic food container producer, FPCO.
New species of symbiotic sea anemone discovered off coast of Japan
sci-news.com - Jun 24
Scientifically named Stylobates calcifer, the new sea anemone species lives in a symbiotic relationship with a species of hermit crab called Pagurodofleinia doederleini.
Japan govt. compiles report on possible impacts of solar flares
NHK - Jun 22
Japan's communications ministry has drawn up a report on possible impacts of large-scale eruptions on the surface of the sun called "solar flares," such as disruptions in wireless communications.
Hospital in western Japan hit by ransomware attack
NHK - Jun 21
Staff at a hospital in Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan, are unable to access electronic medical records after the hospital became the target of a ransomware attack.
Drone registration system begins in Japan
NHK - Jun 20
Drone owners in Japan are obliged to register their craft with the government under a revised aviation law that took effect on Monday.
