Digital Digest February 2005

/:/:/:/:/ THE DIGITAL DIGEST /:/:/:/:/:/ The Monthly Newsletter of DigitalEVE Japan. Promoting women's digital lifestyles by offering a supportive community and programs tuned to women using IT in their workplace and in their everyday lives. http://www.digitalevejapan.org

FROM THE EDITOR

Ailsa Wylie, English Newsletter Editor.

After an extra-long autumn, winter arrived suddenly over the holidays. I trust that everyone is keeping warm and healthy anyway.

Before I went to Canada for the holidays, I upgraded to a 3G mobile phone with overseas capability, a Vodafone 801SH. It was easy to switch to local settings. I felt less disconnected from my life in Tokyo as I could still send short messages to my friends. I even got a call from a friend in Nagoya who didn't realize I wasn't in Japan, which was perhaps the coolest moment. Now if I could just figure out how to load music into my phone...

New gadgets are both fun and frustrating. Remember the Tuka TV commercial just before Christmas, featuring a grandfather complaining that he wants a simple mobile phone that is ONLY for phone calls? He reminded me of my father. This month, Sugiko Obata tells us about her experience of figuring out how to use her new PDA to make free internet phone calls. We also have an interview with author Janice Young, who has recently published a novel based on her experiences while settling into life in Tokyo. Figuring out new toys and reading books sounds like a good way to pass the time while keeping warm in your kotatsu!

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NOTES FROM THE STEERING COMMITTEE

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ROTA LEADER

Leader Report Chiharu Kawai Interim leader for February

The new year started just a while ago, and already February is here...Those who are allergic to cedar pollen, are you prepared? It is said that this year the amount of pollen to be discharged will be 30 to 60 times more than that of a usual year. Please take precautions.

In the meantime, Japan's Personal Data Protection Law will be fully enforced in April this year, and organizations like DEJ have to be ready with proper measures. Specifically, according to the government's definition of "personal data," if the email address can identify a specific person associated with the email address, it is regarded as personal data. The new law's penal provisions are applicable only to enterprises and organizations possessing the personal data of more than 5,000 individuals; therefore DEJ is not classified in that category. However, we have to protect our members' personal data and our important mailing list (our asset!) from leaking to any outside party. Also, it is yet to be discussed if we need to post our Privacy Policy on our website. It is about time for us to hold the annual meeting. We can talk about these issues there. We need support from as many of you as possible. If you can help us with media contacts, events, workshops, and others, please contact us now!

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MEMBERSHIP TEAM NEWS

Misao Kajiro, Membership Coordinator

Total membership is 535 as of the 27th of January, 2005.

As you read the announcement, our new mailing list started last month. We hope that this change will improve your experience with DigitalEve Japan. We have discontinued our other list, "de-japan-discuss".

To post a message, send an email to de-japan@yahoogroups.com or use the Yahoo Groups web interface at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/de-japan/

For those members who have not participated before, we hope that you will take a look at the mailing list guidelines at http://www.digitalevejapan.org/join_us/mailing_list_guidelines? set_language=en&cl=en

Thanks for your support and we hope that you will enjoy the discussion on the DEJ mailing list.

Once you have joined DigitalEve Japan you'll receive the DigitalEve Japan Newsletter, announcements from the Steering Committee, Q&A by members, and other topics related to this list. DigitalEve Japan does not sell or rent its members' lists to third parties. However, please keep in mind that sometimes people join lists such as DigitalEve Japan through Yahoo!Groups or other public online forums to collect email addresses for their business. We cannot completely protect our mailing list against such abuse. If we find an address which is sending inappropriate messages we will immediately revoke their posting privileges. The list guidelines are intended to keep our mailing list on-topic, friendly, and useful. Please check for more details at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/de-japan/files/

By using a password when subscribing, you are securing your status. If you do not secure your account, others who know your e-mail address can view and modify your subscription choices.

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WEB CONTENT TEAM NEWS

Debra B. Foster, Web Content Coordinator.

Nothing to report.

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TECH TEAM NEWS

Nothing to report.

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MEDIA TEAM NEWS

Chiharu Kawai, Media Coordinator

Nothing to report.

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DETAILS OF UPCOMING EVENTS

It is time for another Meet the DEvas event, and we hope we can celebrate (this month is the anniversary of DEJ) at the first meeting in 2005.

The meeting will be held on Saturday, February 19 at Cozmos Cafe. Please join us for an afternoon of fine food, drinks, and great company. Everybody is very welcome. If you want to become a DEJ volunteer please come and ask us about the roles that are available.

Date: 19th February (Saturday ) Time: 3pm - 4:30pm Fee: the cost of drinks (and light food) that you may order.

For more information and a map to the venue: http://www.cozmoscafe.com/ http://www.gmap.jp/shop-922.html

For those who are able to attend, please send a mail to membership@digitalevejapan.org.

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A Writer's Retreat

April 15-17, 2005 at Kobushi ga Oka Onsen in Minami-Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture

Presented by Tokyo/Kanto Region of SCBWI, featuring Jen McVeity's Book Boot VCamp - the fast-track guide to writing and publication from one of Australia's top professionals.

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators was formed in 1971 and is the only international organization for those who write, illustrate, or share a vital interest in children's literature.

http://www.scbwi.org/

Jen McVeity is the author of over 20 books, including the award-winning Dreamcatcher and Shadow Seeker. She will lead workshops in creativity, writing techniques, editing, and industry secrets to help take your writing project from inspiration to submission and publication.

http://www.jenmcveity.com/

Space for this retreat is limited to 30 persons. Registration deadline in February 28, 2005. For more information please contact Linda Gerber or John Shelley . Please do not contact DEJ about this event.

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RECENT EVENTS

The DigitalEve Christmas Party was held jointly with ICA - the International Computing Association - at the Hobgoblin pub in Roppongi on Friday evening, December 3rd. (ICA is also a non-profit international organization whose members are mostly IT professionals of multi-national businesses in Tokyo. For more information, please check their website at http://www.icajapan.jp/.) About 70 people attended and enjoyed the delicious buffet provided by the Hobgoblin while catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Afterwards many people moved on to other local nightspots, or perhaps stayed at the Hobgoblin to enjoy the relaxed English-pub atmosphere. Thanks to Event Coordinator Kana Makino for planning this event from California, and then arriving in time to attend showing no signs of jetlag!

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Q&A with a DEva

Interview by Ko Iwata

Those of you who are on our mailing list will probably recognize the name of Janice Young. She just published a book, "Sweet Daruma", and held a book launch party at Fujimamas. Although Janice is not a DEJ member, we interviewed her nevertheless, to share her experiences in writing and publishing in Japan.

1) If you are not from Tokyo, where are you from originally and when and why did you relocate to Tokyo?

I am from Toronto and relocated to Tokyo because my husband is Japanese.

2) How did you find out about DigitalEve Japan?

I think I heard about it from email lists of other local groups, ie IWIC.

3) What are your interests in digital technology?

I'm interested in websites and all the magic they can do! And Blogs--I've just started to learn about them.

4) What kind of computer do you use?

This is embarrassing--it's a Hitachi laptop from 1992--but it is a workhorse and has never broken down! And plus, it has a great liquid crystal screen.

5) Are you a member of any technology-related groups and if so, which ones?

No.

6) Please tell me a little bit about your work.

"Sweet Daruma, a Japan satire" is an entertaining novel about life in modern Japan, where Western logic is not only unnecessary...it's absolutely useless. There are many characters, both Japanese and non-Japanese, who are all trying to survive in Tokyo.

7)When did you start writing?

I was in grade 5, 10 years old. My teacher, Mr Howie Rosen taught us the excitement of writing. That's why I thank him in the "acknowledgements" section in the book.

8) What made you write Sweet Daruma?

I was struggling with Tokyo

it was a love-hate relationship, and I decided that the crazy things I love/hate about the city (and, by extension, Japan) and all the daily adventures available here really needed to be shared with the world. I think most non-Japanese have no idea what goes on over here!

9) Was it difficult to find a publisher?

I just went to the bookstore and looked through a lot of books about Japan, so it wasn't that difficult--anyone who wants to publish should certainly check out www.iuniverse.com.

10) Do you have any plans to publish another book?

Yes, I already have many short stories I would like to compile, plus a novella. I am still considering what I'd like my next new project to be.

11) Do you have any favorite software programs? If so, why?

Word, for obvious reasons, but for a long time I have been meaning to order "creative writing" software, because it looks like it could be useful and fun.

12) What is your favorite computer-related activity? (for example, games, email, surfing the net, etc.) Do you have any other hobbies?

I am always using email, looking for interesting sites, and learning how to manage my website, www.sweetdaruma.com, which should be up and running by end of Janauary.

13) What is your favorite website and why?

I like www.placesforwriters.com because it is always updated and so informative.

14) Name three things you will always find near your computer.

Calculator, post-it notes, pens.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Small Is Beautiful! by Sugiko Obata

The last time I wrote, I told you about Skype. Now I want to tell you about my experience using Skype with my Pocket PC.

At the end of last year, I bought a pocket-sized PDA, the hx4700. Because the present PDAs have the power of an ordinary PC of several years ago, and I wanted to try using the "Pocket PC" version of Skype. The selection of suitable PDAs is limited, so before making my purchase I talked with some PDA users via Skype. I learned that PDAs have excellent sound quality, and they compare very well with PCs. In the end I managed to choose between the different models and spent all my savings on this major purchase. Since PDAs are moving into the territory of both mobile phones and mobile PCs, it may seem silly that I’m mainly excited about using it to spend hours making overseas phone calls. It’s rumoured that, before too long, the addition of new functions will give Palm and Zaurus Skype-capability, too.

When I went back to my hometown I wandered around looking for WiFi spots. I wanted to check the internet connections, to see how Skype would work and to make a few “test” phone calls. First, I went to a fast-food restaurant in Osaka. I had gotten the SSID, a security code, etc beforehand, but it took some time to make the first connection. After trial & error I was very happy when I managed to do it. But the restaurant was crowded with New Year shoppers and their "lucky bags", so it was hard to have a conversation. Then on my way home I tried the WiFi area at Kansai Airport. The system didn't have a WEP key so it was easy to get connected. By chance Noriko was online at MSN and we chatted for a short time. Once the connection information has been set up, it is saved in your computer’s memory, so it will be automatically detected and you can use it again by simply choosing it from available options.

My new PDA has a touch-screen keyboard with a stylus, so touch-typing is a bit hard to get used to. I mainly bought it to use with Skype, but it seems that an easy-to-use keyboard is also available. You can save Mp3 files ont your SD card and use it as an Mp3 player. If you convert DVD formats into proper formats and save them onto a memory card, it becomes a DVD player too. I’m not into movies, so I’ll pass on that, but I have to say that the picture quality is great. It can include foreign-language dictionaries and encyclopedias, so I made my own customized electronic dictionary. It fits easily into my pocket, so I can take it with me when I go for a walk in the park and comfortably call my friends to chat.

If more public WiFi spots were available, then we could make both domestic and international phone calls from anywhere using a PDA, the Pocket PC version of Skype, and WiFi, plus SkypeOut. There is no SkypeIn yet, so we can’t receive calls from land lines or mobile phones, but we can schedule a Skype call by email. At the moment, various companies in Japan are offering commercial WiFi spots in stations and other public areas. So even if you subscribe to one service, it can't cover wide areas. This lack of wide coverage is inconvenient. Overseas, wireless communication seems like less of a distant dream. Of course, there are good and bad sides to everything, but to sum up my overall impression, “small is beautiful”.

From desktop PC to laptop, to mobile PC, to PDA… gradually computers are getting smaller. This year I wish I could escape overseas with this little Pocket PC in my hands, to see for myself the wireless conditions in different places and to describe my dreams for you.

Reference: Detailed review found on the internet http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/hp-ipaq-hx4700-review.html

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SUBMISSIONS TO THE NEWSLETTER

Have an announcement to make? An article to submit for consideration? (We can't pay you, but we'll give you a byline.) Please send your submissions in plain text format to newsletter@digitalevejapan.org

The Digital Digest is brought to you by the Newsletter Team: Debra B. Foster, Noriko Hasegawa, Koko Iwata, Misao Kajiro, Louise Mackay, Sugiko Obata and Ailsa Wylie.