Japan

Ubitus Inc., the worldwide technology leader in cloud gaming solutions, today announced it has empowered Google TV Set-top Boxes (STBs) of LG U+ for use with C-games cloud gaming, adding the latest product lineup to allow LG U+ subscribers to enjoy instant console game on demand in addition to their smartphones, tablets, connected TVs, STBs or PCs anytime, anywhere over the cloud.  Enabled by the new C-games offering, Google STB users with LG U+ tvG IPTV service subscription can start to indulge themselves with instant play of a rich library of game titles right away. Together with its global user base in the U.S., Germany, Japan, Korea, and Greater China, Ubitus continues to lead the market as the largest multi-platform N-screen cloud gaming provider with services running over on xDSL, Fiber, DOCSIS cable, WiFi and LTE networks around the world. "Ubitus commits to work with LG U+, one of our most valued customers, to jointly deliver the most advanced cloud gaming services to consumers on the devices/screens they prefer," said Wesley Kuo, CEO of Ubitus. "Coupled with LG U+'s superior network, Ubitus is also working tirelessly to keep optimizing low-latency cloud gaming mode on the Google TV platform so as to bring an amazing gaming experience on this revolutionary living room entertainment system." Every existing LG U+ tvG IPTV user with Google TV STB will be getting a firmware update for the new C-games offering and the new service will be pre-bundled on all the new Google TV STB offered by the service.

Welcome to Screen Rant’s “Geek Picks,” where we collect the finest movie-related geekery from around the Web. Today you’ll find some interesting candy from Japan; Brad Pitt/World War Z strip trivia; a Fresh Prince parody from the farm; Jimmy Fallon demos the PS4; and Jamie Foxx channings all over your tatum. All that and more on this edition of SR’s Geek Picks! To kick things off, BuzzFeed has 10 Wonderful Archived Artworks From Disney Afternoon. If you have any Geek Picks of your own, please send them to srgeekpicks(at)gmail(dot)com and you may be featured on a future post! - Japanese Toilet Candy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPLl8gHPFAY - Zachary Quinto presents BREAKUP AT A WEDDING – Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmDqfRT58c8 From Zachary Quinto (Star Trek‘s Spock) and the producers of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Margin Call comes the hilarious new comedy from ...Click to continue reading SR Geek Picks: Channing Your Tatum Music Video, ‘Fresh Prince’ Parody & More

Two key matches are on deck today in the FIFA Confederations Cup. Brazil, who defeated Japan 3-0 on Saturday, face Mexico who are still reeling from a 2-1 defeat against Italy in their opening game. In the second match today, Italy plays Japan. It’s an opportunity for the Asian side to show what they’re made of after a disappointing performance against Brazil at the weekend. For viewers in the United States, the Brazil vs Mexico game will be shown live on ESPN (and WatchESPN) at 2:45pm ET. The Italy against Japan game will be shown at 5:45pm ET on the same channel. MORE — 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Preview: Everything You Need To Know. Before, during or after today’s Confederations Cup, join the conversation in the comments section below. Brazil vs Mexico and Italy vs Japan, Confederations Cup: Open Thread is a post from World Soccer Talk.

Street food is connected to place. An al pastor vendor releasing porky perfume on a Mexico City street corner. Salt-crusted sweet potatoes from a cart next to a temple in rural Japan. You ca...

Wednesday's clash between Brazil and Mexico in Group A of the Confederations Cup is a huge match for both sides. For Brazil, it's the opportunity to earn three more points and all but earn a spot in the semifinals. For Mexico, it's a chance to keep their semifinal aspirations viable, as a loss would all but eliminate them from the next round.Obviously, you don't want to miss a minute of this vital match. With the television and streaming information provided below, you won't have to miss a thing. When: Wednesday, June 19 at 3 p.m. ETWhere: Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, BrazilTV: ESPNStreaming: WatchESPN Players to WatchIf you don't know you should be watching Neymar's every move by now, well, you must be a jilted Real Madrid fan.The Brazilian talisman and Barcelona man provided the moment of the Confederations Cup thus far, with his wonder strike on the half volley to give Brazil a 1-0 lead over Japan in the third minute of the tournament's first game. All eyes are on Neymar a year away from the World Cup, as he'll be expected to lead his country to a title on his home soil. He's not alone, of course. Barcelona boasts an excellent back four of Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Dani Alves and Marcelo, even if Alves had a pretty brutal game against Japan.But when you watch Brazil, you watch for the creative and electrifying attackers. Alongside Neymar, Brazil has Fred in the forward role, who has been scoring regularly for his country. Then there is the powerful Hulk, whose powerful shots from distance give keepers nightmares, and Oscar, a tricky and technically sound player who quietly impacts every match in a positive way. Add in central midfielder Paulinho, fast becoming one of Brazil's most reliable players, and you have a very, very dangerous team. But Mexico, despite their recent struggles, should not be underestimated. Javier Hernandez may be stuck behind Robin van Persie on Manchester United's team sheet, but few players score with as much regularity for their country as El Chicharito. He's not alone, of course. Andres Guardado is a dangerous weapon out wide on the wing, while Giovani dos Santos gives Mexico a dangerous, creative edge when he is utilized in the hole atop the midfield behind Hernandez. There is plenty of talent on this team—don't forget about Carlos Salcido, Pablo Barrera and Hector Moreno—but it will be Mexico's desperation to earn a win in this vital match that makes them truly dangerous for Brazil. PredictionMexico just isn't playing great soccer right now, folks. With just one win in six World Cup qualifying games during the Hexagonal round and a 2-1 loss to Italy, it's really hard to see this team knocking off a talented Brazilian squad. Look for the hosts to win this one, 2-1.

Fun while it lasted and over too soon, the Manny Ramirez era in Taiwan reportedly has ended. Brandon DuBreuil, the engine behind the previously indispensable Manny Does Taiwan blog reports that Ramirez has been removed from the roster of the EDA Rhinos, his team in Taiwan, and might be looking for work in Japan. The Chiba Lotte Marines, others report, might be interested. Is there going to be a "Manny Does Japan" blog? One can hope. Ramirez's contract was to end June 30, but Focus Taiwan reports Manny is due to leave the country Friday. Homesickness has been cited vaguely as a reason, but then we have the Japan speculation. That's not Manny's home, of course. He's a good, old-fashioned, red-blooded North American by way of New York, Miami and the Dominican Republic. Playing here, or near here, apparently isn't an option right now. Regardless, the urge to play ball apparently still burns in Ramirez, who at 41 years old batted .352/.422/.555 with eight home runs in 206 plate appearances over 49 games. Focus Taiwan reports: Ramirez, who is being paid around US$25,000 per month to play in Taiwan, would make far more than that in Japan, if in fact he is heading there to play. Aware that Ramirez was signed only to the end of June, the Rhinos did what they could to keep him happy during his time in Taiwan and try to persuade him to stay with the team to the end of this year if not into next year. They gave him a raise in April and arranged for him and his uncle to live in the presidential suite of the hotel owned by the club's parent company, the E-United Group. In its statement, the team thanked Ramirez for his contribution to the team and to Taiwan's baseball environment during the three months he played here. And what a time it was, from the barely comprehensible if also energetic bilingual home run calls, to Manny being Manny on the bases, to a fan's photographic tribute to Manny using the image of Johnny Cueto of the Reds. His experience in Taiwan was as enjoyable to watch as anything in the major leagues so far — and that's not a slam at MLB. It's just that Manny being Manny, from a distance, can still be fun. Looking for more baseball chatter? Follow @bigleaguestew, @Townie813, @AnswerDave and @MikeOz on Twitter Also, check out the BLS Facebook Page

When I visit other countries, I’m always fascinated by some of the simplest differences in even the most mundane things. A perfect example: rain chains. My husband and I visited Japan last Fall, and I noticed these beautiful copper chains — often with a series of cups — hanging from the gutters of homes and even temples. I assumed they were purely decorative, but in fact, they replace downspouts and harness the flow of rain water in such a simple, calming way. What a beautiful concept, no? What’s even better is that a simple rain chain is a super easy DIY, and adding a little custom color is only marginally more work — and well worth it. –Mandy Pellegrin (more…)

The coffee chain's newly opened store represents the spirit of hospitality unique to Japan.

June is Black Music Month, and for good reason. This is the month that Summer begins and labels rush out to have the album that defines the hottest months of the year on stores shelves once school lets out. This year, it seemed like the entire Rap music industry decided to turn June 18th into the day they felt brave enough to release some records. The indie Hip-Hop community doesn't need to pick a particular day to release quality music other than a Tuesday (although let the record show that Statik Selektah announced his album Extended Play was dropping on June 18th first). In Yeezus' name. AMEN. "While You Were Sleeping" comes in handy as we inform you of all the quality indie and underground Rap projects that tend to go unheralded and under promoted without a huge marketing and promotions budget at their disposals. The first three Tuesdays of June featured 10 quality projects; among them are new releases from the likes of producers Madlib (as Quasimoto) House Shoes, Alchemist (with Prodigy of Mobb Deep), Statik Selektah, Harry Fraud (with Action Bronson), Knxwledge, Lord Finesse, K-Def (with DaCapo as The Article), Ka$h (of The Soul Council and JAMLA Records) and The White Mandingos (Daryl Jennifer of Bad Brains, Sacha Jenkins SHR & MURS). Feel free to go back and review my previous picks for the first five months of Hip-Hop releases in 2013. We are now halfway through 2013. Time sure flies, doesn't it?  It never stands still. There's no Superman to make time go into reverse, either. Which reminds, me. I STILL haven't seen Man Of Steel yet. Here's what you all may have missed, while you were sleeping... House Shoes - Let It Go (The Beat Tape Version) (Insect Records) 6.4.2013 House Shoes dropped his debut album Let It Go on Tres Records in 2012 along with the instrumentals. Now he's back with extra instrumentals all mixed into a continuous beat tape. You can find Let It Go (The Beat Tape Version) on Fat Beats where it sold out in under 3 days or you can hit up both Insect Records and Fat Beats and request it until they print more and release it digitally both on Bandcamp and iTunes. If the people request it, it will be made available. Just look at what happened with Apollo Brown x Ghostface Killah's cassette only remix project The Brown Tape. Demand it and they will supply... Lord Finesse - Funky Man: The Prequel (Slice-Of-Spice/Underboss) 6.4.2013 This project was released last year as a limited edition Japan only double LP limited to 1000 copies. Very few of them were made available for purchase due to pre-orders and overwhelming demand meaning we never even smelled it stateside. Slice-Of-Spice in association with Lord Finesse's Underboss Entertainment teamed together to release Funky Man: The Prequel in North America. It contains rare demos and unreleased versions of tracks that would later comprise the classic Return Of The Funky Man LP. Cop it from Fat Beats, UGHH or HHV.de. This particular release is limited to only 600 copies so don't sleep... Knxwledge- Anthology (Leaving Records/Stones Throw) 6.11.2013 Unless you haven't been paying ANY attention to the burgeoning beat culture over the past 5 or so years then you'd be familiar with Philadelphia's Knxwledge. He's released several projects in the past (Klouds, Skrawberries & Buttrskotch) and provided production for MCs such as Shawn Jackson, Co$$ & Blu . He's also released a ton of projects on Bandcamp leading to this compilation loaded with 53 of his best slaps called Anthology. You can cop it either on double cassette or digitally directly from Stones Throw. Knxwledge reigns supreme over nearly everyone. -- Photo: Terry Richardson CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

BRCA gene Co-authored by Adriana Benedict and Tiffany Jang The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and European Patent Office (EPO) have been granting patents on isolated human DNA since the early 1980s.  Many countries have followed their lead. More than three decades later, the U.S. has become the first country to reject the patent eligibility of isolated DNA following last week’s Supreme Court ruling in Ass’n of Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics.  Will its opinion have any global ripple effects? The USPTO has promoted harmonization with its standards of patentability through training and technical assistance programs since 1985.  USPTO patent standards have spread in part due to a partnership established between the USPTO, EPO and Japanese Patent Office (JPO) in 1983.  As noted by the Australian Law Reform Commission, in 1988, these Trilateral Offices issued a joint statement explaining that Purified natural products are not regarded as products of nature or discoveries because they do not in fact exist in nature in an isolated form. Rather, they are regarded for patent purposes as biologically active substances or chemical compounds and eligible for patenting on the same basis as other chemical compounds. In response to some uncertainty regarding claim drafting for isolated DNA sequences, the USPTO Manual of Patent Examination and Procedures was updated in 1990 to provide clear guidelines to this effect. Similarly, the JPO’s Implementation Guidelines for Inventions in Specific Fields explicitly provides that isolated genes are patentable; and in the E.U., isolated DNA is patentable under Biotechnology Directive 98/44/EC (although patents on isolated DNA may only be issued in the E.U. if the inventor can show that the genetic sequence exhibits surprising or unexpected properties).  Importantly, the European Commission was influenced by the U.S.’s acceptance of gene patents in its deliberations leading up to the directive.  When it proposed the Biotechnology Directive in 1988, it noted: [W]hereas the two leading nations in biotechnology, the United States of America and Japan, have been able continuously to adapt their patent protection according to the latest needs of industry, science and consumers, the Member States, representing comparable potential of intellectual manpower and capital, are immobilized by a not yet completed and . . . outdated legal framework. Other countries have followed suit.  Isolated DNA sequences are patent eligible in Canada as biomolecules, and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore recognizes patents on genes, in accordance with Howard Florey Institute [Relaxin].  In February of this year, the Federal Court of Australia held that isolated DNA is patentable under the Statute of Monopolies because it embodies a chemical compound, and thus is a “manner of manufacture,” rather than genetic information. But the Supreme Court is forcing the USPTO to reverse course. In the long-awaited Myriad opinion, the U.S Supreme Court ruled late last week that isolated human DNA is not patentable subject matter because it is naturally ocurring, while complementary DNA (cDNA) is patentable subject matter because it is not naturally occurring. cDNA is a synthetic form of DNA that does not contain introns (nucleotide sequences that don’t encode for proteins), while isolated DNA is composed of exons (protein-coding nucleotide sequences) interspersed with introns.  Because both isolated DNA and cDNA have important research applications, the Supreme Court’s decision in Myriad will have an enormous impact on the future of biotechnology, biomedical research, and diagnostic and therapeutic efforts. Prior to Myriad, the recognition of human genes as patentable subject matter meant that the owners of patents on isolated DNA could hold monopolies on the genetic information embodied in DNA sequences, raising the cost of access to this information for both patients and scientific researchers. This led to a conc