Capcom has announced that all of the proceeds for sales of Street Fighter IV for the iPhone are being donated to relief efforts in Japan. The money will be used to help the thousands affected by the earthquake and floods get life back to normal.

I mentioned yesterday that my alarm went off an hour early on my iPhone 4. Some people are still having issues with alarms (including me) and the problem appears to be widespread though most people on the latest OS have cited no issues. Apparently tuning on airplane mode for a bit, then turning it off will fix the issue.

The Apple iPhone has captured a whopping 72% of the smartphone market in Japan. The iPhone shipped 1.69 million units in Japan for the year ending in March.

Farmville is one of those games that many people are addicted to. The company behind the game has registered several new websites including FarmVilleiPhone.com leading many to believe the game is headed to the iPhone soon.

Is the ranking reliable? “Yes,” Akky Akimoto of Asiajin from Japan answered. “The shops which give their POS (point of sale) data to BCN include some nationwide chain stores, such like Eiden, K’s Denki, Bic Camera, Best Denki and, you may know this company name, Amazon Japan.” The writer also points out us with the ranking’s Japanese page (update: this is another ranking –the weekly ranking).

Released in July last year, Apple’s iPhone 3G has been sold over a million in Japan since then. The survey was conducted before the launch of the iPhone 3GS by Softbank, the country’s third largest wireless carrier, on June 26.

Akimoto also wrote:

The new iPhone 3GS started to be sold in Japan on June 26th. For your information, interestingly, the iPhone 3GS (32GB) and (16GB) seemed to be ranked at No. 174 and No. 189 on last week’s ranking, even before its release date.

The old version iPhone 3G 16GB is ranked at No. 27 down a bit from No. 23 last week, which is also interesting. Who buys the old one when the new one is coming and your payment will not differ?

[TG Daily via Fortune | image credit]

The Japan’s launch is a week after Apple introduced the new iPhone in the United States and Europe.  It’s reported more than 1 million units have been sold in three days.  Softbank, the country’s third largest wireless carrier, is the country’s sole distributor for iPhone.

The new model also went on sale in the same day in Austria, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands.

[via MacDailyNews]

Thegirlssite reports a photo being sent to them by a friend whilst in Japan of this great cover for an iPhone. Apart from that, there is nothing more to report. The cover itself looks like a sticker, as ZedoMax would agree. If this is the case, as well as the slightly jaded coloring of the A and B keys, I have a feeling some crafty person scanned their Gameboy and printed off a gloss label to the dimensions of their phone and has excellent scissor control.

The Gameboy from Nintendo from way back in the 1980′s was ‘the’ game console of it’s time. Part of me still dislikes my parents for never buying me one. Granted, I did have a lot of fun plying outside. If the cover is a real option to decorate your iPhone, it is one thing I am not really seeing a lot of for iPhones – there is a lot to go inside the iPhone (like apps) although personalizing the device seems far behind in the times.

[via EngadgetMobile]

Although not clear, Softbank may be employing the philosophy that every time the price of the iPhone has dropped, demand has increased. This possibility was noted during last months earning conference call by Apple COO Tim Cook. Sales of the iPhone in Japan have been slower than expected where this plan by Softbank may potentially create the perfect springboard for iPhones into the market. Softbank are starting the “iPhone for everybody Campaign“, with the Mobile Corporation offering price cuts across the board by reducing the maximum monthly data plan rates (from $62 to $45.60) with free texts and voice calls to other Softbank Customers on the 3G Network.

It is interesting that sales have been apathetic with Japanese mobile phone users who have been playing around with advanced devices for years. Compared to data-capable touch-screen phones in the US which are, in the grand scheme of things, a newer idea, iPhones have been selling like hotcakes. The success or failure of the program will be one to watch both from the initial uptake from Japanese Mobile Users as well as long term carrier revenue. If employment of such a campaign can create market turnaround and maintain customer loyalty, I can only hope other carriers jump on the bandwagon of offering free phones under long-term contracts. I’ll be honest – I’ll take a free iPhone. That price is right!

[via CNET]

You can grab the app by the end of this month in Apple’s App Store with 5 USD (450 yen/3.50 Euros).

The Sushi Encyclopedia will provide 82 pictures and descriptions of 82 different kinds of sushi as your culinary refference. Not sure whether it also contains sushi restaurant directories.

The first edition will be in Japanese, but the English version to follow.  Yeah, it’s Sushi time! :-)

[Asiajin via 3Gweek]

Softbank might not be the mobile-carrier leader in Japan, but it has been catching up to the big guns like NTT DoCoMo. An analyst said Softbank would probably gain more lead by selling roughly one million iPhones in the first year.

[via bloomberg]