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yay weird emoji! 18 - checked in the emoji conversion tables, apparently it's Softbank only, labeled "START SINGING SYMBOL (indicator for where the 1st vocal part of a song begins)", and converted as [グラフ] for the others. I've never seen it used anywhere. 17 - listed as "Emblem", "Trident emblem" and converted to a crown for Docomo and AU zzz fucked around with this message at 09:04 on Jul 18, 2011 |
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Jul 18, 2011 08:56
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I think 17 is a Japanese golden maple leaf?
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Jul 18, 2011 09:41
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Rekka posted:Oh man, awesome. If this is going to allow me to access all the cool imode coupon sites that didn't release an app I'm going to be so happy. Also McDonalds coupons. Hell yeah. Actually, McDonalds has an app now. BLACK AIDS ORGY posted:Emoji stuff 14 is a kadomatsu. "A kadomatsu (門松?, literally "gate pine") is a traditional Japanese decoration of the New Year placed in pairs in front of homes to welcome ancestral spirits or kami of the harvest." 17 looks like the Paulownia Seal to me. 18 is the ioriten. "The part alternation mark 〽 (庵点 ioriten or 歌記号 utakigō) is used to indicate the beginning of a song, or the beginning of the next player's part. It was most common in Noh chanting books and Renga (linked verse)."
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Jul 18, 2011 15:18
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Ganguro King posted:Actually, McDonalds has an app now. Ah, yes, that does look a lot like that seal. I'm sure it's super useful in text conversations. It would also make sense that it's listed as "emblem" however it also being listed as "trident" doesn't make much sense BLACK AIDS ORGY fucked around with this message at 23:20 on Jul 18, 2011 |
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Jul 18, 2011 23:18
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I'm bringing a Samsung Galaxy S (Captivate) over to Japan with me. I've SIM unlocked it myself so thats not an issue. And I believe it can work in the correct bands to work in Japan. For someone living/working in Japan, I take it Docomo doesn't have an option where you can buy only a SIM card and then add on Data plan + voice, do they? Anyone know if they'd have a fit over me buying their cheapo phones (ones for old people) and drop the cellphone data plan and add the smartphone plan on instead? They'd get a phone sell and I'd get my sim card.
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Jul 19, 2011 06:23
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Kenishi posted:I'm bringing a Samsung Galaxy S (Captivate) over to Japan with me. I've SIM unlocked it myself so thats not an issue. And I believe it can work in the correct bands to work in Japan. You can get a SIM-only contract at Docomo. http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/support/procedure/simcard/other/index.html http://okwave.jp/qa/q5547836.html We have a bunch of these at work that we use in smart phones, biz-houdai all you can use packet plans for about 12-13000 per month I think (don't know for sure since I don't pay for it)
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Jul 19, 2011 07:49
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zzz posted:You can get a SIM-only contract at Docomo. Looks like the Biz-houdai was a limited time thing. Looking at plans, I found this recommended plan for smartphones, http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/charge/packet/pake_hodai_f/index.html . Just to check I understand the wikis right. imode is a completely separate protocol that Docomo made up that's similar in the way that WAP is. Ya? Its like an enclosed net? FOMA on the other hand is straight data in much the same way you'd plug your comp up to the Ethernet in your modem. FOMA would be similar to what I am use to with AT&T and my phone right now. Net, Youtube, radio streaming, blah blah, right? Incidentally I can also tether my laptop up to this kind of connection using rooted droid and use it as a net connection for my PC.
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Jul 19, 2011 11:28
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I'm giving a presentation to incoming JETs next week about phone/internet and while I'll be pimping softbank and the white plan because most of our community uses it, I want to show them all the options. Are prepaid phones viable or not? Through which carrier? I don't know anyone who isn't on a contract, but if there are some people who are certain they'll only be here for a year prepaid might be better than signing up for a 2 year contract.
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Jul 21, 2011 02:42
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Prepaid are a viable option, through both SoftBank and au. Docomo pulled the plug on their prepaid service a few years ago, right around the time the regulations got more strict because people were using them for scams and such. Softbank: http://mb.softbank.jp/en/prepaid_service/ au: http://www.au.kddi.com/english/seihin/prepaid/index.html Would lean towards Softbank, since you can get unlimited email (e.g. doesn't matter what carrier other person is on) for 300yen/month. au only allows cmail (e.g. only to other au phones).
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Jul 21, 2011 02:50
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Thanks very much! Also, do you know if there are any decent 1 year contracts? I haven't dealt with this stuff for a couple years now but back then I couldn't find mention of any.
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Jul 21, 2011 03:23
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I'm not aware of any 1-year contracts either. Keep in mind that SoftBank charges 9500 yen for terminating contracts within the 2-year period, which some people (especially JETs) may not have a problem with. Where you get stung is the "Super Bonus" where you pay for your handset in installments over the 2 year period. So if someone is able to find a used/old phone on the cheap, and doesn't mind swallowing the 9500 yen, they could get a regular contract and just cut it early.
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Jul 21, 2011 05:04
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Thanks again, great info.
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Jul 21, 2011 05:58
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Consider updating the link in the OP from the old megathread to the new megathread.
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Jul 21, 2011 06:20
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zmcnulty posted:I'm not aware of any 1-year contracts either. I'm thinking of going Softbank when I go on JET and this is good to know.
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Jul 21, 2011 06:39
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Carfax Report posted:Consider updating the link in the OP from the old megathread to the new megathread. Done harperdc posted:I'm thinking of going Softbank when I go on JET and this is good to know. For comparison purposes, Docomo is 9975 yen and au is on a sliding scale, as much as 16800 yen if it's within 12 months.
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Jul 21, 2011 07:07
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Urgh I forgot how maddeningly and probably deliberately confusing these price plans could be. Going through the websites now trying to get my head around them all for this presentation. What the hell is the difference between the standard and value plans if you buy an iphone? Is it just that with the value plan they assume you will always hit the unlimited packet cap so you pay the max amount every time, so you get a tiny bit more monthly discount? Also, my two year iphone contract is about up this month so I assume my phone bill will be going way up now that those discounts no longer apply. I just read they automatically start you on another 2 year contract, surely that doesn't mean I can only cancel now or in another 2 years to avoid the cancellation fee does it?
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Jul 21, 2011 07:20
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Lon Lon Rabbit posted:I just read they automatically start you on another 2 year contract, surely that doesn't mean I can only cancel now or in another 2 years to avoid the cancellation fee does it? I'm not really sure about the iPhone stuff since Softbank has a completely different set of plans, but this part is true for even their non-iPhone plans. Consider it like the lease renewal fee on your apartment; just like it can be cheaper to move out than to renew your lease, it can be cheaper to change carriers than to stay on. edit: however, I'm not sure when this was introduced. Looking at my bill now, it says "contract period: 3 years, 3 months" on it. If a 2-year contract were renewed, it would instead say 1 year, 3 months? Not sure if they would grandfather me in or not. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 07:40 on Jul 21, 2011 |
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Jul 21, 2011 07:37
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zmcnulty posted:I'm not really sure about the iPhone stuff since Softbank has a completely different set of plans, but this part is true for even their non-iPhone plans. Consider it like the lease renewal fee on your apartment; just like it can be cheaper to move out than to renew your lease, it can be cheaper to change carriers than to stay on. drat. I might even look into upgrading my 3GS then and seeing if I can't get another discount package, never thought I would upgrade but in this case it might be worth it overall.
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Jul 21, 2011 07:42
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If anyone here uses au (I seem to be in the minority), I have a relatively new iida G11, complete with box/manuals/etc that I'm looking to sell. It's a nice slider phone. PM me if you're interested.
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Jul 21, 2011 07:44
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Lon Lon Rabbit posted:drat. From what some this dude is saying, it's apparently possible to simply change from "Packet Shihoudai for iPhone" to "Packet Shihoudai Flat" and you can rid yourself of the auto-renewal, assuming you signed up as part of the iPhone for everybody campaign and it's during your "free renewal months." Maybe worth asking about at the SoftBank store, if you're not ready to upgrade yet. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 08:08 on Jul 21, 2011 |
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Jul 21, 2011 08:05
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Strutted into Softbank yesterday to get a prepaid for my dad's visit. The website shows 7 different models but the shop I went into had 2. The 821SC in black or white for ￥3000ish, and a waterproof 740SCesque one with more colors for ￥6000ish. At that shop, at least, they don't have prepaids in stock, but they ordered a white cheapie for me and it'll come in 2-3 days later (probably this Saturday). I then get a SIM card for ￥2500ish, and refill credits as I go along. They'll need an ID like a gaijin card or driver's license. If it sits unused for a year, the SIM card gets deactivated and I'll have to go into the shop to get a new one. Thanks for all the advice on prepaid (here and in the JAPAN thread.) I hope my dad doesn't drop it in the toilet!
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Jul 22, 2011 01:22
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You know you're getting old when the Docomo phone that suits your needs most is the らくらくホン７. All I want is a clamshell phone with a decent front-panel display so I can read my emails without having to open the drat thing! (Oh and a key that enters a space glyph when I'm writing in English.) Again I regret getting rid of my fantastic old Toshiba 603T and replacing it with this lovely Aquos phone. Nice as a camera and a TV, poo poo for everything else. edit: Holy gently caress they want 48,174 yen over two years for it? It's a basic loving model dumbphone! How the hell do they justify that! gently caress it, I'm not upgrading.
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Jul 24, 2011 14:35
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Weatherman posted:edit: Holy gently caress they want 48,174 yen over two years for it? It's a basic loving model dumbphone! How the hell do they justify that! gently caress it, I'm not upgrading. Pretty much even the most basic phones are, at a minimum ~4 man for whatever reason. I guess it's because people will usually pay without asking questions. For reference, some of the brand new models at Softbank are more than 10 man. How they justify that, I simply do not understand. Kind of messed up but yeah, even the crappiest of the crap phones here cost more than an iPhone. Weatherman posted:Oh and a key that enters a space glyph when I'm writing in English. Doesn't the zero key do this on most phones? Sheep fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Jul 25, 2011 |
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Jul 24, 2011 23:18
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Weatherman posted:All I want is a clamshell phone with a decent front-panel display so I can read my emails without having to open the drat thing! (Oh and a key that enters a space glyph when I'm writing in English.) That's what I thought I wanted too when I bought the G11. It's a compact slide with basic controls beneath the screen so you can just look at your e-mail without opening it.
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Jul 25, 2011 00:17
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If I need service on my iPhone, do I contact Apple or SoftBank? It's a one-year warranty, right?
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Jul 25, 2011 02:57
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Sheep posted:Doesn't the zero key do this on most phones? Not on my Aquos. In English text mode? 0 inserts a zero.  I have to hit "forward" twice instead. I can do without predictive text input, but that space thing just kills me. vvvvvvvvvvvvv It doesn't  I have to hit 1 seven times or hash five times.
Weatherman fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Jul 25, 2011 |
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Jul 25, 2011 03:43
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Push 0 twice and it'll turn into a space.
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Jul 25, 2011 03:56
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NicelyNice posted:If I need service on my iPhone, do I contact Apple or SoftBank? if it still has Apple Care coverage then yeah, Apple.
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Jul 25, 2011 05:55
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NicelyNice posted:If I need service on my iPhone, do I contact Apple or SoftBank? Softbank will just give you a new one for most problems if you're within the warranty period. I took mine in outside of the warranty period and they offered to sell me a new one at a discount, but then I found somebody to fix it for less. Easy enough to ask, anyway.
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Jul 25, 2011 07:13
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Weatherman posted:Not on my Aquos. In English text mode? 0 inserts a zero. My phone is the same as yours, I can press 0 ten times and I'll just get 0000000000. I just type in Japanese to anyone who speaks any Japanese at all and if I absolutely have to write in English I make drat sure not to forget anything. I find it amusing to think about the fact that the person who designed it completely failed to think about people ever wanting to input a blank space for any reason. And on top of that, it has Korean input, but ONLY for names, and ONLY if you set the phone into 100% Korean language mode first. Have to go into the drat phone settings any time I put a Korean person in my phone book. edit: I still wanna know what #12-13 are from that emoji chart thing. Only ones that nobody mentioned, and the only ones that baffle me every time I see them in my list. Ara fucked around with this message at 09:42 on Jul 25, 2011 |
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Jul 25, 2011 09:38
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Sheep posted:Pretty much even the most basic phones are, at a minimum ~4 man for whatever reason. I guess it's because people will usually pay without asking questions. For reference, some of the brand new models at Softbank are more than 10 man. How they justify that, I simply do not understand. poo poo, knew I should have bought an iPhone 3Gs on Craigslist and unlocked it before I left  So, here's my situation: I kinda want an iPhone 5, but I'm going to have to buy my phone in the next week or so (just got to Japan), so that's out. I don't want to pay full price for an iPhone 4 when it's about to be replaced, and I already have an iPad (plus a 1G touch) anyways, so it's not like I'm hurting for iOS devices. Does Softbank or whoever sell refurb 3Gs's that I could later replace on contract (obviously, paying more) without having to break it/start a new one, or would I have to get a prepaid and wait it out if I wanted to go that route? Failing that (again, not married to the idea of getting an iPhone, just kinda like the idea of keeping it at one mobile platform), what's a phone available in Japan with a great camera? I'm pretty into photography, so that's actually more of a priority to me than just about any other feature. I wouldn't pay much more than a 1man premium over a midrange camera unless it was a huge leap in qualty (I have a pretty awesome little Sony NEX that I carry around in my bag when I have one, but it's not as ubiquitous in my life as a phone), but it's definitely a concern/selling point for me.
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Jul 25, 2011 12:33
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Realistically I would recommend renting/prepaid to hold you over, if the iPhone 5 is what you really want. edit: as I understand, you can also use MNP if you go with prepaid to contract. The fee is like 2100 yen, but your phone number won't change. Your choice. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 12:43 on Jul 25, 2011 |
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Jul 25, 2011 12:37
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I agree with zmcnulty, but will add: You're probably better off just carrying an actual camera around if you want decent pictures. Most cameras integrated into phones are pretty terrible compared to even entry-level point-and-shoot digital cameras, and since the original iPhone came out I haven't seen any Japanese-made phones that can compete in terms of price or functionality. I have, however, seen some phenomenally terrible phones with seemingly-decent built-in cameras(Docomo SH-03A, lookin' at you). Get a phone for communication and connectivity, but get a camera for taking pictures. I like my iPhone and all but for taking pictures it just lacks a bunch of features that generic digital cameras have, although admittedly I haven't tried any of the paid camera applications or anything.
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Jul 25, 2011 14:32
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Any reports on Samsung Galaxy 2?
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Jul 25, 2011 15:54
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People in the Korea thread seem to like it, and it looks like it's getting good reviews.
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Jul 25, 2011 16:23
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zmcnulty posted:Realistically I would recommend renting/prepaid to hold you over, if the iPhone 5 is what you really want. I was thinking the same way about iPhones (I've had a 3GS in the US for almost two years) but in the past few weeks have thought I'll just get a 4 and call it good, but if there's a way to start with a cheaper pre-paid phone and jump to a full contract while keeping your number I'm all ears. What's MNP?
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Jul 25, 2011 16:40
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Original_Z posted:Any reports on Samsung Galaxy 2? detailed Engadget review, and they seem to be very happy with it. "It's the best Android smartphone yet, but more importantly, it might well be the best smartphone, period."
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Jul 25, 2011 16:50
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Ok so if you're on softbank on their ubiquitous White Plan, I know you have free calls 1am to 9pm within the network. How does the messaging work, though? I know you pay 300yen or so a month for the basic messaging fees which they say is 0 yen for SMS but a fee for off network MMS. So does this mean that texting off network is free, but sending pictures etc carries a fee? To get around this, I assume if you have a smartphone and an unlimited data plan you just send the person those pictures through your email app rather than through the SMS function. If someone uses their SOFTBANK email that comes with the phone, instead of for example a gmail account, does this also bypass those fees or does this go through their towers like MMS and incur fees?
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Jul 28, 2011 07:39
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Lon Lon Rabbit posted:Ok so if you're on softbank on their ubiquitous White Plan, I know you have free calls 1am to 9pm within the network. If you have an iPhone and the packet houdai plan MMS is considered data within the plan so you can use both the messaging app or the email app for free. It's pretty good!
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Jul 28, 2011 07:47
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Rekka posted:If you have an iPhone and the packet houdai plan MMS is considered data within the plan so you can use both the messaging app or the email app for free. It's pretty good! Are you sure? A friend said he got charged a tonne when he sent a bunch of photos to someone on docomo via MMS on his iPhone. I hope that's not the case and it's all included with the pake houdai, though, as you say. EDIT: It's pretty terrible that I've been on this plan for 2 years and still don't actually know how it works. Lon Lon Rabbit fucked around with this message at 16:28 on Jul 28, 2011 |
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Jul 28, 2011 16:22
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