TIS&Partners has developed a construction material called CO2 Structure, which hardens quickly and delivers 2.5 times the tensile strength of concrete. "When CO2 is blown into silica, it instantly converts the silica into a material as hard as brick. And a brick can be formed in a little less than a minute. That's what's special about this material. 

When iOS 5 for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad is released later this year, it will include a tie-in to Japan’s earthquake early warning notification system. Earlier versions of iOS don’t include the feature, making iPhone owners in Japan rely on third-party apps for earthquake alerts. Users will be able to choose whether or not they want to enable the feature, according to 9 to 5 Mac, just like other iOS features such as Location Services.

This sound-absorbing blind called Feltone, is available from Tokyo Blinds. Made of felt, it absorbs the sound waves, converting them into thermal energy through repeated reflection. The blinds can reduce an 89dB source by 4dB, resulting in a 60% noise power reduction.

In "Super Mario 3D Land," Nintendo Co. will make its iconic Italian plumber battle turtle-like Koopa Troopas on its 3-D player. The company instead should develop titles for Apple's iPhone, investors say. The rift highlights the dilemma President Satoru Iwata faces as consumers shun Nintendo devices to play games on iPhones, iPads and Facebook Inc.'s website.

Twitter users in Japan have generated some of the biggest traffic spikes in the microblogging service's five-year history. Now a new study may help explain Twitter's growing popularity in Japan - the short, 140-character tweets may have struck a deep cultural chord because of structural similarities to the country's traditional, emotive haiku poetry.