Archive for March, 2009

Doggie Door Progress

Last week, I reported a friend had helped rescreen our back porch and install a doggie door.

My friend called me the next day and asked if the dogs were using it.  I said, “Sure!  As long as I hold the flap up and push the dogs through!”
I’m happy to say Tevye (the boy dog) began [...]

Redeeming iPhone App Promo Codes in iTunes

This may seem overtly obvious to 99.9999% of you out there, but a friend of mine who received a promotional code to try out our iPhone / iTouch app asked me how to use the coupon.  I had no idea.
After looking EVERYWHERE on the app page for a coupon code textbox, I went a-googlin’.
“use coupon [...]

Joining Twitter and Being a Twit

Well, after a bit of arm-twisting by Harvey at JapanNewbie.com, I joined Twitter.  I’m not sure how much I will twit, but it could be a fun way to connect with people about theJapanShop.com sales, new items, and about Japanese in general.
If you would like to follow me in my twittings, please find me here: [...]

Japanese Phrases iPhone App

This morning I found a blog review about our iPhone app.  He pitted our free app against a phrase app for $15.  Check it out.
Update on our Ranking:
For a few precious moments, the freebie app was #2 in the Free Education section of iTunes.  For the past two or three weeks it has been [...]

It only Took 1 Year and 363 Days…

There is a joke wives love to tell of their husbands.  They all tell it as if it only applies to their particular husband, but I’m here to tell you it is universal.
Oh, that “weekend” project took him all summer…
Oh, that easy-to-setup patio only took him five years to complete…
So you want to buy this [...]

New $5 Download is (for now) $2.50!

We just released a new $5 download: 101 Common Japanese Idioms
BUT for a limited time it is half off at only $2.50
This download covers extensively 101 of the most useful idioms in Japanese. Each idiom has an example sentence and plenty of explanation of usage and etymology.
Beginners can get a lot out of [...]

Ken Tanaka Teaches Essential Japanese without Speaking

I haven’t watched all of his videos, but what I’ve seen, he has a unique gimmick–his character was raised as a Japanese but with unknown American parents. He is on a quest to find who his real parents are. Hmmm… This video is actually very useful–and quite funny! Thanks Tanaka-san. [...]

Japanese Phrases iPhone App, the Video

We have been getting some great comments from users about our iPhone app (work on the second app has eaten up most of my time–which is my excuse for being silent recently)! Here is a promo video I just finished.

I Found out the iPhone has a Password Lock

When we were in Japan a few months last year, I let Makoto (then two years old) play with my iPhone quite a bit. I had my SIM card out of the phone so short of dropping it in the toilet, I didn’t think he could mess it up too bad. He loved playing [...]