Japanese sumo wrestlers find iPad best for large fingers

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Japan's governing body for sumo wrestling is looking to improve communication among clubs by giving out Apple's iPad.



The Financial Times reported Tuesday that the Japan Sumo Association will distribute iPads to Japan's 51 sumo training "stables." The association hopes that sumo wrestlers, who have generally been slow to adopt modern communications technology, will take to the iPad's intuitive interface and larger touch-screen.



?With faxes you can?t be sure if the message was actually received but with e-mail we can prevent that,? the JSA said. ?Plus, you can carry them around.?



Many stablemasters do not use computers, relying instead on fax or telephone to communicate. Wrestlers themselves often have trouble typing messages on keypads with their larger hands.



?When they try to send e-mail on mobile phones or PCs they often end up pressing two or three keys at once," according to the daily Nikkan Sports.



The association plans to spend about 3 million yen (over $35,000) on the iPads, which will also be given to several top JSA officials.



In May, the iPad's launch in Japan saw a "frenzy" of buyers, some of whom camped out for days to buy the device. At the Apple Store in central Tokyo, about 1200 people lined up for the release. The iPad's success in Japan comes on the heels of the success of the iPod and the iPhone among the Japanese public, a market that's notoriously difficult for overseas technology companies to penetrate.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    grebogrebo Posts: 20member
    That would explain its success in America then, too. Right?
  • Reply 2 of 13
    Wow! This just in: Portlan man prefers iPad to washing his hands after dinner!

    I mean, cmon...how is this news?



    "Japanese sumo wrestlers find iPad best for large fingers"



    'Still cracking me up.
  • Reply 3 of 13
    domdndomdn Posts: 13member
    Do A.I.'s editors really enjoy embarrassing themselves running stories like this?
  • Reply 4 of 13
    You guys need to get over yourselves. If you don't like the postings, don't read them.
  • Reply 5 of 13
    spicedspiced Posts: 98member
    It just shows iPad adoption level and adaptation to all walks of life. Cheers the Sumos!
  • Reply 6 of 13
    drdoppiodrdoppio Posts: 1,132member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Not_Sure View Post


    You guys need to get over yourselves. If you don't like the postings, don't read them.



    Why? Read them and mock them seems more fun to me.
  • Reply 7 of 13
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Not_Sure View Post


    You guys need to get over yourselves. If you don't like the postings, don't read them.



    That's a valid approach - just like turn the TV off if you hate the show!



    That said, while I understand AI's going to focus on Apple specific stories, after all, it's 'Apple Insider'... I get a bit sad when I see space given to a story like this... but yet when Microsoft posted their record breaking last quarter results - big news, given that for the 1st time their revenue had been predicted on AI & other sites to be lower than Apple's .. it didn't even get a story as far as I recall... that's just a bit too one sided a picture - to only choose the news that supports your view of the world.



    Still, the Internet is full of alternative news sites, so I guess you can forgive AI it's bias.. just remember as a reader, that as with all media, keep your mind open...it's just their opinion.. and there may be other equaly valid views.
  • Reply 8 of 13
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Spoow View Post


    Why would you settle for a regular iPad when you can buy a 24K gold iPad for a less expensive price than the one sold in stores? SP00W! is the hottest online auction site, featuring discounted speed bidding on custom and exclusive items in real time. FREE REGISTRATION and 5 FREE BIDS !!! http://www.spoow.com/getfreebids also you can join us on Facebook and gain additional free bids!!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spoow-...5781258?ref=ts



    Don't be gay.
  • Reply 9 of 13
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    The sumo dropping the competition for the iPad and commenting on how easy it is to use, even for their big hands.
  • Reply 10 of 13
    801801 Posts: 271member
    Glad to see AI picking up the slack in this department since the untimely demise of the Weekly World News.

    Thanks AI !
  • Reply 11 of 13
    There's an new commercial in this somewhere?
  • Reply 12 of 13
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    It’s fun having a few weird stories in the mix—and entertainment is surely part of this site’s function.



    People shouldn’t get so upset by someone else’s fun Better to just ignore it than spend emotions and time on it.
  • Reply 13 of 13
    dr millmossdr millmoss Posts: 5,403member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Giarca View Post


    There's an new commercial in this somewhere?



    That's what I was thinking, but I'm not sure a really big guy in a diaper is the image Apple wants for the iPad.
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