Here is a link to some pics of Tiff and Rachel. Enjoy!

http://gallery.me.com/aaronhoffman

はじめまして！Nice to meet you! 
レイチェルです！My name is Rachel!

Rachel was born on June 19th.  She weighed in on 4kgs (roughly 8.9lbs)!! Mom and baby are still in the hospital, resting comfortably.  Compared to the one or two day stays in the US, most Moms stay in the hospital in Japan for about eight to ten days!! Mariko is very happy!

I was skeptical June last year, when my students announced the “rainy season” had arrived and we could expect about 30 straight days of wetness.  30 days later, I was a believer.

The rainy season has returned, right on cue… and following the next 30 days, we can expect some serious humidity.  I’m missing Vegas about now… 100 degree dry heat and a cold beer!

Today, the 3G iPhone was announced at WWDC (Apple Worldwide Developers Conference).  With this announcement, comes word that the iPhone will be making it’s debut in Japan on July 11th with mobile carrier Softbank. Click here for Softbank’s press release.

One of the most surprising announcements is the next gen iPhone’s price drop.  The 8 gig model will sell for $199.  I’m hoping the price will translate accordingly here in Japan.  As of this post, there is no price listed on Apple’s Japanese site, but ¥19900 for an iPhone sounds wonderful!

The most innovative note taking feature of Evernote is it’s ability to “read” text on images and photos.  I’ve taken photos of business cards and receipts, using the iSight camera on my lap top from within the program.  These images are integrated into my Evernote database and can be accessed using the search bar.  The same process applies to things you find on the web.  Just highlight and paste into the program.  Check out this short clip produced by Evernote’s creator, Phil Libin:

Evernote is currently in beta testing… this means it’s not currently open to the public.  However, I have 15 invites!  If you’re interested in trying out Evernote for yourself, email me at aaron@speakingrelatively.com!

These pages can be accessed by clicking on the links on the top of this page.  They may contain posts that are not visible directly on this home page, so visit them often!  And as always, let me know what you think in the comments section.  Enjoy!

• 1seg - Digital television service (which is free)
• 3G (with the talk of 4G arriving by 2010) 
• Multiple debit card-like systems which allows users to make purchases directly with their phones on just about everything.

Current iPhone models don’t have these features and you have to wonder if Apple will be willing to adapt the phone to accommodate fickle Japanese consumers.  You can read more about the obstacles the phone is facing in Japan here and here. Personally, I’m still looking forward to the iPhone arriving in Japan.  With any luck, I’ll get my hands on one by the end of the year.  Now I just need to start saving Yen…