TECHNOLOGY Softbank, the carrier that won the coveted right to sell the iPhone in Japan, said Monday it will sell for 23,040 yen — comparable to the marked down U.S. price for the hit gadget. [INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE]

SCIENCE Japanese drug maker Astellas Pharma said on Monday it was seeking approval for an additional application of its key transplant drug in Japan. [REUTERS]

TECHNOLOGY NTT DoCoMo Inc. from today will sell waterproof cellphones that can withstand submersion in water for up to half an hour. [ASAHI]

TECHNOLOGY Why should kids have all the fun? That’s an attitude on display at International Tokyo Toy Show 2008, which kicked off Thursday at Tokyo Big Sight, where people of any age are bound to find something fun to play with. [THE JAPAN TIMES]

SCIENCE Why do millions of people repeatedly fail to stick to their diets despite longing for slim, good-looking bodies? Mostly because they can’t withstand the hunger, according to a 2007 survey of 693 people conducted by Asahi Breweries, who claim to have developed a secret protein powder that could put a halt to diet futility. [THE JAPAN TIMES]

TECHNOLOGY Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said Friday he believes environmentally friendly electric cars will dominate the future as automakers join the fight against global warming. (2) [MAINICHI]

TECHNOLOGY Electronics maker Toshiba cut its annual pretax profit outlook by 29 percent on Wednesday, hit by falls in prices of NAND flash memory chips and the cost of pulling out of next-generation DVDs. [REUTERS]

SCIENCE University of Tokyo researchers said Wednesday they have succeeded in generating kidneys and pancreases in mice that had been reprogrammed to grow without such organs, by injecting embryonic stem cells from healthy mice into fertilized eggs. (1) [THE JAPAN TIMES]

TECHNOLOGY The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour docked at the International Space Station on Wednesday night on a mission to deliver Japanese and other space laboratories. [KYODO]

TECHNOLOGY/SCIENCE Japan is investigating a possible defect in Apple Inc.‘s iPod after one of the popular digital music players reportedly shot out sparks while recharging, a government official said Wednesday. [MAINICHI]

TECHNOLOGY When space shuttle Endeavour launches Tuesday it will carry Japan’s first space lab to the International Space Station, giving the country a prized spot alongside the United States, Russia and Europe. [AFP]

TECHNOLOGY The government and business groups are set to jointly promote the use of 21 revolutionary new technologies, such as an advanced form of solar-power generation and underground storage of carbon dioxide emissions, as part of a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, government sources said Saturday. [YOMIURI]

TECHNOLOGY For those who feel a bit lonely just talking on the phone, Softbank Mobile Corp. is offering a cellphone that turns into a robot buddy ready to chat. (1) [AFP]

TECHNOLOGY Sony Corp. said Tuesday it will jointly produce liquid crystal display panels with Sharp Corp. in a bid to oust Samsung Electronics Co. as the leader in the global LCD TV market. [ASAHI]

SCIENCE People who have limited support in society, such as those without friends or family members who make them feel at ease, have a greater risk of succumbing to a stroke, a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry research team has found. [MAINICHI]

SCIENCE A research team that includes University of Tokyo scientists has succeeded in genetically disarming the deadly Ebola virus for the first time, they said in the Tuesday issue of a U.S. science journal. [THE JAPAN TIMES]

SCIENCE A study tracking children over several years indicates that lack of sleep at a young age can lead to obesity as they get older. [THE JAPAN TIMES]

TECHNOLOGY The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry will begin a joint project with the private sector to develop technology for next-generation ultra high definition video, it was learned Sunday. [YOMIURI]

SCIENCE Images obtained by a JAXA land-observation satellite are of lower quality than expected, meaning the image data cannot be used to create maps, which was the primary purpose of the satellite. [YOMIURI]

TECHNOLOGY No time to bring your suit to a dry cleaner? Just turn on the shower to wash it at home. [MAINICHI]