The way to know Holidays

Quick Calender price: FREE! size: 0.2MB developer: kanotomo iTunes

The legend workaholic Japanese finished.

Though Japanese don't take a 2 weeks vacation or 2 hours siesta, there are many scattered 15 holidays beside summer and new year small vacant. Even as for Japanese can't remember these many holidays (I think this is not my special case...), I have some experience to go office at holiday what I don't know. Dark and blank office make me so sad... Q Calender will help this sad situation. Basically, Quick Calender is cool calender wall paper making app.

Previous version shows only one holidays suits language set on iPhone but current version can show any counties holidays without link to language. It means that now we get the easiest way to show Japanese holiday on iPhone set English or other language with launching Quick Calender.

Quick Calender shows China, Unites Stats, Hong Kong, France, Russia, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany,Canada and Japan. Not only these but also, this app shows calender in independent language style from iPhone set. Supported language are Afrikaans, Amharic, Arabic, Assamase, Azerbaijan, Belorussian, Bulgarian... I've gage up to count. Anyway many.

Quick Calender is not only wall paper maker as developer say in modest way at AppStore. I've surprised that this worth-full multi cultural supported calender is shipped as Free application. Take and try it.

Developer kanotomo released some nice looking small applications. I love his apps. Especially, Cédille -the Font Viewer for iPhone is my favorite app in these days.

The standard way to importing iCal calender data to your iPhone

brandonheato tweets http://is.gd/lGt0 is a better choice i think... show holidays directly in your ical by downloading or subscribing.

Yes, importing iCal data is standard Mac's way to use various calender published on websites. Unfortunately, MobileMe doesn't share online subscribed calender data with iPhone. If you want to use these data, it's necessary to download and import to iCal as solid archive. Following is the way in example to importing "Japanese Holiday Calender" from apple.com.

1. Go to "Apple - Download - Calenders - Japanese Holiday Calender"

2. With Right-Click "Download" NOT single clicking. If you click "Download" button simply, this iCal data will subscribed from apple.com and MobileMe don't send it.

3. Open downloaded file and importing to iCal. MobileMe or wired sync will send downloaded calender to your iPhone.

thanks iphoningjapan to remind me this way.

Winding stroke shows your soul

iShodo price: ¥155($0.99) developer: Ubiquitous Entertainment Inc. size: 1.1MB iTunes

Japanese caligraphy “Sho-do” uses soft brush to write infinite style letters. To learn sho-do may hard from many reason like these straighten sitting “Sei-za”, knowledge of writing order of thousands kan-ji letters, spending many papers, etc... Even if you'll get respect from many Japanese people after getting skills and spirits of Sho-do, the road to sho-do seems like Jedi training.

“iShodo” is the easiest way of enjoying sho-do style drawing.

Japanese beauty wearing kimono invite you to iShodo after launching on splash screen.

To start, tapping "Write Now" buton opens white wrinkled Japanese paper (Wa-Shi) where is your sho-do canvas. Flicking screen with your finger puts ink on paper. Quick stroke will draw narrow and slowly or stop moving your finger put wide lines. This width variation expresses huge kind of expression on small number of letters. Below drawn letter is my name... Not so good.

After several stroke, you'll find ink pale down. This is simulation of real brush. In order to fill ink, tap right side to pan ink tray and water bottle area. Scrubing on ink tray fills ink to brush and tapping watter bottle fills a bit of water for smooth drawing.

In fact, user interface of iShodo is not good. Terrible point is, any clear looking button doesn't appear.

This terrible interface will make user confused at first looking though Japanese people can predict iShodo's layout from real sho-do experience and "Instruction" button is prepared on start up screen. I hope developer fix interfaces.

Though some weekness exist, iShodo simmulates sho-do on iPhone with incredible response. I was surprised at the feeling to draw on iShodo reminds me real sho-do drawing even if paper size is too small and important drawing techniques are not able to use. I enjoy it enough drwawing sho-do on iPhone.

I'm not sure developer will release next version but current iShodo is worth to take a look.