Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. Mad scientists. Beautiful women who specialize in amputations. Supercomputers that threaten to starve an entire hospital full of patients. Tumors that take on human form. Sounds like a freakish B-list horror movie,…

Japan is the epicenter of Zen, a concept with deep religious roots and a mandate for simplicity of appearance and lifestyle. But when it comes to native gadgetry, Zen is only skin-deep. Japanese cell phones are sleek on the outside, but once you open the clamshell, the interface is a complete mess. While American-made…

Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. In Tokyo, teenage girls don't worry about date rape and theft nearly as much as they fret over monsters (and train gropers). I never thought twice about the whereabouts of my wallet as I walked home in the dark after…

Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. The International Space Station is flying straight at me. "This is a glimpse into the future," a voice says from somewhere above my head. "This is what the ISS will look like when it's completed in 2010." The giant…

Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. Earlier this week, I joined a team of experts from Gizmodo Japan on an expedition to the world's most famous geek mecca. For half a century, people trekked to Akihabara to buy electronics parts. But in the last 10-15…

Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. What if zombies took over Tokyo? How would a slow zombie fare in a cage fight against a martial arts expert? Has a zombie ever offered you a blowjob? These questions and more are answered in a funny, slightly X-rated…

Click to viewWelcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. Back in the 1920s and 30s, when Asian immigration to the US and Europe was picking up steam, prominent science fiction writers like Philip Nowlan and H.P. Lovecraft created speculative scenarios starring…

Click to viewWelcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. I'm a total sports nut. Olympic season makes my bones shiver with excitement. But this year, I took my mind off record-breaking swim relays and super-twisty gymnastics routines for a minute to consider…

Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. Mac Funamizu is a tech geek, designer, and futurist who has created quite a lot of buzz among design circles for his innovative gadgets from the future. The 38-year old Tokyo native has always loved Apple, Google, and…

Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. There's a lot of buzz about Japanese contemporary artists these days. Takashi Murakami's super-cute, superflat alien-like characters are on everything from Louis Vuitton bags to the pages of io9. But he isn't the…

Sick of your store-bought, baby powder-scented deodorant? James shows us how to smell better using baking soda and lemon. (Editor: James is my hero.) The combination is a natural deodorant that absorbs moisture and kills odor-causing bacteria. My kung fu teacher swore by this technique, and he was a pretty sweaty…

Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. My childhood hero was a purple-haired robot who spends all her free time poking poop with a stick. Like all good Japanese children, my formative years were influenced by manga robot heroes-two-dimensional, two-legged…

Update: Real Simple (on CNN) reports that pairing energy drinks and alcohol can cause heart palpitations and breathing difficulties. Thanks to all our commenters who pointed out the article.

Whether you've got ink blots on your hands from working too hard or snagging that cutie's number at the concert last night, there's a better way to scrub it off than plain old soap and water. Use a cool teabag instead like my friend James in the video above. For more urawaza, see my previously posted five secret…

Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. While Dr. Wong was putting dental dam in my mouth, I was watching three hot women singing the penis song in a Chinese restaurant downtown. It happened last Thursday, when I discovered a gadget that can warp my brain…

It's summer, and if you're anything like me, you're planning on spending a lot of time outdoors. It's sunny, people are happy, and dogs are romping in the fields. But then there are those dangers and annoyances that we all have to work around. Picnic mats flying in your face and annihilating your sandwich. Mosquitoes…

On Monday, we posted five secret Japanese tricks that make life better, excerpted from my book, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan. The book is a collection of 106 tips and tricks that are part of a cultural phenomenon in Japan of finding organic, quirky alternatives to otherwise ordinary things like…

Click to viewWelcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. I've been thinking about extraterrestrials a lot this week. Do they exist? How will we know? Who will they call if they decide to make contact with us, and through what medium? First off, nobody knows if…

Editor: Meet io9 contributor Lisa Katayama. When she's not blogging about robots and futurism, she's spreading the word about how to GTD in the most unexpected ways. Here's a sampling of a few clever tricks you'll find in her new book, Urawaza.

When it comes to life and getting things done, we like to do things a…

Riding motorcycles is so last century. In the future, according to art student Jake Loniak, people will be wearing motorcycles. This concept vehicle endorsed by Yamaha turns biomechatronics into reality: the vertical ride has 36 pneumatic muscles and two linear actuators. It also has a built-in helmet, a motor in the…