History of ZeptoTools/UEI; Chapter 3 Death Valley & Studies

 What kind of app is good for AppStore.
 We considered a long time.
 iPong was loved by many people. So, it is good one. But it is looking too chap.

 

 When I got ultimatte mobile device, I want to make a great tool work with it.
 So we tought a plan to make a notepad for iPhone. Because, we really want it.
 In our first study product, it looks real datebook. We called it “iPod dual”.

 It made from two iPod touch cases and bran new synchronize program.
 User can manipulate this like a real datebook.
 Write a memo by finger to each pages. And flick right or left,pages scroll  together.
 And other prototype called “Dynabooo nano” is looks like netbook.

 These study demos are look stupid. But we were in very serious.

 When we decided to join in AppStore,we thought that our first productivity software should be notetaking application.
 I consider about thinking process of mine.
 When I thought ,I repeat two style of thinking. One is overview, other is think about detail.
 

 First, I diddle something in overview. Like this.
 Second,I look at a part of overview, and draw the detail.
 Third, I go back to overview. And feel the balance of it.
 Forth, repeat that.
 So, I repeat two styles when I thinking.
 How do this style in iPhone?
 iPhone has very nice feature, multi touch function.
 When I  thought that, I named it “ZeptoPad”.
 Zepto is one of the Standard International Unit system, like Kilo,  Mega, and nano. So it means extrasmall notepad.
 And ZeptoPad not only for diddling, but also support text typing from virtual keypad.
 It was good product. But we had mistake in  first promotion.

 When AppStore opening, the products order by alphabetically. And some products has a space or zero in head of name.

 We followed that, but this is big mistake.
 AppStore comments against to us. We lost a creditovity in first time.

 Ryo wrote an  approgy message in iTunes immidiately.
 ZeptoPad got big success in Japanese AppStore but not good at other countries.

 

Tetsuya Mizuguchi

 

 
 I told with Tetsuya Mizuguchi because he is a world’s famous digital producer.
 Past days, Ryo works with him,and had some trip together.
 Tetsuya said to us.

 “You need more experience of the world. When I create a SEGA Rally championship, 
I was staying in Barcerona. And I tought that Europian people likes rally games, 
And also  Japanese people likes car racing game. It has deep relationship my trip.
 I feel anything in anywhere to make a universal contents. You should be  looking around the world!”

 And he said after that.

 “Ryo, Let’s visit to DeathValley next week, to you get a hint!”

I thought some seconds, and answer “Yes!”.

1 week later, we’ve been in Death Valley,NV.

And our journy, started

History of ZeptoTools/UEI; Chapter 1 before iPhone

Today, talking about our history.

Because, Zeptotools is not famous team. and may be anybody don’t know about us.

So, this is self introducing entry.

We live in Tokyo Japan, our headoffice nearby Akihabara. Yes, the most famous OTAKU city Akihabara.

You know, we aren’t fluent in English. But We want to make you know about us.

If you have a time, please teach us about mistake or strange expression of this blog.

 

 

Anyway, this is our adventure story.

This story is beginning from a small demo code.

We are part of small company UEI. UEI originates in Ubiquitous Entertainment Incorporlated. But this is too longer name of company. So we called UEI.

As you know, Japan is the most successful mobile content country in the world.

Ryo Shimizu, the founder of UEI, he made a first successful original game content for mobile in Japan.

Naturally, UEI became mobile content developer in Japan.

And our lab is part of research section of UEI.

One day. Makoto Kondo,the researcher of UEI was researching about jail broken iPhone.

In past, he made some demos of multi touch screen.

This is inspired by Jeff Han’s demo. 

This made from 1 video camera with IR filter and 1 projector.

All program code are written by ActionScript3.0.

And the other hand. Ryo Shimizu was researching about new generation web browser.

Why he made such a demo?

He thought that web experience should be more explorable.

So he called this demo  “True Internet Explorer”.

And also he tried to work with Wii remote.

Mainly interest of us is a more exciting experience by computers.

And then, we provided first public demo “SiteSneaker2007”. That programmed by Makoto Kondo.