Fukushima is a triumph for nuke power: Build more reactors now!

Quake + tsunami = 1 minor radiation dose so far

Analysis Japan's nuclear powerplants have performed magnificently in the face of a disaster hugely greater than they were designed to withstand, remaining entirely safe throughout and sustaining only minor damage. The unfolding Fukushima story has enormously strengthened the case for advanced nations – including Japan – to build more nuclear powerplants, in the knowledge that no imaginable disaster can result in serious problems.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/14/fukushiima_analysis/

The Latest News From Japan [Disasters]

As Japan struggles to contain partial meltdowns at two nuclear reactors, over 200,000 people have been evacuated from the immediate area. An explosion is feared at another reactor, and both were experiencing some level of core melting. Meanwhile, officials said the death toll in Miyagi prefecture is over 10,000. The prime minister has doubled the number of deployed troops to 100,000. Here's a roundup of the latest news, with updates throughout the day.

• Japanese officials say two nuclear reactors have likely suffered partial meltdowns, and an explosion is feared at another reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which experienced a previous explosion yesterday in another reactor. Last night, seawater was used in a desperate effort to cool reactor No. 1. Today, cooling also failed at reactor No. 3. According to the Times, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said: 'The possibility that hydrogen is building up in the upper parts of the reactor building cannot be denied. There is a possibility of a hydrogen explosion.'


• The AP reports that the police chief of Miyagi prefecture warned that the death toll there would top 10,000.


• Severe power outages are expected throughout the country, as about one third of Japan's electricity is drawn from nuclear power. Gasoline and other types of fuel are also in very short supply.


• The Guardian, reporting from the coastal town of Shintona, recalls a woman's frantic effort to save her elderly parents: 'They were still in the living room when the surge hit. Though she gripped their wrinkled hands, it was too strong. Her elderly mother and father were ripped from her grasp, screaming 'I can't breathe' before they were dragged down.'


• Speaking to reporters today, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said of the disaster, 'This is Japan's most severe crisis since the war ended 65 years ago.' Millions of quake and tsunami survivors are without water, food and basic supplies.


• The Japan Meteorological Agency said today that a 7.0 magnitude quake was likely within the next three days, as increased tectonic activity has been reported.


• The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has horrifying before and after aerial images of the tsunami zone along Japan's north coast. (via Felix Salmon)


• Miraculously, a 60-year-old man was rescued 9 miles off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture this morning. He was found clinging to a piece of his home's roof.


• As of 12:36 ET, the official death toll from the earthquake and tsunami was 1,597, authorities said.


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  [Image via AP]

Earth Defense Force 2 Portable being released as two-pack in Japan

D3 Publisher is including an unusual, but sensible bonus with a limited edition of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable: a second copy of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable. The first print run of the PSP remake will be available as the "Double Enlistment Pack," containing two UMD copies of the game -- in full retail packaging -- bundled together for ¥6,279 ($76), a significant discount over buying two ¥5,040 ($61) copies individually. It'll be out in Japan April 7.

This is a great way to get a co-op game into the hands of a population that already has a bunch of PSPs and a taste for multiplayer on that system, thanks to Monster Hunter

• Via: Siliconera
• Source: Famitsu

Pokemon Black and White reach five million sales in Japan

The two latest additions to the neverending Pokémon franchise managed to move an incredible 2.6 million units during their first two days on Japanese store shelves -- but how have Black and White fared since then? Unsurprisingly, they've done just fine; according to sales statistics from Enterbrain, this week saw the pair's combined sales reach 5,036,724 units.

Pokémon Black and White aren't the first games to reach this impressive mark -- in fact, four other DS games have managed to reach five million sales in the past. However, no other DS title has managed to reach five million quite as quickly as Black and White, which have only been available for 17 weeks. We guess that just goes to prove that, for some people "Gotta Catch 'Em All" isn't just a catchphrase, it's a way of life.
Source: Andriasang

UTV Ignition consolidates in Austin, Reich FPS 'remains' in development

UTV Ignition confirmed today the closure of its East and West Coast US operations, with all future development and publishing to be handled from its UTV True Games studio out of its offices in Austin, Texas.

The company also revealed that its (once considered canceled) sci-fi FPS, Reich, "remains in development" in Austin, where "key personnel along with additional new hires will create a new internal development team." Additionally, UTV's Tokyo-developed title, El Shaddai, will be releas

Rumor: PSP2 unveiling in Tokyo this month at Sony 'business meeting'

MCV reports that "trade sources" have "confirmed" that the so-called PSP2 will be unveiled at a January 27 press event, hosted by Sony in Tokyo. A VG247 source has described the event as a "business overview and strategy meeting," with "very select press" in attendance, and corroborated the supposed PSP2 reveal there. Thus far, Sony has declined to comment on the event.

Supposed images of a "PSP2" prototype (pictured) were leaked in November, followed in December by the detailing of alleged hardware specs. The PSP successor is assumed to be in development alongside the PlayStation Phone, and Sony has already acknowledged the challenge of differentiating two such devices in the consumer market. Coming out and announcing them already would probably be a good start.