This study investigated the effects of the use of various Internet applications on Internet dependency, psychological health (loneliness, depression, and life satisfaction), and interpersonal relationships (online friends, offline friends, and social supports). A two-wave panel study between 1999 and 2000, targeting 314 students of engineering university (278 men, 36 women), showed that Internet use for all applications increased Internet dependency, In addition, a number of results showed that Internet dependency increased use, indicating that a bidirectional effect existed between Internet use and Internet dependency, and that they intensified each other. In relation to the effects of psychological health and interpersonal relationships, some results showed that Internet use increased the number of online friends, but the impact was limited to other variables for psychological health and interpersonal relationships.

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A comparative study of mobile TV service in two different countries, Indonesia and Japan, was conducted to determine the user important factors to accept the mobile TV service. The influences of consumer normative pressure, price level, perceived usefulness, enjoyment, availability, and quality on using mobile TV services between Indonesian and consumers were examined to explain the differences and similarities in consumer mobile TV service adoption behaviour in this study. Structural equation modelling was employed as the main method of analysis in this study. A multi-group analysis of invariance was performed on the two sample groups. The results show that effect of attitude toward mobile TV and perceived availability was found to be significant difference between Indonesian and Japanese mobile TV consumer.

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In Japan, Internet cafes, which are generally called "net cafes", have been linked to various kinds of social problems since around 2004. The quintessential example is the phrase "net cafe nanmin" (Internet cafe refugees). This phrase was first used by a TV programme at the beginning of 2007 to describe homeless people who have no choice but to live in or frequently stay overnight at net cafes because of their unstable working conditions and low income. Their terrible situation caused a stir in Japan and the phrase became widely known among Japanese people. Surveys on net cafe nanmin have clarified that the crucial problem is their isolation. They have no one to ask for help because of their isolation, so they try to improve their life all alone, although they seem to need help from someone. The purpose of this research paper is to answer the question, "Why are net cafe nanmin isolated?" from the viewpoint of socio-informatics. To accomplish this purpose, this article will discuss related issues through a focus on net cafes which are equipped with private booths. Private booths are significant because we can assume that they would physically and actually prevent customers from communicating with each other. This enables us to approach the answer to the question above from a broader perspective In the following sections, first the author will confirm the facts above more precisely (Section 1) and introduce net cafes and net cafe nanmin (Section 2). Then, some of the problems which derive from private booths will be confirmed and the background to their being introduced to net cafes will be clarified by referring to a book and newspaper articles (Section 3). Next, to understand the specificity of the net cafe in Japan, net cafe use in Japan will be compared with the Internet cafe usage of migrants in Hong Kong and Singapore (Section 4). Finally, the author will answer the original question as the conclusion of this paper (Section 5).

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This study aims to propose and implement a Web-GIS (Geographic Information Systems) based outdoor education program as environmental education for elementary schools which is then evaluated by users. The conclusion of this study can be summarized in the following three points. (1) An eight-step outdoor education program based on Web-GIS was proposed as a "second school" for elementary schools and was then implemented before being evaluated by users (teachers, instructors, students and their parents). (2) The program generally received a good evaluation. However, many students and their parents gave extremely negative evaluations for degree of discovery and degree of interest respectively in the questionnaire conducted after the "second school". Teachers' evaluations showed an intention to continue to operate the program in a positive manner and to pinpoint the issues concerning the use of Web-GIS as teaching materials. (3) Based on the results of evaluation by users, two issues to improve the outdoor education program were determined. One concerns the Web-GIS based outdoor education program and the other is related to the use of Web-GIS.

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With the recent advances made in digital technology and escalating levels of competition in the field of music, there is a growing debate over how recording artists, music production firms, CD stores, rental shops, music distributors and consumers should go about protecting or expanding their rights. This paper provides a discussion of this subject based on the benefits for society as a whole on the premise that music requires an increase in benefits for all of society.

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