All About: Benjamin Bear

Birthday: December 23Year Created: 1993

Benjamin Bear loves to travel, owing to his curious nature. Born in Charlotte Forest, he is great with his hands, being an expert in cooking and sewing. Though he is independent and is perfectly content being relatively alone, he is rarely seen without his teddy bear, and loves to come to the aid of his friends when they're in need.

Dreamstudio Tutorial: Advanced

Photo Effects

Hi everyone! For the next few tutorials, I'll be showing you some screenshots of what the effects look like to make you see yourself what these look like when applied. Please note that these shots were made while these were playing, so, if applied, these don't really freeze in that single position.

Since I can't post all the pictures of all the effects (otherwise, this entry would be reeeaaallly looong), I'll be posting one shot from each category, unless under special circumstances.

Right now, I'll be posting the effects of Photos. After you upload the image, the options for the effects will automatically appear on the right side of the Editor. If not, you can click on the image and the bar will appear.

Are you ready? Here we go!

Color: The following are the options: Sepia, Red, Green, Blue, Light Blue, Yellow, and Purple. A colored film will display over your image. For those who don't know what Sepia is, this is an effect that makes the picture appear as if it was taken a long time ago, yellowed with age. This can be seen below, along with the Red Color effect.





Noise: Remember how non-plasma TVs are when they're in a funk, with the static and everything? We made these less annoying and changed these into an effect instead! Available options are Light, Medium, and Strong. Below is an example of the Medium Noise effect.



Flash: Lights will appear consecutively on your image. Options are Fast, Strong, and Blue. Below is a sample of the Blue Flash Effect.



Other Effects

Overexposure: Makes the picture appear overexposed to light.



Roundedge: Creates a moving frame around the image.



Reveal: Image will slide from any of the four directions: Top, Bottom, Left, or Right. The sample below is a screenshot of Reveal from Top.



Zoom: Image can zoom in or out of the template fast. The following are the options: In Slightly, Out Slightly, In Turning Left, Out Turning Left, In Turning Right, and Out Turning Right. The sample provided is Zoom in Slightly.



Distort: Image waves like a flag.

All About: Badtz Maru

Name: Badtz Maru

Birthday: April 1 (How appropriate)

Year Created: 1993

Badtz-Maru is a very mischievous penguin hailing from Gorgeoustown, where he lives with his mother and pinball-playing father. He was born in Oahu, Hawaii. A bit vain, he spends a lot of time styling his hair. He loves traveling. He's also a bit selfish. He loves making fun of things he finds silly. His hobby is collectingposters of bad guys in movies. He is a first grader in Gorgeous Academy.

His biggest dream is to be the boss of everything.

Trivia About Badtz: Ever wondered why he's often called XO? In Japanese,"badtz" (batsu) is term for X or wrong answer. "Maru," on the other hand, means O or right answer. Badtz Maru, then, not only means "Bad Penguin," but also "Wrong-Correct," and is usually shortened to XO.

Friends of Badtz

Pandaba

Pandaba's birthday is on August 8. One of Badtz Maru's closest friends, this girl panda is originally from China. Now, she lives with her family above their restaurant in Gorgeoustown. She is a big fan of rap music, and is often being said to move to the beat of a different drummer.

Hana-maru
This little seal pup's birthday is on August 7. He's the complete opposite of Badtz, but understands him more than anyone. He can make friends with anyone, anywhere.His favorite food is fish, and his hobbies are playing soccer and gardening.

Pochi
Whenever Badtz Maru walks Pochi, they attract a lot of attention in Gorgeoustown.

Born on August 2, Pochi is Badtz Maru's watchgator. He was born in the swamps of Gorgeous Mountain. His strong teeth can chew just about anything and everything, although he would always choose to sink his teeth into broiled fish. Don't be deceived: his fearsome canines belie his nice attitude.

Dreamstudio Tutorial: Advanced

Now we're ready to apply some effects. We will be doing that via the tabs found on the Workspace Area (see Blog Tutorial, 07 December 2006 entry).

Photo
As I've mentioned earlier, the Slide Control Box will be needed tp upload photos or videos. So what is this for? Simply put, this is where you will be able to manipulate the photo that you've uploaded. Here, you can resize, rotate, and flip the picture that you make. Example: you can make a mirror image of the image you're using by flipping it either horizontally or vertically.

Alternatively, you can manually resize or rotate a picture on the Workspace area itself. Click on the image. Do you see the little white squares on the edges? By moving your mouse here and then dragging it, you can resize the image. You can also rotate it by clicking and dragging the little R button appearing at the top right image when you click on it.


Movie
It works essentially the same way as Photo, except with this, you can control the start and end time of it.


Text
Here, you can add and edit the text written on your image. By clicking Create, a new text box will appear on your slide. You can then input whatever text you want the slide to contain. You can choose any of the following fonts: Arial, Arial Black, MS Gothic, MS Mincho, or Verdana. You can also set this in Bold or Italics, and also define which alignment you want to use.

The Link button can be used to link two slides together, or link that slide to a URL.


Effect
The Special Effects are divided into two categories:

Special: Confetti, Moving Slides, Film, Color Blaster, Ripple, Color Variation, Fog
Other: Roaming Transparent..., Raining, Waterdrop, Twinkle, Snow, Money

Slide Transition: Cover, Reveal, Press, Zoom, Fade through, Special, Others (with derivations)


Slide
Screen Size: Adjusts the height and width of each slide
Duration: Here, you can manipulate how long each slide will appear (in seconds). Alternatively, you can do this in the Slide Control Box, below the mini-versions of your slides
Background Color: If you don't want the background of the slides to be in plain white, you can change the color here. Just click on the color you want, then apply, and the new color's there. You can even format it to be the same background color for all your slides by clicking “Apply to All.”
Background Image: You can upload an picture here and let it serve as the background, similar to background color. Again, you can also make this as the same background for all slides by clicking “Apply to All.”
Link: Works the same way as the Link function under Text.


Extra
Special Effect: Special Sanrio-specific effects, like Hello Kitty dancing the hula, My Melody on a swing, etc. There are also non-Sanrio options, such as the lightning and TV screen effects.
Background Music: You can either use the ones pre-loaded or upload your own MP3 file to use as the background music for your entire slide show. Uptown, Sunset Lullaby, and Let's Shop are the ones in the default playlist.


Play Option
You can choose to make your video play only once or in a loop, that is, continuously playing.

Video and Blog of the Week!

Hi everyone! Welcome to another Video and Blog of the Week! What we'll be featuring now are a couple of Hello Kitty fanatics, if we judge them by their works.:p

First, we have fajafaja, who created this week's Dreamstudio Video of the Week of Hello Kitty singing and dancing. Why did we choose this? Because it's just so cute! What do you guys think? I know I do.:p You can view the video below. If not, click here to be brought to the site.

For the Blog, I chose vicki-fly's. If her latest post is any indication, she's really a Hello Kitty fan! She loves the white kitty so much that she even has her to welcome you to her blog!

You can view her blog by clicking on her name.

That's all for now. Check again next week for new features.:D

Spotlight on: Forums

We've taken Hello Kitty's motto to a whole new level with Sanriotown Forums!

Here, you will be able to meet with people from all over the world! Need lessons in Japanese? Visit the Japan Friends thread and get a crash course in the language! How about meeting American friends? Give a call-out! How about some Latin Americans for surfing tips? Look for your fellow beach fans by posting a thread on surfing!

That's right: not only can you talk to people from virtually everywhere, you can also discuss topics near and dear to your heart. Create or participate in threads that you're interested in, and get to hear the different opinions from other Sanrio fans. Culture, age, and gender don't serve as barriers here: on the contrary, the differences make every post count, because users get to learn from each other.



Topics are divided into separate groups for easy searching. The forums are as follows:

Dream Bag, Dream Shirt, and Dream Umbrella are under Kitty Shop. As a sidenote, this is where users can put in their suggestions of what their dream item will look like after filling up the survey in Kitty Shop.

In Hello Kitty's Corner, Staff Lounge, Friendship, Dreamstudio, and Blogs can be found. The first one is where suggestions, reports, and even complaints of users for the moderators can be posted. This is more in the line of maintenance: if there are any errors or problems found in Sanriotown, users can post these here for moderators, or even other members, to answer. Friendship is where people can give a shout out and look for others who share their same interests, or just looking for new people to meet. Dreamstudio and Blogs forums are focused on two of the new features of Sanriotown. Here, users can ask questions on how to use these. They can also tell others of their work by posting links to their own video or blog.

Sanrio, Chit Chat Cafe, and Gallery are under Hello Kitty's Park. Users can talk about their favorite Sanrio characters and just about anything Sanrio-related in the first forum, while in the second one, they can make topics about other stuff that don't fall under any other category in the Sanriotown Forums. Gallery is where the artists hang, because this is where they can post their works, whether it be in words or in images (scanned if drawn on paper first, of course).

Hello Kitty's Home houses Beauty and Love forums. If you have any questions in either of the two, other Sanriotown members are more than happy to answer these for you.



Finally, in Hello Kitty's Entertainment, Music, Anime, Game, and Movie are featured. If you have any favorites in any of these four, post about it and you might just be surprised just how many people have the same interests as you!

Start posting and live what Hello Kitty loves saying: You can never have too many friends.

7-11 Kitties!

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? :)

For the Hello Kitty fans, especially for those who are from Hong Kong, I have some good news for you! Did you guys now that 7-11 recently released the following Hello Kitty figures?

I don't know if they made one for each day of the year, but it's really cute, right?:D A cool way to meet each day of 2007.:P

All About: B-boku Nezumi Kozou Dai

Name: Chu-Kichi

Birthday: March 3

Year Made: 1984

Chu-Kichi, the mild-mannered, gentle boy is in fact active Nezumi Kozuo. He is dedicated to his best friend Kiku-Chan, and is an expert in dango-making, that is, making dumplings.

Trivia: B-boku Nezumi Kozou Dai means "Hey, I-I'm Nezumi Kozuo" in English.

Dreamstudio Tutorial: Effects

Hi everyone!

For today's tutorial, we'll be having the following videos as guide.

An example of the Jumping and Rolling text effect may be found directly below. For those who can't see it, you can click here to be brought to that page.



For the application of other effects, see below. For those who can't see it, you can also click here to be brought to that page.


Have fun experimenting!

Video and Blog of the Week!

Here we are again for the Video and Blog of the Week!

This week, we're featuring "Life Paints a Picture" by icyrascal. It's a poem of the same title (author's Robin Baugus) turned into a video, using great images and music to go along with it. Check it out below. If you can't view it, you can check it out by clicking here.

For the blog, I chose Hitori's. She's got this really interesting anime entries and links that fans would absolutely love to visit. You can check out the site by clicking on her name.

That's all for now! Keep posting your videos and blog entries and you just might get featured next week!

 

 

Spotlight on: Games

Put away your gamepad and set aside your joystick! All you need in Sanriotown games are your basic computer hardware (CPU, monitor, keyboard, and mouse) and an Internet connection and you're all set to compete!

The games are centered on your favorite Sanrio characters like Pochacco, Badtz-Maru, Little Twin Stars, and of course, your favorite cat, Hello Kitty! There are three categories to choose from, something for the different players:

For those who love heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping games, Action games are for you! For the thinkers among us, Puzzle games like Sudoku ill keep you solving. For those who are hard-core fans of Hello Kitty, you can express this by playing games about and of the red-beribboned feline!

To make things more interesting, you can compete with your friends and try to get the highest score. You can aim even higher and beat the all-time high score for each game, as the top five ones are displayed. Claim your spot by getting higher points and have your name displayed for all the users to see.

All done? Ready, get set, play!

Did You Know...

that the Sanrio World of Animation (1991) , featuring popular fairy tales with your favorite Sanrio characters, was only translated in 1994, and originally for YTV Canada?

The show was originally in Cantonese before it was translated.

The tagline of the show: we create happiness for the world.

All about: Atchan Ga Ichiban

Name: Atchan

Birthday: January 15

Year Created: 1995

Atchan is one adventurous little girl, especially since she's fun and mischievous! She has the unique talent of being able to talk to animals and plants. No wonder she loves bananas!

Trivia: Did you know that "Atchan Ga Itchiban" means "Atchan is #1" ?

Dreamstudio: Basics

 

To make a new video, click “My Account” and then “Create Video.” You will be brought to the Interface: divided into the Slide Control Box area (upper rectangular area, light brown in color) and the Workspace (grey in color, with blue tabs on the left side).

The actual Slide Control Box would be the peach-colored box on the left side, with the Photo, Movie, and Slide captions. This is where you can add or delete the three to or from your presentation. The small rectangles beside it are actually mini-versions of the slides you have created, so you can go back to these just by clicking on the slide you want if you need to edit anything.

The Workspace area, on the other hand, will be the one handling the brunt of the work. All of the actual creation and editing will be done here, via the tabs.

Let's have have a definition of terms:

Slide: For those who have already made presentations (ex. Microsoft PowerPoint, OpenOffice Presentation, etc.) in the past, this should be familiar to you, as the slides in Dreamstudio work in the same way as in those programs. For those who'll be using slides for the first time, don't worry!

Slides are essentially the area where you will put in and order all the stuff you'll be using in your video. Think of it as your artist's canvas, or if you were a cartoonist, the frames in comic strips. And, continuing the second metaphor, other frames could be added in your presentation too, simply by clicking “Add Slide” on your Slide Control Box. Multiple slides can be used for more complex presentations instead of just using one. A maximum of 99 slides can be created.

Photo: This isn't limited to the pictures you took yourself on your camera.:p Instead, this pertains to all images, including ones you scanned or downloaded over the Internet. DreamStudio supports the following formats: jpg, mjpeg, gif, png, and bmp.

Movie: Like in Photo, Movie does not refer to the ones that appear on the silver screen. These are the video clips that can be included in your presentation. In Dreamstudio, you can use videos with the following formats: avi, mpg, mpeg, mov, and asf. A maximum size of 20 mb may be used for the video.

Notes: Photo and video clips put in slides that are of a different format from the ones mentioned above will not played in the Presentation.

Also, the Slide, Photo, and Video definitions given above pertain to the ones on the Slide Control Box, and not on the tabs of the Workspace.

The Workspace shows the slide you're currently working on. Here, you can add the videos, pictures, and the effects that you want to use. Music can also be added by clicking the “Extra” tab and then “Background music.” You can choose from the set files or you can upload your own MP3. Please remember that the photos and video clips can only be added from the Slide Control Box. By combining these, you can make a music video, a short story, or a jazzed-up album: it's all up to you!

You can try mixing and matching these media and see which combination is according to your taste.

Check the blog again for more tips!

Blog and Video of the Week!

Here I am again for the Blog and Video of the Week!

This week, I'll be featuring the following user ilu_gaki's blog. She's one active blogger! Her posts are just about anything and everything, from little stuff about her life, to funny pictures. You can check it out here.

The video I chose this week is called "Pieces of Heaven" by girlinblue. It shows a lot of pretty good pictures. The best part is that she made max use of the animation and effects of Dreamstudio. If you can't view the video below, click here.

Spotlight on Blogs

So you’ve finally gotten your Sanriotown account. What can you do with that now?
We’ve got good news for you: Sanriotown is your one-stop shop for your WWW needs! We will provide you our email, video-making, and blog services all rolled into one account!
A closer look at blogs:

Like other online journals, users can post their entries here sharing just about anything on their minds, whether it’s their political convictions, vacation out of town, a spat with their significant others (not that we wish for that to happen), their dog Spot, anything. Photos can even be uploaded to add color to your entries.

What makes Sanriotown Blogs different?

With Sanriotown blogs, Sanrio fans can have their accounts with their favorite Sanrio characters Hello Kitty, Kuririn, and My Melody. They have up to 10 MB space for storing their stories and sharing it to the world. They can also get in touch with the other members of the Sanriotown community. It’s also their unique way of shouting proudly to the world, “I’m a Sanrio fan!”
A more in-depth view would be given on blogs, including tutorials, so be sure to continue reading our blog for news.

Also, for more information, visit a Moderator’s site by clicking here.

Spotlight on Blogs

So you’ve finally gotten your Sanriotown account. What can you do with that now?
We’ve got good news for you: Sanriotown is your one-stop shop for your WWW needs! We will provide you our email, video-making, and blog services all rolled into one account!
A closer look at blogs:

Like other online journals, users can post their entries here sharing just about anything on their minds, whether it’s their political convictions, vacation out of town, a spat with their significant others (not that we wish for that to happen), their dog Spot, anything. Photos can even be uploaded to add color to your entries.

What makes Sanriotown Blogs different?

With Sanriotown blogs, Sanrio fans can have their accounts with their favorite Sanrio characters Hello Kitty, Kuririn, and My Melody. They have up to 10 MB space for storing their stories and sharing it to the world. They can also get in touch with the other members of the Sanriotown community. It’s also their unique way of shouting proudly to the world, “I’m a Sanrio fan!”
A more in-depth view would be given on blogs, including tutorials, so be sure to continue reading our blog for news.

Also, for more information, visit a Moderator’s site by clicking here.

Spotlight on Blogs

So you’ve finally gotten your Sanriotown account. What can you do with that now?
We’ve got good news for you: Sanriotown is your one-stop shop for your WWW needs! We will provide you our email, video-making, and blog services all rolled into one account!
A closer look at blogs:

Like other online journals, users can post their entries here sharing just about anything on their minds, whether it’s their political convictions, vacation out of town, a spat with their significant others (not that we wish for that to happen), their dog Spot, anything. Photos can even be uploaded to add color to your entries.

What makes Sanriotown Blogs different?

With Sanriotown blogs, Sanrio fans can have their accounts with their favorite Sanrio characters Hello Kitty, Kuririn, and My Melody. They have up to 10 MB space for storing their stories and sharing it to the world. They can also get in touch with the other members of the Sanriotown community. It’s also their unique way of shouting proudly to the world, “I’m a Sanrio fan!”
A more in-depth view would be given on blogs, including tutorials, so be sure to continue reading our blog for news.

Also, for more information, visit a Moderator’s site by clicking here.

All About: Ahiru No Pekkle

AHIRU NO PEKKLE

Name: Pekkle
Birthday: July 27
Year Created: 1989
Pekkle is a white duck hailing from Australia. He wants to be a lifeguard, even if he has trouble swimming. He's pretty laid-back, often being mistaken for laziness. For all his appearance, he loves singing and dancing, and even body surfing! If you want to find him, the best place to look for would be the beach, as he usually hangs out there with Pich the Fish and his girlfriend Ruby. Currently, he's enrolled in a tapdancing class.

Friends of Pekkle

Ruby: The kind and gentle girlfriend of Pekkle.

Pich: The fishy best friend and swimming instructor of Pekkle. He has a lot of brothers, and only the little white duck can tell him apart from them. He's mischievous, always playing tricks on people.

Carl: Carl is a handsome duck, always popular with the girls. He likes Ruby, making him somewhat of a rival for Pekkle.

Booto: Booto likes lifting weights. Although he is tough, he also has a sweet side, crushing on Frill, Ruby's cousin.

Charra: Charra is a bird who likes to have fun but also tries to play it tough, hanging around with Booto!

Posty: Posty is the resident mailman who takes pride in always being punctual in his deliveries.

Chap and Ran: The twin brothers of Pich. They're a two-fish band!

DreamStudio Tutorial: Basics

The Dream Studio feature can be used exclusively by Sanriotown members, so non-users, be sure to sign up in Sanriotown!

From the Sanriotown homepage, users should sign in to their accounts. After they are brought to their mailbox, they can then access Dream Studio by clicking its tab at the top of the page.
Note to Firefox Users: Videos can only be made using the Internet Explorer browser. However, they can still view the videos made by the users with Firefox.

On the Dreamstudio page, users will be able to see the image below:

Videos open for public viewing are divided into the following: Most Recent, Most Viewed, Most Discussed, and Editor's Pick. If you've already finished your video and you can't find it on the main page, don't worry! If the video's new, chances are, there were also new videos posted the same time that you put up yours. Yours is still saved! Just click on the circle with the arrow in it and you'll be able to see all the videos under that category.

Alternatively, the tags may also be used to find a video. These (found near the bottom of the page) are made by the users along with their videos. These are used for easier classification. For example, when someone clicks on the “Hello Kitty” tag, all videos that users have tagged with “Hello Kitty” will be displayed. Make sure to click the other pages (page numbers displayed at the bottom of the page) if you haven't seen your video yet!

For those who want to make their videos, click “My Account.” The following should be seen: Create Video, Manage Video, Manage Collection, and My Favorite. These will be discussed more in detail in the next entries.

Create Video. For the making and producing of new videos.
Manage Video. Users can go here to edit or delete their video and/or its detail.
Manage Collection. Contains all the videos you've created and chosen as Favorites.
My Favorite. Contains all the videos you've chosen as Favorites so these can be viewed more quickly than having to search for these all over again.

That's it for this week! Keep visiting the blog for more info and news!

DreamStudio Tutorial: Basics

The Dream Studio feature can be used exclusively by Sanriotown members, so non-users, be sure to sign up in Sanriotown!

From the Sanriotown homepage, users should sign in to their accounts. After they are brought to their mailbox, they can then access Dream Studio by clicking its tab at the top of the page.
Note to Firefox Users: Videos can only be made using the Internet Explorer browser. However, they can still view the videos made by the users with Firefox.

On the Dreamstudio page, users will be able to see the image below:

Videos open for public viewing are divided into the following: Most Recent, Most Viewed, Most Discussed, and Editor's Pick. If you've already finished your video and you can't find it on the main page, don't worry! If the video's new, chances are, there were also new videos posted the same time that you put up yours. Yours is still saved! Just click on the circle with the arrow in it and you'll be able to see all the videos under that category.

Alternatively, the tags may also be used to find a video. These (found near the bottom of the page) are made by the users along with their videos. These are used for easier classification. For example, when someone clicks on the “Hello Kitty” tag, all videos that users have tagged with “Hello Kitty” will be displayed. Make sure to click the other pages (page numbers displayed at the bottom of the page) if you haven't seen your video yet!

For those who want to make their videos, click “My Account.” The following should be seen: Create Video, Manage Video, Manage Collection, and My Favorite. These will be discussed more in detail in the next entries.

Create Video. For the making and producing of new videos.
Manage Video. Users can go here to edit or delete their video and/or its detail.
Manage Collection. Contains all the videos you've created and chosen as Favorites.
My Favorite. Contains all the videos you've chosen as Favorites so these can be viewed more quickly than having to search for these all over again.

That's it for this week! Keep visiting the blog for more info and news!

DreamStudio Tutorial: Basics

The Dream Studio feature can be used exclusively by Sanriotown members, so non-users, be sure to sign up in Sanriotown!

From the Sanriotown homepage, users should sign in to their accounts. After they are brought to their mailbox, they can then access Dream Studio by clicking its tab at the top of the page.
Note to Firefox Users: Videos can only be made using the Internet Explorer browser. However, they can still view the videos made by the users with Firefox.

On the Dreamstudio page, users will be able to see the image below:

Videos open for public viewing are divided into the following: Most Recent, Most Viewed, Most Discussed, and Editor's Pick. If you've already finished your video and you can't find it on the main page, don't worry! If the video's new, chances are, there were also new videos posted the same time that you put up yours. Yours is still saved! Just click on the circle with the arrow in it and you'll be able to see all the videos under that category.

Alternatively, the tags may also be used to find a video. These (found near the bottom of the page) are made by the users along with their videos. These are used for easier classification. For example, when someone clicks on the “Hello Kitty” tag, all videos that users have tagged with “Hello Kitty” will be displayed. Make sure to click the other pages (page numbers displayed at the bottom of the page) if you haven't seen your video yet!

For those who want to make their videos, click “My Account.” The following should be seen: Create Video, Manage Video, Manage Collection, and My Favorite. These will be discussed more in detail in the next entries.

Create Video. For the making and producing of new videos.
Manage Video. Users can go here to edit or delete their video and/or its detail.
Manage Collection. Contains all the videos you've created and chosen as Favorites.
My Favorite. Contains all the videos you've chosen as Favorites so these can be viewed more quickly than having to search for these all over again.

That's it for this week! Keep visiting the blog for more info and news!

Blog and Video of the Week!

I know I said earlier that only videos will be featured, but I think the blog users should be given their moment of fame, too.:p What do you think?

For the video, here's what I chose, made by chelsea_sister66. It's really a quirky video, and it used a combination of stuff from all over. It's just so much fun to watch!:D

You can click here to view it.

For the blog, I selected yingdong's. It's pretty funny because he was asking about the use of it in the forums, and here he goes making something that's really good. Hats off to you, yingdong!

Check the blog same day next week to see if your creations are featured.:D Continue posting and making videos!

Sold Out!

Newsflash: Not only has The Limited Edition Christmas Hello Kitty Angel boxset pre-order period has passed, the product has already been sold out!




Since we can hear groaning even here, we decided to give you a second chance!

Hong Kong users can email waitinglist@hellokitty.com to be placed into the waiting list, another opportunity for them to be able to get a copy!

Don't let this pass again. Send an email now and you might still be able to claim one!

Bloggers!

Hey everyone! This entry will be a brief overview of the site Sanriotown (http://www.sanriotown.com):

When you first enter the site, you will be greeted with the Sanriotown homepage, which has links to just about every section you can access, including news about Sanriotown and videos users have created. However, for most of the stuff, you have to be a member to access, so make sure to register if you’re not one yet! The site can be viewed in three languages: English, traditional Chinese, and Japanese, so that it can be friendlier to more users.

Below the Sanriotown banner are the following tabs, in different colors:

Join Forum
This allows users access to the Forums section, where they can hear and tell stories with fellow Sanrio fans all over the world. This, however, is for Sanriotown members only.

Dream Studio
This is also exclusive for users only. Instead of having to do mind-numbing Flash presentations on your own, we prefer to make your AV experience bloodless by giving you an easier option in making home videos. All they need are pictures, videos, and if they want, their own music they can upload and they can just mix these together to make their perfect video.

Blog
Same as what you’re viewing now Blog allows users to create their own online journals they can share to the world, or if they want a smaller audience, opt to make it accessible for their family and friends only. They can also upload photos and other files to make their entries more interesting. This way, they can show what they’re really made of

Play Games
This is one section in the website that definitely allows people to duke it out - virtually, of course. They can choose to play any one of the games featured on the site, which, of course, features Sanrio characters. They can also compete with one another as they try to beat the Top Five scores so as to have their names displayed for the world to see.

Enjoy Downloads
Freebies galore! People can download, share, and print wallpapers, calendars, movie trailers, screenshots, messenger themes, desktop themes, even ecards with their favorite Sanrio characters on ‘em.

Kitty Shop
From freebies, we go to something you have to shell money out on, if you choose. This section has two subdivisions: Exclusive and Concept & Vote. The Exclusive Section features collectible Sanrio items that are only available on this website. That’s right: you can’t get it anywhere else. The first one featured, the Hello Kitty Christmas Angel boxset has already been sold out, so make sure you catch the next one we put up! Concept & Vote, meanwhile, literally has products out of the people’s votes. Right now, they can choose any of the three: bags, shirts, or umbrellas, which they want to design. This is supported by the Forums section, where they can also make threads to discuss their designs in detail. The top designs, also chosen by the users, will then be produced and be available for sale here.




There are also four tabs, which, although only in one color are no less interesting :p:

Find Shop
For those who are looking for Sanrio products (other than the ones on Sanriotown, of course!), you can check this out and see which store is nearest you.

Ecards
Share the love the Sanrio way as you let others know the holidays, their birthdays, or simply that you remembered them by sending them Ecards!

Meet the Characters

The page shows some of the Sanrio characters with Kitty you have come to know and love.

Online Game

Hello Kitty’s online game!

Keep reading the blog for more information about Sanriotown! Have fun browsing!

Blog Schedule!

Hey everyone! Good news! We’ll be having the following schedule for blog entries:

Monday: Announcements, Trivia, News, Anything Goes!

Tuesday: Technology: Highlights on the new Sanriotown features!

Wednesday: Video of the Week: A user-created video will be put up. Check it out if yours is featured!

Thursday: Tutorials: How-tos of using Sanriotown, be it DreamStudio, Blog, the Forums, whichever!

Friday: Sanrio Character Feature: Focus on one of your favorite features, be it new ones, classic ones, or those that are certified blast from the past!

Blog Schedule!

Hey everyone! Good news! We’ll be having the following schedule for blog entries:

Monday: Announcements, Trivia, News, Anything Goes!

Tuesday: Technology: Highlights on the new Sanriotown features!

Wednesday: Video of the Week: A user-created video will be put up. Check it out if yours is featured!

Thursday: Tutorials: How-tos of using Sanriotown, be it DreamStudio, Blog, the Forums, whichever!

Friday: Sanrio Character Feature: Focus on one of your favorite features, be it new ones, classic ones, or those that are certified blast from the past!

White Cat, Blue Dog

From globalgiants.com

Sanrio and Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products Announce Creative Partnership to Launch Nickelodeon's Hit Property Blue's Clues in Japan

America's Favorite Puppy and Japan's Best Known Kitty Join Forces With an Innovative Co-Licensing Venture to Create Limited-Edition Blue's Clues and Hello Kitty Line.

Sanrio Named Master Licensee for Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues In Japan, as the Hit Series Continues to Celebrate a Decade of Success.

TOKYO and NEW YORK, Oct. 18 -- Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP), one of the world's leading licensing businesses and Sanrio, the world-renowned Japanese character licensing group, announced today a multi-faceted creative partnership that includes an exclusive co-licensing joint venture and master license agreement to develop Nickelodeon's hit property Blue's Clues in Japan.



The co-licensing deal, a creative and business first for any Nickelodeon property, will see the two companies bring together their famous characters, Blue the beloved puppy from the hit Nickelodeon preschool series Blue's Clues and global superstar Hello Kitty in a specially designed product line created specifically for tweens and young adults.

Blue's Clues is an award-winning, play-along, think-along, half-hour animated series. The show stars a live-action host and an energetic, bright blue puppy named Blue. In each episode, the host invites viewers into his computer-animated storybook world to help him and Blue solve the day's puzzles. Blues Clues can currently be seen on Nickelodeon Japan.

Hello Kitty is a twinkling-eyed cartoonish character which was invented and promoted by a Japanese company called Sanrio in 1974. Sanrio is famous for their adorable and cute cartoon characters, including Hello Kitty, Keroppi, Melody and more. This line of cute little characters soon attracted millions of people around the world. Hello Kitty is the most successful out of all the Sanrio characters.

Hello Kitty has produced different products all around the world, including wallets, watches, clothing, fabrics, Polaroid and digital cameras, portable CD players and stereos, handkerchiefs, stationery, cutlery, lunch boxes, puppets and more.

Sanrio's principal business activities include the design and sale of social communications gifts and greeting cards, the publication and distribution of books and magazines, character licensing and adaptation services, and others. Nickelodeon is the most widely distributed kids' network in the world and the only multimedia entertainment brand dedicated exclusively to them. First launched in the U.S. in 1979, Nickelodeon today consists of 34 channels, 20 branded program blocks, 7 mobile TV channels, 32 web sites and TurboNick, Nickelodeon's broadband video service in Australia, the US and UK.

The upcoming line is a wholly original concept based on Blue the dog and Hello Kitty the cat imaginatively adapted by Sanrio into Hello Kitty's familiar world and product range.

Further deepening their partnership in the market, NVCP has granted Sanrio the master license for Blue's Clues across all toys, apparel, packaged goods, home furnishings, stationery, gifts, accessories, consumer electronics, party supplies and sporting goods. Blue's Clues merchandise will roll out in Japan in Summer 2007.

"As a huge fan of Hello Kitty, it's exciting to forge a creative partnership with Sanrio to co-develop and manage Blue's Clues. It is also a significant step in the growth of our business in Japan and a tremendous opportunity to bring new creative dimensions to one of our most successful properties," said Leigh Anne Brodsky, President, Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products. "Blue and Hello Kitty represent both Japanese and American creativity and licensing success. Bringing the characters together in this highly innovative product line will bring their popularity and charm to new audiences."

"We are delighted and excited to have this opportunity to further our partnership with a global media company like Viacom and Nickelodeon," said Akito Sasaki, Director and General Manager, Character and Licensing Division, Sanrio Company, Ltd. "With the marketing efforts planned for the Hello Kitty and Blue's Clues product line, we are well poised to establish Blue as one of the most beloved characters here in Japan."

"It is incredibly heartwarming that Blue has been invited to become part of Hello Kitty's fantastic world," said Traci Paige Johnson, Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Director of Design, Blue's Clues. "Hello Kitty was a tremendous inspiration in the creation of Blue's Clues and has been one of my favorite characters since childhood."

In June 2006, NVCP entered a multi-year agreement with Sanrio Far East Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sanrio, to represent Nickelodeon's multi-billion dollar global franchises, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer and Comedy Central's South Park in Japan. SpongeBob SquarePants merchandise launched to select retailers in January 2006 and has already generated $20 million at retail.

Considered the gold standard in interactive preschool television, Blue's Clues has continued to prevail over the last 10 years as one of the top five preschool series on all of commercial television in the US. Recently celebrating its 10th Anniversary on air, Blue's Clues is currently syndicated to 120 countries and has been translated into 15 languages. Blue's Clues has earned $3.6 billion at retail since 1998, selling more than 25 million "Handy Dandy Notebooks" and 35 million books to date.

Blue's Clues was created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler and Angela C. Santomero. Santomero serves as Executive Producer and Head Writer, and Johnson is Executive Producer and Director of Design. Jennifer Twomey also was Executive Producer and writer for the original series.

Hello Kitty has produced different products all around the world, including wallets, watches, clothing, fabrics, Polaroid and digital cameras, portable CD players and stereos, handkerchiefs, stationery, cutlery, lunch boxes, puppets and more.

Sanrio Dreamstudio, Video and Audio Upload

Dream Studio a new feature that enables anyone with an Internet Browser to create and direct their own flash movies by simply uploading video, photos and MP3 music. SanrioTown members can then use the web-based to tools to add text and various special effects which are themed appropriately. The output video is a multimedia feast, an artistic collage of user uploaded material and personalized edits – all rendered into a nifty flash video.

PowerBlaze technology will be deployed within SanrioTown to enable members to express themselves in new and better ways that were previously impossible. Members are treated to an innovative showcase for their memoirs and stories which can be securely shared, and collaborated on. It comes with totally new features, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Sanriotown gives you the power to create and share your experience in a unique and imaginative way. It’s so easy and fun to do!

1. Simply upload a photo or video to a slide. There are 99 slides possible to upload and juxtapose photo and videos upon.
2. Add some text, transition effects and special effects.
3. Add some background MP3 music to suit.
4. Save your project – don’t forget to add some descriptions and tags.

It’s so easy, no prior experience with Flash is required. Absolutely anyone can join in the fun filled world of multimedia sharing.

Visit http://sanriotown.com for more details.

Sanrio Merchandise Online!

Welcome to the Kitty shop, where users will have access to exclusive and premium products straight from Sanrio! Currently, Sanrio Town members from Hong Kong will be able to pre-order original Sanrio products not found in local Sanrio shops!

In the Exclusive Section, Sanrio merchandise awaiting production will be made available to Hong Kong members! Each item will be limited edition Sanrio Merchandise you will not be able to find anywhere else! Members who have successfully pre-ordered the item will be informed as to where they can pick up their exclusive item in local stores found nearby!



Have you ever wanted to create your own Sanrio merchandise? In the Concept Section, we want to hear what you think! Help us out by following these 3 easy steps:

1. Concept and Vote – View the latest concepts and make your vote!
Answer the quick survey about the Sanrio product still in the designing stage. Sanrio designers will be using this information to create a product for and created by you! Of course, not all the ideas of a new product will be on the survey. You still have the chance to say what you want us to do by logging into the forums and expressing your ideas there!



2. Result and Sample – Check the results and view the sample product!
Once you’ve made your choice, Sanrio will be gathering information from the Sanriotown Community and create a sample prototype. A certain number of days will be needed in order to view the sample products that have had the most votes.



3. Pre-order – Pre-order your dream item!
Once all the votes are in, the winning product designed by the Sanriotown members will be exclusively distributed in Sanriotown. For the moment, only Hong Kong Sanriotown members will have the chance to avail this product.

Pre-order will be made available once we’ve tallied your votes. Discuss your opinions in the forums and compare notes with the other members to see who voted for what. Remember, if you don’t like the samples we show you in the results, we want to know! So keep those posts coming!

Sanrio Merchandise Online!

Welcome to the Kitty shop, where users will have access to exclusive and premium products straight from Sanrio! Currently, Sanrio Town members from Hong Kong will be able to pre-order original Sanrio products not found in local Sanrio shops!

In the Exclusive Section, Sanrio merchandise awaiting production will be made available to Hong Kong members! Each item will be limited edition Sanrio Merchandise you will not be able to find anywhere else! Members who have successfully pre-ordered the item will be informed as to where they can pick up their exclusive item in local stores found nearby!



Have you ever wanted to create your own Sanrio merchandise? In the Concept Section, we want to hear what you think! Help us out by following these 3 easy steps:

1. Concept and Vote – View the latest concepts and make your vote!
Answer the quick survey about the Sanrio product still in the designing stage. Sanrio designers will be using this information to create a product for and created by you! Of course, not all the ideas of a new product will be on the survey. You still have the chance to say what you want us to do by logging into the forums and expressing your ideas there!



2. Result and Sample – Check the results and view the sample product!
Once you’ve made your choice, Sanrio will be gathering information from the Sanriotown Community and create a sample prototype. A certain number of days will be needed in order to view the sample products that have had the most votes.



3. Pre-order – Pre-order your dream item!
Once all the votes are in, the winning product designed by the Sanriotown members will be exclusively distributed in Sanriotown. For the moment, only Hong Kong Sanriotown members will have the chance to avail this product.

Pre-order will be made available once we’ve tallied your votes. Discuss your opinions in the forums and compare notes with the other members to see who voted for what. Remember, if you don’t like the samples we show you in the results, we want to know! So keep those posts coming!

Yahoo!

Technorati Profile

Sanrio Teams Up With Typhoon Games!

World Famous Hello Kitty Advances to New Digital Heights

Joint venture, Sanrio Digital, propels the famous character’s online home into the digital future
Hong Kong, November 21, 2006 –, The leading publisher, developer and distributor of multi-platform online and offline entertainment software Typhoon Games, has partnered with Sanrio Wave Hong Kong Co. Ltd. to bring Sanrio characters to the next stage of their digital evolution. Sanrio Digital, a joint venture between the two companies, led to a complete renovation of the official online presence for Hello Kitty and friends, Sanriotown (http://www.sanriotown.com/), with new flash games, blog, photo, video and online shopping features embracing the social web.
“We are excited to work with Sanrio Wave in driving the digital expansion of Sanrio’s intellectual property assets,” said Yat Siu, the CEO of Sanrio Digital. “Hello Kitty is one of the most recognized brands in the world and it’s full potential has not yet been realized via the Internet. Both the Hello Kitty and Sanrio brands are now extended further beyond that of the traditional realm and onto new digital mediums via the new Sanriotown.”
“This collaboration aims to successfully create synergy between the Sanrio traditional offline business and the digital venture.” Said Hiroaki Nishino, the Director of Sanrio Wave. “Through these online projects, we give non-Sanrio fans the chance to satisfy their curiosity and excite them about Hello Kitty & Friends and this will hopefully arouse their interest in offline products; and widen the fan base of Sanrio characters.”
Riding on the existing online community services such as forums, free e-mails as well as download services, new social networking features have been launched on Sanriotown, which already has a current user-base of almost 2 million world wide. The two most prominent of the newly introduced features are Kitty Shop and Dream Studio, while other features on the site like blogs, chat, message boards and avatars inject more fun into the social networking environment for users.
Kitty Shop is an online store where fans can purchase a wide range of Hello Kitty memorabilia. Kitty Shop also allows users to provide their input into the design of upcoming products, while at the same time, making purchases from the current available range. To celebrate the launch of the new Sanriotown, Kitty Shop allows sanriotown.com members to exclusively pre-order a limited Christmas Edition of Hello Kitty Angel Box sets
Dream Studio is an advanced web technology that enables users to create and direct their own flash movies by simply uploading video, photos and MP3 music. With this new feature, users are able to indulge themselves with the latest online trends and embed their videos on their own website, blogs, or other community portals, creating an online networking community that is unique to Sanriotown.
In addition to the above, there will be other advanced and innovative entertainment products released. For example, a massive multiplayer Hello Kitty online game is currently in the final stages of development, bringing mature Hello Kitty fans and online gamers higher levels of difficulty, excitement and interaction. Also, a 52-Episode 3D Animated TV series titles “The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends” will be released, introducing a side of Hello Kitty that is not only cute and cuddly, but one that takes on the role of an educator for children to learn from.
For more details, please visit http://www.sanriotown.com/ or www.sanriodigital.com
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About Sanrio Digital
Sanrio Digital is a joint venture between Typhoon Games (HK) Ltd., and Sanrio Co. Ltd. whose aim is to focus on the digital expansion of Sanrio intellectual property assets. This effective collaboration will capitalize on the great number of IP assets that have not yet been fully digitally developed. Furthermore, Sanrio Digital will hold exclusive rights to produce offline products based on its online productions, which is expected to create synergy between the Sanrio traditional offline business and the digital venture; studies have shown that higher revenue generation can be expected if Sanrio online and offline business complement each other.
About Typhoon Games
Typhoon Games Ltd. was founded on August 2001 in Hong Kong as a game developing and publishing company that recognizes the great potential of the gaming industry in Asia. We work with developers in the region, as well as those from Europe and North America to create and localize PC games for the Asian audiences. Typhoon Games aims to provide the best distribution channel for game developers to sell their games, and for gamers to experience games in the most sound and technically advanced environment possible. Typhoon Games combines the highest technology with the most loyal communities of users to bring our audience the best gaming experience ever!
Typhoon Games Ltd. is a leading publisher, developer and distributor of multi-platform online and offline entertainment software with channel partners in North America and Europe, and distribution in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan. Game titles released by Typhoon Games have won international acclaim from leading game media experts and received some of the industry’s top awards. To date, Typhoon Games has published over 100 different game titles.
About Sanrio Wave Hong Kong Co., Ltd.
Sanrio Co., Ltd. founded Sanrio Wave Hong Kong Co., Ltd. in the year 2000 after Sanrio (H.K.) Co., Ltd. was founded on April 1994. While Sanrio HK focused on the traditional character merchandise business, Sanrio Wave HK has the unique mission to create and distribute the original Sanrio contents / entertainment business throughout Asia, and eventually in global scale.
Throughout the years, Sanrio characters have always been one of the most wanted contents by mobile content providers and telecom operators. Sanrio Wave HK is currently working with almost all major telecom networks in Asia directly or through the local content providers while the mobile content distribution network is still expanding. To further proliferate the content business, Sanrio Wave HK started to produce original publication to enrich the content category.
In October 2006, Sanrio HK merged with Sanrio Wave HK to further extend its mission to be the regional hub and to become an all rounded company with the strong integration of online and offline merchandise and contents.

For any inquiries, please contact: michelle@sanriodigital.com

Hey, Sanrio Fans!

Hello everyone! I'm new here. If you're a Hello Kitty/Sanrio fan, please add or link me to your site.
I'll also be posting pictures, infomation, or news to anything related to Hello Kitty, other Sanrio characters, and anything related to Sanrio.
Thanks!