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Nokia thinks NoTA concept could save 99 percent of handset development costs
It's apparently estimated that those wild Japanese handsets can cost anywhere from 10 to 20 billion yen to develop, which translates to a range of $110 million to $220 million -- yes, close to a quarter billion frickin' dollars just to pump out one phone (no wonder Mitsu tapped out). The Nokia-backed NoTA initiative, short for Network on Terminal Architecture, hopes to fix all that by compartmentalizing a phone's functions into swappable modules that all know how to play nice with each other out of the box -- think of it like a Lego set for phone makers. If Nokia's estimates are even close to right, the potential benefits of NoTA are staggering, with development time for new models slashed by two-thirds and costs cut by 98 to 99 percent. The company is working with parts suppliers to get NoTA adopted, and a number of Japanese handset manufacturers have apparently expressed interest as well. Don't suppose the interest has to do with saving 9.9 billion yen per model, does it?Read - Nokia claims 98 to 99 percent development savings with NoTA [Warning: subscription required]Read - NXP's NoTA primer
Video: LCD retrofitted onto Nintendo GameCube
Right, so we've spotted some fairly gorgeous LCD-into-GameCube integrations before, and we've even seen a couple that came dangerously close to making us laugh, but it's rare to find a respectable LCD infusion on video. Thus, we present to you Liuhuparta's own GameCube mod, which weds a Sony PSone LCD screen, an integrated Wavebird receiver, loads of wiring / spray paint / blue LEDs and a pinch of TLC with a classic black GC console. Hop on past the break to see portions of the build process and a brief demonstration of it in action.[Thanks, Sami]
Rumor: New Alan Wake trailer to debut before Max Payne -- in Finland
Remedy is making Alan Wake; Remedy made Max Payne; Remedy is Finnish. The website Pelaajalehti is – along with being nigh-impossible to pronounce – also Finnish, and reports that a new trailer for the long lost Xbox 360 adventure of Mr. Wake will debut before a special preview screening of the Max Payne feature film in – you guessed it – Finland on October 15.Last we heard, Remedy was apologizing for Alan Wake's tardiness, no-show status at E3, and general air of vaporware. Now, we can understand wanting to play to your home crowd, but how about a little love for those of us who don't exactly fancy ice swimming and Karjalanpiirakka?[Via X3F]
TeliaSonera nabs iPhone rights for Nordic and Baltic markets
Ok ok, we hear you tipsters, iPhone now official for Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia "later this year" thanks to a deal between Apple and TeliaSonera. At this point, only The Netherlands seems to be out of the loop in Europe.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Finland's roadside toilets: now accessible only by SMS
While those in London can use SMS to actually find a lavatory, folks passing through Western Finland will be required to bust out their handset in order to relieve themselves in select public restrooms. In an attempt to curb vandalism, the Finnish Road Administration has implemented a system along Highway 1 which requires restroom visitors to text "Open" (in Finnish, of course) in order to let themselves in. The idea is that folks will be less likely to lose their mind and graffiti up the place knowing that their mobile number is (at least temporarily) on file, but it remains to be seen if uprooters will simply take their defacing ways elsewhere or actually excrete in peace.[Via Switched]
Viasat launches high-definition offerings in Europe
Don't look now, but Viasat Broadcasting has just launched its first high-definition offerings (including two Viasat-branded premium HDTV channels, TV1000 HD and Viasat Sport HD) on its Nordic satellite pay-TV platform. Reportedly, TV1000 HD and National Geographic HD will be available in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, while Viasat Sport HD makes its debut in Sweden, Norway and Finland; as for Danish subscribers, they'll have access to TV2 Sport HD. Unfortunately, fetching said programming won't come cheap, as it'll demand SEK/NOK/DKK 99 per month (between $15 and $20) in addition to the currently undisclosed HD set-top-box upgrade cost. Speaking of which, two STBs will initially be available: a Viasat Plus HD PVR box from Pace and a standard Viasat HD box made by Samsung, both of which use NDS middleware / content security and support 720p / 1080i. And we thought we were starved for HD...
The DS not big enough for Tetris? How about a dorm building?
The Russians may have done it first (definitively proving that they have won the Tetris arms race), but that doesn't make this accomplishment by some Finnish students any less impressive. The goal behind the project known as MIKONTALOLIGHTS (Mikontalo being the name of the dorm building that was used) was to make the largest colored graphics platform in the world. It all took place in a public event that was held on December 4th.While we're absolutely blown away by the awesomeness of the project, we have to say that a tripod and some Tetris-themed background music would have really gone a long way.[Via Geekologie]
Mikontalo dormitory converted into gigantic Tetris display
Playing famed titles on the sides of buildings ain't nothing new, but this rendition of Tetris is just too svelte to be ignored. Folks from the Finnish Student Union and Universimo gaming company (among others) were responsible for rigging up an elaborate (and shall we say, quite beautiful) colored graphics platform using the Mikontalo's D-staircase as light pixels. Reportedly, the installation will also be used for other demos created by pupils at the Tampere University of Technology, but we've all ideas the falling blocks you see above easily stole the show. Be sure and check out a bevy of photos from the unveiling in the links below, and in case that's not enough, you can peep a video of the setup in action just beyond the break.[Thanks, Stanislav S.]Read - Mikontalolights project pageRead - Mikontalo Tetris photographsRead - Mikontalolights videos / blog
BatMUD: back online and still in business
BatMUD first opened its virtual doors in 1990, and has been a solid online presence for the last 17 years. Initially text-based, and accessible only via telnet, the Finland-based game introduced a new graphical client in February 2007. Unfortunately, their original site was hacked in October, but they've since come back stronger than ever.Whether you wish to play in standard or hardcore mode, there are plenty of options to satisfy every gamer's wishes. 44 races, 100 levels, character respecification ... it's all here, and it's all free. This begs the question, though: when we consider what makes an MMO an MMO, at what point do the lines blur between MUDs, MOOs, and what we traditionally consider MMOs? With more MUDs introducing graphical interfaces, and with the ability to utilize text-based commands in MMOs, is the divide between the two categories shrinking?While pondering the answer, take a look at BatMUD and give us your opinion: do you feel that a well-written MUD can provide the same level of personal interaction and character development as can the average MMO? As for BatMUD, specifically, the web-based forums provide a plethora of information on game play, and some of the players have been involved in the virtual community for its social networking capabilities since the game's inception nearly two decades ago. All things considered, regardless of how you classify it, an evening of high fantasy and good friendship is nothing to sneer at: there's nothing batty about that idea at all.
Japanese government orders Nokia to report on overheating batteries
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has ordered Nokia's Japan unit to "report by next Friday on details of a series of accidents" involving Matsushita's li-ion batteries that were recently found to have, shall we say, toasty tendencies. Reportedly, the ministry had phoned up Nokia Japan President Tyler McGee to hear his explanation, but apparently, it has deemed that more details are necessary. It seems the purpose here is to examine whether there were "any problems with Nokia Japan's handling of the overheating accidents," and considering that it purportedly took 16 days (6 more than the limit) for that unit to report initially on the problem, it may already be in a bit of hot water.
Nokia partners with Finnish artist for mobile jewelry line
We've all seen those kid-friendly plastic stickers that the younger set tends to slap on their handsets in order to amp their ego, but Nokia's taking the decoration idea pretty seriously. Apparently, the firm is working with Finnish artist Björn Weckström to actually offer a "customized, limited edition Nokia N76" that will only be for sale at the Helsinki Nokia Flagship store. Additionally, there will be other pieces available to jazz up your already purchased Nokia mobile, but there's no word just yet on what exactly you can expect it to look like. We'd say the best jewelry is just an entirely new handset, eh?
Finnish court rules CSS DVD protection "ineffective"
A Finnish court in Helsinki has made a ruling that confirms what we've all known for a long time now; that CSS is completely ineffective as a copyright protection method for DVDs. Legally this adds an air of sanity to the previous European Ruling that banned the "the circumvention of 'effective technological measures.'" This early court decision (it could be / probably will be appealed) places CSS outside of this definition, removing the illegal aspect of circumventing CSS in the EU. If the decision of the entry-level court stands, then there are implications for other copyright protection methods, which will no longer be considered effective protection methods if software which undermines it becomes widespread -- certainly the case with CSS, and potentially the case with HD-DVD and Blu-ray. As the case is currently developing, we'd suggest you keep the champagne energy drinks on ice for now: not that the legal status of backing up your DVDs was an effective deterrent in the first place.
Splinter Cell conViction featured in Finnish gaming mag
See what they've done with the "V"? Clever ... sorta. Finnish gaming mag Pelaaja ("Player") has the scoop on Xbox 360's console-exclusive, Splinter Cell V -- er, Splinter Cell Conviction (the title remains unchanged since it was leaked last September).GamersReports has compiled the first Conviction gameplay details, allegedly translated from the Pelaaja article. Apparently, dear old Sam will be forced out into daylight and, taking a cue from his Ubi-cousin Altaïr, will stick to the crowd instead of the shadows. An internal threat within Third Echelon has supposedly forced Sam to defect from the agency (like, for realz this time) as he attempts to save coworker Anna Grímsdóttir. Two HUD gimmicks will form the backbone of the gameplay: the "hero instinct" gives Sam the ability to track his enemies Predator-style (in infrared); while the "danger meter" acts sorta like Spidey-sense, minus the tingle (then again, Ubisoft could utilize rumble).Close quarters combat is said to be a lot more "Bourne" this time around, as Sam has apparently shaken off his stiffness through yoga (Downward Dog FTW!), in addition to the training he's received from the alien peacekeeper and pesky webslinger. Coupled with an upgraded physics engine that lets Sam use numerous environmental objects (not just soda cans) to his advantage, Fisher oughtta make short work of that "dynamic" AI. No mention of what's in store for multiplayer -- but we sorta have this hunch...
Nokia N76, meet FCC. FCC, N76.
It appears that the FCC and Nokia have been quite the busy bunch with all the phones that are getting the go-ahead -- and we might as well add another to the list. The commission has decided to add Nokia's latest Nseries offspring to the list, the N76. The device is quadband GSM with some UMTS love mixed in for good measure, though it's only single band and we wouldn't hold our breath for North American compatibility. Roundin' out the feature set will be a music player with several formats supported, Bluetooth, and expandable memory via microSD. Nokia also makes mention for a 2 megapixel shooter with a flash under the hood as well. With Nokia's reputation for their attention to detail, we've come to expect a lot out of the Nseries, and it's lookin' like the N76 won't disappoint.
Cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous, inconclusive edition
Just when we thought we had this whole cellphones do / don't cause cancer bit was behind us, here comes another study to say that they in fact do. The study, which was put together by Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, suggests that people who used cellphones longer than 10 years were 40 percent more likely to develop gliomas (a nervous system tumor) on the side of the head where the cellphone's radiation would enter the head. While we are aware of several studies that go either way on the matter, Microwave News' editor Louis Slesin thinks it is "compelling evidence" because, "We now have two tumor types found among people who use mobiles for more than 10 years shown by two different research groups." Of course, a rebuttal from the Mobile Operators Association said otherwise: "The findings related to tumor location are difficult to interpret." It's hard to really form an opinion considering the amount of data that consistently contradicts itself, but you can decide for yourself when the findings are published in International Journal of Cancer later this year. For now, we will have faith in our mobiles and pray that later on down the line we're not on the wrong end of the impending "I told you so."
Control the outcome of a Finnish TV show via SMS
Everyone's talking about user-generated this and web 2.0 that these days, but we honestly never thought we'd see the day when ordinary couch potatoes would have direct control over a show while it airs. Viewers of the new Finnish TV show "Accidental Lovers," (pictured) will be able to determine plot outcomes -- such as whether the characters break up or fall in love -- via SMS (they can leave snarky comments on-screen, too); think of it as choose-your-own-adventure TV. We're not sure if that means that there will be a select number of options, or if the creators of the show will resort to just airing the show live -- we're assuming the former. Either way, we're guessing that this idea could descend into wikitorial-esque chaos pretty fast here in the US, but of course, it's quite possible that those civilized Finns will be able to conduct themselves with much more grace than we ever would.[Via CNET]
Finland's Prime Minister ends relationship via SMS
Matti Vanhanen is the current Prime Minister of Finland and was dubbed the "Sexiest Man" in the their country; however, being the sexiest man alive has nothing to do with having no backbone and not being able to breakup with another face-to-face." He had been dating Susan Kuronen, who he had met on the Internet, for several months before he decided to break up with her by sending a text message saying "that's it." We've never understood the cowardliness of people who can't break up with people face to face. Oh and by the way Jane, you and I are over![Via FARK.com]
Digita to build Flash-OFDM wireless broadband across Finland
Remember Flash-OFDM? Yeah, us neither. Well, it looks like the little wireless broadband standard is going to get a big push in Finland from Digita, who has just announced a nationwide network rollout. Digita is teaming up with Siemens for construction, and they've got some 450MHz frequency to work with, and are planning to launch on April 1st of 2007 with the early stages of the network covering most of Finnish Lapland and urban southern Finland. According to Digita: "The goal is to make Finland world's first country with a wireless broadband network covering the whole nation," which is a bit of a dubious claim in light of Japanese and Korean accomplishments in that realm, but 1.5mbps speeds aren't nothing to sneeze at. We're sure the Netgear folks are happy for the news.
Shuji Nakamura wins €1m for invention of LEDs
If you've ever turned on a computer, you can thank Shuji "Fiat Lux" Nakamura for the LED that glows back at you. This University of California, Santa Barbara-based professor was recently awarded the 2006 Millennium Technology Prize by the government of Finland yesterday for his work on light emitting diodes. The previous winner of the first prize went in 2004 to Tim "The Webfather" Berners-Lee -- and Nakamura, like Sir Tim and each future winner of this biannual prize, takes home a cool €1 million. Nakamura has also worked on the blue laser diode that is used in the reading of Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. Maybe we can now get Nakamura to use his smarts to go after the Nobel Peace Prize by solving the Blu-ray / HD DVD format war. [Via BBC]
Nokia comes home
After doing a little globetrotting through Moscow, Chicago, and Hong Kong, Nokia's finally ready to bring its flagship store concept to home turf. Their Helsinki location, which opens today, should offer Finns the same multimedia-in-your-face extravaganza that has blessed the three other locations opened thus far. For those keeping track, this marks flagship retail location number 4 of 18 for Nokia, with New York coming up next.[Via MobileBurn]
