Nokia announced today open availability of its MVC source code implementing H.264/MPEG-4 MVC, a leading multi-view video coding standard created jointly by the Telecommunication Standardization Sector of ITU and the Moving Picture Experts Group, MPEG of ISO/IEC. The source code is fully optimized for different uses in mobile devices and includes a player for the Maemo environment, making it easy for developers to take full advantage of the source code in an open, expandable ecosystem.
MVC is the newest addition to highly successful and widely deployed H.264/AVC family of video codecs serving multi-view and 3D video usage. It provides superior network robustness and compression performance for delivering 3D video by e.g. taking advantage of the inter-view dependencies of the different visual channels. In addition, its backwards compatibility with H.264/AVC codecs makes it widely interoperable in environments having both 2D and 3D capable devices.
Nokia acknowledges finalization of the MVC specification and is proud to contribute to the MVC community with this software release. “We are all very excited about this technology and the way it adds a whole new dimension to visual communication and entertainment. We hope this donation helps the developer community to take advantage of the full potential of the MVC technology and stimulates the creation of innovative applications and services”, says Jyri Huopaniemi, Director of Nokia Research Center Tampere laboratory.
The software is available for download at: http://research.nokia.com/research/mobile3D. The implementation has also been showcased at Nokia World 2008 using a modified Nokia N800 device with an integrated auto-stereoscopic display for natural real-time 3D video playback.
Nokia today presented the Nokia 6600i slide, a timeless beauty for imaging and sharing. The beauty is Nokia’s smallest 5 megapixel slider to date, and having it in your pocket you will never miss a moment to bring stories alive with the great snapshots.
In addition to its superb imaging capabilities, the Nokia 6600i slide indulges the quality-conscious consumer with its compact and elegant design which it has inherited from the commended Nokia 6600 slide. The brushed steel covers and chrome center key constitute both understated elegance as well as visual simplicity, and discreet tap commands bring the display alive, snooze alerts and silence or reject incoming phone calls.
The combination of 3G connectivity and excellent imaging capabilities, 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, and bright 2.2” display with 16 million colors, make capturing and sharing of memorable moments via various Internet services truly enjoyable. With an additional micro SD card the memory is expandable up to 16GB. In-box come a 1GB micro SD card and the Nokia stereo headset WH-203 with FM radio.
The Nokia 6600i slide has an estimated retail price of EUR 200 excluding taxes and subsidies and it is expected to start shipping in select markets in the third quarter of 2009.
Download press kit here.
John Clarke, Nokia Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer (CIO), won the title “Finnish CIO of the Year 2009”, through a process facilitated by Tietoviikko, a leading Finnish IT publication and CIO magazine. John was presented with the award at a gala dinner on May 5th in Helsinki.
“Congratulations to John for this public recognition of his leadership of Nokia’s IT capability and for driving change for our future success while supporting our existing business needs”, says Mary McDowell, head of Nokia Corporate Development Office. “While John is the public face of Nokia IT, the entire team deserves credit for their contributions to Nokia’s transformation by implementing technologies that will transform the way we work and the modes of operation we adopt”, she continues.
John was nominated for the title by the sponsors of the competition HP, Cisco and Accenture and was chosen as the winner from a strong field of candidates after a thorough evaluation and 360° interview process.
“I am honoured and humbled to accept this award, on behalf of the whole Nokia IT organization”, said John Clarke, CIO of Nokia IT, part of the Corporate Development Office. “It is a privilege to lead such a talented and hardworking team, which has done so much to transform the role of IT in Nokia to be a fundamental capability for enabling growth and accelerating the transformation of our company. I congratulate them all for their efforts.”
The jury came across some great examples of achievements in Nokia IT, reflecting John’s leadership and understanding of technology. For example, the Nokia IT community has done a great job delivering IT programs around telepresence and collaboration, which have both increased organizational effectiveness while significantly reducing travel costs.
It has been a busy start to the year for Eseries, Nokia’s range of productivity optimized devices, and the company has announced a new smartphone in the form of the Nokia E52. This voice optimized handset fits easily into your pocket and the impressive battery life means you can sit on single call for an eight hour business day without plugging in the charger. Of course, the new email UI from the Nokia E75 is here, along with a GPS, 3.2 Mpix camera, noise cancellation and all of those Ovi Services. The Nokia E52 is expected to start sales in the second half of 2009 at an estimated retail price, before taxes or subsidies, of EUR 245.
For more information, check out the blog post at conversations.nokia.com, read the SM release at Nokia Social Media releases or grab some pictures at the Press site.
