Nokia just hosted the first Apex Legends event completely over Wi-Fi
Can you play competitive games like Apex Legends entirely over Wi-Fi? Nokia thinks you can is is working to make it happen.
MWC 2019: folding wrist phones, 5G and quintuple cameras – 8 standout gadgets
Also unveiled in Barcelona: Microsoft’s Hololens 2 and phones with folding screens
The annual mobile technology jamboree in Barcelona has revealed the latest exciting developments that will feature in phones, tablets and watches over the next 12 months. From folding handsets and ultra-sophisticated cameras to brick-like smartphones with a very long battery life – here are eight of the most notable products from Mobile World Congress 2019 this week.
Continue reading...MWC 2019: folding wrist phones, 5G and quintuple cameras – 8 standout gadgets
Also unveiled in Barcelona: Microsoft’s Hololens 2 and phones with folding screens
The annual mobile technology jamboree in Barcelona has revealed the latest exciting developments that will feature in phones, tablets and watches over the next 12 months. From folding handsets and ultra-sophisticated cameras to brick-like smartphones with a very long battery life – here are eight of the most notable products from Mobile World Congress 2019 this week.
Samsung’s $2,000 Galaxy Fold changes the smartphone game
Continue reading...Titanic VR Developer VR Education Release Learning Platform ENGAGE
Thanks to its IPO in March which raised £6 million GBP, VR Education Holdings not only managed to fund projects like Titanic VR, but also further develop its proprietary VR education platform, ENGAGE. Today, the company has announced the launch of version 1.0 for commercial use.
This initial release of ENGAGE supports HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets with devices such as the Oculus Go, Vive Focus and Google DayDream to be added in the new year.
In development since 2015, ENGAGE has been designed to overcome certain aspects of online courses and traditional learning methods. The platform allows for virtual face-to-face education and training in a variety of environments regardless of the geographical location of the user, with one of its key components being the ability for educators and trainers to use the software to create their own VR lessons and presentations.
“The full release of ENGAGE is a transformational moment in our corporate history and is the result of many years of hard work, cutting-edge research and innovation,” said David Whelan, CEO of VR Education in a statement. “People today all over the world say let’s SKYPE when talking about online communications and meetings. In the future we want people to say let’s ENGAGE and enter VR to communicate in a more natural way.”
VR Education has already partnered with Nokia Corporation and Shenandoah University, with them testing the pre-release versions of the ENGAGE platform before signing up to commercial agreements. Intel is currently promoting the ENGAGE platform throughout the US as part of the Tech Learning Lab initiative which will be touring Europe and the UK soon.
“Although significant revenues are not expected to be generated from the ENGAGE platform until general adoption of VR and AR increases over the next two to three years, I am nonetheless delighted that both Nokia and Shenandoah University have signed commercial agreements. Being aligned to global leaders like these institutions demonstrates the potential and need for the platform,” Whelan adds.
And thanks to partnerships with the BBC, the University of Bristol, the University of Oxford and the University of New Haven, the content VR Education has helped create will immediately be available on the platform.
You can check out VR Education’s VR projects at home by downloading Titanic VR or Apollo 11 VR HD. For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.
Nokia Announces VR Cutbacks As It Refocuses Its Business Direction
Nokia’s had a very frantic last few years, being taken over then sold by Microsoft and with the brand effectively being killed in between that time. It’s been over a year since the buyout was finalised by former Nokia employees in Finland, after they formed HMD – a company name with the potential to cause a degree of confusion for a virtual reality (VR) website.
When it comes to VR, rumours first appeared back of their involvement back in 2015, and it was not long after that, that the OZO VR Camera was first revealed by Microsoft. Since then Nokia have been a relatively constant presence, appearing at events and working with multiple partners through the OZO VR camera. On everything from medical technology to Star Wars.
Unfortunately, for a company trying to find its place once again in the ever-changing world of technology and with the development of the VR market being “slower-than-expected”, Nokia has announced they are changing tack and will instead begin focusing on growing it’s brand and technology licencing and will be “optimizing” it’s investments in VR going forward. Concentrating more on digital healthcare, follow its purchase of Withings back in 2016.
What this all boils down to is an end of development on the OZO, both the camera and associated hardware.
This will result in job losses in the UK, US and Finland with up to 310 roles affected. Speaking on the decision, Gregory Lee of Nokia Technologies said; “Nokia Technologies is at a point where, with the right focus and investments, we can meaningfully grow our footprint in the digital health market, and we must seize that opportunity. While necessary, the changes will also affect our employees, and as a responsible company we are committed to providing the needed support to those affected.”
Support will still be given for existing customers, however it’s not clear how these cutbacks will close the door entirely on Nokia’s overall interest in VR going forward. Some of those who lose jobs may find roles at Varjo, a company set up by former Microsoft and Nokia employees and who are currently working on developing high-density VR displays.
VRFocus will, of course, bring you any further information as we get it as to Nokia’s future in immersive technologies.
Nokia OZO+ Camera Drops In Price
The Nokia OZO system for capturing and editing 360-degree video is primary aimed at high-end, professional users, and as such its expense puts it out of reach of most consumers and small businesses. That may change, however, with the announcement that Nokia are dropping the price of the OZO+ camera to $25,000 (USD).
Though still aimed at the high end market with its new price tag, it may now be an option for smaller production companies and filmmaking collectives. The Nokia OZO+ offers some advantages over lower-end 360-degree cameras, since it is capable of capturing footage in 4K for each eye, as opposed to most 360-degree footage with divides the available resolution between each eye display. The Nokia OZO+ can offerD Spatial audio, a fully-spherical 360×180 area of video coverage and capture at 30 FPS.
The OZO+ software is supported by Mac OS and Windows 10 and stereoscopic monitoring can be done with full 3D audio with Oculus DK2 on Mac OSX and Oculus Rift and HTC Vive on Windows 10. The device comes with a 500GB memory cartridge to enable longer shooting times.
Nokia have recently launched new features for the device, including a time-lapse mode and real-time monitoring using HTC Vive. The OZO+ camera also automatically captures depth maps, which allows for accurate integration of CGI elements into footage in a way that looks real and natural.
Nokia will also be showcasing the OZO camera and its latest features at IBC 2017 in Amsterdam.
Further information can be found on the Nokia OZO website.
VRFocus will continue to report on price drops and discounts for VR hardware.
Nokia Showcase New OZO Features At IBC 2017
Finnish tech company Nokia have been making inroads to virtual reality (VR) and 360-degree video with its professional-grade Nokia OZO camera and associated software. The company will be demonstrating new new features of OZO at the IBC in Amsterdam later this month.
Nokia announced in June that OZO Live and OZO Creator would both now come with native support for Windows, allowing OZO to be a multi-platform tool for VR content creators. Broadcasters can also take advantage of a free version of OZOLive without watermarks to test some of the features available on the platform.
New features coming to OZO Live include:
- Spatial Audio Mixing – users will be able to position audio sources within 3D space to offer more immersive soundscapes. Audio over IP is supported for the Dante and ALSA soundcards.
- 4K-per-eye Stereo over SDI – Instead of 4K being spilt over both eyes, each eye gets its own full-resolution 4K image.
- Multi-mode Monitoring – Node discovery allows all OZOLive devices on the same network to be identified and switched to from a single page, allowing users to utilise OZO devices like a traditional multi-camera setup.
Representatives from Nokia will be participating in sevral VR and 360-degree video topics at IBC 2017, such as Best Practices for Live 360 Broadcasting and Developing the Cinematic VR experience.
Attendees at IBC 2017 can find out more by visiting the Nokia booth in Hall 10, stand D26. Further information on IBC 2017 is available at the official website.
VRFocus will continue to report on new developments in VR and 360-degree video hardware.
Nokia und Xiaomi: Partnerschaft für VR und weltweite Expansion
Auch wenn Xiaomi für detailgetreue und hochwertige Kopien von existierenden Produkten bekannt ist, so hat dies den Ruf des chinesischen Unternehmens kaum geschädigt. Immerhin orientiert sich Xiaomi nicht nur an der Konkurrenz, sondern erreicht auch häufig dessen Qualität und unterbietet gleichzeitig deutlich den Preis. Nun geht der Hersteller eine Partnerschaft mit Nokia ein, um Patente in den Bereichen Virtual Reality und Augmented Reality zu teilen.
Nokia und Xiaomi
Wie CNBC berichtet, soll die Partnerschaft für neue Produkte und Entwicklungen verwendet werden. Beispielsweise möchten Nokia und Xiaomi den Austausch der Patente nutzen, um Virtual Reality Brillen und Augmented Reality Brillen zu optimieren und die Artificial Intelligence voranzutreiben. Xiaomi hat in den letzten 7 Jahren bereis über 16.000 Patente eingereicht und 4.000 Patente wurden anerkannt.
Das große Problem an Xiaomi Hardware ist, dass die Produkte häufig nur in Asien angeboten werden. Mit Nokia könnte dieses Problem zeitnah gelöst werden, denn der neue Partner soll die globale Expansion beschleunigen.
Xiaomi und Nokia sind im Virtual Reality Bereich auch definitiv keine Neulinge. Nokia bietet mit der OZO eine 360-Grad-Kamera für professionelle Anwender an und Xiaomi hat bereits zwei VR-Brillen für Smartphones auf den Markt gebracht, wobei besonders die Mi VR Brille gezeigt hat, dass Xiaomi sich aktuell nicht auf den westlichen Markt konzentriert.
(Quelle: CNBC)
Der Beitrag Nokia und Xiaomi: Partnerschaft für VR und weltweite Expansion zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!
Nokia und Xiaomi: Partnerschaft für VR und weltweite Expansion
Auch wenn Xiaomi für detailgetreue und hochwertige Kopien von existierenden Produkten bekannt ist, so hat dies den Ruf des chinesischen Unternehmens kaum geschädigt. Immerhin orientiert sich Xiaomi nicht nur an der Konkurrenz, sondern erreicht auch häufig dessen Qualität und unterbietet gleichzeitig deutlich den Preis. Nun geht der Hersteller eine Partnerschaft mit Nokia ein, um Patente in den Bereichen Virtual Reality und Augmented Reality zu teilen.
Nokia und Xiaomi
Wie CNBC berichtet, soll die Partnerschaft für neue Produkte und Entwicklungen verwendet werden. Beispielsweise möchten Nokia und Xiaomi den Austausch der Patente nutzen, um Virtual Reality Brillen und Augmented Reality Brillen zu optimieren und die Artificial Intelligence voranzutreiben. Xiaomi hat in den letzten 7 Jahren bereis über 16.000 Patente eingereicht und 4.000 Patente wurden anerkannt.
Das große Problem an Xiaomi Hardware ist, dass die Produkte häufig nur in Asien angeboten werden. Mit Nokia könnte dieses Problem zeitnah gelöst werden, denn der neue Partner soll die globale Expansion beschleunigen.
Xiaomi und Nokia sind im Virtual Reality Bereich auch definitiv keine Neulinge. Nokia bietet mit der OZO eine 360-Grad-Kamera für professionelle Anwender an und Xiaomi hat bereits zwei VR-Brillen für Smartphones auf den Markt gebracht, wobei besonders die Mi VR Brille gezeigt hat, dass Xiaomi sich aktuell nicht auf den westlichen Markt konzentriert.
(Quelle: CNBC)
Der Beitrag Nokia und Xiaomi: Partnerschaft für VR und weltweite Expansion zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!
New Business Partnership Agreement Signed By Nokia and Xiaomi
As the playing field of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) gets bigger and more inclusive and more companies look to it as a way of expanding their business strategy and influence it’s increasingly becoming a case of buy up, team up, or in some cases even shut down. Now two major players in tech have come to the conclusion that the middle path might just be best for all concerned.
Chinese electronics firm Xiaomi and Finnish multinational communications firm Nokia have each made ever more significant moves into the technology over the last year, with Nokia in particular being prominent. In the last couple of months alone VRFocus has covered stories about their latest software development kit release, a new healthier living scheme, their work with the medical field, its Storytellers programme for OZO, and live streams of AR and mixed reality (MR). Whilst Xiaomi, who have been rather bullish about the possibilities in the Chinese market have been busy with their Mi VR mobile head-mounted display (HMD) amongst other interests.
Now the pair have signed a new multi-year co-operation agreement that will see Nokia and Xiaomi working together and cross-licensing each others patents with regard to cellphones, network infrastructure and operations relating to the web and datacentres which the agreement mostly revolves around. However, as specifically pointed out in the release issued by Nokia earlier today, both AR, VR as well as artificial intelligence (A.I.) and other projects that fall under the ‘Internet of Things’.
“As a company seeking to deliver more exciting technological innovations to the world, we are excited at the opportunity to work more closely with Nokia in future.” Confirmed Xiaomi’s chairman and CEO Lei Jun in a statement. “Xiaomi is committed to building sustainable, long-term partnerships with global technology leaders. Our collaboration with Nokia will enable us to tap on its leadership in building large, high performance networks and formidable strength in software and services, as we seek to create even more remarkable products and services that deliver the best user experience to our Mi fans worldwide.”
Speaking on both companies work in the smartphone sector, President & CEO of Nokia commented that “Xiaomi is one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers and we are delighted to have reached an agreement with them. In addition to welcoming such a prominent global technology company to our family of patent licensees, we look forward to working together on a wide range of strategic projects.”
How this will agreement will affect such projects as Nokia’s OZO and the aforementioned Xiaomi Mi VR HMD remains to be seen, however VRFocus will be covering anything that happens.