Kodak Zooms in on Cameraphones

Don't be surprised to see the Kodak brand name appear on more mobile phones than cameras in the not-too-distant future, reports DigitMag.

"The U.S. imaging icon aims to put as much of its technology as possible inside what it expects to become the dominant consumer picture-taking device -- the camera phone, according to a senior executive from Kodak.

"The compact digital camera is a short-term phenomena; it's going to be eclipsed by the camera phone," Fred Seibl, general manager Kodak in Stuttgart, said Wednesday in an interview on the sidelines of the Photokina imaging show in Cologne. "We would like to see a lot of our technology in those phones, and we are already taking steps to achieve that goal."

Seibl pointed to the deal Kodak struck in January with mobile-phone maker Motorola to collaborate in the area of mobile imaging.

That deal, which is nonexclusive, is to be followed by others, according to Seibl. "We're speaking with other handset manufacturers," he said, but declined to mention any names.

In addition to handset manufacturers, Kodak is targeting mobile-phone operators for its online service EasyShare Gallery, which allows customers to upload, organize and store multimedia content from their mobile phones or the Internet, as well as share and print images taken with their camera phones. The company is already partnering with T-Mobile in Germany to provide the service."

Home videos, beauty contests and party stunts: the future of mobiles

Mobile companies have been watching the rapid growth of networking and video-sharing websites such as MySpace and YouTube. They have realised that content created by users themselves might be just what they need to persuade their customers to do more with their phones than make calls and send text messages.

Early experiments certainly suggest there is a nascent market to be tapped. Read on for detailed examples in The Guardian.

NTT DoCoMo Co-Develops Portable 3D Display System

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. has co-developed a portable, seven-inch 3D display system with Associate Professor Yasuhiro Takagi of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. Both still images and video can be viewed in 3D without special glasses. [via NTT DoCoMo Press Release]

"DoCoMo, which hopes to put the system to practical use for dynamic, highly realistic games and mobile Internet shopping, will exhibit the system at its booth at CEATEC JAPAN 2006 from October 3 to 7."

Mobile ESPN Is to End Venture, Seek New Strategy

Mobile ESPN, a start-up cellphone company backed by Walt Disney Co., will be closing down operations, hoping to reinvent itself as a content partner of bigger wireless carriers, according to the WSJ.

"The company, which launched earlier this year at the Super Bowl, has developed cellphones that feature a variety of sports-centric content and features.

But it has struggled to build a customer base in a fiercely competitive cellular industry with much bigger players."

Restaurateurs are wary of culinary bloggers

Guess who joins the long list of privacy-fearing businesses who are wary off cameraphones and bloggers? Restaurateurs and their staff, because of a "blossoming number of camera-wielding patrons", reports The San Francisco Chronicle.

"The marriage of food bloggers and camera phones has given rise to often extensive photo essays of fancy meals. "

While cameras once signaled a diner trying to capture a happy moment, many restaurateurs now view them as the badge of a would-be critic. While the resulting photographs allow hungry Web surfers to preview their meals online, they also signal a new level of scrutiny for restaurants -- and less privacy for diners.

... Many bloggers, including some of the Bay Area's most notable online scribes, often painstakingly document each morsel of food put before them during a meal and publish dozens of images of a single meal online."

Picture from Gastronomie

Cabinet sessions in Lithuania now live on mobile phones

Deutsche Presse reports that Lithuania's cabinet sessions can now be watched in real time and live per mobile phone, a first for Europe. [via Smart Mobs]

"Cabinet sessions usually held on Wednesdays were hitherto open to accredited journalists. But now anyone who subscribes to a large mobile communications network in Lithuania can watch the sessions live and see the footage.

Press conferences and radio interviews on Lithuanian domestic issues could previously be downloaded from the internet."

Even in tightly controlled China, anyone can be a reporter

A very interesting piece from the Christian Science Monitor, on Molive, a site that lets ordinary people gather news with their camera cellphones, launched by Eric Zhang, a former staffer at the China Dailynews organization based in Beijing.

"The site, launched three weeks ago, lets people post photos they have taken to their own personal websites with small descriptions of the scenes. Editors comb the postings and put the best ones on Molive's home page. The site is young but already has more than 100 people posting on it from all around the country and more than 20,000 readers a day.

"There has to be a picture. No picture, no report," Mr. Zhang says. "There are all sorts of things. Sometimes accidents, sometimes just an interesting scene, sometimes just a beautiful woman."

But the potential for the site is greater. There are restrictions on it - no courts coverage and no murder or crime - but labor strikes, which technically don't exist in China, are allowed as a subject. And if there is a citizen uprising or disturbance? Zhang says he has not been given formal instructions, but he intends to allow people to post those items - though the site will not promote them to the front page.

The site, which like all Chinese media exists at the government's discretion, is being watched closely by China's leadership.

There are, of course, a lot of ways to read the creation of Molive. It might be seen as an aid for internal spying - a way for the government to keep tabs on people it sees as troublemakers. And some of the restrictions, like the one on courts coverage, show it is not exactly the home for free- wheeling reportage - though that's not really surprising.

There is also the question of what the site will look like in six months or a year, if it still exists at all. But the creation of Molive is significant because in it may also be a tacit acknowledgment by the Chinese government: Technology has reached the point where the control of information - even in a country as hard-line as China - is becoming difficult and perhaps impossible."

Nokia N95 Pictures, Info Leaked: 5-Megapixel Camera Built-In

Nokia is expected to officially unveil its latest flagship smartphone, the N95, later today in New York but several pictures and specs have made their way to the Internet.

The smartphone is expected to feature a 5-megapixel built-in camera and be compatible with the 3.5G wireless download standard HSDPA, which can achieve speeds of up to 3.6Mbps.

[reBlogged from Gizmodo. View more pictures on Symbian Freak and other great shots on Mobile Mentalism ]

The smallest cameraphone in the world

mobile|blog.it via The Raw Feed has found the smallest cameraphone in the world, from Asia.

Mom-and-Pop to Try Cellphone Payment

Family-owned Chevy Chase Supermarket is one of the first businesses in the Washington area to begin putting in place a pay-by-cellphone system. The Washington Post reports.

"Using RFID chips, customers will be able to store credit card and bank account numbers in their cellphones and charge their bill by swiping the phone across a sensor in the checkout line.

The new service should roll out in a year. But it may take twice that long for handset makers to deliver devices equipped with the RFID chips and for retailers to install sensors that can read them. Less than 5 percent of the world's cellphones will be embedded with the chips by 2007, according to ABI Research. That number is expected to reach 30 percent by 2011. Only about 50,000 payment terminals currently accept this type of payment."

Teens posting schoolyards fights on-line

Students engaging in violent fights just so they can post videos of the clash on the Internet is something for parents to deal with, not Canadian lawmakers, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said Thursday, reports The Globe and Mail.

"The fight videos from Orangeville District High School posted on YouTube show different pairs of teens punching and kicking each other as others cheer them on and use their camera phones to record the action.

There are similar videos from high schools across North America posted on the popular video sharing web site. A search for ‘school fights turns up over 3,000 videos on youtube.com, including several from Orangeville, Ont.

Users of the video-sharing web site can also post comments about the images they see, and most of those talking about the Orangeville fight club were full of profanities."

The Office to make US mobile debut

NBC Universal is putting the best bits of its version of The Office on mobile phones through a deal with I-play, according to C21 media.net.

"NBC's version of BBC sitcom The Office will be the first property out of the gate, debuting later this year in the form of the series' most memorable moments edited for on-demand mobile video."

eBay rival brings auctioneering to camera phones

Everyone knows that putting a picture against an item you wish to dispose of helps to sell it on eBay, writes The Inquirer, "But a rival UK service, TextandSell, intends to harness the power of cameraphones to do so.

"With its new site set to launch next week (27th September), Textandsell encourages potential vendors to snap the item they want to sell. Then simply create a picture message (MMS) or text (SMS) which includes a description the item plus an indication of the desired sales price.

Finally send both text and/or photo to the company's mobile phone number – +447740827827.

The site intends to use location based technology which will enable vendors to search for items in their general vicinity – rather than searching the whole of the UK."

WayMarkr's concept of "life caching"

The WayMarkr application is based on the concept of "life caching" -- documenting whatever occurs in your life. WayMarkr suggests you place the camera phone somewhere on your body -- hang it around your neck, attach it to a strap across your shoulders or even wear it in the back of your head.

Once the software is enabled, your phone will continuously take photographs of your events and perspectives. All photographs are sent to a remote server so your phone never runs out of space.

People who have very bad memory problems in general or don't remember whether they've taken their medicines might find it useful to have a product that continuously documents their activities."

Reiter's Camera Phone Report and The Guardian via we-make-money-not-art.com

Nokia Adds Mobile Printing Service

Software in four of Nokia's Nseries camera phones will enable users to order prints of their pictures for store pick-up or home delivery from services such as Hewlett-Packard's Snapfish. The new software will add to the printing capabilities of the phones, which can already connect to certain printers over USB or a Bluetooth wireless connection. [via PC World]

Mobile adult video constitute 50% of the global market?

According new research by Juniper Research, the global market for mobile text based adult services (currently 20% of the market) is forecast to peak by next year at $303 million.

After which revenues from this type of service will decline as media-rich graphics and video services become even more dominant. Netimperative reports.

"In marked contrast, mobile adult video services which already constitute 50% of the global market, will continue their rapid rise in popularity to reach $1.7bn in 2009, eventually realising $2.4bn by 2011.

By 2011 they will account for over 70% of mobile adult content market revenues, the report predicts. "

(Picture left from Netcollex.

Projector size of sugar cube made

A video projector that is the size of a sugar cube has been created by researchers, reports the BBC.

"The miniature device could be used to project images from mobile phones, PDAs or laptops, according to the team. Tt was created by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.

Traditional projectors use arrays of millions of mirrors to display footage, but this petite prototype comprises a single tiny mirror. "

Related: - Phone to Carry Video Projector

OCR for your mobile phone

A company called ABBYY , out of Southern California, has come up with an application that lets you take a picture of a set of text with your mobile phone and convert that picture into digital text. [via Mobilemag]

Related:

-- Motorola phone reads name cards for you

-- LG to Release Handset with OCR Capabilities

-- Sanyo W31SA II model can read English

-- Hitachi Develops Camera Phone Software That Reads Japanese

-- SpeechGear translates documents and street signs

Convert text messages into Talking Characters

Kemeleon is a system that allows you to convert text messages into video of a character reading that message back to you, or an intended recipient.

You can send messages to others via MMS, or email, or as a link in an SMS. The message will be automatically created in a format that is appropriate for the type of phone the recipient has.

The technology was developed from technology that is used to animate characters in games and movies, and by combining it with realistic sounding artificial voices Kemeleon provides you with this new revolutionary communication medium.

[via Australian IT]

Fujitsu develops “invisible” barcode

Fujitsu has just unveiled a new type of “invisible” barcode, called FP (Fine Picture) code, which allows data to be embedded directly into color print photographs. [ Pink Tentacle via deli.cio.us/regine]

"FP code consists of a series of faint yellow lines — said to be invisible to the naked eye — which are overlaid on the photograph during the printing process.

Once encoded, a photograph can retain its original quality while serving as an “object hyperlink” to websites that users can access via mobile phone.

The first examples of FP code will reportedly begin to appear in Japanese catalogs and magazine advertisements as early as October."

The Next Generation Mobile Networks initiative

A group of the world's biggest mobile-phone operators -- with a combined customer base of more than 500 million -- said Thursday that they will work together to develop common standards and technologies for the development of mobile broadband. WSJ reports.

"Operators including China Mobile Ltd., KPN NV, NTT DoCoMo Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp., Vodafone Group PLC, France Telecom SA's Orange and Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile have established the Next Generation Mobile Networks initiative.

The initiative aims to shape the development and standardization of mobile technologies that go beyond the highest-speed third-generation networks."

Rok TV launches FreeBe (mobile)

ROK TV has expanded its ever-growing portfolio of mobile services to include what the company claims is the first free mobile TV service. Pocket-lint reports.

"Appropriately named FreeBe TV, the service is available in the US and in the UK, and is compatible with 14 Nokia and Sony Ericsson handsets.

Available now are four channels: Extreme Sports, Vintage Comedy, Classic Cartoons, and Classic Movies. Rok TV hopes to expand to live sports and news channels soon.

Although users pay nothing to Rok TV, the service is aimed at mobile customers who have GPRS data packages as part of their tariff."

McDonalds Japan places QR Codes on Big Macs

McDonald’s is now placing QR codes on the packaging of many foods so that eaters can scan the package with their cell phones and find out the nutritional information. CalorieLab reports via digg.

"Scanning the QR Code on any of 19 sandwiches, eight sides and five salads brings up a URL, which will take customers to the nutritional information for the food they are eating.

Customers will be able to view the amount of calories in their meal, as well as the amount of sodium, fat, protein and carbs. Information is available both for individual items and meals.

Customers can also find out about allergy information, though it might be a little too late by the time you’ve already purchased your meal."

Seiko to Launch 3.2 megapixel camera module for Cameraphones

Japan's Corporate News Network, Seiko has announced that it has launched the P0029, a 6mm-thin 3.2 megapixel camera module with auto-focus function, for cameraphones.

E.T. (and friends) set for some Magic Mobile Moments

Soon you’ll be able to wachsome classic clips from E.T., Jurassic Park or The 40-Year-Old Virgin on your cell phone, courtesy of a deal announced this week by Universal Studios and mobile game publisher I-play. Pocket Picks reports.

"They’ve teamed up to create a mobile video channel called Magic Moments, which will initially offer clips from the above films, along with The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift, Animal House, The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles."

Airlines look at mobile phone boarding passes

By 2010 UK airline passengers could be checking in and boarding flights using an electronic barcode transmitted to their mobile phone, industry experts predict. [via Computing]

"Airlines including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are considering mobile technology as an alternative to traditional magnetic strip-based boarding passes."

Smarter Shelf

DNP, Tana-X, and SEARS codeveloped a smart shelf that can monitor detailed consumer behaviors.

The shelf monitors RFID-tagged sales items on the shelf and collects information such as:

- how many people stopped in front of a sales item
- how many people did not stop in front of a sales item
- how many times / how long a sales item was picked up by a customer
- how much time was spent by a consumer before coming to a decision whether or not to buy it

reBlogged from wonderful RFID in Japan.

CBS Digital Media taps actress as its "Wireless Hostess"

According to The Wireless Report, in an attempt to attach a face to its growing portfolio of wireless products, CBS Digital Media has tapped actress A Ashley Hartman as its "wireless hostess."

"According to the company, Ms. Hartman will be showing up on videos and alerts on mobile phones along with CBS websites where consumers will have the opportunity to buy CBS-branded mobile content such as news alerts and video clips from shows such as Entertainment Tonight."

In 2003, Hartman went to Hollywood in order to participate in American Idol and made it into the second season's top 32 finalists. ... She was soon recruited by the casting director of the FOX series The O.C. She had a recurring role as Holly Fischer in the first season of The O.C. for six of that season's episodes.

Sprint phones will soon pipe in video news clips

According to USA Today, Sprint will announce today that it will create its own sports and entertainment "network" for Sprint mobile phones with daily video news clips on topics that range from fashion to football.

"Initially, the "Sprint Power View" service will offer about 25 minutes per day of made-for-mobile videos that emulate Entertainment Tonight and ESPN's SportsCenter. Content will be stored for 24 hours for access on demand.

Previously, Sprint — and most of its competitors — have built mobile video offerings with clips from traditional media outlets such as NBC and Fox."

DoCoMo to test RFID behavior inference in Yokohama

According to Keita Watch via RFID in Japan, NTT DoCoMo recently developed a system that utilizes mobile phones and RFID tags to monitor and infer people's behaviors and deliver relevant information.

"The system uses mobile phones that have the RFID reader capability. Those RFID reader phones read tags embedded in retail stores, for example, and the software running on the phones sends out information such as the stores people visited. Then the system infers people's behavirs and deliver information based on the inference results.

The system will be tested at Takashimaya department store in Yokohama, from September 13 till September 26. The system will for example recommend shoppers the next shops to visit or suggest to take a rest etc. (via SMS messages) ".