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Nokia 7650 Modified to Record Video Clips

rocannon writes "T-Mobile has started offering MPEG4 video messaging on the Nokia 7650 with a modified software created by the Finnish company Hantro. This is the European debut of the service that allows users to record, save and play back video sequences, up to a maximum of 95 Kbs in size, on their mobile phone. Clips can be transmitted and received to/from peers via (MMS) e-mail."

33 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. Now I can... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Email the expression on my face when i get the bill (-:

  2. Cool, but I still want a P800 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Too bad the P800 will probably cost something like $800.... But I bet they will mod the P800 to record video, as well. Too bad the camera points away from the LCD screen -- most of the video I would shoot would be of myself, for a video email to a friend or family member. Clumsy to not be able to see the screen when shooting yourself.

    Maybe I'll just get a Hiptop. Out now, apparently. To be officially released on October 1st via CompUSA/T-Mobile.

    1. Re:Cool, but I still want a P800 by arb · · Score: 2, Funny

      Clumsy to not be able to see the screen when shooting yourself.

      Come on man! It's not that bad is it? Sure the price is high, but not worth commiting suicide over!

  3. 95 Kbs in *size*? by Compact+Dick · · Score: 2, Insightful


    Isn't that a measure of streaming speed, and not absolute size?

    In any case, one can think up of many "innocuous" uses facilitated by its innocent facade. "Oh dear, I dropped it again." :-)

    1. Re:95 Kbs in *size*? by jfanning · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Nope, that is the size. The standard for MMS multimedia messaging restricts the size of any message to 100kb. It doesn't matter what the content is, voice, video, image.

      Jody

    2. Re:95 Kbs in *size*? by AftanGustur · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Nope, that is the size. The standard for MMS multimedia messaging restricts the size of any message to 100kb

      The unit 'Kilo' in physics, meaning 1000, is written 'k'
      The unit 'Kilo', in CS, meaning 1024 is written 'K'
      Bytes is written 'B'
      bits is written 'b'
      Seconds is written as 's' or '/s' as in 'per second'

      Then, 95Kbs is logical to interpret as 95Kilobits per second, and that, my dear watson, is a unit for streaming capacity.

      --
      echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb572CCB9AE9DB03273snlbxq' |dc
    3. Re:95 Kbs in *size*? by magicianuk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      But if I order 25Kgs of potatoes, people realise that I'm accidentally making it a plural (25 kilos) and not asking someone to stream mashed potato to me

      I'm guessing it was a simple slip of the fingers to indicate a plural, but it's always fun to get to play "Captain Pedantic"[1] for a day, isn't it (bigger grin!)

      [1] There is no such character as Captain Pedantic, to the best of my knowledge, but I could be wrong! - General Comment, DFC and (cash) bar.

    4. Re:95 Kbs in *size*? by Quixote · · Score: 2

      Alternately, "b" may represent "bit", and someone may be inclined to write "Kbs" as a plural for "Kb". It is certainly within the realm of possibility...

    5. Re:95 Kbs in *size*? by toriver · · Score: 2
      The unit 'Kilo', in CS, meaning 1024 is written 'K'

      Nope, the (somewhat recent) ISO standard says Ki, that is 95 KiB for CS-type "kilobytes". Harddisk manufacturers use 1000 just to inflate their numbers... (128 MiB =~ 130 MB)

  4. Yoik! Video ringers! by csmorris · · Score: 4, Funny

    Great. So theoretically, instead of interrupting movies and lectures with an obnoxious rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody", cell phones can instead play highly compressed scenes from "Can't Hardly Wait."

    --
    I place the blame squarely upon tight pants.
  5. I can understand the appeal... by neksys · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But is 95k worth of video enough to be useful? I mean, even at really low quality, and acknowledging the small resolution of these phones, that still leaves you with quite a short message. On the other hand, the cost of sending that 95k of data to another phone must be high - hell, it costs me a fortune to download a few thousand bytes onto my phone through my web connection.

    1. Re:I can understand the appeal... by tuoppi · · Score: 3, Informative

      At least in here Finland, mobile operators have very different billing schemes. One operator charges only static monthly (very reasonable) cost of GPRS usage, with no limits on data transferred - which is a great way to promote GPRS to public. Some operators on another hand have ridicilously high rates on data transfers, most likely their services are rarely used.

      In practice this means that you will pay the price you are ready to pay for that service.And it is up to economists to figure out what you're ready to pay, not up to you. ;-)

  6. Nokia 6650 by leijona · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Nokia has announced yesterday a new camera phone with ability to record video (and sound) clips, up to 7MB in size [http://www.nokia.com/6650_event/index.html]. It is WCDMA (that's why external antennae, btw) and is capable of (at least) 128kb/s transfer rate in 3G network. It works in GSM networks too, of course, achieving very agreeable transfer rates using GPRS.

    Of course, it supports MMS, polyphonic ringing tones, Bluetooth and what-have-you. Large color screen, hefty weight and unbelievable stand-by time.

    Do you notice, btw, that phones grow bigger in size nowsdays?

    1. Re:Nokia 6650 by interiot · · Score: 2

      New technologies always make the phone bigger in size. When manufacturers went from analog phones to digital phones, it took them a couple of releases before they knew the technology well enough to shrink the phone and make the battery life competitive. Motorola didn't realize this at first, and thought that digital phones were going to suck forever, so didn't invest much in releasing them, and as such, fell behind Nokia.

    2. Re:Nokia 6650 by sql*kitten · · Score: 2

      Do you notice, btw, that phones grow bigger in size nowsdays?

      I wonder if that's a usability thing and nothing to do with the technology. Take the Nokia 8210 for example: it's too small. It's uncomfortable (for me at least) to use, and it's easy to lose. My 6210 feels at lot more comfortable in my hand, the buttons are easy to use, and the speaker and microphone are the right distance apart, closer to that on a landline handset. Some people may like miniaturization, but for me, it's not a selling point at all - I want a bigger handset anyway, so why not pack in as many features and as much battery life as possible?

  7. I think I should be the first to point out... by dknj · · Score: 4, Informative

    That you can fit decent quality movie clips into a 95kb file. Original article here

    -dk

  8. More about the features of 6650 by jukal · · Score: 4, Informative
    6650 product page:

    - Weight: 141 g
    - Dimensions: 132 x 52 x 25 mm
    - Talktime: 2 h 20 min (WCDMA), 2 h 40 min (GSM)
    - Standby time: Up to 350 h
    - Key features: Integrated camera for taking video and still images, new WCDMA air interface, fast connection: up to 128 kbps, multimedia messaging (MMS), large graphical color display, multitasking: talk and send simultaneously
    - Operating frequency: Tri-band mobile phone for WCDMA and GSM 900/1800 networks
    - Imaging resolution: Image/video capture at 640x480/128x96, more than 10 frames/second

    Full specifications are here.

    So althought the product from Hantro is interesting, it seems to unfortunately have entered the market 6-12 months too late to do a difference. These (and better) capabilities will be a standard feature too soon.

    1. Re:More about the features of 6650 by jukal · · Score: 2
      Nokia said that the handset will start shipping to network operators in the 4th quarter of 2002 and that will start reaching consumers in the first half of 2003 as the first 3G networks start coming online.

      from here.

  9. mpeg4? by Trojan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Well maybe I didn't look carefully enough, but nowhere do I see mention of mpeg4 encoding, and I actually doubt very much that a mobile phone would be capable of that. Probably more like animated gif or so.

  10. 7650 Camera Resolution by Joel+Rowbottom · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Resolution on the 7650 is pants. Don't expect anything spectacular ;)


    Photos using the Nokia 7650 can be viewed at nokia7650.fotopic.net


    I'll try and get round to installing this video stuff and do some messing though. The 7650's not a bad phone, pity Nokia's SDK sucks so much.

    --
    Smegma.
    1. Re:7650 Camera Resolution by Joel+Rowbottom · · Score: 2

      I get better quality from the ov511 camera plugged into my laptop.

      I guess my gripe is that no matter what conditions, it looks like someone's smeared vaseline over the lens.

      --
      Smegma.
  11. Great... by sillydragon · · Score: 3, Funny

    Great, I can just see it now... You call in sick to work...

    *ring*
    Yeah, hi, I'm not going to be able to make it in to work today because I strained my *sound of fingers accidentally hitting button*

    *Picture of you standing on beach appears on boss' cell*

    Beach? What beach?? No, seriously! Fired? What? Hello? Hello?!

  12. One step closer..... by sawilson · · Score: 5, Interesting

    to a realistic portable personal concealable full
    motion video device. I can't wait. Especially
    when the video is automatically shot through the
    air to somewhere else and can't be taken away,
    destroyed, etc. So many good uses:

    #1 When your girlfriend calls you a liar about
    where you've been

    #2 When the cop lies about what he said and did
    in traffic court

    #3 When your boss tries to take credit for
    something you did

    #4 When that coworker gets fitshaced at the
    office party

    #5 etc.

    You get the idea.

  13. CowboyNeal by skydude_20 · · Score: 2

    porn-industry-ready dept.

    Come on, stop the flow...
    CowboyNeal, just the thought of a huge fat geek 'enjoying' his porn on a tiny screen..*shudder*

    --
    Jesus saves souls and redeems them for valuable cash prizes
  14. But Why Will This Be Used? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Videophones have been an abysmal failure in direct wired connections. Why would this feature be popular for cell phones?

    People are already worried about traffic accidents [apparently] caused by cell phones. Imagine if people are not only talking on cell phones but also watching them when driving?

    1. Re:But Why Will This Be Used? by jukal · · Score: 3, Insightful
      > Videophones have been an abysmal failure in direct wired connections. Why would this feature be popular for cell phones?

      Because no-one is interested in walking to a certain FIXED place, and wonder out how on the earth THIS SPECIFIC videomeeting thing works. When those services are available on your pocket, through a relatively simple and relatively standardized interfaces, you might actually use it. Also, I don't believe their main use will be as video"phones", instead they will be used to send images and videoclips. Atleast I never have a camera with me when I would have needed it.

  15. PORN....as always by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    this is going to be a money-maker for pornographers...brings a whole new meaning to "dirty phone calls". people already spend £1.50 a minute to download ringtones or £1 a text message with text flirting services, think how much could be made from mobile adult video services...

  16. Re:Who cares? by jyristys · · Score: 2, Informative

    Not true. Nokia has allready announced 3650 ( http://www.nokia.com/phones/3650/ ) which is triband (works in the USA too), and can record video without any extra software. This baby also icludes an MMC card for storing those video clips and should be on sale early next year.

  17. One wonders by CaptainZapp · · Score: 3, Insightful
    If MMS will really ever fly.

    The Neue Zurcher Zeitung, which features one of the best Media & IT section from any German speaking newspaper tested the MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) capabilities of the 7650 and the Ericsson T68i three weeks ago.

    In a nutshell: It sometimes works. But only if the sender and the receiver both have the same phone. If you have the T68i and I send you an MMS from a Nokia you either get gibberish or nothing at all.

    If we have the same phones we also better be with the same carrier, otherwise: see above. Regardless of success you're anyway billed 55euro-cents per message.

    After WAP and some exorbitantly overpriced UMTS licenses mobile services could see their third Waterloo here by giving up simplicity and standards and bloating those devices with extremely complex and buggy sub systems, for which they weren't designed for in the first place.

    The beauty of SMS lies in its simplicity and its standardization (partially basterdized by carriers in the US), which is adhered to throughout the European GSM network. Adding crappy features that nobody wants or needs and that rarely function the carriers and manufacturers do themselves a disservice.

    Besides, I don't think that the business user (the one generating the most revenue) is very interested in sending 95KB video clips (or fotos for that matter) around the world. The guy wants a reliable phone, which is connected without hiccups after leaving the plane in Basel, Barcelona or Bangalore.

    --
    ich bin der musikant

    mit taschenrechner in der hand

    kraftwerk

  18. Re:What is that with this 'antenna' we still use? by Filarion · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I don't know any specifics regarding this on-chip antenna, but I do know that there were medical studies regarding the radiation emitted by cellphones and the consensus then was that external antennas (pointing out at a specific angle) greatly reduce the -possibly- harmful radiation.

    --
    --[Nothing important]--
  19. Please explain. by cat_jesus · · Score: 2

    You understand the appeal? Good, can you explain it to me? I have no idea why someone would want one of these( except maybe vanity). It seems to me to be a totally worthless piece of technology. But I could be wrong, that's why I'm asking.

  20. Breaking new ground in dirty phone calls by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 2

    I predict it would be used first to send porn clips to unsuspecting woman. "Hey honey, here I am spanking my monkey."

    --
    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  21. Re:pr0n phone by EnglishTim · · Score: 2

    Couldn't get it to work :-P