May 28
May 28
Earlier today, we learned that Samsung had bested Nokia on its home turf by claiming the lion’s share of phone sales in Finland last quarter, but its invasion of Nokia’s territory won’t end there. Samsung will soon unveil a new research hub in Espoo, Finland, and a company rep confirmed that the center will open its doors on June 13th. Though specifics about the nature of research are being kept under wraps, a recent job posting from Oikotie revealed what could be the center’s name: Samsung Electronics Research Institute. SERI could potentially be related to Samsung’s partnership with Finland’s VTT Technical Research Center, announced last month, to explore energy efficient technologies. Beyond that, details are sparse, but we’ll keep you posted as more information on Samsung’s latest R&D endeavor trickles in.
Filed under: Cellphones, Science, Mobile, Samsung
Source: YLE
May 28
Nokia might have been bested by Samsung’s global phone shipments for a while, but there was always one vanguard — the Finnish public, who have patriotically stood by (and bought up) Nokia smartphones over the last few difficult years. It looks like rivals have very much broken through, however, with IDC reporting that Samsung was responsible for the highest number of phone sales in the last quarter, claiming 36 percent against Nokia’s 33 percent market share. Third place was Apple, trailing with 14 percent, while other manufacturers soaked up the remaining 16 percent. According to Digitoday, the change was due to the continuing shift to smartphones, one that shows no signs of slowing down.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia
Via: Android Beat
Source: Digitoday (Finnish)
May 20
Jolla’s heavily teased launch day in Finland has already spilled some major news: pricing and specs for the first Sailfish OS handset. The phone seems to be called “The Other Half” — or at least that’s the working title for now — and judging from Jolla’s Facebook page it consists of a colorful plastic case, available in various shades including orange or green, which hooks onto the main chassis containing a 4.5-inch display (of unknown resolution), dual-core processor, microSD expansion with 16GB onboard, a “4G” modem, user replaceable battery and an 8MP rear camera. The chassis recognizes which case is attached and adapts the visual theme of the OS to match, creating “your other half, exactly as you want it to be.”
Perhaps more usefully, the Sailfish operating system will also be Android app compliant out of the box, and we’re currently on the ground in Helsinki trying to discover exactly how developers and users will be able to put that feature to work (while also chasing down the rest of the specs). Meanwhile, there’s an emphatic video message from Jolla co-founder Marc Dillon after the break, seeking the world’s assistance in taking the heritage of MeeGo into a new era.
Update: We now hear that the phone will simply be called the “Jolla.”
Update #2: Jolla has just clarified that 4G means LTE. The display resolution has been vaguely described as “HD,” which to our minds suggests 720p. Furthermore, it sounds like the way the “other half” interfaces with the main body of the device allows for much deeper functionality beyond just personalization. We’ve just added our own video tour with more information.
[Thanks, Toni]
Gallery: Jolla unites the halves
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Jolla
Apr 02
Who says smoke alarms need to be nondescript beige boxes? Helsinki designer Paola Suhonen sured doesn’t think so, with her unique smoke detector that looks like a gigantic house fly.
The Lento Smoke Alarm from Finland’s Jalo works just like any other smoke alarm, though you use the entire case of the alarm to silence the alarm or to test it, which is much nicer than trying to deal with that tiny pushbutton on most alarms. I wonder if you could use a fly swatter to turn it off.
I also like how it mounts to the ceiling using 3M tape instead of screws – it’s sort of like when a fly gets stuck in one of those gooey fly traps.
[via StrangeLine via Design You Trust]
Dec 24
These Machines Eat Forests
Posted in: Today's Chili
At the turn of the 20th century, the logging industry relied on armies of lumberjacks swinging axes and band saws to fell a forest. These days, we just send in Harvesters. More »
Dec 04
As promised, Nokia has sold its Espoo, Finland headquarters to another Finnish company, Exilion, and signed a long-term lease to stay on as principal tenant. The handset maker reported that the property, dubbed Nokia House, went for 170 million euros ($222 million) and that the sale of the 48,000 square meter (517,000 square feet) property would be completed by the end of the year. Nokia reportedly made the deal to help stem the flow from its recent poor financial performance, but will at least get to stay on in the building it’s occupied since 1997. Check the PR after the break for more info.
Continue reading Nokia sells its Espoo, Finland HQ for $222 million, will stay on as tenant
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Mobile, Nokia
Oct 18
Netflix Watch Instantly is live in Finland, completes Nordic sweep with Norway, Denmark and Sweden
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Thanks to a rapid pace of one country per day Netflix has made light work of its Nordic roll out. The internet movie service is launching its final Scandinavian flag today in Finland after starting Monday in Sweden, then notching Denmark and Norway (pictured above) in between. As with the others there’s extensive device and app support from the start, and although the content selection may vary Netflix is the exclusive streaming home of Iron Sky, for all your Nazis-on-the-moon viewing needs. Not enough? Hey, there’s always HBO Nordic, and you don’t even need cable or satellite to get it.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Netflix Watch Instantly is live in Finland, completes Nordic sweep with Norway, Denmark and Sweden originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Oct 05
Scarlet Motors partners with Metropolia University for electric sports car development
Posted in: Today's Chili 
It wasn’t long ago we witnessed the birth of EV manufacturer Scarlet Motors, and it’s growing up so fast. The company has just announced it has united with the Finnish Metropolia University of Applied Sciences to accelerate the development of its all-electric sports car. Metropolia isn’t new to the EV game, and already has the achievement of the E-RA sporty prototype to its name. Students actively work on research and development projects, and Scarlet’s CEO feels the “unique” university environment will “push the boundaries.” Don’t expect them to have all the fun, however, as Scarlet is creating an online community of motorists to help steer its open design process, even if it does need boffins to build it.
Filed under: Transportation
Scarlet Motors partners with Metropolia University for electric sports car development originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 04:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oct 02
While in Helsinki, do as the Finns do — shop at Nokia’s flagship store, right? Just as we were contemplating the purchase of an unlocked Asha (or three) as stocking stuffers, we stumbled upon this delightfully futuristic 808 PureView display — complete with quirky dioramas. Sadly, we weren’t packing Nokia’s imaging handset, nor the phenomenal Lumia 920 camera, so we used our trusty HTC One X to capture the moment. Check out the gallery below — where you’ll find the 808 PureView serving as a swimming pool and being assembled by tiny workers — then hit the break for a short video.
Continue reading Visualized: 808 PureView display at Nokia’s flagship store
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Visualized: 808 PureView display at Nokia’s flagship store originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 07:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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