looking froward to meeting you, started a wiki at:
http://womhelsinki08.pbwiki.com/FrontPage
Off to Helsinki for Nokia Mobile Workshop
By Mike Maddaloni on Monday, September 01, 2008 at 06:00 AM with 9 comments
It’s Helsinki or bust, as I have been invited to participated in a workshop for mobile phone giant Nokia, who is based in the Finnish capital. I received the invitation a few weeks back from WOM World, who describes themselves as “a Nokia-sponsored blog covering what’s being said in the social media about Nokia devices and services.”
As a self-described New England Yankee, I of course received this with some skepticism. Why me, and are they really going to fly me out there? The answer to the latter question is yes, and I am booked to fly out the week after next.
As for the former question, I believe it is because of what I have written previously on The Hot Iron with regards to mobile phones, especially unlocked phones vs. locked phones. Though the phone attached to my belt as I write this is a Palm Treo 680, I have owned Nokia phones in the past, and currently own one I bought when traveling in Denmark a few years back, namely because Verizon Wireless wanted to charge me literally hundreds of dollars to get a phone I could use overseas for a week. Needless to say that was one of the reasons I switched to T-Mobile.
So what will this workshop consist of? From their description, it will include: “...a number of workshops that’ll see discussion with participants, and with Nokia guys, about the future of different online arenas and mobile technology. Workshops that we hope you’d like to join in with and make yourself heard.” The fact that I will be part of a conversation with people from around the world on mobile technology, not to forget Nokia staff, is an amazing opportunity. Motorola’s headquarters is only a short drive from where I live, and I have never received such an invitation.
My head is already full of ideas and questions I want to add to the conversation for this workshop. If anyone else has anything they would like me to bring up please feel free to post them as comments. I have also received links to other bloggers who will be at the workshop and I hope to connect with them before the trip.
Also, if anyone has any recommendations on what to do when in Helsinki, please let me know!
Did you enjoy reading this? You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email.
Comments
Comment by Mike! Great timing. I am the proud new owner of the Nokia N82, a very powerful phone that is becoming my default mobile web browser, GPS device, and because of its superb camera, a scanner that actually reads documents to me within seconds of taking a picture of it. This phone is making the life of a blind user much more accessible and mobile! Suffice it to say that I would ask you to tell the folks at Nokia to consider establishing a division for customers with disabilities. AT&T;has a center in Austin for this purpose. My contacts with Nokia have been good and not as good. They were very fast in sending me the audio cd’s of the user’s manual for the N82. I soon learned that the sync software is not the most screen reader friendly program. Fortunately, some clever folks designed one that blind pc users could download from http://www.blindsea.com. “Work-arounds” abound, but Nokia should consider a centralized center for such issues and needs.
Personally, I think that audio devices should be audio based with the ability to use them without glancing at them being predominate. We all know the disasters that texting while driving, etc. can cause. Just like one needs an mp3 player that they can operate while running on the treadmill, i.e. screen free, the phone should operate on the same basis. I know that GUI advocates want more phones to behave like televisions, but with a mobile phone one is compromised by the scale of portability versus viewability.
Congratulations on going to Helsinki! I think you know that Janet lived and traveled there for 2 decades while she worked for Finair and the Russian “authorities.” I’m sure she can give you lots of friendly advice! She already wants to know what hotel you are staying in. She also says that if you know Swedish, half to two-thirds of Finland speaks fluent Finnish.
“Onnittelut!”
Comment by Don Pedroon 09/02/08 at 09:28 AM
@Roland - Thanks for setting up the wiki, and looking forward to meeting you next week!
@Don Pedro - Good to hear the N82 is working for you and I will definitely present your questions. I believe most all of the advances that can help those who are visually-impaired will benefit all of us.
Though my lovely better half is part Swedish, I don’t have any of the language down. I will be cramming over the next few days and hope to get some polite traveling words down.
mp/m
Comment by Hi Mike,
Just saw Roland Tanglao’s blog and saw you are going to Helsinki Finland as well for the Nokia Workshop..
Well hope to meet you and see you there..
Comment by #mike: I am worried about pbwiki’s permissions. can you try updating the wiki page and let me know if that works via email to roland AT rolandtanglao.com please ?
@Erick - Looking forward to meeting you too!
@Roland - I emailed you off the blog…
mp/m
See you there! :)
Comment by I think we’re on the same flights there out of O’Hare through JFK. Look forward to meeting you. Guess I’ll see you at the airport :) More than likely I’ll be wearing a Cubs or Bears jersey.
Comment by I love Helsinki i was some times there. I can do the next workshop for you.
Comment by
Post a Comment
Note: Comment moderation is active, and your comment will be viewable once it is reviewed.
Subscribe to The Hot Iron
The Hot Iron strives to present unique content and point-of-view on business, technology and other topics by Mike Maddaloni, a technology strategist based in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Photo credit: Logan Connor/Oomphotography
Follow Mike on Mastodon.
Value for Value
If you like what you are reading on The Hot Iron, buy me a coffee!
About Links
In posts here at The Hot Iron there are often links and banner ads for products and services. For some of these links and banner ads, I receive compensation if you click and/or eventually buy said products or services. Where most links are marked as such, it is safe to assume any link or banner ad is a compensated one.