It was 6 months ago today that I, along with about 35 others, arrived in Helsinki, Finland for the very first Nokia OpenLab. This 3-day event was a gathering of people from around the world - from musicians to nuclear scientists to photographers to, well, me – who had a passion and interest in how mobile technology can have a positive impact on the future.

If you are a regular reader of The Hot Iron, you will know I have written about OpenLab many times before. It truly was a unique event and I am proud to have attended it. The following video is the official video produced by Nokia of the event, which us attendees first viewed at OpenLab’s conclusion. If you can’t see it in this post you can view the Nokia OpenLab video here.

So what’s happened since? For myself, the biggest change is I have shed my frustration with the Palm brand and am now a loyal Nokia owner, touting the E70 while I determine which model I am going to buy next. The biggest impact for me has been conversations with other attendees. Some are just in passing, following their blogs and tweets. Others I have engaged in more direct conversations, some who I spent a lot of time with when I was there and others who I didn’t, but have made up for it since I left. Even though there were only about 50 people (including Nokia people) it was hard to spend time with everyone. I also had the good fortune to see Steve Lawson and his lovely wife Lobelia when they performed in a house concert in Chicago last December.

In the hectic pace of how our days go, it’s nice to reflect on great experiences. Now back to strategizing and building that future.

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Business • Mobile Technology • Technology • (14) Comments • Permalink

The next likemind will be Friday, March 20, 2009 in dozens of cities around the world.

In Chicago, it will be at Spa Cafe, 112 W. Monroe, between Clark and LaSalle Streets in the Loop at 8:00 am. Check out the Spa Cafe Web site for more information, and you can find your way with a Google Map to Spa Cafe here.

I call likemind a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, social media, et. al. For more information on likemind, you can read this great article on likemind from the New York Times.

No RSVP is required. You are also welcome to join the likemind Chicago Facebook group.

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By its definition, a URL – or uniform resource locator – directs you to the exact location of content on a Web site. Depending on the domain name, structure and naming standards of a Web site, a Web page URL can be short or extremely long. Maybe even too long to be useful?

The photo below is of an ad I saw recently on a Chicago subway car, featuring a URL for the Women’s Sports Foundation’s GoGirlGo! Chicago program.

Where I normally would feel bad for calling out something for a non-profit organization, it appears to be well-funded and founded by tennis legend Billie Jean King, so I feel it is my duty to talk about it.

Now close your eyes and see if you remember the Web site. Well? Did you get it verbatim? Now imagine bouncing around on an Orange Line car on the way to Midway airport, and see if you can remember it any easier!

This is a perfect example of acquiring an additional domain name and use it on the advertising, where it would point directly to the desired page. Now close your eyes and see if you can think of some short, catchy and easy-to-remember domain names? Probably a little easier than remembering the printed URL, whether you’re on the Orange Line or not.

Where your main Web site URL can be whatever you choose, keep in mind how you will be using it, and if it doesn’t work well in a certain medium – whether printed in the newspaper or a poster or spoken on the radio or TV – the small cost of an additional domain name can do wonders for driving traffic from the offline world.

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Domain Names • Technology • (2) Comments • Permalink

Sometimes you have to work with what you have, especially when you’re lacking elsewhere. In these tough times, thinking outside of the box is required, even if it means covering the windows of the very box.

Below is a photo of a window on the Randolph Street side of the Macy’s store in Chicago, the former flagship store of Marshall Field’s.

The window is covered with an ad for Clorox wipes, and outside of this photo is another similar window ad. I forget if these windows previously had a display case in them or not. Someone realized they could leverage this asset, which is along the path many people take to and from a nearby commuter train station. This someone could have been Macy’s themselves, or the ad agency representing Clorox. In any case, it can be considered a win-win situation, where the message is communicated and Macy’s is making money renting the space.

This is probably Macy’s only option as they have blatantly chosen not to leverage signage already on the building, and clearly shown in this photo – the Marshall Field’s brand. When Macy’s bought Field’s parent company they killed off brands like Field’s and Filene’s in the Boston area in favor of the moniker of the New York store in hopes of developing a nationwide brand. It cost them a lot of money which they never recouped, lost customer loyalty built up over decades, and then along came the economic condition we are in.

Perhaps Macy’s should look at the bigger picture and reconsider what they put on the outside of their stores?

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For all of my readers in the US, including those visiting here from far-off lands, a friendly reminder to change your clocks tonight as Daylight Savings Time begins tomorrow.

Keeping true to the mantra of “spring ahead, fall behind” move your clock ahead 1 hour, which means you will lose 1 hour of sleep. Even those who have computers and mobile devices that should move ahead automatically, double-check them before you head out, or set an alarm on Sunday morning an hour earlier just in case. I will be changing the pictured clocks in the Dunkirk Systems, LLC office, as well as those throughout my home.

The change in clocks is also a recommended time to check and change the batteries in the smoke detectors in your home. Even if your smoke detectors are powered by electricity, they may have a battery backup.

Here’s another suggestion – change your passwords. As it is always advised to change your passwords on a regular basis to keep them secure, why not do it at least twice a year?

Here’s to a safe and accurate good night’s sleep tonight!

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Announcements • Diversions • Technology • (6) Comments • Permalink