Ansi Vanjoki talks about smartphones at Nokia World 2010

Nokia's outgoing head of mobile solutions (basically the smartphone business) Ansi Vanjoki gave what could be seen as a farewell keynote at Nokia World 2010 in London. Here, as a highlight of the first day, is a video excerpt of his talk.

Nokia's mobile journalism solution

qwdzbHere is a video of a rather chaotic talk with a Nokia person about Nokia's mobile journalism solution (an experiment) for Reuters. The press room situation has improved slightly, it seems you click on downloading the Boingo app but them (and no one tells unless you ask) you get offered free WiFi for the Nokia event. I have actually managed to get a LAN wire and a mooch socket (to recharge/run my MacBook) but earlier it would have been impossible. There were people sitting along the walls in this press room. The pressure is off a little.
The event has been interesting, for example, Chris Anderson of WIRED (on how more and more stuff and services will be " free" ) and others talking about (Joseph Paradiso of MIT) talking about ubiquitious sensors and Google for Reality (finds your sensor-traceable possessions) and other rather far out stuff.

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NokiaWorld-- the good news :)

There is lots of good news from Nokia World, some interesting presentations (Chris Anderson, editor of WIRED, among others) and the stunning announcement that Nokia would be giving away downloads of all of Universal Music's collection for one year with the purchase of any music-capable phone. Also Nokia internet radio sounds interesting, I could listen to Boston's WZLX anywhere on my phone. Just wonder what it would cost in terms of connection fees - data transmission charges and the like.  I hope to upload a video interview with a Nokia guy on their mobile journalism project, but the press room facilities are still crowded and barely adequate (did get the deceptive free WiFi to work after being told the non-obvious way to start it up, 

Clusterfuck award 2007 -- the Nokia World Press Room

Sometimes going to international events, I make a bet with myself that something may happen to justify the use of the term clusterfuck. It happened at 3GSM World in Barcelona in 2006, where the Qualcomm sponsored press room went down-- no power, no internet, almost nothing. It did get fixed later.
This year's clusterfuck award goes to the Nokia World press room in Amsterdam, which promises free WiFi but actually tries to drag you into a Boingo subscription through a one week free trial with software that can only be downloaded for a PC (I have a Mac) or a Nokia phone. In addition, there are almost no power outlets for one's own laptop in the press room, just lots of IBM think pads or some other faceless laptop chained to the table and attached to a LAN. I am not happy unplugging these or mooching the LAN, but I will do that. What else can I do.

Oh yes, and the press work room is severely overcrowded. No place to sit, no place to mooch a LAN cable. No internet connection unless you join BoingoWorld. Doesn't anyone arranging these events ever learn that it is bad to fuck with the press?

Good news-- OVI, the Nokia WebNG (as in next generation) application/platform will be available for Mac. Well, as the Swedes say – good morning axe handle at last! Also, all Universal Music's songs will be available for free download for a year on any new Nokia music capable phone. Great news for kids and 20 somethings and yes, I have an iPod and an N95 too!

More later. Gotta write for my Latvian blog who is paying salary for me to be here.

A few days in Sweden

I am heading to Stockholm for a mixture of business and personal reasons and will use the visit to see some mobile services companies at the Kista Mobile Showcase. There are times when this blog simply follows me around (New York, San Francisco) but I believe Sweden really falls under the outer corona (no nothing has been smoked :) ) of the coverage of this blog, because TeliaSonera and Tele2 are big players here, Nokia got named Latvia's favorite brand, and soon to be willingly orphaned (of its half mothers) Lattelecom sees Sweden as one of its markets.
An interesting observation -- only women can do a mash-up (literally) of Latvia's three favorite brands -- Nokia, Laima confectionaries, and Hansabanka (Swedish-owned). How? Toss a Nokia phone, a Hansabank credit card and a half-eaten Laima chocolate bar into a ladies handbag and they will all mix and stick together :).