Cypress meets Rusko – and it’s amazing!

Is this YOUR online shopping experience?

The iPad singlehandedly ruins the Finnish economy

This piece of news* sums up everything that’s wrong with the traditional Finnish mindset: instead of celebrating wins and looking into future opportunities, one single device (coming from a Nokia rival) is demonized and blamed for basically bringing down our dear country’s whole economy. A blog post about Finnish media treating ‘beacons of hope as state enemies‘ by Steve Blank, a professor of entrepreneurship at Stanford, is spot on in this case as well.

The iPad and other tablets (including the surprisingly potent Kindle Fire by Amazon) are not weapons of mass destruction. They simply manifest people’s increasing willingness to consume, create, edit and organize media through a rich experience wherever they are. This should not be seen as a threat but as an infinite possibility – especially in a country as technologically savvy as Finland.

Luckily, things don’t look as bleak for the younger generation, whose enthusiasm and inspiration oozes from these videos and photos taken during Steve Blank’s recent visit to Aalto University. Just hope there was an Aalto Entrepreneurship Society for the old hands as well – they could use the spirit.

*The text translated for my English speaking readers:

“THE iPAD NOW HITS THE PAPER MILLS!

‘The consumption of paper is decreasing at a staggering annual rate of 3.5%. The iPad effect as well as the looming recession threat to accelerate this decline’, warns the new director of market research at UPM.”

New Blog ‘Sami Viitamäki Hands On’

I believe that in the age of digital we also need to be reminded about the good stuff in the physical realm. I invite all to explore and re-discover this space with me through my new Tumblr blog ‘Sami Viitamäki Hands On’ (samiviitamaki.tumblr.com). The purpose is to explore and discuss tangible things in the physical world that bring us joy, value, sorrow, happiness or something else. You can also join in and send your photos/videos/stories via the submit function.

C U there too!

Nokia, remember Apple

An announcement by Steve Jobs regarding the Microsoft partnership from 1997 reminds us, that cooperation does not always imply the destruction of either party.

Clouds in the Horizon…

…But this time they’re more about silver linings than shadows.

Some of you may know that I’m collaborating with Teemu Arina (Dicole CEO) on writing a book about re-designing strategy, management and communications for the digital age. Our focus is going to be on social technologies and digitally distributed practices and how they can be harnessed for agility, intelligence and responsiveness in an organization. We spent the last weekend outlining some of the core concepts in the book and the first results can be seen at www.cloudcompany.cc. We’re also soon releasing a short ebook preview that will contain a sneak peek to the innards of the work and will also give you all an opportunity to give feedback on it.

Having had a book on my agenda since 2007, I’m certainly hyped about this recent development, and though there’s still work to be done, the book is now very close to becoming reality. I also already want to thank Teemu, who is the ideal sparring partner for this kind of work.

Check out the site here.

Wishery – A Snow White Remix Hit

One for the Friday: Pogo’s new track ‘Wishery’ made using only samples extracted from Disney’s ‘Snow White’. Check this one out – one and a half million people have already done so.

Google Maps Street View at Antarctica

Very cool (literally). Visit it here. (via Veronica Belmont)

This reminds of a movie I saw yesterday, Up in the Air; it featured a wedding couple who couldn’t afford a honeymoon, so they asked the wedding quests to photograph a cardboard cutout of them all around the U.S.

How many of us already satisfy our yearn for travel on Google Street View or other ‘almost there’ services? I’ve done that (although I like the real thing much better).

How the Hell does know Facebook know I’m a dog?

Sign of times (old but didn’t stumble upon this until now)

THE OLD VERSION (Peter Steiner, New Yorker, 1993)

THE NEW VERSION (Rob Cottingham, Noise to Signal, 2010)