The M-M-Max Headroom style of news distribution, or why journalists should work with Nokia’ US service to turn backpack journalism into back pocket journalism
Awhile back I posted a photo of my mobile journalism kit where I mentioned I don’t have a smart phone. Nokia seemed to answer my prayers for the ultimate news reporting and mobile publishing tool with the N95, but I needed to be sure it would work before I dropped $500 or more on getting one.
As luck should have it Amy Gahran had just got an N95 and I was eagerly looking for advice on how to update the powerhouse phone that would let me publish news on the fly much like characters on the ’80s TV series “Max Headroom,” just like Amy discussed at contentious.com the other day (side note to Amy, at 23 I re-re-re-remember Max Headroom all too well!).
However techno-tragedy would strike as a the recently updated N95 firmware was incompatible and the phone turned into an expensive — and structurally unstable — brick.
Since I didn’t want to spend that much money on an extraordinaryily useful piece of equipment that might end up getting sent back and wasting my time I’ve decided to wait on the smart phone and do what Amy and others are doing — talking with Nokia USA on how the company can help journalists get the best technology out there. As someone who loves efficient, powerful and practical technology I’m jumping on board.
But here’s the problem with the entire issue, Nokia makes the best product for the job. I could’ve easily picked up an iPhone or Blackberry by now but they don’t have what I need: bluetooth keyboard compatibility, 3G capability, high (by Web standards) cameras and multimedia playback … the list goes on.
The reason that Nokia’s user discussion blog is packed with posts and comments about upgrading their US service all comes from their superior product. Ever since I saw what journalists with N95′s can do, I’ve wanted one so that if something happens while I’m in a spot where either carrying a gigantic bag of tech toys or using any of those larger tech toys is impossible or not practical — I can whip out my smart phone and publish a story.
My catch is that I can’t wait forever. The long it takes Nokia to realize that there is a huge market for their high end N-series products in the US (we’re gonna need reliable service too, I can’t be without my phone for a few hours, let alone 7-10 days) the better the chance that I’ll compromise and get something inferior.
And since I’m a poor frugal journalist I won’t be dumping my 3G iPhone or Blackberry so that I could (finally) get the thing I wanted in the first place — it jus-jus-jus-just isn’t practical.
The M-M-Max Headroom style of news distribution, or why journalists should work with Nokia’ US service to turn backpack journalism into back pocket journalism
Image via Wikipedia
Awhile back I posted a photo of my mobile journalism kit where I mentioned I don’t have a smart phone. Nokia seemed to answer my prayers for the ultimate news reporting and mobile publishing tool with the N95, but I needed to be sure it would work before I dropped $500 or more on getting one.
As luck should have it Amy Gahran had just got an N95 and I was eagerly looking for advice on how to update the powerhouse phone that would let me publish news on the fly much like characters on the ’80s TV series “Max Headroom,” just like Amy discussed at contentious.com the other day (side note to Amy, at 23 I re-re-re-remember Max Headroom all too well!).
However techno-tragedy would strike as a the recently updated N95 firmware was incompatible and the phone turned into an expensive — and structurally unstable — brick.
Since I didn’t want to spend that much money on an extraordinaryily useful piece of equipment that might end up getting sent back and wasting my time I’ve decided to wait on the smart phone and do what Amy and others are doing — talking with Nokia USA on how the company can help journalists get the best technology out there. As someone who loves efficient, powerful and practical technology I’m jumping on board.
But here’s the problem with the entire issue, Nokia makes the best product for the job. I could’ve easily picked up an iPhone or Blackberry by now but they don’t have what I need: bluetooth keyboard compatibility, 3G capability, high (by Web standards) cameras and multimedia playback … the list goes on.
The reason that Nokia’s user discussion blog is packed with posts and comments about upgrading their US service all comes from their superior product. Ever since I saw what journalists with N95′s can do, I’ve wanted one so that if something happens while I’m in a spot where either carrying a gigantic bag of tech toys or using any of those larger tech toys is impossible or not practical — I can whip out my smart phone and publish a story.
My catch is that I can’t wait forever. The long it takes Nokia to realize that there is a huge market for their high end N-series products in the US (we’re gonna need reliable service too, I can’t be without my phone for a few hours, let alone 7-10 days) the better the chance that I’ll compromise and get something inferior.
And since I’m a poor frugal journalist I won’t be dumping my 3G iPhone or Blackberry so that I could (finally) get the thing I wanted in the first place — it jus-jus-jus-just isn’t practical.