Jaunted - Helsinki

Finland's Talking Trash Bins Are Not Only Smart, But They Look Good Too

juliana — 2009-07-23T17:15:50-05:00

Earlier this week we told you about Finland's new Talking Trash Bins found in Helsinki, and thanks to a helpful PR rep for Finland Tourism we actually have a shot of the trash bins to show you.

The trash bins are far more intelligent that we are, having mastered six language (ok, select phrases in different languages) and the ability to play music (ok, it's a recording of music from a bunch of high school students). Only eight of these artificial intelligence trash bins can be found in Helsinki this summer so look carefully before you toss your trash.

Have you seen the talking trash bins in person? Send us a picture!

Now Helsinki's Trash Cans Talk To You In English, Too

amandak — 2009-07-20T09:29:21-05:00

Trash cans that talk are an unusual kind of tourist attraction, but just the kind of thing we expect to find in somewhat eccentric Finland. When we first heard about four trash cans in Helsinki which chat away in Finnish, we craved talking trash cans that we could understand, and now the Helsinki Public Works Department has done exactly what we wished for.

This summer, eight trash cans around Helsinki will speak to you in six languages, including English, and some will even play music created by a bunch of high school students. Apparently they say things like this:

One of the sure signs of summer in Finland is that the trash bins start talking.

The idea is that tourists and locals alike will be more interested in disposing of their garbage in the correct way, but we're starting to wonder if conversing with a bin might actually be a sign of madness instead.

Related Stories:
· Talking Trash [Official Site]
· Finns Reward You For Simple Non-Littering [Jaunted]
· Helsinki Travel Guide [Jaunted]

There's Something About Finland

egw — 2009-03-25T10:56:26-05:00

The last time we were in Helsinki, we honestly believed it was enchanted. Stumbling off a flight from New York, we entered a well-scrubbed terminal with bright yellow trays at a clean cafe and cheery flight attendants zipping from one end of the terminal to another on scooters.

Had we tried to boot up while we were savoring our coffee and plotting to become Finnair frequent flyers, we would have found another delight: As of November 2008, wireless Internet is free in the terminals at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport thanks to Finava, the national civil aviation administration. Now your fingers can fly with as little resistance as you do!

Had a fantastic experience in an airport recently? Tell us about it.

Related Stories:
· Free WiFi at the airport in Helsinki - Finally [Life2Go.net]
· Live Your Prisonbreak Fantasy in Finland [Jaunted]
· Airport WiFi Map [Jaunted]

Finns Reward You For Simple Non-Littering

amandak — 2008-08-22T09:33:14-05:00

Yes, Finland is a country that can produce nightmare-inducing rock bands like Eurovision 06 winners Lordi. But they can turn around and be sickeningly polite and friendly, too. The latest ain't-that-nice story out of Finnish capital Helsinki is the installation of talking trash cans.

From today, four very special garbage cans will be placed around the city for the enjoyment of locals and tourists alike. When you place a piece of rubbish in one of them, it will play a recorded "thank you" message from famous locals. For example, the mayor says (in Finnish, of course):

It is great that you care about the city. Cool, isn't it.

Which, if we could just understand Finnish, would certainly entice us to keep feeding it with more rubbish.

Related Stories:
· Helsinki Rubbish Bins to Thank Users for Not Littering [AFP]
· The Nightmares of European Children Have Just Begun [Jaunted]
· Helsinki Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Matti Mattila]

Is Eurovision A Big Neighbors Scam?

amandak — 2007-05-14T12:00:02-05:00

Greetings to all who spent last night watching the usual odd servings of how-could-they-ever-think-they'd-win finalists in the Eurovision Song Contest. From Germany's jazzed up Roger Cicero explaining how women rule the world to Ukraine's weirdly-dressed-up song, "Dancing Lasha Tumbai," which curiously was the favorite to win.

When it came down to judging time--Europeans can call or text to vote for anyone except for their own nation--it was even more apparent than normal that the more neighbors you have, the more votes you get. Even when a tiny country gives you a top vote, you get the same number of points as if the whole of Germany or France vote for you. Poor old England got nearly no votes (their entry's quality was questionable too, but that goes for nearly all of them), and former eastern bloc countries with plenty of small neighbors did well. And the winner? A (we personally think) not particularly stunning song from Serbian singer Marija. Media explosions about votes from neighbors has reached higher levels than ever this year, so maybe a new voting system is on the cards for Eurovision 2008 in Belgrade.

[Photo: flickrwegian]

Related Stories:
· Eurovision: Need Good Neighbours [Times UK]
· Eurovision Song-O-Mat Rocks Our World [Jaunted]

Eurovision Song-O-Mat Rocks Our World

amandak — 2007-05-02T09:15:02-05:00

With the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest getting to semi-finals and finals in Finland on May 10 and 12, it's time we started watching to see which of the 42 competing nations will take the crown from last year's winners, terrifying Finnish metal band Lordi.

If you want a preview on who might be your own personal favorite, check out the official website's Song-O-Mat. Answer the questions about the kind of song you'd like--for example, you can choose a male or female singer or a group, the language of the song, the geographic location of the artist, whether you want the tempo to be quick, slow, moderate or breath-taking, and what you'd like the topic of the song to be: "about something that matters/just a jingle/about human relations."

We took the quiz and came up with the Belgian entry, "LovePower" from The Krazy Mess Groovers, which so far has come in at #5 on the list of Song-O-Mat results. That does sound a little more likely to win than the Ukrainian "Dancing lasha tumbai" (currently last on the list) or the German number which features a guy singing a tune that translates to "Women Rule the World." Let us know what you come up with.

Related Stories:
· The Nightmares of European Children Have Just Begun [Jaunted]
· We Want Eurovision Tickets! [Jaunted]
· Eurovision Song-O-Mat [Official Site]

Live Your Prisonbreak Fantasy in Finland

pbb — 2007-03-30T15:15:02-05:00

As long as we're on the Helsinki tip, we should fill you in on a wacky new hotel opening in Finland's capital city. The Best Western Premier Hotel Katajanokka is scheduled to open in May, but that's only half the story.

The hotel bills itself quite nicely, if we do say so:

Hotel Katajanokka is architecturally unique and surrounded by a beautiful park. It has 106 rooms as well as restaurant services, conference facilities, and an idyllic summer terrace.

What they've left out of the description is that until 2002, the 19th century building was a prison. We hear that there will be fewer rooms than there were cells, so things will be a little more spacious. But will there be bars on the windows?

Related Stories:
· WiFi Wednesday: Nerdy Public Transportation Edition [Jaunted]