I Got My N95, Now What?

N95 To Flickr and This Blog Test

This is a test post from to this blog via my N95.  This would mean I could send a photo to flickr and from flickr it would add a blog post here.   It would also mean that I would have to type on that keyboard.

Taking Photos, Posting Photos, Working Out the Kinks

 

As you can see, I still have to work out some kinks in taking photos with the N95.  The camera has the ability to take landscape and portrait.   And you can switch around the LCD orientation.  So, wasn't paying attention, snapped a photo, and is this how it uploaded to flickr! There are two ways you can upload the flickr. 

The N95 has "services" in the web browser - and there was an option for Flickr.   I added my Flickr userid/pw - but it failed.  so, I added another instance - and it failed.  Then I tried to delete the accounts and did not find a way to do that ...   I tried three times with my texting - and it didn't work. I'm pretty sure there was not a typo.  I tested both the Flickr login and the Yahoo login.  Both failed.

So,  did a little research and found in the Flickr Faq:
To hook into Flickr from your device, you need to use a Nokia-specific username and password combination, which is different from your Flickr sign in.

Then it says: Grab the login information by checking on Step 3 of the configuration page: Create a New Account.

I checked the version of the software and here were the instructions.  I tested it and it works just fine.

I also added my flickr email upload email address and tested sending it via an attached email.  It worked.  Be warned that it doesn't tell you whether or not the upload was successful.

I need to read the Flickr/Nokia FAQ to see what else is possible.  I also need to figure out if there is any relative advantage to using one method versus the other.

N95: What type of service plan? What provider?

The N95 is an unlocked smartphone and in order to get on the Internet or use it as a cell phone, I needed to select a provider and plan.  Since my whole motivation for purchasing the N95 was to use for mobile video blogging and photo blogging, all I needed was a data plan.

The question now is what provider, what plan?


I had identified about four people who were using the N95 for mobile video blogging and contacted Steve Garfield, Laura Fitton, Jonny Goldstein, and Chris P/Mobile Diner on Twitter to find out what data plan they were using.   They don't use the n95 as their phone.  I need to get a 3G Simm card and They all pointed me to the unlimited data plan through AT&T.    So that's what I signed up for -- $39.99 unlimited data plan per month.   I am not obligated to get a contract or pay a penalty if I cancel.

Both Chris and Laura mentioned that T-Mobile has a plan, but Steve said AT&T.   Chris reported that the wifi is spotty, but the g network is pretty good.   We shall see.

I am definitely not yet ready to turn to switch my web/cell/text
activity to the N95 so I'm keeping my Treo.  The next piece to switch
or drop will be the data plan on my treo, depending how I can adapt to
the keyboard on the N95.  The big thing will be my typing habits.   The Treo has a  qwerty keyboard and over the years, I've gotten pretty fast using it.   The N95 has a phone keyboard - so you have press the key a few times to get the letter and I have to learn the navigation for special characters, moving to numbers, backspaces, etc.    The treo has a lot of touch screen options and the N95 does not.

I purchased the phone on Amazon so I had to bring it to an AT&T store and they inserted the Simm Card and activated my plan.

I got my N95, now what? Welcome

Welcome to my learning journal for my mobile video blogging experiments and learning.   Remember and embrace the power of the newbie!

I took the N95-3 plunge recently (so did Amy Gahran). My goal is to use as a mobile video blogging tool to replace my little Cannon that I use for video blogging.  I hope I don't run into a brick wall, although I'm not going to be using the keyboard.   Steve Garfield shared his learning journal/blog that he set up when he got his Nokia and I'm going to being my exploration this week. Right now the phone has a much different interface and grammar than my treo which I've had for years.  So, there will be a little bit of discomfort zone and learning curve.