A post prior to this proves a concept. As does my earlier post in the day.

Since we started with a focus on VoIP here, but have since broadened to all unified communications, you may be wondering why the interest in Nokia mobile phones - smartphones that are really smart. Remember with solutions from companies like Talkster and Talk Plus, the web integration with VoIP, phone number aliasing, and other things come directly into play. And the next Nokia I hope to test, the N80i, support VoIP via WiFi built in. In short, Nokia is bringing a facet of fixed mobile convergence to the table soon. And the other solutions are already out there adding integration features to the communications suite.

I'm a big video fan. I'll be telling you about some SightSpeed things in a day or two. But for mobile video, the Nokia N-series is absolutely the best I've seen. I'm really keen on a video blog post from the N93, but want to try a couple different things before I dig too deeply into that one. The N73 is a nice eacy package to carry around and experiment with on the fly, and I'm trying leave no stone unturned as to what this thing can do.

I've posted video directly from the Nokia N73 to both a VOX blog and here. No personal computer used at all in either case.

To post video to Typepad or VOX blogs, I'd recommend using the native LifeBlog software from Nokia. While you can use LifeBlog on the PC as well, you don't need it. I sent a video and numerous pictures with LifeBlog. To be honest, it's seamless and elegant. The only think I haven't figured out is how to do a text-only post from the N73. I'm sure I'll find a way, but that will also be coupled to using it with a bluetooth keyboard.

Posting video to blip.tv was a different challenge, but easily overcome. I think it can all be done via the browser interface, but I didn't use it. The N73 has a reasonably workable POP/IMAP email client built into the messaging suite. This isn't Outlook. But it uses the address book in the phone. It allows attachments. In short, easy enough POP3 email in addition to the Gmail app that I've installed. It was quite easy to set up.

blip.tv accepts emailed video posts, and if you've set it up, will auto-post the video to your blog of choice. I've used that approach with my Treo. And just did it with the N73.  This was all done using the Cingular web-browsing data plan. Their 3G package on the Nokia. It's not super fast, but it worked as you can see.

I'm confident that this will work with the N93, perhaps even more easily since the N93 has native WiFi capabiltiy. Right now I'm really digging into the N73 to wring all the potential capabilities out of it and reorient myself to the OS and Nokia functionality in more detail. In short, it's awesome.

I'm also confident the N80i will have the same ability, and it also has WiFi. I'm hoping to get my hands on one of those real soon now too.

I have to say, the N-series tops my list of Christmas gift ideas. I'm quite impressed all the way around with the functionality and features. I'll have more thoughts on this in the next couple of weeks when I publish Ken's Top 10 picks for 2006. I'm going the share the top 10 hottest things I've seen or discussed in unified communications technologies this year.


Technorati Tags: Nokia, N73, video, vlogging, video blogging, blip.tv