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I already reviewed a Nokia N95-3 back in November, but when Nokia announced the N95 8GB version, I wanted to see how it compared.

Most of what I said about the N95-3 still apply.  What does the N95 8GB add to Nokia’s NSeries lineup?  Two main things - a bigger (seemingly more vibrant) screen coming in at 2.8 inches and they’ve swapped out the Micro-SD card capabilities and stacked the phone with 8GB of on-board flash memory.

The model I tested was the European version, meaning it didn’t have support for the US 3G network (AT&T’s HDSPA network).  This worked well for me because I’m on T-Mobile’s network, thereby on EDGE for data access when I can’t access an available Wi-Fi network.

Nokia’s N95 8GB is noticably larger than the original N95 and N95-3.  You definintely notice it when it’s in your pocket.  However the trade-off is the larger screen: the display is large and vibrant.  Watching media on it is a great experience.

Even though there have been mixed reviews on the web regarding having removable media versus built-in flash memory, I prefer having the 8GB on-board.

Aside from playing media, the N95 8GB delivered stellar call quality.  The battery life on the EDGE network was great, giving me 3 or 4 days of use with moderate data and voice use.

Similar to the N95 I tested before, the N95 8GB took exceptional videos and photos.  Using Nokia’s Share Online 3.0, I easily uploaded photos to my Flickr account for sharing with family and friends.

Overall I thought the N95 8GB is a fantastic phone.  However when it comes to it, I would chose the N95-3 due to it’s smaller size.  The 0.2 inches doesn’t make the media experience that much better to justify the N95 8GB monstrous size.  If I were buying a new N95, I’d get the  N95-3 and buy some hefty Micro-SD cards for media storage.

I’ve been a long time user of and advocate for GrandCentral, an amazing service that was acquired by Google last year.

Since the acquisition, crickets have been chirping when it comes to GrandCentral talking, blogging, or releasing any new features.

Well they’re at least blogging again.  The latest is that they are allowing a forwarding number to be used on two separate accounts.  What does this mean?  Say, for example, a married couple each have their own GrandCentral numbers and they both want to have their home number to be rung whenever either of the GrandCentral numbers are dialed.

Before this new GrandCentral announcement, this would not be possible.  Whoever tried to register the home number second would have been denied by GrandCentral.

Also, according to the blog entry, “a lot of new features are in the works and we look forward to rolling them out quickly!”

Craig, we look forward to seeing them too!

Just a quick public announcement that I have a new writing gig.  I’m now writing at one of my favorite blogs, Web Worker Daily.  For those of you unfamiliar with it, Web Worker Daily is a fantastic blog that focuses on tech news and productivity for those who work on the web.  It’s one of Om Malik’s blogs and is part of the Giga Om Network.

I’ll primarily be writing at Web Worker Daily and I will also get the opportunity to contribute to the other blogs on the network, namely the flagship GigaOm.com.

To see my articles on WWD, check out my page on the site.  Also, if you want an RSS feed of my articles, check out feed://feeds.feedburner.com/jasonswritings.

I didn’t think that the first Ignite could be out done. I mean the first Ignite had just under 300 highly enthusiastic people who heard about it via word of mouth, twitter, and the blog scene. But this time the organizers, Legion of Tech, promoted the event through the Oregonian and on local radio.

What a difference a little additional PR does. We had 700+ people in a packed Bagdad Theatre over on Hawthorne. It was a different crowd this time including people from all walks of life (though mostly white, as one presenter pointed out). I got there with my brother in law and my other good friend at 5:15 and the line wrapped around the back of the Bagdad into the alley already. We were kind of worried we wouldn’t get in.

Everyone was excited to be there and the presenters did not disappoint. My favorites were the presentations about photographing abandoned places and how Portland should stake it’s claim about being a start-up incubator.

When the videos get posted up, I’ll update this post. Thanks to the organizers, Legion of Tech. These folks did an *amazing* job of filtering the presentations and chosing the best of the best!