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Today is Independence Day, and I just wanted to wish everyone a happy one!  We’re lucky to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  We’re able to express ourselves however we want to (this blog is a prime example) and exchange ideas without worry.

Happy Birthday, America!

In today’s segment of Breaking Silos: how to take get your contacts from mobile phone into Skype for Skype calling goodness.  SkypeSync makes it possible to call all your phone’s contacts via SkypeOut.  As Download Squad points out, the utility uses the SyncML standard which is used by most mobile phones these days.

To check out out, browse to zyb.com and upload your contacts to the web service.  Download, install, and open SkypeSync and use the wizard to export your contacts from Zyb and export them into Skype.  Your contacts will be visible in Skype for outgoing calls and SMS.

These types of utilities are fantastic and break down barriers of having silos of contacts in multiple places.

Note: SkypeSync is currently only available for Windows.

The news broke recently that German T-Mobile customers will be able to buy the iPhone 3G for 1 Euro in Germany, with one caveat.  Those who wish to buy the iPhone at this ridiculously cheap price will have to sign up for T-Mobile Germany’s highest monthly data plan.

This tactic is a stark reminder of the telcos methods here in the US.  They sell us subsidized phones in exchange for high monthly bills and long-term contracts.  One factor of the European mobile market that I love is their departure from service agreements.

I’d urge Germans to not take the bait - if you can’t afford the full cost of an iPhone 3G, then don’t buy one.  Don’t become tied down to ANY carrier just because they’re offering you cheap hardware.

(Flickr photo credit: rudolf)

Google is no stranger to the mobile web optimized sites and applications.  Even before Android was announced, Google has carried a heavy presence in the mobile world, producing applications such as Mobile Gmail, Google Maps for Mobile, Google Calendar Sync for BlackBerry for many mobile platforms including BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and iPhone.

The company took a step further in the mobile space by announcing the availability of Picasa Web Albums for the Nokia S60 platform.  Also, addressing the international nature of the mobile web, Google translated Picasa Web Albums into 36 languages.  Far too many times I see US based web sites only addressing the English speaking market and maybe 2 or 3 other languages; so I’m happy to see them translate Picasa Web Albums to so many different languages.

Additionally, It’s fantastic to see Google embracing S60 with Picasa Web Albums.  Since the iPhone debuted almost a year ago, numerous mobile web sites have made made optimized versions for Apple’s mobile phone, neglecting the other (dominant) mobile platforms.

The new Picasa Web Albums looks fantastic and has added AJAX features, faster browsing times, and a more usable interface.  Check out the screenshot below, and to get to Picasa Web Albums, just jump to picasaweb.google.com in your mobile browser.

While consuming some of Google’s web services today (which is something I do a lot of), I noticed they have a new Favicon, as seen below.

Seems Google went from a capital G to a little g.  Perhaps they’re trying to be ’softer’?

I have seen it on Google Maps, Google Reader, Gmail, and many other Goog sites.

Interesting none the less

Thanks to the Nokia Blogger Relations Program, I received a Black N82. The N82 has much of the same features as the N95 including on-board GPS, WiFi capability, and a 5MP digital camera.  The wonderful thing is all this is in a candy bar type phone.  Personally, I’m partial to candy bar style versus the slider form factor that the N95 has.

In terms of initial impressions:

• The response time and general speediness of this device is fantastic
• Taking images is quick and responsive.
• Rock Solid - this device has great built quality
• Love the auto-screen rotation

Andy Abramson just posted an insightful article regarding WiMax, Skype and a the potential for a Skype killer, and what telcos need to do.

I just posted about Jive Software’s Clearspace product over at Web Worker Daily.

Basically, it’s a fantastic workspace collaboration tool that is focused on people, not word/excel/powerpoint documents like Microsoft’s SharePoint.

It’s been said in the blogosphwere that Jive wants to be the Apple Computer of the collaboration space and ClearSpace 2.0 is putting them in that realm.  Great work, Jive!

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.

It’s no joke, 2007 will go down as a SWEET year in technology. Jim Courtney over at Skype Journal has posted some of his highlights from the past 365 days. Here are the ones I agree with wholeheartely:

• Nokia N95 and N81 8GB: I introduced myself to the Nokia/Symbian platform for the first time this year and it has blown my mind and changed my perspective on the mobile telephony market. I recently received a Nokia N81 8GB from the Nokia Blogger Relations Program and I have loved having all my music with me. Kind of like an iPhone, but not locked down to *any* carrier, notably AT&T (like the crippled iPhone).
• Google-enabled BlackBerry: using Google mobile services on a Blackberry is a great fit. Google Talk and Gmail are seamless on this device. I haven’t been able to try it, but the Google Calendar plugin makes the BlackBerry an even more useful window into my google online life.
• Using my home network IP address. I have recently enabled my Linksys Linux powered router to let me VPN into it. So if I’m at a coffee shop or otherwise unknown wireless network, I can VPN into my own network and surf a little more securely. Not bad for a $50 router.

2007 has been such an amazing year in technology. I’m so anxious to see what 2008 has to offer!