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We come not to talk politics, but to talk about how BlackBerry is functioning in our nation’s capital. The superb website Politico describes the situation in Washington regarding BlackBerry devices. Turns out, seven out of 10 staffers and members of Congress have the devices. Many of them, including Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, show a level of addition to them — you know, when he’s not proposing a bridge to nowhere. The only problem is that some think this can lead and is leading to a greater level of polarization on Capitol Hill. Donors and friends are more likely to have a Congressman’s BlackBerry PIN or device-specific email, allowing them quicker and more personal access than the average constituent.

Read the rest of BlackBerry causing political polarization?…

When you’re the top smartphone maker in the country, you’re bound to run into some patent suits. It seems like they’re unavoidable nowadays. The guys from Techdirt will tell you that this is because of poor patent policy, allowing flimsy patents to pass through. I’m not sure if that’s the case here, but RIM has filed a preemptory suit against IP Com, a patent-license company.

Read the rest of RIM files preemptory patent suit…

We all know of the dreaded BlackBerry Thumb. Some of us experienced this earlier in life, in a form known as gamer’s thumb. I know it can cause some level of damage in your thumbs, but I didn’t know that it led to surgeries. According to Dr. Dave Alexander, you should seek treatment if you feel catching or numbness, so that you can preempt the need for surgery.

This has been an ongoing story for months now, and has mostly stayed off the pages of BBGeeks. I suppose it’s because not too many people who read the site are interested in what’s going on in India with the BlackBerry. Given the latest news, though, I think it’s worth a peek. The news: RIM will not allow the Indian government to gain unfettered access to BlackBerry messages. Backstory and how it applies to us after the jump.

Read the rest of BlackBerry in India: RIM will not allow snooping…

You love your BlackBerry, right? I know I do. But let me get something straight. It’s not cool to be “addicted” to your BlackBerry, just like it’s not cool to be addicted to drugs. We can enthusiastically use our BlackBerry devices, seeking out ways it can help us better do our work. We can geek out about the latest hardware and software developments. That’s all fine and good. Geeks happen everywhere. It’s when we cannot put down the ‘Berry that it becomes a problem.

That’s a subject covered in today’s Business Journal of Milwaukee. It includes a survey which shows that many people favor banning BlackBerry devices from meetings.

Read the rest of Banning BlackBerry from meetings…

Are you part of the three quarters of Americans who don’t want airlines to allow in-flight calls? I sure am. It’s an easy decision for a BlackBerry Geek. We have so many other features on our phones that if airlines allowed us to use them, we could keep ourselves occupied with email, SMS, BBMessenger, and a whole ton of BlackBerry applications. That seems to be the majority opinion. People are fine with silent functions, but simply do not approve of the annoyance of the person next to them jabbering away for the entire flight.

Read the rest of Americans against in-flight cell calling…

Quick note before getting to the meat of this post. Yes, there are rumors out there as to the BlackBerry Bold price and release date. They might be true, they might not. But, as we learned with the Curve debacle, it is best to wait for a real announcement, as to not get everyone in a tizzy wondering when the device will be released.

Anyway, now onto a story I saw at Mobility Site. He recounts a party he attended where a shockingly large number of people were using the BlackBerry Curve. They all had their reasons, even though a number of Windows Mobile phone support superior features — more third party apps, WiFi, 3G speeds.

Read the rest of Why people choose BlackBerry over Windows Mobile…

I’m sure no one cares what happened at the WES Welcome Reception last night. It was basically a meet and greet with some booths set up in the middle of the ginormous room. It’s not exactly something you write home about. Well, except for the pineapple and bacon sliders. Man those were good.

What we did learn, though, was that Microsoft and RIM are joining forces to offer Windows Live services on BlackBerry devices. This will help integrate Hotmail with the BlackBerry platform, which is something many people have been clamoring for.

Read the rest of WES kickoff: Microsoft and BlackBerry team up…

Does your BlackBerry have GPS? If so, do you know who’s tracking you? Okay, so that sounds a bit paranoid. But in an age where location based technology is becoming more widespread, there exists the potential for abuse. This is something we discussed on our sister site, Going Cellular. While I love what GPS brings to the table — and hate Verizon for crippling the unit in my 8830 — I can’t ignore the possible evils that come along with it. Today, I’ll go over some issues to think about regarding GPS on your BlackBerry.

Read the rest of The future of GPS on your BlackBerry…

This is an odd one. It appears that Gear Diary (via CrunchGear) has picked up a tidbit on Sprint’s offering of the Curve. No it’s not a release date, but if it’s not out tomorrow, Alltel will be the first to carry it. It’s quite an odd pricing scheme. Full details after the jump. But the long and short of the matter is that if you want the Curve 8830 from Sprint without a contract, you’re going to be out 750 bucks.

Read the rest of Expect to sign a contract to get Sprint’s Curve…