T-Mobile Complete

In an attempt to compete with prepaid carriers like MetroPCS and Cricket, T-Mobile has launched a new program, T-Mobile Complete. It’s complete, I suppose, because it offers unlimited features for a flat monthly rate. You can have unlimited voice, unlimited voice + text, or unlimited voice + text + Web starting at $50 per month. It’s a bit more expensive than MetroPCS and Cricket, but T-Mobile has the advantage of a nationwide network.

Yet because there are no contracts, T-Mobile has to keep users hooked somehow. Like their competitors, they’ll go on price. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 will cost $299.99. That is more than 10 times what the device costs, subsidized, on Wal-Mart’s website. So there’s a trade-off. Would you rather be locked into a service because of a contract, or because you invested so much in a handset? But hey, at least you can unlock the handset.

T-Mobile isn’t the only company that has started offering a prepaid BlackBerry solution. Optus in Australia is also offering the Curve 8520. Their version is $100 more than T-Mobile’s, but the service plans start at $30.

Tip of the week: Change your A, W, and Q speed dial keys. Just understand that once you change then, you can never go back.

Could Microsoft buy RIM?

Everyone wants to predict the future smartphone landscape. Who will reign supreme in a few years? Will Android grow into the lead? WIll RIM hold onto what it has? How much market share will Apple have by that point? What’s in store for Windows Mobile? These are all questions that are impossible to answer. Yet every day it seems like someone wants to give it a go. Most of the time, from the articles I’ve seen, people predict Apple to be on top, though I’ve read a few instances of Windows Mobile.

Windows Mobile? Really? I’ve never been impressed by Microsoft’s mobile platform, and that makes me wonder what other people see in it. Microsoft is working on a new version of WM for next year, but if that doesn’t work out, they could always buy RIM. It might sound far-fetched, and I doubt it ever happens, but the linked article suggests as much. Another site picked up the story (which has apparently been an analyst suggestion for years), and predicts that this will go down by the end of June, 2010.

Again, I just can’t see it. Microsoft would have to go all-in for RIM. And then what of Windows Mobile? I’m not ruling out this acquisition, but I do see too many moving parts to make it work.

Smartphones could lead to denial of service attacks

Sports fans became familiar with the term, denial of service attack, in 2007, when ESPN radio personality Colin Cowherd instigated one against the blog The Big Lead. Others found out this summer, when U.S. and South Korean websites fell victim to a distributed denial of service attack (DDOS). The basic idea behind one of these attacks is to use many computers to send so much data to a certain server at once that it crashes. There is a fear this could now happen with smartphones.

RIM VP of security Scott Totzke recently addressed the issue. Unless security measures are put in place which prevent this type of attack, it seems like an inevitability. Regarding smartphones, they could be used to attack a carrier, rather than just one specific website. Says Kevin Mahaffey, CTO at mobile security software maker Flexilis, “These are not telephones anymore. They are computers. So people are going to have all the problems on their phones that they have on their computers. We’ve already heard warnings about viruses. DDOS seems to be just as big a concern, though.

Need a new BlackBerry theme? Make sure to check out our bi-weekly theme review feature, where we discuss some new OS 5.0 themes. We also discuss how to create your own BlackBerry theme.

Some hands-on takes of the BlackBerry Storm 2

The Storm 2 has been out for a few weeks now, so we’ve seen most of what we’re going to see about it. Well, then again, it’s a new BlackBerry device, so there should be no shortage of reviews. We’ve already seen a ton of pre reviews, including an excellent one by Kevin at CrackBerry. But let’s take a look at a few of the more general-interest sites — ones that don’t tie themselves to just the BlackBerry.

First up, Engadget, which has just undergone a pretty redesign. Stop by and admire how far superior it is to their old design. They have a long, comprehensive view of the Storm 2, which you can read here. I think I’ll let theri video do the talking, though.

The definitive line from Engadget: “Only problem is, Waterloo is clearly woefully unequipped to handle the creation of exceptional, effortless usability that’s demanded of a lustworthy mobile device these days.” It’s harsh, but it’s reflective of the current smartphone market.

Boy Genius Report is a bit more attached to BlackBerry than Engadget, and as such their review is a bit more glowing. Still, they’re not totally impressed. Maybe that’s because there are a ton of other touchscreen devices on the market that can do more than the Storm 2.

New BlackBerrys for AT&T, Telus

The Curve 8520, Bold 9700, and Storm 2 are already out. They’re not out, however, though AT&T and Telus. We learned this week that the Bold 9700 will hit AT&T on November 22, while the CUrve 8520 shouldn’t be too far behind. We also learned that the Storm 2 will hit Telus. Good news for people on those carriers.

Software roundup

Just some software tidbits from the last week:

• I reviewed QuickLaunch, an app that allows you to quickly launch (duh) different applications and functions on your BlackBerry. It’s a great app for the productivity gurus out there.
• Yahoo! Go? Yahoo! No. (I learned that in my “how not to write a headline” class). Yahoo will discontinue it’s Go application. We worked with Go a lot here on BBGeeks, so we’re sad to see it go.
• TwitterBerr = OpenBeak. It seems like more than a few Twitter clients are changing their names to remove the word Twitter. Orangatame did one better, removing references to both Twitter and BlackBerry. The good news: there’s a new version out.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 11/16/2009

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 11/16/2009

RIM to integrate Flash, allow developers to use Push features

Adobe Flash is coming to smartphones. The company has announced that already, though it appears to be headed to the BlackBerry after the Android and Windows Mobile platform. It might be worth the wait, though. RIM and Adobe announced this week that Adobe’s Flash and Creative Suite will be available to developers. That will mean better, more complete applications.

To further improve its software, RIM will allow developers to access Push services. This goes further into making your messages app a clearinghouse for all important items. In addition to email and SMS, you can already get Facebook notifications in your inbox, and with the official BlackBerry Twitter client on the horizon, you’ll be able to get replies and DMs there, too. Allowing developers to access Push services means even more notifications can be pushed to your inbox. It will give users unprecedented control over what comes to them. I’m pretty psyched for this one.

Oh, and just so some of us aren’t left out, RIM will support BlackBerry Development Tools for Mac. I absolutely love how RIM has become Mac friendly seemingly overnight.

First tip of the week: I’ve found a few tips this week, but we’ll start with one right from BBGeeks. Use StudentDocket to organize your life. I’ve been using it for a while now, and I must say that I’ve been able to cut a lot of fat out of my working day.

Buy a BlackBerry at Wal-Mart, get a $100 gift card

It seems that Wal-Mart is getting serious about selling cell phones. They’ve always had those boxed prepaid phone packages from carriers like Boost Mobile and Tracfone, but they’re starting to expand a bit. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 went on sale there over the summer, and for quite the discounted price. In fact, if you buy the Curve 8520 next week, you cold make a profit. The company is offering a $100 gift card to customers who buy select BlackBerry models on a two-year contract.

I’m not sure how much the Curve 8520 cost at the store, but it’s under $30 online. So if you buy one, you could come out ahead in up-front costs. Too bad you can’t pay your cell phone bill with the Wal-Mart gift card. Still, it’s a good deal. Treat yourself to a BlackBerry, and basically get $100 off holiday gifts for others. The promotion starts Saturday at 8 a.m. (though I’m sure it will be available when doors open), and will run through November 20. The following models are eligible, again, with a two-year contract: Curve 8310, Bold 9000, Sprint Curve 8330, Curve 8520, Pearl 8120, Storm, Storm 2.

Pricing information on T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700 revealed

It’s almost a given that T-Mobile will release the BlackBerry Bold 9700 for $199.99. It’s the usual starting point for new BlackBerry models on a two-year contract. But, because T-Mobile announced new pricing schemes a few weeks ago, there’s a new hitch. Customers can buy the device outright, or finance it over four to 20 months, avoiding a contract altogether. But how much will the Bold cost in that case?

All you have to do is put $22.50 down and you can maybe 19 more monthly payments of $22.50. There’s no interest on the financing either, making it an even more enticing proposition. For those walking around with a wad of cash, the device will cost $449.99 outright. This, I think, is going to give T-Mobile an edge over AT&T with the Bold 9700. The prospect of not having a contract, and of spreading out the payment over 20 months, is quite enticing. Quite.

Second tip of the week: A user at BlackBerryOS has written up some Opera Mini 5 beta tips and tricks. We looked at Opera Mini a few weeks ago, but that was for the latest official release (4.2, I believe).

Is the Celio Redfly really worth it?

When I first saw tidbits about the Celio Redfly coming to BlackBerry, I was pretty excited. I’ve talked before about turning your BlackBerry into a virtual workstation, and this seems like a way to do that with just one device. Unfortunately, according to James Kendrick, it probably isn’t what you’re looking for.

In his review on jkOnTheRun, Kendrick notes that the two main purposes of the Redfly just don’t work well with the BlackBerry. “The problems with this model are two-fold, the terrible interaction with the BlackBerry interface and the horrible display rendering. Since those are the two basic functions of the REDFLY, you understand why I question producing this model.” And so ends the excitement we had over the device. I usually don’t dismiss a product based on one review, but 1) Kendrick is a respected name in mobile, and 2) i doubt he’d exaggerate these claims. Check out the post, where he has images showing exactly what he’s talking about.

Here’s one, just so you can see for yourself:

No more filling out forms to download RIM software

One of the more annoying points of downloading software from blackberry.com is that you have to fill out an information form every time. Thankfully, Firefox propagates these fields when I type in one letter, so it’s not a huge, huge hassle, but it’s a hassle nonetheless. Anyway, as BerryReview notes, RIM has said they’re going to get rid of that part of the process. Whew.

Third tip of the week: When Verizon released the Storm 2, they also released OS 5.0 to original Storm users. Most Storm users I know appreciated the update, but there seems to be a bug. As Berry Reporter notes, there is an issue when you load a third party theme and use it in landscape mode. Justin has the fix. It doesn’t seem too hard at all.

Software notes

I love closing out News From The Wire with a healthy dose of software news that just didn’t fit into our daily posts (and some that did). So, let’s see what we’ve got.

• Looking to more securely protect your login information to various sites? Check out Verisign Identity Protection. It changes your password every 30 seconds, so even if someone does find your password, it won’t necessarily be valid once they try it. You can get it for free at App World.
• Gym rat? Check out Gym Technik’s new BlackBerry app. It requires a monthly subscription, but when you download it you get one month free, so you can see if it works for you.
• Coming soon: BlackBerry eBay app. That should make eBay sniping that much easier.
• Also coming soon: LinkedIn BlackBerry app. Why this didn’t exist years ago I’ll never know. Not that I used LinkedIn or anything.
• Holding out for a Firefox mobile browser for the BlackBerry? You can forget about it. It’s “way down on the pecking order, according to sources for Electric Pig. Good think that the WebKit browser is on the way.
• Another popular website, soon to come in the form of a BlackBerry app: Craigslist. This will be welcome; the CL interface on the BlackBerry browser is all kinds of crappy.
• For those who want a real newspaper experience on their mobile, there’s PressReader for BlackBerry. It retains everything you love about newspapers, including the layout and graphics. The app is free, but the subscriptions cost money.
• Finally, here’s Part 2 of Inside BlackBerry’s feature on App World.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From the Wire for the Week of 11/9/2009

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From the Wire for the Week of 11/9/2009

Buy one, get one gone before the Curve2?

Verizon’s buy one, get one offer can be a boon to everyone out there who wants to save money on a BlackBerry, and who also has a friend who wants to do the same. If you buy one BlackBerry, on contract, you can get a second for free, also on contract. It’s a trade-off, of course, but many times it’s worth the two-year commitment. The only problem this time around: the deal appears to be nearing an end. Verizon will launch the Droid on November 11, and from the looks of it, BOGO will not be around at that point. Word is that the offer will end November 7. But who knows.

The BOGO offer has also prompted Verizon to increase the early termination fee on advanced devices. The idea was that some customers were buying both devices on contract, then immediately canceling one. They could then make back the $175 termination fee — and the cost of the device, really — by selling it on eBay. The early termination fee for advanced devices will now be $350, which should put a damper on anyone who has profited from the BOGO offer.

Better know the Bold 9700

What better way to kick off the slew of BlackBerry Bold 9700 reviews than with a video?

There are more videos, and more detailed information, in Kevin’s review. Not to be outdone, Bla1ze has one of his own. Finally, to end the suspense, Boy Genius Report has Part 2 of its Bold 9700 review up for your enjoyment.

With the launch of the 9700, Rogers has discounted the original Bold to $99.99. That’s awful nice of them, isn’t it? That’s a $150 discount from where the Bold was a week or so ago.

Tip of the week: Use Dropbox to back up and store files, both on your computer and on your BlackBerry.

Verizon taking care of original Storm customers?

The one downside of releasing a follow-upd device is that some of the original customers aren’t happy. They just got the device a year earlier, and since cell phone contracts are for two years, that puts them in a tough position. Should they pay full retail price for the new device? Activate a new line? This becomes a big issue for the BlackBerry Storm 2, which is a pretty big upgrade over the original.

According to a BlackBerryOS thread, Verizon will allow original Storm users to upgrade early. They still have to extend their contracts, which can be too much for some, but they can then also get it for the subsidized price. I originally thought that they’d give the device away with a contract extension, but after some more thought I can’t see that happening.

We’ll have more information as it comes. Expect further word after the BOGO offer expires.

Cool stuff: Review of the Samsung SBH600 Bluetooth Stereo Headset. Cooper’s got the goods.

Random BlackBerry links

I picked up a few stray articles this week that I think are worth reading for BlackBerry fans. Browse them at your leisure.

• How to deal with a BlackBerry junkie. Or anyone who seemingly pays more attention to gadgets than to people.
• How far would you go to retrieve a lost BlackBerry? This man, who dropped his BlackBerry into a pile of leaves, dug through a landfill to find it. That’s hardcore.
• Ever wonder why BlackBerry App World is listed as an app in BlackBerry App World? Inside BlackBerry explains that and more about the application store.
• Robb puts together some pieces to determine that there are more Storm users than you think. I think there are a lot, so I’m not sure there can be many more.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 11/2/2009

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 11/2/2009

Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2 commercial

Which needs no introduction.

Doug Soltys, formerly of BlackBerry Cool but now working for The Official BlackBerry Blog, takes the time to interview Storm 2 Product Manager Yasser Mirza. It’s an interesting read for sure. Mirza sounds like a thoughtful person, someone I’d certainly want in charge of remaking a disappointing device. He knows the Storm 2 inside and out. Not only that, but he can type faster on the touch screen than he can on a mechanical QWERTY. I think that speaks well to his expertise.

Tip of the week: Convert videos for your BlackBerry with RealPlayer SP. It’s free, and it’s better than any other version of RealPlayer I’ve used. Not only can you convert all kinds of video files for BlackBerry compatibility, but you can also grab Flash videos, like those on YouTube, from the Web.

Could the Essex (Tour 2) be released sooner than expected?

One device worth getting excited for is the BlackBerry Tour 2, known among the Internet crowd as the Essex. It’s the next big device for RIM, though the timing is strange because the original Tour came out in July. Kevin at CrackBerry, now famous among BlackBerry Internet circles for getting us early looks at devices, has a video up previewing the Tour 2.

Best of all, he has a little surprise in the post. I’ll quote for emphasis. “We originally were told the release date for the BlackBerry Tour2 would be sometime in late January/February of 2010, but are now hearing production of these is ramping up literally as you read this.” He speculates that this could also be out in time for the holidays. Which would be awesome, because I have an upgrade and would prefer this to the Storm 2. It’s just a rumor for now, but a man can dream, though. A man can dream.

While we’re on it, is it the Storm 2 or the Storm2? The Tour 2 or the Tour2? I’ve seen it both ways, and while it’s just a minor detail, it can get confusing. Not as confusing, though, as when RIM internally codes a device, and then releases it under a different name. Al Sacco at CIO addresses the issue, and urges RIM to stay consistent with its naming. I just wish they used the internal code names for the actual device names. That way the 8900 would have been the Meteor, the 9700 would be the Javelin, etc. Some of those names are pretty cool, much better than the ones they’re currently using.

OS upgrades due: RIM is in the process of releasing OS 5.0, making for some more exciting news. You can get it by plugging your device into Desktop Manager. Don’t know if your device is eligible? Check out the list of devices that can install BlackBerry OS 5.0. You can also check out how it looks on the Storm. That’s the original, not the Storm 2 (Storm2?).

BlackBerry Curve 8530 gets an early review

Man, Kevin always has the early reviews. This time he has the early word on the BlackBerry Curve2, a/k/a the 8530, the CDMA device due out from Verizon soon. It looks kinda pretty, don’t you think?

It resembles the Tour2 in many ways, including features like an optical trackpad, a fast processor, and WiFi. All it lacks, really, is a high-resolution screen. So if you’re about device performance, this could be the device for you. It packs a punch at a cheap price (though the price has yet to be determined, the Curve 8520 is among the cheaper devices on the market).

We don’t know when the Curve2 will hit Verizon, but we know for sure that it will be coming. That means you have the choice of three devices this holiday season: the Storm 2, the Tour 2, and the Curve 2. It’s a revamped handset selection for Verizon, and it should go over well with customers.

Rumor, nothing but a rumor: Could the Bold 9700 be delayed a week on T-Mobile? Technology for the Soul says yes. I’m not so sure. But we’ll find out for certain soon enough.

Software notes

Just some stuff about software to close out the news post.

• Mobile Spy raises a valid ethical question: when is it okay to spy on someone’s BlackBerry? (Part of the answer is when it’s not their BlackBerry, but yours that they use.)
• The BlackBerry Master Control program has been updated. This is an excellent tool for advanced PC users.
• Lots of software mentions in our essential BlackBerry teacher and student apps.
• My Verizon, the app that shows you how many many minutes and texts, and how much data, you’ve used, is now being pushed right to your BlackBerry. You can also do things like pay your bill right from the app.
• Amazon.com now has a BlackBerry app.
• Checking out two third-party browsers: Bolt and Opera Mini.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 10/26/2009

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 10/26/2009

]]> http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-10262009-883891/feed/ 1 http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-10192009-883780/ http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-10192009-883780/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:48:50 +0000 Joe http://www.bbgeeks.com/?p=3780 A question that’s been asked with increasing volume this week: Where is Verizon’s Storm 2 announcement? Vodafone made the announcement last week, and the Storm 2 should hit their shelves on Monday. We expected Verizon to closely follow, but over a week has passed and we’ve heard nothing. No one wants a delay — that was RIM’s signature in 2008 — but it appears that’s what might happen. Ed Hardy of Brighthand.com notes unconfirmed reports that the Storm hasn’t passed Verizon’s internal tests, meaning they’re still working on it. An announcement won’t come until the company is satisfied.

This is understandable. The original Storm had plenty of problems upon launch. The software wasn’t as smooth as possible, and a real fix didn’t come until around April. Verizon wants to get it right this time, and if that means delaying the device, so be it. In any case, it shouldn’t be too long. Verizon and RIM want this out by mid-November I’m sure, though I wonder if that’s a good thing. It could mean yet another rushed release.

Storm 2 reviews

To tide you over until announcement and release, there are a ton of Storm 2 reviews popping up. We shared a few last week, including Kevin’s behemoth. This week we look at Jamie Lendino of PC Magazine, who gave it four out of five stars. Sean Ludwig focuses on the ways the Storm 2 is better than its predecessor. Former BlackBerry Cool editor Simon Sage reviews the Storm 2 at IntoMobile. He also rates it 4/5 stars, noting that there are no glaring flaws. Like most people say, if you like touch screen, can handle SurePress, and like BlackBerry, this device will work for you. Plus, Simon posted video.


In the interest of space, I’m just embedding Part 1. The other two parts are in the related videos section.

RIM will offer many new features with OS 5.0, which should come pre-loaded on the Storm. They think that it could be of use to developers, who can use many new features, including BlackBerry Widgets, to create new applications on the platform. Eric Zeman of InformationWeek notes that the OS is actually the Storm 2’s weakness. “Using BlackBerry OS on a touch phone just doesn’t compare to the experience offered by HTC’s Sense or TouchFlo UIs, Samsung’s TouchWiz, or even plain old Android. RIM needs to step up the OS game here.” That appears to be a common sentiment in the mobile space.

And hey, if you’re really into the Storm 2, you can check out the user guide.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 announced

The Storm 2 commanded the most attention this past week, but it wasn’t the biggest topic for RIM. That was the announcement of the BlackBerry Bold 9700, which went according to schedule. We saw late last week that Bell will get it in Canada, and Rogers is expected to pick it up as well. On the U.S. side it’s AT&T and T-Mobile. AT&T has said the device will launch in November for $199.99 on contract, so it’s pretty standard fare.

As a quick refresher, the Bold 9700 features a narrower body than the original, making it more Curve-like. It has the same display as the Tour, 480 x 360 2.44-inch HVGA, but instead of the troublesome trackball it features an optical trackpad, which will come standard on all future QWERTY BlackBerry devices (until they get the new, new thing). The on-board memory won’t match the Bold’s 1GB, though the 256MB with expandable memory works just fine. The camera gets an upgrade to 3.2 megapixels.

Tony Bradley of PC World doesn’t think the Bold 9700 constitutes enough of an upgrade to induce excitement. It will be a boon to T-Mobile BlackBerry users, as it is the first 3G BlackBerry on that network. It will also be nice for AT&T users, because it’s a small step above the Bold. Otherwise, Tony says, the handset doesn’t add much. I’m inclined to disagree. It adds plenty, and plenty more to T-Mobile than just a 3G BlackBerry. But that’s because of a bigger project.

Project Dark will feature BlackBerry 9700

Along with AT&T, T-Mobile will launch the BlackBerry Bold 9700 for $199.99 on a two-year contract. But what if you don’t want a contract? Or what if the contract is too expensive? In the former case you’d have to pay full retail price for the handset, which in the case the Bold is either $500 or $600. If the contract is too expensive, well, then you’re SOL. That was the case until recently, when we heard about T-Mobile’s Project Dark.



This is a three-part project, which you can read about here (it features some early information, which has since been updated). The idea is to bring in top of the line handsets, including new BlackBerry devices, Android handsets, and possibly eventually the iPhone. T-Mobile plans to serve these customers with even faster 3G networks with 21Mbps coverage. And, just to make the deal as sweet as possible, they’re revamping their service plans.

Those plans look pretty attractive, according to photos of promo material. It puts the all-in package — unlimited minutes, messaging, and data — at $80, so $20 below Sprint’s comparable plan. Project Dark is more about the data aspect of the phone, so they have a number of limited minutes plans that also offer unlimited messaging and data. Specifically, they’ll offer a 500-minute package for $60 and a 1,000 minute version for $70. With unlimited nights and weekends plus mobile to mobile, the 500-minute plan seems like a steal. Then again, my Verizon 450 minutes + data + 500 messages (and unlimited Verizon to Verizon) is just $70.

Best of all, if you don’t want a contract, you can finance the phone. Yeah, it’s a pain to spread a $600 phone over 24 monthly payments, but it’s the best option for some people. It should definitely lower the barrier to smartphone ownership, though, which I’m sure is one of T-Mobile’s aims.

Still, this is something to get excited over. If you’re thinking about getting the 9700, you might want to consider picking up the T-Mobile version. You can not only get some fast network speeds (eventually), but you’ll also get a good deal on a plan.

Tip of the week: Schedule emails with MessageSchedule. If for some reason, devious or not, you need to schedule an email or SMS to send at a future time, this app can do that. I wish that RIM would implement this as a native feature, though.

BlackBerry watch now beyond a rumor



Many commenters disagreed, but I still think the BlackBerry watch is a good idea. The idea passed into Internet rumor over the summer, and now it looks like the watch is for real. It’s not made by RIM, but will be designed for use with your BlackBerry. That’s a picture of it above. The idea is to give you a sneak peak at the information on your BlackBerry while the device remains in its holster or in your pocket.

The downside: I imagine a lot of people will use this to check their email while driving. That’s just going to be another distraction. The upside is that you can check what’s going on discreetly — though the watch itself doesn’t appear that discreet. It has a reportedly “big, bright and beautiful” screen, which isn’t something you’d expect or even want in a watch. I wonder if this can be accomplished while keeping the watch size to a minimum.

New version of Desktop Manager for Mac means end of PocketMac support

RIM’s BlackBerry Desktop Manager upgrade to version 1.0.1 didn’t seem like a huge deal at the time, and still doesn’t. It did, however, have on ancillary effect: it meant the end of PocketMac support. The app served its purpose, but with Desktop Manager for Mac now out, there seems little reason to continue using PocketMac.

Software updates

As always, we’re all over the software updates from the week.

• Facebook 1.7 for BlackBerry is now available at http://www.blackberry.com/facebook.
• Google Maps has upgraded to version 3.2, including the new layers feature. Get it at http://m.google.com/maps.
• BlackBerry Web updates are now compatible with Firefox. That’s simply excellent news for those of us who have long forgotten Internet Explorer.
• Finally, if you’re a Pearl Jam fan, you can download an app that allows you to download three tracks from each of the band’s 11 remaining tour dates. Free music is always good.

Miscellaneous stories

Just a couple of stories to round out the week;

• Mother and author Kathy Buckworth extols the virtues of BlackBerry for mothers. It can help organize a family schedule like none other.
• RIM is looking for a WebKit developer. So that fancy new browser is definitely coming.
• One little-known use of the BlackBerry: shaking the cops. Criminals choose the BlackBerry to prevent police eavesdropping. It makes sense, because the BlackBerry has an excellent security system.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 10/19/2009

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 10/19/2009

]]> http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-10192009-883780/feed/ 1 http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-10122009-883727/ http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-10122009-883727/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:34:11 +0000 Joe http://www.bbgeeks.com/?p=3727 There’s no reason to bury the lead: Vodafone is the first to introduce the BlackBerry Storm 2. It’s everything we expected, featuring a 360 x 480 pixel, 3.25-inch touch screen with improved SurePress technology, WiFi, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and more. We’re not far from launch: it will hit Vodafone shelves on October 26 — for free with a two-year commitment to a £35 monthly plan. That’s certainly the right price, but don’t expect Verizon to follow suit (even though Verizon Wireless is partly owned by Vodafone). We have plenty more Storm 2 goodies to come in this week’s News From The Wire.

We begin our journey with the video from the official site.

Okay, so maybe that was a little lame. What else do you expect from the manufacturer? The real, substantial content always comes from third parties anyway. What better place, then, than CrackBerry to get the full-on review? Kevin got his review unit yesterday — yesterday! It appears he got work right away, as he posted a monster review of the Storm 2. In case you don’t want to read the behemoth of an article, I will explain. No, there is too much. I will sum up.

No, there’s still too much. Just go read the review. I promise, Kevin made it pretty skimmable. In lieu of a summary, here are some pretty pictures.



If you value brevity in your reviews, you can head over to Salomondrin’s review, which is more video and less text. That’s sure to go over well with some of the BlackBerry geeks out there. The key line in this: “The screen’s response is perfect at all times.” Perfect at all times. That’s quite a bold statement. The conclusion seals it, though:

I’m all in for this phone, and I’m using as my daily driver and I’m loving it. Because of my job I e-mail a lot, and so far I can’t complain about the touchscreen capabilities. I mean what’s there not to love? You got a bigger screen, fast texting, a lot of memory space, WiFi, great reception, and great voice quality (Same as a Tour). If you are looking for a touchscreen device that will have the best e-mail experience all around please look no further, the Storm 2 is exactly what you were looking for.

The video is equally impressive (and you can probably watch the nine-minute video in less time than it would take to read Kevin’s review).

So where is Verizon on this, you ask? Well, they’ve received dummy units, which is a good sign. My guess for the delay in announcement: they had to wait for the Verizon Guy to finish up his appearance on The Price Is Right. Once that happens, you’ll get an announcement from Verizon. Even better, it looks like the Storm 2 will be part of the buy one, get one deal, though that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Also, make sure to check our our best BlackBerry Storm accessories.

To love RIM, or not to love RIM?

Financial analyst Fabrice Taylor is a BlackBerry user. Or, at least, he prefers the BlackBerry to the iPhone. But that doesn’t cloud his judgement. No. In a recent Globe and Mail column, he posts that RIM’s best days are behind it. He leads with evidence of price to earnings ratio, which is at just 13 times, not a good indicator. Other analysts feel that it’s a low number that will come back up, but that remains to be seen. We’ll see how this year’s remaining device releases affect that figure.

RIM’s glory days are behind it. Best-case scenario is that it keeps growing in terms of business and deteriorating in terms of returns to investors. The worst case is that it ends up on the technological slag heap like so many once-profitable and successful firms.

It’s not a complicated story. RIM is facing intense and growing competition. Even if it stickhandles its way through it flawlessly, its business will be hurt by it. There’s the iPhone, of course. Personally, I prefer the BlackBerry, but Apple is gaining market share.

Furthermore, he notes, RIM’s No. 1 customer, Verizon, has agreed to sell Android handsets. Android will take some smartphone market share as it is, and that they’re infiltrating RIM’s best customer makes things worse for RIM. One of my favorite financial sites, Motley Fool, echoes these concerns, but says there’s still hope for RIM. While the company figures to lose market share, they should still grow, and rapidly. In fact, by the fourth quarter 2010, it is estimated that RIM will have 65 million active users. That’s a decent growth rate, though not quite like RIM going from 14 million users to over 40 million in the past two years and change.



From where I stand, this is a good thing. RIM will continue to grow, so they have incentive to pump out new devices and software. The smartphone market figures to grow rapidly over the next few years. In order to fuel this growth, the market will require a variety of devices in order to flourish. In other words, it will take more than just RIM pumping out remarkable devices. It will take improved iPhones from Apple, more Android devices from different manufacturers on different carriers, a better Windows Mobile experience, and a ton more. RIM isn’t in this alone, and naturally, competition will keep them from being the only game in town. But, as long as they continue growing it shouldn’t be a big issue.

There are still plenty of reasons to like RIM. This goes not only for investors and customers, but for carriers, too. In a RIM profile in the New York Times, co-CEO Mike Lazaradis notes that the BlackBerry’s low cost means more profit for carriers. “We help carriers be profitable,” he said. “We gave them a way to get into the data business. Now we are giving them a way to manage their costs when they are worried that all they have to sell is highly subsidized smartphones.” There’s more on Lazaridis in Forbes.

Tip of the week: Change your BlackBerry trackball sensitivity. Heavy scrollers might want to up the vertical sensitivity to 80. I tried it, and I’m not going back.

BlackBerry Bold 2 (9700) details become clearer

Last week we learned that both AT&T and T-Mobile will announce the BlackBerry Bold 2, a/k/a the 9700, a/k/a the Onyx, on October 21. That’s just the announcement, though. What we really want to know is when it will launch. That picture became clearer this week, as we learned that it will hit T-Mo shelves on November 11. That’s about two weeks behind Rogers, which will release the device on October 26.



So where is AT&T on this? They’ll presumably launch the device at the same time as T-Mobile, seeing as they’re both announcing it on the same day. In the meantime, they’re releasing the Bold 9000 in white for $199.99 on October 18. Hopefully this doesn’t mean some kind of delay tot he Bold 2.

While we’re on the Bold topic: white Bold to Rogers, original black version to Bell.

Also, if you’ve got some nerd blood in you, check out this: BlackBerry Bold 9700 user guide. Yeah, that’s about as nerdy as you can get. But we welcome that here BBGeeks.

Other device news: T-Mobile has launched the BlackBerry Curve 8520 in white. What is it with white phones? A BlackBerryOS thread reminds us that Verizon should get the Curve 8530 sometime in November, for those who want a QWERTY keyboard and optical trackpad. And Salomondrin previews the BlackBerry Atlas browser:

Bonus tip of the week: Why you shouldn’t buy a BlackBerry on Craigslist. It’s a pretty weird story.

Software news

To round out the week, here’s some software news:

• The Weather Channel is now offering a free, ad-supported app. You can get it for the Curve, Bold, and Tour here or the Storm here.
• It’s still not exactly perfect yet, but PhonePlus Callback is as good as it gets for responding to missed calls while you’re busy.
• Check out our updated walk through of TwitterBerry.
• There’s a Google Voice update. Google also announced that they’d be giving invites to current users. I don’t see any in my account as of this writing, though.
• The 7digital music store is now available in Canada.
• Any fellow bibliophiles out there? They you might want the free Dictionary.com app. I downloaded mine immediately after finding out.
• Remember that browser security issue? Here’s a roundup of fixes.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 10/12/2009

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 10/12/2009

]]> http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-10122009-883727/feed/ 2 http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-1052009-883649/ http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-1052009-883649/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:07:05 +0000 Joe http://www.bbgeeks.com/?p=3649 There’s plenty of news this week about new BlackBerry devices, but to kick things off I want to highlight a story that seemed small at first, but grew as word spread throughout the week. T-Mobile has agreed to carry BlackBerry Mobile Voice Systems, a two-year-old platform that allows companies to reroute desk calls to a user’s BlackBerry. This ties in with T-Mobile’s @ Home service, which allows customers to make unlimited calls over a Wi-Fi network, without using any plan minutes. Combined, it means employees can receive calls whether at work or on the road, and if they are in a Wi-Fi hotspot will not be billed for the minutes used.



That diagram pretty clearly lays out the scheme. One cool aspect: not only will users be able to receive calls from their work desk phone, but they can also place calls using that number. That should be a relief to workers who don’t like giving out their cell phone numbers unless necessary. It also helps by allowing employees to hand out a single number, rather than a work and a mobile number. T-Mobile will negotiate plans with individual businesses, so there’s no universal pricing chart to relay.

The Storm 2 is coming…but maybe a little late (but probably not)

The good folks at Phone Arena have reviewed the BlackBerry Storm 2, so if you’re thinking about picking up one, you might as well start there. If you’re not one for text reviews, you can check out the video below.

Based on the preproduction model review, this seems like it will meet expectations. It won’t function like an iPhone, but then again it’s not really supposed to. RIM has corrected many issues with the original Storm, and the second generation looks to be the real deal — even though the browsing experience might not be all that great. In better news, it looks like the Storm’s launch will BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0.

We saw signs that the Storm 2 is fast approaching. For starters, the original Storm has been removed from Telus’s website. I’m not sure why they would do that, unless they’re sold out and don’t plan to order any more. We also got word that the Storm 2 emulator hit the Verizon systems. This allows reps to check out the device without actually having it in hand. Yet RIM has left the device open for delay. We’ve heard October 25 over the past few weeks, and there’s no hard evidence on which to base doubt. However, this Gizmodo report notes that the device, along with the Curve 2, will hit “before Black Friday.” That’s November 27 this year, giving RIM and Verizon a little wiggle room, if needed.

Even so, there’s a training video for Verizon employees, so it can’t be that far off.

Full Flash player coming to BlackBerry

Adobe has talked about bringing Flash to mobile platforms since about halfway through the year. We first heard word of it in June, but plans then were for an October release on some platforms, with a BlackBerry release a bit later on. They haven’t quite made that deadline, but Adobe will bring Flash to some platforms later this year. They’ve announced that they’re working with RIM to bring it to BlackBerry, though there’s no word on when that will come, though it does appear that Windows Mobile and Android will come first. Mid-2010 seems like as good an estimate as any right now.

Next up for release: Bold 9700, Essex, Dakota



That is a pretty picture of a pretty device (via Engadget): the BlackBerry Bold 9700. We’ve been ogling this device for a while, and a release can’t be too far off. As if that picture wasn’t pretty enough, there’s a Vietnamese site that has a video of the device, side by side with previous generations.

There’s a good chance we’ll see the 9700 announced on October 21.

There was a video of the BlackBerry Atlas, which we first heard about last week, but it was since removed. That seems to happen a lot. But, thanks to Salomondrin, we got pictures of the BlackBerry Essex. As expected, it will feature a better camera, trackpad, and WiFi, making it a pretty substantive upgrade over the Tour — which is barely four months old.



And finally, sans multimedia, we learn more about the BlackBerry Dakota, again courtesy of Salomondrin. This is the device previously known as the Magnum: the elusive touchscreen + mechanical keyboard combination we’ve been waiting for. It’s a GSM device, featuring a trackpad (plus all the other goodies you see in current GSM BlackBerry devices). The coolest part: it will feature Liquid Lens Technology, about which you can learn more by clicking the link.

Tip of the week: Use a Bheestie bag to dry out a BlackBerry: There’s a lot of advice for drying out your wet electronics, but a new product, the Bheestie Bag, can dry out your BlackBerry without covering it with rice. The $20 pouch can dry a few electronic devices before it needs replacement.

RIM makes app creation easier for Web developers

This is one of those long-term moves: it happened now, but consumers will benefit later on, once developers take advantage. This week RIM opened up development to Web developers, taking off the Java-only requirement. Now those developers who code in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can create BlackBerry apps. It should lead to a greater variety in the future — and possible help promote the advancement of RIM software, which is lagging behind others in the smartphone industry. If this is all German to you and you want to read up on the new development, check out Bla1ze’s article on widgets over at CrackBerry.

Software releases and updates: BB Messenger, WordPress, Yatca, BOLT

A couple of notes on new software updates:

• BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 has been released. You can get it at App World, or OTA at http://www.blackberry/com/messenger.
• WordPress for BlackBerry has an update, which you can find at http://blackberry.wordpress.org/install. If you already have the app, it will notify you next time you boot up.
• The BOLT browser has shed its beta tag and has added a ton of features for its initial public release. This is my go-to browser for stuff the native version just can’t handle.
• Adding to our BlackBerry Twitter client rankings is our latest review, Yatca. Cooper has the comprehensive review. What do you think: where should this one rank on our list?

In terms of future software, we got word that the official BlackBerry Twitter client is coming November 16. I can’t imagine it being much better than the current crop of clients, though the home screen notifications will be nice. Also, Vonage will release a VoIP client for BlackBerry, for international calls. That should help save money, even if it cuts into carriers’ international calling revenues (which can’t be that high if they’re going to allow the app).

BIS 2.8 now on all North American carriers

You might not have noticed it, but BIS 2.8 launche dthis week. Here’s a rundown of the upgrades:

• Two-way wireless synchronization [every four hours] with Google Mail Contacts and the Address Book on the BlackBerry smart phone:
  • Synchronize Google Mail contacts quickly and easily to the BlackBerry smart phone
  • Add or edit Contacts and the Contacts are automatically updated, whether they are updated on the computer or BlackBerry smart phone
  • Note: Two-way wireless Contact synchronization with Google Mail Contacts requires BlackBerry® Device Software 5.0 and configuration through email settings on the BlackBerry smart phone.  Additional requirements and constraints may be found within the BlackBerry Internet Service 2.8 Documentation Kit. This feature is not supported on BlackBerry smart phones with BlackBerry® Connect™ software.
• Enhancements to email setup and settings:
  • Automatic Login now supports most billing identifiers, which allows new subscribers with wireless service providers that use PIN, IMEI, or ESN as a billing identifier to create BlackBerry Internet Service accounts from the BlackBerry smart phone, without having to create a login user name and password
  • Note: This feature will be available approximately one week after the BlackBerry Internet Service upgrade.
• Windows Live Hotmail revalidation:
  • With BlackBerry Internet Service 2.8, new Windows Live Hotmail mail integrations will be defaulted to a protocol that is designed so as not to require 90 day reauthorization.
    Note: Existing BlackBerry smart phone users accessing Windows Live Hotmail using Microsoft MSP will still be required to revalidate their Windows Live Hotmail account every 90 days.

RIM could lose market share — like we haven’t heard that before

It seems that after every quarterly earnings report, some pundit proclaims RIM’s dominance nearly over. We’ve been hearing this for over two years now, since the initial release of the iPhone. Yet RIM has only grown since then. So when I see an article about how RIM could lose market share, I have to wonder if it’s written by someone who said the same thing last quarter, and the quarter before.

To reinforce the point, there’s also a bit on how companies are switching from BlackBerry to the iPhone. I have a friend who works for a major consulting firm, and they encourage employees to use iPhones, mainly because of the BES charges that BlackBerry users incur.

Assorted links

This is our biggest News From The Wire yet, and it’s still not done. Here are some more stories I saw this week:

Best Buy is offering a syncing service that stores contacts, messages, calendars, call logs, and multimedia from a phone to a Web-based service. That’s pretty awesome. It’s free for up to a gigabyte. Check it out at http://www.miqlive.com/.

Ever see a dialog box asking if you want to grant Trusted Application status? Check out this FAQ to see what it means.

A short profile of Jim Balisillie at TheSpec.com.

Is someone spying on your BlackBerry?

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 10/5/2009

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 10/5/2009

]]> http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-1052009-883649/feed/ 0 http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-92809-883600/ http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-92809-883600/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:14:47 +0000 Joe http://www.bbgeeks.com/?p=3600 I waited last Thursday. News From The Wire was done, but I wanted to see if RIM would make their quarterly earnings announcement, so I could slip that in and have the full report. But no. The announcement didn’t come until later, and eventually I decided to just toss up the post. RIM did announced their second quarter earnings. Since most aren’t interested in the technicals, here are the highlights. RIM shipped 8.3 million devices. This led to 3.8 million net adds, bringing the total subscriber base to 32 million. Revenue was up 3 percent from the first quarter and 37 percent from the second quarter last year. Since wireless tends to slump mid-year, those are good numbers.

Weekly roundup of new devices: Storm 2, 9700, Atlas

The closer we get to the Storm 2 release, the more it looks like we’ll see it in late October. This was, if you’ll remember, right around the original release date for the first Storm. But, like a few RIM models in 2008, it hit a delay and was released in November. There don’t appear to be any such snags this time, and we see this week that Best Buy will get dummy units on October 25. Real models apparently come out around the same time, so a late October, early November release is in the cards. Word is that it will be $599 sans contract, but those looking for a subsidy will almost certainly pay $199.



That’s the BlackBerry Atlas pictured on the left, next to the 9700. The photo comes courtesy of Salomondrin, the self-proclaimed “ultimate BlackBerry ninja,” by way of CrackBerry. Warning: his site slowed my computer to a near halt — got the damn rainbow pinwheel multiple times. Anyway, according to BGR, the Atlas was supposed to be a CDMA device for Verizon, but that appears to not be the case. The Atlas was previously known as the Driftwood, and is slated for markets in China and East Asia. Sorry, Verizon fans. It looks like just the Storm 2, Curve 8530, and Essex for you.

Finally, the 9700 has shown up in AT&T’s systems. This doesn’t give us any idea of a release date, but we do know that it will come in a charcoal finish. To contrast it, it appears a white Bold 9000 is in the system as well. Does anyone really want a white BlackBerry?

BlackBerry issue: RIM recently revealed a security issue with the way its browser handles security certificate discrepancies. These discrepancies usually stem from a phishing scam, and it’s recommended that when seeing such a security dialog pop up that you close the connection. Problem is, the dialog in this case looks benign. Check out the whole BBGeeks post to find out how to protect yourself from this flaw.

Apps of the week: Desktop manager and more

Glory, glory, hallelujah! RIM will release Desktop Manager for Mac tomorrow, which, if you’re not reading this when posted, is Friday October 2. A leaked version appeared a few weeks ago, though there appear to be some updates in the official release. We looked at the Mac app a while back, and I’ve bee using it since the leak. It definitely satisfied the BlackBerry needs of Mac users.

Does anyone still use TiVo? I remember back in 2004, there was nothing I wanted more. I’m a sports fan who has many other interests, and the ability it afford to condense games is beyond awesome. For instance, if I want to get some serious reading or writing done in the evening, I can just DVR the Yankees game and then watch it at, say, 10:00. I’d be done before 11. Anyway, TiVo kind of fell out of favor once cable companies started supplying DVRs to their subscribers at a lower cost than TiVo, and with no initial equipment purchase.

If you’re still loyal to the TiVo brand, you can check out the TiVo BlackBerry app. It lets you schedule recordings wherever you are. You might have seen this feature advertised with DirecTV, and I’d expect to see it with most major cable companies in due time. Those with TiVo and a BlackBerry have no reason to not head to http://www.blackberry.com/tivo and download the app.

At CIO, Al Sacco walks through 10 BlackBerry productivity apps. There are surely many more, but Al touches on 10 particularly useful ones. The BlackBerry is an incredibly productivity device — you might even call it a productivity panacea. However, when it comes to productivity, I choose to read just one site.

HulloMail is the latest visual voicemail service to hit BlackBerry, and it very well could be the best. Not only does it take over voicemail duties from your carrier, emailing you audio files of your messages, but it also introduces an app to the fray. This allows you to take advantage of visual voicemail’s greatest advantage: skipping messages without even listening to them. Listen to what you need, delete the rest. If they add transcription, even for a fee, HulloMail will go right to the top.

Tip of the week: Clean up your BlackBerry’s memory. Not only will you have more room to store stuff, but more free memory means a smoother running BlackBerry.

Audio-Visual Club: mSpot, FlyCast, and 7digital

       

This week marked the release of two amazing multimedia services. First is 7digital’s music store, pictured to the right. This has tons of titles, more than Thumbplay’s music store. Not only that, but it features a built-in media player which reportedly trumps RIM’s native player. You can import your library from your media card and go to town. If they integrate a streaming audio channel, they could dominate the market.

Speaking of streaming radio, make sure to check out FlyCast. It offers over 1,500 channels of free streaming radio. If you’re out of cell range frequently enough, you can buy a caching plan, which stores music ahead of time so you can retrieve it whenever.

Pictured to the left is mSpot Mobile Movies. It’s the next logical step in video rental. Just choose from their 350 titles, pay the $4.99 fee, and you’re streaming a movie right on your BlackBerry. If you like it, you can sign up for a Movie Club pass, which gives you a discount on movie rentals if you watch many per month. You’ll never have a boring commute again.

In brief: OS 5.0 for the Curve, native Twitter client

OS 5.0 is nearing a release — it should come with the 9700 and Storm 2. But what about other devices? RIM said they’d release it by the end of the year, but we haven’t heard much that signals it’s around the bend, other than some leaked versions. One of those leaks, we found this week, is OS 5.0 for the 8330. This is quite odd, because the old Curves didn’t even get a 4.6 upgrade. You can find the leaked file here, and install it by following the OS upgrade instructions. Please note that this is an unofficial release, and may destroy your BlackBerry. This is the risk you take with unvetted software. Proceed at your own risk.

Finally, there’s word that RIM is working on a native Twitter client. Why they’d waste the time and money I’m not sure. There are tons of third party BlackBerry Twitter clients. Why doesn’t RIM just gobble up one of them if they want their own?

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 9/28/09

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 9/28/09

]]> http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-92809-883600/feed/ 0 http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-9212009-883566/ http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-9212009-883566/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:20:10 +0000 Joe http://www.bbgeeks.com/?p=3566 Feeling overloaded with BlackBerry news and rumors? We know the feeling. We hear new things almost every day, and it can be tough to keep up with it all. that’s why we’re bringing you BlackBerry News from the Wire every Thursday.

We’ll catch you up on everything ‘Berry that happened over the course of the week. Not only that, but we’ll rank ‘em by importance, so you can more easily skim the items and read the ones of most significance. If you only have time to read one article, for instance, you might want to head down to our 5-star section. It’s All the BlackBerry News Fit to Geek.



Is the BlackBerry 9700 the best yet?
The BlackBerry 9700 is coming. When, exactly, we’re not sure, but with all the press it has received lately, the release date can’t be far off. Further building the hype, Boy Genius Report has reviewed the 9700. The newest member of the Bold family has many upgrades over its predecessor, and also over the recently released Tour. As the BGR guys say, the Tour is the best BlackBerry on the market right now, but that will only last until the 9700 hits shelves — which according to them appears to be November 11 on T-Mobile and AT&T.. The review is filled with descriptions and pictures, and in the end I can almost guarantee you’ll walk away impressed. This is only the first review. Look for a production model review just before release.





Tour trackball problems “no longer an issue.”
Over the past few weeks a sore spot on the BlackBerry Tour emerged: a faulty trackball afflicted a number of models. A report from TownHall Investment Reserach estimated that up to 50 percent of Sprint Tours were returned. According to both Verizon and Sprint, these claims are not only overblown, but are no longer an issue. Both carriers admitted that there was a problem, but that they addressed it with RIM, and that the issue is dead. Verizon went on to say that instances of return for the Tour “are some of the lowest among any of our smart phones.” So if your trackball is faulty, rest assured that it’s not an issue…or something like that.

A complete walk-through of Desktop Software for Mac
Amid hype and anticipation for new BlackBerry devices this year, one of the biggest release might actually be software. That would be Desktop Software for Mac. We’ve taken a look at the software, and have even downloaded the leaked version. Even so, nothing will compare to the comprehensive walk-through at the Inside BlackBerry blog. One big notation: backup files will now be stored as .bbb files, rather than .ipd for BlackBerry data and .cab files for the contents of on-board memory. They say the release is “just around the corner,” so expect an announcement sometime next week. (Now watch, it will drop later today or tonight.)



Curve 8520 to hit Rogers soon
Rogers employees have begun training procedures for the BlackBerry Curve 8520, which means that the device is nearing a release. It won’t be as nice, shiny, or generally awesome as the 9700, but it should prove a low-cost option. The unofficial word for now: first week of October. The 9700 won’t be far behind, as Rogers should have it before the two US carriers.

U2 mobile album “a complete bust.”
In last week’s News From The Wire we discussed U2’s mobile album, recently release on App World. No, I didn’t download it, mainly because I like music for music and don’t need the extras, but mainly because I really dislike U2. Turns out, it would have been an enormous waste of time anyway. Get this: it’s not even a full album. It just streams clips, which renders it nothing more than a promotional vehicle. Which is fine and good, but it’s not an album, so please don’t hype it as one. mocoNews.net, which provided the “complete bust” quote, notes further disappointments, including the release date, September 14, which came over two months after U2’s tour began. The platform might have a future, but the maiden voyage has been less than impressive.

Verizon pushing YouTube app to Storm users
One thing I do not enjoy about the BlackBerry is how carriers can push applications to your device. True, these are usually just shortcuts to download the actual app, but it’s yet another desktop icon that you have to hide or stuff into a dud folder. This time it’s the YouTube app, which Verizon has begun pushing to Storm users. You might like the app, but an email would suffice. No need to push the app our way, without our express permission. Look for the icon to pop up on your non-Storm Verizon device soon.



Viigo News brings RSS without the extras. If you want to save a little bit of memory, you can replace your Viigo with the new Viigo News, which gets back to the basics. It’s RSS only, so if that’s what you’re looking for, check it out.

OtterBox releases Commuter cases. Like the protection OtterBox provides but don’t like the bulk? The new Commuter series might be your solution.

The 54 worst apps in BlackBerry App World. Flashlight apps? Tip calculators? We can do these things for free already! Fart apps? Really? People pay for these?

Calculate tips for free on your BlackBerry. As a follow-up, we point out that it takes just a couple of taps on your BlackBerry to figure out the tip — if you can’t do it in your head already.

Crimson, In Words, Mac OSX Mini themes The latest in our Theme Review Wednesday series.

RIM upgrades IM and social networking apps. Get updates to your Facebook, MySpace, AIM, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and Google Talk apps.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 9/21/2009

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 9/21/2009

]]> http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-9212009-883566/feed/ 0 http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-91409-883527/ http://www.bbgeeks.com/news/blackberry-news-from-the-wire-for-the-week-of-91409-883527/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:11:58 +0000 Joe http://www.bbgeeks.com/?p=3527 Feeling overloaded with BlackBerry news and rumors? We know the feeling. We hear new things almost every day, and it can be tough to keep up with it all. that’s why we’re bringing you BlackBerry News from the Wire every Thursday.

We’ll catch you up on everything ‘Berry that happened over the course of the week. Not only that, but we’ll rank ‘em by importance, so you can more easily skim the items and read the ones of most significance. If you only have time to read one article, for instance, you might want to head down to our 5-star section. It’s All the BlackBerry News Fit to Geek.



The latest on the Storm 2 — including pics
It’s been the same deal all summer: picture or video of Storm 2 gets posted, RIM has it taken down. On and on and on. Over the last week, we saw some multimedia go up and stay, a good sign that the device is nearing a release. First up, we got some pictures of the Storm 2 9520 from Boy Genius Report. This is the GSM version of the Storm 2, headed for Vodafone and other GSM carriers, probably including AT&T. It’s the heaviest BlackBerry to date, even heavier than those bulky older models. Unfortunately, with that weight comes a bit more girth, meaning the Storm 2 won’t fit in the original Storm charging pod. That’s a shame, but the hype for the Storm 2 far outweighs small inconveniences like this.

Will RIM make good on its OS 5 promise?
Back at WES 2009, RIM said that OS 5.0 “will follow before the end of the year.” We’re not quite there yet — three and a half months to go — but there hasn’t been much rumbling about the OS upgrade. BlackBerry Cool reminds us of RIM’s statement/promise, and wonders if they’re going to stand by it. Or, will they cop out to a technicality? The Bold 9700 (Onyx) and Storm 2 figure to launch with it, there’s a chance we don’t see it for other devices before January 1, 2010. OS 5.0 would have hit the public, so RIM would be in the clear, but Tour users, among others, would be left out. We’ll be sure to keep track of this one as we close out 2009.







Tour has serious trackball issues
We recently learned about the BlackBerry Essex, an updated version of the recently released Tour, which features WiFi and a trackpad. The latter is a good thing, because apparently people are having all kinds of trouble with their Tour trackball.

Justin from BerryReporter says that changing his trackball sensitivity to 80 helped a lot. But for those who need a break from the trackball frustrations, he’s put together a list of Tour keyboard shortcuts, so you can navigate your device with minimal trackball use.

BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac on September 25?
BGR has it on good account that Desktop Manager for Mac will be released September 25. That’s next week. In the meantime, you can play with the leaked version. I’ve been enjoying it for the past week or so. It even upgraded my OS!

U2 mobile album available in App World
I’ll make this quick because, to the astonishment of those about five years older than me, I do not care for U2. I won’t go into my myriad reasons, but I will say that The Edge is such an incredibly overrated guitarist that I wonder how he got a reputation in the first place. Anyway, they released a mobile album, No Line On The Horizon, and you can get it for free at App World. It features not only the music, but images and lyrics, just like old time albums. There’s also other multimedia, like images of the band, videos, interviews, and more. There’s also some social networking aspects to it, so if that’s all your bag check it out.

Get an extra $50 off the Curve at T-Mobile
Here’s an intersting promotion from T-Mobile: buy a BlackBerry Curve, and then send in your old, working cell phone for an additional $50 rebate. It runs now through November 18, so if you’re looking for the 8520 or the 8900, now would seem the time.

BlackBerry Bold 9700, Curve 8520 Rogers-bound
It looks like the Bold 9700 and Curve 8520 are headed for Rogers, according to screen shots from their system. If they end up getting the Storm 9520, this could be quite the influx of devices for Rogers over the next month and a half. Not long after we learned that, we saw some pics of the 8520 with a Rogers boot screen. We’re probably three weeks from this release, though as always, that could change.



How long can a BlackBerry last under water?
Two minutes seems to be the answer, at least according to one BerryReview reader.

For further info, check out what to do and what not to do if your BlackBerry gets wet.

AT&T licensing technology from Vlingo
When I checked out speech-recognition software Vlingo last year, I thought it was pretty cool. It was far from perfect, but still some quality voice recognition software. It appears AT&T thinks very highly of it, as it has licensed the software for integration into its own Watson speech technology. AT&T gets a stake in Vlingo as part of the deal. Devices with the Watson engine should be available before year’s end.

Opera Mini 5 beta now available
We’d been hearing about Opera Mini 5 coming out sometime soon, and this week it finally came true. It’s only a beta version, but that’s still better than nothing. Those who prefer Opera to the BlackBerry browser (which is just about anyone who has tried Opera) can download the beta here.







Take better pictures on your BlackBerry. Your BlackBerry camera might not be the highest resolution, but you can take small steps to clearer pictures.

Twitter Help monthly roundup. Cooper answers questions that pop up on the BBGeeks Twitter feed.

Ranking the BlackBerry Twitter apps. Then, appropriately, I rank the BlackBerry Twitter apps we’ve reviewed. Sorry about no SocialScope; we can’t write about that one yet. Look for that one, Yatca, TwitterBerry, and TweetGenius in the future.

UberTwitter upgrades to Beta-5. There are even more features in the new UberTwitter, including the integration of TweetPhoto.

Keep a secret address book on your BlackBerry. Just in case someone might see your address book and find something they don’t like.

Using Password Keeper to store important information. You can do a lot with Password Keeper, a protected text file.

Set up email groups on your BlackBerry. If you frequently send emails to multiple recipients, you can take advantage of groups to make the process easier.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 9/14/09

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 9/14/09

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