BB Geeks » BlackBerry Podcasts

BBGeekcast: March 19, 2010 – Episode 108

Joe — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:00:32 +0000

It’s always a pleasant show when we get news on upcoming BlackBerry devices. It’s always doubly pleasant when we get news on two of them. That’s what we’ve go on tap this week, as we’ve heard information about the BlackBerry slider and the BlackBerry ~~Tour2~~…the new CDMA BlackBerry. Which, by the way, seemingly has a name now.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (10 min, 33 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

The Tour2 is no more. We heard rumblings that RIM planned to change the device name a few weeks ago, and a user manual for the device all but confirms it. It will still be the 9650, but instead of Tour it will become part of the flagship line, the Bold. So when we’re talking about the device, due out in a few months, it will be the Bold 9650.

Also coming soon: the BlackBerry slider. But when? On what carriers? Those are the questions we’re trying to answer. We have a better idea now than we did last week, but we still don’t have a lot of the details. We report what we’ve already heard, though.

And no two-way sync for Gmail on BIS 3.0? What gives?

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

BBGeekcast: March 19, 2010 – Episode 108

BBGeekcast: March 12, 2010 – Episode 107

Joe — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:52:35 +0000

Every once in a while we like to mix things up on the Geekcast and bring on a guest. Things usually run long, but hey, you get more than just windbag discussing all things BlackBerry. Brad from Berry Reporter joins me today to talk about this week’s happenings.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (19 min, 26 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

We start with the biggest actual news item of the week, RIM’s reissuing of the BlackBerry Storm2. They made improvements to the screen, and have shipped the improved units to Verizon stores. If you’re not happy with your screen you should go and see if you can get a replacement. From my experience, Verizon is very accommodating if your account is in good standing. Brad, though, has no problems with his keyboard. So it’s certainly not a universal thing.

From there we go on to discuss our favorite BlackBerry keyboards. A writer for PC Pro conducted a very unscientific study to test keyboards from different manufacturers. It was neat, but keyboard quality ultimately boils down to user preference. Brad loves the Storm keyboard, and I’m sure many disagree.

There’s plenty more, so make sure to listen through even though the episode is about twice as long as normal. When you’re done, you can check out Brad on his very own podcast The Berry Report.

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

BBGeekcast: March 12, 2010 – Episode 107

BBGeekcast: March 5, 2010 – Episode 106

Joe — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:53:59 +0000

It’s not every week that we’re expose to a new BlackBerry model. But when we are we tend to yap about it. This time it’s a BlackBerry touchscreen slider, a device we’ve been hearing about for years now. In fact, it was just about two years ago that we saw a patent application for a slider, though this one’s a bit different.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (7 min, 26 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

Back when we saw the patent application, RIM was going for a landscape slider. This one, however, is in portrait mode. It looks like a Storn, but then it slides out to reveal a Bold-like keyboard. In fact, much of the debate this week centered on whether this would be the next Storm or the next Bold. It’ll be a GSM device, so perhaps the latter is the front runner for the time being.

We also run down a rumor about the Pearl 9100, though I’d love to hear more about it before talking in actual terms (we love the theoretical on the BBGeekcast). Also, news on the release of BIS 3.0.

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

BBGeekcast: March 5, 2010 – Episode 106

BBGeekcast: February 26, 2010 – Episode 105

Joe — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:00:33 +0000

We usually cover news and developments related to new BlackBerry devices in this space, but this week we look at it from a different angle. We didn’t hear much, if anything, new about the 9650 or the 9100 this week, but we did hear about the retirement of old devices. Hey, you can’t support them forever.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (9 min, 35 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

Verizon is cutting a few models, including perhaps the most popular BlackBerry model ever — at least in my limited sampling of people on the subway in New York City. Three of the soon-to-be retired devices have replacements, while one does not. Quick, without looking, can you guess what BlackBerry model Verizon is dumping just because it’s not selling?

Are you worried about cell phone radiation? Scientific studies to this point have come to different conclusions, but as I said in News From The Wire, I don’t think we have a large enough sample. Yes, billions of people have used cell phones for over 10 years now, but plenty has changed in that decade. Plus, if we want to find out more about long-term effects, we need more than 10 years of data. What if 10 years of usage leads to a higher rate of cancer? We wouldn’t know that right away.

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

BBGeekcast: February 26, 2010 – Episode 105

BBGeekcast: February 19, 2010 – Episode 104

Joe — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:10:01 +0000

I don’t know what happened, but apparently the podcast never posted on Friday. Can’t figure that one out, but when I got back from a trip this weekend I didn’t see it on the site. So here it is, a little late, with a thousand apologies.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (11 min, 00 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

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

BBGeekcast: February 19, 2010 – Episode 104

BBGeekcast: February 12, 2010 – Episode 103

Joe — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:01:30 +0000

Big stories don’t care what the rest of the news is doing. In a week when the BlackBerry news slowed up a bit — or I just missed some of the interesting stories, which is entirely possible — we still got what’s considered a big story. It’s the monthly/quarterly release of the country’s top-selling smartphones. This is always a fun one to dive into.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (5 min, 15 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

I’ll give away the top seller, because that’s not the story. It’s the Curve, yet again. It seems like it tops the charts every month/quarter, but this time Kevin from CrackBerry touched on something peculiar. How, exactly, are these results tallied? Do they count the Curve along with the Curve 2? Is that fair? How would the rankings have looked if they had counted them separately — or where did the Curve 2 fall if they actually did count them separately?

It’s an interesting question, because they count the different iPhones separately. Does this speak to a RIM bias? And what does it mean for the company if they continue to sell three-year-old models better than their new ones? I have no answers, so don’t listen expecting them. I’m just very curious.

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

BBGeekcast: February 12, 2010 – Episode 103

BBGeekcast: February 5, 2010 – Episode 102

Joe — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:00:51 +0000

What would you do-oo-oo for a new BlackBerry OS? Not just an upgrade, like OS 5.0, but a major overhaul that will put RIM’s software in line with other smartphone platforms? Yeah, I’m drooling too. We heard a bit about a mysterious OS 6.0 this week, and while it’s just a name right now that won’t hold back our vivid imaginations.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (10 min, 48 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

A couple of weeks ago, I had no idea where the Curve 8910 fit in a North American BlackBerry lineup. This week we got a hint at the answer. T-Mobile took down the 8900 from its website. So, yeah, about its landing spot…

Of course, we have yet to hear whether this will hit AT&T as well, or if it’s a T-Mobile exclusive. We also don’t know anything more about rumors of an 8930, slated for Sprint and Verizon. The rumor came up this week, but like the 8910 I don’t see where this one fits. Which means it will probably fit somewhere.

And are you ready for OS 6.0? Will it be that big improvement we’ve been waiting for? Or are we in for another year or so of disappointment? I’m getting my hopes up now. Which means disappointment is inevitable.

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

BBGeekcast: February 5, 2010 – Episode 102

BBGeekcast: January 29, 2010 – Episode 101

Joe — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:02:42 +0000

What do get when you cross stories about three unreleased BlackBerry models and news that a rival company wants to ban imports from RIM? An episode of the BBGeekcast, of course. I run down the issue with Motorola, plus the issues facing three unreleased BlackBerry models that made appearances this week.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (8 min, 12 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

Let me just say that the U.S. will not ban imports of RIM devices, except under the most extreme circumstances. There’s probably something to Motorola’s case against RIM, but considering the BlackBerry’s place in the U.S. business world, I think they’ll work something out. How else could it play out?

BlackBerry Magnum? I remember being excited about it in 2009, but it appears RIM has moved onto the Dakota. We’ll see if it can capitalize on the similarity to the Palm Treo.

Want to see a diagram of a BlackBerry model that I think will sell worse than the Pearl flip? It’s towards the bottom in News From The Wire. Only 12 keys? Even non-smartphone users are opting for full QWERTY these days.

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

BBGeekcast: January 29, 2010 – Episode 101

BBGeekcast: January 22, 2009 – Episode 100

Joe — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:46:25 +0000

Wow. 100 episodes. Even crazier: we have had a BBGeekcast every single week, without fail, since starting it up in February 2008. We’ll hit our two-year anniversary in about a month, but until then we’ll have fun celebrating the century mark. And we have some good BlackBerry stuff to discuss, as always.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (9 min, 56 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

Remember last week when we talked about the Curve 8910 and I wondered where it fit in the U.S. market? Speculation at that point had the device headed for Asia, and I thought that made perfect sense. Yet this week the FCC — the American FCC, of course — approved the device. What does that mean? I take a look at the 3G-less device.

Speaking of Curves, there’s an actual 3G GSM model in the works. That makes a bit more sense. But, because of the Bold 9700, it might not make as much sense as the original Curve. That model fit perfectly, with the other popular model being the 8800 or the 8820. Where does a next-gen Curve fit among the bigger Berrys?

And it looks like our BlackBerry internet browsing experience might get better. In fact, the whole BlackBerry internet environment could change in the next few months.

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

BBGeekcast: January 22, 2009 – Episode 100

BBGeekcast: January 15, 2009 – Episode 99

Joe — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:25:45 +0000

What happens when we get tidbits about new BlackBerry devices? We break them down on the Geekcast. We’ve got two this week, both milestones. We saw one caught in the wild for the first time, and we saw the other in carriers’ computer systems. Plus, perhaps you can increase the storage on your BlackBerry soon.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (8 min, 0 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

Are you ready for the BlackBerry Tour2? Verizon and Sprint are. This week we saw the device show up in both of their computer systems, which means we’re one step closer to launch. We still don’t know of a release date, but the word late last year was that we’d see an early Q1 release. Could be end of January, though that looks doubtful. I’d say mid-February, right around the time the Curve 8900 launched last year.

Speaking of the Curve 8900, what’s this about the Cuve 8910? Where does RIM have room in the BlackBerry lineup for this? Or, more importantly, what does it bring to the table? Apparently that question is moot. The 8910, which we saw in the wild this week, looks curiously like the BlackBerry Atlas, a device rumored for an Asian release.

And are you ready to do more with your BlackBerry? Samsung is ready to start producing 32GB microSD cards, which will work with later builds of OS 4.6. That covers most devices — and should even cover the Curve 8330, which is slated for an OS 5.0 upgrade. They should be available by sometime in the Spring. With that, and an extended battery, you could turn your Berry into a serious multimedia device.

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

BBGeekcast: January 15, 2009 – Episode 99