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The BlackBerry plan is falling into place. In last week’s News From The Wire we went over the 9700, which had just been announced by AT&T, Rogers, and T-Mobile. Right up front I addressed a rumor that there would be a delay on the Storm 2, but in the span of just a few days that was debunked. In fact, Verizon announced and released the Storm 2 since our last edition. Hell, you might be reading this on your Storm 2 right now. That’s pretty cool. But just because two devices have been announced in the past week doesn’t meant that we’re out of things to talk about. Hardly.

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.
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