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.
Nextel releases camera-less Curve 8350i
This week was slow on actual news, so we’ll lead off with a device-related item and move onto other quality posts from the week. RIM hasn’t released a camera-less BlackBerry since the 8820 (or did the 8830 come slightly later?), and there has been clamoring for such a model. This week we learned that Nextel released a camera-less Curve 8350i. It’s basically the same as the 2 megapixel version — including WiFi — just sans camera. That should be good for lawyers and others whose professions preclude them from toting around a camera phone. The price is the same, too: $149.99 after $100 mail-in rebate and two-year service agreement.
RIM looking to cut parts costs
Once a market price is established, it’s tough to change it up. This goes especially for technology, which normally goes down not long after introduction. The way to boost profits, at least in a capitalistic system, is to cut costs. This is what RIM is doing currently. They’re shopping around at firms like Foxconn for less expensive parts, which will enable them to build the same device for cheaper, yet sell it at the same price point. Hopefully this doesn’t bring about the adage, “you get what you pay for.”
Write your congressman with a BlackBerry app
How many times have you heard of a piece of legislation, and have been concerned with how your congressman will vote on the matter? The thing to do in that situation is to write your congressman to tell him or her how you feel. However, this rarely gets done. Laziness sets in, so what we need is something that makes it easier. Now there’s an app which not only allows you to write your congressman, but also shows you how he or she is voting, and when they disagree with you. This would be even better if the application could somehow remotely print out a letter, stick it in an envelope, and put postage on it. That would cost money, of course, and this is free. So while this is cool and allows you to email your congressman, the best way to contact him or her is still with the old-fashioned pen and paper.
Another way to listen to podcasts on your BlackBerry
There still doesn’t seem to be a good way to listen to podcasts on your BlackBerry, at least not universally. Some people have had success with some apps, while others have had problems with the same ones. Kevin has a write-up on Ultra Podcast Player, which he says works beautifully over WiFi on his 8900. However, as he notes, doing it sans WiFi is a bit of a pain — though the 8900 is not a 3G model like CDMA BlackBerry models. Still, you could always give it a try and listen to the BBGeekcast on your Berry. It’s up at the BBGeeks Store for $4.99.
Do Web visits indicate popularity?
Here’s an interesting post from Compete.com, which shows that the RIM website has more visitors than any other phone manufacturer. Yes, this includes the iPhone. Apple’s website numbers — that is, only the iPhone-specific portion of the website — were far, far higher than anyone else’s for the month the iPhone 3G was relased, but fell off a cliff afterward. BlackBerry saw a steady increase leading up to the Bold and Storm, and actually saw an increase in February 2009 (Curve 8900?). In any case, it’s been up consistently, while Apple’s phone website has been down since the latest iPhone launch. Make whatever inferences you will, but the article is a good read.
Pandora now available for BlackBerry Storm
There was no hiding my excitement for the BlackBerry Pandora application, but it appears our Storm-using brothers and sisters were left behind. No longer, though. The Pandora app has been released for the Storm, allowing nearly all BlackBerry users to use the streaming music service.
BES 5.0 details
We tend to cater more to the BIS crowd than the BES crowd here, but that doesn’t mean we want to leave our BES buddies on an island. Over at BerryReview, Greg has the official BES 5.0 details. Check it out for all the latest in Enterprise Server goodness.
RIM hires ex-Apple, Microsoft designer
What do you do when you want to crush the competition? Hire someone who has worked for them. RIM did that this past week, bringing on former Apple and Microsoft designer Don Lindsay. He was incorrectly billed as “the mastermind” behind the iPhone user experience, which was later proven wrong. However, it’s good to see RIM bringing in people who have experience with their competitors.
Check for memory leaks with Memory Eye. There’s nothing more annoying than a memory-leaking application that winds up deleting emails and your call log. Memory Eye keeps a lookout for such leaks, and lets you know when it’s time to reset. The problem, of course, is finding the offending app.
Fire sale at the BBGeeks Store. Now through May 1, all SHAPE Services software priced above $19.99 is $19.99. Check it out to see all of the discounted apps.
How to replace bezel, buttons, and keyboard on the BlackBerry Bold. This is fun, but for experts only.
Get MLB Gameday Audio on your BlackBerry. For those times when you’re not in front of a TV and just need to hear about the latest Albert Pujols home run.
Theme Review Wednesdays. Three new themes, all killer. There’s even a Storm theme in there.
ÜberTwitter client for BlackBerry. This is another Twitter client, geared more towards location services and multimedia functions.
