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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.

BlackBerry Storm 2 coming later this year
The comparisons of the Storm to the iPhone wont’ stop, apparently, as RIM is taking a page out of Apple’s playbook and will release a second version of the Storm later this year. The biggest upgrade: Wi-Fi, which will make many a Verizon customer happy. BGR later chimed in with more speculation, including a 5-megapixel camera and a new touchscreen, dubbed TruePress (not to be confused with SurePress). After hearing confirmation from a Netherlands RIM rep, Simon Sage of IntoMobile wonders whether it will feature a slider keyboard. We saw a patent for a slider BlackBerry a little over a year ago, so it’s possible. This rumor will surely power us through the summer, so stay tuned.

More BlackBerry models on the horizon
Before the Storm 2 hoopla, BGR had a bit up about three rumored BlackBerry models. Well, maybe not three, since two could be the same device intended for different carriers. They are the Onyx, Driftwood, and Magnum, all pretty cool names. They’re all GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS devices, so expect them for AT&T, T-Mobile, Rogers, and overseas carriers. The Driftwood specifically should hit T-Mobile, since it is the only one with UMA, and that’s T-Mobile’s thing. The Onyx and Magnum are confirmed for AT&T, though there is seemingly no difference between them. Could one be the long-rumored touchscreen Bold? That would be super awesome. They’re all 3G, though, so there’s reason to be excited. Not to end there, they also mention the Gemini, which we’ve discussed before, though this time it’s as a line of low-cost models, not as a single one.

Compare the details of BlackBerry devices
There are a few phone comparison tools out there, like Phone Scoop’s, but when it comes right from the company manufacturing the devices, it’s certainly worth a look. RIM has launched their own comparison tool so you can weigh your options before purchasing a device. Head on over to the BlackBerry website to test out the tool.

T-Mobile discounts Curve 8900 to $149.99
Could this move be a precursor to AT&T’s release of the Curve 8900? If so, hats off to T-Mobile, which dropped the price of the BlackBerry Curve 8900 to $149.99. This includes a mammoth $250 instant rebate combined with a $100 mail-in version. If there was ever a time to pick up one of these puppies, it’s right now. Not that it helps 8900 users, since it has a 2G radio, but T-Mobile will roll out 3G coverage to more cities this year. That’ll work well with the Driftwood (mentioned above).

Early look at BlackBerry OS 5.0
Ever since the release of BlackBerry OS 4.5, we’ve been waiting for OS 5.0 to emerge. Yeah, we’re an impatient group. To satiate our desires, Kevin has a video demo of 5.0 on a Curve 8900. Check it out to get some of the early features of the OS, including trackball flicking, Storm-like menu buttons, and other goodies. Apparently the browser is making improvements, but with the Bolt browser steadily improving I’m wondering if anyone’s going to use it anymore.

Cheap BlackBerry Storm apps
Have a BlackBerry Storm and in search of a few cheap applications? Who isn’t? Thankfully, the dudes at BlackBerry Cool point us in the direction of a good deal for Storm apps — better than any price (other than free) that you’ll find in App World. You can get six Storm apps for 99 cents each. This includes useful ones like Call Blocker and Who Was That (reverse call lookup) with flashy ones like Bartender Pro. Definitely worth a look if you’re a Storm user looking to beef up the application profile on your device.

ZOMG! Howard Stern uses a Bold
Howard Stern’s foray into satellite radio might not have gone as well as planned, but apparently he’s still relevant. How else would he make dozens and dozens of headlines by simply picking the BlackBerry Bold over the Palm Pre? It’s really a nothing story, hence the satiric headline and the three-star label. In fact, it probably means more bad for Palm, who gave Stern a test model of the Pre, than it is good news for RIM. Oh well. Just for the record: he’s no longer King of All Media, right?

Could Bono be getting a signature BlackBerry?
People five or six years older than me get downright belligerent when I announce that I don’t like the band U2. Sorry, must be a semi-generational thing. Yet the band’s popularity is undeniable. RIM recently partnered with them for the band’s upcoming US 360 tour, but the relationship might not end there. Apparently US will have access to BlackBerry labs, which could indicate a new signature device, a la the US iPod, in the future. Great.

RIM posts excellent fourth quarter numbers. Just in case anyone was concerned about RIM, they did just fine in the fourth quarter.

New BlackBerry cases from OtterBox. We at BBGeeks HQ are quite the fans of the Otterbox, and we’re excited about their new models.

BlackBerry App World lacks subscription service. Subscription-based apps will have to sit out for a while with BlackBerry App World while RIM works to implement PayPal’s subscription system.

The BlackBerry “yawn effect”. Ever realize that you check your BlackBerry when someone else checks theirs? It’s just like the yawn effect, and if you pay close attention it definitely holds in social situations.

Walkthrough of BlackBerry App World. Not quite a spoiler: it’s far from a perfect interface.

Syncing Facebook Events with your BlackBerry calendar. Just use Google as an intermediary and you can sync your Facebook Events wirelessly to your BlackBerry.

How to transfer files from your Mac to BlackBerry via Bluetooth. A little love for our Mac-using friends out there.

Setting the Bluetooth options on your BlackBerry. A quick walk-through of the menu in case you want to change any settings.

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