Mobile news

Look, there's really nothing special going on here -- it's just a theme for BlackBerry devices. A totally, totally awesome theme for BlackBerry devices. So awesome, in fact, that it makes our corporate-issued / controlled phone seem somehow cool again. What are you waiting for? Go get it.

[Via Gizmodo]

It's a new year and NetBlender has a new change of gear, pairing with BluFocus to bring last year's BD Touch software -- and its BD-Live enabled Blu-ray player to iPhone / iPod Touch connections -- up to version 2.0, featuring crossplatform capability with other WiFi enabled handhelds like Blackberry, Android and Palm Pre. While going iPhone exclusive hasn't hurt some apps, hopefully we'll see wider adoption of the technology, which can enable things from making the phone a remote control to using it as a keyboard, downloading files from the disc or playing games, now that it supports more than one platform. More info should be available once it hits the floor at NAB 2009 later this week.

We reported not long ago that Verizon had been planning to release 4.7.0.113 as its next official firmware update for the Storm, and now, PC World is reporting that it'll finally be dropping sometime int he next two weeks. Considering that other 9530 carriers have already rolled out post-113 builds to their customers, we can't help but wonder a couple things: first, whether 113 will still be the chosen release, and second, why RIM can't get all of these carriers on the same page. It seems a bit silly for Bell to have signed off on a recent build while Verizon's still hemming and hawing; realistically, Bell, Telus, and Verizon probably could've collaborated with RIM's assistance to get a more unified roll-out underway. In the meantime, Verizon's looking silly, slow, and out of touch.

We knew it was coming, but the last time we checked, we had a big fat "TBD" in the launch date column -- now, the wait has finally ended and throngs of camera-free phone fanboys and girls can get their BlackBerry on (come on, you know who you are). The iDEN-only 8350i has been stripped of its cam, but not its dignity -- a good match for businessfolk working in higher-security facilities where covert imagery is still a concern. Unfortunately, the removed technology won't save you any dough; you'll pay the same $149.99 on contract after rebate as the "normal" 8350i buyers, but at least you won't get thrown out of a secret laboratory by ripped guards wielding AR-15s for bending the rules.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

We've been getting tipped left and right that BIS outages are affecting BlackBerry customers on many carriers today, meaning your hands have probably become progressively twitchier over the last couple hours as they've become further and further removed from up-to-date email access. Horrifying, isn't it? Our own Jacob tells us service has already been restored for him, so hopefully everyone out there in RIM land is in good shape; of course, if you're still having issues, drop a line in comments.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Verizon users are still waiting patiently for something blessed official by the powers that be, but meanwhile, Storm-ites on Bell up north are finally in the game. Build 122 of the Storm 9530's firmware hit Bell's servers in the past few days, presumably offering all the goodies 113 has to offer and more (it's 9 higher, after all, and we all know that higher numbers are always good). The Storm could end up being a feel-good story of how a device can go from "pretty bad" to "pretty good" with firmware updates alone, so keep 'em coming, RIM. You too, carriers.

[Thanks, Sean]

It's one thing to see it on video, but it's quite another to try it for yourself, isn't it? Intrepid Bold users are now invited to take BlackBerry OS 5.0 for a spin courtesy of a freshly-leaked build (5.0.90, if you're curious). Of course, a good majority of the world's Bolds are used in somewhat mission-critical environments -- so if you use your trusty sidearm for corporate email or anything else where bricking the phone might cause some drama at the workplace, you may want to hold off. Just sayin'.

[Via BlackBerryNews]

T-Mobile UK has decided to throw a little shindig for members of the press the very same day as its Yankee cousin -- this coming 21st -- but there's a very important distinction with the UK event: it drops a hint about what they'll be announcing. It turns out that they'll be launching an "exciting new BlackBerry collaboration," which we can only take to mean a new handset; now, the only question is whether these events are synchronized. If they are, that means we'll be getting new RIM goodies on T-Mobile USA, but if it isn't, this means precisely zilch for American subscribers. Historically, the US branch has been pretty out of sync with it European counterparts (for some good reasons, by and large), so we'd be surprised if the same announcement was coming out of both groups -- besides, we're clueless what new BlackBerry device would prompt the US side to throw an event this month. That said, let's have your thoughts: would you rather see the Magic, a Sidekick, or a BlackBerry?

[Via Unwired View]

The rate at which RIM updates BAW is horrendous. I get countless e-mails every day about new apps launching for the BlackBerry and they’re nowhere to be seen in the store. So it comes as no surprise that I had to go directly to Amazon to download their new app. God forbid it actually be available in BAW.

Like the iPhone app before it, the BlackBerry version also does its voodoo magic with “Amazon Remembers,” which is a pretty wicked awesome feature. If you’re unfamiliar with AR it goes a little something like this – snap a photo of a product, photo gets uploaded to Amazon and then a few seconds later it spews out a listing for that product. Pretty rad, huh? Other features include:

* Purchase using Amazon’s 1-Click ordering and Amazon Prime
* Track packages or modify orders using the Your Account feature
* Receive personalized recommendations
* View editorial and customer reviews
* Get the Gold Box Deal of the Day
* Access to their Wish List

Navigate your BB here to download the app.

Photo Gallery by Picturesurf

by Peter Ha on April 9, 2009

When a key feature of a new platform version is said to be its awesome startup screen, we question the importance of said version -- but when that new startup screen is nothing more than a logo and a progress bar, we're really starting to lose hope. Don't get us wrong, BlackBerry OS 5.0 is shaping up to be a nice little upgrade for folks currently on 4.6 or 4.7, but from what we can tell in the preview video posted over on CrackBerry, it's certainly not worthy of a major version bump; indeed, it seems that it's only being called 5.0 to bring it in sync with the imminent launch of BES 5.0. There's a new memory details screen (pictured), trackball "flicking" through photos, some minor improvements to email and folder management, browser updates (thank goodness), and a handful of other trinkets scattered through the platform -- not exactly the scorched-earth rewrite you might expect going to a number as grand as 5.0. Then again, why mess with a good thing, right?

Looks like you might be able to cross at least one bullet point off of your Storm 2 wishlist. According to unnamed source who SlashGear swears is the bee's knees, the successor to BlackBerry's touchscreen smartphone will add WiFi support for faster home / coffee shop web browsing. The informant hinted there's other surprises on the horizon but wouldn't give specifics, so for now you'll just have to keep dreaming about that SurePress touchscreen that doesn't slow down your texting. As for when we should expect the sequel, the report pointed to a release sometime in September on Verizon's network.

Before you get too excited, all three of these suckers seem to be variations on a theme -- all have a QWERTY keyboard, 3G, WiFi, and GPS, and are members of the 9000 series, apparently -- so we might just be looking at different carriers here, not some massive, dreamy phalanx of unique hardware all hitting within a few months of each other. The latest batch of devices said to be making the rounds in RIM's labs are apparently codenamed Onyx, Driftwood, and Magnum, and may feature the touchscreen / QWERTY hybrid concept rumored to be hitting the pictured Pluto (confused yet?). Notably, only the Driftwood will support UMA -- important for T-Mobile -- while both the Onyx and Magnum are lined up for AT&T, so this is a pretty wild situation developing north of the border here. Downmarket, it seems that the Gemini isn't just a single device but a whole series of lower-cost models in the same vein as the present-day Curve. Doesn't really matter to us what they're called -- can we just get them rolled out on the double, please?

[Image via CrackBerry]

Outside of the iPhone and the G1, very few phones fuel the forum flamewars like the BlackBerry Storm. As the first touchscreen BlackBerry, it was bound to have some haters. Whether you’ve been enamored since day one or a zealous skeptic since the beginning, the phone has one fault that is undeniably unfortunate: no WiFi.

There’s nothing that can be done on the WiFi front for the original Storm - but what about take two?

As with any phone that sells reasonably well, rumors of a follow-up are already abound; According to SlashGear, RIM is already busy crackin’ away at the BlackBerry Storm 2, complete with WiFi. That all sounds perfectly reasonable (hell, we could have assumed as much) - but the release window seems a bit crazy: according to their source, they’re aiming at September of this year.

The Storm was released in November 2008. If the Storm 2 were to hit the shelves this September, that’s roughly 10 months between the original product and the followup. Sure, it’s possible (phones generally take a year and a half to go from concept to consumer, but they could have been working on Storm 2 for months prior to the original Storm’s release) - but even Apple, king of planned obsolescence, puts a full year of padding between their handset releases. Does RIM really have the gall to outdate one of their biggest ventures before it even hits its first birthday?

by Greg Kumparak on April 6, 2009

Well, well. What do we have here? It seems that we might have specs of some upcoming RIM BlackBerrys: Onyx, Driftwood, and Magnum. Don’t get too excited as release info and pricing haven’t been released, but these specs are enough to drool over for a bit anyway.

All three handsets should come in the 9000 series and are headed to GSM carries such as T-Mobile and AT&T. The Driftwood will probably end up at AT&T seeing as the W-Fi supports UMA, which allows for cellular calls to be routed to Wi-Fi networks. The other to handsets, The Onyx and Magnum, both sport similar specs such as GPS, a camera, QWERTY keyboard, and Wi-Fi but lack UMA support. We wish we could tell you when these will launch, but sorry, can’t do it. We don’t know. A guess: late summer.

by Matt Burns on April 6, 2009

We know you're hungry for some more details on the BlackBerry Niagara 9630, so here we go. Crackberry's released the second part of its impressions with the device, this time focusing on the OS 4.7.1 that they note functions like a hybrid of the Storm's OS 4.7 and Bold / Curve 8900's OS 4.6. Features lovingly borrowed from the SurePress-equipped touchscreen include app switching by pushing down the menu key, trackball gestures in the photo gallery, a revised profiles menu, bubblier boxes in the options menu, and possibly a new memory manager within the media center. On their own, these all seem pretty minor, but they add up to a much more pleasant experience. Judging by the preview, it looks it's still shaping up to be one of the best 'berry's you can buy. The CB crew conjecture this might actually be the upcoming OS 5.0 in disguise, judging by their similarities. We'll find out for sure sometime in May, when we can get our hands on the phone and can check that version number ourselves.

Ah, so the rumors were true. As BlackBerry App World descends upon the masses today, a particularly unique service is launching alongside of it: QuickPlay Media's PrimeTime2Go. Unlike options from Sprint and AT&T, this alternative delivers video only over WiFi, though this arrangement does enable it to work on all carriers. The app will bring full-length television shows to certain BlackBerry smartphones, and with deals inked with NBC, CBS and MTV, we'd say the selection should be pretty good. As for details, it'll run users $7.99 per month, though it will only operate (initially, at least) on the BlackBerry Bold and Curve 8900, sold by AT&T and T-Mobile, respectively. So, is this the break that mobile TV has been waiting for? Or is this yet another option that better get used to being shunned?

Toronto-based Quickplay is set to stream full length TV shows from networks, including CBS, MTV, and NBC. The PrimeTime2Go package will be offered for $7.99/month and will only stream over Wi-Fi to the Bold and 8900. Sorry, Storm owners, but Verizon hates you and crippled Wi-Fi, so you won’t be getting 30 Rock, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother, Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory or Nitro Circus. I have no idea if those shows will be apart of the package, but they’re some of my favorites. No word on when Quickplay will go live, though.

via Reuters

by Peter Ha on March 31, 2009

RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis is slated to take the stage later today in Las Vegas at the CTIA show and all eyes will be focused on RIM’s answer to Apple’s App Store. While we wished that RIM had held off on the launch of BlackBerry App World until Lazaridis’ little talk, there’s nothing that could have prevented this announcement from hitting at midnight. So, ladies and germs, I present to you BlackBerry App World. Please ensure that you have a PayPal account, OS 4.2 or higher and a trackball or SurePress touch screen (aka Storm) BlackBerry before proceeding.

I must say that BAW is laid out much better than the initial screen shots that RIM released many months ago. But before we dive into it, you should probably download the BAW storefront. Simply navigate here or here from your BlackBerry Browser and experience the awesomeness that is BAW. A circle icon with the BlackBerry emblem will appear on your desktop.

The BAW homescreen features four icons across the bottom and “Featured Items” which can be navigated through by scrolling left or right. The first icon – a set of folders with a blue tab - is your Categories folder where you can search for apps by genres such as Games, Music and Video, or Personal Health and Wellness. Next to the Categories icon is the Top Downloads section (25) – denoted by a starred folder - of BAW that tells you which apps you are most popular. You can also search for applications by clicking on the magnifying glass icon; search works within categories as well.

The download process is simple and straightforward, but we still hate the fact that RIM wasn’t able to implement a backend payment structure of their own. I just don’t trust PayPal and I know lots of folks (besides myself) who have had issues with them over the years. Anyway, clicking on any app that tickles your fancy will present you with the following options: Download, Reviews or Screenshots. I don’t think I need to go into detail or describe what each of these entail, but I will tell you that when you purchase a free application you’ll be taken directly to My World (we’ll get to this in a second), but if it’s a paid app you’ll be asked to sign into PayPal before proceeding.

Now that we’ve searched through apps and purchased a couple or downloaded all the free apps, you’ll want to hit up that last icon with the outline of a person or My World. In My World you can keep tabs on all the apps that you’ve downloaded, write reviews, recommend or uninstall apps. A nice feature about My World is that you can virtually host apps that you might not use all the time without actually having the app downloaded to the device. If you want to reinstall an app that you previously deleted, you just need to log back into PayPal and voila.

We’ll update this post once BAW goes live with a full list of available apps, which might not happen until later today. Please refresh every few minutes as we continue to add apps.

Photo Gallery by Picturesurf

Featured Apps (11)

Viigo for BlackBerry - Free
Yahoo Messenger - Free
Facebook - Free
Bloomberg - Free
Texas Hold’em King 3 - $5.99
MySpace - Free
AOL Instant Messenger - Free
Brain Challenge 2: Stress Management - $4.99
New York Times Crosswords - Classics Vol 1 - $4.99
Google Talk - Free
ICQ - Free

Entertainment (9)

PhoneyFart - $2.99
Fart Storm - $2.99
Mobile Bartender - $4.99
ELLE – Free
ELLEgirl – Free
ELLEgirl Latina- Free
People Mobile – Free
Premiere – Free
Woman’s Day - Free

Games (126)

Arcade & Action (37)
Card & Casino (29)
Puzzles & Mind Teasers (32)
Sports (10)
Strategy & Board (18)

Maps & Navigation (8)

Text2C – Free
ConnectorLocal – Free
GPS Tracker – Free
Geocache Navigator Free Trial – Free
SOS-GPS - $2.99
Telmap Navigator – Free
Trimble Outdoors Free Trial – Free
e-Mobile GPS Companion - $19.99
NIM Gokivo Navigator - $9.99
TeleNav GPS Navigator - $99.99 (1-year unlimited service for the Storm, 8330, 8130 and 8830)

Music & Video (10)

Shazam – Free (Enhanced version is $4.99 after May 31)
Relaxing Sounds - $2.99
FlipSide MP3 Player - $19.99
Flycast – Free
Hip Hop Official by GoTV - $4.99
MP3 Ringtone Creator - $4.99
MajiPlayer - $9.99
Nobex Radio Companion – Free
Pandora – Free
Slacker Radio for BlackBerry – Free

News & Weather (17)

Viigo for BlackBerry – Free
AP News - $2.99
Boston News Web Shortcut – Free
CBS News – Free
ELLE Canada Mobile – Free
Fox Business Bookmark – Free
Fox News Alert – Free
Fox News Bookmark – Free
Handy Weather for BlackBerry - $17.99
Maclean’s – Free
Newsweek – Free
Noticias de AP - $2.99
Slate Magazine – Free
The New York Times Politics News Notifier – Free
The New York Times Web Shortcut – Free
Washington Post- Free
WindTrack - $6.99

Personal Finance & Banking (9)

A Personal Assistant Premium - $9.99
EzQuote - $10.99
Market Simplified - Free
Mobile Checkbook - $9.99
TheStreet - Free
Tipper - $4.99
iStockManager - Free
trackIT: Expense Edition - $14.99
trackIT: Vehicle Edition - $14.99

Personal Health & Wellness (9)

Army Body Fat Calculator - $11.99
AllSport GPS Free Trial - Free
Calorie Count Nutrition Search - Free
Canadian Living - Free
ECG Guide - $7.99
Fast Food Calorie Counter - $4.99
FitDeck Mobile - $14.99
Health Diet Manager - $19.99
vClinic Mobile Health - Free

Productivity & Utilities (88)

Clocks Calculators & Utilities (29)
Document Management (8)
On-the-Go Productivity (20)
Personal Organization (30)

Professional & Business (14)

Bloomberg - Free
AlertMatrix - $29.99
BigHand - Free
BillableGoal - $7.99
Biz TrackIt - $39.99
RepliGo Reader - $19.99
ReportAway - $29.99
SalesNOW - Free
SalesForce Mobile - Free
The New York Times DealBook Notifier - Free
WebMessenger Message Alerts - $6.99
Wireless Database Viewer Plus - Free
pMDsoft - Free
powerOne Finance Calculator - $29.99

Reference & eBooks (22)

BEIKS English Dictionary and Thesaurus - $19.99
Berlitz Basic Dictionary Chinese - $19.99
Berlitz Basic Dictionary French - $19.99
Berlitz Basic Dictionary German - $19.99
Berlitz Basic Dictionary Italian - $19.99
Berlitz Basic Dictionary Spanish - $19.99
Duden Corrector mobile (DCM) French - $2.99
Duden Corrector mobile (DCM) German - $2.99
Duden Corrector mobile (DCM) Italian - $2.99
Duden Corrector mobile (DCM) Multilingual - $2.99
Duden Corrector mobile (DCM) Spanish - $39.99
Duden Corrector mobile (DCM) UK English - $2.99
Duden Corrector mobile (DCM) US English - $2.99
HNHSoft Advanced English Dictionary - $19.99
HNHSoft Advanced Chinese Talking Dictionary - $49.99
HNHSoft Advanced English French Dictionary - $29.99
HNHSoft Advanced English German Dictionary - $29.99
HNHSoft Advanced English Italian Dictionary - $29.99
HNHSoft Advanced English Spanish Dictionary - $29.99
Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary Flashcards - $4.99
gFlashPro Flashcards - $2.99
gRefPro Reference Guides - $2.99

Social Networking & Sharing (17)

MySpace - Free
Facebook - Free
Windows Live Messenger - Free
Yahoo Messenger - Free
Google Talk - Free
ICQ - Free
AOL Instant Messenger - Free
ITookThisOnMyPhone - Free
BlipPlus from Blackline GPS - Free
CellSpin - Free
GypSii - Free
Loopt - Free
Postelly - Free
SwooshSMS - $4.99
VH1 Watch and Discuss - $2.99
Wauwee - Free
WikiMobile - $9.99

Sports & Recreation (36)

The Hockey News Mobile - Free
Maple Leafs - Free
Car and Driver - Free
Golf Tracks - $4.99
GreenFinder - $39.99
MLB.com - Free
Mariners.com - Free
Orioles.com - Free
Basically every baseball team has their own app and it’s free

Travel (17)

WorldMate Live - Free
Auto TimeZone - $2.99
HRS Hotel Organizer - Free
Lonely Planet Czech Phrasebook - $9.99
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook - $9.99
Lonely Planet German Phrasebook - $9.99
Lonely Planet Italian Phrasebook - $9.99
Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook - $9.99
Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook - $9.99
Lonely Planet Spanish Phrasebook - $9.99
Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook - $9.99
Lonely Planet Vietnamese Phrasebook - $9.99
Taxi Magic by RideCharge - Free
TheFastPages - Free
Trapster - Free
Travel Genius - $2.99
WHERE - Free

Update: One problem that I think a lot of folks will encounter is the lack of on-board memory on most BlackBerry devices. Compared to the iPhone, you don’t have 8GB or 16GB of memory to work with on your BlackBerry. I’m adding as many free apps now to see what happens when the memory on my 8900 gets full. It’d be nice if RIM allowed you to store apps on external memory cards, but you might have to uninstall apps and store virtually as you go.

Update 2: It appears that some developers are allowing trials for paid apps and not just lite versions. Also, you can’t move the BlackBerry App World icon from your homepage.

by Peter Ha on March 31, 2009

As expected, the BlackBerry App World has just launched for US, Canada and the UK. If your software's updated to 4.2 and you've got a trackball / touch screen and PayPal account, head on over to RIM's website to download. Tell us, is it everything you thought it would be?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]