Author Archives: Jonathan Downer

Video of BlackBerry Curve 9300 with T-Mobile branding

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Our good friend Jon Rettinger over at TechnoBuffalo has managed to get his hands on a pre-production BlackBerry Curve 9300, or “Kelper”.  We’ve had a look at the device before, but this is the first time we’ve seen the T-Mobile branding. According to TechnoBuffalo, this version is carrying European 3G bands, and is likely a device for T-Mobile over in Germany and other parts of Europe (a CDMA version is also rumored). We can probably assume the Curve 9300 will find its way to T-Mobile USA, and could end up replacing the Curve 8900 (despite being a lower quality device). Check out the video below, and let us know what you think in the comments!

via TechnoBuffalo

U.S. Cellular leaks itself, confirms BlackBerry 9670?

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While device leaks are pretty commonplace in the technology world, it’s not too often that the leak comes from an official press release. This is precisely what has happened with U.S. Cellular’s recent press release (centered around their upcoming Android devices), where the carrier has apparently not only confirmed the existence (as if we needed more proof) of the 9670 clamshell, but also its intentions to carry the device. Buried fairly far into the announcement was this juicy sentence:

The carrier will release the BlackBerry Bold in early August and later this year it will offer a BlackBerry flip smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard.

While not an explicit confirmation, we very seriously doubt that RIM has more than one clamshell QWERTY device in their pipeline. Based on this timetable, a potential release would likely be around the “holiday” season. Click the source link for the full press release, and then let us know what you think in the comments!

via CrackBerry

Music WithMe: Wireless iTunes snycing for BlackBerry

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If you’re anything like us, you probably have the majority of your music library tied down with the iTunes ecosystem. Regardless of your feelings toward Apple, until recently, iTunes has far and away been the best way to find and buy your music online (others are beginning to catch up). Since time immemorable (not counting the brief back-and-forth with Palm), the only way to sync all that awesome iTunes music to a mobile device was if that mobile device happened to be an iPod, iPhone, iPants, etcetera.

This is finally going to change for BlackBerry users, as a new service called Music WithMe is on the verge of launch. What does it do?, you ask. This little gem will allow you to wirelessly sync your iTunes with your BlackBerry. That’s right, wireless. No USB cables, no drag-and-dropping files, none of it. Everything will be done seamlessly (or so we hope) over a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. You’ll be able to sign up for a 30-day free trial, and the service will be available in full for a one-time cost of $14.99 (not shabby for what it’s offering).

We’ll be putting this new solution through its paces, and will have a full review up for you by tomorrow morning. In the meantime, head over to the Music WithMe site and check things out, or read on for a rundown of the major features. We’d love to hear your thoughts and if you intended on trying it out!

Access your iTunes library, from anywhere

Using a cellular network or Wi-Fi connection, smartphone owners can automatically and wirelessly download music files to their device anytime, anywhere. Unlike streaming solutions, once music is downloaded, no wireless connection is required meaning no more data is used – saving money and battery power. You can sync as much music from your iTunes library as your smartphone can handle.

Automatic updating of your playlists

Select which iTunes playlists you want on your smartphone and they are automatically downloaded to your device. Once the playlists are selected, the settings are stored. Anytime a selected playlist on iTunes is edited, Music WithMe will notice the changes and automatically repopulate your smartphone accordingly. The Music WithMe app works with iTunes, ensuring that you have your most up to date playlist changes on your device. In addition Music WithMe runs in the background and leverages the smartphone’s multitasking ability providing automatic sync even when the app is not open.

About ParkVu

Founded in 2008, ParkVu’s WithMe family of software meets the smartphone consumer’s demand for instant access to their media files, regardless of location, time or file size. ParkVu, with offices in Waterloo, Canada and Louisville, Kentucky, is a privately held company. For more information on ParkVu, please visit http://parkvu.com

RIM shuts down Viigo for Windows Mobile

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I’m afraid we have a spot of bad news for any Windows Mobile fans who happen to be lurking amongst the BlackBerry crowd: RIM is shutting down Viigo for WinMo. You may recall RIM purchasing Viigo at the end of March, and it would appear they’re moving forward with ensuring Viigo becomes a uniquely BlackBerry feature. While this is perhaps the least surprising announcement of all time, we can’t help but feel a little sad for our Windows Mobile brothers and sisters, as Viigo is truly an excellent app (all the more reason to switch to BlackBerry). The end-of-life announcement contained little fanfare, and support for the WinMo version will only be maintained until July 21st of this year:

“Please note that the “Viigo for Windows Mobile” product is no longer available for download.  Support for this product will be available until July 21, 2010.  For inquiries, please visit the Viigo support center at http://support.viigo.com.”

The first moves have now been made, and we’re both excited and a little bit nervous to see where RIM plans to take Viigo. Here’s to hoping for deeper integration with the operating system, and some killer feature sets!

via BerryReview

U.S. Cellular announces BlackBerry Bold 9650 for early August

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Not to be outdone by their over-sized competitors, U.S. Cellular has announced via their Facebook page their intentions to launch the BlackBerry Bold 9650 sometime in “early August”. Depending on one’s definition of early August, we can probably expect to see the device showing up prior to August 10th (that’s our best guess, but we may be wrong). U.S. Cellular seems to be fairly excited about the launch, giving it high praise in their announcement:

We’re thrilled to announce that the new BlackBerry Bold 9650 will be coming to U.S. Cellular stores in early August! It’s got a 2.4 HVGA Display, 3.2MP camera, Wi-Fi, Optical Track Pad Navigation and World Phone capabilities. Yes, this is one great smartphone — if we may be so, ahem, bold. :)

How about it folks, are any of you planning to pick this one up come launch day? Let us know in the comments!

via BlackBerryRocks

Rogers drops BlackBerry Bold 9700 to $99.99

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If you’ve been putting off picking up a Rogers’ branded Bold 9700, your procrastination has been rewarded. Rogers has dropped the price of the Bold (for both black and white versions) from $149.99 down to $99.99 on a three year contract. There’s a good bet this will only be a temporary drop (knowing Rogers), so if you’ve been waiting for this moment, be sure to act quickly! You can head over to Rogers’ website and order now (be sure to let us know if you do!).

via CrackBerry

Verizon issuing Bold 9650 as warranty replacement for Tour 9630

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We’d advise you to take this particular rumor with a grain of salt, but it’s certainly beginning to look fairly legitimate: Verizon appears to be sending out Bold 9650s as warranty replacements for broken Tour 9630s. You’ll need to call up Verizon and verify that you actually have an issue with your Tour, and you’ll need to send your Tour in within 10 days, to avoid being charged for the device. There also doesn’t appear to be any indication of the replacement impacting your upgrade schedule, so you’re essentially getting a free Bold with no additional commitment.

This all seems to be stemming from an apparently empty Tour inventory, so your chances are pretty high of pulling this one off. If you’ve managed to get your Tour replaced with a Bold, be sure to let us know in the comments!

via CrackBerry

How Do You BBM? contest

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Are you a BlackBerry Messenger addict? Do you dread the thought of losing your ‘Berry for fear of losing all your BBM contacts? Can’t imagine a day without BBM? If you answered yes to any of those questions, RIM’s latest contest may be for you! The contest itself is pretty simple: tell RIM how you use BlackBerry Messenger. You’ll need to submit a video (not exceeding two minutes in length) or a captioned photo, telling/showing how you use BBM. You can submit more than one entry, but they need to be discernibly different and no duplicates will be accepted. The contest will have several phases ala American Idol, with the surviving entries being judged by a panel of sponsors.

If you’re interested, head over to Brickfish to sign up, and be sure to check out the rules while you’re there. Grand prize winner nets $5000, the runner-ups receive $1000, and 25 accessory prizes are also available. Let us know if you’re entering in the comments, and good luck!

via Brickfish

RIM introduces App World 2.0

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BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is set to unveil the highly anticipated App World 2.0 release. We’ve been looking forward to this one for quite some time, and it looks like we won’t be disappointed. Major feature additions include:

-Credit Card and Carrier Billing

-”Drastically” improved search

-Improved “My World” section, including information on where your applications are stored (device or SD card)

-QR code support

Additionally, and what we feel is the most exciting change, is the introduction of BlackBerry ID. BlackBerry ID will allow users to have a single, master BlackBerry account that they’ll be able to carry with them from device to device, and even between carriers. We don’t have any details on the specifics, but if done correctly (BBM integration), this could be a HUGE addition to the BlackBerry experience. No word on availability just yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we learn anything new. In the meantime, let us know what you think of these changes in the comments!

Two official Storm2 OS releases

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Blackberry Storm 2

For those who like tinkering with the latest OS release, we have not one, but two releases for the BlackBerry Storm2. TBayTel is pushing out 5.0.0.713 to the Storm 9550, while Domoco Pacific is pushing out the same version to their Storm 9520 customers. You can grab these updates direct from RIM (linked below), so be sure to let us know how they’re working in the comments! If you’re new to the OS upgrade game, check out our How-To’s on Upgrading your OS and Backing Up your Information.

5.0.0.713 for BlackBerry Storm 9550

5.0.0.713 for BlackBerry Storm 9520

via BBLeaks and BBRocks

Motorola and RIM make nice, settle patent dispute

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rim_logo_blackThe long and unnecessary legal dispute between Motorola and Research in Motion has finally come to an end. Following their complaint to the ITC earlier this year, Motorola has entered into a formal licensing agreement (not dissimilar from the one the companies held with each other prior to 2008) with RIM that will officially settle the disagreement. RIM will be making a one-time payment to Motorola, along with royalty payments for patent usage. In exchange, RIM has licensed several of its own patents to Motorola, ensuring a happy flow of money between the two companies. With this distraction out of the way, hopefully everyone will go back to doing what they do best: building awesome phones!

via BBLeaks

Slacker receives minor update, loses more free features

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Slacker for BlackBerry has received a minor update today, bumping the version number up to 3.1.86. There isn’t a change log available (at least not that we could find), but we’re not noticing too many differences save for one: You can no longer view the next artist without upgrading to premium status. This change continues Slacker’s trend toward shifting more features under their “Radio Plus” subscription service. While said subscription is relatively inexpensive ($4.99 per month), we can’t say we’re very thrilled with the idea of our “free internet radio” evolving into yet another monthly bill. If you’re interested, you can grab the update from Slacker. Let us know what you think in the comments!

via BerryReview

BlackBerry 9670 flip device shown off on video

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For those who had hoped the 9670 had quietly disappeared into the night, we’re sorry to disappoint. While much of the buzz has been focused (and rightly so) on the upcoming 9800 slider, RIM’s ugly duckling flip phone has made its first appearance on camera. While we still aren’t entirely sure which market niche RIM is aiming for, the device does seem to be fairly well put together and the software looks pretty solid. Check out the videos below, and let us know what you think of the 9670: yay or nay?


via CrackBerry, source Driphter

Verizon stores selling Bold 9650 early

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While the Bold 9650 isn’t slated to be available through Verizon brick-and-mortar (you can order it online now) outlets until June 10th, it appears that some stores are getting a head start. As usual, we don’t have any information on which stores are selling early, but we imagine that most Verizon locations already have a shipment of Bolds in stock, so it never hurts to check with your local retailer. If you’ve had any luck getting your hands on Bold 9650 via Verizon store, let us know in the comments!

via BGR

Bell now offering BlackBerry Pearl 3G

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After getting a little ahead of themselves last month, Canadian carrier, Bell, is now selling the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 online and in most retail locations. The Pearl is available for $49.95 on a three year contract, $179.95 on two years, $279.95 on one year, and $329.95 if you choose to go the no-term route (those are some of the best pricing options we’ve seen from a Canadian carrier). Sadly there is no pink version on Bell, so if you’re looking to pick one up, you’ll be stuck with plain black.

via CrackBerry

First look at the BlackBerry Curve 9300

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In an unexpected turn of events, a new BlackBerry device has been leaked to the world: the BlackBerry Curve 9300! First outed by CrackBerry in early April, they’ve now returned with photographic evidence! The device is slated as the successor to the Curve 85xx series (the 8900 is looking more and more like a one-time spin-off), and is specced as such. The 9300 retains the basic form factor of the 85xx (albeit with chrome trim), along with the rather low 320×240 resolution; major additions include 3G and Wi-Fi radios. The device is also still running BlackBerry OS 5.0 and looks to only have 256 MB of memory, rather than the BlackBerry 6 OS and 512 MB we’ve been seeing on other new devices.

The specs and form factor place the new 9300 squarely in the budget smartphone category (where the 85xx currently dwells), and we’ll be interested to see how it stacks up with the newer Pearl 9100 (which by all designs, is really a significantly better device) and Bold 9700/9650. No word on release dates or launch carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile would be the logical choices), but we expect we’ll hear more soon. Until then, check out the pictures below and then let us know what you think in the comments!

via: CrackBerry

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Rogers now offering Pearl 3G online

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Our Canadian friends continue to have all of the fun, as Rogers is now offering the coveted Pearl 9100 (3G) via online ordering. The prices are fairly standard fare, with the phone available for $49.99 on a 3-year contract, or $424.99 if you opt for no term (along with $324.99 for two years or $374.99 for a one year).  If you’ve been holding off on picking up the new Pearl, now is as good a time as any. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting, rather impatiently, for a U.S. carrier to announce their intentions to carry the device.

via CrackBerry

AT&T unveils new data plans, no more unlimited

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The inevitable has finally come to pass. With the iPhone 4 “announcement” and launch just around the corner, AT&T has officially unveiled their new data plans, and unlimited is not an option.  While we’re hardly surprised by this move, it’s still a bittersweet moment as we officially move into the era of paying for our data in buckets. Without further fanfare, and directly from the AT&T press release, we present the new rate plans:

  • DataPlus. Provides 200 megabytes (MB) of data – for example, enough to send/receive 1,000 emails (no attachments), plus send/receive 150 emails with attachments, plus view 400 Web pages, plus post 50 photos on social media sites, plus watch 20 minutes of streaming video – for just $15 per month.**  This plan, which can save customers up to 50 percent off their wireless data charges, is designed for people who primarily like to surf the web, send email and use social networking apps. If customers exceed 200 MB in a monthly billing cycle, they will receive an additional 200 MB of data usage for $15 for use in the cycle.  Currently, 65 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 200 MB of data per month on average.
  • DataPro. Provides 2 gigabytes (GB) of data – for example, enough to send/receive 10,000 emails (no attachments), plus send/receive 1,500 emails with attachments, plus view 4,000 Web pages, plus post 500 photos to social media sites, plus watch 200 minutes of streaming video – for $25 per month.**  Should a customer exceed 2 GB during a billing cycle, they will receive an additional 1 GB of data for $10 for use in the cycle.  Currently, 98 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 2 GB of data a month on average.
  • Tethering. Smartphone customers – including iPhone customers – who choose the DataPro plan have the option to add tethering for an additional $20 per month.  Tethering lets customers use their smartphones as a modem to provide a broadband connection for laptop computers, netbooks or other computing devices. Tethering for iPhones will be available when Apple releases iPhone OS 4 this summer.
  • AT&T plans to push the usage of their Wi-Fi hotspots, along with providing a range of data monitoring tools, to help users cope with the changes. We can’t say we’re thrilled with the changes, though the majority of BlackBerry users should be largely unaffected; many should actually be able to drop down to the 250mb plan (it’s the iPhone users that will feel the hurt). For those on current AT&T plans, you’ll be allowed to keep your $30 unlimited plan for the remainder of your contract, or you can switch to one of the  new DataPlus or DataPro plans with no penalty or contract renewals. Certainly not the best midweek news we’ve ever had; we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

  • via BGR

    • Introducing: Why BlackBerry? (Updated 6/8)

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    Before January 9, 2007, we lived in a world of flip phones, enVs, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerries. In those days of yore, smartphones were only beginning to become mainstream (the original Pearl was launched the previous October), and we had fairly muted expectations of what a smartphone could be. On that fateful January day, Steve Jobs walked onto a stage and changed the phone world forever.

    Three years later, we are living in a world of Droids, Evos, iPhones and Pres, and many consumers are beginning to wonder what RIM and BlackBerry can offer in this increasingly competitive space. In the coming days and weeks, we’ll be publishing a mini-series of sorts, on what the BlackBerry platform has to offer, and why it can still be relevant in today’s world. We plan to cover a broad spectrum of topics covering various features, shortcomings, and common complaints and praises; however we’d also like to make this somewhat interactive. If there is anything you’d like to know about the BlackBerry platform, or if you have a particular concern you’d like us to cover, leave a comment on this post, and we’ll include it in the series.

    [Update: 6/8/2010 11:25am by Taylor]

    This is all very good stuff, and we’re glad to have gotten all of the feedback we did. Keep it coming folks, this isn’t going to be a one-time thing. We plan on making it a recurring theme for the site until we get what we want as BlackBerry users. So keep the feedback coming. We will approach “Why BlackBerry?” from many different angles such as Podcast, editorials, polls, surveys, etc. So we need all the ammunition we can get to shoot with.

    Thanks and much love from the BBerryDog Team!

    RIM experiencing European data issues

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    If you’re a European BlackBerry user and you’ve been having data issues today, fear not, you’re not alone. Data has been sporadic at best for most of the day, and according to CrackBerry, the problem lay with RIM’s European network operation center (or NOC for short). No word on the source of the issue, but it’s safe to assume they’re hard at work trying to resolve the problem. If you’re a BlackBerry user from across the pond, let us know how data is holding up for you in the comments!

    via CrackBerry