The ever-so-elusive, all-in-one, BlackBerry social inbox, SocialScope, has finally said they plan to send out more invites to their private beta later this week. People have been clamoring about SocialScope invites since the app was initially released in late 2008. It has been in private beta ever since and slowly growing hype. People are always @ replying SocialScope on Twitter begging and pleading for an invite, offering up their limbs and first-born. I’ve had SocialScope since early 2009 and it’s the only client I’ve used on BlackBerry since. Every update launches them leaps and bounds ahead of Twitter for BlackBerry, UberTwitter, and the other competition out there, and they’re about to make the jump cross-platform onto Android and iPhone.

If you’re interested in getting SocialScope, you have to sign up for the private beta, here. Let me tell you know, you are signing up for a private beta and are just now adding yourself to the end of a very long list. Let’s just hope the SocialScope team sends out a lot of invites this time. Before, when they said they would send out invites, it didn’t appear as if they had sent out too many, but there’s no way for us to really know. Sit tight and we will all see as the week is already drawing to an end!

The new SocialScope update adds:

Full Facebook Experience – We’ve upped our Facebook experience 1000x with Facebook Friends list, Facebook pages, Full Facebook Profiles, Private Messages and Notifications.  SocialScope is the best way to use Facebook on your BlackBerry.

Inbox Integration – Powerful inbox integration allows you to select exactly which messages appear in your BlackBerry inbox.

Mute – Tired of hearing from a user, application(farmville!) or topic? Now you can block those updates.

Reduced Battery Usage – We’ve tuned, tweaked and optimized SocialScope to dramatically reduced battery usage. The most powerful social networking app now also the most power efficient.

Interface Tweaks – SocialScope is faster and easier to use.  We’ve made interface tweaks through out the app based on your feedback.

Invites (coming later this week!) – You’ve been asking for a way to share SocialScope with your friends and we’ll be delivering that later this week.

Lots of Bug Fixes – We went bug hunting and fixed many issues including url shirking, removing Twitter accounts and location lookup.
These are only the first set of changes!  We’ve been hard at work to enable a whole new set of experiences with Socialscope.  Keep an eye out for them in the coming weeks.

Who already has the update? How do you like it? How does it fair against older versions or other clients? Bark it up pups!

via: BBSync

It’s that time again folks. We here at BBerryDog have become up to our necks and we need your help! As you can see, it’s been a little quiet here at BBerryDog lately, and we sincerely apologize. To avoid this happening again in the future, we’re looking to bring on a few more writers to our team. The positions currently available are for our news team, and could possibly lead to other positions with proven hard work and dedication.

Here are the things that you need to know:

• We want individuals who can offer engaging, thoughtful content.
• You must be well-versed in how to utilize periods, commas, and how to spell correctly.  Needless to say, that kind of stuff is essential.
• You must be reliable, responsible, and trustworthy.  The position will require regular research and fact checking, and we’ll be checking your work from time to time as well.  Plagiarism is not acceptable.
• Previous writing/blogging experience is highly desired, but not required.
• A great attitude is essential for the position.

Note: This is not a paid gig at this time, but an opportunity for people who want to break into the online journalism field and/or have a passion for the wireless industry.

(This is where I started with BBerryDog, now I’m the Managing Editor. The positions have great potential to grow.)

Here’s what you need to include in your e-mail:

• Submit two posts in the BBerryDog writing style.  We’re not going to publish them to the website, but we want to get an idea of your writing style and “voice” (i.e. how well you can do this whole tech thing).
• List your top three favorite gadgets/phones (not included in your sample posts), and why you enjoy them.
• Tell us how much time per week you can commit to writing for the website – what days, time blocks, etc. (We have a minimum requirement and will discuss this if you “make the cut.”)
• Send us any questions that you may have about the position.
• Tell us where you’re located.
• Tell us your age (note: must be 13 or older for consideration).
• Include your contact information and the best time/way to reach you.

A few additional details:

• DO NOT send attachments.  If you do, we will ignore the e-mail.
• Check your work prior to sending it.  If u type like thes, your work isn’t going to be considered.
• Don’t send writing from other websites that you’ve worked with in the past.
• BBerryDog is written in English – please make sure your e-mail is too.
• Due to the large volume of e-mails that we receive, we won’t be responding to everyone.  If we’re interested, we’ll get in touch.  If you don’t hear back, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer – we’re just looking for different writing styles.

To submit your work, email taylor@bberrydog.com. Good luck to you all!

It’s been a long time coming. There was once a rush by many developers to produce the best Twitter client and get it out to the public as fast as possible. Along came some heavy hitters like UberTwitter, Seesmic, and even RIM gave it a swing with Twitter for BlackBerry, but there were some far superior teams working on clients that give you more than just Twitter at your fingertips, they gave you Foursquare, Facebook, and more. SocialScope, the elusive BlackBerry private beta application is one of those, and Hootsuite is the other. Now SocialScope is becoming more and more available and spreading out to other platforms, and Hootsuite is in private beta. Few are lucky enough to have a taste of the Hootsuite beta, but I am hearing good things about it. Only to rub that in our faces, Hootsuite themselves have given us a peek at what the application looks like, and I am fully impressed. They kept it clean and simple, unlike many others, and it looks like they could be bringing the heat to the SocialScope team. I’m glad to see there’s still room for competition in the Twitter client world. It seemed almost as if everything had leveled out for good, but the SocialScope starts updating and you see features you never thought of. Eventually, TweetDeck for BlackBerry will also release, let’s just hope their BlackBerry app launch doesn’t go quite like it did for Android.

If you have your hands on the Hootsuite beta, let us know how you like it. Share some screenshots, give us the good, the bad, and the ugly.

via: RIMarkable

Source: Hootsuite

LoiuV over at BBLeaks is at it again, and so is ol’ Salomondrin. This time it’s the BlackBerry Bold 9650 running the famed BlackBerry 6 on video. I’ve been curious about how BlackBerry 6 would run on a non-touchscreen device, and I guess this answers my question. To me, it doesn’t seem (and I know it isn’t) as functional, but it is usable. For me, touchscreens have won me over and I believe I would rather have BlackBerry 6 in a flavor with nothing but a touchscreen, if RIM decides to make one without SurePress. If you’re having the same doubts as me, be sure to catch the video below.

After you catch the video, tell us your thoughts in the comments. How does the non-touch version of BlackBerry 6 stack up to the Torch’s version? Would you prefer touchscreen to non?

via: BBLeaks

Read the full story

Four (now five) days after the original launch day of the AT&T BlackBerry Torch, Amazon does what it’s known for and offer great prices. While still $199.99 with a two-year contract in AT&T stores across the nation, Amazon is selling the Torch for a mere $99.99 with a two-year contract. Now, some have claimed that the low price is due to the unimpressive sales of the Torch. Nobody expected an iPhone-like launch with millions of phones sold on launch day. Nobody lined up to get their BlackBerry Torch, and we didn’t expect them to either. But that doesn’t constitute a price cut, and that isn’t what has happened here, contrary to what many others have been saying.

Amazon simply sells phones lower than carrier stores, they always have. Most online suppliers do, too. When you buy a phone from a supplier like Amazon, there are two agreements in effect, and many people are unaware of that. You’re agreeing to the carrier’s terms and conditions, as well as Amazon’s which are as follows:

When you purchase your device with service from Amazon.com, we automatically pass along an instant discount from the carrier to you. This discount has been provided to you based on your agreement to (a) activate a new, or extend an existing, line of service for this device with the carrier, and (b) maintain this service in good standing for a minimum of 181 consecutive days. If you do not activate or extend a line of service in connection with this device, or if your service is canceled/disconnected before 181 consecutive days, Amazon.com will charge you $250 per device, plus applicable taxes.

The Torch has been given mixed reviews here and there and not everyone is a huge fan of the sliding design. It is, however, running RIM’s new BlackBerry 6, which a lot of people are seeming to love. It isn’t what I want from RIM, I want more, but this is a good step in the right direction. I feel that once RIM gets BlackBerry 6 loaded on a full touchscreen device, things will go a little more smoothly for them. They really botched the marketing for BlackBerry 6 and the Torch to people that don’t follow BlackBerry news by not releasing word of the device until a week before its release. So I expected pretty low sales, but RIM has proven that they are not yet a dying breed.

Is this low price due to low sales? No. It’s Amazon, who has done the same with phones like the Samsung Captivate, which is still $200 with a two-year contract in AT&T stores, but $49.99 on Amazon with the same two-year contract. Take of it what you will, but this is nothing out of the ordinary.

via: MobileCrunch

When it comes to BlackBerrys, one thing is for sure, most users are huge Facebook/Twitter addicts. RIM has finally released their long awaited, beautiful BlackBerry 6 and without a doubt need to overhaul their accompanying Facebook application to go along with it.

In my opinion, RIM does Facebook better than anyone else. With push email that translates into push notifications for their Facebook app, it’s hard to top them. The Facebook experience on an iPhone or Android is far below Facebook on my BlackBerry, but RIM could do much better with it. There is no official changelog between 1.6 and 1.8, but most people are sitting, waiting patiently for Facebook Chat in some future release. Let’s hope RIM has been listening.

RIMarkable is claiming that we could see it as soon as later today, but don’t get your hopes up. They claimed the “chatter” about the release of version 1.8 is increasing, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot to this guy. We’re all on version 1.6 right now, but I can recall quite well how that release and the release of version 1.5 were. RIM claiming it was coming on one day only to have that date delayed a few times and when they finally did release it, App World and the download links supplied on the mobile BlackBerry website were simultaneously bombarded by millions of people all at once. Don’t get your panties in a twist if they release it today and you can’t download it until tomorrow, RIM is notorious for building hype and making their servers crash. It’s bound to happen when you have

via: RIMarkable

I’ve never been one to give a rusty, dog fart about any celebrity or what they do in their spare time, but I know plenty of people who do and would love to follow a celebrity around for a living picking up the crumbs of food they drop when they eat, trash they throw away, etc. For those people, US Weekly has provided, in a way, for you do so all through BBM. I thought a long time ago that it would be a good idea for say, a local news station, a national news provider, or even worldwide news provider would offer news through BlackBerry Messenger. It’s instant  and can provide content to thousands of people, quickly, who will more than likely turn right around and regurgitate it on Twitter or Facebook. It’s an obvious way to spread news fast, but there is a drawback. CrackBerry has been the host of several BBM stress tests. BBM has its limits and either US Weekly is either unaware, or have a trick up their sleeve. Anyway, if celebrity news if your thing, scan the barcode and rock on.

You can learn more about the celebrity news provided, here.

via: CrackBerry

Source: US Weekly

A lot of you are wanting to get your hands on your very own Torch, I know I am! I got to play with one this past weekend, and I must say I’m impressed with BlackBerry 6 and the overall design of the Torch. To get a closer look at the device before Aaron’s or my device review of the Torch, head on over to PhoneDog and check out Aaron’s unboxing video here.

You can also read Aaron’s first impressions, here.

via: PhoneDog

(Photo credit: Engadget)

Rumors are beginning to turn in to facts and Apple Daily has brought some new information to the light. Quanta will be the manufacturer of the device, and it seems RIM has made large orders for their mysterious tablet. According to Apple Daily, there are two million devices slated for the expected November launch date, and another whopping eight million for 2011.

Personally, I’ve been following the BlackBerry tablet rumors as loosely as possible without losing contact with them. Since the iPad, BlackBerry fans and Android fans alike have been longing a rebuttal. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d enjoy any BlackBerry OS on a tablet. Having it on a palm-sized device is one thing, lofting it around on a 9.7″ device is another. Not only that, but BlackPad as the name, I don’t see that considering RIM and their naming schemes. The whole “pad” truffle was started with Apple’s iPad, and I don’t think RIM will want to promote that or Apple’s super, exquisite naming. Based on how RIM operates, I expect the name to be a BlackBerry ____ (insert a related, one-syllable word here). Sure, they’ve purchased blackpad.com, but that may just be to prevent anyone else from doing so. I guess only time will tell, and that time is winding down. See you in November, mystery tablet.

via: Engadget

Source: Apple Daily

T-Mobile is all over it today. They first announced the BlackBerry Curve 3G, then they come out saying that the BlackBerry Podcast application is on its way to our devices later this month. I have yet to try out the BlackBerry Podcast app, but I know it seems nice. I tinkered with it over the weekend when I was playing with a Torch, but I haven’t really got to sit down and use it. I’m also not sure if this is just in line with the newly announced 9300 which will support BlackBerry 6. With that being said, we can only sit and wait for the Podcast app, or you can try to get it through BetaZone. I’ve been trying to get my hands on it for a while now to no avail.

via: RIMarkable

Torch week is over. Personally, I have never lived through such a hectic week in my life, but it is now over and we’re beginning a new week. One thing is for sure, RIM is not done. They have brought to the light that they still have enough flame in them to turn around their ominous slump.

T-Mobile heads this week off with the new officially announced BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300. While this news is simply under-stimulating for most, RIM has also officially stated that the 9300 will support BlackBerry 6. People have been complaining that releasing a BlackBerry with no BlackBerry 6 support at this point (the Curve 3G) would be pointless, but RIM has cleared that up for us all via press release. While I’m not sure exactly how BlackBerry 6 will feel or operate on a non-touchscreen device, the 9300 will, in fact, receive it and hopefully in a timely manner. T-Mobile said the Curve 3G will be available in the “coming weeks” with no word on pricing.

The follow is a full list of highlights of the BlackBerry Curve 3G:

• Full QWERTY keyboard and touch-sensitive optical trackpad for responsive typing and easy navigation
• Available in two color finishes – smoky violet and graphite grey
• Premium phone features including calendaring, voice-activated dialing, Visual Voicemail and Bluetooth 2.1
• Advanced media player for music, pictures and videos, with dedicated media keys and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, plus BlackBerry Media Sync, which makes it easy to quickly sync music from iTunes® or Windows Media Player with the smartphone
• 2-megapixel camera with zoom and video recording · Built-in GPS with location-based services by TeleNav
• Access to BlackBerry App World, featuring a broad and growing catalog of mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones. Categories include games, entertainment, social networking and sharing, news and weather, productivity, and much more.
• Web browser delivers a desktop-like experience, including HTML e-mail
• BlackBerry Internet Service support for access to up to 10 e-mail accounts including Yahoo!®, Windows Live Hotmail, AOL®, GmailTM and most popular ISPs; and BlackBerry Enterprise Server support, which provides advanced security and IT administration features for corporate deployments
• Six popular instant messaging clients preloaded, including AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ®, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and BlackBerry Messenger
• Fast 624 MHz processor, 256MB of internal memory and hot-swappable microSD/SDHC card slot with support for up to 32GB with a pre-installed 2GB memory card
• BlackBerry OS 5; support for BlackBerry OS 6
• Model number: BlackBerry Curve 9300
• Wi-Fi enabled (802.11 b/g/n) for data and voice
• Quad-band GSM world phone: (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• Tri-Band 3G UMTS/HSDPA world phone: (Band I, Band IV, Band VIII)
• Dimensions: 4.3 inches x 2.4 inches x 0.55 inches; 3.8 ounces; 2.4-inch screen, 320×240 pixels QVGA
• Rechargeable/removable 1150 mAhr battery, for up to 4.5 hours of talk time and 19 days of standby time

via: TmoNews | Engadget

Many of you have been wondering what devices will receive BlackBerry 6 and which will not. Buried within RIM’s official press release of BlackBerry 6 lies the answer. The expected devices to receive BlackBerry 6 are the Bold 9700, the Bold 9650, and the Pearl 3G. Seeing as the Curve is their most popular handset due to its drastically lower price, a lot of people are going to be very upset upon reading this news.

In all reality, RIM is at fault for not planning far enough ahead and putting enough internal memory in the Curve series. If RIM had worked hard and tried to fit BlackBerry 6 on the 8500 series, all it would result in is probably dissatisfaction from customers for the OS lagging again. I can’t blame RIM for that part. They were caught in a tight spot and did what they had to do. With consumer satisfaction going down the drain, they have to make controversial decisions on which devices will get what OS based on how well it can run the software. The Curve series was not built with BlackBerry 6 in mind.

Click the links to view the full press releases:

RIM Unleashes BlackBerry 6

AT&T and Research In Motion Ignite Customers with the New BlackBerry Torch

So, there you have it folks. The 9700, 9650, and 91xx are getting BlackBerry 6. The availability is pending upon carrier approval, and we all know the drill. Those of you patiently waiting with Bolds or Pearls in hand, don’t hold your breath, carriers are notorious for taking their sweet, sweet time with approving official OS updates. Back when we were all waiting on OS 5.0, I remember months passing with no word. I finally jumped the gun and downloaded a leaked version.

via: BGR

Amongst all of the hype and talk of the newly announced BlackBerry Torch 9800 coming to AT&T, it’s easy to forget that our neighbors are in on the 9800 love as well. Rogers, of Canada, posted on their site that they too will be getting their hands on the Torch “in the coming weeks.”

As you’ve already seen this morning, the Torch 9800 will include (as listed on Roger’s site):

• A 5 megapixel camera
• Built-in GPS and Wi-Fi
• A new web browser
• Enhanced multimedia features for video, music, pictures and podcasts
• The new Social Feeds app for managing multiple social networks
• 4 GB built-in memory plus microSD slot for memory cards up to 32 GB
• Tri-band HSDPA (3G) and quad-band EDGE support.

We’ll share more details closer to launch.

So who has Rogers in Canada, and who plans on picking on of these bad boys up?

via: Rogers’ Redboard

We have all anticipated the official announcement of the 9800, and we were all still unsure of the official name of the device. Rumors had circled around that Torch was the official name, and this morning has alleviated all doubt. It has popped up in Google Ads and now AT&T’s page for the Torch has launched and made it to the party a little early. On the site you can video some videos, an image gallery, and subscribe for email information on the Torch. Who else is as excited as I am? Stay tuned for more coverage of the AT&T/BlackBerry event, and tell us your thoughts on the Torch below. To see AT&T’s page, click here.

via: BGR | AT&T

At one point, RIM’s mighty US market share reign seemed unstoppable, that is, until the public was introduced to what is Android. With the iPhone only being offered on one carrier stunted their growth and really didn’t pose a huge threat to RIM. Then late November ‘09 the world was introduced to Android. By that time, T-Mobile had been sporting the dangerous Android for quite some time, but it laked the proper marketing. In November ‘09 Verizon got their hands on the Motorola Droid and fueled millions into marketing for their Droid line of phones which were direct straight at Apple’s iPhone. Once Android got the proper attention, RIM’s reign was given an expiration date. Nobody at that time really understood how popular Android was or was going to be, but many of us saw this coming. RIM, being the conservative company that they are, has been very painfully slow to change and keep up with this new rush of media-centric devices that are extremely user friendly.

With user satisfaction one a rapid decline, RIM has to do something to fix their own problem. I don’t expect another BlackBerry rush with the release of BlackBerry 6, but see it as a placeholder while they reinvent (at least I hope they reinvent). A lot of people have lost their trust in RIM and it will take more than a few changes here and there with a new UI to win people back over. Us BlackBerry fiends are excited and have yet to jump ship, but many of us have had a sweet taste of Android. I love both Android and BlackBerry, but BlackBerry is my workhorse. I’ve been using them for a long time now, and it’s going to take more than a fun toy like Android to make me jump ship.

In the US, Android is now holding a whopping 34 percent marketshare with RIM in a close second at 32 percent. Apple is still trailing in third at 21.7 percent. All three manufacturers experienced growth. Apple saw a 61 percent year-over-year growth, RIM saw 41 percent, and Android saw an amazing 886 percent year-over-year growth. The reporting was done by Canalys and to see the full press release, visit the source link. RIM has a lot to learn, and hopefully this is a huge eyeopener for them.

via: Engadget

One of the major selling points of a BlackBerry to business and many exchange users is the fact that BlackBerry is about as secure as it gets for consumer devices. Very few see this as a problem, except for those that want to monitor the usage. United Arab Emirates fears that, since the BlackBerry data is encrypted and routed through RIM’s servers in Canada, they will not be able to monitor what the BlackBerry users in their country are doing. With security like that, someone could plan a terrorist attack without attracting any attention from the government. Saudi Arabia plans to follow suit for fear of the same security dangers. This will also affect people visiting the countries. So, if you plan on visiting UAE or Saudi Arabia and are a BlackBerry user, you might want to take a different World Phone if you plan on using data.

via: Mobile Burn

Oh, how we have all been waiting on this! For RIM to hold an impromptu event on August 3rd tells me that they probably have something big to announce. With all of the leaks, photos, and videos we’ve seen in the previous weeks and the estimated release dates, we can only expect RIM to finally announce BlackBerry 6 and the highly anticipated BlackBerry Torch 9800. One thing that really makes this prediction a little more reliable is the fact that the event is sponsored by AT&T. We all know by now that the 9800 will be arriving on AT&T in the near future, hopefully on the 3rd they will give us an actual date! The invitation has little to no details about the event and was sent out on very short notice. What say you guys? Do you think they’ll drop an actual date?

When I first skimmed over this, I brushed it off as just another rumor, no big deal. But as I came back to it and fully read through it, LouiV has some really good points. This rumor is bigger than I originally thought. Everyone knows the 9800 is slated for AT&T in the coming months. That’s no surprise. It’s been rumored that T-Mobile, Sprint, and Rogers of Canada were all getting it as well. But the big player here is Vodafone. If Vodafone gets it, the Verizon could possibly get it. I know CDMA isn’t the most popular thing, but in my neck of the woods, GSM just doesn’t cut it. (Ask Aaron the same, and you’ll get the opposite answer, we’ve agreed to disagree.)

Remember, these are all rumors and you should take them with a grain of salt, but just the thought! I love what Samsung is doing with their Galaxy S series, and it would be perfect if RIM did that with their “Torch.” That’s my take, what say you guys and gals?

via: BBLeaks

Many or you may or may not know who Al Sacco is, but he’s another heavy hitter in the BlackBerry world. Many look to him for advice and news that others seems to miss. This time around, Al has fabricated a list of four types of applications that you should try to avoid on your BlackBerry. Whether it be this reason or that, it makes for an interesting read, and if you’ve been wondering what not to download to your BlackBerry, give this a skim. Personally, I’ve always been a try-it-yourself kind of guy, but sometimes I’d rather have someone else’s opinions on applications or different things before I try. (That doesn’t mean I won’t try them if they give an app a bad rating, I just like comparisons and forewarning.)  Anyway, here are the four types of applications Al Sacco recommends you avoid:

Flashlight Apps

Memory Management Apps

Streaming TV Apps/Videos

Apps that Measure Radiation

For the full explanation as to why you should avoid them, you’ll need to visit the link and give Al a moment of your precious time.

via: CIO

This actually made me laugh a little. New of the inPulse has been the most sporadic news of a device launch I’ve ever seen. For a while, we were all convinced it was vaporware until we saw Alltera give CrackBerry a live demo at WES 2010. Still, they announced back at the beginning of April that it would be launching “soon“ even though late April was about two or three months past the anticipated date for preorders to ship. Now here we are approaching the end of July and we are just now hearing word from Alltera again saying that the device is just now reaching final assembly and testing. Quite honestly, I’ve lost interest in the device. If it had launched back when it was originally been set to launch, they possibly would have had another sale from me. If you’re still interested, you can still preorder an inPule Smartwatch for $149.99 here. To read more about inPulse, you can also read their Tumblr blog here.

via: BlackBerryRocks