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

]]> http://www.bberrydog.com/2010/08/video-blackberry-bold-9650-running-blackberry-6-again/feed/ 2 http://www.bberrydog.com/2010/08/amazon-slashes-the-price-of-the-torch-makes-rim-look-bad/ http://www.bberrydog.com/2010/08/amazon-slashes-the-price-of-the-torch-makes-rim-look-bad/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:15:18 +0000 Taylor Martin http://www.bberrydog.com/?p=5024

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