Author Archives: Taylor Martin

Rumor: The BlackBerry tablet will sport a 1GHz processor and dual cameras

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looking_glass

Ever since the first peep of the iPad (or back then the Apple tablet) arose, it was surely followed with the question of what RIM would do to compete. While RIM and Apple have not really been direct competition with each other as their products are aimed at different demographics and offer different solutions, they’re now seeing where their paths are bound to cross. The inevitable has come and more and more word of BlackBerry 6 and the rumored BlackBerry tablet rise, from sources here and there than we can only hope to believe.

RIM has neither confirmed or denied making a tablet, but sources have shown that they have, in fact, bought larger displays from a foreign company (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd). The discrepancy here is that the analyst claims the BlackBerry tablet will sport a 7 seven inch display in contradiction to the rumored 8.9 inch display from before. Either way, RIM has something with a larger display cooking.

Not only will the tablet have a nice and cozy sized display, it will sport a 1GHz processor and dual cameras for video conferencing. Ashok Kumar, an analyst and managing director for Rodman and Renshaw stated:

“Research In Motion (RIMM, Market Perform) is trying to pull forward the launch of the 7-inch touchscreen tablet from early next year to year end…with a marginal point of differentiation being the front- and back-facing cameras for videoconferencing.”

“One possible chip candidate is the Marvell 1GHz Armada 610 processor, which is aimed at tablets, mobile Internet devices, and e-readers. The chip boasts full HD 1080p playback, 16-megapixel image captures, and advanced 3D graphics.”

Nobody outside of RIM’s walls really knows what to expect at this point, but something is cooking, and it’s big. Would any of you be interested in a BlackBerry tablet? Is this too little, too late from RIM? Let’s hope not. Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.

via: CNET

How-To: Deleting apps

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Well, the World Cup is over, and the Spaniards are the champions. Congrats Spain! Since we recommended a plethora of applications to keep you current with your favorite teams and the World Cup, I figured it might be kind of me to help you get rid of the World Cup applications that you will not be needing for another four years. There are three ways that you can remove an application from your device, both of which are pretty simple. The first way is from the applications page or within any of the stock folders or any you may have created. Simply highlight the application you want to delete, press the menu key, and select delete. You will have to confirm the deletion and your phone will become unusable for the following minute or so. It will then ask you if you want to reboot now or later. Keep in mind that rebooting a BlackBerry can take forever depending on what OS you’re running on which device, so if you’re deleting more than one app at a time, I wouldn’t recommend rebooting until you’re done.

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The second way to delete an application from your phone is to do it from the options menu. When you open Options, go to Applications. Once the Application page loads all of the Third-party applications installed on your device, simply highlight the application you want to remove, press the menu key, and select delete.

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The third way to delete an application from the phone itself is only possible if you downloaded the application via App World. Open up App World, click on the far bottom right button, My World. Once My World loads, highlight the application you want to delete, press the menu key, and select delete.

The second option when it come to deleting applications is plugging your BlackBerry into your computer and using Desktop Manager to do the brute of the work. If you’re only deleting one application, I would say do it from the device, it will take less time. If you’re deleting two, three, or more applications, let Desktop Manager do it. Basically, all you have to do is plug in your BlackBerry to your computer, load Desktop Manager, and click the Application Loader tab. Once this page loads, simply check all of the applications you want to remove and click next. Desktop Manager will delete the applications from your device, the BlackBerry will reboot, and you’re finished. Deleting old applications that you never use is a good idea if your device begins to slow down some. The older BlackBerry models didn’t come with a lot of extra memory and slow down upon installing just a few applications, so spare your free memory and do battery pulls on a regular basis to speed up your BlackBerry.

If you need help with any other BlackBerry related tasks, either contact us at BBerryDogTeam[at]gmail[dot]com, or refer to our How-To Guides.

RIM announces BlackBerry Protect and releases private beta to some in Beta Zone later this week

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For those of you who may be prone to losing your phone, listen up! This is what you’ve been waiting for. BlackBerry Protect is a security application that allows you to locate your device, lock your device, backup and wipe all upon losing your device. To add the icing to the cake, it’s free. There are many security applications out there for a paid subscription that do very similar things, but RIM is offering this service completely free of charge. Here are some of the key features talked about in the press release:

Remote Device Management:

  • Protect important information on a lost BlackBerry smartphone by remotely wiping or locking the device from your desktop
  • Remotely add contact information to the home screen of a locked BlackBerry smartphone so it can be returned if found
  • See your BlackBerry smartphone’s location and pinpoint the current whereabouts of a lost or stolen device with cell tower and GPS device tracking
  • Find a nearby misplaced BlackBerry smartphone by remotely activating a loud ringer

Over the Air (OTA) Backup and Restore:

  • Back up data from your BlackBerry smartphone (including Contacts and Calendar; Memos and Tasks; Browser Bookmarks and Text Messages) over Wi-Fi
  • Restore your data to a new BlackBerry smartphone, or simply switch from one BlackBerry smartphone to another

There are many other features that come along with BlackBerry Protect, and can be found here. Once we get a copy in our hands, we’ll take a further look into it. Right now, Protect is only in beta and will be released first in private beta to some of those lucky enough to get an invite code in Beta Zone. It will be released into a public beta later this year, so keep your eyes peeled if Protect strikes any interest.

Photo courtesy: Inside BlackBerry

RIM posts an official BlackBerry 6 teaser

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As we all wait in anticipation, not quite sure whether we’re going to love this revamped OS from RIM or not, they release a teaser video that really closes the door on our doubt. If we take a look back into the past and take a quick look at their first BlackBerry 6 teaser, I’m glad they learned from their mistakes and made this teaser something we can better understand. Here are some things you can expect in BlackBerry 6:

  • redesigned home screen
  • universal search
  • context-sensitive pop-up menus
  • revamped BlackBerry Browser powered by WebKit
  • new applications like Social Feeds (which integrates all your news and social networks into one destination) and more

When I first saw some BlackBerry 6 demonstrations and other videos, I became very skeptical. The touch controls seemed to be very unresponsive, and some of the gestures appeared to be unintuitive. This teaser definitely clears up some of that smoke and has actually turned me. I’m now very excited for both the 9800 and BlackBerry 6, and can’t wait to get my hands on either of them. As of right now, anything media related I take care of business with Android. Emails, texts, and social networking I pull out my trusty ol’ Tour to knock ‘em out. I’m ready for BlackBerry to take its place back as my all-around phone and not just my workhorse. Well done RIM, my faith is restored. I just have one last question, how soon is “soon?”

via: PR

Opera Mini browser gets updated to 5.1, still longing for WebKit

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The need for a browser replacement for our beloved BlackBerry is rapidly becoming a growing problem. With other devices and platforms that are chocked full of fancy features and wonderful web browsers, it is no doubt in any of our minds that the browser is the low point of the BlackBerry. It has been for some time, and will be until we all get our hands on that (currently blocked out) WebKit browser that comes neatly packages inside BlackBerry 6.

The answer to the problem for the past couple years has been to use browser replacement applications like Opera Mini and Bolt. While they do a decent job of making what would normally be an agonizing process, less agonizing, there is definitely room for improvement and endless room between any of the alternative Browser applications and an Android or iPhone browser. But believe me when I say, we are always happy to hear that Opera Mini has been updated.

The press release from Opera states that the update:

“further improves the browsing experience on phones with limited memory. The update includes a new optimized browser skin allowing for more pages to be open at the same time, more rapid scrolling through pages, and overall improved browsing performance”

If you don’t have Opera Mini on your BlackBerry or have never tried it. While it isn’t my cup of tea (I have a Nexus One as well and just use it), it does a good job of making web browsing a little less painful. You can download and update Opera Mini 5.1 by pointing your default BlackBerry Browser to m.opera.com/download. If you have downloaded Opera Mini 5.1 and notice any notable improvements, let us know in the comments below.

via: BerryReview

The BBerryDog theme is coming in assorted colors, now available for 83xx

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There were a few of you requesting the BBerryDog theme in different colors, so we’re (when I say we’re I mean Don from Dream Themez) here to deliver. As of right now the only other color available is crimson from Today’s iPhone, but they will be coming in the assorted colors associated with PhoneDog’s network sites, TmoNews, Today’s iPhone, and DroidDog. (Therefore, green, fuchsia, and orange are left as you can see in the picture below.)

PhoneDog

To download your new, red BBerryDog theme, click here. As of right now it’s only available for the 85xx, 96xx, and 9700. Also, we have also received quite a few requests for a BBerryDog theme for the 83xx series. Your wait is over! You can now download the red version here from your BlackBerry Browser (blue version pending). Don is spread pretty thin between work, being a contributing editor, and making themes, so if the color you’re waiting for is not available yet, it is coming, but it may take a little longer than originally expected. He is working diligently on these themes for us and we want to make sure there is a flavor out there for everyone. So anyone who wants to show a bit of gratitude, you can follow Don on Twitter, or ask us about how you can donate. Also, if you’re an MMA fan like many of us here at BBerryDog and Don, check out Don’s other theme site Dream Themez MMA, and Unfiltered MMA where Don is a contributing editor.

Poll: What is your favorite thing about your BlackBerry?

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To wrap up a seemingly slow week for BlackBerry news (even more so since my ISP took two days to get me back online), I want to expand on my previous question to you all. Before, I asked “Why BlackBerry?” to see what exactly won you over and made you gear up for battle (#TeamBlackBerry). After such a great response, and the BlackBerrys’ famous keyboard clearly taking the blame (for most of you) for tipping the scales towards BlackBerry, it made want to ask further questions.

Here are the results from the last poll:

  • The physical keyboard is the best keyboard on any phone. 31.9% (79 votes)
  • I jumped ship and went to iPhone/Android.19.8% (49 votes)
  • I’m a long time BlackBerry user and it works perfect for me. 13.7% (34 votes)
  • BlackBerry Messenger FTW! 13.7% (34 votes)
  • I have faith that BlackBerry 6 is going to be awesome. 8.9% (22 votes)
  • I wanted a smartphone for free/cheap! 4.4%(11 votes)

The keyboard is the culprit for winning most of you over, but after you get it in your hands and start playing with it, what is your favorite thing about it now?

Poll: Why BlackBerry?

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“Why BlackBerry?”, a seemingly more popular question that becomes harder and harder to answer on a daily basis. Those of us who are faithful to RIM and still love our BlackBerrys, usually need no help answering this question. However, some of us do need help. The ones who have yet to venture into the world of BlackBerry will be the hardest to answer the question for, but it is in every way, possible. It may not seem apparent, but some of the features of BlackBerry have remained solid, even if other features have become faded and blurred as differentiators.

For example, enterprise service used to be RIM’s backbone. BlackBerrys were primarily a business man’s phone and everything was just fine and dandy. RIM’s base has since changed over the past two years from business to a heavy consumer base (making up roughly 60% of RIM’s users). RIM hasn’t changed; their market has, and thus we have a problem. They are very focused on trying to please two completely different markets with one main product. RIM needs to separate business from average consumer devices, and possibly merge them down the road somewhere. The major problem that RIM faces is not business vs consumer, it’s Android and iOS. These two operating systems are very media driven, very polished, and offer endless possibilities and fun to the average end user. Android and iOS began as consumer-centric systems which have drastically evolved over the past two years to become somewhat business based as well. Android is now offering some exchange services, many businesses have switched from BlackBerrys to iPhones, so on and so forth.

Though on top of the US market share, RIM’s time up top is limited if they don’t make some drastic changes, and fast. In what used to be the one thing that set RIM and their BlackBerry apart was enterprise support, this is not the case anymore. The competitors are closing in and are trying to swallow the giant that is RIM. I feel that they just might have something up their sleeve though. So, how does this help answer the question “Why BlackBerry?” It doesn’t really, it helps put the question into perspective and defines it more precisely. If RIM is losing traction on the market, and has competitors on their heels for their one huge differentiator, why do I need a BlackBerry? Why do I want a BlackBerry if Android or the iPhone have so much more to offer? We’re here to answer these questions and help make a BlackBerry purchase a little easier for you, or to keep you from jumping ship right before RIM releases their major update of this year, BlackBerry 6.

So what exactly is it that has made you keep your BlackBerry so far, rather than jumping ship, or what made you pick a BlackBerry over some other device? Let us know in the poll below.


This is the beginning of the “Why BlackBerry?” series, and we’re kicking it off today. The series will be a multi-part series formed of editorials, polls, surveys, podcasts, videos, and more. Stay tuned for more.

BlackBerry Torch (Slider) 9800 for AT&T revealed

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In the midst of all of the iPhone 4 hype, this is what we all needed as BlackBerry users and fans alike. We all needed something to restore our faith in RIM and their ability to manufacture new, current devices rather than the same ‘ol time and time again. While the clamshell BlackBerry may be blacklisted in your own personal books (mine included), the Torch or Slider is not. Every time we see pictures of this, the more I want it and the sooner I want it to hit the market to get one in my hands.

This time around, it’s openly visible that this is, in fact, going to be on AT&T which further confirms the roadmap that was leaked last Friday. Another thing I’m glad to see is that it apparently will not have the D-X1 battery that I’ve grown to dislike. However, the 1400mAh D-X1 has apparently been replaced with a 1270mAh mystery battery. These pictures show off BlackBerry 6 ever so slightly and quite honestly, I’m loving looks of it. I just hope the functionality and usability isn’t trumped by RIM’s attention to visual detail in an attempt to launch them back into the smartphone wars. BlackBerry 6 came flying out of nowhere and took us all by surprise, so I’m definitely a little weary on how well they may or may not have executed it. With the roadmap claiming this device being slated for AT&T in August, RIM still has time to refine 6. Let’s hope they do so. In the meantime, we’ll all salivate over the Torch and how amazing we all hope it will be. A partial gallery will be available at the end of this post, but to see the fully gallery, hit the source link.

via: Engadget

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Even more pictures of the Bold (Atlas) 8980 emerge

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Lately, we’ve all been teased with picture after picture of all of the upcoming devices with no real news or any sort of deliverance. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of photos with no official news or dates of arrival. Just under a month ago, we saw some other pictures of the 8980 along with the clamshell. Here we have some more pictures of it sporting a Bold branding on the back and looking identical to the Bold 9700 save the Curve style keyboard. Let’s just hope this thing comes with enough memory for BlackBerry 6. We already know that it’s slated to hit China Mobile and India carriers, have an evolved-EDGE radio (no 3G to our knowledge), and is expected to release somewhere in Q3 or Q4 this year. This all came from the rumored roadmap from late last week, so none of this is concrete, but more than likely true.

The 8980 is an odd mixture of a device. Branded as a Bold, Curve keyboard, no 3G, trackpad, etc. What do you guys think? Is this device too much of the same ol’ thing we’ve been seeing (just mix-matched)? Is this device going to be outdated before it ever hits the market?

via: BlackBerryRocks

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BlackBerry 6 hybrids for 9000, 9700, 9500, 9600, 8900 and 8500 models

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We usually don’t talk much about hybrid OS builds here at BBerryDog due to the risky nature of installing untested software on your device, but this one is just too cool to turn down. Last night BlackBerryCool clued us all in on some hybrid builds of BlackBerry 6 mixed with other leaked OS 5.0.0.xxx versions for various models.

While I am no expert on hybrid OS builds, I have installed a few on my various BlackBerrys with no problem. Essentially, a hybrid OS is formed by someone taking files from one leaked version (in this case the leaked BlackBerry 6 for the clamshell device) and merging them with an OS from another build, typically for a different device. According to BlackBerryCool, 80 files from BlackBerry 6 have been successfully copied over into the different OS 5.0.0.xxx builds. While you probably won’t see any visual differences, the main purpose of the hybrid builds is to merge the beneficial parts of multiple OS’s together. It’s a genius idea, and always fun to tinker with.

I would not recommend attempting to install an hybrid OS unless you’re comfortable installing different OS versions on your phone and recovering a bricked device. As always, downloading and installing non-official builds is done at your own risk. With that said, if you’re interested in trying out the hybrid, giving feedback, and you’re using either a 9000, 97xx, 95xx, 96xx, 89xx, or an 85xx device, go here and download your respective hybrid OS files.

via: BlackBerryCool

Even more pictures of the BlackBerry Torch (Slider) 9800 appear

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As if there haven’t been enough pictures to grow the hype, here are some more pictures of the BlackBerry Torch. This time and last we saw T-Mobile SIM cards in the Torch. Honestly, this doesn’t mean anything beyond the person with the phone has T-Mobile service. I can’t imagine the pre-production releases being locked to any specific carrier. Also, it’s only a demonstration. You see in the other pictures that there is no SIM card. It’s just to show where the slot is, not which carrier the phone is on.

via: BerryReview

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Tether on sale, 50% off until June 26th

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Happy summer everyone! Starting today and spanning through June 26th, Tether will be on sale for 50% off as a summer sale. I always have a lot of people asking me how they can tether their BlackBerry to their computer to use the internet. The answer to most of the questions I get asked is as simple as doing a Google search, but the answer to this specific question is always answered instantly with “Tether.” Rather than paying the carrier you are on $15-$30 per month to tether your BlackBerry, why not pay $24.95 (normally $50) one time for Tether and be able to forever. To me, that seems like a very justifiable price and trade-off, so get it while the sale lasts!

Here’s the promotional email:

It’s finally that time of year again – SUMMER!  That time of the year where we spend more time on the go and outside.

What better way to start the summer than being able to enjoy The Web Anywhere with Tether?  Starting today until June 26th, we are offering Tether at the unbelievable price of $24.95.  Now you can hook your BlackBerry Smartphone to your computer and enjoy the internet at the beach, camping or at the park!

To buy your copy of Tether or to try it for free, click here. So who plans on getting Tether while it’s half off? Who already has it and uses it regularly? Give us your thoughts on Tether in the comments below!

Rumor: Roadmap of RIM’s upcoming 2010 devices found

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Get your salt shakers ready as this one seems like a stretch to me, but it looks like RIM’s known secrecy of device releases has been breached. Two days ago, Business Insider posted what they claim to be a snapshot of RIM’s product roadmap for 2010. Dan, from Business Insider, claims the roadmap came from a recent research report from RBC analyst, Mike Abramsky. The rumors and this roadmap seem to line up well, save a few details and some things we have yet to hear of. One being that the Onyx Delta  is now model number 9900 and a touchscreen device, rather than 9700a and no touchscreen. To me, looking at this chart just goes to show how diluted RIM’s branding is becoming. They have 3G Curve models, non-3G Curve models, Bold devices with touchscreens, Curve devices with touchscreens, a dual-screen clamshell device with no distinct branding, etc. The more they expand, the more diluted it will get.

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China Mobile officially unveils the BlackBerry Curve 8910 (Atlas)

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Some of you wondered, I’m sure, what happened to the heavily rumored Atlas that has been here and there in headlines for as long as I can remember. All of the sudden, all word of it was hushed, as devices like the 9700, 9650 were released and devices such as the Dakota, the clamshell device, the Torch (slider), and even a BlackBerry tablet, were talked about more and more. Yesterday, from way out in left field, China Mobile officially announced the 8910 would be added to the line-up.

To add to the Curve series, the 8910 on China Mobile sports a trackball (yes, I said trackball), will only run 2G connection (what was claimed to be a revamped version of EDGE), and is missing that sweet Wi-Fi capability. Why such an outdated BlackBerry is just now being released, is beyond me. I’m assuming it has to do with the Chinese government and legal issues, but you would have at least thought they would have put a trackpad on it. Nonetheless, it is a BlackBerry, and we will rejoice that another has hit the market!

For more information and an unboxing video, hit the source link.

via: BBLeaks

App World 2.0 previewed by Inside BlackBerry

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Well, about the time I talk about App World 2.0 being announced, RIM gives us an app preview on the BlackBerry blog. They have broken it down a little more and provided an explanation for some of the features that have been added. For the screenshots provided, there is a gallery after the jump and a summary of the changes. Hit the source link for the full blog post from the BlackBerry blog.

via: Inside BlackBerry

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App World 2.0 shown off sporting BlackBerry ID and alternative payment options

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One update we have all been patiently waiting for is a real App World update, especially one that doesn’t make your App World icon disappear. At RIM’s event in NYC they announced App World 2.0 and it has some of the major updates we were all looking for. Hit the link to read more.

via: BerryReview

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OS 5.0.0.743 for 9700 becomes official for Rogers

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Not only are the AT&T 9700 users getting love, but so are our friends on Rogers up in Canada. According to Bla1ze from CrackBerry, this build is very solid and stable. So if you’ve been waiting for an official update to come before you upgraded, here you go. This update is available for download from the Roger’s BlackBerry software download page, here. You know the drill, backup your data before starting the update and if you need help updating, you can read how here.

If you’re already running this version, tell us how it is for you in our comments section below or in our forums!

via: CrackBerry

OS 5.0.0.602 for AT&T 9700 is official

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If you’re sporting a 9700 of AT&T and like to stay on the current OS (I know a lot of people that don’t, myself included), AT&T has approved a new OS for your device. The download popped up in the BlackBerry software download center. If you want it, you can find it here. Don’t forget to backup your data before you start to upgrade, and if you need help upgrading, you can read how to here.

If you’ve upgraded to .602, how’s the battery life? Is it snappy, laggy, or somewhere in between? Tell us how it’s working out in the comments below or in our forums.

via: CrackBerry