Category Archives: Uncategorized

BGR goes hands on with BlackBerry Playbook

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As if we weren’t already slobbering with excitement over this lovely device, this video has definitely heightened the expectations that many of us share.  Check out the video below for more.  Under said video there will be a little overview of the various features, just in case you’re at your work computer slacking off with us!

One of the coolest features of the Playbook is definitely all the swipe gestures that are integrated into the system.  This could potentially create an extremely user friendly environment for both techies (like myself) as well as the technologically impaired.  The screen of the Playbook is drop dead gorgeous, even by the standards of being viewed through the lens of a camera.  The interface was snappy and I noticed very little lag.  Several misplaced touches occurred, but that was purely operator error and was in no way the Playbooks fault.

After seeing the video above, please let us know if this device lives up to your expectations!  Also, feel free to include a wishlist of things you’d like to see included in the device before it hits stores.

via: BGR

Desktops/Laptops rendered Obsolete!

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You have to design a device. This device will replace the need (addiction) we have for our desktops/laptops. It will also serve as a phone. Have a rear and front facing camera. All the standard accessories, and whatever else you think it needs. The only rule is it would HAVE to take the place of your work, home, office, school, full size (tower,keyboard mouse,speakers,monitor) complete computer. How would you do it? What size is the screen? How wide is it? What’s it made out of? Down to the color, thickness, and weight. If RIM allowed you to create one device to take the place of our home/work computers, what would it look like?

For me, I love the size of the BlackBerry PlayBooks screen. I possibly would drop it to 6″. I’ve always been partial to the Curve style keyboard. Not a big fan of the onscreen, but it does have its place on my build for short fowards and replies. My thing is to have a slide out keyboard, super thin with back-lit keys. The keys would be like on the Curve series only larger. I would have to be able to reach half the keys with each thumb. You could hold it in the traditional texting position, or lay it flat table and tilt the screen up for a laptop view. A trackpad on the keyboard under the space bar would be sweet. Need the option to be able to print to any printer wirelessly.And of course, Bold 9000 leather backing, with metal volume and camera buttons.

Oh yeah almost forgot, can I get BOSE surround sound, 1GB of Ram, dual core processor, and Nvidia GPU. Also TV out, gotta have that.  And all this for around a $100 bucks would be nice.

How would you build yours? What’s your screen size sweetspot? No keyboard? Different colors? What did I forget? Leave your reply below. Just ask yourself, would this replace my computer.

Shazam Application Review

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Shazam is by and large one of the coolest applications currently available on the BlackBerry smartphone platform.  Have you ever heard a song on the radio, fallen in love with it, and not known what it is (or not been able to remember)?  Shazam allows you to place your microphone next to the speaker for approximately 5 seconds, after which it will make the sound to a song and tell you exactly what that song is (and tag it so you can have it later).

The user interface is very simple.  All black, white lettering, blue highlighting.  Not much can be said about the UI, as it is very bland.  However, it is still aesthetically pleasing, and the text (despite being rather small) is very easy to read.

Accuracy was that which I was most skeptic of.  How in the world could a sound byte of my music direct this application to a song?  To my surprise, even some of my more obscure music or less well known music was immediately picked up.  The only thing that confused Shazam was certain remixes (particularly dubstep remixes).  All the songs that you identify (or tag as Shazam calls it) are put in a list in which the most recent tag is at the top.  You can then go through your various tags.

The nice thing about Shazam is all the extra features it gives you after a song has been tagged.  It allows you to look up the lyrics, gives you extra information, and even recommends song that you may like (some of which were other songs that I already listened to).  While those who aren’t hardcore music buffs (like myself) might not find this app particularly useful, it is more centered around those who like their music and like it a lot.

Shazam is offered in the Encore version ($4.99 in App World), which allows recommendations, unlimited tagging, and a laundry list of Shazam’s best features.   It also comes in the free version, which is limited to 5 tags a month.  You get a week long trial of the Encore edition when you download the free version.  If you’re currently a Shazam user, or you’ve decided to try it out for the first time, please let us know!

BlackBerry 9650 could be preloaded with BlackBerry 6 in near future?

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Rebate forms are often a carrier or manufacturers way of leaking a little tidbit out, whether accidental or not.  The latest rebate from from Verizon shows two new SKU’s regarding the 9650.  While this is purely speculation, we can safely assume that the 9650 may soon see BlackBerry 6!  If that is the case, this will be the first Bold device to get bumped up, and on the carrier that seems to be notoriously slow with upgrades no less!

So how many of you have a 9650 and are looking for a nice upgrade?  Also, if you plan on staying with OS5, let us know in the comments below!

via: BerryReview

Apple passes RIM as fourth largest in mobile phone production

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If you’re in a good mood today, or love RIM as much as we do, I would advise that you don’t read this article.  It pains me to say that, according to IDC, all BlackBerrys combined sold a total of 12.3 million devices in the last quarter, as compared to Apple’s 14.1 million.  While the Apple iPhone 4 is still pretty big, the hype around BlackBerry 6 and the Torch was hoped to more than make up for Apple’s recent release (and don’t forget the 10 odd BlackBerry models that released prior to BlackBerry 6, i.e. the Curve, Pearl, Bold, etc.). Full press notes below.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Oct 28, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The worldwide mobile phone market grew 14.6% in the third quarter of 2010 (3Q10), the fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, driven in part by the fast-growing converged mobile device category. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 340.5 million units in 3Q10 compared to 297.1 million units in the third quarter of 2009.

The growing popularity of converged mobile devices, or smartphones, with consumers and businesspersons is evidenced by the appearance of a second smartphone-only vendor in the top 5 ranking. Apple moved into the number 4 position worldwide in 3Q10, joining Research In Motion (RIM) as one of the world’s largest mobile phone suppliers. RIM has spent three quarters on IDC’s leaderboard. Apple and RIM also posted the highest-growth rates among the top 5 vendors last quarter.

“The entrance of Apple to the top 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased importance of smartphones to the overall market. Moreover, the mobile phone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models are among the fastest growing firms,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. “Vendors that aren’t developing a strong portfolio of smartphones will be challenged to maintain and grow market share in the future.”

Apple, RIM, and the vendors producing Android-based smartphones have put noticeable pressure on Nokia, the overall market leader. “Nokia still leads all vendors by a significant margin for converged mobile devices and mobile phones as a whole,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team. “However, Nokia’s grip on the traditional mobile phone market has been somewhat loosened, as multiple Chinese vendors have gained ground, especially within emerging markets. To bolster its overall competitiveness, Nokia has been focused on improving its smartphone offerings.”

Market Outlook

IDC believes the worldwide mobile phone market will be driven largely by smartphone growth to the end of 2014. “The smartphone is becoming the focal point of the personal communications experience,” noted Restivo. “As a result, new market growth will be increasingly generated by smartphones. This year, we are expecting the smartphone sub-market to grow 55% year over year.”

Regional Analysis

Competitive forces emerged in the Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) region last quarter to the detriment of market leader Nokia. In emerging markets, brands such as Micromax, Nexian, and i-Mobile chipped away at Nokia’s market share. Android-powered smartphones also gained momentum across the region at the expense of Nokia. Samsung gained ground in South Korea while Huawei, Lenovo, and ZTE launched devices in several markets. In Japan, mobile phone market growth was driven primarily by domestic vendors Sharp, Panasonic, Fujitsu, and NEC. The Western European mobile phone market’s growth was largely attributable to smartphones, which grew thanks to the iPhone 4 and Android-powered devices from HTC and Samsung. Demand was also stoked by large operator device subsidies that helped to keep consumer interest in smartphones high. At the same time, the CEMA handset market grew slowly in 3Q10. As a result, smartphone volumes are growing substantially but still only comprise one-fifth of total shipments for the regions combined. This is modest compared to more economically-developed regions. The United States mobile phone market was characterized by growth in the smartphone market. Grabbing headlines were the Apple iPhone 4, RIM’s BlackBerry Torch 9800, the HTC EVO 4G, and Motorola’s new DROID X and DROID 2, all of which were launched last quarter. Not to be overlooked was Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphone lineup, which were launched at all of the major carriers last quarter. Traditional mobile phones, meanwhile, fought back with smartphone-like functionality, but saw their overall share of the market continue to decline. In Canada, Android-powered handsets gained momentum as Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola shipped new models. Huawei and ASUS, low-cost providers of Android devices, entered the market. RIM’s BlackBerry Torch was announced while the iPhone 4 was introduced to great fanfare. Despite continued economic sluggishness in some countries, the Latin American region grew as a result of higher smartphone adoption. Vendors like Alcatel, ZTE, and Huawei have targeted Latin America aggressively with entry-level models in an effort to steal share from Nokia, the overall market leader in the region. These models are lower-cost product offerings designed to meet the needs of basic users. Motorola’s Android-powered devices have also grown quickly in the region due to the popularity of models like the QUENCH, Backflip, and Milestone.

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors

Nokia maintained the top spot in the overall mobile phone market despite year-over-year unit shipment growth of less than 2% in new chief executive Steven Elop’s first quarter at the helm. The company grew converged mobile device shipments 61% in 3Q10, but average selling prices for the device type dropped to EUR136, compared to EUR190 in the same quarter last year. Nokia attributed the plunge to price pressure from competitors and its stated desire to reach more customers. Nokia hopes the C8 and C7 devices will boost ASPs in future.

Samsung marked a new milestone during the third quarter, pushing through the 70 million unit mark for the first time in the company’s history. In addition, the company more than doubled the number of converged mobile device shipments from the previous quarter. Driving this was the worldwide release of its Galaxy S i9000 converged mobile device, as well as its bada-based Wave model. Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, Samsung appears poised to bring more smartphones to market, with a new Wave 2 awaiting launch and more mass-market devices for emerging markets.

LG Electronics missed its 3Q10 total mobile phone and smartphone shipment growth targets, resulting in an overall double-digit shipment decrease when compared to the same quarter one year ago. LG has yet to make a significant impact in the smartphone category unlike its competitors. Although operating margin returned to the same levels as a year ago, sales and profitability both fell significantly. By the end of the quarter, LG replaced its CEO Nam Yong with Koo Bon-Joon, head of LG’s trading firm, LG International.

Apple leapt ahead of several vendors in 3Q10 including RIM, which it surpassed by 1.7-million units, and Sony Ericsson by 3.7-million units. The company’s record shipment performance can be attributed to the introduction of the iPhone 4 in 17 new countries last quarter. The record performance came despite “Antennagate,” the name used to describe the controversy around alleged iPhone reception problems, in July.

Research In Motion posted a record number of unit shipments in 3Q10. The BlackBerry maker continues to grow in Latin America, for example, due to the success of the Curve 8520 entry-level model, which has helped drive growth in most emerging markets. The vendor’s results were also boosted by the introduction of the higher-cost Torch in the United States, a key market due to the size and intensity of competition.

SonyEricsson, which shipped 10.4 million units in 3Q10, fell off the Top 5 list for the first time since the Tracker was conceived in 2004.

[CHART]

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, October 28, 2010

Note: Vendor shipments are branded shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors.

via: Boy Genius Report

Developers can get a free BlackBerry Playbook?

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Since the BlackBerry Playbook was first leaked, websites have been a-buzz about it (not without reason, mind you).  Well, if you have any development experience with Adobe Air, you can get one for free!  That right, if you create an Adobe Air application for the Playbook and it gets accepted to BlackBerry App World, you will get a BlackBerry Playbook free-of-charge.

If you’re planning on making an application, make sure to let us know in the comments.  Also, if you’re stuck on what to make, just remember your good friends at BBerryDog!

via: CrackBerry

RIM is looking a lot like Nokia, with an ode to Paul the Octopus

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Phone makers Research In Motion (RIM) and Nokia are treading the same water. Both companies are leaning on older operating systems (BlackBerry OS and Symbian respectively), that while still extremely capable, are rapidly losing the respect and admiration of the consumer market. With iOS and Android continuing to separate themselves as the upcoming smartphone platforms of choice, Microsoft unleashing a Windows Phone 7 blitzkrieg, and H/Palm launching webOS 2.0; RIM and Nokia are turning toward new technologies to finally propel them into modernity.

I’m not going to go too in depth on Nokia’s situation (this a BlackBerry-centric blog after all), but needless to say they’re nearly as far up the creek as RIM has found themselves. They launched their first Symbian smartphone in the middle of 2002 (around the same time as RIM was launching it’s first smart “phone”), an OS that began life with the founding of Psion in 1980. Thirty years later, Nokia is turning toward “MeeGo”, a joint venture with Intel, to bring their smartphones firmly into the 21st century.

On this side of the North Atlantic, our beloved RIM is facing an all-to-similar dilemma. Long one of the premier smartphone manufacturers in the world (producing a product so addicting it has been compared to a certain narcotic), they’ve recently found themselves outdone and outclassed by the likes of Apple, Google, Palm, and even Microsoft. While the BlackBerry platform continues to offer one of the best messaging and e-mail experiences available; it has an extremely limited upside. Like Ryan Leaf or JaMarcus Russell, BlackBerry OS has been characterized as a washed-up has-been. Unlike Nokia, RIM doesn’t have a legion of “dumb phones” to bolster it’s sales, and has been relying on corporate sales and “first time” smartphone buyers.

So what’s a company to do? Until relatively recently, RIM had been in complete denial. Like an angry politician they shouted about strong sales numbers while ignoring the 800lb gorilla creeping up behind them with an apple-shaped bar stool. While sales were strong, their mind share was plummeting as tech “experts” and fan boys and girls alike became disgruntled with the limited capability of their phones. When my girlfriend, a BlackBerry fanatic, becomes so frustrated that she throws her Bold 9700 to the ground and says “That’s it, I want a Droid”, you know RIM has a problem.

Enter QNX: the well-respected UNIX-like operating system (ironically who’s origins also lay in the year 1980) RIM acquired on April 9th of this year. The first offspring of this union is the clumsily named “BlackBerry Tablet OS” premiering on the equally awkward “BlackBerry PlayBook” (RIM really needs to work on their naming schemes). While hands-on time with an actual device has been non-existent, the early “previews” show promise. Borrowing (or pilfering, depending on your viewpoint) several metaphors from Palm’s webOS, RIM and QNX have managed to create a modern operating system just as swipy and flashy as anything to come out of Cupertino, Redmond, or Mountain View (and who doesn’t get a kick out of Lazzy fumbling around with a touchscreen on stage).

I’ll save my full opinion on the PlayBook for a later date (preview: I think it’s pretty rad.), but what’s more important is how RIM plans to leverage this new operating system in it’s future devices. RIM has confirmed their intention to bring the QNX platform to their smartphone lineup, with an as yet unannounced BlackBerry OS 7 serving as an intermediate stepping stone. While this is certainly excellent news, there are two large problems with this plan.

  • QNX still can’t run Java worth a damn. This has been a problem/issue/feature for pretty much the entirety of the operating system’s existence, and is a major hurdle to getting the 10,000+ third party BlackBerry apps converted and ported over to QNX.
  • We’re still at least a year away from seeing QNX on a BlackBerry phone, and realistically we’re probably looking at two or three years. That might as well be an epoch in the lightning-paced phone world. Even Nokia is planning to launch it’s last, best effort (MeeGo) sometime next calendar year. BlackBerry 7 either needs to be phenomenal, or RIM needs to hire some folks and kick development into ultra high gear. Time is a luxury they no longer possess.

Like many of you, I want nothing more than to see RIM succeed. Not only have I been a fan of their products, I’m also a big believer in competition being better for everyone. The harder these companies have to work to win our affection, the better, and we need (and want) RIM to be a key player in that game. In the interest of posterity and full disclosure, I’ll freely admit that I no longer use a BlackBerry as my daily phone.

Wait…what? Blasphemy! “You write for a BlackBerry blog, how the hell can you not use one yourself?”, to which I say you’re absolutely correct. It’s bordering on the obscene, how can I write about a device I don’t even use that often? Well, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that the difference between using one periodically, and using one everyday, isn’t all that drastic when you’ve been carting around a BlackBerry in some form since 2005 (or 6, or something like that). The new Torch and BlackBerry 6 are unavailable to me (AT&T sucks even more than usual where I live), and I wasn’t willing to rely on the corporate sloths at Verizon to push BlackBerry 6 to the Bold 9650 anytime this side of the singularity. Thus, I am now the owner of a Binged out Samsung Fascinate and now find myself waiting for the corporate sloths at Verizon to push out Android 2.2…doh!

Have no fear though. I still use my BlackBerry Storm 2 several times a week, and will eagerly return full time to the BlackBerry fold as soon as a solid BlackBerry 6 option lands on Verizon (I’ll admit, I like touchscreens, so the Bold won’t be it). I’ve had a chance to interact (sounds naughty, no?) with the Torch, and I find it to be about where the Nokia N8 is now. It’s a solid intermediate device, but it isn’t the answer. Like Nokia with MeeGo, RIM needs to go all in with QNX (and come up with a catchier name), and quickly!

Before I depart, I’d like for us to take a moment of silence (perhaps eight of them) for the dearly departed Paul the Octopus, bane of World Cup teams everywhere. This soothsaying cephalopod passed away quietly in the early morning hours of October 26th at the ripe old age of two and a half (pretty old for an octopus). While he has departed this mortal world, we shall always remember his bold predictions and love for tasty mussels. In memorandum, we give you Paul making his final divination:

Paul’s Final Prediction

Update For Rogers BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Curve 3G 9300 Provides UMA Support

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BlackBerry Bold 9700 Rogers

Back on the 14th, Canadian carrier, Rogers, updated their BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Curve 3G 9300 smartphones with UMA support. For those of us who use Rogers as their mobile provider, this is a big deal. The updates are OS v5.0.0.846 and v5.0.0.862 respectively. UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) support allows users to make voice calls over a Wi-Fi network. The result is a positive one; users utilize Wi-Fi networks to make calls, saving minutes, and as a result, saving money on their monthly cell phone bill – the one “side-affect” of our pocket companions.

For the updates, click here and follow the detailed instructions provided. If you have UMA enabled already, let us know how you’re loving the Wi-Fi call ability.

via: BlackBerryCool

Video Walk-through of inPulse Smartwatch by Allerta

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If you can recall, back in July we posted an article about the long awaited inPulse Smartwatch for Blackberry. Even then, the phone was about 4 months past the expected release date. So we find ourselves here in October with another video review of the inPulse device, but of course it’s not from a satisfied customer who pre-ordered the device for $149.99 7 months ago. From a look at the review done by Mike from Topspeedtop, it obvious that the non-release of the Smartwatch is due to some glitches Allerta had to tend to. Overall, I think its a great concept. I myself know many times I’ve stopped everything I’m doing to answer a call or see a text that could’ve waited. The watch notifies you of calls, texts, calendar updates and e-mail messages. Theres no MMS support as of yet, but thats said to be on its way as well as BBM, Twitter and Facebook. The device works through bluetooth technology and charges through a micro USB port.

I expect much more from this device especially since its taken so long for it to be released. But I must say with the release of the new iPod nano and the capabilities and utilization of such as small touch screen, the inPulse could be doing a lot more as a device. But needless to say Allerta is no Apple, so we have to bear with them. You can pre-order the device for $149.99 today via their site. But unless you just have that kind of cash sitting around, I would just wait until the official release date. I’m sure the customers who pre-ordered back in April could have made quite a bit of interest if that $149.99 was in a savings account somewhere.

F.Y.I.: The rubber band on the watch is said to be uncomfortable so you would most likely be better off getting it switched out for a leather one at a jeweler. It’s also not water-proof and apparently sensitive being that its not even recommended to leave it in moist environments i.e. the bathroom when showering.

via: BlackBerryCool

ESPN Radio App for BlackBerry

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There are a few mediocre sports apps in Blackberry App World, none I can really say worth mentioning. So I expect to see  a lot of downloads in the coming weeks. The app has been on the Android platform since July and has been somewhat critically acclaimed, so its safe to say you’ll get your $2.99′s worth. One app highlight is its capability to play and stream live radio in the background. Listen to every. Also enjoy the On Demand sports channel that’s updated every 20 minutes to give you up to the most accurate, to the minute, sports updates. Live broadcasts are from the following stations:

  • ESPN Radio Network Feed
  • ESPN Deportes Network Feed
  • KSPN – 710 AM Los Angeles, CA
  • KESN – 103.3 FM Dallas, TX
  • WMVP – 1000 AM Chicago, IL
  • WEPN – 1050 AM New York, NY
  • WTEM – 980 AM Washington, D.C.
  • WKNR – 850 AM Cleveland, OH
  • WWGK – 1540 AM Cleveland, OH
  • WEFL – 760 AM West Palm Beach, FL
  • WAUK – 540 AM Milwaukee, WI
  • WTLX – 100.5 FM Madison, WI
  • WHBO – 1040 AM Tampa, FL
  • WHOO – 1080 AM Orlando, FL
  • KIRO – 710 AM Seattle, WA
  • KKEA – 1420 AM Honolulu, HI
  • WENJ – 1450 AM Atlantic City, NJ
  • KLAA – 830 AM Anaheim, CA
  • WRGM – 1440 AM Mansfield, OH
  • KEPN – 1600 AM Denver, CA
  • WNXX – 104.5 FM Baton Rouge, LA
  • KKXS – 96.1 FM Redding, CA

Needless to say, you still have access to your favorite talk shows such as Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, Mike and Mike in the Morning, and others. Also listen to all the college football games that ESPN covers, LIVE! So be sure to click the link and head over to the BlackBerry App world to download.

Download ESPN Radio

NOTE: Due to contractual limitations with certain content, especially play-by-play broadcasts, there are times when the schedule that’s on-air won’t match the schedule that’s online.  While we make every effort to update the schedule, occasionally the nature of play-by-play broadcasting limits our ability to accurately present the latest schedule (ie., rain delays, last minute schedule changes).  We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.  If you have specific schedule questions, please contact the station directly by visiting their website.