Toronto Wireless and Technology

BlackBerry OS 7.1 Coming in December? PlayBook Keyboard Case in February?

2011-11-17T22:28:00.001-05:00

We have been hearing a bit about BlackBerry OS 7.1 that will come before RIM releases QNX phones. This update is supposed to iron out many of the bugs in BlackBerry OS 7 and throw in a few extras including Wi-Fi hotspot functionality from what I hear. The BlackBerryOS team attended RIM’s latest BlackBerry Innovation Forum in Washington DC and learned a tad bit more about RIM’s plans. Mainly they learned that BlackBerry OS 7.1 was aimed for a December launch. They were also showing off a Bluetooth keyboard/case combo for the PlayBook that is aimed for a February launch along with the PlayBook OS 2.0.

Here are some of the other highlights they learned:

PlayBook 2.0

Will have native email client with a a unique feature rich UI. Client will have more options than current bridge based mail client
Calendar completely revamped, and includes new "people view" feature
No plans for BBM client
Native file app
Contacts app more feature rich, more like current BlackBerry’s Contact list.
Target date around February 2012

Misc

RIM is working on Bluetooth keyboard and case that fit together for the PlayBook. Release around February 2012. Cost is a little over $100
RIM working on Enterprise App World for enterprise applications
OS 7.1 is looking like a December release
UMA update for 9900 may come later this year
RIM working on 10" PlayBook and larger BlackBerry devices for next year

BlackBerry Messenger v6.1 Hits the Beta Zone With Animated Avatars & More!

2011-11-17T22:24:00.001-05:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

In a pleasant surprise RIM has more in store for us with a new BlackBerry Messenger beta round in the Beta Zone. They have just uploaded BlackBerry Messenger v6.1 to the Beta Zone and it includes some real nice usability updates.

Animated avatars – Now you can access a selection of animated GIFs that come alive when you hover over the avatar. Three animated avatars are available as part of the beta as a sneak peak (including a ‘smile’, ‘laughter’ and ‘in love’) – with a greater selection to come at launch. You can access avatars when changing your display picture within the Avatars folder and can source your own animated GIFs NOTE: Animated avatars are supported on BlackBerry® OS 5.0 and higher and can be viewed on BBM 6.1
12 new emoticons – Add to the range of expressions available to enhance your conversations with12 new emoticons to choose from.
Personal Message size increased to 160 characters – We’ve doubled the size of the personal message space to 160 characters. The previous limit was 80 characters.
Colored chat bubbles – Customize the color of chat bubbles with 10 colors to choose from. You can pre-assign these colors to your contacts by simply going into your BBM contacts’ profile and selecting the desired contact chat color from the palette.
Camera / Avatar Integration – Now you can update your BBM avatar right from the BlackBerry camera app by selecting “Set as BBM Display Picture” from the menu options.

You can pick up the new BlackBerry Messenger 6.1 in the Beta Zone or read more about it in RIM’s announcement.

Free SimCity Deluxe and The Sims 3 Courtesy of RIM

2011-11-17T22:16:00.001-05:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

We have two more gifts from RIM’s outage gift in their Thank You category. The latest are coming from Electronics Arts with two Sims games. They both seem to be for a nice range of devices but let us know if you run into any issues. Kudos to @rr_yy for spotting them!

Free RIM BlackBerry Wallet App that works with OS7

2011-11-16T20:56:00.001-05:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

via www.infocitadel.com

Hello, as usual while I was surfing the internet, I remembered about a very interesting application for blackberry phone users. So I decided as sharing it on facebook, to place it on my blog. Here with go with the full details of how the RIM BlackBerry Wallet Application works.

This application basically lets you store your owner information, credit cards, gift cards, login credentials, loyalty cards, and shipping addresses for easy access. Its much better than the password manager.

HOW THE RIM BLACKBERRY WALLET APPLICATION WORKS

Info:BlackBerry® Wallet has been designed to make shopping on your BlackBerry® smartphone faster and easier. It lets you use information securely stored on your BlackBerry smartphone to help fill in forms with credit card, reward program and shipping information.
How Does it Work?
Simply switch to the BlackBerry Wallet when you’re ready to make a purchase. Enter your password, and populate your credit card information, delivery details and more.
Security
Your credit card and shipping information are your business. For your protection, not even you can use your BlackBerry Wallet without entering a password. It’s also AES encrypted, so you can be sure your data is secure.

You can pick it up for free from your BlackBerry browser from this link: BlackBerry Wallet

works great on the new OS7 software

Is this the first BlackBerry with the QNX OS?

2011-11-14T15:33:00.001-05:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Via www.pinstack.com

Whoa. If this truly is the next-gen device from RIM, we could all be pleasantly surprised!

We've just gotten a look at what might be the first-ever photo of the next iteration of BlackBerry devices (based on the QNX operating system), and we wanted to share. The phone you see in the picture above is apparently dubbed the BlackBerry "London" (this could be a variant of the BBX, but that's unconfirmed), and is said to be headed for a June 2012 release. The phone allegedly is equipped with a TI OMAP dual-core CPU clocked to 1.5GHz, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. The London is reportedly "thinner than the iPhone 4" and roughly the same size as a Galaxy S II (though our source didn't say which S II specifically). Oddly, the source says that the phone can be stood straight up on one of its sides (suggesting more boxiness than can be seen in the picture).
As you can see, the phone is running some variation of the PlayBook's operating system, though coloring and icons have definitely been tweaked. For instance, the music app icon looks more like an evolution of the note you see on the PlayBook's version (this time appearing overlaid onto an optical disc). Our source says the phone shown was a "dummy" model, so it's likely the screen is nothing more than a static image.

What's strange about the phone design is that it closely resembles RIM's Porsche Design P9981. Given the source of this image, it's possible that this is also a Porsche-designed BlackBerry destined for countries other than the US or Canada. We're told that RIM is also showing off two lower-end devices, as well as the next version of the Torch, which is said be "very thin" with a 3.7-inch display and slide-out keyboard.

Even though we did multiple passes on this image for Photoshop and / or rendering artifacts, this could ultimately be someone's hilarious idea of joke. It's also possible that this is a prototype or concept design, and won't make its way to production. Still, given the detail in the image and some of the information we were given to back it up, we believe there's truth to this story. We're pounding the pavement for more info as we type, so stay tuned for updates as we get them.

Keeping your BlackBerry Smartphone safe from illegal search and seizure ... and parents

2011-11-13T11:05:00.001-05:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

In the United States, as I'm sure it is in many parts of the world, we take our right to privacy very seriously. Our Fourth Amendment to our Constitution protects us from unreasonable search and seizure, and we defend that right so vehemently that the simple act of moving a computer mouse to wake a computer from a screen saver mode has been ruled an illegal search.

Strangely though, your mobile device may not have those same protections. In California, a court ruling in January gave officers the go-ahead to search your Smartphone without a warrant. The court based its ruling on existing law and case precedents, but those never considered the possibility of a private citizen carrying a mobile computer with direct connections to the most private parts of their lives on it.

Realizing that the laws in the state needed a bit of an update, the California legislature stepped in to pass a bill, SB 914, to require a duly authorized search warrant be issued before a person's mobile device could be searched. It passed in the state's Assembly and Senate chambers by a 70-0 and 32-4 margin, respectively. However, in mid-October, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the bill stating that he felt the courts and not the legislature were "better suited to resolve the complex and case-specific issues..."

But even if you did manage to remove from your BlackBerry all details of that Panda smuggling operation you masterminded last summer, government officials aren't the only ones who could be snooping around your Smartphone. Friends, family, co-workers, girlfriends, boyfriends and even parents sometimes get a little nosy. So, inspired by this Wired.com article, here's how to keep your BlackBerry Smartphone secure.

Put a Password on it

A simple and highly effective way of securing your Smartphone is to simply set it to require a password to unlock. Now true, some will find that entering a password everytime they want to use their phone to be a bit annoying, but that's always the case with security. You'll have to figure out for yourself where the balance between security and ease-of-use lies.

What I really like about using the BlackBerry's native password protection is that several of the phone's functions are still accessible while the phone is locked. While locked, you can still receive calls and make emergency calls. If you tick the correct box, you can make outgoing calls as well.

To set a password for your device, choose Options from the Home screen, then security, and finally password. Or you can just type (or say) password into your BlackBerry's Universal Search, then click or tap "Options" to find the one for device passwords.

Encrypt your SD Card and Device Memory

For many people, encrypting the data on your Smartphone and microSD card just isn't necessary. After all, the only things stored on my BlackBerry are my emails, a few MP3's, a cheesecake recipe, and other similar items. Additionally, constantly having to encrypt and decrypt information will slow your BlackBerry down. Still, it's not up to me to decide whether you need encryption, so here's how to do it.

From the Home screen, choose Options, then select Security and finally Encryption. There you'll find the options you need to secure the data stored on your device. It's recommended that you use a key (password) that's at least 12 characters long.

Encrypting the contents of the removable SD card is a similar but slightly different story. In a somewhat recent event, Elcomsoft showed that they could retrieve a BlackBerry password from an encrypted SD card. To that, we should add some qualifiers. First off, no software encryption is immune to a brute force attack. Simply try enough combinations of numbers, symbols, and letters, and eventually you'll get the password right. That same attack would fail on the BlackBerry Smartphone itself because you only get 10 chances to get the password correct. After that, the device performs a security wipe, destroying the data stored there.

Secondly, Elcomsoft's method would only be able to get your device's password right if you chose to encrypt your memory card with that same password. Setting the encryption mode to use a Device Key or even Device Password & Device Key effectively eliminates the possibility of someone obtaining your phone's password from an encrypted file.

BlackBerry Protect

Even if you're not worried about some criminal mastermind stealing your phone and using its contents to take over the world, you should install BlackBerry Protect. We've written about this highly useful program before, so I won't go into great detail. Simply put, BlackBerry Protect is great at helping you find your phone.

I have an annoying habit of leaving my Smartphone in random places about the house. Instead of searching high and low for it, I just log in to the BlackBerry Protect website and click Loud Ring. In moments, my phone is blasting out a most annoying sound that helps me to find it rather quickly.

In that unlikely event that you've totally lost your phone, BlackBerry protect also helps you to back up your data, find and map your Smartphone's GPS location, and wipe the phone's data should it prove to be irretrievable.

Download BlackBerry Protect from BlackBerry App World

Security is at the heart of the BlackBerry experience; Research in Motion is after all the only Smartphone and tablet manufacturer to have received FIPS 140-2 validation for its cryptographic kernel. How you choose to use those features is completely up to you. Now that you have the know-how, how will you secure your BlackBerry?

Via www.CrackBerry.com

Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note: Which is the Better Smartphone?

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

They're two of the most talked-about smartphones soon-to-be-released: the stlyus-enabled Galaxy Note tablet phone and Google's first Android Ice Cream Sandwich device, the Galaxy Nexus. But which phone is the better choice? We've had the opportunity to play around with both devices (albeit for limited periods of time) and would like to share our impressions on how both devices stack up to eachother. Of course, we'd need to play around a bit more with both devices to reach firm conclusions but here's our preliminary run-down:

Processors-

Both the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy Nexus rock dual-core CPUs, although the Galaxy Note is technically slightly faster at 1.4GHz vs. the Nexus' 1.2GHz. However, in our experience, the Galaxy Nexus was whip-fast while the Galaxy Note would sometimes lag behind, affirming the fact that numbers aren't everything. WINNER: Galaxy Nexus

Camera-

The camera on the Galaxy Nexus produces crisp, clear photographs and stunning 1080p video....but so does the Galaxy Note, and the Galaxy Note has the added benefit of pretty outstanding photo and video editing software. With the Galaxy Note, you can literally draw over film frames and intricately edit your film right from the phone. In photo editing mode, you can crop images out of photos, place them on your notepad and draw on them . The process is seamless and natural. While the Galaxy Nexus has a fast shutter speed, the more advanced photo and video editing features make Galaxy Note the clear winner. WINNER: Galaxy Note.

Design-

Both devices are thin, sleek and sexy. The Galaxy Nexus features a curved design and is a bit slimmer than the Galaxy Note (8.9mm and 9.7mm for the Nexus and Notre, respectively). I would feel slightly uncomfortable using the Galaxy Note as a phone. However, its larger surface area makes it much easier to take notes, draw or edit photos and videos. As far as ergonomics are concerned, I lean more towards the Galaxy Nexus but I think this category is pretty much a toss-up. WINNER: Tie.

Display-

The Galaxy Nexus has a very rich 4.65inch, 720x1280p display which is said to produce crisp, clear images. The Samsung Galaxy Note has a much larger 5.3-inch, 800x1280p display. Both are, of course, capacative touch screens, but the Galaxy Note has the greater benefit of being able to work with a highly-sensitive stylus. While some may prefer having a smaller screen, we think the display on the Galaxy Note provides a richer, more immersive experience. WINNER: Galaxy Note

Battery-

Big screns have their drawbacks, though, as the Galaxy Note seems to have a far inferior battery life to the Galaxy Nexus, according to our very preliminary tests. Now, granted, we'd really have to play around with both devices for a bit longer to really compare them, but in our short time with Galaxy Note, it seemed to require a lot of charging and, once it was plugged in, seemed to charge slowly. WINNER: Galaxy Nexus.

Software-

The Galaxy Note has truly amazing photo and video editing software on-board (not to mention a Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint document editor and the wonderful notepad function) but does how does it stack up to Ice Cream Sandwich? Well, we think ICS is superior for a few reasons: first, it features a completely refreshed app page, lock screen, font and settings panel. Second, it's ultra-fast and third, it's got a few wow-factor features like Face Recognition and Android Beam that blew us away. While it's possible modders will be able to port ICS to the Galaxy Note, don't expect an official update. It's close, but I'm going to have to hand this one to the Galaxy Nexus WINNER: Galaxy Nexus.

Extra Features-

Obviously, when judging the Galaxy Note against the Galaxy Nexus, you have to take into account the Galaxy Note's stylus (which is smooth, responsive and totally lovely) and the Galaxy Nexus' barometer (which helps it lock on to GPS signals faster). Both phones have support for NFC and Flash and have active noice cancellation features, but the Galaxy Note also supports TV-out. WINNER: Galaxy Note.

Conclusion-

The Galaxy Note has a big, beautiful screen that's great for sketching and watching movies but bad for battery life and taking calls. The Galaxy Nexus is Google's first ICS device and has tons of useful new features. Both phones have NFC, fast processors and stunning camera. Which phone is right for you? Well, it depends. Are you looking for a device you can use to express yourself or a device with the newest Android software? Do you use your phone more for surfing the web and using apps or for taking calls? How do you feel about stylii? These are all important questions to ask. Both phones are incredible but we just can't turn down delicious Ice Cream Sandwich, even for advanced note-taking features. The Galaxy Note also feels too awkward for taking calls and has an inferior battery life. WINNER: Galaxy Nexus

CORRECTION: We've just received word that the Galaxy Note will, in fact, be receiving an Android Ice Cream Update. We'll write another comparison when it does. As of now, we're comparing the devices based on the software with which they ship.

Via www.androidpit.com

Galaxy Nexus vs. Droid RAZR: Which is the Better Smartphone?

2011-11-02T07:57:00.000-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Galaxy Nexus and the Droid RAZR- they're two of the most hyped Androids around. But which is the better choice?

Assuming the Droid RAZR receives an Android Ice Cream Sandwich update soon after launch, both are similarly slim, sleek, powerful and capable. We've asked colleagues who have played around with both devices and here are their opinions on how the two devices stack up against each other.

Display:

Both the Droid RAZR and the Galaxy Nexus sport Super AMOLED screens, although the Galaxy Nexus beats the Droid RAZR in both resolution (1280x720 vs 960x540) and size (4.65" vs. 4.3"). Besides the impressive specs, the Galaxy Nexus just looks sharper and brighter than the Droid RAZR. WINNER: Galaxy Nexus

Camera:

This one's a toughie to compare. Technically, the Droid RAZR beats the Galaxy Nexus in the camera department (8MP to 5MP) but, as we know, numbers aren't everything and the Galaxy Nexus seems to have a really stellar light sensor and is fantastic at 1080p video recording. With Android Ice Cream Sandwich, the Nexus can take photos in rapid succsion with virtually no shutter lag. While the Droid RAZR will receive Android Ice Cream Sandwich soon after the Nexus line of phones, there's reason to believe it might not work as well as on a system literally designed around ICS. We're going to have to tentatively award first prize to the Galaxy Nexus. WINNER: Galaxy Nexus

Processor and RAM:

This one is a definite tie. Both the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Motorola Droid RAZR are powered by Texas Instruments' OMAP 4460 processor and both posess dual-core 1.2GHz processors. RAM space is also identical: 1GB for both. WINNER: Both phones.

Software:

You can't beat being a Google-designed Android Ice Cream Sandwich device. You just can't. Even after being updated, the Droid RAZR probably won't run ICS as fast and smooth as the Galaxy Nexus. And, as we all know, the wait for a new operating system can be arduous. When you pick up a Galaxy Nexus, you're picking up a phone with features like face recognition, offline GMail search, and Instant Voice to Text usable from the moment you walk out the store doors. WINNER: Galaxy Nexus.

NFC, HDMI:

Galaxy Nexus has NFC, Droid RAZR does not. Besides the promise of future inclusion in the Google Wallet program, NFC brings other benefits, most notably access to Android Beam. With Android Beam

, you can share map addresses, websites and contact information simply by placing your Galaxy Nexus next to another NFC-enabled device. Droid RAZR, on the other hand, has full-output HDMI, allowing you to stream movies from your phone to your TV. Which feature is more impressive? It's subjective. If you plan on downloading lots of movies to your device or want to have slide shows on your TV, the Droid RAZR is the phone to choose, but if you're more interested in bumping phones and trading info and possible future inclusion in Google Wallet, you can't beat the Galaxy Nexus. WINNER: Both.

Design and Durability:

Here's where the Droid RAZR shines: with a Kevlar backing, scratch and water-resistant screen and an incredibly thin frame (just 7.1mm compared to the Galaxy Nexus' 8.94mm), the Droid RAZR is the clear winner. We're guessing this could be a deciding factor for many people, especially those who feel nostalgic for the slim profile of their old RAZR cell phones. The Droid RAZR is an absolutely stunning device. WINNER: Droid RAZR.

Battery:

The Droid RAZR and the Galaxy Nexus have similar-sounding batteries (1750mAh and 1750, respectively) but numbers aren't everything and we still don't know how big of a battery hog the competing phones are. We'll really have to test this one to know. But the fact that the Galaxy Nexus has a removable battery is a big plus. WINNER: TBD.

Overall Winner: Galaxy Nexus

Conclusion:

For many folks, there is no competition: the Galaxy Nexus will be the one to buy. After all, it's been designed to work effortlessly with Android Ice Cream Sandwich, it's got an incredible camera and NFC features you can't find on just any phone. It also rocks an incredibly rich display. But for those looking for an incredibly strong, durable, thin and beautiful device, the Droid RAZR is hard to beat. It literally has a bullet-proof shell! Outside the Android fanboy realm, it'll no doubt be interesting to see which device becomes the most popular with the casual consumer.

For the serious gear heads, here's the full head-to-head specs chart:

Via Androidpit.com

2011-11-02T07:51:00.001-04:00

Galaxy Nexus vs. Droid RAZR: Which is the Better Smartphone?

by Steven Blum on Oct 21, 2011 12:59:53 PM — read 2,799 times

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Galaxy Nexus and the Droid RAZR- they're two of the most hyped Androids around. But which is the better choice?

Display:

Camera:

Processor and RAM:

Software:

NFC, HDMI:

Galaxy Nexus has NFC, Droid RAZR does not. Besides the promise of future inclusion in the Google Wallet program, NFC brings other benefits, most notably access to Android Beam. With Android Beam, you can share map addresses, websites and contact information simply by placing your Galaxy Nexus next to another NFC-enabled device. Droid RAZR, on the other hand, has full-output HDMI, allowing you to stream movies from your phone to your TV. Which feature is more impressive? It's subjective. If you plan on downloading lots of movies to your device or want to have slide shows on your TV, the Droid RAZR is the phone to choose, but if you're more interested in bumping phones and trading info and possible future inclusion in Google Wallet, you can't beat the Galaxy Nexus. WINNER: Both.

Design and Durability:

Battery:

Overall Winner: Galaxy Nexus

Conclusion:

For the serious gear heads, here's the full head-to-head specs chart:

And, don't forget, we've got exclusive hands-on videos with

Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket: Which is the Better Smartphone?

2011-11-02T07:50:00.000-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

With all the fuss over the Galaxy Nexus, a few other soon-to-be-released phones seem to have slipped through the cracks. One of these models is the Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, a completely refreshed LTE version of the Galaxy S2, available on AT&T this weekend. It seems like a great phone, but how does it compare to the Galaxy Nexus? Read on to find out..

Display:

Both the Galaxy Nexus and the Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket feature Super AMOLED displays, although there's been a bit of controversy over the display on the Galaxy Nexus since it's technically a PenTile display and not the full RGB display that was praised at release. However, we don't think you'll notice much of a difference between the two in terms of color saturation. The Galaxy Nexus display beats the Skyrocket display in the size department by a full inch, which might be a big bonus for those who like larger displays on their phones. Other than that, the two share the same number of pixels: 1280x720.WINNER: Galaxy Nexus

Processor:

The Galaxy Nexus hums along quite nicely on a 1.2GHz dual-core processor but the Skyrocket ups the ante with 1.5GHz. Now, of course, you may not notice a difference unless you enjoy some serious multi-tasking or demanding gameplay, but it's possible you're the sort always looking to push your phone to the max. We haven't had a chance to play with the Skyrocket but 1.5GHz sounds damn fast. WINNER: Galaxy S2 Skyrocket

Storage and MicroSD:

Much fuss has been made over the fact that the Galaxy Nexus does not have a slot for MicroSD cards and thus no expandable memory. This may or may not be an issue for users who plan on using Dropbox and Google Music to store their files in a cloud. However, it could become an issue. That said, the Galaxy Nexus comes with either 32GB or 16GB of storage on-board which should be enough for most users. The Skyrocket, on the other hand, does come with an expandable MicroSD card slot, which definitely gives it the edge in this category. WINNER: Galaxy S2 Skyrocket.

Camera:

The Galaxy Nexus takes beautiful photos and videos, as we can see here, although technically a 5MP camera is no impressive feat. The Skyrocket ships with an 8MP camera, which would seem to upstage the Galaxy Nexus. However, pixels aren't everything. Round front, the Galaxy Skyrocket seems to best the Galaxy Nexus again with a 2MP camera vs. the Nexus's 1.3MP but again, this is one category we really need extensive hands-on testing to decide on. WINNER: TBD.

Operating System:

The Galaxy Nexus is Google's first Android Ice Cream Sandwich device, featuring a raft of new features including Face Recognition, Android Beam, a completely refreshed UI and Bluetooth-enabled gameplay.The Skyrocket will ship with the latest version of Gingerbread but will surely receive an ICS update in the coming months. Time-wise, since the Skyrocket will be released this Sunday, it might make more sense to buy a Skyrocket and then upgrade to ICS at the next chance you have. However, past experience has told us that the phones that Nexus models run their Android software best, so we're going to have to give the crown to the Galaxy Nexus. WINNER: Galaxy Nexus

Price and Release Date:

While the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is slated for a Verizon release sometime soon, the Galaxy S2 HD LTE already has a U.S. release date: November 6th on AT&T. The phone will be available for $249.99, a full $50 less than the rumored Nexus pricetag of $299. The winner is pretty clear here. WINNER: Skyrocket

Conclusion:

Surprise! The Skyrocket beats the Galaxy Nexus on almost all counts. We're just as shocked as you are. So which one should you choose? Well, it depends. The Galaxy Nexus will doubtless be the first phone with Ice Cream Sandwich but if you don't mind waiting around a bit, the Skyrocket seems to have a superior camera (on paper), better storage options, a faster processor and a cheaper pricetag. Those on AT&T should definitely check this phone out. WINNER: Galaxy S2 Skyrocket

Three apps BlackBerry does as well as the competition.

2011-11-01T10:27:00.001-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Any BlackBerry geek knows what outsiders think of the BlackBerry. In fact, many people won’t hesitate to tell you what they think about the BlackBerry, even if you didn’t ask for, nor care about, their opinions. Some of it is just pointless snark intended to generate a cheap laugh. Some of it is the misconception that everyone has the same needs from a smartphone. To the latter point, the dominant criticism centers on the BlackBerry application library. It simply does not measure up to the competition. That’s for many reasons, not least of which is that BlackBerry users don’t necessarily need such a large selection. Since most mobile apps don’t appreciably improve our lives, we can live without them. Yet at the same time, there are a few apps that BlackBerry does better than the competition. Here are three that I use almost every day.

Facebook

It’s hard to believe, but the Facebook app has been around for a very long time. We first wrote about Facebook for BlackBerry four years ago — almost to the day. Back then it was one of the only mobile Facebook options. Now it’s one of many. Yet it stands up to the Facebook app on any other platform.

Seriously, go grab a friend’s iPhone, and then another friend’s Android. Play around with the Facebook app. Notice many differences between those and the BlackBerry app? Probably not. Then hand your BlackBerry to them. If they’re honest, they’ll admit that the navigation is a bit better. They’ll at least admit that it provides the exact same experience. (This works even better on the Torch 9850, since it has the same all-touch interface as Android and iPhone.)

If they’re not honest they’ll make up some excuses. But make no mistake yourself. The apps are nearly identical across platforms. RIM really picked up on this one. If you don’t have it, you can grab Facebook for BlackBerry from App World.

Twitter

This is an interesting item in the list, because I don’t know many people who use native Twitter apps. While the official Facebook app is clearly the best in the biz, the official Twitter app, no matter the platform, simply falls short of the myriad third party clients out there. And yet, when I browse through my timeline I see almost no Twitter for iPhone and Twitter for Android entries, but I see a fair number of Twitter for BlackBerry.

Sure, some people use UberSocial, while others use SocialScope. Yet I’ve found that Twitter for BlackBerry provides a rather simple experience that handles Twitter as well as I need it to. At the same time, I’ve found great deficiencies in the iPhone and Android versions. Maybe it’s because their third-party apps — namely Echofone for iPhone and TweetDeck for Android — are superb. But I could never get into the native apps on those platforms, while I continue to use it on BlackBerry.

The best part is that RIM and Twitter have continually updated the app, so it keeps getting better and better. It would be greatly improved if they allowed for a quick and dirty option to old school retweet something — that is, RT @username — but other than that it can handle basically anything you need. If you’ve seen the Twitter 2.1 beta you know there are plenty more awesome features to come.

Of course it’s free, so go grab Twitter for BlackBerry from App World.

WordPress

This might surprise you, since iPhone and Android both have powerful platforms that would seem more ripe for blogging. Yet there is no question that the BlackBerry WordPress app is superior in to both of them in almost every way. In some ways they’re more or less the same. But Android has some UI issues, while both of them don’t allow the same level of comment moderation as the BlackBerry version. On top of that, the BlackBerry has more options, including an option to view your dashboard in the browser. It signs you in and everything.

If you want a more robust comparison of WordPress across platforms, you can read this guest post at WordPress Tavern. It also contains a review of all WordPress for BlackBerry’s features.

As with the others, you can get WordPress for BlackBerry free at App World.

Your favorites

Surely there are other applications that are better on the BlackBerry than on Android or iPhone. That’s where our phenomenal readers come into play. Leave your favorite BlackBerry apps and let us know why they’re better on BlackBerry than Android or iPhone. If we get enough I’ll compile them into a post in the near future.

Via www.bbgeeks.com

Editorial: Why My Next Smartphone Will Be The Galaxy Nexus

2011-10-31T09:29:00.000-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Via www.pocketnow.com

Some readers have called me an Android "fanboy". I can't entirely disagree. I'm passionate about the things I'm interested in, but try to keep an open mind, and be objective in my reviews and articles.

In addition to Android, I could also be called an "HTC fanboy". Even back in my Windows Mobile and Pocket PC days I gravitated to devices made by HTC. My personal Android smartphones have included the HTC Magic and Google Nexus One; all built by HTC.

When Google and Samsung announced the Nexus S I was torn. I'd had the chance to play with the Samsung Galaxy S phones from various carriers, and although I liked their speed, I didn't like their plastic shell and how light they felt compared to HTC and Motorola devices. I wasn't terribly impressed with Samsung phones. Sure, their specs have been great and their benchmarks impressive, but those weren't enough to sway my opinion (whether legitimate, or not).

On the other hand, the G1 and Nexus One were Google partner "launch devices" -- smartphones that were made primarily to show off "stock" Android, and push the platform forward. The Nexus S was the latest in the series of launch devices, and I liked what I saw -- but it was made by Samsung.

I decided to pass.

Now that the Galaxy Nexus has been announced, I have the same decision put in front of me: Do I get the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, or do I wait for an equivalent made by HTC?

My friends that had purchased Galaxy S phones (the Vibrant, Captivate, Epic, etc.) had all been really happy with their phones. Everyone I had talked to with a Nexus S liked it. I had to assume that my concerns about quality were unfounded.

Fast forward to today.

The Galaxy Nexus is the latest "launch device" from Google. It has a very sleek design with its curved back and curved front. It's thin. It has cool new gadgets that I haven't had in any of my previous phones (NFC, a front-facing camera, and barometer). It also has Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It's the latest launch device from Google, so it has the pure Android experience. Since it's a "Google phone" it doesn't come loaded with a proprietary launcher or bloatware.

Do I want this phone because it's an Android device? Sure, but not because I'm a fan boy.

I want to buy a Galaxy Nexus because it represents the latest and greatest in the Android operating system.

I want to buy a Galaxy Nexus because it represents a paradigm shift in smartphone design.

I want to buy a Galaxy Nexus because I trust my friends' testimonial of Samsung's quality.

But enough about me. Why do you want to buy a Galaxy Nexus?

Motorola Pro+ 4G Announced for Nov. 7 Release on Bell Canada

2011-10-29T19:38:00.000-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

It’s business time. Not because I am wearing my business socks but rather Motorola has announced their Pro+ 4G for Bell Canada. The enterprise-ready smartphone will make its North American debut on November 7th, bringing the power of a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 3.1-inch 640×480 display. OK, so it isn’t that powerful, but Motorola Pro+ 4G offers much more through its built-in security and productivity tools. The 4G of its name refers to HSPA+ connectivity with a theoretical limit of 14.4 Mbps. Pricing was not announced. Check out more details in the below press release.

Motorola Mobility Canada Delivers the Smartphone that Works and Plays as Hard as You Do: Motorola PRO+ 4G
Launching Nov. 7 exclusively at Bell, Motorola PRO+ 4G is a powerful smartphone optimized for business with all the fun, applications and web browsing power of Android – a work phone worth taking home
Oct. 25, 2011
TORONTO - Oct. 25, 2011 - Life is full of demands, and we all could use a little extra help. With the sleek and sophisticated Motorola PRO+ 4G, brought to you by Motorola Mobility Canada Ltd. and available soon with Bell on the best network across Canada, you can have your own personal assistant that fits right in your pocket. Motorola PRO+ 4G gives you the power to edit important documents on the go, multitask when every second counts and encrypt sensitive work information with enterprise-level security so your IT manager can sleep at night. This supreme blend of touch screen, full QWERTY keyboard and Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) makes this smartphone ready for anything.
“The Motorola PRO+ 4G delivers the security and productivity tools that businesses require, but all the fun things consumers want,” says David Petrou, director of sales, Motorola Mobility Canada. “For professionals looking for a smarter smartphone, the Motorola PRO+ 4G offers robust features that work hard and play hard.”
Motorola PRO+ 4G has a super quick 1GHz processor and physical QWERTY keyboard for more efficient typing and texting when you need to update a client on the fly, browse for news and really important information, or multitask as necessity demands. And, with quick group messaging, it’s easy to reach an entire list of people in no time at all. The device is also packed with productivity features to make your life easier and to help you impress your boss including the pre-loaded QuickOffice® Connect for accessing, creating and editing documents on-the-go. We know that in a fast paced world, going in and out of apps wastes precious time, so now key apps such as your calendar and email are scrollable direct from your home screen.
Motorola PRO+ 4G is a smartphone that you and your IT department can agree upon. Nothing says business ready better than the leading security features; whether it’s remote wipe of your device and SD card, password expiration and history, or full encryption, your IT manager will breathe a sigh of relief. Motorola PRO+ 4G comes loaded with 25 Exchange ActiveSync security policies - including PIN lock, auto-discovery of Exchange Servers, Extended Device Management API’s and 3LM integration. Your sensitive information - your career - is guarded in this virtual vault with Motorola PRO+ 4G. It’s fully loaded with support for Exchange and GmailTM for business, including corporate directory options. With these leading features your IT manager just might give you a smile.
Motorola PRO+ 4G merges all of your personal and business information for you in a convenient system designed to make your life easier. Take the pressure off knowing Motorola PRO+4G syncs services from multiple sources, so all your contacts are viewable the way you want them, calendar options are available to arrange, edit, and respond to meeting invites, there are direct dial conference options, and intuitive email solutions that can anticipate who you may be sending an email to before you do. Its 4G Mobile HotSpot capabilities enable you to connect multiple devices, such as a laptop or tablet, for quick access to the Web, corporate email and calendar syncing. Plus, it features scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass so tossing your phone in your bag or pocket doesn’t have to be a disaster.
Motorola PRO+4G is ready for full customization to bring you the games and applications most important to you. With Music, Motorola’s unique music player you have a dashboard for music discovery. You have easy access to all your favourite artists and song lyrics. Plus, you receive live, personalized recommendations for songs and videos as well as news and event updates from the world of music. With Gallery, you can aggregate all your photos from social networking and photo sharing sites like Facebook and PicasaTM for easy viewing. Plus, with Adobe® Flash® Player 10.3, you’ll be able to access the online content you love. Motorola PRO+4G is also preloaded with the latest Google MobileTM Services including Google Maps™ 5.0 with Navigation, Google Talk™ and more than 250,000 apps from Android Market™.
Smart Accessories
A suite of smart accessories ensures users get the most from the Motorola Pro+4G. Available accessories include a Bluetooth® enabled headset, Bluetooth enabled car kit, portable power, and car charger.
The Motorola Pro+ 4G will be available November 7 exclusively from Bell. For more information visit Motorola.com.

RIM officially announces the BlackBerry Porsche P’9981, a “luxurious modern Smartphone” that costs $2,000 (Video)

2011-10-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Not to fond of the Bold 9900 and really want to stand out? You can easily jump on plane and take a flight to Dubai and pick up the newly announced BlackBerry Porsche P’9981. This will probably never be sold by a carrier in Canada, looks like an exclusive for Porche Design Stores and will be available later this year. Specs have this running BlackBerry 7 OS comes with custom Porsche fonts and redesigned icons, touchscreen display and a full QWERTY keyboard, brushed stainless steel case with a leather backing, 1GHz processor, 5megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording, NFC.

Todd Wood, SVP of Industrial Design at RIM, said that “Our partnership is built on the same understanding of the unity of form and content. Porsche Design P’9981 is a luxurious modern Smartphone, combining excellent Porsche Design work and outstanding BlackBerry technology”.

Update: Apparently the Porsche P’9981 will cost $2000 (USD) and there’s a limited “restricted” amount for sale. Here’s a video compared to the Bold 9900.

So there you have it, the BlackBerry Porsche P’9981 could be yours!
Here’s the link to Air Canada to check flights.

Source: BBIN & Tbreak
Via: BerryReview

RIM Announces BlackBerry Business Cloud Services for Microsoft Office 365

2011-10-25T08:52:00.000-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Press Release

Mobilizes Microsoft Office 365 Exchange Online via RIM-hosted BlackBerry Management Service; Features Advanced Web-based IT and Employee Self-Service Smartphone Management and Security Functions

WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 25, 2011) - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today announced BlackBerry® Business Cloud Services for Microsoft Office 365 - a new RIM-hosted online service for midsized businesses and enterprises that extends Microsoft Exchange Online to BlackBerry® smartphones, and allows organizations to self-manage their BlackBerry deployments in the cloud. An open beta for the service is launching today in over 30 countries.

"BlackBerry Business Cloud Services is an easy and cost-effective way for businesses and government agencies to extend Microsoft Office 365 to BlackBerry smartphones and manage the deployment in the cloud," said Alan Panezic, Vice President at Research In Motion. "We have been working together with Microsoft and select customers through an early access program and we are pleased to now launch an open beta for the service."

"BlackBerry Business Cloud Services will help accelerate how BlackBerry customers can realize the full benefits of the best productivity experience across the PC, browser and phone with Microsoft Office 365," said Julia White, Senior Director of Microsoft's Exchange Product Management Group. "This new service delivers valuable enhancements to Office 365 while preserving the cost and business agility benefits the cloud offers to organizations of all sizes."

Key features include:

Access to Microsoft Exchange Online email, calendar and organizer data from a BlackBerry smartphone
BlackBerry® Balance^TM technology, which presents a unified view of work and personal content on a BlackBerry smartphone while keeping the content separate and secure
A web-based console for IT administrators to provision, manage and secure BlackBerry smartphones from anywhere
Online access to employee self-service smartphone security functions, allowing users to reset a device password or remotely lock or wipe a device in the event of loss or theft

Managed service providers, systems integrators, carriers, resellers and other partners can also use the cloud service to manage BlackBerry deployments on behalf of their customers.

A number of Fortune 500 customers and several government agencies in the US participated in an early access program and are among the many organizations that already plan to use the service.

Microsoft Office 365 customers can sign up for the BlackBerry Business Cloud Services beta at www.blackberry.com/beta/businesscloud. The cloud-based service is available for no additional charge to Microsoft Office 365 Midsized Businesses and Enterprises plan subscribers and works with BlackBerry smartphones on business or consumer data plans.

More information is available at www.blackberry.com/cloudservices.

PingMe for BlackBerry Released

2011-10-20T08:30:00.004-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Cross-Platform messaging apps are starting to become a dime a dozen. However, PingMe looks to be the closest we’ve seen to a BBM clone. With the PingMe cross-platform messaging app for BlackBerry, you can:

Real Time Message Receipts - See typing indication, and Sent/Delivered/Read message notifications.
Group Chat - Create dynamic circles/groups as you go.
News Feed - Instantly turns your address book social with updates from your closest friends.
Geo-Location - Find friends nearby with geo-location enabled messages.
Push Notifications - Never miss a message. PingMe tells you when someone sends you a message, even when PingMe is closed.
Simple Friend Finder - PingMe makes it easy to connect with all your friends through your address book, Facebook, direct phone numbers, or the PingMe network.

PingMe looks like a good fit to add to the other cross-platform apps we took a look at. To go a head an download PingMe, use your BlackBerry and click here.

Via www.N4BB.com

DriveSafe.ly Pro is FREE – Compliments of BlackBerry

2011-10-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Remember that massive BlackBerry outage? You know the one that left some users without BlackBerry services for three days. Oh, how could you forget! Well, one of the developers listed in the ‘make good package’ has started the offer. You can now pickup an absolutely free copy of DriveSafe.ly Pro from iSpeech in BlackBerry App World.

Valued at $19.99, DriveSafe.ly speaks txt (SMS) and email messages aloud so you can concentrate on the road. Eliminate temptation to drive distracted-let DriveSafe.ly read txts (texts) and respond by voice with Pro.

Via www.N4BB.com

BlackBerry's RIM co-CEO claims upcoming BBX OS platform will ‘leapfrog the competition'

2011-10-17T22:09:00.003-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

RIM is about to announce something huge, and it’s going to take the world by storm. At least that is according to co-CEO Jim Balsillie who, with the rest of his embattled BlackBerry team is going to announce the BBX Platform tomorrow at the keynote address at the BlackBerry DevCon Conference.

“We’ve leapfrogged everyone with what we’re announcing [on Tuesday] and you’re going to see it on display. We built an engine back in the mid-90s that served us incredibly well for 15 years, and in the past couple of years, we’ve had to build the engine of the future while still driving the engine we’ve got.”

The anticipation is high not only because of RIM’s fall from grace in recent months, but because just last week the company was dealt its biggest PR blow in nearly three years: for three days, service was interrupted in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and most of North and South America. What started out as a switching problem turned into a full-blown outage. Today, the company announced plans for restitution, a $100 app pack free to all BlackBerry users, regardless of whether they were affected by the outage.

BBX, which is expected to be based on the QNX platform that is used on the BlackBerry Playbook, is an industrial-strength OS that, before it was bought by RIM, was used by nuclear power plants, manufacturing facilities and oil rigs. The news couldn’t come at a better time, too: RIM’s share price has more than halved in the past six months, down from its high of $144 in mid-2008 to just $22 today. After the mild success of the Playbook, which has only sold 700,000 units to date, and the grudging welcome of the latest crop of BlackBerry phones, BBX is the company’s chance for greatness.

“Nobody wants success for this company and return to the shareholders, and nobody in this world wants it more than Mike [Lazaridis] and I,” Mr. Balsillie said.

Here’s hoping.

Source: Financial Post
Via: CrackBerry

BlackBerry PlayBook Headrest Mount by Arkon

2011-10-17T08:31:00.002-04:00

Posted by Ray NICOLINI

Thanks to Arkon I had the opportunity to demo the Universal Tablet Headrest Mount for the BlackBerry PlayBook and it offers convenience and ease of use. The assembly and construction overall works great and holds the BlackBerry PlayBook perfectly in place. Very handy if you have kids playing games or watching a movie while in the backseat.

Arkon’s Universal Tablet Headrest Mount features an innovative holder that adjusts to fit any 7″ – 12″ tablet. The Headrest Mount allows easy positioning of tablets like the iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab. and almost any tablet with or without a case or skin. Watch movies, play games or keep your little ones entertained while sitting comfortably in the back seat.

Features:

New innovative, adjustable tablet holder fits any tablet 7″ – 12″ with or without a case or skin
Headrest Mount is highly adjustable and is compatible with nearly all 2-post style headrests
Swivel ball connection for 360° rotation with tilt for portrait or landscape viewing

Price 39.95

BlackBerry PlayBook Headrest Mount Available at Arkon Here.

Via PlaybookDailey.com

RIM Offers Free Premium Apps to Customers Following Service Interruptions

2011-10-17T08:28:00.001-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

During RIMs press conferences about the almost world-wide BlackBerry outage last week they stated that they are looking into ways to compensate their customers. Today RIM has announced that they will be offering a bunch of their premium PlayBook and smartphone applications at no cost to their loyal customers.

Free Premium apps

SIMS 3 – Electronic Arts
Bejeweled – Electronic Arts
N.O.V.A. – Gameloft
Texas Hold’em Poker 2 – Gameloft
Bubble Bash 2 – Gameloft
Photo Editor Ultimate – Ice Cold Apps
DriveSafe.ly Pro – iSpeech.org
iSpeech Translator Pro – iSpeech.org
Drive Safe.ly Enterprise – iSpeech.org
Nobex Radio™ Premium – Nobex
Shazam Encore – Shazam
Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant – Vlingo

These apps will begin to be available starting on October 19th and will continue for 4 weeks following. Check out the full press release after the break.

Research In Motion Offers Free Premium Apps to Customers Following Service Interruptions

Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced today that a selection of premium apps worth a total value of more than US $100 will be offered free of charge to subscribers as an expression of appreciation for their patience during the recent service disruptions. The apps will be made available to customers over the coming weeks on BlackBerry® App World™ and will continue to be available until December 31, 2011.*

“Our global network supports the communications needs of more than 70 million customers,” said RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis. “We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers. We’ve worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we’re committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future.”

The complete selection of premium apps will become available to download at BlackBerry App World over a period of four weeks beginning Wednesday, October 19th. The selections over this period will include the following (with more to come):

• SIMS 3 – Electronic Arts
• Bejeweled – Electronic Arts
• N.O.V.A. – Gameloft
• Texas Hold’em Poker 2 – Gameloft
• Bubble Bash 2 – Gameloft
• Photo Editor Ultimate – Ice Cold Apps
• DriveSafe.ly Pro – iSpeech.org
• iSpeech Translator Pro – iSpeech.org
• Drive Safe.ly Enterprise – iSpeech.org
• Nobex Radio™ Premium – Nobex
• Shazam Encore – Shazam
• Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant – Vlingo

RIM’s enterprise customers will also be offered one month of free Technical Support. Current customers will be offered a complimentary one month extension of their existing Technical Support contract, and customers who do not currently have a Technical Support contract will be offered a one month trial of RIM’s BlackBerry Technical Support Services – Enhanced Support, free of charge. Additional details about the program and information about how to register will be available at www.blackberry.com/enterpriseoffer.

“We are grateful to our loyal BlackBerry customers for their patience,” added Lazaridis. “We have apologized to our customers and we will work tirelessly to restore their confidence. We are taking immediate and aggressive steps to help prevent something like this from happening again.”

Note to Editors:Last week, many customers experienced service interruptions and delays over a period of approximately 3 days in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, 1.5 days in Latin America and Canada, and 1 day in the United States. Global teams worked around the clock to contain the issue and minimize the impact to customers as much as possible. As of Thursday, October 13, service levels returned to normal.

* Please note that the availability of this offer will depend on the type of device, operating system version, access to BlackBerry App World and local conditions and/or restrictions.

About Research In MotionResearch In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “intend,” “believe”, and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause RIM’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of RIM’s Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM’s forward-looking statements. RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.

Why Blackberry Will Make a Comeback

2011-10-17T08:21:00.001-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

The night is always darkest before the dawn. For Research in Motion, the former heavyweight champion of the smart phone world, it sure seems like it has reached a record darkness. It has been caught flat footed when the iPhone started emerging as a contender, completely blindsided by Androids, and is taking some serious heat about its ability to perform as its usual reliable self. Is this the case of an aging iconic figure incapable of mounting a comeback?

Media will have you believe the smart phone war is a two horse race with iOS and Android in the middle of a fight for dominance over the market. Does this mean Blackberry is no longer in the picture? ... Well, not exactly. CNET has reported Android having 43.7% of market share during the 3 month period ending August, 2011. By comparison, Apple has 27.3% and Blackberry is at 19.7%. However, Blackberry is the only OS of these 3 to have dropped in popularity having 24.7% market share in previous months. Keep in mind that this market has increased 10% and TechCrunch has reported that the Smartphone market now accounts for 28% of the total phone market.

These numbers aren’t complementary to Blackberry, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. With the release of the iPhone 4Gs timed exactly at the same time as the RIM servers shutting down things couldn’t possibly look worse for RIM. However, where some see despair I see opportunity. Why is it that I still believe in Blackberry and remain loyal?

The End is not Inevitable

Nintendo was in exactly the same situation RIM finds itself now. However, they managed to reinvent themselves by leveraging there already popular features (namely iconic games and characters) and creating a very unique experience never before experienced on previous systems yet still holding true to their roots.

Something about RIM’s script reads awfully similar to Nintendo’s. RIM with the new QNX OS which will be in the next line of phones has an opportunity to completely reinvent itself and keep on leveraging their ever popular BBM and native email services. Additionally, RIM has one ace up its sleeve that I believe has flown under the radar. About a year ago, RIM acquired TAT, an expert User Interface Company. While the latest round of BlackBerry 7 devices has a slightly better UI, I am not convinced it is incorporating TAT technology just yet. Will we see the marriage of a new OS and an overhauled interface? Possibly, and if this is the case prepare for a kickass experience.

Previous Customer Relationships

A big reason I believe Nintendo was able to come back with such authority is the fact that so many people are familiar with the product, and want to see it succeed. RIM having been an innovator and leader in the section for such a long time will surely have a base of people that long for Blackberry experience that used to feel so great.

Of course, this experience has recently become sour with the latest server issue. However, RIM has reacted fast and managed to present the impression that they will try harder and work better. Although some find it to be the last straw, I believe they have a lot more fight in them. I think that RIM should take a page out of Dominoes Pizza Marketing strategy when they created a new campaign surrounding their new recipe. They admitted their mistakes, and emphasized they had changed. If RIM employs this strategy and admits they have been lacking in the past, they should be able to recapture the hearts of many.

Great Competitive Advantage

Just because blackberry is falling behind, this does not make it a bad device. In fact, there are really great aspects that competitors have yet to beat or match. As you have been preached to time and time again, BB security is the gold standard. The BB playbook is the only tablet to be certified for government use in the US; not to mention the President of the US also uses a Blackberry.

BBM is now being rivalled by imessenger but there is no denying the BBM brand is still the most dominant mobile instant messenger. It has been in our hearts for so long and withstood the test of time. RIM is additionally making this ace up their sleeve even better by developing new innovation such as BBM music.

The form factor of a Bold, specifically the bold touch 9900/9930, is simply a thing of beauty. If you need something with a bigger screen and still hold a keyboard they can offer a torch 9810 (slider). If you really wish to have the big screen there is the torch 9850/9860 (touch); and if you want something a little smaller the curve 9360 should suffice. It is a diverse set of phones that has a unified OS. iPhones cannot say they have all these form factors, and Android has some real segmentation issues with their OS.

The lesser known advantage a blackberry has over Android or iOS is the efficiency of their data. One can do twice the browsing and social media communication with a Blackberry compared to other devices and 4 times the email. With the ever increasing need for data these days, this is actually quite a vital attribute to BB’s portfolio.

Blackberry is Canadian

Let me start by saying I mean no offence or wish to belittle any other nation. However, this is a Canadian Tech website, so I will proudly say that Blackberry is a Canadian product. It is the very first Canadian mobile phone manufacturer and obviously the best Canadian mobile phone manufacturer. BB phones are filled with diversity just like our country is. Canadians have a certain attitude that allows us to take hits march forward and overcome. I believe this legend of a tech company, that has infiltrated the hearts of many worldwide over the years, is the same. It may have been bruised, cut, and knocked down but it has not been knocked out.

People are already giving RIM the ten count but I believe it will get back up and be great once more.

Via TechVibes.com

Click here to chat with me on Kik!

2011-10-14T09:29:00.000-04:00

Click here to chat with me on Kik!: My username is raynicolini on Kik Messenger, the crazy-fast, free, mobile messenging app. Click the link to chat with me!

Samsung Nexus Prime Now Available for Pre-Order

2011-10-14T08:41:00.003-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

If you are not an Apple fan but want to stick to Android because of the low popularity of Windows phones, you will definitely be excited to hear this news.

We have good news for those of you who are waiting for the arrival of Samsung’s latest smartphone, the Nexus Prime. The device is now available for pre-order at Mobile City Online.

The Nexus Prime, which will run Google’s Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS, is expected to be unveiled officially next week at the Samsung Unpacked event.

The device, which is expected to be a strong rival to the newly released iPhone 4S, has been listed for pre-order by Mobile City Online, a phone importer, with a price tag of $750. This is very interesting since it is a $200 discount over the supposed $950 listed price.

But unfortunately, there have been no hints regarding the shipping date for the much anticipated device.

The website has listed some of the basic features of the device which include quad-band GSM support, 1700MHz AWS and WCDMA 900 and 2100 bands support.

The device also features an 8MP Camera, a capacitive touchscreen and Samsung TouchWiz 4.0 UI. But other specs such as screen size, storage size, and processor speed are not listed.

But don’t get too excited. The device that you see there may not be the real deal. It was taken from YouTube as well as the leaked ad of the device. The final product might look entirely different. We will let you know as soon as more info is available. So stay tuned.

E! News Now for BlackBerry PlayBook. Entertainment News, Gossip and More

2011-10-14T08:22:00.001-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Those that like keeping up with the latest gossip and news in the world of entertainment, E! Entertainment Television Inc. has released E! News Now for the PlayBook as a free application. The application navigates very nice and I actually like the news ticker scrolling along the bottom.

Get the latest entertainment news, gossip and more with the free E! News Now Playbook App! It’s never been easier to access the breaking entertainment news and videos you can’t live without. E! News Now delivers over a dozen video reports daily, bringing you the latest scoop on your favorite celebs. Only have a second? Check out the breaking news ticker at the bottom of the screen. Whether it’s the hottest scandal, biggest meltdown, or just the must-see moment everyone is talking about, E! News Now is on the case, delivering it to your BlackBerry Playbook 24/7.

Price Free

Available in BlackBerry App World Here.

via www.playbookdaily.com

Kik Messenger for BlackBerry updated to 5.2.2

2011-10-14T08:13:00.001-04:00

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Kik Messenger, the multi-platform BBM-like application has recently received another update.

Version 5.2.2 brings several bug fixes & tweaks.

Remember Kik? The ever-popular cross-platform BBM-esque instant messenger that went very viral, very fast last year? The same one that – as quickly as it went viral – lost access to RIM API’s, thus killing its push functionality rendering it useless to BlackBerry? Yea, that app. Well, guess what? It’s back and “better than ever”. I’ve been using it off and on for over a week now, first on my BlackBerry 9900 and now on my BlackBerry 9360, and can honestly say I like the new direction they have taken with it. All the new tweaks have made it faster, cleaner and of course, more reliable.

You can click here on your phone to download the app directly to your BlackBerry, then follow the instructions above to get it going. Have fun ‘kiksters’!

IMPORTANT NOTE: RIM has not approved or endorsed Kik Messenger for installation on BlackBerry devices.

Download Kik Messenger OTA