Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Peripherals
Unify4Life AV Shadow app to soon turn BlackBerry Storm into remote originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
For most, cellphone trade shows mean carefree gadget porn. For some, they’re an assault on beleaguered gadget egos. Last time we helped straggling WinMo users. Now, dear last-gen BlackBerry users, we’re reaching out to you.
Users of the Pearl, Curve and 88xx phones, despite being highly capable devices, are getting it from all angles; on one front, RIM left these handsets behind for OS 4.6, and the touchscreen Storm looks like it’s from a different planet. Other phone makers are moving into exciting new territory, releasing totally new hardware and software at steady clip. In short, it can be rough to own a last-gen ‘Berry, not to mention one of the older 7000 series handsets. But the theory here is the same as before—just because your handset is technically last-gen device doesn’t mean it has to feel like one.
Ditch the BlackBerry Browser for Good
RIM’s newest browser, bundled with 4.6x and 4.7x handsets, is good. It renders like a modern mobile phone should. NOT SO for the 4.5 and earlier browsers. They might be fine in the exciting world of WAP, but that’s yesterday’s mobile web.
Opera Mini: This feisty little browser has been backing up RIM’s stock software for years, and with good reason. It’ll run on almost any BlackBerry, with (old version) support spanning back to the ancient, black-and-white 5810, which was released in 2002. Opera uses server-side optimization to speed things up, but the end result is an experience that at least resembles browsing as we know it today.
Bolt Browser: Bolt, which I made note of a while ago for “not looking horrible“, is now available to the public, and it’s quite good. It uses server-side compression just like Opera Mini, but generally achieves more faithful results in a shorter time. Most of its magic lies in its rendering engine, the same soon-to-be-ubiquitous WebKit found in Mobile Safari, Mobile Chrome and the Pre’s new browser.
Dress Your Interface Up Like a New BlackBerry, Or Pretty Much Anything Else
Pre-4.6 BlackBerry OSes share the same awkward aesthetic. It’s at once dry and businesslike, pastel and cartoonish. A relic for sure, but one that takes customization quite well. Plenty of themes are floating around on the internet, but loads of them cost money and nearly all reside in horrible, spammy website. Oh, and 95% of them are terrible. But that means that a few aren’t—here they are:
Go to Themes4BB. Seriously. Registration is required to access the forums, but once you’re done you have access to a huge number of free, occasionally decent BlackBerry themes for almost any model. The obvious iPhone, Mac OS and Windows skins litter the message boards, but the best will give your interface a near-full conversion. If feeling left behind is your problem, there are high-contrast 4.6-inspired skins for most models.
Fill Out Your App List:
While you’ve got a prime messaging device in your pocket, there are areas where the standard BlackBerry apps are lacking. We’ve covered browsers, but there are other apps that can have an equally transformative effect on your handset.
Google Apps: Aside from plethora of mobile web apps offered by Google, there are a few native ones as well. Google Mobile provides access to Gmail (possibly a bit redundant), GPS-compatible Maps (a must-have) and Google Sync, which will keep your contacts and calendars neatly paired with Google Apps.
VoIP: BlackBerrys have been sadly neglected by Skype, but that doesn’t mean VoIP is out of the question. iSkoot is a surprisingly functional 3rd-party app which uses Skype’s network and is able to make and receive relatively clear Skype voice calls, even over 2G networks. Truphone is a simple app that’ll route international calls at local call rates. Gizmo5 is one of the better of the sea of second-tier Skypes out there, and their VoIP app, which offers not just free calls to other Gizmo5 users, but instant messaging on a range of popular networks, is worth a download.
WebMessenger Multi-Protocol IM: Some BlackBerrys are blessed with a bundled AIM app; most aren’t. WebMessenger does a handy job of combining most popular messaging protocols into an easy interface. And honestly, what is your BlackBerry good for if not furiously typing short messages to all your friends through as many channels as possible?
TwitterBerry: Further facilitating the aforementioned HAVE QWERTY, MUST COMMUNICATE ethos is TwitterBerry, the preeminent Twitter app for any BlackBerry. The iPhone may have seized the attention of the Twitterati, but any BlackBerry, new or old, is better suited to the service that the Apple’s buttonless handset. TwitterBerry has the potential to bring upon the world heretofore unseen levels of oversharing, courtesy of you, last-gen BlackBerry users.
Viigo RSS Reader: Viigo is a fantastic RSS reader, able to consolidate any number of feeds—website content, Google Alerts, social networking sites—into a friendly, simple interface.
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Filed under: Cellphones
SEC charges, settles with RIM executives over backdating issue originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’re not quite sure if you’re seeing what’s happening here, but Apple and RIM are working themselves right into the time-out corner. We already heard earlier today that Palm would be joining Adobe’s Open Screen Project — which, by the way, guarantees Flash 10 support on the Pre — and now we’re told that Nokia is following suit. What it all boils down to is this: Google, Microsoft, Palm, and Nokia are all expected to release platforms or handsets in the coming year or two which will support Flash 10, all while Apple’s iPhone attempts to limp by with… YouTube support. Granted, we have heard that the suits at Cupertino are in talks to make it happen, but we’ve yet to hear as much at MWC. Also of note, it seems that a similar deal including RIM is also pretty far off, so BlackBerry users should probably order their daily dose of patience as well.
[Via Macworld]
Filed under: Cellphones
Nokia also joins Adobe initiative, Flash 10 for (almost) all originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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After two years in development, Lenovo Constant Connect is finally here. A groundbreaking new tie-up between Lenovo and RIM has led to the creation of a $150 54mm ExpressCard — which slots into any ThinkPad from around Summer ’08 onward — and automatically pulls down any email sent to your BlackBerry via Bluetooth, even if the laptop is completely powered down. The idea here is to always have your most recent inbox available within eight seconds of opening your machine, and thanks to the card’s dedicated Bluetooth radio and 500MB of inbuilt storage, it can pull down and send out emails so long as the card and your ‘Berry are within 30 feet or so from one another. Aside from needing an ExpressCard slot, you’ll also need a handset with OS 4.2 or higher. It’s designed to work with Exchange, Outlook, POP and Gmail, with Lotus Notes support coming in 2H 2009; as for availability, the card will be available through Lenovo and its partners in early Q2 here in America, while those elsewhere in the world will have to wait until the latter half of the year. Full release and demo video is after the break.
Continue reading Lenovo Constant Connect brings BlackBerry email to ThinkPads automatically
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Peripherals
Lenovo Constant Connect brings BlackBerry email to ThinkPads automatically originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Not sure if you noticed, but RIM’s first-ever full touchscreen BlackBerry caused quite the ruckus when it splashed down late last year. While many were thrilled to have the common luxuries found only on a ‘Berry underneath a clickable screen, there were quite a few outcries from folks who thought the whole thing just needed a few more days in the oven. Now that it’s had a chance to make its way around (most) of the world, we’re curious to see how users feel about their purchase. Are you satisfied with the interface? Did RIM deliver as promised? Have the updates quelled any early issues you had? Don’t hold back in comments below — get loud, get proud.
Filed under: Cellphones
How would you change RIM’s BlackBerry Storm? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
We’ve had sightings of BlackBerry’s Curve 8900 running on AT&T before, and now comes word from a Boy Genius Report tipster that the pairing will be made official this month and the handset’s SKU is already popping up in the carrier’s systems. Additionally, the Pearl Flip 8210 is rumored to be making its debut on the network sometime in March. BGR expects the prices to be somewhere around $200 and $100, respectively. We can’t say we’ll be surprised if the Curve finds its way to AT&T, but we’re excited at the thought of finally having a carrier-independent matchup between it and the Bold.
Filed under: Cellphones
BlackBerry Curve 8900 coming to AT&T this month, Pearl Flip in March? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Alright, business customers, just wipe that smug grin off your faces, won’t you? The unwashed masses (read: us) have finally been given the green light to rush into T-Mobile stores (and online) to pick up the BlackBerry Curve 8900 for $199.99 on a two-year contract after rebates — not exactly the $149.99 we were hoping for, but we can always hope for Best Buy to get this sucker out the door for a few bucks less than T-Mobile proper.
[Via BlackBerryNews]
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
BlackBerry Curve 8900 finally available to one and all on T-Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It seems Canadian megacarrier Rogers Wireless is sponsoring Ottawa’s Winterlude Festival right now, effectively incorporating the two things that come to mind when we think of Canada — ice and BlackBerrys — into a single exhibit. So much for that warranty, eh?
Chris: “Shortly before being packaged for sale, RIM attempts to remove bugs from the Storm’s firmware using a 20G centrifuge.”
Thomas: “Camerica explorers surprised to discover cryogenically preserved device with OS superior to Windows Mobile 14.”
Nilay: “And you thought the browser was glacial.”
Don: “Miley Cyrus’ request for some ‘iced-out BlackBerrys’ didn’t translate so well north of the border.”
Paul: “The next firmware update is rumored to include a hammer and a chisel.”
Jacob: “Must’ve been one heck of a Storm.”
Darren: “I asked for a chilled blackberry martini, and got this.”
Ross: “Not to be outdone, Telus has encased a Curve 8350i inside Vanilla Ice. Turn off the lights and his stomach might glow.”
Sean: “RIM’s metaphorical take on the ‘new reality’ of modern smartphones”
Joe: “It’s a little too big for curling, but it does do SMS.”
Josh: “David Blaine: BlackBerry user.”
[Thanks, Bryan W. F.]
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Caption Contest: If BlackBerrys were wooly mammoths originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Are your friends Franklin and Grant burning a Curve-sized hole in your pocket? Here’s an idea: take ’em on down to your local T-Mobile shop and exchange them for an actual 8900 and the next two years of your life. Deal? Looks like the unwashed masses (read: non-business customers) will be able to pick up the latest and greatest non-3G BlackBerry for a penny shy of $150 on contract, or — if you can stomach it — a whopping $649.99 contract-free. Choose wisely.
[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Update: It should be noted that this is out of Best Buy’s inventory system, which — as we’ve seen in the past — has a tendency to totally bone the contract-free pricing. Have faith that it’ll actually be a bit less.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Curve 8900 looking good for $149.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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