Review: BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Playbook tablet

            

BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK: It's probably unfair to compare it the Apple's superior iPad device.


REVIEW: The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 is solid proof that not all smartphones are equal.

That's a bad thing for developer Research In Motion.

Instead of enthralling me, my few weeks with the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and BlackBerry Playbook reminded me how good other smartphone platforms are, such as the Apple iPhone, Google Android and Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 Mango.

BlackBerry Messenger for iOS and Android denied

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has denied a rumoured shift to rival smartphone platforms for its flagship BlackBerry Messenger service.

Following slowing sales of its handsets - originally designed for business users, but typically now the reserve of chat-hungry teenagers - in the face of the success of Google's Android and Apple's iOS platforms, rumours pointed to work to port the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) instant-messaging service to the rival platforms.

                      

With BBM proving the jewel in Research in Motion's increasingly tarnished crown, it was a risky strategy: moving what is increasingly proving the single unique feature of BlackBerry handsets onto rival devices could severely cut into already slow handset sales, but would have the potential of giving RIM a significantly larger target market for a subscription-based messaging service.

BlackBerry's call to stop missing out

RESEARCH in Motion (RIM) ­recently introduced its BlackBerry Curve 9320 and BlackBerry Curve 9220, which offer faster speeds, ­enhanced ­functions and longer-­lasting battery life.

RIM Indochina’s managing director Nicholas Horton said in a press ­statement that the new BlackBerry Curve smartphones are a great upgrade for first-time smartphone users as well as existing Curve customers looking for a step-up in speed and functionality.

The two models offer the best keyboards in their class for quick and easy typing. There is even a new dedicated BBM key to bring the power of RIM’s popular mobile social network up in an instant.

Customers can easily interact with their social network contacts in real time. They can post updates on ­multiple social networks ­simultaneously and capture updates from news sources (RSS), social apps and instant messaging apps, all in one ­consolidated view via the new preloaded Social Feeds 2.0 app.

The integrated ­camera includes a flash and supports video ­recording. Pictures taken with the Curve 9320 can be tagged with their ­location, thanks to the the built-in GPS.

Curse of the BlackBerry: Why RIM Should be Worried

RIM seems to be fighting an uphill battle with its flagship brand, BlackBerry, after more bad publicity - this time with serious, human consequences after a man was stabbed in the neck at a press party in London.


The smartphone makers have had repeatedly bad press and the general consensus points to the BlackBerry brand as struggling to survive as not much can improve its floundering reputation.

BlackBerry has lost $7bn (£4.1bn) in value in 12 months. Stock prices over the same period are down more than 75 percent.

The BlackBerry event that saw one partygoer rushed to hospital with serious neck injuries after he was stabbed with a broken bottle was poorly managed and overcrowded. It  was billed as a press event but turned into a free-for-all and was swamped with teenagers taking advantage of the free spirits and beer on offer.

                       

The result? Reports of people who were sprayed with blood and images emerging online of pools of it on the floor in the bar area. As well as a man in critical condition in hospital with glass in his neck.

6 Good apps for the BlackBerry Playbook

Summary: The BlackBerry Playbook is a good value for the cheap prices available, but needs good apps. This short list contains my favorites and the most heavily used apps on my Playbook.

You remember the BlackBerry Playbook? That’s the 7-inch tablet from RIM that hasn’t exactly set the tablet world on fire. It was panned at launch for the lack of functionality, but with the release of Playbook 2.0 a while back became a solid tablet. With a starting price of $199, the Playbook is a solid competitor to the Kindle Fire, although without the big ecosystem from Amazon.

Related: BlackBerry Dev Alpha device and BB World demos show RIM isn’t out of the game yet | RIM’s challenge: Platforms don’t sell, gadgets do | First look: BB 10 | BlackBerry 10: Best feature nobody’s talking about
The hardware of the Playbook is very good, so it is a good buy for what it delivers. There is not a huge selection of apps in the App World, but I find all that I need to cover my needs. The arrival of some Android apps in the store is a nice benefit, although RIM doesn’t make it easy to discover those in the market.
Playbook owners quickly developed a method to sideload many Android apps onto the Playbook, but RIM has stated it will do away with that practice with the 2.1 release in the future. It has been confirmed that any Android apps that have been sideloaded will still run after that release is applied, so get them loaded soon if you plan to do so.

The six apps I use most often on my Playbook provide most of the functionality I require on a daily basis. I use many of the preinstalled apps as I find them quite good, but those are not included on this list. It is compromised mostly of third-party apps with the exception of one from RIM.

1. Blaq. I am a heavy Twitter user and the first thing I install on most gadgets is a good app to use the service. Blaq is the Twitter client recommended most often by Playbook owners, and with good reason. It has an attractive UI that makes working with Twitter enjoyable and simple. It handles multiple Twitter accounts for those with multiple personalities, and updates in real-time. It is a solid performer and a good deal for $1.99.

Playbook, BlackBerry security features offer RIM a fragile lifeline

Officers with the Chatham-Kent police force in southwestern Ontario use RIM's PlayBook in their cruisers to run checks on vehicles and suspects. The Playbook's big draw is RIM's acclaimed network security, a feature that Apple Inc. and RIM's other competitors can barely match, and cannot beat — at least not yet.

Along with firearms, radio and other standard-issue gear, Constable Ken Koke’s police cruiser comes equipped with portable technology made by Research In Motion Ltd. that he says has become an important tool in policing rural Canada.

Koke, with the Chatham-Kent police force in southwestern Ontario, uses RIM’s PlayBook to run checks on vehicles and suspects. Unlike his old laptop, the tablet is portable enough to take out of the car to record evidence at crime scenes.

But for law enforcement officers like Koke, the big draw is RIM’s acclaimed network security, a feature that Apple Inc. and RIM’s other competitors can barely match, and cannot beat — at least not yet.

OnStar Releases App for BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930

Those of you with cars powered by OnStart should be happy to see them starting to support BlackBerry for their mobile apps. They released their first app for the Bold 9900 and 9930 at first but hopefully they will expand beyond that. Once you download the app you can use it with your 2010-2012 Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC to access real-time info and do things like unlock the doors remotely.

Unmatched control to:

• NEW!  Find a destination on your phone and send it directly to your OnStar Turn-by-Turn or In-Dash navigation system (OnStar Directions & Connections subscription required).  Your directions will be downloaded and available upon vehicle start, and you are on your way.  
• Lock/unlock your doors from any distance
• Start your vehicle remotely (based on vehicle capability)
• Control your Chevrolet Volt charging and charge mode settings
• Activate your Horn & Lights to help locate your vehicle
• Contact an OnStar Advisor, Roadside Assistance or your Preferred Dealer

Unprecedented connectivity to:

• View real-time fuel information, including fuel range, gallons of gas remaining and your lifetime MPG
• View your Chevrolet Volt battery state of charge, electric range, electric miles and MPG
• Check your current lifetime mileage
• Check your remaining oil life
• View your current tire pressure information
• Access account information

From:berryreview.com

RIM intros BlackBerry Curve 9320 with dedicated BBM key

Struggling phone maker Research in Motion announced today a new budget level smartphone, the BlackBerry Curve 9320, aimed at first time smartphone owners as well as those looking to upgrade from older curve models, like the highly popular BlackBerry 8520 among the youth of today.

It's essentially a BlackBerry 9220 with 3G connectivity, featuring the same 2.44" non-touchscreen display with a resolution of 320x240 pixels, an improved 3.2MP rear camera with flash and the same curved full qwerty keyboard design. There is also a dedicated BlackBerry Messenger button and it runs BlackBerry OS 7.1.

Helping move along that OS is a single-core 806MHz processor, 512MB ROM, 512MB RAM and a 1450mAH battery, which RIM claim is good for seven hours of talk time or 18 days in standby. Connectivity is provided by HSDPA and WiFi , and also includes GPS and a pre-installed FM radio. Storage is expandable up to 32GB via microSD.

Devs: Macadamian Slick Cascades Built BlackBerry 10 App Source Code Released

Developers who wanted to dig past the built in samples RIM has provided for Cascades in the BlackBerry 10 Native SDK need look no further. As promised during BlackBerry 10 Jam, Macadamian has released the source code for the demo app they created that shows the social networking buzz for two teams using both Cascades and OpenGL. That means you can now poke around and try out some of the more advanced Cascades use cases for yourself.

                 BlackBerry Bold 9700 Overview From Youtube


From：berryreview.com

Share your BlackBerry Clipboard with your Desktop or PlayBook with Remote Clipboard

                            RemoteClipboard_thumb(1)

                                                     RemoteClipboard_thumb(2)

Trustbe has released a cool new app called Remote Clipboard that I am still trying to find a use for. It allows you to copy items on your BlackBerry smartphone and then access them from your desktop or any device with a browser. It works by having you register an account and password once you install the app. You can then go to the clip.trustbe.com website from any browser and sign in to access the remote clipboard.




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A Reason for RIM: Why we still need the Blackberry

Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM) hopes new hardware and software will end a tailspin that has seen stock fall more than 80 percent over two years as the company struggles to compete in an Apple- and Android-dominated world.  

Let’s hope it can, experts told FoxNews.com.

Because despite the deathwatch, the Blackberry builder is still a key part of the modern smartphone market -- and a vital alternative to the world’s iClones.

“Everyone is chasing Apple at the moment, [but] RIM is really the only company that might be able to supply a complete alternative to the iPhone clones the market is awash with at the moment,” popular tech analyst Rob Enderle told FoxNews.com.

RIM faces an uphill battle, however, and not just because the competition seems unstoppable. The co-CEOs quit in late January. And the customers are leaving, leading RIM to write down the value of its product inventory and report a loss of $125 million -- its first quarterly loss since fiscal 2005 -- in March.

'It would be a little sad to have a world where everything is Apple and Android.'- Technology analyst Linley Gwennap

And worst of all, the yet-unreleased Blackberrys given to developers at an early May conference are boring, critics say -- mindless clones of leading phones from Apple and Samsung.

Even the company’s ad campaigns are boring, some argue.