BlackBerry

The BlackBerry Storm is out

Paul Mah — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:10:07 -0500

The BlackBerry Storm is RIM's first touch screen smartphone, and runs on version 4.7 of the BlackBerry operating system. What is unique about the Storm is its "SurePress" touch screen, which provides realistic tactile feedback akin to that of an actual button. In addition, the Smartphone incorporates a wide variety of new, touch-based keyboard and device shortcuts--not to mention gesture-based navigation methods.

Now that it has finally been released, we put together some links of what others are saying about it.

Check out these write-ups, reviews and comparison sites:

Our initial news report of the touchscreen Blackberry Storm
BlackBerry Storm available for $199
Check out this slideshow of the RIM BlackBerry Storm
MobileBurn does a video review of the Storm
Sales figures for the BlackBerry Storm look strong so far
Have a look at this comparison of the BlackBerry Storm with the G1 and iPhone 3G
Shortage of BlackBerry Storms causes price of RIM stock to fall

DataViz announces Documents To Go Premium for BlackBerry Smartphones

Paul Mah — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:21:01 -0500

DataViz, maker of the Documents To Go Office-compatible suite has announced Documents To Go Premium for BlackBerry Smartphones. Besides the native Office 2007 support, a copy of its new PDF viewer "PDF To Go," will be offered as a free bonus for customers who upgrade to Documents To Go Premium Edition. Press Release

Shoot&Proof application adds legal value to photos

Paul Mah — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:55:10 -0400

French developer Codasystem has announced the release of BlackBerry support for its Shoot&Proof application. The smartphone-installed software establishes the legal value of photos snapped by the built-in camera. The "when" and "where" of photos taken by the BlackBerry is recorded--a important feature for those in industries such as construction and public works, real estate, poster advertising and media. This makes the service to stand out from a plethora of similar services for publishing and sharing photos. The other platform supported at the moment appears to be Microsoft's Windows Mobile devices.

For more:
- check out this article from BlackBerryCool.com

Google releases Gmail for mobile 2.0

Paul Mah — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:44:41 -0400

Google has released version 2.0 of Gmail for mobile devices. Designed for devices with J2ME support and BlackBerry Smartphones, the new version is touted as faster and more reliable. Article

The rise of application stores for mobile software

Paul Mah — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:05:23 -0400

Probably as a result of pressure from Apple's highly successful application store, the maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, Research In Motion (RIM), has unveiled an application storefront for the BlackBerry operating system. Indeed, Google also announced an Android Market earlier, which will serve as an online center for its open-source operating system. Not to be outdone, Microsoft has also been spotted posting job advertisements for new staff for a Windows Mobile related "Skymarket" service. As expected, carriers are not keen to give application developers free reign on this lucrative front. At this point however, there appears to be nothing much they can do against this inexorable trend. Principal analyst Charles Golvin at Forrester Research believes that wireless carriers can already "see the writing on the wall." The upside, of course, is carriers will still make money on their data plans.

To read more about mobile application stores:
- check out this article from CNET News

RIM jumps past Windows Mobile in 2Q 2008

Paul Mah — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:21:15 -0400

The latest numbers from Gartner are out, and though almost every platform saw increased sales for devices, the big winner here appears to be RIM. While Windows Mobile increased its share slightly, RIM has almost doubled its share to 17.4 percent since this time last year. This represents an almost 5 percent lead on Windows Mobile, which is surprising given the enhancements that Microsoft has put into it. In addition, handset manufacturers such as HTC have provided some pretty outstanding phone designs based on Windows Mobile. Certainly, support for non-work related usage, such as support for audio and video content, is surely helping the previously enterprise-centric only device along. It remains to be seen how the second half of 2008 will go, with the launch of the Bold as well as a slew of other improved devices from RIM.

For more on the story:
- check out this jkOnTheRun article

InterNoded IMDM manages multiple messaging platforms

Paul Mah — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:43:21 -0400

If you ever have a problem with managing multiple smartphones that users demand be allowed to connect to your corporate email server, then perhaps you should consider taking a look at the InterNoded Mobile Device Manager (IMDM). The IMDM is the only solution on the market that can manage devices based on the BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Good Messaging platforms, all from within the same system. While I have not yet had the chance to actually try out the software, the slides and screenshots I've seen have shown a comprehensive administrative interface where the user is able to provision their device of choice via a simple self-service portal. While other features, such as password resets and device wipes, can be found on the latest versions of Windows Mobile and server-side software for the BlackBerry, IMDM offers a consistent interface and platform to do it. On the administrative end, the consistent interface also makes defining IT policies across various smartphone platforms a breeze.

To find out more about the InterNoded Mobile Device Manager:
- check out the InterNoded website

Intuit rolls out web-based QuickBooks interface for the BlackBerry

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:21:26 -0400

Intuit rolled-out QuickBooks Online for the BlackBerry just a couple of weeks ago. This comes on the heels of an iPhone version released this past March. Both options are available via its Intuit Labs website for a small monthly fee. The interface gives the ability to view read-only data--balance sheets and bank account reports among others--from its QuickBooks Online service. This is supported via the respective browsers on the supported smartphones. Indeed, as smartphones proliferate in numbers, companies are increasingly finding ways to tap into the pervasive connectivity afforded by these powerful devices. This will only increase as the cost of data services plunge, and users grow more comfortable using smartphones.

For more about this service:
- check out the product page from Intuit Labs

Wall Street Journal goes native on the BlackBerry

Paul Mah — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:54:17 -0400

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has released a native BlackBerry application that was custom-created just for its site. Among other features, it comes with a tabbed design with stories separated by categories, customized category listings, stock quote tracking, and even social networking stuffs such as Delicious and Facebook support. In addition, headlines and viewed articles are cached for offline reading. The WSJ.com Mobile Reader is free, and you can download it here. Implicit to the release of such an application is the tacit acknowledgment that the number of mobile devices will not only remain superior to that of a full-fledged desktop environment, but will pull ahead as handset makers turn to churning out smartphones to compete.

To look at the original reference:
- check out the Mobilecrunch article

A look at Nokia Email

Paul Mah — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:10:42 -0400

A contributor over at Brighthand tested a new product called Nokia Email, which is the latest offering from Nokia's BetaLabs program. Nokia Email is essentially a downloaded application that connects to a service back end. In its current iteration, it has support for email accounts from Google, Yahoo (some countries only), and a few other webmail services, excluding Microsoft's Hotmail/Live service. Described as a product that functions well, it works by querying Nokia's service, which in turn connects to the desired email accounts.

To put it more concisely, it works just like the RIM-pioneered BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS). You might recall that Nokia recently stopped distributing the BlackBerry Connect application on its mmartphones; now you know why. Nokia Email is free, and you can download it here. It remains in beta, though the word "beta" is, more often than not, just a marketing tag.

Check out the full Nokia Email Review here:
- check out this article from Brighthand