Press Release: Personal Guardian released in BlackBerry App World!

If you’ve ever been worried about your safety when walking alone at night, or while in unfamiliar territory, then you know how valuable a peace of mind knowing help is at the push of a button can be. Personal Guardian is a one-push panic button that when activated will silently trigger a call to an emergency (or pre-configured) number as well as an email, SMS message, and Tweet with location information. In an emergency situation, it is a fast and easy way to alert your loved ones and 911 that you need assistance. After setting up, Personal Guardian also alerts you when an unauthorized SIMCard is used on your BlackBerry. With the alerts, it will also turn on real time tracking. You can manage your account and track your phone via web.

Personal Guardian is available now in BlackBerry App World for the one time fee of $19.99.[qrcode pix=150]http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/13912[/qrcode]

Press Release

BlackBerry barcode and scanner apps decoded

 

We use many types of bar codes in our everyday life. Nearly everything we buy has a UPC code printed on it. The NHCBBA app store features QR codes in the description for every app. Magazines and even books use these codes to rapidly steer their readers to more information.

To make use of all these codes, you need a good scanner. I tested four of them: Edocrab, ScanLife, Sccope, and Microsoft Tag. A good barcode app is one that scans easily, understands a variety of codes, and gets you to the correct information. Only one actually met all of those qualifications.

BlackBerry Barcode and Scanner Apps

First, some background information. Bar code scanners are pretty simple apps to use. Once you’ve started the appropriate app, it’s pretty much point (your BB’s auto-focus camera at the bar code) and click (to take a picture). Assuming you’ve taken a decent photo of the code, the app does the decoding and acts on the information in the code. This information could be a web address, a vCard, or even instructions to call a specific phone number.

Not all codes work with all apps. The Universal Product Code (UPC) is standardized by an international non-profit. You’ll find it on most everything you buy. QR codes are more and more common each day, appearing on the NHCBBA app store; in advertisements, and even in BlackBerry Messenger. But there are many barcodes that only work with specific apps. EZ Code and Data Matrix codes only work with the ScanLife app; Microsoft Tags only work with the associated reader.

ScanLife

Awesome: App decodes UPC, QR, Data Matrix, and EZ Code. Fast decoding under many different lighting and focusing situations. Easily scans codes on LCD monitors. Codes can be linked to ScanLife.com account to create links to web pages, place a phone call, or add a contact. Personal codes can be created for free. After scanning UPC, mobile site offers links to product information, reviews, and online purchasing.

Meh: Mobile site simplistic and provides bare-bones information. Limited supply of online retailers, no local retailers. Codes to start a phone call only open up the mobile site with a link to the phone number.

Edocrab

Meh: The days of Edocrab seem to have passed. When you can get it to actually scan a barcode, you’ll find Edocrab doesn’t properly handle QR Codes; and UPC lookup seems to have failed as well. The last blog post on the site is from November 2009, and Steelthorn no longer seems to support the product on its site.

Sccope

Awesome: UPC lookup results directly in the application. Ability to purchase products through the app. Free trial available.

Meh: $2.99 when other scanner apps are free. Difficult to scan barcodes; application controls some camera functions, takes pictures randomly at times. Forced to scan pictures in landscape mode. No QR code support.

MS Tag

Awesome: Use multicolored tags to link people to your product. Ability to change tag’s background or transform into a multicolored image. Create MS Tags to link to web pages, call a phone number, or add a vCard. MS Tags are free for personal and business use. Application scans screen and print images well.

Meh: App only supports MS Tags; cannot scan UPC or QR codes.

Conclusion

Of these four apps, only ScanLife scans easily, reads a variety of bar codes, and gets you to the information quickly.

As a QR, Data Matrix, EZ code reader, this app performs splendidly. As a UPC scanner, ScanLife seems a bit lacking. After recognizing a product’s unique code, ScanLife provides a limited number of prices of online retailers in a simple mobile website format. In these days of sophisticated apps, getting results via the browser seems like cheating somehow. And in the coming days of the BlackBerry OS6 revolution, simple mobile sites just won’t cut it anymore.

• More information/download of Scanlife >>[qrcode pix=150]http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/1102[/qrcode]
• More information/download of Edocrab >>[qrcode pix=150]http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/3196[/qrcode]
• More information/download of Sccope >>[qrcode pix=150]http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/12464[/qrcode]
• More information/download of Microsoft Tag >>[qrcode pix=150]http://gettag.mobi/[/qrcode]

517 Errors Meet BBSAK

Hello Fellow Blackberry Users,

This info I’m about to give you will help you when the easy to find answers to fixing this error does not work. I went a whole day almost without being able to use my BlackBerrry because I couldn’t get it to connect to the device manager to do a wipe. Well after looking through the net for a long time I found BBSAK (Blackberry Swiss Army Knife). You might think okay can this do, but this is pretty a sure way to get your Blackberry to connect, save 3rd Party Apps, and do a low level Security Wipe.

To Download: http://rimgeeks.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=56

Tutorials:
Part 1 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvseiwef9pk

Part 2 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ZhWtPzFMA

Special Thanks To BlackBerryOS.com for providing this information.

This proves my coinphrase: “Where There’s A J, Through God There Is A Way.” That state of mind is what gave me the strength to find answers.

In-Depth Comparison of the BlackBerry PlayBook, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and Apple iPad Specs

The battle between the tablets is about to begin. With the success of the Apple iPad and tablets looking to become a $40-billion industry, other tech companies are starting to jump on the tablet bandwagon. The next tablet to be released is the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and shortly thereafter the recently announced BlackBerry PlayBook.

Research In Motion has stepped out of their comfort zone with the PlayBook and it’s looking like a smart move. However, as with any BlackBerry product, we take an outside approach to its performance, functionality, comfortability, and interoperability when paired against the competition. We have taken the known specs of each tablet device and compared them to give you an unbiased look at which tablet may be the victor.

RIM Confirms BlackBerry App World Getting Desktop Commerce

In an interview with Martyn Mallick, Sr. Director, Business Development and Strategic Alliances, we got confirmation that App World for desktop will be getting commerce. This isn’t necessarily big news because we’ve always assumed that this was part of App World’s roadmap, but it’s nice to get confirmation from RIM on the upcoming feature. The feature was also confirmed in an App World session here at DevCon, where we learned that the service will use your BlackBerry ID and will even be able to leverage carrier billing from the desktop. With this new feature, users will be able to buy and download apps and they won’t even need a data plan. All they’ll have to do is purchase and side-load.

Firefox Home App In The Works for BlackBerry

The Mozilla team is definitely looking to the future. They plan on releasing their popular Firefox Home app to BlackBerry smartphones. Firefox Home is a free cloud-based application that lets you access your Firefox desktop history, bookmarks and tabs right on your phone.

The Firefox Home app is also getting updated from the previous version found on the iPhone. Mozilla says they are also including:

• Synchronize passwords to your phone so you don’t have to type them in anymore.
• Bring other Firefox customizations such as search engine preferences.
• Bring your Firefox  Panorama settings and tab groups to your phone.
• Some of our more experimental features will allow you to easily share links, reviews and comments with your friends on
• Twitter, Facebook or other social networks directly from Firefox Home.
• Build the ability to provide feedback and get help with any issues directly from within Firefox Home.

This should be a great stepping stone for BlackBerry users until (hopefully) the Mozilla team develops the Firefox web browser for BlackBerry.

via Mozilla Blog

BlackBerry Storm4 Soon Following After Storm3?

It is being reported that the BlackBerry Storm3 is in its final stages of completion. The rumor is that the Storm3 will be ready this year (2010) by Q3 or Q4. It is said that the Storm3 will still include the SurePress touchscreen as its predecessors, however, the new revision is supposed to be “perfect”. We reported some time ago that RIM was working on the Storm3 with two model types: normal candy bar touch screen and one with a slide out full-qwerty keyboard. Once we saw the Slider 9800, we were unsure whether or not the Slider 9800 was a version of the Storm3 prototype.

Of course, it is clear now that the Slider 9800 is going to be a new Bold. Just as we heard before in our earlier report, RIM has scrapped the slide-out keyboard on the Storm series. The Storm3 will include BlackBerry 6 and is said to be with a strong emphasis on multimedia and gaming. It is said that EA and RIM are working closely to include The Sims pre-installed on the Storm3.

We know it isn’t unusual for RIM to work on a next-gen version of a device before the next-gen’s predecessor device is even released. There is a new rumor regarding the building of a Storm4. It is supposed to released in 2011 and supposedly called an “iPhone killer”, which we’ve heard many times before. The Storm4 is said to include the usual accelerometer and also a magnetometer, which will make the Storm4 a true compass. It is rumored to have a 5MP camera, upgraded GPS hardware, and speculated could support augmented reality applications, which could position RIM in a new untapped AR market.

It will be interesting to see if any of this comes to fruition. Everyone knows very little about the upcoming Storm3 (we’re even codename-less). We’re certain that the Slider 9800 will receive BlackBerry 6 first, thus a Q4 release for the Storm3 makes sense. Hopefully we will soon see more info arise on the Storm3 and 4, including images of the device.

While the Storm series has suffered much hype with very poor performance results, there is still a large base of Storm fans. If the Storm3 or 4 have nailed out all of the bugs and the SurePress touchscreen technology is very much improved to be perfect, will this impact you?

[via Tested]

AT&T announces BlackBerry Curve 3G and BlackBerry Pearl 3G as coming soon

After a long wait, AT&T has finally made it public information that they will indeed be offering the BlackBerry Pearl 3G and the BlackBerry Curve 3G. Why exactly, it took AT&T so long to add the Pearl 3G to their line up we’re still not really certain as of yet. One guess is that they were waiting for BlackBerry 6 to get to a more ready stage and then make the device available and now, in that time the BlackBerry Curve 3G has also become available. With offering both those and the BlackBerry Torch it gives AT&T a strong BlackBerry lines up and when BlackBerry 6 rolls out for them all, it should put them in line to be the carrier with the most BlackBerry 6 capable devices. Keep reading for the full press release announcement.

Press Release

AT&T Expands Smartphone Lineup with New 3G BlackBerry Smartphones

BlackBerry Curve 3G and BlackBerry Pearl 3G Coming Soon to the Nation’s Fastest Mobile Broadband Network.

Dallas, Texas – Key Facts

• AT&T*, exclusive U.S. provider of BlackBerry® Torch™, announced today it will introduce two new smartphones, the BlackBerry® Pearl™ 3G (model 9100) and the BlackBerry® Curve™ 3G (model 9300), from Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX:RIM).
• BlackBerry Curve 3G will be available in AT&T stores, online and in business channels in time for the holidays. It will be available in stores and online for $99.99 (no rebate required).
• BlackBerry Pearl 3G will be available for $149.99 (no rebate required) beginning October 17 in AT&T stores, online and in business channels.
• New smartphone customers may choose from two AT&T monthly data plan options, $15 for 200 MB of wireless data or $25 for 2 GB.

No matter how you stay in touch – whether through voice calls or social networking – the new BlackBerry smartphones connect you in style.  Customers can stay connected with friends and family on the go through a broad variety of apps like Facebook® and BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger).  In addition to pre-loaded social networking apps, both the BlackBerry Curve 3G and BlackBerry Pearl 3G now include BlackBerry App World™, with purchases automatically included on AT&T customers’ bill.

BlackBerry Curve 3G

BlackBerry Curve 3GThe BlackBerry Curve 3G, the first 3G BlackBerry Curve from AT&T, features the iconic BlackBerry design with a full QWERTY keyboard and optical trackpad.  The new smartphone features built-in GPS, as well as dedicated media keys, so music lovers can easily access their tunes while on the go. It also features a camera that can record video and a microSD/SDHC slot that supports up to 32 GB memory cards for media storage. Support for 3G networks makes browsing faster, streaming music smoother, and gives users the ability to talk on the phone while they browse the web, instant message with BBM™ or share their location with friends on popular social networking sites. The BlackBerry Curve offers an exceptional BlackBerry experience at an affordable price.

AT&T will also make the popular AT&T U-verse® Mobile app available for AT&T U-verse TV customers who also have the BlackBerry Curve 9300. U-verse Mobile lets U-verse TV customers manage their DVR recordings, download hit TV shows over any Wi-Fi connection, and watch them on their BlackBerry Curve 9300 from anywhere. The app will be available to all U-verse TV customers, and the ability to download and watch select content will be available for customers that subscribe to the U300 package or higher.

BlackBerry Curve 3G is also BlackBerry® 6 ready. BlackBerry 6 is a new operating system for BlackBerry® smartphones that retains the trusted features that distinguish the BlackBerry brand while delivering a fresh and engaging experience that is both powerful and easy to use. BlackBerry 6 is expected to be available for the BlackBerry Curve 3G in the coming months.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G

BlackBerry Curve 3GThe BlackBerry Pearl 3G smartphone is the smallest BlackBerry® smartphone yet and is as powerful as it is compact. Measuring less than two inches wide and weighing only 3.3 ounces, it still manages to pack in support for high-speed 3G networks, Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and GPS along with a high resolution display.  It also features an optical trackpad for smooth navigation, dedicated volume and media keys for added convenience, a 3.2 MP camera with flash for quality pictures on the go, and support for up to 32 GB of personal content. The BlackBerry Pearl, available in a red gradient, is ideal for customers who prefer a compact device, but still want a smartphone that delivers a full BlackBerry experience.

“AT&T continues to expand our offering of BlackBerry smartphones, including the recently launched BlackBerry Torch, to suit the various needs of our customers,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “As the first U.S. carrier to offer BlackBerry service, we are pleased to add the BlackBerry Pearl 3G and BlackBerry Curve 3G to our portfolio, which deliver style without compromising features or functionality.”

“The BlackBerry Curve and BlackBerry Pearl series of smartphones have become extremely popular around the world by giving customers all the powerful BlackBerry communications, media and social networking capabilities they expect, in compact, stylish and easy-to-use handset designs. These new 3G models offer faster performance and a very attractive mix of features and services for AT&T customers,” said Carlo Chiarello, vice president, Global Handset Business, Research In Motion.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

The Associated Press Releases A News BlackBerry APP

Today the associated press released two new BlackBerry news apps for the BlackBerry. One of the Applications is called AP Movil America Latina, and the second app is the AP Mobile world edition. Now users can enjoy their news content in more languages. To download the application simply search for AP on App world.

For AP Mobile En Español click here[qrcode pix=150]http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/896[/qrcode]

For AP Mobile world edition click here[qrcode pix=150]http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/895[/qrcode]

Features:

• Configure Categories: Users can pre-select and organize news categories for quick and easy access.
• Set Local Preferences: Users can select one or multiple locations by zip code and get news from their local trusted source
• Ranked Stories: Users can view stories by the most highly rated
• Send to a Friend: Users can text or e-mail a story or image to a friend
• Send to Facebook: Users can post stories to their Facebook page to facilitate discussion
• Save Stories: Users can save stories to read later in the dedicated ‘Saved Stories’ category.
• Read Offline: Users can read stories offline, without depending on a network connection.

Press Release below:

The Associated Press Expands Audience with New Mobile News Applications for BlackBerry Smart Phones

New “Super Apps” Localize Coverage for Worldwide Users by Tailoring News and Language to Region

New York, NY, Sept. 28, 2010 – The Associated Press, the world’s leading source of news and information, today launched two new mobile “Super Apps” for BlackBerry® smart phones – AP Móvil América Latina, bringing users global news in multiple languages around the world, and a new version of AP Mobile, world edition. Both apps are available for free on BlackBerry App World™ (www.blackberry.com/appworld ).

Leaked: BlackBerry Storm2 9520 OS 5.0.0.973

The BlackBerry Storm2 9520 owners have been neglected for some time now, with the last OS being the official v5.0.0.741. However, Storm2 9520 owners can now update their BlackBerrys to OS 5.0.0.973!

Download Storm2 9520 OS 5.0.0.973 from:

• RapidShare
• MegaUpload
• DepositFiles
• HotFile
• zShare
• Uploading

*DISCLAIMER*  This is an unofficial RIM software release. If you choose to install, do so at your own risk! BB Leaks is not responsible for any malfunctions or abnormalities that may occur.