BlackBerry ID Update: Fixes made and more improvements on the way!

 

Last week I wrote a bit of a rant on the BlackBerry ID Registration process, based on separate less-than-stellar experiences I encountered the week previous while setting two new Bold 9900 owners up with their BBID. I was *hoping* whoever at RIM was in charge of BlackBerry ID would see the article and do something about the issues I experienced, and the great news here is that’s exactly what happened.

BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat Application Officially Announced!

Press Release

RIM Announces New Video Chat Application for the BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet

Allows BlackBerry PlayBook users to easily share special moments with friends and family

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the availability of the BlackBerry® PlayBookTM Video Chat application – an easy and fun way for friends and family to place and receive video calls between BlackBerry® PlayBookTM tablets over an internet connected Wi-Fi® network.

“BlackBerry is a renowned mobile communication solution for connecting users to the people and information that matter most throughout their day,” said Tom Goguen, VP, Collaboration and Social Networking at Research In Motion (RIM). “With the BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat application we are excited to be enabling our customers to share important moments and events with family and friends via video calls. With the BlackBerry PlayBook’s high-resolution video cameras and stunning display, a Video Chat call is the next best thing to being there.”

Key features of the PlayBook Video Chat application include:

• One-Click Video and Voice over Wi-Fi Calls – with just one click users can make a call from their Video Chat contact list, log of recent calls or simply by entering the BBID email address of the person they want to call.
• Incoming Call Notifications – users will receive a notification pop-up when a new video call comes in, allowing them to accept the call as either a video or voice call, or decline the call. For those quiet moments – such as when while watching a movie or playing a game -users will also have the ability to simply set the “Do Not Disturb” option and the BlackBerry PlayBook will automatically ignore all incoming calls.
• Powerful In-Call Functions – by using the picture-in-picture function users can easily preview their own video image prior to placing the call in order to see what will be displayed on the other end. They can also easily switch cameras from front to rear so their friends can see what they are seeing, and for private moments users can mute/unmute audio or make or take calls using voice only.
• Friends List – BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat comes complete with a Friends List for maintaining your favorite contacts. A picture can easily be added to a contact to personalize the entry and a Call Log makes it simple to keep track of received and missed calls.

The BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat application will be showcased this week at BlackBerry World 2011 (www.blackberryworld.com) in Orlando FL. It is expected to be available on May 3 and will be distributed to existing BlackBerry PlayBook customers through an over-the-air software update and will also be available on BlackBerry App WorldTM.

BlackBerry Bold Touch 9930 Montana Hands-on Video

On a BlackBerry? Click here for mobile YouTube video

We’ve been sent this short video of the BlackBerry Bold Touch 9930 Montana. Earlier we saw those 3D rendered tutorial videos that gave a good insight into the Bold Touch, but now we get the first live footage. The 9930 is the CDMA version of the Bold Touch, which we’ll likely see hit Verizon and possibly Sprint after the Dakota 9900 (GSM) releases. The video is just a quick glimpse at the responsiveness of the touchscreen on the 9930.

If you look closely, you can see that BlackBerry ID is embedded within OS 6.1. If you aren’t aware of what BBID is, we suggest you checkout our explanation piece. Check out the video and draw your thoughts on the touchscreen. Make sure to keep it locked to NHCBBA for more videos!

 

via:n4bb

What is BlackBerry ID? Your key to unlocking future BlackBerry services

With the release of BlackBerry App World 2.0, RIM introduced the BBID, otherwise known as BlackBerry ID. This little app allowed you to have an App World account that stored all of the apps you downloaded via the BBID account versus them being PIN locked to your current device. This let users seamlessly transition between devices without losing the apps they had purchased in App World. It seems RIM is now interested in taking BBID to the next level by making it your universal key to unlock various BlackBerry services.

Once you’ve signed up for a BBID, you get the following message e-mailed to you with details about what BBID will be.

Details on BlackBerry Internet Service 4.0 leaked

The next progression in BIS-land is 4.0 and it looks like we have some good updates to look forward to. N4BB snagged a doc that shows off the upcoming features of the latest BIS. As usual it’s not a ton of little upgrades, but rather a few mid-sized ones. Updates look to include:

• Integration with BlackBerry ID (BBID)
  
• Improved BIS End User Communications
  
• Automatic Login improvements
  
• Support for new service tiers
  
• Google Calendar Improvements
  

No official date for release just yet but it doesn’t seem like it would be too far off. Typically the rollout seems to happen over a few weeks to various carriers and we get no real word of a launch. Overall some pretty good stuff in this update. Hit the source link for more info.

Source: N4BB

BlackBerry App World 2.1 beta now available in the BlackBerry Beta Zone

We’ve been expecting a new BlackBerry App World to be released sometime soon and now it finally has been made available. BlackBerry App World 2.1 beta is now in the BlackBerry Beta Zone. Although it may not be available to all users as of yet. The list of what’s new is rather interesting as Research In Motion seems to be covering a lot of the usability features of BlackBerry App World:

• In-app Payments – App World 2.1 includes support for in-app payments.  How does this change the way you interact with certain paid applications as a developer or as a consumer?
• Filtered Featured Items – Once you open this latest version of App World, you’ll notice that Featured Items are seemingly more relevant to you.  Well, we decided to change this functionality based on the feedback we received from you during the App World 2.0 Beta Program.  Featured Items are now filtered by carrier and country to ensure that you are presented with the most relevant apps as soon as you open App World.
• Extended BBID Login Session – We heard what you had to say during the App World 2.0 Beta Program last summer and decided to make some changes to the BBID functionality in App World.  With this latest release, a single BBID login session lasts for 20 minutes, making it easier for you to download and install as many apps as you’d like in one go.  Please remember that during the 20 minute BBID login session,  you will not be prompted again for your BlackBerry ID to complete a purchase.  If your BlackBerry smartphone gets in the hands of someone else, they could make a purchase that you’re not aware of.

If you have a BlackBerry Beta Zone account you’ll want to login and try the new version out. If you don’t have an account you can try your luck and sign up for one today. Thanks Dave!

Click here to signup for the BlackBerry Beta Zone

RIM Introduces BlackBerry App World 2.0 With Carrier Billing, BlackBerry ID & More

We’ve heard that RIM is working on a new version of the BlackBerry App World and it looks like it’s coming real soon. According to one report, BlackBerry App World version 2.0 will include some minor usability enhancements as well as new features:

• Search Function: Searching for apps in version 2.0 of the App World is drastically improved and should return more relevant and better results.
• Carrier Billing: A user will be able to put charges on their credit card or carrier bill instead of paying through PayPay (although PayPal will still be supported).
• BlackBerry ID: A user will be able to create a BBID so they can transfer and access their apps should they ever change to another BlackBerry smartphone.
• QR Barcodes: Vendors and developers will be able to create a barcode for their product in the BlackBerry App World (2.0) that a user can scan and then be directed to the download page.

A great bunch of updates! RIM has slowly been rolling out support for more countries like (recently) Japan, Taiwan and South Korea so they’ll probably be adding support for even more after the release of 2.0. RIM hasn’t announced a launch date for BlackBerry App World 2.0 or BlackBerry ID but stay tuned for more info because it’s probably right around the corner.

via PhoneScoop