Research In Motion Introduces New BlackBerry 7 Smartphones (4G Service Capable)

BlackBerry Torch 9810, Torch 9850 and Torch 9860 Officially Announced!

Finally NHC Blackberry Alliance Nation, the wait is almost over and it’s about to rain new BlackBerrys. With the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 previously announced at BlackBerry World, Research In Motion just officially announced three more BlackBerry Torch models that bring the count of BlackBerry 7 phones up to 5. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 is the second generation of the sliding form factor Torch 9800, while the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and Torch 9860 (previously codenamed monaco and monza), are full touchscreen devices.

Read on for the press release!

The 7 Solid Reasons To Keep Your Faith And Hold On To Your BlackBerry

CIO’s Al Sacco wrote a great article on the 7 Solid Reasons To Keep Your Faith In RIM, BlackBerry which I wanted to share with our readers. The article outlines some great points why BlackBerry is strong and not going anywhere. Despite what negative comments fly, the truth holds strong. Check it out…

 

Al’s honesty and truth doesn’t make excuses for BlackBerry, and he does go over the rough points, he also points out the best of BlackBerry.

What are the 7 Solid Reasons?

1. Love that BlackBerry QWERTY Keyboard. I have to agree with Al on that one. I’ve tried touchscreen devices, but I really love my BlackBerry keyboard and can’t use simple phones anymore. I’ve played with the phones and the Apple iPhone, but I really love the BlackBerry’s keyboard for it’s ease of use and functionality.
2. BlackBerry Battery Life Can’t Be Beat. This is another truth to be said. Compared to the Android devices, the BlackBerry’s battery life is longer. Though many of us keep our BlackBerry on the charger most of the day anyways. I find that most people who move to the Android are shocked by the battery life difference.
3. Enterprise Security and Manageability. Even though the gap is being filled, BlackBerry is still the dominant business phone. Even overseas they hold the majority of the Enterprise use. Secure and efficient, there’s Enterprise and BES Express.
4. BlackBerry Messenger and BBM Social. BlackBerry Messenger is definitely unique and it’s my favorite means of communication. And with the apps connecting with BBM v6, even better. You can connect with Foursquare, Facebook, games, and the possibilities go on. BBM is definitely a strength of BlackBerry.
5. The Future Is Bright With the BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet. While the BlackBerry PlayBook came out without the native email, it really was a neat device. With the QNX system powering the Tablet and the ability to load apps via the Android player, and the BlackBerry Bridge, it has a lot of potential. I know native email to me isn’t a big issue, and I’m loving the apps and how easy it is to use. And to be honest, I’m checking World three times a day looking forward to the next updates and newest apps.
6. Seven New Handhelds In 2011, Promise Of QNX-Based BlackBerry Devices. We will see seven new devices, and we’ve seen the leaked photos of them, with RIM even displaying the 9900/9930 on it’s very site. All will have the OS 7 which is a transition OS preparing for the QNX-Based devices to come. More memory, more power, thinner. From what we’ve seen, they’re very nice devices.
7. BlackBerry Data Compression. With the unlimited data becoming a legend known only to those grandfathered with their carriers, and limited data plans for the new customers and those choosing to go to a smartphone, the BlackBerry’s compression of data makes it easier to be online as much as you want without having to worry about your data. Sure one can argue about turning on wifi, but how many of us are fortunate to have wifi with us 24 hours a day? With the BlackBerry, it’s peace of mind and wallet.

While these are actually my additions, you should read Al’s article and his points as he goes into detail. I would have to say it’s even more than just that. The ability to bank on your phone, the security of the phone, the convenience of the apps and the native apps of BlackBerry. I don’t game really, but I do socialize and use Twitter and BBM most with my email. So for me the BlackBerry is my device. I bank on it, never worry about data usage, and love that my BlackBerry and BlackBerry PlayBook work hand in hand together.

I don’t dwell on what it lacks, because there’s always way when there’s a will. I’m happy with what I have but I’m so grateful when changes are made and new apps and features are available. Rome was not built in a day, but nonetheless it is an icon.

[via: CIO.com]

via: bbsync

Screenshots of PlayBook Android Player Web Browser, Keyboard, & More!

With the leaked Android Player for the BlackBerry PlayBook came a few goodies in the form of the basic preloaded Android apps including the email app we mentioned previously. These are the apps that come with a plain vanilla Android device that does not include Google preloaded apps. One of these apps is the Android browser that actually works quite well on the PlayBook. This will be the third browser for the PlayBook including the default PlayBook and Bridge browsers. It works quite well and actually reports an interesting user agent as you can see below. Also of interest is the Android keyboard that is used instead of the larger more “fat finger friendly” PlayBook keyboard. Let us know what else you want to see!

 

via: bbreview

Bye bye GPSLogger, say hello to GPSLogger II

A GPS Application for BlackBerry Smartphones

2 Years (and 1 week) ago we reviewed the GPSLogger application. Matthias (emacberry.com) originally developed the application in order to record your movement. Speed, elevation, direction, path; almost everything was captured effortlessly. In fact, GPSLogger didn’t just capture current values, but track and graph the values recorded at each interval throughout your trek. It even included a compass mode, import/export GPX and KML files, night mode viewing, and the ability to keep logs of POI along the way.

Now I speak of it in past tense because GPSLogger has been succeeded by GPSLogger II. Completely rewritten, it adds a slew of impressive functionality. Through BBM6 integration, GPSLogger II allows you to share your location (or direction) with your BBM contacts automatically. Now that’s definitely a new way to stay connected through BBM. No need to ask where they are, you’ll be able to tell instantly. Keep in mind that this feature is only available to BBM6 beta testers for now. If you aren’t one of them, you can still enjoy the following new features:

• Append Logging
• BlackBerry Maps
• Additional (multiple) Views
• Emergency Alerts
• Sharing Location (email)
• Configurable Status Bar
• Additional new Keyboard shortcuts
• Elevation plausibility check
• Additional information: The climb in percen and the average speed over the last minute
• The Distance Alert [GPSLogger: Special Options]

You’ll also be happy to know that, despite all of these new features now available, GPSLogger II is free. Check out the new features in detail after the jump.

More information/download GPSLogger II for BlackBerry smartphones[qrcode pix=120]http://emacberry.com/gpslogger.html[/qrcode]

Blackberry 101: BlackBerry Device Shortcuts

This list of shortcuts was pulled directly from the forum. If you find these useful, you can bookmark this link and refer to it whenever necessary.

Enterprise Activation (Options->Advanced)

ALT+CNFG – Settings for Enterprise Activation

Address Book

ALT+VALD – Validate the data structure and look for inconsistencies

ALT+RBLD – Force a data structure rebuild

Browser

ALT+RBVS – View web page source code

from the Options menu, type the following (No ALT+ required)

SYNC – Enable Calendar slow sync

RSET – Will prompt for a reload of the calendar from the BES

RCFG – Request BES configuration

SCFG – Send device configuration

DCFG – Get CICAL configuration

SUPD – Enable detailed Cal. report for backup

SUPS – Disable detailed Cal. report for backup

SUPN – Disable Cal. report databaseLUID – Enable view by UID

SRSL – Show Reminder status log

Messaging

ALT+VIEW – For messages, displays the RefId and FolderId for that particular message. For PIM items, displays only the RefId.

Search Application

ALT+ADVM Search Application Enabled Advanced Global Search

Home Screen

ALT(left)+Shift(right)+Del – Restart the Blackberry (only for full-keyboard Blackberries)

ALT+JKVV – Display cause of PDP reject

ALT+CAP+ H – Displays the Help Me screen

ALT + EACE – Displays the Help Me screen

ALT + ESCR – Displays the Help Me screen

ALT + NMLL – Switches the signal strength from bars to a numeric value.

ALT + LGLG – Displays the Java™ event log.

 

WLAN (WLAN wizard screen)

ALT-SMON WLAN – Enable simulated Wizard mode

ALT-SMOF WLAN – Disable simulated Wizard mode

 

Theme (from theme menu)

ALT-THMN – Change to no theme (B&W)

ALT-THMD – Change to default theme

 

Date/Time (Date/Time menu – No ALT+ required)

LOLO – Date/Time Show Network time values

SIM Card (Options->Advanced->SIM card – No ALT+ required)

MEPD – Display MEP infoMEP1 – Disable SIM personalization

MEP2 – Disable Network personalization

MEP3 – Disable Network subset personalization

MEP4 – Disable Service provider personalization

MEP5 – Disable Corporate personalization

 

Status (Options->Status)

BUYR – Data & Voice Usage

TEST – start a device test (Keyboard, GPS, RF, Audio (Handset,headset,bluetooth, Misc)

BlackBerry Bold 9790 (Onyx III?!) Photos Emerge!

If you’re seeing this post and thinking to yourself what the heck is a  BlackBerry Bold 9790? you’re not alone. We’re kind of stumped by the existence of this one, though I’m thinking it’s the device we have talked about previously that went by the codename Onyx III. With a look that’s very similar to the BlackBerry Bold 9780, the 9790 shown in the photos (more pics below) apparently packs a lot of the next-generation stuff that we’ll be seeing in the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930, including:

• 8 GB internal memory
• OS 7
• QWERTY / QWERTZ Keyboard
• Touch Screen
• NFC

Free LogicMail 2.0 IMAP/POP3 Email Client Graduates Out of Beta

Over the years I have found LogicMail to be a must have app on my BlackBerry. It provides a free open source email client (POP3, IMAP, SMTP) for your BlackBerry so you can access emails you don’t want pushed to your device. Right at the beginning of the year LogicMail 2.0 was released in beta form with a boatload of new features. Now those features have been considered stable and are in the full public release. There is even a nice Setup Guide to get you up and running.

The new features in LogicMail v2.0 include:

 

• Step-by-step setup wizard
• All network communications now happens in the background, and mail data is now locally cached
• Improved look and feel
• Support for both local and remote Sent/Drafts folders
• Ability to copy messages between folders, even across accounts
• Improved message composition, with an Outbox that holds messages until successfully sent
• Keyboard shortcuts mimicking the native messaging application, and touchscreen device support
• Able to read E-Mails written in many different languages and character encodings.
• Full support for IMAP IDLE (while connected; background polling not yet implemented)
• Supports OS 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 5.0, and 6.0+
• Any plenty more!

To pick up the stable v2.0.0.277 of LogicMail head to these links:

• Point your BlackBerry browser at: http://logicmail.org/ota
• Visit the SourceForge Download Page

aVNC by AiFlex VNC Remote Desktop Player for the BlackBerry PlayBook

While I am still waiting for LogMeIn to bring their remote desktop app to the BlackBerry PlayBook until then we have a solution. aVNC by AiFlex is a relatively cheap ($2.99) remote desktop solution that works with the very popular VNC protocol to let you connect to practically any machine. That means you can use your BlackBerry PlayBook to remotely control any of your machines running VNC.

Features include:

• Access any computer remotely – With the IP address and a password you can access any computer remotely. Ideal for System administrators, IT Managers, Helpdesk and support staff for easy multi-platform and sever connections
• Secure Access – Access remote machines with password protected VNC
• Full Keyboard Support – Use your on device soft keyboard, swiping up from bottom right bezel corner to input characters to your remote computer
• Mouse Support
• Control+Alt+Delete Ability
• Multi OS Support – Windows, Mac, Unix Remote access. Access your files, e-mails, documents, edit and view
• Convenience – Stores the previous 20 IP addresses and computer URLs for easy reconnection

• Direct type input
• Zoom mode for more convenient view and working
• View with read only option

You can find aVNC in App World at this link[qrcode pix=150]https://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/41341?lang=en[/qrcode]

Let us know if you spot anything better!

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 Officially Announced!

Here it is folks, the announcement sooo many of us long-time BlackBerry users have been waiting for. RIM has officially announced the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 Smartphones, which features the traditional front-facing qwerty keyboard combined with a touchscreen. The keyboard is awesome (Bold 9000-like but better), and with a 1.2GHz processor and BlackBerry 7 this is a BlackBerry addict’s dream come true! You can look for it to hit this summer from a carrier near you. Pricing and exact availability to come at a later date. Read on for the details.

Update! We have Hands-on Impressions with the BlackBerry Bold 9900 / 9930, a look at BlackBerry Bold 9900 / 9930 Cases, a photo of BlackBerry Messenger running on the PlayBook, and much more! Keep it locked to CrackBerry.com because the news from BlackBerry World isn’t slowing down.

Press Release

RIM Introduces New BlackBerry Bold Smartphones

New BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 Smartphones are the Thinnest and Most Powerful BlackBerry Smartphones yet, Featuring the Renowned BlackBerry Keyboard Together with a Brilliant Touch Screen and the New BlackBerry 7 OS

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today unveiled two new BlackBerry® BoldTM smartphones. The high-performance BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones feature a stunning and iconic design that integrates an incredibly easy-to-use BlackBerry keyboard with a brilliant, high resolution, capacitive touch screen. These exceptional smartphones are built on a new, performance-driven platform powered by the BlackBerry® 7 operating system and designed to deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity for users around the world.

“The new BlackBerry Bold smartphones and BlackBerry 7 OS are inspired by millions of customers around the world who want the ultimate combination of performance, functionality and style,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion. “These fully-loaded and beautifully crafted smartphones offer a highly refined user experience with blazingly fast performance, a brilliant touch screen and an outstanding typing experience.”

Thin, Sleek, Iconic Design

Distinguished by an iconic design and the industry’s best keyboard, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones feature the premium materials and finishes that characterize the BlackBerry Bold line. Both models have a lustrous exterior with a brushed stainless steel frame and a high-gloss glass-weave backplate. They are also the thinnest BlackBerry smartphones yet, at only 10.5mm. The quality materials and optimized design of the new BlackBerry Bold smartphones are instantly evident when held in the hand.

Performance-Driven

These BlackBerry Bold smartphones are built on a new performance-driven platform featuring a 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid GraphicsTM touch screen, and support for high speed 4G/HSPA+ wide area wireless networks.
The Liquid Graphics touch screen, a key new feature powered by BlackBerry 7, delivers fast, smooth performance for highly responsive touch-based navigation, web browsing, pictures, video and graphics intensive games*. Offering up to 60 frames-per-second performance with instant UI action/response, Liquid Graphics gives customers a visually rich and immersive experience that’s responsive to the touch. In addition, the smartphones feature brilliant displays with an eye- popping 287 dpi to deliver crisp, stunning visuals.

The new platform also provides support for 4G networks; the 9900 supports HSPA+ connectivity, and the 9930 supports CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and HSPA+ global roaming on GSM/UMTS networks.

NFC

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones include built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), a new technology that will enable many rich and exciting experiences. Through NFC, users will be able to, for example, pair the BlackBerry Bold to an accessory or read information such as a web link from smart tags by simply tapping their BlackBerry Bold to an NFC tag (eg. Smart Poster).

Augmented Reality

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones feature a built-in compass (magnetometer) to support location-based services and augmented reality. APIs will allow third party developers to take advantage of the new functionality within their applications. The new smartphones will also include Wikitude, the leader in mobile augmented reality, which overlays contextual information on what the user sees through the smartphone’s camera viewfinder.

HD Video

The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones support up to 720p HD video recording and playback. Users can easily share their videos directly from the smartphone or sync videos, as well as music and photos, to their computer using Media Sync in the BlackBerry® Desktop Software.

BlackBerry 7

The BlackBerry 7 OS is designed to power the new performance-driven BlackBerry Bold platform. It provides an easier and faster user experience with improved browsing, voice- activated searches, the ability to manage personal content separately from corporate content, as well as additional personal and productivity apps out of the box.

The BlackBerry Browser has been significantly enhanced in BlackBerry 7. In addition to the general performance gains of Liquid Graphics, which helps deliver faster rendering and seamless panning and zooming, the BlackBerry 7 browser includes a new JIT (just in time) JavaScript compiler to improve the load time speed of web pages. The new browser also includes support for additional HTML5 elements, such as HTML5 Video.

Building upon the Universal Search feature introduced in BlackBerry 6, BlackBerry 7 expands the capability to include voice-activated search. This new capability makes it even easier and more convenient to search for content on the smartphone or web.

BlackBerry 7 also integrates BlackBerry® BalanceTM, which separates personal content from corporate content on the smartphone, giving users the freedom and flexibility to use the handset for personal email, Facebook®, Twitter®, multimedia, games and other apps while satisfying the very real need for corporate data to be highly secure and manageable. BlackBerry Balance works in conjunction with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server 5.0.3, which provides a number of unique IT policy controls such as wiping only corporate data from the handset or blocking work related content and apps from being copied or forwarded to personal contacts.

With BlackBerry 7 on the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones, users will also get the full version of Docs To Go® with all “premium” features enabled out-of-the-box so that users can easily work with Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the smartphone. Docs To Go also includes a native PDF viewer.

Availability

The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones are expected to be available from carriers around the world beginning this summer.

For additional information please visit www.blackberry.com/touchbold

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 Specifications

• 115 x 66 x 10.5 mm, approximately 130 g
• 2.8″ capacitive touch screen display – VGA (640×480), 287 dpi resolution
• Ultra-easy QWERTY keyboard, optical trackpad
• 1.2 GHz Processor, 768 MB RAM
• 8 GB on-board memory, plus microSD slot supporting up to 32 GB cards
• NFC technology
• 5.0 MP camera, supports 720p HD video recording
• Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), Digital Compass (Magnetometer), Proximity Sensor
• Built-in GPS / aGPS
• Dual-Band Wi-Fi® – 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 GHz and 802.11 a/n at 5 GHz
• Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR support
• Wireless Network support:
  • 9900:Tri-BandHSPA+,Quad-BandGSM/EDGE
  • 9930:Dual-BandCDMA/EV-DORev.A, Dual-BandHSPA+,Quad-Band GSM/EDGE
• 1230 mAh removable, rechargeable battery
• BlackBerry 7 OS

Via:CB

BlackBerry PlayBook 101: Personalizing your BlackBerry PlayBook

BlackBerry 101: BlackBerry PlayBook Personalization

The BlackBerry PlayBook is yours (or soon will be) so of course you need to make it your own. Just like your BlackBerry Smartphone you can change up the settings, wallpaper and other options to tweak things to your liking. While you can’t go crazy (just yet anyway) with themes and the like, you can play around a bit to make your PlayBook better fit you. Let’s take a look at the easiest ways to quickly personalize your BlackBerry PlayBook.

Personalize Your BlackBerry PlayBook

change the Wallpaper

To change the wallpaper on your device, use the Pictures application. Tap a picture then swipe down from the top frame and choose Set as Wallpaper.

Show the Keyboard

To show the keyboard, swipe from the bottom-left corner onto the screen. Note: To hide the keyboard, tap the Hide Keyboard icon on the bottom-left corner of the keyboard.

Disable Multitasking

To disable multitasking and have applications pause in the background, complete the following steps. To access the Settings menu, tap the settings icon or swipe down from the top frame onto the screen. Tap General. In the Application Behavior drop-down list, tap Paused.

Lock the Orientation Screen

To lock the screen orientation, at the top of the screen, tap the Orientation Lock and tap Off.

change the Password Settings

From the Settings menu, tap Security > Password. To enable or disable a password, change the settings accordingly.

Adjust Sounds

From the Settings menu, tap Sounds. To adjust the sounds on the tablet, change the settings on the screen.

Enable 24-hour Clock

From the Settings menu, tap Date & Time. Tap the On icon beside Use 24- Hour Time.

Moving an Item to Another Window

Touch and hold an item. Slide your finger to a view at the top of the screen, then tap the checkmark at the top-left corner of the screen.

Deleting Items

Touch and hold an item. When an X appears below the item, tap it, then tap the checkmark at the top-left corner of the screen.

That’s all there is to it! You’re up and running the way you want to be. Explore some more and you can get everything on your BlackBerry PlayBook set just how you want it. Check out more in our other BlackBerry PlayBook 101 articles.

via:cb