Keeping track of dual time zones when traveling is a pain. It never fails that I'll call a friend or family in the wee hours of the morning or late at night because I can't keep which time zone they're in straight. Now with TimeZone by PingDev Ltd, you can have a second clock, set for a different time zone, on your home screen. This app would also be great for travelers who want to keep track of the time zone back home while traveling abroad.
Features include:
Time Zone is available for $2.99 in BlackBerry App World for most devices running OS 6 or higher.
VQ Mileage Tracker has been discounted and is 50% off for all of November. The popular mileage tracking app is now just $4.99 and is available for most devices. VQ Mileage Tracker does just what it's name says - it automatically tracks your mileage, capturing time, start location, mileage and more. All of the data is stored for easy reference, so you'll never be left guessing when you're on the open road. Check out more in VQ Mileage Tracker in the CrackBerry App Store.
If you're at all a college football fan, CBS Interactive has the app for you (most likely). They have released a full onslaught of GameTracker Mobile apps for a bunch of colleges across the country. The apps allow you to check stats, scores, schedules and more for your college right from your BlackBerry. The GameTracker Mobile apps are available for Tennessee, Florida State, Michigan, Aubrun, UCF, Memphis, Kansas and many more. Show off your school spirit while staying in the know. Check out the full list from the link below to see if there one available for your school.
The Jabra Supreme is the latest and greatest Bluetooth headset available for hands-free dialing and voice activation. This headset is extremely easy to use. Powering on the headset consists of simply flipping open the microphone. Upon doing this for the first time after the initial charge, voice commands instantly guide you through the pairing to your phone. Subsequent powering-on of the headset results in a greeting of “Power On…Connected”.
Receiving Calls: Upon receiving a call, the headset announces “Call from …” and announced the caller’s name if in your address book, or the number calling. You may use the Answer/End button or wait for the tone, and speak “Answer” or “Decline”. This is great for driving.
Placing Calls: Voice commands allow you to speak the name of the caller. As always, I had difficulty with the proper contact being identified while using voice commands, and found myself tending to stick to the more standard method of dialing from the phone.
Overall Thoughts: The sound quality is pretty good on both ends. Callers did not realize I was on a headset, and I was able to hear them quite clearly. The headset is quite comfortable with the foam cover over the speaker sits flush against your ear. The voice instructions, and simple flipping open/closed to turn on/off prove quite useful, especially for those used to staring at the blinking lights on their headset attempting to determine what it’s doing.
The only con I found was the ear loop. While the speaker and foam cover sit flush against your ear while being worn, I felt the ear loop was insufficient to keep the headset from moving around while you moved. This caused me to try moving less while wearing my headset, something which I shouldn’t have to pay attention to. At no point did it actually fall off or even come loose, but it was something that bothered me while using. Then again, I find this an issue for all headsets with similar loops, so it appears to be a personal issue.
Conclusion: If you want a simple, easy to use headset, this headset is for you. With it’s flip open/closed to turn on/off, and voice commands, all the guesswork is removed when using this headset. Once again, this Jabra headset has great sound quality and a good look.
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One of our tipsters pointed out a really slick free app for BlackBerry smartphones called MyMobileCoverage. The app lets you create your own personalized coverage map so you can visualize your dropped calls, data speeds, voice quality, and other metrics from the app. It has some pretty slick features though it is even useful just to get your CellID.
If you use the app you can:
The app does run in the background to collect the information and displays it on your phone and on their website at http://mymobilecoverage.com. This is obviously not for the privacy conscious like me but the idea and implementation is actually pretty impressive and reviews on App World are positive.
Developers that are using RIM’s free BlackBerry Analytics service powered by Webtrends are getting a nice facelift this weekend. RIM sent out an email that the portal is getting redesigned starting Saturday November 12th from 7:30AM Pacific Time and lasting for “several hours.” The BlackBerry Analytics service will continue collecting data at that time but the portal will not be available. They are also not changing the available reports or SDK.
This one is a real head scratcher. RIM has yet to confirm or deny if developers will be able to theme the BBX OS like they can with BlackBerry 6 devices and earlier. Still that has not stopped RIM from opening up a new category in App World for the PlayBook for themes. The thing is the first “Theme” in that category is really just an app with some wallpaper options. The app is called “Christmas Themes” by Matthew Bailey for $1.99 which offers you multiple Christmas themed backgrounds for your PlayBook.
What do you think about this? Should RIM be marketing these in a separate “Themes” category?
Thanks Terrence for the pictures and other for sharing the news!
The white BlackBerry Bold 9900 continues its rounds with its next destination rumored to be Bell Canada. MobileSyrup scored a screenshot of a spec sheet for the white Bold 9900 and it shows the launch date of November 24th, 2011. The price is set the same at $169.95 with a 3 year contract and $599.95 without.
Are you going to pick one up?
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Zombie Attack, the free strategy game from Smart Apps, has been updated with 100 new levels. This means twice the action packed Zombie goodness of the original version, all still totally free.
You were one of the few who prepared. They all said you were crazy, but you knew better! Now your day has finally come. Armed with your makeshift launcher, more ammunition in storage than is probably legal, and your faithful zombie apocalypse survival kit, you stand prepared to face off with the hordes of brain eating zombies! Gaze out upon a new world survivor; one filled with zombies wandering and lurking among the wreckage of your city. It's time to fight back, retake your city for the future of mankind!
Fire up any of the provided weapons and take charge as you destroy all of the zombies and buildings that stand in your way. Head to BlackBerry App World for more.
Angry Birds this, Angry Birds that ... I get it. Everyone loves Angry Birds. Well we still have no idea when it will ever show its face on the BlackBerry PlayBook (or IF it ever will) so in the meantime we have to make do with some other alternatives. One of my new favorites is Battle Frogging II. The one is tons of fun and is pretty much as close to Angry Birds as you can get on the PlayBook without being angry or a bird. Battle Frogging II lets you fire off some irate beavers as you take down the evil frogs in your pursuit of glory. Fire off your cannon and collect points and stars as you make your way through the various levels. Battle Frogging II is loads of fun for kids of all ages, so I definitely recommend checking it out. Watch the video above to see it in action, then head to BlackBerry App World to grab a copy for yourself.
I love to have music wherever I go; you never know when it will come in handy. Does this mean that I load up every single song that I have in my library onto my BlackBerry smartphone? No. Depending on how many songs you have, you could be eating into precious memory that your videos, images and other files already struggle for. Now true, there are slough of radio streaming applications you can tap into, but they too have their limitations. No matter how many settings and preferences you are given, you are still not in full control of what you are listening to. Using BlackBerry Desktop Software and WiFi Music sync puts the power of streaming your own music in your hands…until you disconnect from your wireless network. In order for WiFi Music Sync to work, your computer and your BlackBerry smartphone must be connected to the same network. On top of that, WiFi Music Sync doesn’t even work with your BlackBerry PlayBook. So what happens when you want to stream music wherever you happen to find yourself? Enter: MyMusicCloud.
MyMusicCloud is a online music services geared towrds connect users with their music over various platforms simultaneously. The service is powered by TriPlay who annouced MyMusicCloud on September 14th, 2011. MyMusic Cloud for BlackBerry smartphones requires you to be running OS 5.0 or higher. It currently is in version 1.6.3 and has a file size of 1.6MB - obviously not including content. The BlackBerry PlayBook version is a web based application, with a file size of only 297KB.
Cost: Free, also receive a free 2GB account. For additional storage, see prices below.
Rating of BlackBerry smartphone app in BlackBerry App World: Not yet rated
Rating BlackBerry PlayBook app in BlackBerry App World: 2/5
What users can do with MyMusicCloud is sync with their iTunes and other media players, with their BlackBerry smartphones. Actually, you can stream your music with multiple devices, you know, just in case you feel like using something not related to BlackBerry (but, why the heck would you do that?). The site says you can sync two computers and two mobile devices. That makes it incredibly easy to share your music library, as you could give your trusted friends your account information.
You aren’t able to upload music from your BlackBerry smartphone, so you need to set everything up prior to taking your music with you. The process is fairly easy; you can either upload music via their site or their Desktop Sync Agent. Most of the magic happens through the website actually, rather than with the BlackBerry smartphone app. The product description in BlackBerry App World makes it seem as though you can create ringtones from your smartphone, which definitely isn’t the case. You can only access the ones you have made online.
Here’s what you can do from your BlackBerry smartphone. The main menu of MyMusicCloud resembles the native Music menu; you can search music by genre, album and artist, as well as view playlists and the entire track listing. You can add/remove music to/from the queue or adjust the volume. When listening to music, you can view associated artist/album art, track title and the name of the artist/album. A progress bar is visible below, as well. Now I did find the controls to be a bit awkward with MyMusicCloud- very laggy as well. When pressing pause/play, or “restart” button, I discovered the app would either not respond to commands or would finally decide to execute them 6 to 10 seconds later. The music playback quality was, however, excellent.
Some of you might frown upon the lack of functionality around the BlackBerry smartphone app. Check this out; your BlackBerry PlayBook can get into the fun as well by accessing your account via the browser. This means that you can gain even more options that MyMusicCloud has to offer. Yes, that includes creating ringtones and accessing the Music Store; where you can purchase albums or tracks from within your dashboard. That’s over 11 million songs to choose from. Keep in mind that the store is only available in Canada, the U.S. or the U.K. You can also share your music preferences via Facebook (share album art and links to allow friends to sample, download or purchase tracks) and look up lyrics for the track you are listening to.
MyMusicCloud offers everyone a 2GB account for free. Want access to even more songs? They also provide premium accounts where you get:
5GB for $10/year
10GB for $20/year
20GB for $40/year
MyMusicCloud offers support for both online and offline support. The application will continue to make already downloaded music available for your listening enjoyment. Oh and the application also supports videos, as well.
If the playback controls could be more responsive, we would have an outstanding hit on our hands. Having access to a full bodied suite of options from the BlackBerry PlayBook is a saving grace, if you actually own one. You can look at it like this; once you set up your account, you have a lightweight, simplistic access point to your music AND newly created ringtones! Remember that, if you want to check out MyMusicCloud, you have a free 2GB account to mess around with. You can grab the BlackBerry smartphone app, and the BlackBerry PlayBook webapp, for free from BlackBerry App World.
Woohoo, almost made it to the end of another week! You can read all about the latest BlackBerry reviews, news and rumors in the blogs, and then head on over to the CrackBerry forums and see what's up with your fellow CrackBerry addicts.
Found an interesting article you want to share with CrackBerry Nation? Have a burning question about that feature you just can't figure out? There is ALWAYS more happening just a click away in the forums. You can always head over and join in the conversation, search for answers, or
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There has not been as much OS leakage as usual when it comes to the latest BlackBerry 7 devices during a worldwide rollout. Hopefully that is changing with a new OS 7.0.0.503 for the flagship Bold 9900 scored by N4BB. We don’t know what is new in this OS yet but report back in the comments with what you find!
Warning: This OS will not install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above and is not an official release.If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry OS please start by reading this step by step guide.Don’t forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in c:program files>common files>research in motion>apploader to install it on a different carriers device. Don’t forget our usual warnings: do not download and install these updates if you don’t know what you’re doing. Incorrect procedure or just bad luck could render your BlackBerry inoperative or unstable.
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Back in August I got a chance to sit down with Mike Kirkup who was then the Senior Director of Global Developer Relations at RIM. Since then Mike has left and Alec Saunders has made a big splash as the new Vice President of Developer Relations and Ecosystem Development at RIM even posting his email address publicly. This week we got a chance to sit down with him and pick his brain on a few of the issues developers want to know about the current BlackBerry Platforms, initiatives, and future goals. Read on for the details!
What is the main message that you are trying to convey to current and potential BlackBerry developers?
Alec clarified his message to developers as a three pronged approach that he sort of hit upon at DevCon.
What is your main goal or measure for success? Or simply what is your departments mission statement for developer relations?
Alec summed it all up into two words: “More Apps.” Though he did say the whole mission statement was to “Educate, support, and inspire developers to create new, better, and more apps for BlackBerry.”
So what are some of your goals to improve the experience of current and new BlackBerry developers?
There are three main areas that we are focusing on to improve the development experience for developers both new and experienced:
We also measure success based on many metrics but you can boil it down to the number of apps available and the satisfaction of developers. We then base our strategy on beta feedback, developer surveys, and other information points like the support forums. If they see an issue escalated in the forums by multiple devs they will escalate it further as a priority.
Tell us a little bit about some of the new initiatives for the developer relations team?
I am a firm believer of having “boots on the ground” and reaching directly to developer communities. For example, a few companies came to us saying that they were confused about what RIM’s future BBX plans were for peripherals (think stuff like card swipers, printers, etc). We ended up organizing a whole Meetup in Waterloo where these companies interfaced directly with the teams developing the peripherals, BBX strategy and groundwork.
On top of that the Developer Relations team is a growing team around the world. We have people in many growing markets which is an area of large growth for RIM. They are also reaching out to developers in the support forums and Twitter @BlackBerryDev where developers can reach out directly to RIM’s team. You can even simply email Alec directly and he will try to delegate it.
What is your team doing in terms of recruiting new developers for BBX (HTML5, WebWorks, Flash, Native, Android) and the current BlackBerry ecosystem (Java, WebWorks)?
With BBX and even WebWorks we are reaching out to communities of developers to help them bring their expertise and catalog of apps to the BBX platform or WebWorks on both platforms. For example, we did this with game engines on the PlayBook along with web developer communities like Sencha and jQuery. We are also working on different opensource tools for the BBX platform which we have posted on our GitHub repositories to help native BBX developers. This goal is to help attract communities to the platform by making it enticing.
What about differentiating factors of the BBX and PlayBook platform? For example, currently it is not possible to create what RIM calls a “Super App” for the BlackBerry PlayBook. When is that functionality coming?
This is something that is definitely in the works. We have these “Super App” APIs in the works now for everything from notifications to deep system integration. Definitely more on this in the future as we keep on improving the PlayBook 2.0 OS with some of the features possibly being exposed to developers to test in beta.
What about more powerful integration into the core OS such as developers building their own Bluetooth, Bridge, NFC, USB, or other integrations into the hardware?
This is also coming. As long as it does not compromise the security and reliability of the OS then we are working on it. It might include some sort of extra certifications for Bluetooth stacks or drivers.
Does BBX allow RIM to be more agile in dealing with the development environment and updates? Until now RIM has worked in a 2 year cycle where they release a product and then they get feedback during the lifecycle throughout the release and then a year later provide the improvement. Is BBX going to finally change this?
BBX definitely allows us to be more agile. For example, with BBX the carrier only certifies the radio stack allowing RIM to update the rest of the OS without needing carrier certification every time. I (Alec) personally love working with developers and I plan on making it a much more effective feedback loop. Talking directly to developers and then taking that feedback back to the appropriate teams at RIM to take action. This will allow us to do continuous improvements to developer API’s and functionality instead of simply trying to ship the whole kitchen sink.
What about App World? How does that fit into the developer relations sphere?
App World is an integral story of the BlackBerry experience. Downloads are growing like crazy with 90 million in August to 140 million in October. They also noticed that 200 BBM connected apps account for 10% of downloads which just shows how much of a differentiator the BBM Social Platform SDK is.
What about for BBX? Will App World remain the only place to find apps for BBX just like the PlayBook? Is there a reason RIM is deviating from the current BlackBerry model to a more Apple-like walled garden of app markets?
The PlayBook and BBX app store experience is an “unapologetically curated experience. “ RIM is maintaining this control for a few reasons including the fact that we have found customers prefer to go to one place for apps. This also gives RIM the ability to exclude malicious apps and have editorial control so we don’t have an abundance of irrelevant or unnecessary apps.
This is important for devs too because it increases discoverability. I used to work at a startup and the hardest part was dealing with payments and transactions especially with carriers wanting a large portion of deals. App World handles all of that and offers 16 countries with carrier billing. This is critical in developing markets and places where users do not have credit cards, a key growth market for RIM.
What about the current limitations of App World such as a lack of discount codes, coupons, beta testing ability, slow approval times and release times, small pictures, no video trailers, and gift cards?
Stay tuned! Many of those are coming! I cannot speak directly to that but the App World team is working hard on adding those features after a successful App World 3.0 release.
What about HTML5 and WebWorks? Now that Adobe has killed their mobile Flash development to focus on HTML5 does that play well into RIM’s strategy.
HTML5 and WebWorks allows us to recruit new devs that weren’t previously mobile to easily make their applications mobile. It is also a key piece for devs to create enterprise apps that use HTML5 for easier deployment. RIM is following the standards and continues to expand on them. Our Torch team is blazing the trail by adhering to the latest standards and implementing things like WebGL.
What about PlayBook functions and BBX functions and API’s beyond the standards? Say for example the desktop notification API in HTML5?
The Torch team is planning on staying pretty close to the standards but exposing capabilities of the BBX platform. I cannot speak directly to the notifications API but we plan on exposing the BBX APIs to WebWorks developers and changing them to HTML5 standards if it expands to cover it. This is a way for developers to move away from proprietary and the current push by other ecosystems to native development.
Well it was a pleasure to speak to you Alec. We wish you, your team, and RIM the best of luck!
If you have any more questions you want us to ask Alec let us know in the comments!
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The BlackBerry Beta Zone rolled out some updates this week to the two main social apps. Twitter for BlackBerry was updated to v2.1.0.22 with a bunch of fixes to @Mentions, options, and virtual keyboard. Facebook for BlackBerry also got some love bringing it to v2.0.0.55 which supposedly fixes a bug or two.
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I have been having a field day reading all of the articles readers have sent in today about Adobe getting out of the mobile browser Flash game. Read some of the titles and you will see what I mean:
All of these bloggers are harping on the fact that RIM immediately reassured Flash developers who have spent time developing for QNX and the PlayBook that they would not be left in the cold. Andry Gryc from QNX nicely points out that these bloggers seem to have missed what Adobe and RIM actually said. Adobe essentially said that it will be no longer developing Flash plugins for mobile devices for use in their browsers including Android and the PlayBook while still pushing Adobe AIR as a way to package mobile apps. What RIM responded is that they are not going to suddenly dump all of their Flash developers in the cold.
This essentially means that Flash on mobile will continue to be useful since Adobe admits that they are going to continue pushing it for desktops. That means if you want to browse on your tablet just like you do on your desktop you will need some sort of Flash. HTML5 is a strong promise and RIM CLEARLY states that:
We are excited to see Adobe focusing their efforts on HTML5, and on bringing their world class development and design expertise to HTML5 and mobile. As many of you noted, at BlackBerry DevCon Americas this year we strongly emphasized HTML5 development, and all of our platforms include best-in-breed HTML5 browsing capability, based on the WebKit engine. We believe that HTML5 is the future of mobile, and are delighted to be aligned with Adobe on this.
RIM has invested a ton of effort in HTML5 and it is a key building block of BBX. RIM is just saying that Flash will continue to be supported in its current form. All of the future improvements Adobe has planned for Flash in v12 are not intended for mobile devices. On top of that there is the Adobe AIR side of Flash that Adobe clearly says they are going to continue driving:
Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations (chipset, browser, OS version, etc.) following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook. We will of course continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations. We will also allow our source code licensees to continue working on and release their own implementations.
So are these bloggers just taking a cheap shot at RIM for essentially supporting developers and saying the same thing as Adobe? Let us know what you think in the comments!
lol, and if RIM dumped flash, they’d be ALL over that as well!
I’m happy with RIMs decision.
It is not like RIM is really going out of their way to continue to support flash. All of the work of putting flash onto the browser is already done. Continuing to support bug fixes and security updates is just common sense, and takes very minimal effort.
You can criticize RIM’s actions a year ago for making a big deal out of supporting a feature that honestly no one cares about. But at this point why should RIM remove a feature from its browser without any good reason to do so? If having flash support really annoys you that much, you can just disable it.
Yeh its insane… The biggest complain with iPad is flash.. here RIM promises to keep flash on the PlayBook which works great.. all the blogs are hammering RIM. Wow.
they’ll never do anything right in the eyes of the media
Amen… I’m sick and tired of the damned RIM bashing… The iLemmings are annoying… Just wait and see what they say when OS 2 finally arrives and the Colt is finally released… Its going to be the best phone on the market and all you’ll hear is “Day late? Dollar short?” Comments all over the place… QNX is going to be the biggest power player around… These morons just don’t know it yet
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The white BlackBerry Bold 9900 is making its rounds to carriers around the world. The latest stop is Vodafone UK which Terrence let us know about. They are offering the phone for free on certain plans but that is not the interesting part. Terrence pointed out to us that Vodafone has the white 9900 listed as having autofocus. I doubt that is the case since RIM said autofocus would not fit in the design but its fun to speculate!
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Kobo has been having some issues on BlackBerry including the PlayBook version for a bit but now we might know why they are a bit distracted. Scuebydue pointed that the Canadian Kobo was just purchased by the Japanese Rakuten for $315 million. I had never heard of Rakuten before but supposedly they are “one of the world’s top 3 e-commerce companies by revenue” planning on expanding their “unique B2B2C borderless e-commerce business globally, by adding an ecosystem to provide downloadable media products to consumers, starting with eBooks.”
In short I am hoping that means they plan on putting more effort into their BlackBerry PlayBook and smartphone eBook readers and expand their catalog. Full details on the acquisition below:
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EmacBerry has updated their popular FileScout file manager application to v2.7.1.5 this week. This update brings a slew of improvements and other updates but mainly improves the DropBox integration they introduced in previous versions. This is because DropBox released a new version of their API on October 22nd and FileScout now supports this new DropBox APIv1 which is supposed to be “massively improved.”
Here is the full change log:
When multiple applications have registered itself as content handler for a file type FileScout will show a application chooser. So now you can select if you like to open a file with application ‘A’ or with application ‘B’ [if 'A' & 'B' have registered itself for the same file type (mimetype/extension/suffix)]
When you create a playlist the content of the playlist will be sorted (depending on your current FileScout sorting settings)
New key shortcut to close FileScout instantly: [SHIFT]+[X]
Some performance improvements when working with the TextViewer/Editor (the hourglass should appear less often – if at all)
EMail-Archive function: Instead of the Message-HashCode a TimeStamp will be used in order to create a Message-Subfolder (for some reason there have been reports that the message hash was not ‘unique-enough’)
*.M4B files will be considered as playable Audio files.
FileScout will check the compatibility with the installed Dropbox Plugin (and automatically open the Browser if an update of the Plugin is required)
Filescout Dropbox Plugin – Dropbox APIv1 Support:
Since the 22′nd of October Dropbox have released a new Version of the API. The FileScout Dropbox Plugin will now make use of the new APIv1. Basically you should not really notice a difference. Please see the list below for the changes:
When you want to upload a file to your Dropbox the Plugin now will list all content of your account (not only the directories/folder structure) – so now you can see if a certain file is already is present in your Dropbox
Create a temp Share Link for any file in your Dropbox. No matter if you download or upload a file – for any item displayed in your Dropbox you can create a time restricted (temp) link that you can send to anybody (even without a Dropbox account) in order to share the item. Simply highlight the file and select ‘Share’ from the BlackBerry Menu – after a short wile you get a dialog showing the link information (containing the information for how long the link is valid)). The link (URL) will be automatically copied into your device clipboard so you can paste it where ever you like (eMail, twitter, facebook, etc…). Please note that you can create also Share links for a Dropbox folder – in this case Dropbox will made the complete content (including all Subfolders) available in a ZIP-Archive – so use this function wise!
For OS6.x and OS7.x the authentication works now completely via the official Dropbox Website (accessed via the BlackBerry Browser) – So there is no need to enter your Dropbox account information into the FileScout App anylonger
OS7.x main application icon size adjusted – @Rezn I hope that’s fine now
Since the 22′nd of October Dropbox have released a new Version of the API. The FileScout Dropbox Plugin will now make use of the new APIv1. Basically you should not really notice a difference. Please see the list below for the changes:
We told you last month that the first wave of upcoming BBX phones would have the same pixel density as the BlackBerry PlayBook. Now we have more confirmation of that fact from PC Mag which interviewed Alec Saunders of RIM this week. Alec confirmed that the first BBX phones would have the same screen resolution and pixel density as the PlayBook. Namely 16:9 ratio and 1024×768 resolution which is an unusual resolution for a phone. On the other hand this will make it much easier for apps to immediately work on the BBX phones.
On the other hand Alec also mentioned that BBX also has the ability to upload multiple dimension graphics which hopefully means it can support different resolutions and aspect ratios. Alec also confirmed that the BBX phones would have all the features of the PlayBook at launch including the addition of BES support and native email.
We also got a chance to sit down with Alec this week so we will have more for you later!
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If you are anything like me you probably add way too many smiley faces to your conversations as it is, but sometimes they are just so appropriate for the conversation. Luckily BBM gives us quite a few emoticons to choose from, but not always the one you are looking for, so meet Jingu Smileys, a free BlackBerry application that brings some more emoticons to your device.
The application works rather simply, while in a BBM convo press your menu key and you can access Jingu Smileys, then simply copy the smiley you want, and paste it into the conversation, no headaches required. You can access your frequently used emoticons easily without having to scroll through the tons that are available, or if you are looking for something new you can take a moment to check them all out to ensure you grab the most fitting one. With the ever so lovely price tag of $0.00, or free, what is holding you back from checking it out today?
There is such a wide variety of cases out there for BlackBerry devices and that means pretty much "something for everyone". Cases not only help us express our personality, but also protect your device from the daily bumps and bruises. From your basic skin case all the way up to the insane protection of an OtterBox, there are loads to choose from. So youre mission this week is to leave a comment letting us know which case available at ShopCrackBerry.com you'd like to call your own. Be it a silicone sleeve, snap-on hard case or something stylish, let us know what and why (and be sure to include your device) and it could be yours!
New BlackBerry Cases
New BlackBerry Chargers
New BlackBerry Batteries
New Bluetooth Accessories
To enter to win a BlackBerry case of your choice, simply leave a comment to this blog post telling us which case you'd choose. Contest ends this Sunday night at Midnight PST. Please, just one entry per person.
That's it for this week's roundup! We hope you enjoyed it! If you come across accessories you'd like to see featured in an upcoming roundup, please send us an email to blackberryaccessories @ crackberry.com.
Cross-platform messaging applications are popping out all over lately but few deliver like our beloved BBM. The latest competitor in the arena is called PingMe. Shockingly, it is very similar to BlackBerry's native application. With PingMe, you can message all those traitors friends who are on other platforms while enjoying the following features:
The UI is clean and simple with customization options available for both the background and message box colors (I've always wanted these features in BBM). I have family on all platforms and have been searching for an instant messaging application just like this for all of us to use. Now I can use PingMe to see when my husband's ignoring my texts on his iPhone just like I do when I BBM him on his BlackBerry.
As we all know, we unfortunately won't see the official release of the BlackBerry PlayBookOS 2.0 until February of 2012, but we were still fortunate enough for RIM to allow developers to take part in a beta version. The beta doesn't contain any of the native applications that we had hoped it would, but that led me to some interesting thoughts. If RIM were to add just one of the native applications to an upcoming developer build, which would you want to see? Would you like to see Contacts, Calendar, Email, BBM, Tasks, Password Keeper or Notes? Odds are we won't see any of them until the official release, but it never hurts to use our imagination a little, right? Let us know your pick in the poll above, then tell us why you chose what you did in the comments.
RIM has posted on their official Twitter @BlackBerry account that they are investigating delays reported by users. They just posted a few minutes ago that BlackBerry services are currently operating normally in EMEIA but no word on if there is an issue or not elsewhere. Personally things have been working on my end but they have been a bit delayed. Like BBMs are not instant or messages take a few seconds to send.
What have you been seeing?
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The HTC Flyer launched earlier this year and recently became one of the newest tablets with 4G service from T-Mobile USA. T-Mobile sent us a review unit of their HTC Flyer with a 4G ready simcard that allowed us to test the speed and service they offer. The HTC Flyer from T-mobile is one of the increasing list of tablets to enter the tablet market with Android OS used by different vendors on their mobile devices. Those offering tablet devices are trying to cater to both the enterprise and consumer market but out of the box tend to fall short on security standards for safe enterprise use. That gap is currently being met by 3rd party applications and email management systems which allows companies more control over the sensitive data stored on these mobile devices. At this point that is still a growing market, with companies like RIM trying to move from a enterprise mindset to offering devices that are more consumer friendly whereas Android devices are consumer driven trying to enter the enterprise market.
Overview: HTC Flyer From T-Mobile
The HTC Flyer is a slim portable 7” device a bit smaller than the BlackBerry PlayBook because of the extra bezel space on the PlayBook that uses gestures which is one feature the Flyer lacks. The Flyer is running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread ingle-core 1.5GHz processor, paired with 1GB of RAM allows for speedy multitasking. It features a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for video chat or self pictures, and a 5 megapixel camera for recording HD videos. The 1024 x 700 pixel resolution capacitive touchscreen display also works with a stylus, the HTC Scribe Pen.
User Interface:
If you have used an HTC android device is is almost looking at oversized HTC Sensation. HTC uses a customized UI over the android OS called HTC Sense UI this is one of the reasons why the Android OS looks different from vendor to vendor. Using different Android devices I find the HTC Sense UI more user friendly and provides the user a more fluid experience.
HTC Scribe Stylus Pen:
The main difference with this table is the stylus, which connects wirelessly to the Flyer, and enables you to annotate, highlight and erase in supported apps. It offers a measure of pressure sensitivity very different from other stylus. The stylus does not work for pressing and selecting apps, it only allows you to write, and erase or draw within the application. A button on the tablet allows the user to simply turn off the connection to the pen. Another cool feature with the tablet and the stylus is that the note application automatically syncs with your evernote account. Note that the scribe pen is not included with the device but you can purchase it separately.
Email
Unlike the BlackBerry PlayBook the HTC Flyer and android devices offer a range of different ways to connect and receive e-mail. Android devices have active sync from Microsoft similar to BES on the BlackBerry but this is all included on the OS. Active Sync allows the user to sync e-mails, contacts, and appointments from one device to the other. The e-mail experience is not on par with how BlackBerry devices do e-mail but it is better than none. Other methods methods include 3rd party e-mail clients including K-9mail, Kaiten Mail, Exchange By TouchDown Key, Enhanced Email, among other options that can be downloaded via the amazon android market or Android Market. This allows android users to connect to to their companies exchange server. The Flyer also comes with a native android GMail App that gives users a close to Gmail on PC experirence.
Connectivity Other options users have to connect their HTC Flyer to e-mail servers include POP3 and IMAP. The setup for both IMAP and POP3 is the same this allows the HTC Flyer to receive POP3 email server for incoming email, and an SMTP server for outbound email.
Options within the app include
Data Connetivity:
The Flyer can connect using any available Wi-Fi network, or you can sign up for ta data plan that includes T-Mobile’s fast 4G Speeds. For those that are constantly on the road this option is probably your best bet.
The HTC flyer connects to T-Mobiles fast 4G network, allowing users to stream video, download content on the go at almost the same speeds regular DSL home networks offer. While using the Flyer I was able to stream videos, and watch Netflix with hardly any buffering issues.
Flash and page rendering:
The HTC Flyer like any other android device is capable or rendering flash enabled websites and video. The Flyer was able to run most websites without any issues but compared to the BlackBerry PlayBook the PlayBook takes the win. The Flyer crashed a few times when running heavy flash content sites and streaming video. The PlayBook since it has flash integrated with the OS does a much better job processing and streaming video content. That is not say the Flyer can’t do it, it just doesn’t do as good of a job as the PlayBook.
Most websites that have mobile sites enabled usually redirect the Flyer and any other mobile device to the mobile site. The Flyer does a good job rendering full websites and the browsing experience is good.
Third Party Apps:
Android ecosystem offers an array of both free and paid applications that allows users to stay connected to social networks, news content, and blogging. Android offers quite a few different browsers to choose from aside from the native browser. Some of the browser include Dolphin Browser, Opera, and Bolt Browser.
Enterprise User:
Some of the basics that an a company will look for in a mobile device is the ability to monitor, restrict or enforce IT policies, remote wipe, and push content to a workers phone. Android covers most of the basics but there is still some work they need to do to compete with the standards RIM has set when it comes to security. Android is base on open source which means the code is available where savvy users with enough time on their hand can dig into the inner workings of the OS. That means that Android has potential for easy access to root the device. This may discourage some companies to use Android for enterprise. Google has taken some steps to make Android more secure through application-sandboxing, and offers document editing applications.
Android allows users to connect to corporate data via VPN and 3rd party vendors offer Enterprise management systems that allows corporations to manage private data on their workers devices. One of those 3rd party applications include.
Overall android offers a less expensive option for small businesses and users who want to have their own device for business use. The HTC Flyer is a slick 7” tablet that offers a close resemblance to the BlackBerry PlayBook if portability is a key feature for you. The other parts that make this tablet a close competitor for the PlayBook is that it allows users to have the option of connecting with a data plan with fast mobile speed. The HTC flyer allows users to share their data over mobile hotspot connection. This is something the PlayBook lacks until a 4G device is released.
While Android is a good option and has the app category covered the PlayBook is going to be able to use some of those applications.
Pricing: T-Mobile has been offering the HTC Flyer to enterprise customer for a while at $299.00 on a two year contract which is lower than what the PlayBook has been selling.
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We don’t have any official confirmation from Staples or RIM here but ShvartzBerry let us know that BFAds has scored an interesting promotion for Black Friday. According to this screenshot they show above Staples will be offering the 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook for $199 on Black Friday. The 32GB version will be $249 and the 64GB version is $399. Jared over @CrackBerry seems to have spotted a similar ad but that one only shows the 16GB version.
So who is going to pick one up? I am starting to eye that 32GB model for only $249!
Adobe just dropped an interesting bomb this morning. They have decided to relegate Flash to PC browsing and mobile apps while giving up on flash in mobile browsers to focus on HTML5. They plan on releasing Flash 11.1 for the PlayBook and Android and from then only continue to offer critical bug fixes and security updates.
Alec Saunders from RIM confirmed to me that RIM is a Flash source code licensee which means they can continue to release their own implementations even when Adobe stops. RIM has confirmed as much on their official blog saying that they are committed to “support a full web and app experience today and tomorrow” whether it be Flash, WebWorks, or HTML5 websites. This also sort of makes sense since RIM is just trying to attract developers though they mentioned at DevCon that HTML5/WebWorks and Native development are the future.
RIM is committed to delivering compelling user experiences so you can stay connected and take action wherever your life takes you. Often, that action is enabled by a BlackBerry® smartphone or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ app, and other times it’s through your BlackBerry device’s web browser. We’re able to deliver a full-featured web and app experience because BlackBerry embraces and integrates a variety of developer platforms to make it possible for you to experience and consume the content you want, while you’re on the go – whether that’s powered by the BlackBerry native applications, BlackBerry PlayBook OS, Open Source, superior Flash integration, Adobe® AIR®, Web Works, or websites that use HTML5 to deliver cutting-edge graphics and video.
Earlier today, Adobe announced plans to stop investing in Flash® for mobile browsing, and focus more efforts on HTML5. As an Adobe source code licensee, we will continue to work on and release our own implementations, and are looking forward to including Flash 11.1 for the BlackBerry PlayBook.
The strategic direction announced by Adobe today further validates RIM’s decision to launch the BlackBerry PlayBook with a full-powered and uncompromised desktop class browser supporting both Flash and HTML5. We are pleased that Adobe will focus its efforts on next generation Flash-based apps delivered via AIR and BlackBerry AppWorld as well as the great opportunities that HTML5 presents for our developers as we discussed at DevCon Americas.
“The PlayBook browser does a great job of supporting both HTML5 and Flash, including industry leading HD video streaming. Adobe and RIM are focused on HTML5 innovation for mobile browsing and believe it is the best solution for developers to deliver rich web experiences on RIM’s BlackBerry products and other mobile devices. RIM has the ability to continue working on and releasing its own implementations of Flash Player 11 and beyond,” said Danny Winokur, VP & GM, Interactive Development, Adobe Systems Inc.
RIM is also energized by the powerful, open standards-based development platform that HTML5 delivers through our BlackBerry products. To us, this means working with thousands of talented BlackBerry developers to bring new gaming, entertainment, and video experiences that deliver depths of experience we had only dreamed of a few years ago. That’s progress we support, and we look forward to seeing the innovation soon in BlackBerry App World™.
If you have questions or comments, please log in and share them with us. We promise to read them all and come back and answer what we can.
- Dan Dodge, President and CEO, QNX
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The Jabra Supreme is the latest and greatest Bluetooth headset available for hands-free dialing and voice activation. This headset is extremely easy to use. Powering on the headset consists of simply flipping open the microphone. Upon doing this for the first time after the initial charge, voice commands instantly guide you through the pairing to your phone. Subsequent powering-on of the headset results in a greeting of “Power On…Connected”.
Placing Calls: Voice commands allow you to speak the name of the caller. As always, I had difficulty with the proper contact being identified while using voice commands, and found myself tending to stick to the more standard method of dialing from the phone.
The only con I found was the ear loop. While the speaker and foam cover sit flush against your ear while being worn, I felt the ear loop was insufficient to keep the headset from moving around while you moved. This caused me to try moving less while wearing my headset, something which I shouldn’t have to pay attention to. At no point did it actually fall off or even come loose, but it was something that bothered me while using. Then again, I find this an issue for all headsets with similar loops, so it appears to be a personal issue.
