Tank Recon 3D now available for BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 and Torch 9810/9850/9860

Tank Recon 3D first popped up over a year ago for the BlackBerry Storm2 and after a long overdue update is now available for the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930, Torch 9810 and Torch 9850/9860. This first person tank shooter features real-time 3D graphics that make it one of the most fun games on the platform.

Piloting your new advanced tank, code named Alpha, you will be shooting it out with various units such as tanks, planes, AT guns and more. Fire your main cannon and watch as the enemy explodes into pieces. Use your guided missiles to bring down enemy planes or anything else that needs blowing up!

Tank Recon 3D allows you to choose between Mission and Survival mode. Jump right into the action with Survival mode and see how long you can survive. The longer you last the harder the enemy units become. When you're done, submit your high score to the Internet for bragging rights.

Play Story Mode to go on various missions that will ultimately decide whether you defeat the Evil Hepion forces or explode trying. Playing through the missions takes time and is no easy task but fortunately the game supports saving your progress at any point. If you do manage to complete the missions, try them again but this time choose Hard or even Mental!

I've been rocking Tank Recon 3D on my Bold 9930 for a few days now and I absolutely love it. The touchscreen controls are easy and super responsive and the game features loads of replay value. A new version for the BlackBerry Playbook should be on the way very soon as well. Hit the link below for more info.

More information/download of Tank Recon 3D

Review: Ballistic Endo Case for the BlackBerry Torch 9800/9810

To be honest, I'm brutal on my BlackBerrys. They've been dropped in the street and bounced off all kinds of floors. Needless to say I've gone through quite a few since owning the Torch 9800 probably because I am a chronic klutz and hate using pocketbooks. it's a horrible combination but I prefer having my device holstered on my hip then packed away in a bag. While it makes my load lighter it increases the chance of serious injury to my BB. So I went for the case/holster combo.

The Ballistic Endo Case for the Torch 9800/9810 is a tough, durable case that when paired with the holster offers maximum protection for your device. Unlike other cases that use small tabs to adhere to the Torch's slider, this case uses a unique glide rail system. What this means is that it connects to itself, not your device. It's sturdier than other cases whose top cover easily pops off during regular use.

Also, and this could just be me, but I'm always breaking off the tabs that secure the top piece in place. Even though this falls off too, there's nothing to break off and it hasn't cracked yet. I don't have to request a warranty replacement or purchase another case just to replace the broken part. The glide rails are a little stiff (gotta snap it open quick) but I see how this keeps the mechanism safe from wear and tear.

While on one hand the case itself is strong and protects against drops and scratches, the holster needs improvement. I've used other holsters before and none of them are as weak as this. It has nothing to do with the strength of the holster but with the hinge that locks in the device. It barely clears the top which causes even the slightest amount of pressure to knock the device out of the belt clip. I don't forsee it lasting after repeated use. 

It adds a bit of heft to the device which all heavy duty cases tend to do. Unlike the Otterbox Commuter Series Case, the back is not sticky or slippery so it stays in your hand with a firm grip. There are openings for all the ports which is great because it prevents it from being too tight but also lets in dust and dirt. I have small fingers and the right convenience key feels a little awkward being partially blocked by the side rails. 

The one thing I asbolutely adore is that there is NO FREEZING. I repeat, this case will not lock up, freeze, or otherwise jam up your device requiring multiple battery pulls to fix. While other cases, like the Seidio Innocase Active, can be too tight and press on the lock button or keyboard this is snug without the hassle. Definitely a huge plus in my book and one I'm sure you'll apprecicate.

Pros

Cons

Rating

Case 4/5 

Holster 3/5 

ShopCrackBerry average rating 3/5

Conclusion

All in all this is a pretty solid case. It has a polycarbonate internal skeleton and is not flimsy at all, so no worries about it shattering into a million pieces when dropped. After a few drop tests (more than what you see above), there was only minimal damage to one corner. Not bad if you ask me. It withstood repeated drops on the ground without cracking or breaking. While it's a little thick around the keyboad it's worth it just for the glide rails alone. This is a great case to add to your collection and one of the top heavy duty cases I've used so far. If they would just improve the holster this would be perfect. 

You can purchase the Ballistic Endo case for just $29.95 (regularly $34.99) at ShopCrackBerry.com.  

Contest: To win a Ballistic Endo case just leave a comment to this post and let us know why you need this case to protect your Torch 9800/9810. Contest ends tonight at midnight PST. Please only leave a single comment.

More information / purchase Ballistic Endo Case for Torch 9800/9810

More Photos of the Ballistic Endo Case for the BlackBerry Torch 9800/9810

 

 

 

 

Official OS 7.0.0.353 for the BlackBerry Torch 9810 from O2

Happy Monday Torch 9810 users! O2 has released an official OS in the form of 7.0.0.353. No reports in just yet on whats new and good, so if you do install be sure to let us know here in the comments or in the forums what you find out. My 9810 has been having some battery life issue's so I'm curious to see if this fixes them up at all. As always, use caution when installing any OS.

Download OS 7.0.0.353 for the BlackBerry Torch 9810

Discuss more in the forums

BlackBerry Torch 9810 launched in India

 

It's official–RIM's updated all-in-one slider design has landed in India. The sleek and discreet BlackBerry Torch 9810 follows in the Torch 9800's footsteps, bringing a powerful 1.2Ghz processor and Liquid Graphics to the table, with BlackBerry 7 software atop for good measure. Priced at a cool 27,990 Indian rupees (approx. $600 USD), the BlackBerry Torch 9810 is definitely no slouch and still holds its own against other BlackBerry 7 handsets.

Available from Redington with 18 months warranty, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 is the second BlackBerry 7 powered handset to reach the Indian market, right after the BlackBerry Bold 9900. With a good price and an all-new operating system to boot, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 will likely cater to India's BlackBerry-hungry market, and hopefully encourage further expansion of RIM's portfolio of BlackBerry products in the country.

Source: BBin

And the winner of a BlackBerry Smartphone of choice in our Twitter Contest is..

OK @crackberrykevin twitter followers.... the moment you've been waiting for is here. And the WINNER of a new BlackBerry 7 Smartphone of their choosing is......

CONGRATS Spencer! And big thanks to everybody who's followed and retweeted. I use a paid service to track the contest and pick the random winner. We had awesome up take on this one, so keep on following @crackberrykevin and @crackberry for more chances to win stuff.

And don't forget, you still have until the end of this month to leave a comment on our BlackBerry 7 Smartphone Contest. Go to that post now! Thanks again for participating in this one, and good luck!

 

Deal of the Day: Save 70% on BlackBerry Torch 9800 / 9810 Charging Cradle w/ spare battery slot - Buy it for only $8.95!

CrackBerry Contest: Win your choice of FREE BlackBerry 7 Smartphone!

The reviews are in, and it's unanimous... the new BlackBerry 7 Smartphones are the SWEETEST BlackBerry phones yet! So following up our reviews of the BlackBerry Bold 9900, BlackBerry Bold 9930, BlackBerry Torch 9860, BlackBerry Torch 9850 and BlackBerry Torch 9810 we're giving a lucky CrackBerry reader the chance to win one, free of charge.

HOW TO ENTER:  Just login to CrackBerry and leave us a comment to this post! In your comment, be sure to tell us which BlackBerry 7 Smartphone you want and why! 

Other Details: Contest is open worldwide. Entry deadline is Midnight ET on August 31st, 2011. Please leave only one comment to this post. We'll announce the winner September 1st here on the blogs.  Good Luck!

This contest is sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com - the #1 for store for BlackBerry Accessories!

Best BlackBerry Torch 9810 Cases

BlackBerry Enterprise Express Activation app not supported on BB7 devices

It's bitter sweet when a brand new series of BlackBerry and OS launches. Sweet because of the excitement of getting that shiny new device in your hands. Nobody was more excited than the fearless leader of the CrackBerry Nation Kevin. I don't think it could have been clearer in his unboxing video that he more excited than the 6 year old on Christmas morning when he finds that new red bike. For those of you who missed it, go back and watch the video, you can't fake that love for the BlackBerry.

The bitter part though is many of our favorite apps are not supported on the new series of devices. Today was no different when I went to setup my new Bold 9900. OK so my Audible.com app isn't working, the Cineplex Mobile app isn't' supported, nor is Copy2Contact; but Enterprise Activation for BESX isn't supported?!?

*Note: The article doesn't imply that BES isn't supported by BB7, just that the BlackBerry Enterprise Express Activation app in AppWorld isn't supported.*

 

Dear RIM, how am I supposed to activate my new BlackBerry Bold 9900 on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express? Do I have to call my carrier and pay an additional $15 on my data plan for the Service Book to be pushed down? RIM you created this app so we didn't have to do that anymore.

BES support is the bread and butter of the BlackBerry ecosystem, for goodness sakes RIM YOU need to support the devices YOU make.  Please tell me that the guys who work down the hall in the app development department didn't get the memo on that a new series of BlackBerry smartphones were launching?

CrackBerry Poll: Which newly-announced BlackBerry 7 Smartphone are you most interested in?

As the Crack Team gets into review mode working on this wave of new BlackBerry 7 Smartphones hitting the market, I figured the timing made sense to get some feedback from CrackBerry Nation on where our priorities should lie. Obviously we're going to tackle every new BlackBerry with CrackBerry gusto, but we want to know - of the new BlackBerry 7 Smartphones announced, which one are you most interested in? 

Are you a keyboard kind of person so you're all about the new Bold? Or do you want to go full touchscreen and are most excited for the Torch 9850/9860? Or maybe you're a huge fan of the Torch 9800's sliding form factor, so are all about the 9810? Whichever one you're most interested in, cast your vote for it on the poll above and sound off in the comments with your reasoning.

NOTE: Yes, I realize I could have added other options to this poll like the upcoming Curve 9350/60/70 or an option that says I'm most interested in BlackBerry QNX Phones (I think we're all interested in that!), but I wanted to keep things limited here to the newly announced devices, as those are the phones we have/will have in our hands to play with over the days and weeks ahead.

Leaked screenshots show TELUS pricing for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Torch 9810

Hey TELUS users, listen up. Everyone else is getting release dates and pricing for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Torch 9810, others have the devices available already, and now some information has leaked for TELUS as well. CrackBerry member Leviathan123 snapped a couple of pics today that will put some of your questions to rest.

According to the screenshots, you'll be able to pick up the BlackBerry Bold 9900 off contract for $629. If you're planning an upgrade, you can get the device for $579 on a 1 year contract, $529 on a 2 year, $349 on a three year, and 149 on a 3 year with a plan of at least $50). According to his information, it will be available August 12th. As for the BlackBerry Torch 9810, Leviathan123's information shows that the device will be available in both grey AND white, August 12th. Pricing here is a bit lower than the Bold 9900 with the outright cost listed at $599, $549 on a 1 year, $499 on a 2 year, $329 on a three year, and just $129 on a 3 year with a plan of at least $50.

Last we heard these devices weren't expected until the 15th of August, so I guess we'll know in a day or two if it's the 12th or not. In any case, they're so close you can practically smell that new 'Berry scent. The only thing missing now is the Torch 9860. You can check out the second screenshot after the break, and jump on over to the forums for discussion.

Discuss in the forums

The calm before the CrackBerry storm... get ready for it!

Enjoy the calm while it lasts... Things are about to get CRAZY CRACKY around here.

If you're a long time reader of CrackBerry.com you know what happens when a new BlackBerry Smartphone hits the market... we go nuts! And to think we're on the verge of a wave of new BlackBerry 7 Smartphones getting announced and hitting the market after jonesing so long I have a feeling things are going to get really cracky around here, really soon. Don't forget, there's a BlackBerry 7 fan night coming up tomorrow and knowing RIM's habits we can fully expect they'll officially announce anything new that may get shown off at the events prior to them getting underway.

With August here I'm so relieved the wait is *almost* over. Seriously, the last BlackBerry Smartphone review I posted was of the Bold 9780 and that was back in December 2010. Talk about new BlackBerry withdrawal! And while the BlackBerry Bold 9900's unveiling at BlackBerry World helped to satisfy my cravings for a few days, my thumbs have been twitching for months now in anticipation of getting a hold of some new BBs to call my own. And I can only imagine so many of you reading this feel the same way. But instead of feeling impatient and mad at RIM for taking so long, it's time to start enjoying the last few weeks on whatever BlackBerry you own now as you get ready to say farewell to it and upgrade to a BlackBerry 7 device.

We've got a TON of stuff planned for the upcoming weeks to ring in what really is the new BlackBerry Smartphone Year, so be sure to enjoy this last bit of calm before the BlackBerry storm rolls into town (no, not that Storm!). Before you know it, it's going to be raining new phones around here!

Rogers Also Getting the BlackBerry Torch 9810

For those of you up north who were wondering when you would be getting the latest BlackBerry models here is a bit of good news. MobileSyrup got confirmation that Rogers is going to launch the BlackBerry Torch 9810. They managed to confirm this by getting a picture of a rate card for the device though it is missing the key information of a launch date or even the price. Hopefully those blanks will be filled in soon!

More on BerryReview

BlackBerry Torch 9810 & 9860 Virtual Keyboard Caught on Video

We have see quite a bit of these unreleased devices in the past few months. Still it is nice to see somebody has dedicated some time to the changes RIM has made the the virtual on screen keyboard in BlackBerry 7. From what I am seeing in these videos by Dungmr1 we are in for a nice update. I am still hoping that RIM simply buys a company like Swype to revamp the keyboard and offer third party options but that is still a dream. Check it out and let us know what you think! Kudos to the CrackBerry team for spotting these.

Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link

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BlackBerry Torch 2 9810 OS 7.1 Showing Up in App Logs?

Now here is an odd one. The developer of the opensource BlackBerry email client LogicMail, Derek Konigsberg, spotted an interesting device in his application stats. He saw somebody using one of the unannounced BlackBerry Torch 2 9810 but this model was running OS 7.1.0.4. With OS 7.0 not out the door yet this makes me wonder what device this is. The IP address seems to be coming from Russia but could it be that there is an OS 7.1 coming too?

Just to give you an idea of what the user agent should look like for the 9900:

Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9900; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0 Mobile Safari/534.11+

Notice the 7.0.0 instead of the 7.1.0.4 found in the logs. Let us know what your conspiracy theory is!

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BlackBerry Torch 2 9810 AT&T September & T-Mobile November Launch?

The rumors keep coming for the upcoming BlackBerry device lineup. The latest news coming from NerdBerry is that the BlackBerry Torch 2 9810 is coming to AT&T in September and T-Mobile in November. The full touch Torch 9850 and 9860 will be hitting CDMA carriers first with a Sprint and Verizon launch in November. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is on a different schedule with Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile getting it in August and AT&T scheduled for November. Last but not least the BlackBerry Curve 9360 is scheduled for September with a rollout to all carriers in November.

All in all this is still in rumorville but anybody else as excited as I am?

More on BerryReview

BlackBerry Torch 2 9810 Simulator Found Online – Newer Than Official Version

The march goes on for the upcoming BlackBerry smartphone lineup. The latest glimpse we have is a simulator for the unannounced BlackBerry Torch 9810 AKA the Torch 2. This device fits in the same form factor and the current Torch with some added goodness and a blazing fast 1.2Ghz CPU.

RIM did previously release a simulator for the BlackBerry 9810 but has not confirmed what the model name is. The version they released is running OS 7.0.0.103 while this leak is running 7.0.0.181. If you need to test out apps or want to see features this will probably give you a better baseline to compare to.

Download @ Freakshare

Kudos to CrackBerry and their anonymous source for snagging this updated version.

More on BerryReview

BlackBerry Torch 2 9810 Gets Another Hands On Review

The team at Engadget managed to get their hands on a BlackBerry Torch 2 9810. We have seen quite a bit of this device but this latest review really goes into some nice details. You can tell the reviewer is not a regular BlackBerry user which makes it even more impressive when you hear them saying good things about it even with prerelease software and hardware. Engadget has put up tons of pictures of the device at this link and even more of the OS at this link.

They have only good things to say about the processor bump to 1.2Ghz along with the new high resolution screen that they compare as “night and day” to the original Torch. I am not a bit iPhone user but they claim it is comparable now. Maybe that is what RIM means by Liquid Graphics? They also took a pretty sweet video with the device in 720p HD which actually looks good.

Check out the review at this link and let us know what you think! Hopefully RIM will get around to releasing it or even announcing it soon…

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