Dropbox for BlackBerry updated to v1.0.39.34

After a bit of a meltdown on Sunday Dropbox has recovered and is back up and (securely) running. Their BlackBerry app has again been updated, this time what looks to be some minor bug fixes. Whether the "fixes" are related to their secutiry breach we're not sure, but better safe than sorry right? No change log this time around but it doesn't look like anything major has changed (if you sport something let us know in the comments). You can grab the update free from BlackBerry App World at the link below. Thanks to everyone that sent this in!

More information/download of Dropbox for BlackBerry

Part-Time Scientists looking to take QNX to the moon

When RIM invested into QNX it wasn't just for their BlackBerry Tablet OS. As has been noted many times, QNX has been around for quite some time and is found in many places today -- from cars, elevators, medical instruments and even defense and security applications. RIM knew this and has no intentions of disrupting QNX's current operations. In fact, it's something that is often overlooked when referring to RIM and their recent dramatic demise headlines. QNX was an investment for RIM that extends well beyond the BlackBerry Tablet OS space. Apparently everyone forgot that QNX was quite a profitable company on it's own and they are now a part of RIM.

Now, a group named The Part-Time Scientists is hoping to take QNX to the moon with their entry into the Google Lunax X Challenge.  QNX's role here? The Part-Time Scientists have chosen QNX as the OS their rover "Asimov" will run due to it's strengths in real time operations. They've been working on the robot in their spare time in hopes to claim a portion of the $20 million prize for landing their rover on the moon and have it send information back to earth. That prize, jumps to $30 million if the rover survives the extreme conditions of the moon and can capture images of the Apollo landing site. Needless to say, we wish them all the best on their mission -- they're currently among the top 5 of the 30 entrants that are most likely to succeed on their mission and that alone is something to be proud of.

Visit The Part-Time Scientists website for more info

Source: On Q - The QNX Blog

Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and Google Talk extracted from OS 7.0.0.176

Earlier today OS 7.0.0.176 leaked for the unreleased BlackBerry Bold 9900. While this OS as a whole isn't useful for, well, anyone at this point, there are people out there that can dissect an OS and get useful bits out of it. As a result, we now have leaked versions of some popular IM apps, namely Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger. They are all v2.5.85, and only tested on BB6+. Here's the deal… if you decide to try these out, backup your device first. Install these at your own risk, and if something goes wrong, don't blame us. With that said, let us know how they work for you in the comments below or in the forums! Thanks for posting this in the forums lyricidal!

Download Windows Live Messenger v2.5.85 (OS6+)
Download Yahoo! Messenger v2.5.85 (OS6+)
Download Google Talk v2.5.85 (OS6+)

Discuss more in the forums

TweetCaster for BlackBerry enters beta stages

Although Seesmic may have given up their efforts for the BlackBerry platform that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of other developers out there ready to go ahead and fill their void. Tweetcaster has now re-launched their Twitter client for BlackBerry in beta form. Yes, I say re-launched because the app they released before was scrapped in favor of a new UI and additional features such as multiple account support, image uploads and list integration.

You can download the app now for free but it will cost you a Tweet basically promoting the release of the new application. If you're into checking out new Twitter apps, give this one a go and let us know how it's working for you all.

Learn more and download TweetCaster for BlackBerry

Official OS 5.0.0.1082 for the BlackBerry Storm 2 9550 released by Appalachian Wireless

It's been a really long time since the BlackBerry Storm 2 9550 saw an OS update. I mean, a REALLY long time. Well that streak has ended as forums member lyricidal let us know that Appalachian Wireless has officially released OS 5.0.0.1082. It's available to download from the link below, so dust off Desktop Manager and give it a go! Of course, be sure to back up your data before you load it and if Appalachian Wireless is not your carrier you'll need to delete the vendor.xml file. Let us know in the comments or in the forums what changes you find!

Download OS 5.0.0.1082 for the BlackBerry Storm 2 9550
Discuss findings and fixes in the forums

BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.6 now available

It was only a few days ago that we let you all know that v.1.0.6 of the BlackBerry Tablet OS was headed to the BlackBerry Beta Zone for developers to test out. Well, looks like testing went well as that release is now available for all to download. As noted on the Inside BlackBerry Blog, changes include:

This latest version of the BlackBerry Tablet OS includes support for Adobe® Flash® 10.3 and support for Adobe® AIR® 2.7 software. This means that with this update you should experience even better performance for Flash videos than before, and be able to access new applications that are being built with Adobe AIR 2.7 software. For all the developers out there, be sure to check out our post on the Inside BlackBerry Developer’s Blog.

Today’s update also incorporates the Adobe Flash Player updates as noted in Adobe Security Bulletins APSB11-12 and APSB11-18, which addresses issues that can potentially affect any PC, tablet or other device with an operating system that supports Flash. While there are no known reports of any BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users being affected by these Adobe Flash issues, we (as always) encourage all BlackBerry PlayBook users to update to the newest version of the BlackBerry Tablet OS. For more information about what these security updates mean to the BlackBerry PlayBook please see our security advisory.

Have at it, the download is available now when you check for software updates on your BlackBerry PlayBook. When completed, reboot and give it a run through -- don't forget to drop some comments here on the blogs and let everyone know how it's running for ya.

Rumor: Verizon Wireless to unveil new tiered data plans July 7th?

Word around the web has been hinting at Verizon Wireless bringing some changes to both their family and data plans. Now it seems that July 7th might be the big day for these changes to go into effect, with tiered data plans and data + tethering plans. Supposedly at this time just for new customers and possibly current customers that are up for renewal, the new plans are shaping up to look something like:

Data plans:

Data + tethering plans:

So it looks like tethering is $20 extra per month for an additional 2GB of data. Additional data beyond your plan allotment will cost you $10/GB and tablet data plans will change to $30 for 2 GB. If this information plays out to be true, and you're looking at switching carriers, will it affect your decision regarding which company you go with?

*UPDATE* Android Central now has some more details posted up.

Source: Droid-Life

Seesmic dropping support for BlackBerry smartphones

Although Seesmic has been around on BlackBerry for a while now, I'm guessing the constant onslaught of RIM in the past few days may have helped just a little with triggering the blog update from the Seesmic developers. As posted on their blog:

Effective June 30th, Seesmic will discontinue support for Blackberry in order to focus development efforts on our most popular mobile platforms: Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7.

We encourage those effected by this change to try out Seesmic for Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7, as well as Seesmic Desktop and Web.

Sincerely,

Team Seesmic

Ouch! Personally, I've never been a user of Seesmic on my BlackBerry -- I always felt their BlackBerry efforts a little underwhelming and I really can't remember the last time I saw a Seesmic for BlackBerry user in my Twitter timeline. That's not to say they don't make great apps because they really do, Seesmic is my preferred Twitter app on Android but for BlackBerry their offerings weren't all that great. Any Seesmic for BlackBerry users out there going to miss the support?

Source: Seesmic / Blog

RIM updates screen resolution information for developers, inadvertently announces new BlackBerry devices

For developers, updating their applications to new devices can be easy but when new screen resolutions are introduced that task does indeed become a little bit harder. A prime example of this is when we were at BlackBerry World, Kevin, Adam and I tested out Angry Farm on the BlackBerry Bold 9900 to see if it would play any better with the new processor. Given that Angry Farm was not optimized for the Bold 9900 some portions of the game didn't fit the screen. The of course was because the BlackBerry Bold 9900 had a larger screen resolution then what the game was set to display.

So in short, developers will need to update their apps in order to make sure they work on the 9360, 9810, 9850, 9900 and 9930. Wait -- what? 9360, 9810, 9850? Yeah, Research In Motion just inadvertently outed the new BlackBerry Curve, Torch 2 and Torch 9850 via their own BlackBerry Developers blog. Although to their credit they are still listed as simulator models. However, we already know what they are due to all the previous leaks so I guess the real question here is -- when are you going to officially announce these devices RIM? You know, since even the simulators are now available and all.

Source: Blackberry Dev Blog; BlackBerry Device simulators

Check out Swaggberry - The latest from JJ Money

It's been a while since we've seen a new tune about BlackBerry hit YouTube, but JJ Money comes through this time with the song Swaggberry. It is another song to add to the extensive list of BlackBerry/BBM tunes and it doesn't disappoint. Swaggberry is all about BlackBerry - "if you ain't got no PIN, I don't want your number. The only way to meet is through BBM". This is one more that will surely be stuck in my head for the next week or so. Check out the full video above, then just try to stop singing it in your head before the end of he day :-)

Press Release: Adobe Enables Developers to Build Mobile Apps for Android Devices, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad

Press Release

Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5 Update Available Today

SAN JOSE, Calif.-- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today delivered an update to Adobe® Flash® Builder® 4.5 and Flex 4.5 software to enable developers to build applications for iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry PlayBook. Support for Android devices was released in April 2011. Developers now have a single platform for building highly expressive mobile applications that can be distributed via the Android Market, Apple App Store and BlackBerry App World. Offered standalone or as part of Creative Suite® 5.5 Web Premium and Master Collection, Flash Builder 4.5 enables the creation of applications that work seamlessly across leading mobile device platforms.

“The reaction from developers to the new mobile capabilities in Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 framework has been absolutely fantastic,” said Ed Rowe, vice president of developer tooling, Adobe. “They are amazed by how easy it is to create great mobile apps for Android devices, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad. Companies can now effectively reach their customers no matter what type of device they have.”

Today’s release accompanies the announcement of the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform (see separate release). With consumers increasingly engaging with more content on smartphones and tablets, large enterprises are required to add mobile applications as a core part of their marketing strategy. Simultaneously, IT organizations are looking to build business process, CRM and other employee productivity applications to support the broad range of devices and platforms in use today. Using Flash Builder and Flex, enterprises can now use one tool, one framework and one codebase to create high performance applications that run on desktops as well as on smartphones and tablets.

 

Flex 4.5 also includes significant productivity enhancements that allow developers to rapidly build applications for the desktop, Web and top mobile platforms. Using best practice code templates, code completion and code generation features in Flash Builder 4.5, developers can accelerate the creation of Flex and ActionScript® applications and deploy them using Adobe AIR® software, Adobe’s runtime for standalone applications. This allows developers an opportunity to reach more than 80 million Android devices, BlackBerry PlayBooks, iPads and iPhones in the marketplace today. By the end of the year more than 200 million mobile devices are expected to support AIR applications.

Mobile Apps in Action

Many applications built with Flash Builder and Flex have already been published to the Android Market, Apple App Store, and BlackBerry App World. Following are a sample of those created for Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS using Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5, leveraging existing code and logic to quickly deploy to leading mobile platforms.

Developer Reaction to Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 Framework

Nahuel Foronda, owner and president, AsFusion

“We saved a significant amount of development time using Flash Builder 4.5. We used 100 percent of Conqu’s initial codebase and logic to quickly deploy to several mobile platforms, including Android, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone, iPad and the Barnes & Noble Nook Color.”

Sean Carey, president, HD Interactive

“Flash Builder 4.5 allowed us to develop our Mr. Mixit and Pyramix apps and use the same code base to quickly and easily deploy them to multiple platforms. To create an app natively for one platform would have taken at least three times the amount of time—and then we would have had to start from scratch all over again for a native app on the next platform. It’s unbelievable the amount of time we save using Flash Builder 4.5 to build and deploy our apps.”

Bill Adair, editor, Politifact.com

“PolitiFact’s fact-checking journalism is ideal for a mobile app because it’s backed by solid reporting and presented in a concise, creative way. You don't have to be a policy wonk to understand the Truth-O-Meter. The app allows us to present our journalism in lively new ways."

Jonathan Campos, founder, UnitedMindset

"The new mobile application development capabilities in Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 allowed me to create Netflix Queue Manager quickly, and debug the application across a variety of configurations. I can now create, develop, and test mobile and multi-screen apps in one place, ultimately bringing our apps to market faster on multiple devices.”

Helpful Links

Pricing and Availability

To download or trial Flash Builder 4.5, please go to www.adobe.com/products/flash-builder.html. Street price is US$249 for Flash Builder 4.5 Standard, US$699 for Flash Builder 4.5 Premium. Flash Builder 4.5 Premium is also available as part of the Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium and Master Collection. Upgrade pricing for Flash Builder 4.5 is $49 and volume licensing is available. Flex 4.5 is available as a free open source framework. Also, Flash Builder 4.5 for PHP today supports mobile application development for Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

© 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Creative Suite, Flash, Flash Builder, ActionScript and AIR are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Trademark BlackBerry is owned by Research In Motion Limited and is registered in the United States and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Businesswire

BlackBerry Avatar Builder is back in App World with v1.0.1

A few days ago, we let you know about the free BlackBerry Avatar Builder that RIM released into BlackBerry App World. Shortly after its release, the app was pulled from App World with no explanation, leaving many people wondering why. After all, it was an official release from RIM, and it didn't have any obvious glitches or bugs, so it was a bit of a mystery to everyone. Well, not everyone... the app was brought up on the last CrackBerry Podcast, and Kevin mentioned it was likely pulled because, unlike all other apps developed and released by RIM, the Avatar Builder didn't make you agree to a lengthy EULA before using it.

Lo and behold, the Avatar Builder is back in App World today with an update to v1.0.1. I installed the update, and fired up the app, and guess what? Kevin was right, as usual. The miles long EULA popped up right away. So for those of you that tried to download the application and couldn't because it had been removed from App World, go ahead and give it a try now.

Download Avatar Builder Guys Edition
Download Avatar Builder Girls Edition

CrackBerry Podcast Episode 071: It can only get better from here... we hope!

Following up Thursday's RIM earnings call, which has resulted in a lot of BlackBerry gloom and doom talk around the interwebs, we fired things up Friday afternoon for a Live CrackBerry Podcast. In case you missed it live, here's the recording of that show for you to listen to at your leisure.

Take fair warning BlackBerry fans, this podcast is a little depressing and a bit all over the place more than usual due to the nature of recording with a live chatroom active, though it still has its moments of positivity and humor mixed in. During the show we reflect on the past few years of BlackBerry, talk about where things have been going wrong that put them in position they are now in, we talk about what's happening right now and from there we talk about what they're going to have to do to change the negative sentiment that's plaguing RIM at this moment. It's a bit of a downer, but it had to happen, we kept it honest and we're confident it's only going to get better from here. We're always rooting for BlackBerry to kick a$$, even when things are going a little less stellar than planned. Take a listen, and be sure to sound off in the comments! The next show will be uber positive once again, I promise!

CrackBerry Live Podcast - State of the BlackBerry Nation - Listen Live Right Now!

Status: Recording Live Now. Feel Free to Participate in the Chat Below.

Choice and Control - BlackBerry Bridge and BlackBerry Balance

 

BlackBerry Balance should really be called BlackBerry You-Shall-Not-Pass or BlackBerry Wall, but I imagine Balance looks a bit better in the marketing materials. BlackBerry Balance isn't an application, it's an idea. Your Work life and Personal life can coexist on the same device, but they must always remain separate. Corporate data is sensitive data, no matter the size or operation of a company. Letting that data roam free amongst personal applications could be a disaster.

BlackBerry Balance is the wall that allows corporate data to be used on personal devices. This means a company can be secure in letting people bring their BlackBerry smartphone in "off the street" and use that phone on the secure corporate network. Running on a Blance'd smartphone or tablet, applications know when they're using work data; they won't allow it to be transferred to personal applications. Copy and Pasting work data into a tweet? Not with BlackBerry Balance you're not.

Balance demonstrates the high level of control, flexibility, and security offered to BlackBerry Enterprise Server administrators, executives, and users. BlackBerry Bridge, BlackBerry Balance, and the Enterprise Catalog of Applications in App World give network administrators choice without compromising security.

 

 

BlackBerry Bridge is a secure window allowing the BlackBerry PlayBook to view information coming from the smartphone. Many might see this application as a crutch, providing temporary access to messages, calendars, and the like. BlackBerry Bridge isn't going anywhere; it and native applications will exist side-by-side on the PlayBook. Bridge represents a choice for BES Admins.

The very first time a smartphone and PlayBook are connected the two devices work together to create the BlackBerry Bridge pairing key. If the two devices don't agree on the key or if the device goes out of Bluetooth range, Bridge'd applications are immediately locked. If the smartphone is connected to a BES, Bridge'd apps inherit all of the rules from the BES; and all of the data displayed on the PlayBook is considered work data.

Work data is stored in a separate, encrypted file system using the BlackBerry Bridge work key to encrypt and decrypt data that is cached or stored for use on the tablet.  This is not a separate area of the file system, the work file system is completely separate from the personal file system.  The BlackBerry Bridge work key is not stored in persistent memory on the PlayBook; the key is only stored on the smartphone. If the PlayBook is stolen or lost, work data remains encrypted as the key to decrypt it is not stored on the tablet.

 

Right now, this very minute, an administrator running BES 4.0 and higher has two options when it comes to BlackBerry Bridge. One: prevent Bridge from running on the smartphone, Two: permit it. Applications Bridge'd to the tablet inherit the same security rules as the BES connected phone. Cashed data on the tablet is encrypted with the BlackBerry Bridge work key.

In the near future, Research In Motion will release the PlayBook Administration Service as a free-add-on to BES 5.0; administrators will have the option to directly manage the PlayBook. BlackBerry Balance on the PlayBook, is a big part of that. Admins will be able to push data, apps, and security rules to the business side of the tablet while ignoring the personal side.  

As with BlackBerry Bridge, work data is stored in a completely separate file system and encrypted.  Work data and Personal data do not mix on a Balance'd PlayBook.  At any time, the BES administrator can destroy business data and disassociate the device from the enterprise network without affecting the personal side of the device.

 

Research In Motion has always striven to give its customers the ability to choose - both at the enterprise and consumer levels. With a wide variety of form-factors, the BlackBerry appeals to many different people and usage scenarios. With BlackBerry Bridge and BlackBerry Balance, administrators have new choices when it comes to devices on the network. Personal smartphones can be added to the network without compromising security.

Admininstrators will soon have even more choices when it comes to deploying the BlackBerry PlayBook on their corporate networks. BlackBerry Bridge represents a simple and effortless expansion of the secure corporate network on to the tablet. With no intervention required, the corporate user's tablet can take advantage of the existing security rules on the smartphone to display information without compromising security. Or, with one small change to the BES policies, the administrator can prevent Bridge from being used on BES-connected devices.

PlayBook Administration Services and BlackBerry Balance will add an additional option of control for BES connected tablets. Even provisioning an individual user's personal BlackBerry PlayBook will be permitted with BlackBerry Balance and the security features built in to that system. In the end, it is up to the network administrator to determine how devices will connect to and use the corporate network. Bridge and Balance simply allow that administrator more control than ever before.

Further Explanation on Why we are Waiting Sooo Long for BlackBerry 7 Smartphones to be Released

Reflecting upon Thursday evening's RIM Q1 Results and earnings call, the pieces finally fell into place so we can more accurately tell the story of why it is taking so long for RIM to bring the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 and other next-generation BlackBerry Smartphones to market.

On the historic call, which featured both Co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis delivering the results commentary and tag teaming the Q&A period, the following was what Mike had to offer in regards to the lull in new BlackBerry phones:

We were already well down a development path to the next-generation BlackBerry handsets when we realized that in the US the features and performance arms race demanded that we upgrade the chipset and port BlackBerry to a higher-performance platform. This was an engineering change that affected hardware and software timelines and pushed out entry into carrier certification labs.

It's only two short sentences, but if you've followed the BlackBerry development path for a few years there's a lot you can gather from them. Specifically, Mike is saying that devices like the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 at their design inception were not originally intended to get the 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset that they are going to launch with. That makes sense considering we've been hearing about devices like Magnum and Onyx III since before that chipset even existed.

From what I've gathered, RIM was originally going to continue to use Marvell for at least one more generation of their top of the line GSM BlackBerry Smartphones, bumping up from the current 624MHz found in devices like the Bold 9780 to 800MHz likely via the Tavor MG-1 (and on the CDMA side going with something like the Qualcomm MSM 8655 800GHz). With RIM typically having a pretty big lead time on their device development cycle, the progression from 624MHz up to 800MHz fits the way they have rolled out platform upgrades over the years.

But someone at somepoint in recent months must have woken up one morning and realized that 800MHz would be laughable in their top tier devices compared to the onslaught of high-end specs being ushered in by Android phones, so relegated 800MHz to the low end (BlackBerry apollo/sedona - the new Curve) and realized they needed to do something more compelling for their flagship devices. With Marvell's offerings looking lackluster compared to Qualcomm's, for RIM that meant a big undertaking relatively late in the commercialization cycle of these new devices as they would be abandoning Marvell.

RIM has always treated the development of their GSM and CDMA devices independently, as the devices were on different chipsets. Just think back over the years as to how GSM and CDMA BlackBerry devices would launch at different times and even physically look different (think Bold 9650 and Bold 9700) and could have significantly different performance. For CDMA, RIM would just license Qualcomm's radio stack, but on the GSM side RIM wrote their own - one of the reasons why that Bold 9700/9780 has always gotten such awesome battery life as RIM maintains finite control over the part that can eat the battery away quickly. Again wanting to maintain control over their radio stacks, this late change to Qualcomm meant RIM having to re-write that code for the new chipset, and in doing so, must then go through the technical acceptance process with carriers all over again. That again explains why on the call Mike said this is some of the best code they've written to date, and that why once one devices gets approved it should move quick from there (it probably also explains why RIM is pretty confident the smaller 1230mAh battery in the 9900 will still get good battery life - they're killing it with the code). Now having only one chipset to worry about for both GSM and CDMA will definitely speed things up for RIM down the road once they get through the process one.

Beyond the radio side, RIM would also would have had to put a ton of time into adapting the BlackBerry OS for some of the other features offered by the new chipset, like the dedicated GPU which RIM is tapping into to power what they have dubbed as "liquid graphics." Yet another reason for the delays, which I'll save for another article to dive into, could be the fact RIM forgot about phones for a little bit while they worked around the clock to push out the PlayBook.

Thinking back to when I first went hands on with the new touch Bold at BlackBerry World in May, I pretty much felt that was a device that RIM could put on sale right then and there (and I probably would have bought ten). Sure, it still had a few little bugs, but it felt ready enough for me. After yesterday's earnings call, I get the sense that it's ready enough for RIM too at this point, but they just need to finish getting through this TA process yet again. 

So if you're reading this and happen to work for a carrier in the T.A. department and test this stuff out, do CrackBerry Nation a favor and approve it fast! I want my BlackBerry Bold 9900 aready!

Google Ad “Confirms” Verizon Wireless Launching The BlackBerry Bold Touch 9930

Verizon has been super quiet about their upcoming BlackBerry smartphones but John, a reader and fan of BBRocks.com, let me know they may have slipped up with a Google ad. If you go to Google and search for “bold touch 9930″ the ad at the top should be for a “Bold Touchscreen” which everyone by now knows can only be one device, in this case, the BlackBerry Bold “Touch” 9930. When RIM first announced the Bold 9900 series they didn’t specifically mention which carriers would offer it but it looks like Google isn’t good at keeping secrets, which is nothing new.

Clicking on the ad takes you to a page that says “The selection you made is unavailable at this time” but it does take you to the official Verizon site which can only tell us one thing…they’re getting ready. When they’ll actually launch the Bold 9930 is still not known but RIM said it’s “expected to be available from carriers around the world beginning this summer” and since summer is already upon is, it’s definitely around the corner.

Anyone on Verizon (or any other carrier) excited for the Bold 9900 series?

BlackBerry Torch 2 Gets An Extensive Hands On Preview With Photos & Video!

The team over at Engadget got their hands on a BlackBerry Torch 2 courtesy of Negri Electronics and put together a great, extensive hands-on preview complete with photos and video. The Torch 2 has yet to be made official by RIM but that doesn’t seem to be stopping the many leaks including OS releases, possible launch date details, and a few live photos. Although we’ve seen and heard a bunch about this device already, Engadget does a great job of breaking everything down and offering many different views of the device in the photos and video. You can check out their full preview here (video included) or check out the photos below!

Click on an image to enlarge it.