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RIM posts

RIM unveils tighter Adobe partnership, new app payment platform, OpenGL ES support, more

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 9th 2009 at 12:00PM

There aren't any new devices in the mix, but RIM has unleashed a torrent of BlackBerry OS-related news today at its BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco that's sure to make devs happy in the short term -- and you know how that goes: when devs are happy, it doesn't take long before end users reap the benefits. Here are the highlights:

BlackBerry devices running OS 5.0 and higher will be able to benefit from OpenGL ES support, the 3D platform used by many of the world's high-power smartphones for delivering killer games. There's a beta of the SDK already, so let's get cracking, everyone -- we need some first-person shooters that totally negate BlackBerry's ultra-productive image.
A new plugin for the Eclipse development environment should make building BlackBerry app GUIs easier than ever, which should hopefully lead to prettier apps; it'll be available in mid-2010.
BlackBerry Theme Studio is now available, simplifying theme creation with support for changing the home screen layout, fonts, icons, colors, cursors, and more; it supports BlackBerry OS 4.2.2 and higher, which means that virtually every BlackBerry in a pocket (or holster) today should be able to take advantage. The timing's perfect on this one, because RIM has also announced that themes can now be submitted to App World.
BlackBerry Payment Service has been announced for mid-2010 availability, bringing in-app payments, subscription support, and a variety of billing options, which all sounds far more robust than the PayPal-only setup they've got going today.
The Push Service made available to Alliance Program members earlier this year will be made available to all comers in "early 2010," making it easy to push bite-sized chunks of "time-sensitive alerts" to phones quickly and easily.
BlackBerry Advertising Service has been announced for 1H 2010 availability, bringing a unified ad platform for developers with a variety of existing ad networks on board. If this means more free apps in App World, we're all for it.
Expanding on the Flash partnership previously announced, RIM has teamed up with Adobe yet again to unveil tight integration with Creative Suite 5 with direct file exports for BlackBerry-optimized formats and the creation BlackBerry-specific web layouts. End users will also be able to pull files directly off their BlackBerrys into consumer offerings like Photoshop Elements. This particular news seems pretty fluffy since Adobe products are already capable of opening and saving media formats that the phones can use -- but as with many of the other announcements here, we're on board as long as it means better-looking apps.

Sure, we wouldn't have complained if some crazy Storm2 with a QWERTY slide had unexpectedly shown up, but all things considered, BlackBerry software shops have to be salivating at the bounty here.

BlackBerry Curve 8530 now official on Sprint

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 5th 2009 at 3:03PM

As we revealed this morning, the BlackBerry Curve 8530 -- a CDMA remix of the 8520 now available on T-Mobile -- is coming to Sprint to do battle with its Verizon-branded cousin. Unlike Verizon, which promises a November 20 launch for $99.99 on contract after rebate, Sprint isn't revealing pricing or availability details for the low-end BlackBerry -- but naturally, if they're smart, the answers will be "cheap" and "soon," respectively.

Verizon launches BlackBerry 8530, LG Chocolate Touch, Samsung Convoy, and prepaid data

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 5th 2009 at 9:45AM

HTC's DROID ERIS is arguably the biggest announcement out of Verizon today, but that's not the only thing getting real this morning -- far from it, in fact. If BlackBerrys, music-centric dumbphones, rugged flips, or commitment-free data are your bag, head on over to Engadget Mobile where we've covered the rest of the action!

Read - BlackBerry Curve 8530 brings optical trackpad to Verizon
Read - Verizon's LG Chocolate Touch skips on the BL40 influence
Read - Samsung Convoy is a rugged push-to-talker for Verizon
Read - Verizon broadband data goes prepaid

BlackBerry Bold 9700 hands-on and impressions

by Laura June posted Nov 5th 2009 at 12:00AM

RIM's successor to the original Bold -- the BlackBerry Bold 9700 -- has finally landed on our doorsteps. The 9000 is in many ways a hard act to follow. Hardware-wise, it lived up to its name, going where most phones never went with its retro, leathery, nearly clunky looks in an age of rounded edges and shiny curves. Don't get us wrong -- we loved the 9000's aesthetics obsessively -- which is why we couldn't wait to get our hands on its newborn child. A few questions we had in mind: would the 9700 live up to its predecessor's notoriously uncompromising fashion sense? Would the new Bold feel as good to hold and use in the hand as its loving parent? How would it stack up against other, new devices from RIM? If these are the kind of questions you think you might want answers to, read on for our impressions.

Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9700 hands-on and impressions

Rejoice! BlackBerry support arrives on Celio REDFLY

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 7:11PM

We heard it'd be here in mid-Q4, and sure enough, it's here. And by "it," we mean "BlackBerry support for Celio's largely unwanted REDFLY Mobile Companion." Starting today, those looking for the Foleo's long lost cousin can snap up a REDFLY and download a free driver that adds compatibility for RIM's BlackBerry Bold 9000, Curve 8900 and Tour 9630. Granted, it's not like the BlackBerry web browser will be any less painful to use on an enlarged screen, but hey, whatever suits your fancy.

[Via TestFreaks, thanks Nirckolas]

Gallery: Rejoice! BlackBerry support arrives on Celio REDFLY

RIM posts job listing for 'WebKit Developer,' gets one step closer to a real browser

by Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 1st 2009 at 4:33PM

Needed some more evidence that future BlackBerrys may be getting a much needed improvement in the browser department? You got it. Following up on the news that Research In Motion has acquired Torch Mobile (developers of the WebKit-based Iris browser), the Candian phonemaker is now looking to fill the position of "WebKit Developer," according to a job listing. The posting calls for a number of skills which would come in handy whilst creating a next-gen browser for the BlackBerry OS, clearly calling for someone with hands-on experience coding... WebKit style. Look, if you love Canada and hate the BlackBerry browser, here's your chance to make the world a better place. What are you waiting for?

[Thanks, Daniel M]

First Storm 2 ad huffs and puffs for attention (video)

by Ross Miller posted Oct 29th 2009 at 12:17AM

Given the timing of Storm 2's launch and the Motorola DROID's unveiling, you'd think Verizon had all but abandoned its touchscreen BlackBerry. But lo and behold, we do have a new television spot. "Who says lightning never strikes twice" -- who said it ever struck the first time? Video after the break.

[Via Gear Diary]

Continue reading First Storm 2 ad huffs and puffs for attention (video)

Storm2 now available from Verizon for those who waited

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 28th 2009 at 6:46AM

Assuming RIM and Verizon didn't completely scorch the earth of prospective touch-screen BlackBerry buyers, some of you might like to know that Verizon's Storm2 9550 is now ready for purchase. As expected, the Storm2 will cost you $180 after $100 on-line discount and after you prostrate yourself to a two-year tithe. Sorry original Storm owners, neither Verizon nor RIM are offering you any kind of appeasement for your early troubles -- remember, according to RIM buggy smartphones are the new reality.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Verizon's BlackBerry Curve 8530 gets reviewed early

by Darren Murph posted Oct 26th 2009 at 4:35PM

The phone you're peering at above has more names than we'd care to count, but the so-called Aries (or the Gemini's CDMA'd sibling, if you please) may end up on Verizon as one of two things: the BlackBerry Curve 8530 or the BlackBerry Curve 2. The folks over at CrackBerry managed to get their hands on a unit far before this thing has even been officially released, and of course they've given us the rundown just as the Storm2 is stealing all of the attention over at Big Red. The WiFi-equipped handset (yeah, you read that right) was said to be "identical to the Curve 8520" with the exception of the back cover design, meaning that while solid, the device definitely felt "entry-level." The interface was said to be satisfactorily snappy, the optical trackpad was dubbed "really great" and the web browser was still thoroughly worthless. If you really need to hear more, give that read link a look.

inPulse Smartwatch for BlackBerry up for pre-order, ships in February 2010

by Darren Murph posted Oct 26th 2009 at 10:51AM

Just as we'd heard, RIM decided to outsource the production of the planet's first BlackBerry watch, but that doesn't mean that devoted BB Messenger users won't be hankerin' for one. The inPulse Smartwatch for BlackBerry is being produced by Allerta, and now that it's official, we can safely say that it'll rely on Bluetooth in order to bring incoming emails, text messages and other alerts from your handset to your wrist (or your ankle, if you roll like that). As for specs, you're looking at a 1.3-inch OLED display, glass lens, full metal body, vibrating motor, microUSB port and a rechargeable battery that's good for around four days of "normal use." inPulse users will have to install a special BlackBerry application in order to pass along information, but those hoping to use their watch to actually send messages will be sorely disappointed. It's up for pre-order now at $149, and if all goes well, the first ones will ship out in February.

Verizon Storm2 on October 28th, BlackBerry OS 5.0 for original Storm out now

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 26th 2009 at 7:17AM

If you have an original Storm purchased through Verizon then first, our condolences. At the risk of rubbing it in (since you're still on contract) we have to tell you that the second generation Storm2 -- the full-screen BlackBerry you should have waited for -- just got an official $179.99 (after $100 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract) October 28th release date as expected. Storm owners can, however, take solace in the BlackBerry OS 5.0 update now available for download that boasts several improvements including those keyboard and general usability enhancements we already knew were coming.

BlackBerry Storm update landing tomorrow, bringing lots of good stuff (update: now with changelog!)

by Darren Murph posted Oct 24th 2009 at 11:01AM

Hey, you -- yeah you, the BlackBerry Storm owner over there. You listening? Good. That mythical software update we heard about just last week is obviously the real deal, and a screen grab from Verizon's internal systems has shown up to prove it. We're told that it should go live tomorrow (that's October 25th for those in strange, potentially illegitimate time zones) at 6PM. On the whole, it'll make your Storm act a lot more like the forthcoming Storm2, but specifically you can expect a "faster, more accurate and more natural text input experience, word completion, a virtual QWERTY keyboard in portrait view and enhanced sensitivity when editing, copying and pasting." You'll also get the ability to "enable Auto Correction as opposed to Word Completion in landscape view." The full changelog should be coming soon, so hang tight! Oh, and cancel those plans for tomorrow night, okay?

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Update: Check out the full (purported) changelog after the break!

Continue reading BlackBerry Storm update landing tomorrow, bringing lots of good stuff (update: now with changelog!)

Verizon launching Storm2 on October 28 for $179.99?

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 23rd 2009 at 2:41PM

Say you're North America's largest wireless carrier -- how do you go about burying a product you're about to carry that you secretly wish didn't exist? One creative option would be to opt out of announcing it when its manufacturer does, then quietly launch it on the same day that you're announcing the phone you're calling the "must-have device of the year." Tricky, eh? Yeah, sure enough, by all appearances it seems that Verizon doesn't plan on celebrating the arrival of the Storm2 with the same fanfare it gave the Storm, despite the fact that the new device directly addresses the biggest complaints dogging the original model. It's a "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me" sort of situation, we suppose. Anyhow, it looks like pricing should come in at $179.99 on contract, though $100 of that comes in the form of a mail-in rebate that you'll get on a prepaid debit card, so you'll actually be laying out close to $300 before taxes when you march into the store on October 28. Hey, look at it this way: at least you can keep refreshing Engadget on your old Storm to learn about the Droid while you're waiting in line for the Storm2, right?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

BlackBerry Bold 9700 gains FCC clearance in T-Mobile trim

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 23rd 2009 at 11:54AM

You can't make heads or tails of what carrier might be getting this version of the Bold 9700 just by looking at the wireframe diagram buried in the ID label documentation, but here's an important clue: it got tested for WCDMA Band IV, also known as AWS -- so yeah, that would be a pretty solid indicator that this puppy is T-Mobile USA's version. You could spend literally hours thumbing through the hundreds of pages of RF test results here, so curl up on a cushy futon and geek out -- just do us a favor and don't actually print it out, okay?

BlackBerry Bold 9700 gets handled, appreciated for its nuances

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 21st 2009 at 3:13PM

Our dear colleagues over at Engadget German have had a chance to play with RIM's just-announced BlackBerry Bold 9700 today, and every indication we've gotten is that this thing is a perfect -- if not extremely conservative -- successor to the first-generation Bold. Interface and network speed are both praised (both the 9700 and the Bold before it feature a 624MHz core, so there's some magic going on here) and the microSD card is now hot-swappable, meaning that you've got a theoretically limitless supply of storage space if you happen to be carrying around a pocketful of 16GB cards. Check out the full gallery below, and naturally, stay tuned for a review of this bad boy just as soon as is humanly possible.