CrackBerry.com reviews the BlackBerry 8220 (the flip!)

Posted by: Brandon Steili on Jul 23 2008 - 24 views

Yea … you’re seeing that right. Months and months before this thing even thinks about hitting the streets the folks over at CrackBerry.com already have one in hand and have written up a hardware review. Think about that for a second … this thing hasn’t even been “officially announced” yet! Talk about getting your hands on a pre-release.

Anyway - click on through to CrackBerry.com and check this thing out … they even took the time to go down to a Rogers store to check out the flip phone competition. Very cool look at what is bound to be a VERY popular BlackBerry.

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Brighthand reviews the Blackberry Curve 8830

Posted by: Brandon Steili on Jul 22 2008 - 64 views

While definitely not something that’s “right up my alley” the Blackberry Curve has always seemed to pique my curiosity. I’m not sure what it is about the Curve … but something about the device calls out to me. Of course I’m perfectly happy with my iPhone and have absolutely no intentions of letting it go in favor of the Curve - I guess I’m just admiring from a distance as it were.

Anyway, in case you’re one of the folks with a decent sized phone budget, and a fan of the RIM … Brighthand has posted a nice (not in depth) review of the Curve from a very day-to-day perspective.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 for Sprint is not a fancy device, nor is it extra special in any real particular way. However, it is solid, well built, and has the kind of ability to just blend into day-to-day activities without requiring too much in the way of tweaking and modifying the default setup.

Check out the full review at Brighthand

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SplashData Launches SplashMoney for BlackBerry

Posted by: danc on Jul 08 2008 - 110 views

In the same week that SplashData prepares to release iPhone versions of three of their products they are showing a little Blackberry love, as well.

Earlier today they announced a version of their SplashMoney personal finance application for BlackBerry smartphones. With SplashMoney, BlackBerry users now have the ability to instantly download their most recent banking account activities through a wireless connection and synchronize with a Windows PC. SplashMoney allows users to securely record transactions, track account balances, generate reports and budgets, and manage finances while on the go.

According to their press release

SplashMoney may be used as a stand-alone application on a BlackBerry or Windows desktop computer, and is optimized for two-way synchronization between the two. Changes made to both mobile and desktop versions will be retained and merged into one up-to-date file upon synchronization, rather than the most recently updated version overwriting the other version.

Those concerned with online privacy issues (as everyone should) will be glad to know that SplashData has built-in secure password protection using 256-bit Blowfish encryption to protect against malicious hacking or
other threats.

"Managing finances on the go has never been more important, with many families using multiple credit cards and checking accounts," said MorganSlain, SplashData CEO. "SplashMoney makes it easier than ever to get an instant overall picture of your finances and delivers a complete end-to-end
financial management solution of unparalleled integration, simplicity and value."

SplashMoney is available now for $29.95 at www.splashdata.com. It is also available as part of the SplashWallet Suite, which includes SplashID, SplashPhoto and SplashShopper as well as SplashMoney at a 50% discount. A full functioning 30-day trial version is also available for download.

Tags: Splashdata, SplashMoney, Blackberry

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More BB9000 news — iTunes sync!

Posted by: Ragart on May 15 2008 - 179 views

Just a quick tidbit of news, but apparently (from CNET) BlackBerry 9000 users might be able to sync their tunes through iTunes. So they can get up to 16GB of sweet, sweet music in Apple juice format on the shiny new Blackberry Bold! Get your straws ready, it’s slurping time! (that made no sense)

 

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Astraware Games Coming to BlackBerry

Posted by: weiganla on May 14 2008 - 475 views

Right after RIM announced it was creating a $150 million fund to support BlackBerry software development, Handmark (the parent company of awesome game studio Astraware) released plans to launch a couple of lifestyle programs and several Astraware games for BlackBerry. Coincidence? Hmm.

The two Handmark programs will be available May 28. Bible Translations features wireless access to 16 translations of the Good Book. Ringtone Junkie is a ringtone manager that also includes unlimited access to its basic ringtone catalog.

Game fans will have to wait a little longer. The press release promises games in Q3 including squishy shoot-em-up Platypus. Astraware’s flagship gamepacks Solitaire, Sudoku, Casino, and Boardgames will show up in Q4.

RIM is obviously trying to extend into the non-business market, but I had my first experience with a BlackBerry Pearl yesterday and I really, really don’t get the appeal. A friend was missing calls because the ring volume was too soft, and it took me about five minutes to figure out how to fix it. I might have done it in four if the darn trackball wasn’t slowing me down. RIM wants me to play games on that thing? I’d rather chew off my own thumb.

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Mobile Platform Wars - Blackberry Ups The Ante

Posted by: PatrickJ on May 12 2008 - 292 views

The platform wars are going mobile. Whether it’s the iPhone, Blackberry, Android or Windows Mobile, the mobile platform that will win in the end will be the one with the best and broadest collection of applications.

I hope that thought - from TechCrunch’s Erick Schonfeld - proves true.  I think in the mobile space there have tended to be other big factors in determining success and failure for individual devices and even platforms, and many smartphone users have barely scratched the surface when it comes to mobile apps usage. 

Hopefully we’ll see that change as more and more of our computing activities are done on mobile devices, and as more great mobile applications are developed.

Today, Blackberry became the latest mobile platform vendor to throw some *serious* money into the ring to help spark development of apps for the Blackberry (and other) mobile platforms.  Google started this recent trend with their $10 million Android Developers Challenge, then Apple’s iPhone SDK launch event brought news of a $100 million iFund for iPhone platform development ventures - and now RIM and its partners have upped the ante even further, with a $150 million venture capital fund "to invest in mobile applications and services for the BlackBerry(R) platform
and other mobile platforms."

That’s an awful lot of money being thrown out there for enterprising mobile developers.  Anybody else wish they had even an ounce of coding talent right about now? 

Very soon we should start seeing some of the results of all this funding and encouragement to all these mobile platforms.  I feel sure we’ll see some great apps, and hope that some of them will even start winning over some of those mobile users who’ve never gone past phone calls and texting up to now …

Via: Gizmodo

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