BlackBerry

Intuit rolls out web-based QuickBooks interface for the BlackBerry

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:21:26 -0400

Intuit rolled-out QuickBooks Online for the BlackBerry just a couple of weeks ago. This comes on the heels of an iPhone version released this past March. Both options are available via its Intuit Labs website for a small monthly fee. The interface gives the ability to view read-only data--balance sheets and bank account reports among others--from its QuickBooks Online service. This is supported via the respective browsers on the supported smartphones. Indeed, as smartphones proliferate in numbers, companies are increasingly finding ways to tap into the pervasive connectivity afforded by these powerful devices. This will only increase as the cost of data services plunge, and users grow more comfortable using smartphones.

For more about this service:
- check out the product page from Intuit Labs

Wall Street Journal goes native on the BlackBerry

Paul Mah — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:54:17 -0400

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has released a native BlackBerry application that was custom-created just for its site. Among other features, it comes with a tabbed design with stories separated by categories, customized category listings, stock quote tracking, and even social networking stuffs such as Delicious and Facebook support. In addition, headlines and viewed articles are cached for offline reading. The WSJ.com Mobile Reader is free, and you can download it here. Implicit to the release of such an application is the tacit acknowledgment that the number of mobile devices will not only remain superior to that of a full-fledged desktop environment, but will pull ahead as handset makers turn to churning out smartphones to compete.

To look at the original reference:
- check out the Mobilecrunch article

A look at Nokia Email

Paul Mah — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:10:42 -0400

A contributor over at Brighthand tested a new product called Nokia Email, which is the latest offering from Nokia's BetaLabs program. Nokia Email is essentially a downloaded application that connects to a service back end. In its current iteration, it has support for email accounts from Google, Yahoo (some countries only), and a few other webmail services, excluding Microsoft's Hotmail/Live service. Described as a product that functions well, it works by querying Nokia's service, which in turn connects to the desired email accounts.

To put it more concisely, it works just like the RIM-pioneered BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS). You might recall that Nokia recently stopped distributing the BlackBerry Connect application on its mmartphones; now you know why. Nokia Email is free, and you can download it here. It remains in beta, though the word "beta" is, more often than not, just a marketing tag.

Check out the full Nokia Email Review here:
- check out this article from Brighthand

Analyst: 3G iPhone not ready for the enterprise

Paul Mah — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:23:17 -0400

Analyst Jack Gold of J. Gold Associates has criticized Apple's move to position its iPhones to be more enterprise-centric with the announcement of the 3G version of the iPhone. He noted that "I don't hear a lot of anything new, to be honest." The issue has to do with the lack of on-board encryption on the iPhone compared with competing smartphones like RIM's BlackBerry and Microsoft's Pocket PC. Another glaring gap has to do with device management, of which Apple appears to have no credible solution at the moment. In the past, analyst Jack Gold also was harsh on earlier versions of Windows Mobile for not offering on-board encryption.

For more on the 3G iPhone:
- check out the The Register article

Touch screen BlackBerry spotted

Paul Mah — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:40:15 -0400

Photographs of the new BlackBerry Thunder Smartphone have been posted by the folks over at The Boy Genius. Rumors of this new touch screen device have been floating around for quite a while now, though this is the first time that actual photos of this elusive device have surfaced.

Though the signature convenience keys are there, the BlackBerry Thunder is a clear departure from the conventional BlackBerry, which has always featured some kind of hardware keyboard. There is also no sign of any trackball or scroll wheel, though two touch-capacitance buttons have been added to the top edge for locking the Smartphone and to interact with the built-in music player respectively.

For more on the BlackBerry Thunder:
- check out the InformationWeek article

Is RIM capable of releasing more than one BlackBerry model at a time?

Paul Mah — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:59:50 -0400

Robb Dunewood argues that the three or four variants of each released BlackBerry model really amount to pretty much the same thing. Could RIM capture an even bigger slice of the worldwide market if they just released more models? Article

RIM: Qwerty keyboards all the rage

Paul Mah — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:21:03 -0400

Speaking with a reporter sometime during the WES 2008 event last week, RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis shared some of his views pertaining to the increasing ubiquitous smartphone. When it comes to the touchscreen, which received a shot in the arm from Apple's implementation on the iPhone, Lazaridis noted that he has used numerous touchscreen devices since the mid-90s--including the very first ones found on devices from Sharp, NEC and Palm.

He was unanimous that a full Qwerty keyboard is still "the most exciting mobile trend" to date. More than email alone, the Facebook and instant messaging generation are likely to walk away from a shop with a BlackBerry as a direct result of its superior keyboard interface. Lazaridis said, "What I watched was the whole industry eventually had to license our keyboard technology."

For more on what Lazaridis has to say:
- check out this ZDNet article

New 3G BlackBerry model announced

Dan Bowman — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:03:54 -0400

Research in Motion (RIM) announced a new 3G BlackBerry model called the BlackBerry Bold that sent its shares up 6.9 percent in early trading on the Nasdaq. It incorporates just about all the features that supporters have been clamoring for, such as a tri-band HSDPA radio, doubling of internal memory to 128Mb and a faster 624Mhz processor.

Features found on some earlier BlackBerry models, such as Wi-Fi, and built-in GPS functionality also are present. Multimedia-wise, the BlackBerry Bold retains the standard 3.5mm headphone jack that first came with the BlackBerry Curve, and a 2 megapixel camera. The icing comes in the form of its 480x320 display and the incorporation of an additional 1 GB of on-board storage. This latest device definitely puts RIM in a strong position against a certain expected release by Apple next month.

For more on the BlackBerry Bold:
- check out the official press release

BlackBerry KickStart: RIM's first flip phone

Mehan Jayasuriya — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:35:09 -0400

You may have thought that it would never happen. Well, it looks like you were wrong. RIM has gone and done the unthinkable: The company has developed a clamshell "flip phone" version of the BlackBerry. Known as the KickStart, the device looks somewhat like a regular clamshell device on the outside, though it sports the distinctive BlackBerry keypad and Pearl on the inside. Unfortunately, it's only got EDGE, but rounds out that package with a 2-megapixel camera, WiFi and internal and external QVGA displays. According to the Boy Genius Report, which is usually right on the money, we can expect to see the KickStart on T-Mobile around September.

For more on the KickStart:
- see this Boy Genius Report story

BlackBerry 9000 reviewed!

Mehan Jayasuriya — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:16:30 -0400

Remember that pair of BlackBerry 9000 units that popped up on eBay last week? Well, it turns out that one of the lucky auction winners was none other than a member of the CrackBerry.com crew. Of course, they did the responsible thing and published a review of the handset right away, before its existence has even been officially acknowledged by RIM. So what did they make of it? Judging by the review, they loved it. Granted, the reviewer definitely seems like a bit of a fanboy, so you might want to take his gushing enthusiasm with a grain of salt. Regardless, he liked the keyboard on the 9000 more than the 8800-series keyboard, was dazzled by the 480x320 resolution LCD display, and found the new BlackBerry OS, version 4.6, to be fast, responsive and intuitive. Just about the only downside he found was that the unit is physically larger than the 8800 series, though RIM has managed to utilize a few design tricks to hide the extra girth: "... the BlackBerry 9000’s battery casing is 'set into the phone,' reducing the bottom half of the device’s width, making it feel extremely thin when held in the hand." All-in-all, the reviewer found that the device's "Quad-band GSM/3G/WiFi/GPS... coupled to a fast processor and an amazing display," make for a strong flagship device for RIM's next-gen lineup.

For more on the BlackBerry 9000:
- see this CrackBerry.com review