The BBCool HQ New Year’s party has begun, which means you won’t see any new posts until Friday, and that’s if we’re still alive.
Have a safe and happy holiday, BlackBerry Nation! We’ll see you in ‘09.
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008
Monthly Archive for December, 2008
While most of our American readership may not realize it, the day after Christmas is actually a holiday in Canada called ‘Boxing Day‘. It’s tradition in during Boxing Day for Canadians to garb themselves in the cardboard boxes of yesterday’s presents, walk out into the street, and beat the holy heck out of each other.
Actually, we usually just sit around eating leftovers and watching the World Junior Hockey Championship. To keep our Yankee compatriots happy, however, I’m going to break away from the food and the games to keep you updated throughout the day.
But if anyone wants to meet outside to rumble…
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008
From now until Boxing Day (that’s Friday, Yankees), the BBCool Staff is officially on holidays. You may see some sporadic posting up this week, but honestly, your time would be best served with your family than hitting this site. By family we mean your BlackBerry, of course.
Have a safe and happy holiday!!!
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008
Good news for AT&T subscribers who want some of the new functionality found in the BlackBerry Bold without having to cough up the dough. AT&T has finally released OS 4.5.0.110 for the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 and 8120, the BlackBerry Curve 8320 and the BlackBerry 8820.
We’ve included the download link below (make sure you select the right BlackBerry!), as well as a link to our handy OS Upgrade How-To, so you know what to do when the download is complete. Enjoy!
AT&T BlackBerry OS 4.5.0.110 Download Link
How to Upgrade your BlackBerry OS
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008
Bringing the best of BlackBerry Cool right to your BlackBerry!
So we have to admit it… It’s pretty embarrassing being a BlackBerry weblog without a decent mobile solution. With the notable exception of BlackBerry Cool To Go, there has really been no good way to get BlackBerry Cool content on your BlackBerry…. until now.
We’re proud to introduce BlackBerry Cool Mobile, which places a little piece of the ‘Cool right on your BB. You can click the download link below, and learn more about BlackBerry Cool Mobile after the jump!
Download the BlackBerry Cool Mobile Beta!
The idea behind BlackBerry Cool Mobile was to take the best aspects of the BlackBerry Cool website and make it available to every member of the BlackBerry Nation. Unsatisfied with the current web browsing experience on most BlackBerrys, we decided the best way to do this was to make our very own BlackBerry application. Having our own application allows us to push you all the latest in BlackBerry news, reviews and how-to’s in a streamlined and visually appealing fashion. Plus, the BlackBerry Cool Tie Guy™ is now an icon on your BlackBerry — how cool is that!
BlackBerry Cool Mobile comes with four default sections: News, Spotlight, Weekly Contest and BBCool Store. However, we know that BlackBerry Cool readers get their ‘Cool fix in different ways, so we’ve included the ability to personalize your BlackBerry Cool Mobile app. By selecting the Personalize button, you can add or remove any feed you wish. It is here that you’ll be able to add other popular BlackBerry Cool content sections like Reviews or Editorials.
Reading content in BlackBerry Cool Mobile is fast and easy, just like on the BlackBerry Cool website. Images and links show up as they would on the website, and you can bookmark articles to be read later or email them to a friend. While we don’t yet have BlackBerry Cool Mobile integrated with comments on the main site, this feature is coming soon! For now, you can simply email in your article feedback and we’ll do the rest.
Remember, BlackBerry Cool Mobile is still in beta, so the most important feature is the Send Feedback button. While we have a feature roadmap, we want to hear your thoughts. Kick the tires and let us know what works and what doesn’t, what you like and what you want to see more of. Beta testers, be forewarned: BlackBerry Cool Mobile is a premium application, and thus only those with a respectable data plan should be using it with regularity.
Download the BlackBerry Cool Mobile Beta!
Email us your feedback about the BlackBerry Cool Mobile Beta!
A huge thanks goes out from BlackBerry Cool to everyone at Polar Mobile. They busted their butts to make BlackBerry Cool Mobile a reality, and we only cheered them on. Thanks, folks!
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008
The whole BlackBerry Cool team is pretty proud that we just launched BlackBerry Cool Mobile. But, as happy as we are, we know that BlackBerry Cool Mobile is still in beta. That’s why we need your help.
We need you to put BlackBerry Cool Mobile through it’s paces. Kick the tires. Rip it apart and put it back together. Hold nothing back. Post your (constructive) criticism to help make BlackBerry Cool Mobile the best mobile app out there, and we’ll make it worth your while. This week we’re giving away 10 FREE BPLAY GAME/THEME PACKS FOR THE FIRST TEN COMMENTS and TEN MORE FOR THE BEST FEEDBACK.
But we’re not stopping there. We’re giving away a $100 BLACKBERRY COOL STORE GIFT CARD AS THE GRAND PRIZE, to be randomly drawn from all those that posted feedback. What are you waiting for?
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008
PRESS RELEASE
Ha Noi, Viet Nam, Paris, France and Waterloo, Ontario - Viettel, a leading mobile operator in Vietnam, Alcatel-Lucent and Research In Motion today announced the launch of the BlackBerry wireless solution in Vietnam. Using BlackBerry smartphones, Viettel customers will be able to wirelessly send and receive emails, make phone calls, browse the Internet, send text messages and access corporate and lifestyle applications when on the move.
At launch, Viettel will offer its customers the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 and the BlackBerry 8700 and the BlackBerry Curve 8320 smartphones as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server for corporate customers and BlackBerry Internet Service for smaller businesses and individual users.
BlackBerry Enterprise Server is for organizations that manage their own email servers. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server software tightly integrates with IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise and uses advanced encryption and IT policy controls to enable secure, push-based wireless access to email and other corporate data.
BlackBerry Internet Service is designed for smaller businesses and individuals. It allows customers to access up to 10 supported corporate and personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts such as Yahoo! Mail and Google Mail) from a single device.
Under the terms of a distribution agreement between Alcatel-Lucent and RIM, Alcatel-Lucent provides global integration services, leveraging its strong local presence in the region to provide Viettel with end-to-end implementation, launch, delivery and support services for the BlackBerry solution in the Vietnamese market. With Alcatel-Lucent’s assistance in managing delivery of the solution, technology integration and deployment, Viettel is able to focus on the delivery of customer facing services in order to quickly meet market demand.
Viettel, an integrated mobile telecommunications service provider, offers a full suite of mobile business and consumer services in Vietnam. With the BlackBerry solution from Viettel, customers can wirelessly access email as well as other Internet and intranet based applications to enhance business communications, employee productivity and gain a competitive advantage for the organization. Users can also enjoy the flexibility of web browsing and communications with friends, family and colleagues on the go.
“As a leader of innovative services, we are committed to expand our portfolio with the most advanced telecom solutions. More and more clients in Vietnam would like to get easy access to their emails and calendar information when they are on the move and enjoy other advanced communications and multimedia features. The launch of the BlackBerry solution in partnership with Alcatel-Lucent and RIM is a good example of international cooperation. It comes in line with our principle ‘to give more to subscribers’. We are the first mobile operator in Vietnam to offer our customers this secure, efficient and effective service, which has already become a hit among businesses users and individuals around the world,” said Tong Viet Trung, general director Viettel Telecom.
“This agreement strengthens Alcatel-Lucent’s leading position worldwide and in the region,” said Raoul Ros, head of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities in Vietnam. “Viettel will expand their business opportunity and enable their customers to benefit from the high flexibility offered by BlackBerry solution for staying connected any time and everywhere.”
“We are pleased to work with Alcatel-Lucent and Viettel to deploy the BlackBerry solution in Vietnam. The BlackBerry solution continues to lead the industry in providing an optimized and empowering mobile experience for organizations and individuals that want to make the most of their time,” said Mark Guibert, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, RIM.
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008
Coming straight from Lisbon, TMN and RIM jointly announced today the launch of the BlackBerry Bold in Portugal. Our Portuguese friends will love the Bold’s 3G network speed, Wi-FI capability and half-VGA screen. TMN’s launch of the BlackBerry Bold brings their total BlackBerry offering to three, with the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 and BlackBerry Curve 8310 also available.
No pricing information has been posted on TMN’s website, but I’ve included a link just in case I missed it (my Portuguese is a little rusty). Interested parties can also check out our exhaustive BlackBerry Bold review.
The Ultimate BlackBerry Bold Review (with full device specs)
TMN BlackBerry Price Plans
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008
A quick look at RIM’s stock on Yahoo! Finance shows that the Waterloo company has jumped a quick $3 from close yesterday, roughly 8% of their total share price, to $41.50. Analysts are attributing the minor (but welcome) bump not so much to yesterday’s fiscal Q3 2009 earnings report, but RIM’s guidance for Q4.
While analysts had expected revenue of $2.97 billion and earnings per share of 83 cents on average, RIM is expecting Q4 sales of $3.3 billion to $3.5 billion and earnings of 83 to 91 cents per share. These figures are being attributed to a “record number” of Q4 device shipments, likely due to multiple launch delays.
If RIM has the quarter in Q4 they wanted to have in Q3, expect the market to respond in a big way. For now, it’s cautious optimism to promises of future gains.
|via Reuters|
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008
The BlackBerry Curve 8350i has been launched for less than a week, but already those eager beavers over at OtterBox (boy, did I mix that metaphor) already have a Defender Series case available for it. In addition, OtterBox has introduced a new streamlined case for an old classic - the BlackBerry 8700. Why?
“The lifecycle of the BlackBerry 8700 Series smartphone has been long-lived and it remains an essential tool for a variety of industries so we’ve gone back to the drawing board to offer something new,” said Curt Richardson, CEO of OtterBox. “Those in military, construction and other fast-paced work environments need protection without bulk and the OtterBox Defender Series offers the best of both worlds.”
While BlackBerry Cool is always focused on the cutting edge of BlackBerry news, I do notice many 8700’s still in use during my daily excursions around Ottawa. Although you could probably shoot an 8700 through a brick wall without damaging it, I’m sure there are those that need that extra bit of protection. To learn more about your OtterBox of choice, click the link below!
BlackBerry Curve 8350i Defender Case
BlackBerry 8700 Defender Series
© BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2008