I’ve been playing around with the BlackBerry Tour 9630 on TELUS and I’ve put together my impressions, pics and some Bold and 8900 comparison points. This BlackBerry Tour is not a commercial unit, so while it’s running final code, it didn’t come with all the branded packaging – not that you would really care.
In general, this device is where the Curve 8900 meets the Bold. This is indicative of RIM’s latest device strategy of making hybrids to satisfy a gray area of customers, while working on the the more evolutionary devices which take longer to produce. This strategy is summed up as follows:
“You may not love every BlackBerry released by RIM, but rest assured there is a BlackBerry for everyone.”
Getting your BlackBerry stolen is terrible, but knowing your BlackBerry is being used by the thief who stole it is even worse. If someone steals your BlackBerry and changes the SIM, it is very hard to track the phone and get it back.
With SIM detective, a text or email is sent to a pre-chosen friend with all the thief’s information like the IMSI, carrier, cell number and everything you need to contact the authorities and get your BlackBerry back.
This is a simple application that will hopefully save BlackBerry users a lost device.
LTE is going to be an incredible evolutionary step for BlackBerry and smartphones. The technology will change the way we use data on our phone as well as aid carriers in coping with an increased network load.
According to research from ABI, wireless operators will spend about $3.3 billion building LTE base stations in 2011. That expenditure will have purchased some 142,000 base stations worldwide. LTE base station equipment spending is expected to rise sharply between 2011 and the end of 2012.
“Vendors will be shipping base station equipment in significant quantities in 2010 ahead of limited trials that typically last about a year, followed by full commercial launches,” says senior analyst Nadine Manjaro. “Many operators have been talking about re-use of existing equipment, but ABI Research understands that while there may be sharing of masts and cabinets most of those 142,000 base stations will have completely new baseband and RF components, because operators will generally try to keep the new LTE networks separate from their legacy networks.” Continue reading the ABI Research data regarding LTE
DubMeNow is an easy way to exchange contacts with business partners on the go. DUB sends your contact information from your BlackBerry directly to the address book of your recipient’s BlackBerry.
Recently, DubMeNow have gone version 2.0 with their product and have added a new interface, ability to send LinkedIn invites, faster downloads and more. Version 2.5 will be coming in September and it will include the ability to connect via GPS (no email or phone number needed to send card), add photos and over twenty social media fields to your card, plus a Groups tab so you can see and connect with any member of any Group you join from your device.
When we last wrote about Snikkr, they were in a closed alpha testing phase and they’ve now gone public beta. The company is looking for a few thousand more beta users in the next six weeks, so if you have a relatively current BlackBerry (OS 4.5+), they would appreciate your feedback.
Snikkr for BlackBerry combines productivity, location and social networking features. The application is a mashup of Loopt, Latitude, Google Mobile Maps, Glympse, uLocate and Where, among others.
The company says their application helps with “social productivity.” The feature set make your social interactions and group events, from lunch to meetings to travel, more productive easier to manage.
gwabbit is running a contest called “Get the Gift of gwab” where by sharing gwabbit with your friends and colleagues, you can win a gwabbitized Flip MinoHD camcorder.
It’s so easy – here’s how it works:
1. Go to the Get the Gift of Gwab site.
2. Verify your email address and click either the Facebook or LinkedIn Share icons to share with your friends and colleagues
3. Invite your friends and colleagues to try gwabbit for free
If 10 or more of your friends download gwabbit, you get a free custom gwabbit coffee mug (the gwabbit mug is only available through this promotion). There is no obligation to buy a thing.
The 5 participants with the most friends will get a gwabbitized Flip MinoHD camcorder.
gwabbit will keep score and send participants a note from time-time to let them know how they’re doing. Get the Gift of Gwab runs from July 7 through midnight pacific time July 17.
The contest guidelines are:
Limit one prize per participant
Must be 18 or older to play
Email addresses must be valid to count toward prizes
