Posted on August 25, 2009, at 10:42 AM .
Recently, RIM acquired Torch Mobile in a move that made their plans to update the native BlackBerry Browser public. This is leaving BlackBerry users wondering how third party browsers such as Opera, will compete.
Dennis Bournique of WAPReview has some great insight into this acquisition and what it means for Opera. While it is great that BlackBerry will be updating their browser, there is always room for improvement and this is where third party browsers such as Opera Mini will always be complementary to the BlackBerry platform.
First of all, Opera has consistently built what I consider to be better mobile browsers than any of the Webkit implementations. For example, I have never seen a Webkit based mobile browser where the cache worked properly, pressing the “Back” button always seems to reload the page, wasting time and network resources. The Webkit based browsers I have used also generally did not have a fit to width option and dedicated page up and page down keys, features that are standard on Opera browsers and are critical to browsing effectively on mobile. Opera mobile browsers also tend to be faster than Webkit based ones. Opera Turbo, which combines the speed of server assisted browsing with the security of the end to end encryption provided by direct browsing, will raise the bar even higher. I expect that Opera will continue to offer better alternative browsers on all platforms and by doing so will be able to monetize the various Opera products effectively with sales and search engine deals.
I highly recommend reading WAPReview’s take on the Torch Mobile acquisition.
Posted on August 25, 2009, at 9:20 AM .
Poynt has launched their restaurant services powered by Open Table this morning. The feature really rounds out the application and makes it one of the best LBS apps in App World.
The restaurant feature complements your location based services as it enables users to easily find nearby restaurants, read reviews and book dining reservations.
Once you get started with the new Poynt, load up the restaurant feature and check out the three ways to browse for food in your area: Restaurants Near Me, Restaurants By Name and Restaurants By Cuisine. The feature is fully integrated into your BlackBerry in that you get click-to-call, mapping, driving directions, integration
with BlackBerry Calendar, BlackBerry Contacts and BlackBerry Messages.
Download Poynt for free by visiting http://m.mypoynt.com from your BlackBerry Browser.
Posted on August 24, 2009, at 1:58 PM .
Recently, we learned that the Rogers HUP was going to extend to all devices, and not just smartphones. Our friend RogersDude69 has broken down a brief history of how the Rogers HUP has become increasingly stringent and is making it really difficult to get a new device.
When will the madness end? Rogers needs to realize that having customers upgrade their devices will mean bigger bills and more money for them in the end. Also, as a general note for doing business, you should never tell your customer that they can’t buy the product. Make concessions and get the product in the customer’s hand. Here is a little history of how the HUP is quickly becoming obsolete:
Continue reading how Rogers is destroying their customers’ ability to upgrade devices
Posted on August 24, 2009, at 1:02 PM .
Rumor has it that the upgraded BlackBerry Bold OS for AT&T subscribers will come with Visual Voicemail tomorrow, Tuesday, August 25th.
Check your AT&T Bold to see if your OS has the Visual Voicemail icon, and if so, give customer service a call and have them add the free Visual Voicemail feature to your account.
With Visual Voicemail for BlackBerry, you will get:
- Store up to 40 voicemails for up to 14 days
- Archive voicemails to device memory or on a microSD card
- Forward voicemails as an MMS to other users or an email address
- Save phone numbers in your Visual Voicemail inbox to your address book
- Setup your voicemail including greeting right from the application itself
Voicemail is the bane of many BlackBerry users’ existence as it is the slowest possible way to check a message. With email and SMS, you have to wonder why people still insist on leaving voicemails. At least visual voicemail makes the process a little faster.
[Via]
Posted on August 24, 2009, at 12:19 PM .
EA Mobile has launched some of their best selling titles on App World recently including Bejeweled, Need for Speed Undercover, Risk, Scrabble (in the US and Canada only), Tetris, Tetris Mania, The Sims 3, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour.
If you’re thinking of buying any of these games, here is a quick review of some of the titles that I have played:
Bejeweled – Excellent casual game and easy to play on a BlackBerry. Definitely worth it!
Tetris – The original and a great purchase for a mobile game.
The Sims 3 – Not worth purchasing. The mobile version lacks any real Sims gameplay and is a cheap ripoff of the PC version.
Happy gaming!
Posted on August 24, 2009, at 12:04 PM .
While RIM’s newsroom hasn’t yet confirmed the deal, Torch Mobile’s site has already posted the news that they have been acquired by RIM.
Torch Mobile is the company that makes the WebKit-based browser Iris.
While RIM has been getting a lot of criticism regarding their browser, a WebKit-based browser could go a long way towards appeasing consumers and rounding out the whole BlackBerry experience.
So when is this happening? If BlackBerry Cool had to guess, it will come with the next generation devices, which will arrive in fall of 2010.
[Via]
