Posted on September 16, 2009, at 2:00 AM .
Opera Software have just announced the release of Opera Mini 5 beta, the latest release to the popular third party BlackBerry browser.
The fifth generation of Opera Mini introduces a new look and feel as well as Speed Dial bookmarks and tabs. The tabbed browsing feature is by far one of the best additions to this product. This has been a sought after feature by the BlackBerry community for some time now, and it’s great to be able to finally get it.
To download the latest version of Opera Mini, visit m.opera.com/next from your BlackBerry browser.
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Posted on September 15, 2009, at 3:48 PM .
The U2 Mobile Album is now out on App World as a free download. The application lets you follow the No Line On The Horizon tour and features songs, video and news about the band.
Some other features you’ll find include:
Get inside the album with access to songs from No Line On The Horizon, essays from the band, and video clips
View the original, origami-style photo displays inspired by the music
Access dynamic news feeds from U2.com and receive alerts when new content is available
View exclusive images of the band in the recording studio and on the road
Mark your place in the crowd with geocoding, chat and share images with other fans, and view postings from the band (coming soon!)
Tap into the Who’s Listening section and see when and where other users are listening to the album (coming soon!)
Track the tour as the band moves across the globe – see where they’re going and where they’ve been (coming soon!)
The app is decent but when it comes to listening to music, they don’t give you much. The preview is very short and purchasing is a tedious process. Purchasing songs is done through the U2 Mobile Shop, rather than PayPal, which seems really strange considering there is already a payment mechanism in place.
Check out the U2 Mobile Album available in App World.
Posted on September 15, 2009, at 3:00 PM .
The latest theme from Elecite is called Spear and it supports all the latest BlackBerry models including the 8900, Bold, 9630, 8350i and the 8520. Big apologies to Storm users out there as it is not yet compatible for their device.
The Spear theme features the battery and signal meters that you will remember from Analog, with 8 sliding customizable icons. The green color scheme is sure to please as well.
Elecite’s premium BlackBerry theme Spear is available for $6.99.
Posted on September 15, 2009, at 11:58 AM .
Inside the Roxy Mas IT Mall. Roxy Mas is the largest cell phone shopping mall in Indonesia. Hundreds of shops sell second-hand phones. [Courtesy]
Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands in Southeast Asia and has an estimated population of around 237 million people, making it the fourth most populous country in the world.
Back in 2004, RIM began selling BlackBerry devices through the country’s main provider Indosat and growth has been tremendous. In 2008, BlackBerry sales rose 550% year-on-year. There are now more than 350,000 users across the region, a number that could reach 1 million by the end of this year, according to Marc Einstein, an industry manager at research and consulting firm Frost and Sullivan.
While 1 million may seem insignificant compared to the estimated 28 million BlackBerry users worldwide, the growth rate and potential are enough to make Indonesia a very lucrative market.
While we’re on the subject of smartphone growth, the iPhone has been fairing very poorly in Indonesia. In developing countries and countries with a smaller GDP, price point is key. The iPhone doesn’t have the price flexibility that the BlackBerry does and therefore has seen only around 15,000 users in Indonesia, a relatively insignificant number.
Continue reading about the opportunities and challenges faced by RIM in Indonesia
Posted on September 15, 2009, at 10:50 AM .
Salomondrin has a blog now and is paving the way to be the next BGR. He has managed to leak both the Storm 2 and the 9700 fairly effectively on the net, spreading his videos across multiple users to at least slow down RIM legal from pulling them. He has even suggested a method of preventing a leak from being pulled from YouTube.
Sal points to the following three upcoming BlackBerry devices as rumored to be launching soon:
1) Blackberry Essex
According to Sal, this device is a 3G/CDMA/WiFi version of the already released Blackberry Tour 9630. The device comes with a trackpad, which seems to be standard on all of RIM’s latest devices. Sal also hints at a “little extra surprise” that we will like.
2) Blackberry 9100 A.K.A. Striker
While the codename is too early to be confirmed in any way, and there isn’t much to say about this device, it’s still exciting to hear rumors that the Pearl lineup will get an update. The 9100 is rumored to come with 3G and of course, a trackpad. It is apparently slimmer than the Bold 9700.
3) Blackberry Curve 8530
This is the CDMA version of the 8520 and is expected to be announced “really soon.”
Another interesting rumor is that RIM will be releasing 16 new devices in 2010. The Essex is rumored to launch in Q1 of 2010, so this will likely be a part of this 16. It’s anyone’s guess what the other devices will be. Hopefully, RIM will bring some interesting new features to the table, rather than just tweak the form factor.
Posted on September 15, 2009, at 10:28 AM .
RIM, in partnership with Zain Saudi Arabia and Alcatel-Lucent, have launched the BlackBerry solution in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Alcatel-Lucent is leveraging its strong local presence in the region to provide Zain Saudi Arabia with the project management, end-to-end implementation, installation, commissioning and on-going support for delivering the BlackBerry solution to the Saudi market. With Alcatel-Lucent managing integration and deployment, Zain Saudi Arabia can focus on managing subscribers and providing adequate customer care.
When the program launches, Zain will be offering its customers the BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Bold 9000, BlackBerry Pearl 8120 and BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220. Customers will also have access to BES and BIS.
Hopefully Saudi Arabia will also be able to get their hands on some of the latest devices that will be launching this fall in North America.
