Posted on September 14, 2009, at 1:36 PM .
Here at BlackBerry Cool, we thoroughly enjoy making BlackBerry and iPhone comparisons due to the transition that is occurring over at RIM. As RIM is dealing with an increasingly large consumer base, the device is constantly being compared to the iPhone, and RIM must think about how it’s going to create a BlackBerry device that satisfies consumers, but remains true to its enterprise user base.
In the end, enterprise will always be a focus of RIM’s products, because it gives them a competitive edge. This doesn’t mean that RIM can’t satisfy two different types of clients, it just means they’re going to have to get creative and innovative – fast.
CNet recently published a piece regarding the switch from BlackBerry to iPhone, and then the revelation that made the author, Adam Richardson, switch back again.
According to the author, “Basically it comes down to the fact that the iPhone is really good at the stuff I do 10% of the time, but pretty poor at the stuff I do 90% of the time.”
Again, it all comes back to the fact that RIM makes an enterprise device with its core values being security, reliability and efficiency. These are the features that have the author converting back to BlackBerry.
Click through for a full breakdown of where the iPhone lacks and where BlackBerry shines
Posted on September 14, 2009, at 1:03 PM .
Location based services have been getting an incredible amount of attention by investors and consumers alike. LBS adds another layer of data to our mobile experience, and has the ability to enrich almost any application we use today.
Centrl is the latest LBS application for BlackBerry (also available for other platforms) and it is completely free of charge. The service also lets you login from your existing accounts (Facebook, MySpace, iGoogle, Friendster, Ning, Hi5, bebo, Orkut, iTimes, or Sonico) which means there’s no need to register.
Like any good LBS application, Centrl pulls in data from Yelp, Citisearch, Wikipedia and other databases, in order to help users find location sensitive information. The app will also broadcast your whereabouts, and help you connect with friends and users.
One particularly unique feature of this application is that it offers a free IM client that is displayed on the map. Users who are viewing the service on a PC, can communicate with users who are on their mobile, virtually in real-time and without fees for both sides.
Try it out for yourself! Again, Centrl is a free service that will only get better as more users get on board. See who is using it in your area.
Download Centrl for your BlackBerry OTA by pointing to http://centrl.com/bb/centrl.jad from your BlackBerry browser.
[Via]
Posted on September 14, 2009, at 12:23 PM .
The Sports Illustrated BlackBerry application is now available free in App World.
The app was developed by the good folks at Polar Mobile and features all your favorite content from SI.com including columns from the various Sports Illustrated writers, photography, sports news and scores as well as sharing and social networking functionality.
Download the free Sports Illustrated application for BlackBerry today.
Click through for a copy and paste of features
Posted on September 14, 2009, at 11:31 AM .
Motally provides analytics for mobile web sites and applications, making it somewhat like Google Analytics for mobile devices. The service applies to both web and applications, but the implications for apps is most impressive. The service lets customers track their users’ demographics or watch whether users complete certain actions within the app.
With Motally, you get the following additional analytics regarding your application:
- Flexible API for endless tracking possibilities.
- Track specific event types for more granular reporting.
- Capture demographic data.
- Control what, when, and how to send tracking events.
- Supports iPhone, Blackberry and Android.
With analytics about your users, you can better design user interfaces, streamline the application for what your users require, as well as find new uses for your application derived from user interactions you may not have anticipated.
Motally offers both a community and an enterprise version of their service. See their site for more details.
[TechCrunch 50]
Posted on September 14, 2009, at 10:46 AM .
Government clients need a BlackBerry without a camera. The reason is simple: when you have such an incredible amount of top secret documents lying around, you can’t have people with cameras entering the facilities. While cameras can be controlled with IT policies, it’s safer to not have the hardware at all.
Government agencies also love a World Phone; in particular, foreign affairs. These two features make the BlackBerry Tour 9630 a great device for government.
It seems Sprint is capitalizing on this and offering the Tour without a camera in order to capture the government clients, as well as some enterprise clients with similar needs.
This could mean huge sales for the Tour if a few foreign affairs departments pick it up.
If you’re in government, or a large enterprise organization (1,000+ employees), we have a few questions for you:
1) What BlackBerry device are you using?
2) What IT policies are set on your device? (ie. Can you use Facebook?)
3) Does your organization/department allow cameras on the device?
[Via]
