Posted on February 1, 2010, at 2:50 PM .
Verizon have announced that VZ Navigator has been updated to version 5.0 with a new UI, Facebook integration, real time traffic info, and voice command search. The new traffic feature is particularly cool because users can opt in to anonymously share their location and speed, allowing for more accurate VZ Navigator traffic reporting.
VZ Navigator 5.0 will roll out on the BlackBerry Curve 8530 to start, with more device support in the coming weeks. Current subscribers with a VZ Navigator 5.0-capable device will get a message the next time they launch the service, prompting them to upgrade to the new version. VZ Navigator is available for $9.99 a month for unlimited access or $2.99 for a one-day/24 hour use on certain devices.
Posted on February 1, 2010, at 10:49 AM .
Foursquare have been making some really awesome partnerships lately and they’re coming up with some interesting ways of bringing location-aware content to BlackBerry users. Recently, foursquare announced a partnership with Metro news, where users can get location-relevant Metro content sent to their device. Today, foursquare announced a partnership with Bravo, to bring television and location-aware BlackBerry users together.
The partnership will mean that a Bravo-enhanced version of Foursquare will launch, allowing users to play along with Bravo shows by checking in at restaurants, bars, and other venues to win badges, physical prizes and other incentives. Foursquare users will find special Bravo badges as they visit the more than 500 selected Bravo locations across the U.S.
This is a really cool idea and it has some interesting implications for reality TV. Imagine the Amazing Race, but anyone can compete using Foursquare. That would be a blast.
Posted on February 1, 2010, at 10:23 AM .
Over the past year, mobile data has become a topic in the mainstream media. The stories are mostly about AT&T’s network growing pains, how iPhone users are overtaxing the networks and are experiencing greatly reduced bandwidth as a result.
Carriers love talking about bandwidth. It seems to be the only thing that matters in terms of mobile data. When the iPhone 3G came out, the dumbed-down line that was used to describe the difference between 2G and 3G in Apple’s marketing was that 3G is “twice as fast”.
I have been trying to make heads or tails of this whole data speed thing for quite some time. I had noticed in more than a few instances that 2G is just as fast, and sometimes faster than 3G. With all this marketing about how much faster 3G is, I set out to do a few tests of my own to determine if 3G is a must-have, or if carriers are trying to oversell the technology as a giant leap when it’s really just an incremental step.
Continue reading this article
Posted on February 1, 2010, at 9:58 AM .
Loopt for BlackBerry has been updated with a new feature called Tips. The Tips feature is just like foursquare’s tips. If you want to recommend a good dish or comment on the venue, just leave a tip for others to discover. Loopt is also now integrated into your BlackBerry Address Book, allowing you to see where your friends are. This update also includes general performance enhancements.
Do download the latest version of Loopt, head over to loopt.com/blackberry.
Posted on February 1, 2010, at 9:09 AM .
Calx have a new theme out called Kreep which was inspired by the 90s Playstation game Wipeout. It’s a Japanese style of futuristic drawing that is busy but simple. Kreep has a customizable dock, a quicklaunch shortcut with spacebar, and 3D homescreen graphics.
Check them out this new theme in the BlackBerry Cool store.
