This is a great example of how BlackBerry is generally left out of the conversation. Fortune’s Jon Fortt, who covers “digital giants” for the publication, actually made the claim that the iPhone is a smatphone and the BlackBerry is not. Fortt must have said this tongue-in-cheek because the basic definition of a smartphone applies to iPhone, BlackBerry, Android etc. His colleague on the show, Michael Copeland, senior writer at Fortune, switched to Android from BlackBerry. Michael points to the Swipe app which helps texting on a touchscreen, and insinuates that this was the biggest selling point for RIM that is now lost to the touchscreen Android.
Both Fortt and Copeland seem a little too narrow-minded when it comes to the smartphone industry, as they aren’t taking in to account the relative benefits BlackBerry provides, and the scope of the applications available. It seems the problem is that the advantages RIM provides aren’t consumer focused enough, and aren’t making an impact in their discussion.
It’s not that I think these two are particularly relevant in the tech world, but rather their conversation is indicative of a marketing problem at RIM. The company is continually left out of the conversation when Android and iPhone are in the room, and the platform’s advantages are drowned out in the noise of I Am T-Pain and Google Goggles. RIM is clearly trying to address this issue with its Super Apps campaign, but is it going to be enough?
You can always count on Twinkler Software running a sale whenever there is something on the calendar. Mother’s Day is approaching and Twinkler Software are running a “We Care About Moms…(and you too)” sale. All Twinkler Software is 20% off from now through Mother’s Day so be sure to get your mom something nice (or buy her a BlackBerry).
BabyBerry Apps is a site for apps for moms-to-be. Currently, the site features 2 apps: BirthBerry and KickBerry.
BirthBerry is a contraction timer app that will time your contractions with just a click. The app will calculate all the stats you need to know how labor is progressing. Plus, BirthBerry can automatically notify your doctor, family and friends to keep everyone up-to-date about the progress of your labor. When your baby arrives, you can send a birth announcement (with picture) right from the app.
KickBerry counts your baby’s movements, by getting you to click and increase the count each time you feel a kick. Every time you feel your baby kick, click any key to increase the count. KickBerry keeps track of how long it takes you to get to 10 movements. KickBerry also lets you know when you’ve passed the one-hour and two-hour marks. Continue reading ‘BlackBerry Apps for Expecting Moms: BirthBerry and KickBerry’
Epic Applications are the developers behind Druglord Wars 2 and a couple more great BlackBerry games. They’ve recently launched Word Shuffle 2 3.0, a game that tests your puzzle solving and vocabulary skills. The game is simple to play. Given a set of scrambled letters, you must find as many words as possible before time runs out. For users who owned the original Word Shuffle, you can get the new version for $2.49, and new users will get it for $3.00 until May 3rd.
DeviceAnywhere are working with the Partners Fund for this year’s Developer Challenge. This year’s competition is focused on Super Apps, and it will be interesting to see what people come up with.
For the competition, DeviceAnywhere is offering a direct link to their Test Center solution, which provides remote access to networked devices located across the globe. DeviceAnywhere is also supporting this challenge with Proof Center to provide a proof-based self-certification solution that gives application developers remote access to DeviceAnywhere’s banks of real networked devices. With Proof Center, users can compile evidence that their application works successfully using handset screenshots and video, which are automatically saved and organized into proofs that can later be viewed or searched for by application and handset. For the purposes of this competition, Proof Center serves as the testing platform for a more in-depth submission process that developers will use to submit a higher-quality version of their application, before they proceed to the final phase in which winners will be selected. For the finalists, DeviceAnywhere will create free interactive tutorials using DemoAnywhere, a solution that allows developers to demonstrate the application’s key features and functionality to consumers.
Visible Vote is a BlackBerry app that everyone in Washington should have installed. The app allows you to write congress personal letters from your Blackberry, as well as vote on issues your legislators are voting on. It’s the ultimate democratic BlackBerry app. Recently, the app has been updated with a few more features to keep you informed on what’s going on.
New additions to the app include:
A News Feeds that come directly from the Congressmen themselves.
Added an easier to use menu bar, now supports smaller screens by scrolling.
Configurable Dialog box on launch to tell you whats new in the app.
