There are whispers that Rogers will be revamping their data costs as of October 1 for the better.
$15 – 2 MB
$25 – 500 MB
$30 – 1 GB
$60 – 3 GB
$80 – 8 GB
While those might not add up much to the $30 for 6 GB promo plan that was going in August (looks like it’s going to be extended through September), there are a few more things that make these new data rates way more appealing. First off, the first three months of data usage will be free, allowing subscribers to figure out which plan suits them best. Second, users will now get SMS alerts when they approach their limit so they won’t get dinged with heavy-duty overage charges. Thirdly, even if you happen to go over on data, those costs will capped at $100. This is awesome news for those of us who happen to be a little zealous with our mobile browsing, and makes tethering a much more realistic option. Telus and Bell will really have to step up to the plate in order to compete with a plan this appealing… Maybe their supposed HSPA partnership will bring something juicy to customers, like, say, the BlackBerry Bold.
It looks like the BlackBerry 8900 is really making the rounds these days, as separate sources have been able to provide some side-by-side shots of the upcoming Javelin against the BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Curve, and the BlackBerry KickstartPearl 8220. This is the first time that we’ve seen all three of RIM’s next-gen devices in one spot together, and I think will be a good indicator of what the BlackBerry web page will look like in the next couple of months. When the touchscreen BlackBerry ThunderStorm 9500 gets thrown into the mix, we’ll have four new classes total, but as is, these three will be replacing the old Pearl, Curve and 8800 lineups. What do you guys think? Are these three an honest evolution to RIM’s existing strategy? How well will the BlackBerry 9500 fit in?
The BlackBerry 8220 will be RIM’s first flip device, and will be due on Rogers for around $150 on a three-year plan (no word on T-Mobile’s pricing) sometime this September, while the BlackBerry Javelin (8900) should be coming a little bit later, around November or December. It doesn’t have the 3G that the Bold does, but will have a nicer camera, a slimmer profile and a screen that’s just as nice. If you can’t wait for the Kickstart, there’s one up on Ebay now…
A bit of a slower week newswise, though still plenty of interesting Bold-related stuff, including upcoming AT&T availability, OS 4.6 browser speeds, as well as some fresh pricing info on the BlackBerry 8220 and some more confusion on the BlackBerry 9500’s naming scheme. This is Simon’s last podcast on BBCool, so you better soak it all in.
Various Nokia handset enjoy a little function that automatically changes the calling profile (vibrate, quiet, etc.) based on your GPS location and the time, which fellow blogger Gordon Dewis would love to see on his BlackBerry Curve so much that he’s putting $50 out there for anyone willing to cook the app up. Personally, I think anyone who made something like this could make a hell of a lot more than $50 after putting it up on Handango and MobiHand… Some of the features needed include…
1. the last-known location as determined from the GPS using proximity to a waypoint (eg: “when I am within 200m of this location, use the Quiet profile”).
2. GSM cell ID (eg: “when I am ‘here’, use the Loud profile”).
3. time of day/day of week ranges (eg: weekdays between 0900 and 1700, use the Normal profile).
This sounds like a great project for any budding coders, or even more established ones looking for a quick distraction. Of course, there may be some difficulties in automating the profile-changing process that I might not know about. Any devs out there think this app is doable? Anyone else who would like to see this come to life can chip into the bounty via Paypal (paypal AT dewis DOT ca with “BlackBerry bounty” in the comments).
Yeah, that new bottom-bar Precision Zen theme is pretty slick, but some of us are still plenty happy with the oldies, like Today and the slightly-newer L theme. Well, it looks like someone over at Howard Forums has managed to hack in the old styles onto the Bold, and they look alright! Of course we’ll have to wait until the official Theme Developer Kit for OS 4.6 comes out before we can see some stuff that really takes advantage of the Bold’s screen and processor. The Plazmic CDK for 4.5 was just released late last month, so it might take awhile before we start seeing some proper shiny new themes, but this does get us day-dreaming about what’s next.
Indian carrier BPL is now offering BlackBerry Connect on a wide variety of handsets, including the Moto Q9h and the Nokia Communicator. BlackBerry Connect brings all of the back-end goodness like push email, data security and personal information syncing of BlackBerry to other platforms like Symbian and Windows Mobile. Clearly BlackBerry services are picking up at a decent clip again since that security mess awhile back, and I think we’re all pretty glad to see it.
No doubt all of thisBlackBerry 9000 talk is driving your average American BlackBerry fanboy a little nuts since AT&T still doesn’t have it out yet – but apparently sales reps are quoting a September 12th. release date and a $299 pricetag (presumably on a 2-year plan), although there are conflicting reports that it could be as late as October 2nd. The BlackBerry Bold’s browser has been suffering from some hefty JavaScript issues, and we’re left to wonder if that’s to blame for the ongoing delayed US launch. Those rumours of a delay were certainly no joke, but it also makes sense if you take into account the big OS 4.6 patch due in September (which will hopefully fix both 3G and browser growing pains) as well as T-Mobile BlackBerry 8220 launching around the same time. AT&T needs something to punch back with, right?
Well, so much for those dreams of a $50 pricetag. The latest Rogers ad materials are showing off the upcoming flip BlackBerry Pearl for $149.99 on a three-year contract – not what you’d call a generous back-to-school offer for the students who might be interested in grabbing one of these. Previous info was confirming a $50 promotion, but at this point it’s all up in the air until launch, ballparked for around mid-September. Word has it T-Mobile customers will also be getting the Kickstart – hopefully they’ll have more humane pricing.
Remember Golden Shellback, those guys who were waterproofing iPods, BlackBerrys and all sorts of other electronics? Well, we had a chance to talk with Sid Martin about the process, when we can expect it to go public, the possibility of manufacturers like RIM picking it up, and how much it might cost you. For more info and updates on Golden Shellback, be sure to check out their site.
Yep, it’s that time of the year again – bust out the books, call in the loans, and register for classes. Anyone going to college or university has a nice, big, juicy school year ahead of them, and that means it’s time to gear up. Your BlackBerry’s no exception, of course, and can provide plenty of helpful tools to stay on top of your assignments and study for tests. Of course it’s not all work, and there’s a lot your BlackBerry can do to keep you comfortable in the student lifestyle. Here are our top five BlackBerry apps for students heading back into the classroom this fall.
Various Nokia handset enjoy a little function that automatically changes the calling profile (vibrate, quiet, etc.) based on your GPS location and the time, which fellow blogger Gordon Dewis would love to see on his BlackBerry Curve so much that he’s putting $50 out there for anyone willing to cook the app up. Personally, I think anyone who made something like this could make a hell of a lot more than $50 after putting it up on Handango and MobiHand… Some of the features needed include…
