Posted on August 5, 2009, at 2:49 pm .
Table of Contents
Internet data consumption through mobile devices is growing at an incredible rate globally. BlackBerry devices and smartphones in general are at the forefront of this growth, and consumers are constantly on the hunt for the perfect browser. Opera Mini is a leading 3rd party mobile browser and I’ve taken the time to put together a review of the browser, as well as include a tip on how to use Opera Mini to get Internet access, without purchasing an Internet data plan.
Continue reading the full Opera Mini Review
Posted on July 27, 2009, at 5:44 pm .
Grand Prize: The winner of the Grand Prize goes to Alex Lombardi. Alex’s review of Opera Mini will be tomorrow morning for everyone to read. The winning review was a close call between Alex, @coffeedaze and a review submitted by Dennis from WAPreview.com.
The Grand Prize is a 7-day all-inclusive trip to Scandinavia this summer. Congratulations Alex!
Dennis is in a tough situation for prizes because he’s using an iDen 7100, and therefore none of our cases and accessories really apply. If anyone wants to trade a CDMA Curve for an 8350i, we can make this happen. We’re giving him:
$100 for the BlackBerry Cool Store
Duracell PowerSource Mini
Freedom Keyboard
We’re giving @coffeedaze
$100 for the BlackBerry Cool Store
A Mobile Portable Power solution
X-Mini Speaker system
We’re also giving away:
BodyGuardz scratch protectors for the Curve 900 and Bold.
Otterbox cases for the Bold and 8900.
So if you entered and have a Bold or Curve 900, leave a comment with the same username/email.
Posted on July 27, 2009, at 10:14 am .
The BlackBerry Curve 8520 is a turning point for RIM. They have clearly realized that they have parts on their devices that can still remain perfectly functional while reducing their replacement and repair costs, as well as those of their customers. The 8520 is also a lower end device as noted by the cheap battery panel that pulls off without requiring a slider or a button. Since you’ve likely experienced the Curve 8900 at some point, I’ll use it as a point of reference.
Lets go through the new features with the BlackBerry 8520, and get a discussion going about the device. We want to hear your thoughts!
Click though for a breakdown of the major talking points surrounding the BlackBerry 8520
Posted on July 13, 2009, at 9:32 am .
The T-Mobile BlackBerry Gemini 8520 is slated as a low-end BlackBerry Curve, and it will definitely suit the intended market. While Power Users are going to yawn, early Pearl owners are going to want to upgrade to this device, especially because we’ve heard it’s going to come in some beautiful colors.
Before reading this review, as usual it’s not a commercially available device and therefore may not be the device you pick up from T-Mobile.
The 85xx Series Devices
The BlackBerry 8520 is a new-generation Curve and while the xx20 is the only device in the series so far, it surely won’t be the last. In the coming months (year), we can expect a rollout similar to that of other BlackBerry devices. The BlackBerry 8510 will have GPS and the 8530 will be CDMA.
About the OS
The 8520 that I’m using is running OS 4.6.1.227, which seems to be the consensus around other sites who have got their hands on the device. While OS 4.6.1 is decent, it isn’t the OS 5 that we’ve all been waiting to use. Because this is a pre-release device, it could possibly ship with OS 5, which would be a dream come true.
Click through to continue reading a review of the BlackBerry Gemini 8520
Posted on July 8, 2009, at 1:13 pm .
I’ve been playing around with the BlackBerry Tour 9630 on TELUS and I’ve put together my impressions, pics and some Bold and 8900 comparison points. This BlackBerry Tour is not a commercial unit, so while it’s running final code, it didn’t come with all the branded packaging – not that you would really care.
In general, this device is where the Curve 8900 meets the Bold. This is indicative of RIM’s latest device strategy of making hybrids to satisfy a gray area of customers, while working on the the more evolutionary devices which take longer to produce. This strategy is summed up as follows:
“You may not love every BlackBerry released by RIM, but rest assured there is a BlackBerry for everyone.”
Now let’s take a deeper look at this device.
Click through to see details and pics of the TELUS BlackBerry Tour 9630
Posted on July 3, 2009, at 5:01 am .
Boy Genius presents the Verizon BlackBerry Tour un-boxing gallery complete with initial impressions and comparisons to other models. Here’s a snipet:
“Well boys and girls (and especially CDMA BlackBerry-lovers), your much-awaited BlackBerry Tour launch date is getting closer and closer. To try and make it easier on you, we’ve got our hands on a retail Verizon BlackBerry Tour and put together a quick unboxing for you. Part 2 of our popular BlackBerry Tour review will be coming soon, but in the meantime, couple of sneak peaks:
* The battery door isn’t all glossy anymore, which was scratch city. It’s got soft-touch rubber on the outer part and the inner part is a carbon-fiber material. Really, really sharp.
* The dark chrome bezel which is also found on the BlackBerry Onyx looks stunning on the Verizon Tour.
* The device comes with a BlackBerry leather holster!
You’ll have to wait until the second part of the review is done for more, but in the meantime, check the gallery!”
Via BoyGeniusReport
Posted on June 18, 2009, at 12:14 pm .
PodTrapper Podcast Manager by VersatileMonkey is a really decent podcast solution, and they’ve just released their best update yet! With one of the most intuitive media playback systems on Blackberry, and so many functions it’ll make your head spin, this application is a must have for anyone who really wants to be entertained on the go.
Adding podcasts is quick and easy, as PodTrapper pulls directly from Apple’s available podcast database when you do a search. If you want to add a podcast that’s not listed, you also have the option of entering the URL. Podcasts are downloaded directly to your device or removable storage, for playback even with no service coverage.
Here’s a quick rundown of the features before we hit the highlights:
• Automatic downloading of new episodes via Wifi, Cellular and Desktop
• Keeps track of last played podcast
• Remembers where you left off in every episode
• Reliable pause and resume of downloads when connectivity changes
• Built in keylock to allow for control of audio in your pocket
• Pauses for phone calls and resumes when completed
• Built in large file downloader
• Bookmarkable playback of any file on your device
• Support for video podcast (if supported by device)
Continue reading the full review of Podtrapper
Posted on June 15, 2009, at 7:11 am .
Win a 7-day all-inclusive trip to Scandinavia this summer!
A common criticism of BlackBerry devices is that the web browsing experience needs to be closer to that of the desktop browser. Opera Mini has been filling that need with a truer desktop experience.
From the beginning, Opera have been helped by communities such as BlackBerry Cool spreading the word about the browser and sending in valuable feedback. Because of their involvement, Opera Mini has become one of the most downloaded applications for BlackBerry.
Now, the company wants to give back to the community. This summer, one lucky reader from the BlackBerry Cool community will get to visit Oslo, Norway and visit the Opera headquarters. He or she will be accompanied by a correspondent from BlackBerry Cool, who will be writing about the experience. You’ll even get to visit Linkoping, Sweden where Opera Mini is made.
Click through to read how to enter and win from a long list of prizes including this amazing trip
Posted on June 12, 2009, at 7:32 am .
By Ahmed Datoo, VP marketing, Zenprise
Zenprise is partnering with BlackBerry Cool to address how to resolve some of the most common BlackBerry activation problems. Through a series of 10 articles, readers will learn how to identify key log file errors, tests and configurations critical to identifying the root cause of enterprise activation issues.
The articles will explore common failures in the 4 unique stages of the activation process: stage 1 activation, stage 2 verifying encryption, stage 3 receiving services, and stage 4 slow synchronization process. Special thanks to Brian Bernard at RIM for providing the content for this troubleshooting series.
In this first article, Zenprise addresses what to do when a BlackBerry device is missing an Enterprise Activation icon on the home screen. For BlackBerry administrators, users experiencing this problem will typically not get past the first stage of the activation process (i.e., activation stage).
Continue reading this solution guide for resolving BlackBerry activation issues
Posted on June 11, 2009, at 7:30 am .
Maximizer Software’s mobile CRM service for BlackBerry is a robust application powered by a company with a long history in the industry.
This mobile CRM solution offers both offline and online access to all the essential organizational tools needed to effectively manage your business. Use this application to track:
- customers
- leads and sales opportunities
- service cases
- notes and profiles
- document library
- schedule
- follow-up tasks
- call/email logging (including integration with BlackBerry)
- mobile dashboards
Maximizer Software have earned themselves the titles BlackBerry ISV Alliance Member and Microsoft Gold Partner. In addition, Maximizer Mobile CRM is certified on AT&T, Sprint, Rogers, and the company works with other carriers and mobile dealers around the world to bring mobile CRM to global mobile smartphone users.
Continue reading about this complete CRM solution for BlackBerry
