Posted on June 15, 2011, at 1:23 PM .
The PlayBook hardware rules but the software still needs work. The Video Chat app is a perfect example of this. The hardware is all there, with a front and back HD camera, but the app itself lacks the features needed for it to really be useful. There are five main features that need to be implemented in order for the PlayBook Video Chat app to actually work like you need it to. Here they are:
1. See when contacts are online/offline: A tablet isn’t something that’s “always on”. In fact, the tablet is off a lot of the time. Especially because it requires a WiFi connection. Since you never know when your contacts are online or offline, calling your contacts is really hit or miss. There must be a way for RIM to implement an “Online/Offline” mode for contacts, so that I won’t waste my time calling people who aren’t there.
Continue reading ’5 Features Needed for the PlayBook Video Chat App to Really “Work”’
Posted on June 10, 2011, at 4:02 PM .
Before and after
When I first heard of Contacts Cleaner over a year ago, the app was decent but it really wasn’t what I wanted it to be. I found that even after initializing the app and letting it clean my contacts, I still had many duplicates. Yesterday, I decided to give the app another try, grabbing it for $0.99 in App World and it was one of the best app purchases I have ever made. Considering what the app did for me, I’m still shocked at the incredibly low price point. In my address book, Contacts Cleaner found over 35,000 entries and 15,000 duplicates. These duplicates were ruining my Address Book and stem from the fact that I have around 15 Google Apps accounts connected to my device and downloading contacts. Having this many duplicates makes the Universal Search useless for contacts, because you have to still search through your Address Book and figure out which contact is the right one. I also have Xobni installed and while Xobni works great when you’re in your email, making telephone calls from inside the Phone App doesn’t access Xobni. You still need to have your contacts cleaned so that you can make quick calls from inside the Phone App.
Continue reading ‘Contacts Cleaner Review: A Must-Have Application for Anyone with Lots of Contacts’
Posted on May 3, 2011, at 12:03 PM .
The above is a really awesome 3D game called Samurai II that will be available on the PlayBook. Not an Android app but was showcased during the same keynote and got a great crowd response.
Mike Lazaridis took the stage to showcase some Android apps running on the PlayBook and we were simply blown away. For a long time we were asking ourselves how Android apps would run, and we knew that these apps had to feel native in order to be successful. The demo we saw today showed just that: Android apps running on the PlayBook with a completely native look and feel.
Android apps sit on the PlayBook’s homescreen just like any other app. You tap the icon to open the app and it boots up just as you would see it on an Android tablet. What’s incredible about the way RIM has implemented Android apps is the way they’ve replaced the standard Android Home, Back and Menu buttons with the PlayBook’s swipe gestures. For example, rather than press an Options button, Android apps use the bezel swipe from the top, making the apps, in some ways, better on the PlayBook than on an Android tablet. RIM’s approach to Android apps brings the PlayBook’s unique user experience, which can be described as “swipes” versus other tablets which are more “pokes”.
Continue reading ‘First Impressions of Android Apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook #BBWC’
Posted on May 2, 2011, at 11:54 AM .
For more impromtu pics from #BBWC11, follow me @kylemcinnes
The BlackBerry Bold Touch has been unveiled here at BlackBerry World 2011. Even though the device isn’t finished and is still technically in beta, we thought we would write down some initial impressions to give you an idea of what to expect.
First of all, the thing everyone will love about this device is the “Liquid Graphics”. Liquid Graphics is the marketing term RIM is using to descripe the pixel density and Java code behind the homescreen and OS. The Liquid Graphics goes a long way to improving the user experience and makes the whole thing very snappy. I believe RIM said the homescreen is running at 60fps (frames per second). Scrolling between app screens is incredibly smooth and switching screens from icon to app is a very elegant process. This, probably above all features, is going to be the best part of the Bold Touch, simply because it makes using the device so pleasant. When we review the device, something we’re going to be looking for is how well that user experience is maintained after you’ve loaded around 20 apps on the device. If the device can handle a lot of apps, and still gives you that smooth experience, RIM is going to see a lot of satisfied customers.
Continue reading ‘BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 First Impressions #BBWC11′
Posted on April 1, 2011, at 5:03 PM .
Facebook for BlackBerry has gone version 2.0 and there are a lot of users are dying to get their hands on this update. For some reason the Blackberry platform seems to be one of the last to get any major update to the most popular apps and Facebook for BlackBerry is no exception. Without reservation I must say that finally RIM is giving their Facebook app some love with a totally overhauled Facebook 2.0 social media application.
What does this mean for Facebook for Blackberry users? There are great new features built into this application including a brand new look with a completely overhauled User Interface that looks pretty much like the Facebook App for the iPhone with icons placed in a smokey gray backgroud.
Continue reading ‘Beta Review: Facebook for BlackBerry 2.0′
