Posted on August 5, 2011, at 2:52 PM .
BlackBerry 7 looks just like OS 6 but the software performance is tweaked and the overall experience is much faster. When you’re browsing the homescreen and switching between screens, the device performs really well. One of the downsides of OS 6 was the lag you experienced when perusing the apps; but this is gone now. BlackBerry 7 also brings with it the new APIs that will help developers make more engaging apps such as Augmented Reality apps. Another major advantage in BlackBerry 7 is the updated web browser. Browsing on a BlackBerry 7 device is much faster and the browser is around 40% better than the browser with BlackBerry 6.
The real downside to all of this is that there are still a few major issues we have with the BlackBerry Platform and its user experience that are simply not addressed in the latest OS. For example, the devices still take a long time to boot up and downloading apps still makes your device nearly unusable. Alsop, while it’s great to see new APIs being released for BlackBerry 7, there doesn’t seem to be any news around improving the developer tools. BlackBerry developers are still stuck with some major frustrations such as having to use the awful simulators.
Click through for a few reasons why you should or should not care about BlackBerry 7.
Continue reading ‘First Impressions of BlackBerry 7: Great Performance, Better Web Browser and More’
Posted on June 15, 2011, at 5:01 PM .
The problem with saying “the first theme to…” is that there are so many themes out there and it’s hard to keep track of them all. We’re going to start the conversation with saying this is “possibly the first…” because we haven’t come across anything like this at BlackBerryCool. Pachacuti’s Gold is a BlackBerry theme with a fully integrated game.
The theme includes a hidden object game and you go through the various levels unlocking a new wallpaper with each level successfully completed. There are four levels and your goal is to find for yourself to find the long lost Inca gold of Pachacuti. Decipher the captain’s notes to find the items you need to progress through 4 treacherous levels. Overall, this theme is incredibly innovative and brings the customization of themes together with the fun of casual gaming.
UPDATE: It looks like Pachacuti’s Gold was taken off Bplay a couple days ago. It’s still a very innovative theme and hopefully they bring it back.
The major downside to this theme is that it’s only available for Storm series devices. Grab your copy at this link for $1.99.
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’
