Above is Foursquare with BBM. Not yet but hopefully soon.
When we saw Foursquare back at BBWC, we saw the app with BBM integration and it looked pretty sweet. Apparently, it only took a couple days for them to implement since one of the developers already had experience with the BBM platform. We’re looking forward to when that version of the app gets released and in the meantime there’s an Alpha update with lots of small tweaks and the addition of Specials 2.0.
We’re not exactly sure what Specials 2.0 is, but it’s probably something like what Foursquare implemented with version 3.0 of the Android app. This version of specials gives more options to vendors, and opens the doors to new deals such as Flash Specials. Flash Specials are the typical door buster deals – to the first people who arrive after a certain time. More about the new specials at the Foursquare blog.
TexTango has released its ad-supported SMS app that allows users to send SMS text messages with banner ads from their BlackBerry to any mobile phone or device. When you send an SMS with a banner ad during the alpha test of TexTango, you’re automatically entered in a sweepstakes to win a new 2010 Smart car, and other valuable prizes such as iPads, tickets and a shot at the TexTango online Hall-of-Fame.
The TexTango SMS banner ad network’s first advertisers by design also include a number of charitable nonprofit organizations: UNICEF, Rady Children’s Hospital and America’s Toothfairy.
Bla1ze from CB has been using Skyfire for BlackBerry and it looks to be a huge improvement for the BlackBerry internet browsing experience. While the browser is still in Alpha testing, it’s looking really slick.
According to the company, some of the new features added include:
New Keyboard Shortcuts: We mapped the keyboard shortcuts to be similar to the ones in the native BlackBerry browser to offer a more familiar user experience.
Switch to Skyfire: Once Skyfire is installed, you’ll see a “Switch to Skyfire” option show up in the options menu of the original Blackberry browser. We added this feature to help when users click on links in email and SMS and end up launching the native browser instead of Skyfire or when you navigate to a web site that is better viewed in Skyfire.
Text Entry in Thumbnail view: You now don’t have to zoom-in to enter text. We resolved that issue and now enter text directly in the thumbnail view of pages.
Contextual zoom with camera corners: Similar to the other Skyfire platforms, we now support contextual zoom. Thus we detect areas of interest (say articles or images) and allow you to zoom-in to areas easily by fitting the area of interest to the screen dimensions.
Faster zooming: You’ll see a great improvement in your ability to zoom. Unlike Alpha 2, the page displays text at all zoom levels, without any redrawing of the screen. Less checkerboards.
Skyfire has released their 1.0 version for Windows Mobile and Symbian, and they’re one step closer to a BlackBerry beta. The BlackBerry alpha is officially acknowledged in their press release, and the only official word from Skyfire is that they “will have an announcement this summer.”
If you have a WinMo or Symbian phone, you can get an idea of what the BlackBerry client will be like by downloading it from get.skyfire.com.
Over one million consumers have installed and used the Skyfire browser in just under five months, making it the fastest growing downloadable mobile browser in North America.
So far, the official line from Skyfire is vague but promising:
Skyfire has plans to bring their browser to more smartphones and recently launched a Private Closed Alpha program for the BlackBerry platform. The company will announce plans for a Public BlackBerry Beta at a later date.
This step will offer an approximate twenty-one million BlackBerry users the opportunity to finally be able to access the PC web on their phone.
