Over the weekend there were some great new BlackBerry 6 videos that show off a variety of elements of the upcoming BlackBerry 6. The below videos include an overview of the media capabilities of BlackBerry 6, a comparison of the new Webkit browser against other smartphones such as the iPhone and finally a general walkthrough of BlackBerry 6, version 6.0.0.100. Overall, BlackBerry 6 looks like it’s getting better with every update and this new OS couldn’t come sooner. Every BlackBerry user is waiting to get their hands on it and finally know whether or not their device is getting an update. We have recently heard from RIM that they’re on track for a summer release of 6, so we know it’s no more than a month and a half away. Continue reading ‘BlackBerry 6 Media Capabilities, Webkit Browser and Version 6.0.0.100 Overview’
Today, Bitstream updated their BOLT mobile browser to version 2.11. The 2.11 release includes important updates that address server response times which eliminates the problem on some websites that has caused BOLT to hang at 20 percent on the progress bar, as well as improves Twitter use. Although there are no new features in this release, Bitstream strongly recommends all users update to this new version for an improved mobile browsing experience.
It seems that there isn’t much of a difference when it comes to the java files. After taking apart the BlackBerry Clamshell 9670 OS 6.0.0.31, it seems to be missing the net_rim_bb_browser_rendering_lib COD file. In the end, even if OS 6 were to get leaked to the masses, it wouldn’t have the Webkit browser because it would have to be activated by the service provider.
RIM has obviously wised-up to the fact that these devices are available in the wild, and have used the service books to deactivate the Webkit browser on all but a very select and private group of devices. The OS 6 BlackBerrys we are seeing leaked are not the select group of devices with Webkit enabled.
The new BlackBerry WebKit browser looks really awesome. We saw it in action back at Mobile World Congress 2010 and a quick Acid3 test revealed exciting performance enhancements (100/100). In general, the new native browser will have faster page rendering and script processing with the help of the SunSpider benchmark suite and jQuery. For those who don’t know, jQuery is a JavaScript library that simplifies working with events, effects and Ajax functions. Continue reading ‘Technical Details on Upcoming BlackBerry Webkit Browser in OS 6′
When Google announced Google Buzz for mobile it was only available on BlackBerry with a workaround that involved using Opera Mini. Now, Google Buzz has an XHTML version which can be accessed from your BlackBerry browser. This new mobile version allows you all the basic Buzz functionality such as the ability to view the stream of buzz posts, post publicly or privately, comment or like a post, and more. But wait, there’s more! If you enable location in your BlackBerry browser, you can get to the Nearby view, where you’ll find geo-tagged posts near you. In addition, you can tag your post with your location.
To enable location in your browser, open the browser and go Menu > Options >General Properties > Enable JavaScript Location support. Happy buzzing!
Skyfire have recently come out with a really outspoken and honest blog post regarding their development for BlackBerry. As most know, Skyfire have been developing a 3rd party browser for BlackBerry that will render all manner of media and compete with/complement the native browser. The browser works by rendering all the pages on their server, and then sending your device a picture of what you’re browsing. This circumvents the need to render it on the device.
BlackBerry users have been waiting for some time now, and it seems they’ll have to wait even longer. This is Skyfire’s explanation for skipping BlackBerry for now, and focusing on Android:
We see Android as a fast-rising ecosystem, with a rich, totally open developer environment, a healthy app market and a healthy advertising and search ecosystem. The Android OS has a tremendous amount of interest from handset makers and carriers, and also has a strong need for making the explosion of video more network optimized (Skyfire’s wheelhouse).
