BlackBerry bluetooth headset announced

RIM will offer a new Bluetooth Headset specifically for the BlackBerry. The HS-500 os already up on RIM's shopping site but it says "coming soon." No official word yet on when this headset will ship.

"Get the freedom of hands-free calling with the easy-to-use BlackBerry® Wireless Headset HS-500. With the simple touch of a button, you can answer, end, and mute calls, or activate voice dialing, even while you're juggling your keys and coffee in the morning. Plus, the volume automatically adjusts and background noise is reduced, so your calls and turn-by-turn directions can be heard loud and clear in noisy environments. With the quality and performance you expect from a BlackBerry® product, the BlackBerry Wireless Headset HS-500 fits your life so you can hit the road with confidence."

The HS-500 Bluetooth Headset will set you back $79.99.

Citysearch For BlackBerry Updated – Includes Calendar/Email Integration And Twitter Functionality

Mobile by Citysearch has been updated to include access to over 15M business listings and trusted Citysearch editorial recommendations which list more than 75,000 US neighborhoods, along with the following key features:

• Instantly submit user reviews from a BlackBerry smartphone
• Search and sort in the following ways:
  • Auto-identify your location through GPS-driven search
  • Search by keyword or category and narrow results within a city or neighborhood
  • Browse nearby destinations to eat, drink, shop, and relax
  • Sort results by key listing attributes including distance, cost and Citysearch rating
• Browse Citysearch editorial picks to help your weekdays and weekends
• View editorial, user reviews and advice from business owners and bookmark your favorite listings
• Calendar Integration: Send immediate Outlook calendar invites to multiple friends and coordinate party planning, meals, or impromptu get-togethers from your BlackBerry Contacts list
• Twitter: Post to your followers by tweeting reviews, tips, and more to friends, directly from any listing page
• Share: Use Text, Email, or BlackBerry PIN-to-PIN messaging to share business listings from anywhere
• Tip Calculator and Split the Bill: Avoid awkward calculations by determining your ideal tip and easily splitting the bill among friends when dining

For those that don’t know, Citysearch is a leading online lifestyle guide with up to date info on businesses, from restaurants and spas, to hotels and retail.

For more info and to download this app visit mobile.iac.com/Citysearch, or check out the full press release after the jump.

Press Release

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ — Citysearch, a leading online local guide and an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI) , today announced it has added more features to its Mobile by Citysearch application for BlackBerry(R) smartphones, which is available on BlackBerry App World(TM). The new version gives users access to over 15M business listings and trusted Citysearch editorial recommendations and lists across more than 75,000 US neighborhoods. It is one of the only applications of its kind that offers relevant information at the neighborhood level nationwide. Mobile by Citysearch is one of the only location-based applications for BlackBerry smartphones to enable users to post real-time business reviews on the go, instantly sharing their favorite restaurants, boutiques, bars, salons and more. New features added to the Mobile by Citysearch application include calendar and email integration and Twitter functionality that enables users to tweet reviews and tips to followers instantly.

“We know that users demand powerful yet simple communication tools to make their lives more efficient,” said Kara Nortman, Senior Vice President, Publishing, Citysearch. “With this in mind, we built our application for BlackBerry smartphones to give users more social planning features like finding a restaurant and simply inviting your husband to meet at the location through an Outlook calendar invite, or tweeting a hot bar recommendation to your friends.”

Mobile by Citysearch for BlackBerry smartphones is integrated with users’ favorite local tools such as neighborhood and GPS-based search. Key features include:

• Instantly submit user reviews from a BlackBerry smartphone
• Search and sort in the following ways:
  • Auto-identify your location through GPS-driven search
  • Search by keyword or category and narrow results within a city or neighborhood
  • Browse nearby destinations to eat, drink, shop, and relax
  • Sort results by key listing attributes including distance, cost and Citysearch rating
• Browse Citysearch editorial picks to help your weekdays and weekends
• View editorial, user reviews and advice from business owners and bookmark your favorite listings
• Calendar Integration: Send immediate Outlook calendar invites to multiple friends and coordinate party planning, meals, or impromptu get-togethers from your BlackBerry Contacts list
• Twitter: Post to your followers by tweeting reviews, tips, and more to friends, directly from any listing page
• Share: Use Text, Email, or BlackBerry PIN-to-PIN messaging to share business listings from anywhere
• Tip Calculator and Split the Bill: Avoid awkward calculations by determining your ideal tip and easily splitting the bill among friends when dining

To download the latest Mobile by Citysearch application for BlackBerry smartphones for free, visit BlackBerry App World at: http://www.blackberry.com/AppWorld.

Mobile by Citysearch is also available on other leading mobile devices. Visit http://mobile.iac.com/Citysearch to download the app.

About Citysearch

Citysearch is the essential urban companion for living bigger, better and smarter in your city. Combining in-the-know editorial recommendations, candid user comments, and expert advice from local businesses, we keep you connected to the most popular and undiscovered places wherever you are. Citysearch is an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI) . For more information, visit www.citysearch.com.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

New Apps Available in Palm App Catalog

Palm today has included a number of new applications in the Palm App Catalog. All of the applications are currently available for free. Many expected yesterday might mark the release of webOS 1.2, offering the capability for owners to enter their credit card information and for developers to start charging for apps. Today’s new apps include:

• m:Vampire
• m:Mafia
• GolfPinFinder Demo
• Guitarist’s Reference
• YPmobile For Palm Pre
• Greeting Card Messages
• bWeather
• SNAKE
• Go To Tool Lite
• Tic Tac Toe for WebOS
• FreeWeather
• Photo Fun - Spot The Missing Pieces (Free)
• Photo Fun - Spot The Difference (Free)
• TMaps - Philly

GPush for iPhone versus Google's Gmail push

GPush on iPhone now has a Gmail in-box within the app.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

In mid-August, the GPush app came into iPhone's App Store, promising to send push notifications of Gmail messages when new mail came in. Just last week, Google offered its own push solution for Gmail messages, one that pushes e-mail down from the server into the native iPhone in-box. Did that spell the end of GPush? Not quite.

First, Google's push service, which is handled by Google Sync, can vibrate the phone and sound an alert chime when it pushes a new message down from the server, but it lacks GPush's alert bubble that helpfully displays the sender and subject.

Second, GPush and Google are neck and neck when it comes to performance, at least as far as our iPhone is concerned. GPush sniffs out the new message faster about half the time, perhaps even more often. The bottom line: Google's push isn't necessarily faster or better.

Although Google's official push option is free and GPush is a premium app (whose price ratcheted up from 99 cents to $1.99), you still pay a price going Google's route. You're allowed to have one e-mail account sync over Microsoft Exchange. If you use Google Sync, you've used your shot. This is poor news for those who also access their work mail from their iPhone over Exchange. For this set, GPush is the better way to go. You can still use a standard Gmail account that pulls e-mail from the server at regular intervals, and use GPush to let you know when a new message trickles in, who sent it, and what it's about.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

An update to GPush adds a Gmail in-box to the application interface and a "View" button to the notification alert. Press that button and GPush can now open your in-box within its application. Since GPush is giving you access to Google's mobile Gmail site for iPhones, you'll be able to do anything with that e-mail that you could do from the Safari browser. In other words, with its proactive notification alert, Gpush has just one-upped Google, using Google's mobile site.

While the new Gmail in-box feature is exactly what we asked for, having Gpush open to the Gmail in-box tab took longer than it should. We hope to see this speed up in a future release.

What do you think about the GPush app versus Google's official Gmail push? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Trapster app steers you clear of speed traps

Trapster alerts you to nearby speed cameras and "Smokey takin' pictures."

It's been nearly a year since the debut of Trapster, a controversial but popular app that alerts you of nearby speed traps, cameras, and the like.

Version 3.5 just hit the App Store, bringing with it some impressive--and, for many users, long-awaited--new features. Here's the rundown:

• Improved interface Five features (some of them new) are now accessible by tapping blue icons that span the right side of the screen.
• Bluetooth audio If your car supports Bluetooth, you can pair Trapster to your stereo to get audio alerts over your speakers. Even better, if your car supports A2DP (i.e. stereo Bluetooth), you can take advantage of:
• Built-in iPod controls Tap the little musical-note icon to slide open Trapster's iPod audio controls. Obviously, you don't need stereo Bluetooth to use them, but it sure is a nice combo.
• Rotating maps Trapster tacks your position in real-time on a moving map. Now, that map can rotate depending on your direction of travel rather than staying in "always-North" mode. The top blue icon toggles this feature on and off.
• Real-time traffic The bottom blue icon slides out a Google Traffic map, which shows you trouble spots in your area. Handy, but it's too bad the developers couldn't integrate this with the main map instead of requiring you to view a second one.

As before, Trapster lets you report your own speed traps, cameras, and checkpoints with just a few taps, but in version 3.5 these "trap" buttons are larger and easier to read--while driving.

And that brings us to Trapster's controversial nature. It's not only dangerous to fiddle with an app like this while driving, but it effectively encourages drivers to break speed-limit laws--thereby endangering others.

It's just my two cents, but those laws are there for a reason, and if you get caught breaking them, you should take your medicine. (Before you shout me down in the comments, remember: This is a blog post, not a news story. I'm allowed to express an opinion. :)

Of course, one could argue that knowledge of speed-trap locations might actually lead to slower, safer driving. Hmmm.

As a fellow resident of the road, all I ask is that you drive sensibly and wait till you hit a red light before interacting with the app. I'll return the favor.

OK, end of sermon. Trapster is a well-designed app with an impressive range of features, including some nifty trip-planning stuff and optional push notifications of new traps. Most amazing of all, it's still free.

O2 denies delaying 0870 app for the iPhone - so was it Apple?

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Did Apple hold up the appearance of the 0870 application for the iPhone in the iTunes App Store because of lobbying by O2 and BT - which wanted to protect the lucrative income they could get from the higher-rate calls rather than landline calls?

That's the accusation being made at the Telegraph's blog.

O2 has denied that it blocked it: a spokesperson told Guardian Technology "We have no problem with the app at all... We didn't hold it up."

At issue is the 0870 application written by Simon Maddox, which has been available on Google's Android platform for, oh, about a year. But it had been sitting in Apple's App Store approvals queue for, oh, about the same length of time. Why? No answers. Apple doesn't do "answers" to explain delays; it barely does them for its rejections of apps.

But the 0870 app has finally appeared on the iTunes App Store. (Here's the download link - opens in iTunes.) And it's popular (going by the ratings for the app), of course, since it saves people money.

The app, which finds standard landline (non-087x//084x) numbers as alternatives to the pricier ones (which won't be included in the O2 package if you're on an iPhone, meaning calls to those numbers won't be part of your inclusive minutes), wasn't rejected. It just wasn't approved. This may remind you of Google Voice, which Apple has said it didn't reject. It's just "considering" it. The effect, of course, is the same.

O2 is (in effect) blaming Apple for the holdup. In a statement to Guardian Technology, the company said: "We can confirm that O2 was first contacted about the iPhone 0870 app in September this year. We asked for more information on what it would do and confirmed within two days of the initial contact that we would not have a problem with the app."

The accusation is that O2 - and/or BT - didn't like the idea of people actually (gasp!) saving money. Even though they could, of course, have gone on to the saynoto0870.org site on their iPhone and found the landline number (using O2's data service, which they get free) and then made the call - which would actually work out more expensive to O2, because it would mean a data lookup as well as the call. (But of course not everyone would use the website if they didn't have the app - just as there will still be people who, even though the app is free, won't realise it's there. Do tell them, won't you?)

O2's claims do however fit in with Maddox's experience. Two days ago, Maddox was at a low ebb: "Well, it's official. 0870 will NEVER be on the iPhone App Store. Will be releasing it for Cydia soon." He added that he had an (unofficial) Apple response from a source inside the company who said: "I've finally gotten word from O2 that neither they, nor anyone at BT, would be happy about this service."

Yet two hours later he was told that O2 had approved the app - which just left it up to Apple. And very soon, the app was in store.

So the question now is: did Apple lose it down the back of the sofa? Did it think that it would protect its telco partner in the UK by delaying the app? The case isn't quite closed. But iPhone users, just like Android users, can at least avoid one of the big money-spinners for the telecoms industry of recent years.

How would you change HTC's Touch Pro2?

HTC's Touch Pro2 is the cat's meow on paper, and the US carriers that have managed to score it have demonstrated as much with their outrageous MSRPs. But with Android devices popping up in more places than ever, is the TouchFLO'd Windows Mobile experience really cutting it? We've already shared our own opinions about one of the best specced phones to land this side (and that side) of the Mississippi, but as you know by know, this space is all about you. If you've splurged on the Touch Pro2, why not give us a shout in comments below and let us know how that decision is working out for you? Feel free to mention the carrier as well, particularly if you've got some beef with reception. And... go!

Palm Pre going for a nice, round $100 on contract at Amazon

This isn't the first time we've seen a Pre for $100, but coming from Amazon, the legitimacy level is at an all-time high. If you're up for a contract renewal, it begs the question why you wouldn't do this over... oh, pretty much anywhere else where you're still paying the recently-reduced $149 rate -- and it also makes you wonder just how much price pressure's going to be on the Pixi's diminutive shoulders by the time it launches.

iPhone MMS is now live !

All you've gotta do is plug that iPhone 3G or 3GS into iTunes, run the teensiest of updates, restart the phone, and you can at last make that fashionably late entrance into the 21st century you've always dreamed of. That's right folks, MMS on the iPhone is live on AT&T at last.

HTC Leo's TouchFLO 3D build demoed on video

The HTC Leo is shaping up to be a pretty monumental Windows Mobile launch, and not just because of that high-res capacitive touchscreen and 1GHz Snapdragon processor -- it's also running a nicely refreshed version of TouchFLO 3D. The cats at PocketNow managed to grab an early ROM and install it on a Touch Diamond2, check the video after the break to see the new icons, dynamic background wallpaper, and much, much more.

RAmos' Android-based W7 MID gets real - real familiar

We had a pretty clear indication that this one was coming, but it looks RAmos has finally gotten official with its once mysterious Android-based MID, now known from here on out as the W7. As rumored, this one is a Rockchip-powered device, and packs a 4.8-inch, 800 x 480 touchscreen, 720p video support (via HDMI output, presumably), built-in WiFi, and no 3G, although that apparently could still be in the cards for the future. It also just so happens to bear more than a passing resemblance to eviGroup's recently-debuted Wallet Android MID, and another, non-existent MID / tablet you might have heard of. What's more, RAmos also seems to have taken the opportunity to debut a few other, non-Android-based MIDs and PMPs, including the T11TE (which apparently boasts 1080p output over HDMI), the T9HD, and the T7 -- although details on those are few and far between at the moment.

AT&T Offering Cheap Refurbished iPhone 3G Units

AT&T is apparently selling refurbished iPhone 3G units on the cheap according to the company's Facebook page. The current ad is now offering the 8GB unit for $49 while the 16GB is retailing for $99.

Send real postcards right from your BlackBerry

The heyday of the postcard, it appears, is long past. With the widespread use of email and mobile devices, people can snap their own pictures from anywhere and send them to friends, along with an accompanying text note. When was the last time you got a postcard in the mail? They were always nice, and I kind of miss them. A company called Hippopost is trying to bring back the physical postcard, but they're doing it in a new way. It works right from your mobile devices, and since the company was founded by ex-RIM employees, you can do it all right from your BlackBerry. The service works intuitively. After you download the application, you can snap pictures, attach a text note, and send it right from your device. Hippopost takes care of the physical card and the task of mailing it out. Apparently it will take seven to 10 days for delivery. And the USPS wonders why we say snail mail with a begrudging tone. How do you pay for the card? You don't. How do you pay for printing? You don't. How do you pay for postage? You don't. Hippopost takes care of everything free, for up to two postcards per day. You can buy credits for additional postcards if you want, but two per day seems like plenty. The service is ad-supported, and as you can see in the image above, it's of the non-intrusive type. Head to http://mobile.hippopost.com/ from your BlackBerry browser to get started. If nothing else, you'll get the novelistic experience of sending out an old fashioned post card.

Palm Pre NOT going to Verizon?

We heard rumors that Verizon might get the Palm Pre but it looks like other rumors to the contrary are swirling. On the heels of various sites reporting that Verizon will get the iPhone, TheStreet says that Verizon has shelved the idea of offering the Palm Pre. Verizon's Lowell McAdam previously told investors the Pre was coming in six months. It looks like the company has had a change of heart. This news, if true, would not be welcome news for Verizon or Palm. Verizon has a large network but offers the lamest phones on the market. Offering the Palm Pre would give Verizon users the latest and greatest (besides the iPhone). Palm needs all the partners it can get if it plans to gain ground on the iPhone so a partnership with Verizon makes a lot of sense. According to TheStreet there are several reasons why Verizon had a change of heart. Although sales of the Palm Pre have been okay, they haven't been the "blockbuster" type of sales that people were counting on.

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 9/21/2009

Feeling overloaded with BlackBerry news and rumors? We know the feeling. We hear new things almost every day, and it can be tough to keep up with it all. that's why we're bringing you BlackBerry News from the Wire every Thursday. We'll catch you up on everything 'Berry that happened over the course of the week. Not only that, but we'll rank 'em by importance, so you can more easily skim the items and read the ones of most significance. If you only have time to read one article, for instance, you might want to head down to our 5-star section. It's All the BlackBerry News Fit to Geek. Is the BlackBerry 9700 the best yet? The BlackBerry 9700 is coming. When, exactly, we're not sure, but with all the press it has received lately, the release date can't be far off. Further building the hype, Boy Genius Report has reviewed the 9700. The newest member of the Bold family has many upgrades over its predecessor, and also over the recently released Tour. As the BGR guys say, the Tour is the best BlackBerry on the market right now, but that will only last until the 9700 hits shelves — which according to them appears to be November 11 on T-Mobile and AT&T.. The review is filled with descriptions and pictures, and in the end I can almost guarantee you'll walk away impressed. This is only the first review. Look for a production model review just before release. Tour trackball problems "no longer an issue." Over the past few weeks a sore spot on the BlackBerry Tour emerged: a faulty trackball afflicted a number of models. A report from TownHall Investment Reserach estimated that up to 50 percent of Sprint Tours were returned. According to both Verizon and Sprint, these claims are not only overblown, but are no longer an issue. Both carriers admitted that there was a problem, but that they addressed it with RIM, and that the issue is dead. Verizon went on to say that instances of return for the Tour "are some of the lowest among any of our smart phones." So if your trackball is faulty, rest assured that it's not an issue…or something like that. A complete walk-through of Desktop Software for Mac Amid hype and anticipation for new BlackBerry devices this year, one of the biggest release might actually be software. That would be Desktop Software for Mac. We've taken a look at the software, and have even downloaded the leaked version. Even so, nothing will compare to the comprehensive walk-through at the Inside BlackBerry blog. One big notation: backup files will now be stored as .bbb files, rather than .ipd for BlackBerry data and .cab files for the contents of on-board memory. They say the release is "just around the corner," so expect an announcement sometime next week. (Now watch, it will drop later today or tonight.) Curve 8520 to hit Rogers soon Rogers employees have begun training procedures for the BlackBerry Curve 8520, which means that the device is nearing a release. It won't be as nice, shiny, or generally awesome as the 9700, but it should prove a low-cost option. The unofficial word for now: first week of October. The 9700 won't be far behind, as Rogers should have it before the two US carriers. U2 mobile album "a complete bust." In last week's News From The Wire we discussed U2's mobile album, recently release on App World. No, I didn't download it, mainly because I like music for music and don't need the extras, but mainly because I really dislike U2. Turns out, it would have been an enormous waste of time anyway. Get this: it's not even a full album. It just streams clips, which renders it nothing more than a promotional vehicle. Which is fine and good, but it's not an album, so please don't hype it as one. mocoNews.net, which provided the "complete bust" quote, notes further disappointments, including the release date, September 14, which came over two months after U2's tour began. The platform might have a future, but the maiden voyage has been less than impressive. Verizon pushing YouTube app to Storm users One thing I do not enjoy about the BlackBerry is how carriers can push applications to your device. True, these are usually just shortcuts to download the actual app, but it's yet another desktop icon that you have to hide or stuff into a dud folder. This time it's the YouTube app, which Verizon has begun pushing to Storm users. You might like the app, but an email would suffice. No need to push the app our way, without our express permission. Look for the icon to pop up on your non-Storm Verizon device soon.

It’s Official! MMS Coming to the iPhone This Friday

It was announced a few weeks back but it was confirmed again today on AT&T's Facebook page. MMS for iPhone will be available this Friday. We know you've been eager for this service so we wanted to offer a quick update on the launch plans for MMS on Friday, Sept. 25. Late morning, Pacific Time, on Friday, the new carrier settings update enabling MMS should be live and ready …to download through iTunes. This will come in the form of a carrier update that you will have to download via iTunes. Yay!

MyProfiles Lets You Create Different Profiles for Your iPhone

I remember my good old Nokia 8210. It was about 10 years ago and this nice little piece of technology would already let me create different profiles to fit different situations of the day. For example, I had a "night" profile where everything was silent with no vibration; I had a "work" profile where everything was silent with vibrations; I had a "normal" profile where everything would ring and vibrate, etc… Fast-forward 10 years and about 10 other cellphones later, and here I am, with a $560 iPhone not capable of creating different profiles. It's not a big surprise. Apple is deliberately handicapping the iPhone and releasing must-have features (hint: copy/paste) one at a time. Fortunately for iPhone users, there is the jailbreak community which really helps make the iPhone the best phone by developing all these important features that Apple won't let you have until year 2027. MyProfiles is one of these great applications only available for jailbroken iPhones, and lets you create different profiles for your iPhone. Find yourself constantly changing the settings on your iPhone depending on what you're doing or where you are? How about getting alerted when a critical email comes in from your boss? What about being able to sleep at night without being disturbed, unless it's a call from a loved one? Wish you didn't have to keep changing the auto-lock function when you're charging at your desk? Do all of this and more with MyProfiles! Features: Custom alerting of email based on Subject, Sender, Sent Only to You, and Mail Accounts. Custom alerting of SMS messages and missed calls based on caller phone #. Modify the Vibrate Pattern so you can be quietly alerted to a specific email. Repeating Alerts for Email, SMS, and Missed Calls. Silence Calls via WhiteList or BlackList Escalating Rings and Vibrate 1st then Ring Adjust WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, Push Email, Auto Lock, and 3G based on Location, Time of Day, and more. Automatic rules engine to enable profiles Manual Override Profile by holding down the home button and pressing up and down on the Volume buttons. I haven't personally tried MyProfiles but I hear great things about it, even though it's still in beta. MyProfiles is available for jailbroken iPhones only via Rock Your Phone.

AT&T MMS Coming This Friday

Not that any of you AT&T customers really need the reminder. Regardless, the wait is almost over folks, AT&T is finally flipping the MMS switch for all of their iPhone customers this Friday, September 25th. Sure, this day marked in your calendars but would any of you like to take bets on whether or not the network will buckle when you have every single iPhone owner sending picture after picture all day long? Don't be too upset when the person you are sending the image to tells you they have not gotten it yet. That's more than likely to happen unless AT&T really used this extra time wisely and indeed beef up their network for the flood gates they are about to open… Still, according to some of our readers, it seems as if AT&T is currently sending out text messages reminding you of this day that so many of you cherish. "Picture &video message(MMS) will be available for iphone on 9/25. While we prepare your account for MMS capability, the current " view my message" experience will be turned off but your ability to send and receive text messages will not be affected." How many of you have received this message?

iTunes 9.0.1 Fix the Out-of-Order Episodes Bug for You?

With the release of the iTunes 9.0.1 update last night, we downloaded it and proceeded to run some tests, and lo and behold, it seems that annoying out-of-order podcast bug is gone for us. You remember the one, where you'd sync a number of episodes and instead of being sorted numerically, up or down, (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4) they were randomly assigned (i.e. 1, 4, 2, 3). If you've installed iTunes 9.0.1, and tested out the sync sequencing, let us know if you're back in order as well.

Could We See an iPhone on Verizon by the Holidays?

Could we see a combination CDMA/HSPA iPhone hit Verizon before the holidays? No, we don't think so either, but that's the rumor we're hearing again. Of course, we're no stranger to iPhone on Verizon rumors, whether they be wishful thinking or the result of ongoing, longterm Apple/carrier negotiations that may or may not ever amount to anything, it's ironic that rumors about America's most reliable network are almost always anything but… Given the limited remaining lifespan on CDMA (Verizon's going LTE for 4G) and market (primarily the US — even Bell and Telus in Canada are going HSPA), it just seems like such an un-Apple-like thing to do. Then again, Verizon's customer base is no doubt a huge temptation for Apple. Given how many iPhones they sell on AT&T, if they hit Verizon, we can only imagine the market share shift. (Not to mention the load balancing of network traffic that would hopefully follow). Again, we're not getting our hopes up. We don't think we'll see an iPhone on Verizon any time soon, especially not before the holidays. Let's face it, it's almost October already and the window to effectively launch and market the iPhone on a new US network by then is rapidly diminishing from slim to none.

AT&T Releases Bold OS 4.6.0.297 Bug Fix Update – Visual Voicemail Back!

AT&T released OS 4.6.0.297 awhile ago for the Bold and then quickly yanked it after it caused issues with their network and other problems. Now they have released the same exact OS version with a new maintenance release bundle 517 compared to the older 508. You can pick it up at www.att.com/bbdownloads but an OTA OS upgrade should also work. Thanks to panpan1975 for the tip! From the email AT&T sent out: NEW BlackBerry Bold Maintenance Release v4.6.0.517 now available BlackBerry Bold Maintenance Release bundle version 4.6.0.517 (comprising application version v4.6.0.297 and platform version 4.0.0.247) is now available for customers to download.  Bundle 517 contains all the functionality of the recently-removed bundle 508, but addresses the software issue affecting the interaction between the device and network enhancements being deployed.  There are no additional changes in bundle 517 (as compared to earlier BlackBerry Bold MR bundle 508) other than addressing the software issue.  For a review of the added functionality contained in this release, please see the original communications for BlackBerry Bold Maintenance Release. Customers who downloaded bundle 508 should upgrade as soon as they are able as bundle 508 contains the software issue that is addressed in bundle 517. Customers on earlier versions (bundle 298 and maintenance release bundle 438) should be made aware of the performance enhancements and added capabilities of bundle 517 and should be encouraged to certify and upgrade their users. Bundle 517 Maintenance Release is available for customers to download though 2 means: Over-the-air delivery via OTASL (For information see "FOTA For BES Administrators" on the BlackBerry Enterprise Product Page in OIL) Download from  www.att.com/bbdownloads Visual Voicemail provisioning has also been re-instated for customers who have upgraded.

BlackBerry Innovation Forum – RIM Customer Event Touring Europe

Josep let me know that RIM is running their BlackBerry Innovation Forum in four European countries in October and November. The schedule has them in: Spain – Madrid: 15th October France – Paris: 20th October UK – London: 22nd October Deutschland – 10th & 11th November I did not know that RIM ran such events internationally so I thought I would shine a bit of light on that fact. This event is targeted at current European customers and prospects. RIM describes it as "THE BlackBerry® event series in Europe" which talks it up quite a bit. The forum is intended to let customers and prospects: Hear directly from other BlackBerry customers about how leveraging the BlackBerry platform and deploying solutions has benefited their businesses. During dedicated breakout tracks, you will be able to listen to industry and BlackBerry experts discuss the latest challenges and developments in mobility for your line of business. Network with our key application partners and BlackBerry teams, to find out more about how applications and our platform can help to give your business the competitive edge. Check out more details at www.blackberryinnovationforum.com

All BlackBerry IM Clients Updated To Version 2.5

Research in Motion has updated all of it's Instant Message clients, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, AIM, ICQ, and Google Talk, to version 2.5. New features include: Add dedicated icons to the Home Screen for one-click access to conversation boxes of specific contacts. The icon appears as the contact's display picture or avatar. Add contacts and display pictures or avatars to the address book to easily instant message, email, SMS, or call right from the address book or conversation box. Search through saved conversations Add dedicated emoticon icons in the conversation box Word on the street is that these clients are now compatible with BlackBerry OS 5 as well. You can pick up any of these instant messaging clients up OTA by pointing your device's BlackBerry Browser to http://mobile.blackberry.com and clicking on Instant Messaging.

Citysearch for BlackBerry updated with social features

Citysearch have updated their BlackBerry app with more social functionality. The app offers relevant information for over 75,000 neighborhoods nationwide. Key features of the app include: Instantly submit user reviews from a BlackBerry smartphone. Browse Citysearch editorial picks to help your weekdays and weekends. View editorial, user reviews and advice from business owners and bookmark your favorite listings. Calendar Integration: Send immediate Outlook calendar invites to multiple friends and coordinate party planning, meals, or impromptu get-togethers from your BlackBerry Contacts list. Twitter: Post to your followers by tweeting reviews, tips, and more to friends, directly from any listing page. Tip Calculator and Split the Bill: Avoid awkward calculations by determining your ideal tip and easily splitting the bill among friends when dining. Citysearch is one of many LBS applications for BlackBerry and depending on where you live, some may be better than others. Download Citysearch for BlackBerry by visiting their site.

Nokia N97 Accessories | USB Desktop Cradle / Stand Review

Nokia N97 Accessories | USB Desktop Cradle / Stand Review September 23, 2009 at 7:48 pm I am generally reticent towards accessories, I used to think that the plain phone by itself could work and do its job without the need of spending more money. Well, as that was my belief, I didn't have the opportunity to accessories for any of my devices since I really didn't want to buy them. Fortunately, the MobileFun team who specializes in accesories for mobile phones sent me a desktop stand for my N97 to try for a couple of days. And I am totally in love with it! The basic functionality of this desktop stand for the N97 is to mantain the N97 charged and connected to your PC; and having the N97 nicely standing facing you, ah and having a second battery charged too. As basic as it seems, it is a marvel. I used to have my N97 laying around on my night table or desk, just over papers, notebooks and whatever is on the table. This usually resulted in having my N97 lost for a couple of minutes until I lifted some notebook and the N97 fell from it to hit the hard table, or, finding some small scratches on other devices I used to own because of the friction with the table. On my night table it was also a problem, when the alarm started to ring I had to search with just my hand without seeing for my phone, this sometimes resulted in throwing my glass of water; thats how my N93 died. A desktop stand really solves this problems, with it, the N97 is always in one place and that is its stand. When on my desk, I just plug the N97 into the stand and it automatically starts charging while connecting to my PC. Making syncying, installation of apps, software updating and other PC-requiered tasks just amazingly easy. But thats not all, having the phone facing me is also just great, I just place the N97 there and with the little stylus that came with it I can browse through my calendar, deleting tasks when I complete them, as well as checking incoming SMS and calls. When on my night table, this stand also proved to be really useful. I have my N97 nicely facing me, and that is just the best way to start a day, by not throwing everything on my night table to reach my phone but easily touch its screen for it to snooze. This specific stand comes with two adaptors, one USB for the PC and one AC for the wall. This is amazingly convenient because I can leave both adapters connected to my PC and wall, and just take the stand with me to change it from my desk to my night table; all I have to do is connect the Mini-USB to the back of the stand. I am just in love with the desktop stand for the N97, I really did not think that an accessory could change the way I use my phone.

Blackberry Mobile Phones - Quality With Style!

Blackberry is the manufacturer of mobile phones which started the production of wireless devices in the year 1999. It began with the production of pagers as the wireless hand held devices. Actually, the gadgets are manufactured by a Canadian company named Research in Motion and then marketed by different companies across the globe. The Blackberry mobile phones offer high quality performance with their best quality features. The count of these phones are very large and every upcoming handset comes with features more advanced than the ones in earlier handset.

A Blackberry phone raises the standard of people with its smart looks and large number of variants. Blackberry offers cool handsets updated with advanced features. With a view to leave its competitors behind, the brand has given too many gadgets with all kinds of competitive applications which make the lives of people more comfortable and entertaining. The Blackberry Storm comes equipped with the best of video features. It is tabled under the best Blackberry mobile phones and offers a great display. For the display, it has a TFT capacitive touchscreen of such a large size that it feels very nice to see videos on it. The screen is of 3.25 inches and the gadget produces display using 65K colours. It has an internal memory of 1 GB and also has the provision of a microSD card of up to 16 GB so as to store the stuffs of user's choice. Web browsing is also possible here and the music player of the gadget can give you a very nice entertainment of music. It also has a camera of 3.15 MP in it and their again is the games so that user can enjoy when alone.

Blackberry Bold 9000 is provided with a touchscreen of 2.8 inches and produces a beautiful display with 65K colours. It also has an internal memory of 1 GB with a space for increasing the storage size with a SD card of up to 8 GB. Camera provided here is of 2 MP and the gadget also has the web browsing capabilities inbuilt in it. Browsing is facilitated here with the presence of GPRS and EDGE features. Messaging, playing games and listening to music is allowed here too. The GPS in this gadget is able to help users with finding their position. It is good to know that among the Blackberry mobile phones, the Blackberry Bold 9000 has a very prominent position with its advanced features and promising quality.

Another phone with the brand name of Blackberry is the Blackberry Curve 8330. The handset is one among the simple handsets manufactured by the producer. Though simple, the gadget has media player, video player, camera only to take snaps, games to entertain with and the small but attractive screen of 2.5 inches. USB and Bluetooth provided here offer a mode to connect to other phones with similar connectivity features. Battery of almost all Blackberry mobile phones is dependable and reliable and keep working for long hours without the need to charge.

These mobile phones are readily available in all of the mobile stores. Along with the stores near our homes they are also found in the online shopping stores. They also offer gifts, which includes those like the LCD TV, music systems, playstations, laptops and many more with the purchase of a handset. You can see all of the Blackberry mobile phone deals and choose one you like direct from your homes through these shopping portals. The phones are displayed along with the gifts with them, and the type of deals in which they are available so it becomes very simple to purchase through these portals and again the extra benefits are always there.

How to Transfer iPod Songs to iPhone

Apples iPod devices have become an integral part of many people lives and these days almost everyone seems to own at least a regular type iPod. However for those of you who are dedicated apple users and have purchased their latest tool, the iPhone, are probably wondering how the heck you are supposed to transfer your music and videos off your iPod onto your new iPhone. It seems like an impossible task and since apple hasn't provided you with any regular utilities to get the job done, many people simply think it cannot be done. Well I've got news for you, it can be done, and you can pull it off quite easily within a few minutes if you have the right tools. So in this article I am going to show you "How to Transfer iPod songs to iPhone" very easily and quickly all with the aid of simple software.

There may be many reasons as to why you wish to transfer music from your iPod to the iPhone. You may have just bought a new iPhone and wish to put some songs on there without having to re download them or buy them again from the iTunes store. Perhaps you heard a song or watched a video on a friend's iPod that you really enjoyed and would like to transfer it to your own iPhone/iPod. Whatever the reason maybe that you need to transfer songs from iPod to iPhone you can get it done with an iPod to iPhone transfer Program. These programs are specifically designed to help you transfer music between different iPod devices and iPhones and they will get the job done quickly and efficiently all at the click of a few buttons.

You see apple does not allow the transfer of files between different iPod devices due to extreme copyright laws and also because they wish to make extra money from their iTunes store. So for this reason they have not provided you with any options in iTunes or given you any other utilities to help you transfer files from iPod to iPhone. But as you already know "where there is a will there is way", this is where third party programs have come to our rescue, and provided us with great programs that will allow you to transfer whatever you like between different iPod devices.

So if you wish to transfer iPod songs to iPhone or any other type of file (Videos, Pictures etc.) for that matter, then you need to obtain a good iPod to iPhone Transfer Program. The only decent program that I know of is iPod 2 iPhone, it's excellent software that will get the job done properly and the best part is that you can download it for Free as they offer a trail version to test it out.