In a move that surely made the marketing department happy, AT&T has decided to rename all MEdia Net branded services and packages simply “Data”. I admit that I am envious of the guy or gal that received kudos for coming up with the idea of branding data as “Data”, total genious.

Lost in the renaming news is the fact that unlimited data and messaging is getting a decent price cut. Beginning January 25, the price will be reduced from $35 to $30. I am sure this is a nice bit of news for AT&T customers, after recent data outages and less than positive stories. (Post by Shaun Collins via Engadget Mobile)

Via phonesreview.co.uk — We hear the names, replicas, copies, clones and of course knock-offs; well say hello to the biggest knock-off so far, yes the all new BlueBerry Dual-SIM phone.

The BlueBerry is basically in the form of a BlackBerry Bold and apparently will cost only $164.99, the BlueBerry features microSD slot, QVGA display and of course one more space for another SIM than the Bold thanks to the Dual-SIM feature.

We like rip-offs but I bet your bottom dollar RIM does not, let us know what you think of the BlueBerry Dual-SIM BlackBerry Bold Clone Phone

by Al Sacco, via itworld.com -  Research In Motion’s (RIM) CTO David Yach addressed a crowd of roughly 700 mobile application developers and others at RIM’s first BlackBerry Developer Conference in Silicon Valley on Tuesday, offering up a list of 10 tips to help those developers create valuable BlackBerry applications.

Here are Yach’s tips, in reverse order:

10) Device Specific Features: Yach says applications that offer functionality that’s specific to a user’s device model are usually more attractive than applications that provide few or no custom features. For example, a local search application that can employ the device’s native GPS features to determine a user’s location is quicker and easier to use than a search app that requires a user to submit a zip code or the name of a city to find local results.

9) Responsive User Interface: Great BlackBerry applications have users interfaces (UI) that are speedy and responsive to user commands, Yach says. For example, an alarm app that displays a confirmation dialogue window after settings are modified is more effective than one that simply saves changes without notifying the user, because there’s no question as to whether or not the modifications were made.

Available Offline: BlackBerry applications that use “push” functionality to draw information from the Web or other sources and then save that data whenever the app updates are significantly more valuable than apps that need wireless connectivity to function, Yach says.

“Wireless is inherently an unreliable medium,” he says.

Inevitably, users will find themselves in situations in which they want to employ a specific application in an area with little or no wireless coverage; in a basement or concrete building, for example. Unfortunately, they’ll be out of luck unless the applications updates themselves and store those updates on BlackBerrys, even if users aren’t employing them.

Viigo, the mobile RSS reader for BlackBerry, is a great example of an app that stores updates on users’ devices, so content can be accessed without wireless coverage.

7) Use Network Judiciously: Yach stresses the word “judiciously” here, because he says proper use of wireless networks isn’t just about efficiently compressing data before sending it back and forth between BlackBerrys and the Web. Rather, the concept involves considering whether or not that data really needs to be sent at all, as well as how frequently.

For example, a mobile weather application may update itself every hour, even if the current conditions haven’t changed in days. This represents inefficient use of the wireless network, since there’s really no need for that data to be sent. An app that judiciously employs wireless resources will frequently provide a better overall experience without putting as much strain on the network, Yach says.

6) Leverage Push: RIM was the very first company to employ the now-industry-standard push technology that enables BlackBerry users to retrieve e-mail and other data without ever having to physical “fetch” it from the Web.

“Push is everything, and push changes everything,” Yach says.

Push means that BlackBerry users never have to go looking for new information; it comes to them, he says. Such functionality completely changes the way users interact with their mobile devices by reducing the frequently with which they need to physically seek out new information.

A quality push application also uses the wireless network judiciously, only delivering information when necessary or when users call for it, he says.

5) Preserves Battery Life: Great BlackBerry applications don’t degrade the overall performance of the device, and that calls for effective use of the battery, according to Yach. No matter how valuable an application may be, if it reduces BlackBerry battery life to only a couple of hours, it’ll probably hurt users more in the long run that it will help them.

“The best wireless apps use wireless the least,” Yach says.

4) Integrate with “BlackBerry Experience:” The best BlackBerry applications take advantage of the standard features and default applications that ship with the devices, according to Yach. For instance, a mobile social networking app that can invoke the BlackBerry camera, snap an image and then tag it with location information based on the device’s GPS is a much more valuable piece of software than an app that doesn’t utilize any of the built-in BlackBerry tools.

3) Anticipate User Actions: This tip relates to how developers create the UI for their applications. Yach says that apps with clean layouts and intuitive icon placement make it simpler and faster for users to employ them. Users shouldn’t even have to think about what they’re doing when using the application; it should come naturally, he says.

2) “One Minute Work Items:” Yach referred to this tip as his “red light test.” Users should be able to employ some an app’s features in the time it takes for a red light to turn green again — though he cautions that driving and using a BlackBerry simultaneously is never a good idea.

As an example, Yach cites the default BlackBerry messaging application. He says he can scan at least a few short messages and even type a quick response if necessary in a matter of minutes.

1) It Just Works: Even if applications are complex and their performance is dependent upon a variety of technologies, users shouldn’t ever have to deal with those intricacies. Great BlackBerry applications “just work” the way they’re supposed to, Yach says. If fact, users should be able to open an application and employ the basic functionality without ever having to open a manual or check a user forum.

Bonus Tip: Make the App FREE

This tip doesn’t come from Yach; it comes directly from me. If developers really want to expose their applications to a wide variety of BlackBerry users–and they have some sort of revenue stream to support the apps–disturbing the software free of charge is a great way to start. Loyal users will likely dole out the cash for a paid version of the app in the future if the developer decides to go that route.

ColorWare has added a new device to their lineup of awesome case customizations. You can now send in, or buy a brand new BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Storm from ColorWare! The customization options are many. Choose from many metallic and solid colors… and select any combination of colors you’d like on the back, top, bottom, frame and sides of your BlackBerry Storm.

As you can see by the image above, I had a little fun with the BlackBerry Storm Design Studio, prepping a BlackBerry Storm in IntoMobile colors. I want one!

You can choose to either send in your BlackBerry Storm, or have ColorWare pull one from their own stock (attained from a certified dealer). Of course, buying the device outright from ColorWare is much more expensive (starts at $919) in comparison to sending in your own device (starts at $129). ColorWare will take the device, disassemble it…paint it.. re-assemble… and then send it on its way back to you. I’ve seen a few devices first-hand that were worked on by ColorWare. They were awesome. If you’re willing to spend a few $$$ to make your device (in this case the BlackBerry Storm) look completely unique, then ColorWare is the ultimate option. – By James Falconer -  via intomobile.com

Ensure That Your Mobile Account Allows for Call Forwarding
Before spending too much time tweaking your BlackBerry call forwarding settings, it’s a good idea to check in with your wireless carrier to make sure call forwarding is available as part of your service plan and that it’s enabled. You may be able to access this information on your carrier’s website, but a support representative in one of the company’s call centers should also be able to help.

Not all service plans allow for call forwarding. For example, BlackBerry owners with T-Mobile FlexPay service plans currently cannot enable call forwarding. T-Mobile FlexPay accounts are designed to prevent its customers from incurring any monthly overages, and because forwarding calls to distant or international numbers could rack up services fees, T-Mobile has decided to disable the feature altogether.

If the following three steps don’t work for you, try calling your carrier’s technology support line to confirm that call forwarding is available and turned on for your account.
1. Open BlackBerry Call Forwarding Options
To access your BlackBerry call forwarding options screen, click the green Send key and then open the menu options by clicking the BlackBerry Menu key. Scroll down and select Options.

You’ll then be presented with a list of your BlackBerry’s Phone Options, which include Call Forwarding. Click on this option and wait a few seconds for the call forwarding screen to populate.
2. Enter a New BlackBerry Call Forwarding Phone Number
Before you can forward incoming calls via BlackBerry, you first need to enter the number you want calls to be forwarded to.

On the main Call Forwarding options screen, click your BlackBerry Menu key and choose New Number. A dialogue box will then appear asking for the number to which your calls will be forwarded. Type in the 10 digits and click the trackball to save the number.

If you mistyped the new call forwarding number and you need to correct it you can click the BlackBerry Menu key on the main call forwarding screen, choose Edit Number, scroll to the number you wish to modify, click the trackball again and choose Edit from the available options. From there, you can make your desired corrections. To save the changes, simply click the trackball one more time. You’ll then be returned to the Edit Forwarding Numbers screen. You can reach the main Call Forwarding option screen by clicking the BlackBerry Escape key once.
3. Enable BlackBerry Call Forwarding, Tweak Settings
On the main BlackBerry Call Forwarding screen, you have two options for call forwarding:

1) Forward All CallsForward Unanswered Calls.

Below the latter option, you have three more choices:

A) If Busy; B) If No Reply; and C) If Not Reachable.

By default, your device is set to Forward Unanswered Calls to your carrier’s voice mail box in all instances.

Forwarding every call that comes in to your device is simple; you just fill in the circle next to Forward All Calls and then specify the number to which you wish to direct calls from the corresponding drop-down menu. To save any changes you make, click the BlackBerry Escape key and confirm the changes when prompted.

Forwarding calls in specific situations is a bit different, but it’s no more difficult. The first thing you want to do is ensure that the circle next to Forward Unanswered Calls is filled in. (Again, this circle will be filled by default unless you modified your settings.)

To forward only the calls that come in while you’re already on the line, click on the If Busy option to open the drop-down menu and then choose the number to which you want to forward your BlackBerry calls. If that’s the only call forwarding option you wish to modify, click the BlackBerry Escape key and confirm the change when prompted.

If you want to forward calls that come in while you’re, say, in another room and away from the phone, change the number associated with the If No Reply option and save your changes.

If you want to receive calls when your BlackBerry is turned off or you’re otherwise unreachable, modify the number settings next to the If Not Reachable option and again save your changes.

When BlackBerry call forwarding is enabled, you’ll see a small icon, which looks very much like the missed call icon, appear on your BlackBerry home screen.

Finally, if you wish to return to your device’s default settings, simply fill in the circle next to the Forward Unanswered Calls option and set the number for all three options (If Busy, If No Reply and If Not Reachable) to your wireless carrier’s voice mail digits. (by Al Sacco – via cio.com)

High-end smartphones have advanced so much in the last two years that the line between phone and computer has blurred. Still, it almost seems surprising that Mike Lazaridis, co-CEO of BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion, told CNET Asia that he considers his company’s first touch screen device to be a small netbook computer. After all, we are taught that the number one function of a cellphone is to make phone calls on the fly. But times have changed. The current smartphone can browse the web, call up videos from YouTube, act as an MP3 player, and allow you to read and compose e-mail among other things. Lazaridis noted that cell phone sales have declined at a rate of 5% per year compounded over the last 5 years. Smartphone purchases rose at a 58% pace over the same time.

So what does RIM’s co-leader see for 2009? One thing he is looking forward to is the opening of the BlackBerry alternative to the App Store in March. On a broader scale, next year Lazaridis sees an emphasis on network speed with more web applications.

Tomato or tom-at-toe. Potato or po-tat-toe. Smartphone or netbook computer. What do you think? What do you want your phone to do in 2009? via phonearena.com

by Richard Wray – via guardian.co.uk

Orange is understood to be considering pulling the BlackBerry Bold from its line-up because of persistent problems with the device.

Return rates are understood to have been uncharacteristically high, with consumers complaining of a number of issues, including dropped calls and poor reception.

Orange had similar problems with the device in October and decided to stop shipping it. It had hoped the issues had been ironed out with a batch of software fixes, but the Bold is still confounding some customers.

The news will be a blow to the device’s maker, Research In Motion (RIM), which has also experienced problems with the Bold’s successor, the Storm.

After initial enthusiasm about the look and feel of the device – it is RIM’s first full touchscreen phone – the Storm has faced a barrage of criticism because of a number of software glitches that make it painfully slow to execute certain tasks that other smartphones, such as Apple’s iPhone, carry out with ease.

Complaints include the phone’s built-in camera taking far too long to focus, poor sound quality and the overall slowness of the device. The problems were summed up succinctly by Stephen Fry, a self-­confessed gadget freak. “Been playing with the BB Storm,” he wrote on the social-networking service Twitter. “Shockingly bad. I mean embarrassingly awful. Such a disappointment. Rushed out unfinished. What a pity. iPhone killer? Ha!”

The phone was produced in co-­operation with Vodafone, which has exclusive rights to supply it to its customers. The mobile phone operator missed out on the exclusive deal to stock the iPhone in the US and the key European markets of the UK, France and Germany to bitter rivals AT&T, O2, Orange and T-Mobile, and is hoping the Storm will give it a much-needed boost in the fight for high-end gadget-obsessed customers.

But the Storm is proving a headache. Vodafone’s US joint venture, Verizon Wireless, has already been forced to issue a number of software patches for the device. The fact that the earlier device, the Bold, is still experiencing problems does not bode well for a swift turnaround in the fortunes of the Storm.

There is also talk that RIM is planning a touchscreen variant of the BlackBerry Bold with rumours that the phone – code-named Pluto – could be revealed in the first half of this year.

A spokesman for Orange refused to comment. RIM, meanwhile, produced a joint official statement saying: “The BlackBerry Bold 9000 smartphone is available to Orange customers both in-store and online via its website.”