RIM is known as the choice in devices for the suit-wearing demographic.
Sure, other devices offer the same features (if not more), but there’s something about specifically having that large brick-shaped Blackberry on your belt that screams “I’m a professional!”.

But the problem is that a Blackberry still looks like a Blackberry.
That is to say, people love the classic BB design (which hasn’t changed much), but some consider Blackberrys, dare I say it, BORING when it comes to form factor.

That’s why RIM decided its time to think outside the box for a change- but where to go from here?

With the multimedia-oriented folks already jumping ship for the button-less iPhone, the high-end geeks already drooling over flip out keyboards on Windows Mobile and Symbian handsets, and the younger messaging crowd going for the celebrity endorsed SideKick and similar devices, where was RIM to go to find a relatively un-tapped new design for their signature messaging devices?

The answer was to go backwards, so to speak. The flip-phone is one of the most classic designs in cellular voice technology, and still remains one of the most popular design choices in mid-range phones.

The concept is simple - flip phones are popular because they are convenient. A small device when not being used opens up to a larger device for keys and screen size. Therefore, RIM decided to cram their latest Blackberry device into a flip phone shell with their 8220 “KickStart” handset.

Crackberry.com has an exclusive first look video that can be found here.

Now, I would just like to point out that there have been smartphones crammed into flip-phone bodies before (Such as the Windows Mobile powered HTC Star Trek or Motorola MPX200, or the Palm OS powered Samsung i500 , etc), however the design never caught on and was considered somewhat of a failure.
I prefer not to call the Blackberry a Smartphone, however what makes RIM think that this design will succeed when real platform OSs failed before it?

After watching the crackberry.com video, I think the answer is that RIM actually thought this one out more. The OS actually takes all the things that make the Blackberry great and integrates it into the flip design (such as scrolling through messages to read on the outer screen, etc).

With all the Blackberry fans out there, this one could actually take off and hopefully seed a whole new generation of flip-styled smarter devices. That, in my opinion, would be fantastic!

A rant by Mordy Gilden.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably used Google Maps on your desktop browser for something at least once in your life. Google Maps is arguably the most popular mapping and directions plotting service there is, effectively stealing that crown from MapQuest ages ago.

So, its no surprise that the most popular server-based mapping and routing application on mobile phones is Google Maps Mobile (GMM). GMM offers a few features that don’t exist on the desktop based version, including support for GPS location if your phone has it, or localized search based on tower-triangulation (if your phone does not have or give you access to a GPS chip). It will even locate the addresses of contacts from your phonebook on some handsets.

Now, Google has announced voice recognition technology, based on the same technology as GOOG-411. Currently being tested on certain Blackberry handsets, the concept here is that your phone will record the voice clip, send it to Google’s servers who will decipher it, and send back the relevant information to your handset. Pretty nifty stuff, in fact nifty enough that many bloggers including Engadget, MobileCrunch, Boy Genius Report, and many others have rushed in to share this ground-breaking information with the rest of the Mobile World.

In fact, to quote the BGR:

“For the most recent feature addition, Google has decided to implement a bit of voice recognition. Sweet!”

Now, here’s where I’m confused. Did everyone miss Microsoft’s announcement to do this almost a year ago with Windows Live Search?

Windows Live has been offering this service for many of its compatible handsets, which include a wide range of devices including Blackberrys.
I currently use it on my Windows Mobile device so much that I now consider the feature to be indispensable (especially when on the road).

So, this begs the question:
How come nobody talks about this stuff until Google does it?!

I see this as a great move on GMM’s part, and I share the enthusiasm as the aforementioned bloggers. However, my feelings towards it are not “Sweet!”, but rather “Finally! What took you guys so long?“. You don’t normally see Microsoft beating Google to the punch at these sort of things.

I have to admit, Google Maps seems to have fallen behind on features- Windows Live offers real time turn-by-turn routing on GPS enabled devices which GMM still does not do, not to mention some cute features like finding the cheapest gas, movie times and more based on your current location. Google still doesn’t do all of that.

Basically, Google Maps broke new grounds and set standards for desktop map utilities, but as far as mobile apps go, Windows Live far exceeds them in features and usability… once again, not something you’d expect from Microsoft. But there it is.

I am at least consoled by the fact that many of the loyal Engadget readers commented that they’ve already been doing this with Windows Live over the past year. Still, it makes me wonder how many people are only interested in a concept if Google is behind it… let’s see how well Android plays out against Linux Mobile.

So this is from an old article but I came across this article using StumbleUpon and thought I would post about it.

Ok, here it is. More and more people around the world are asking to be buried with their cell phones. Its not just an Urban Myth, The trend, which began in South Africa, has now spread to a number of countries, including Ireland, Australia, Ghana, and the US.

The main reason why people are getting buried with their phones, at least in Cape Town, is because people feared being buried alive after seeming to be dead. So just in case you wake up in the dark inside your coffin six feet under, you can call for help. They even include extra batteries.

Imagine getting that call.

In the olden days they use to put a whole in the ground in which they lowered a rope tied to a bell. If you where buried alive you just needed to pull the rope to ring the bell and alert the grave digger to dig you out.

In countries where there are more sophisticated ways of telling if you are dead or not (and where burial is proceeded by an autopsy) the reason for being buried with your cell phone is a little bit more Egyptian Pharaoh wanna-be-ish.

According Martin Raymond, director of international trend-spotting think-tank, The Future Laboratory “people wanted to be buried with the totems that they felt represented their lifestyle,” One guy was even buried with his cell-phone, blackberry and laptop. ”

Imagine if your cell-phone interrupted your own funeral.

In Slovakia thats actually part of the funeral where it is not unusual, that while a priest performs the funeral rites, ring tones will echo around the church from within a casket.

In Ghana and Chad its about the belief that you will be able to take it with you in the afterlife.

Imagine getting that call!

You can even get buried in your favorite Nokia branded coffin!

People are even getting cremated with their phones (aren’t there laws about disposing cell phones that way?). Probably since funeral parlors started noticing the phenomenon when the phones would explode after being exposed to so much heat.

Thats O.K though. Funeral parlours will now arrange for the phone to be put into the box with the ashes following the cremation.

Perhaps this is a good idea for a future MVNO.

[via BBC]

Technorati Tags: australia, cape town, death, ghana, mobile, phone

Why people don’t just switch to a Treo650 and us Chatter for Blackberry like push2phone email is beyond me but since a majority of my readers are probably Blackberry users I feel it is important to tell you that RIM has unveiled a totally legit and legal workaround to keep your BlackBerry functional after and if they are forced to close shop.

The work around will prevent a shutdown of the services. “RIM’s workaround provides a contingency for our customers and partners and a counterbalance to NTP’s threats,” said RIM co-chief executive Jim Balsillie.

RIM said it has filed applications for a patent for its workaround, part of a software update called BlackBerry Multi-Mode Edition.

The company said it will soon begin shipping handsets with the software update in a dormant mode. It will make the update available at www.blackberry.com/workaround at a later, but as yet unspecified, date.

RIM said the changes would require software updates, but the new system will deliver the same functions and performance.

It said a legal opinion from a patent law and workaround expert said its designs do not infringe on any of the NTP patent claims remaining in the lawsuit.

RIM expects to offer it to current customers in the near future at www.blackberry.com/workaround.

[via Reuters]

“BlackBerry Hacks : Tips & Tools for Your Mobile Office (Hacks)” (Dave Mabe)

Technorati Tags: blackberry, workaround, multi-mode addition, RIM, free pda software

For those friends of mine using Blackberry devices…perhaps its time to get that Treo you almost got instead. A wide-scale shutdown of the Blackberry mobile e-mail service has gotten closer as the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down a request to review a major patent-infringement ruling against Research in Motion, maker of the Blackberry e-mail device.

The court rejected a petition by Research In Motion to review a federal appeals court ruling that could lead to a shutdown of most U.S. Blackberry sales and service.

Back in October, Chief Justice John Roberts turned down an earlier request by RIM to stay the lower court’s patent infringement ruling while the court decideed whether to hear a RIM appeal.

[via Cnet]

Technorati Tags: blackberry, supreme court