I am not sure how many of you are watching Top Gear but BBC Worldwide has released a news app for the show. The app is available for the PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphones and seems to have been released for Android shortly after BlackBerry. The app gives you access to the latest news, video, and other randomness from the show. I thought it was worth mentioning the app because I think it is HTML5 which is what allows it to easily be cross platform.
Filed Under (Blackberry News) by James Richardson on 17-05-2012
I must admit, it isn't very often I browse through the 'latest apps' section of BlackBerry App World and get excited about a new edition with no reviews. However, today was an exception as I spotted an application called Test de debit DeGroupTest (roughly translated to "Throughput Test") which appeared to be a speed test app that works over both WiFi and 3G. This is something I am currently lacking from my collection of apps.
The developer is clearly French and the majority of the wording within the app is in French but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to get the app working.
And work it does -- it shows your download and upload speed as well as your ping, plus the center tab at the top of the app will take you to a results page, much like the more common known speed test app on virtually every other platform.
If there is another speed test application for BlackBerry that tests both WiFi and 3G I haven't found it yet, so although this one may be brand new and in its first edition, you may well want to check it out. With continued developer support this one could be quite well a beauty.
We knew it could not last forever but we were really curious how much Verizon was going to screw their customers when they ended the fun. Verizon’s CFO, Fran Shammo, announced at the 40th annual JP Morgan Technology, Media, and Telecom conference that they pan on “migrating” all of their users from unlimited plans to their upcoming “Data share plans.” These plans are only coming this summer so we cannot tell how raw of a deal this will be but with carriers being stingy with 2-3GB data capped plans I cannot imagine they will be generous.
The new Data Share plans should actually be a good move allowing you to share data plans between devices. On the other hand I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop on this one with carriers finding some way to screw up the concept with things like per device connection fees or other annoyances.
Right now the death of these 3G and for some 4G unlimited plans is not a huge deal for BlackBerry users but it will be soon with the launch of 4G LTE BlackBerry 10 devices and users migrating… Check out the details at FierceWireless.
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Filed Under (Blackberry News) by Kevin Michaluk on 17-05-2012
* Update: As was quickly pointed out by the CrackBerry community... it looked like the Windows Phone 7 on PlayBook fun was being done through the web browser. Ding, ding. It was. The original prankster posted an update video above. Lol. Lame... but ya know, still kinda cool while it lasted. *
*Update #2: Looks like he has now made the above video private. Sorry folks! (it's still a fake, hahaha)*
A video demo of Windows Phone 7 running in the PlayBook web browser? That's what it seems to be. We wouldn't doubt that it's doable to run WP on the QNX platform, afterall, we've seen Android running on the PlayBook in an emulator, but somehow this one doesn't come across as the real deal to the CrackBerry community. Whether fake or legit, it's kind of neat to see. Though does anybody care about Windows Phone?BlackBerry 10 FTW! Sound off in the comments on this one...
Smarter Apps let us know that they have discounted one of their solid BlackBerry games for the summer. They are offering 60% off Vampires vs Hunter which brings it to $1.99. That means you can enjoy killing off the undead between meetings without breaking the bank.
Features include:
Engaging audio and visual experience
3 unique game boards
45 levels of intense vampire hunting gameplay
Progress and earn new weapons and defenses to fend off more challenging enemies
I guess Kevin really is getting older. Not to take anything away from him giving away his Porsche Design BlackBerry, in the past on his birthday he used to crank out some ***fun*** posts. But since he is now getting older and wiser (and recently got engaged!), I figured this year I'd take the heat and spice things up.
And as a suitable replacement -- I found an app that fits the bill. Sexy Screen is a simple PlayBook app that puts the lovely Andrea on your screen and also gives you a set of useful widgets. The app includes weather, clock, time & date and a news ticker - all displayed right on the screen and just a tap away. Sexy Screen features exclusive pictures (taken just for this app) and is $1.99 in BlackBerry App World. Go buy it ... you know you want to.
The BlackBerry Hard Shell snaps onto the back of your BlackBerry Curve 9350, Curve 9360, or Curve 9370 to help keep it protected and looking good. Plus, the slim, precision fit exterior gives you easy access to the keyboard, camera, side ports, and more.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - May 17, 2012) - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today announced that CESG, the National Technical Authority for Information Assurance in the UK, has approved the BlackBerry® 7 operating system for government use. The approval enables public sector workers to utilise the enhanced performance and rich functionality of the latest BlackBerry smartphones available in the UK.
The BlackBerry® Enterprise Solution from RIM is the only mobile solution approved by CESG to protect material classified up to and including 'Restricted'.
Stephen Bates, UK Managing Director, RIM, said: "We're pleased to see CESG taking such positive steps to help ensure UK government workers have access to the latest suite of BlackBerry 7 smartphones. Thanks in part to our industry leading security credentials, BlackBerry smartphones are widely deployed in UK public sector organisations including the Ministry of Defence (MoD), most of Central Government and more than half of the UK's police forces, NHS and local government organisations. BlackBerry smartphones are enabling greater efficiencies and improved citizen service by providing access to data such as patient records, the Police National Computer and other government systems at the point of need."
I have been checking the dates for the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour regularly to see what date RIM set for the New York event. Jason let me know that RIM has updated the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour website with a few more dates and details. Check out the new dates below or more info at www.blackberryjamworldtour.com.
North America
June 5 – Austin, TX, USA June 7 – California, USA June 19 – New York City, NY, USA June 21 – Toronto, ON, Canada
Europe
May 29 – Milan, Italy May 31 – Barcelona, Spain June 12 – Paris, France June 14 – London, UK June 26 – Moscow, Russia June 28 – Berlin, Germany July 3 – Warsaw, Poland
Asia
July 4 – Delhi, India July 6 – Beijing, China July 9 – Singapore, Singapore July 10 – Jakarta, Indonesia July 12 – Sydney, Australia
Latin America
August – Buenos Aires, Argentina August – Mexico City, Mexico
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I have always been a huge fan of holsters for my BlackBerry and really missed the old CaseMate Fuel charging holster I used to have on my Bold 9000. Engadget spotted a new patent awarded to RIM after a filing in 2012 for a “Handheld electronic device with holster having a notification device.” They describe it as:
A handheld electronic device that includes a first battery and a holster that includes a second battery and a charging apparatus. When the handheld electronic device and the holster are electrically connected together, the charging apparatus charges the first battery on the handheld electronic device from the second battery on the holster when the first battery charge has been depleted to a given level and the second battery charge is above a second given level. Alternatively, if the first battery charge is above a third given level the first battery charges the second battery if the second battery is not fully charged. The holster further includes a microcontroller that communicates with a microprocessor on the handheld electronic device to identify alerts and activate a notification device powered by the second battery on the holster.
In other words this reminds me clearly of the CaseMate Fuel cases from back in the day. I wonder if RIM will continue the holster tradition with the BlackBerry 10 line. Check out the full patent filing here.
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