BlackBerry

Google's quest for world domination continues. Back in August, they provided a Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server which typically involved firms with hundreds of BlackBerry devices. This week, they have come back to get the rest of the BlackBerry server market. The Google App Connector now also works with BlackBerry Professional Software which supports smaller groups with up to 30 devices...

Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server now connects businesses of all sizes

Note to World: Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated... by Google.

Celio's Redfly terminal for Windows Mobile (and now BlackBerry) smartphones is one of those products that I really want to like. I even bought one in late 2008 and have been trying to use it since then. Despite repeated bad experiences with it (like the most recent experience with my Touch Pro2 linked below)...

Celio Redfly + HTC Touch Pro2 = Bad Experience

...I reached out to Celio and spoke with its Marketing Manager (Colin Kelly Jr.) in...

Podcast 27: Celio Redfly Terminal Device for Windows Mobile Smartphones

Celio recently branched out to let BlackBerry phone users have a terminal option too. PCMag.com's Jamie Lendino took at a look at this...

Celio Redfly C8N (for BlackBerry)

...and gave it a big one star rating (out of a possible five). Ouch. The surprise for me is that Jamie gave it this rating even though the Redfly actually provided the basic functions it promises unlike my experience of partial functionality or even no connectivity.

I'm not a BlackBerry user. But, if you are, you probably want to head to the official BlackBerry blog Inside BlackBerry to read...

BlackBerry App World: everything you wanted to know and weren't afraid to ask (Part One)

It answers the questions:

- Where do I go to get app help?
- How do apps get into the Top 25 list?
- Why is the BlackBerry App World app is itself in the Top 25 free apps list (um, duh? :-)
- I changed BlackBerry phones and can't find my apps
- Does anyone read EULAs (End User Legal Agreements)?
- Why is it memory resource hog?

Virtual office phone developer Toktumi's blog title may be a little dramatic (and probably untrue)...

Is the BlackBerry Doomed?

But, the content of this blog item is quite interesting reinforces what I've heard from other developers: Developing for RIM's fragmented BlackBerry platform can be a nightmare. As Toktumi notes: There are dozens of different models, many with different screen sizes, features, hardware, etc. If your software works on one, it may not work on others – so you have to test every single phone, every time you make a change.

Personally, I think the BlackBerry will continue to do just fine (though it might not grow marketshare at the rate it used to) as long as RIM continues to have a laser-like focus on keeping BlackBerry messaging features in tune with its business and consumer customers. It is all about typing and reading text as quickly and easily as possible.

My long-time favorite mobile platform, Windows Mobile, on the other hand is in real danger of becoming forgotten and disappearing. It is under assualt from all sides from the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and, to a lesser extent, Palm and Nokia.

You want to talk about fragmentation for developers? I have a bunch of apps that just don't run as expected on the HTC Touch Pro2 because of HTC's customizations. These apps run fine on another Windows Mobile 6.1 phone without HTC customizations.

Hmm, for some reason it appears to be raining BlackBerry spyware this week.

The first came to my attention by way of a conventional press release announcing the availability of the $99.97 (od price, IMHO)...

BlackBerry Mobile Spy

...from Retina-X Studios. It requires the installation of software on a BlackBerry which works with a network service to record SMS messaging, call activities, and GPS location. GPS location is noted every 30 minutes. The person doing the spying can login to a website to see the recorded information. Retina-X claims the software is hidden from the user of the bugged phone.

The second BlackBerry spyware was noted by CNET...

US-CERT warns about free BlackBerry spyware app

This free spyware app was written by a security researcher attempting to point out the dangers of stealth apps for phones. Unlike Mobile Spy, this demonstration spyware is not hidden from the phone's user. The researcher, Sheran Gunasekera, also provides a piece of anti-spyware for the BlackBerry...

Kisses

...which is described like this: Kisses detects and displays any hidden programs or processes that are on your BlackBerry handheld. It can be used to detect spyware that hides itself from view. I wonder if it can detect Retina-X's Mobile Spy?

YouTube video courtesy of Google

Good news for BlackBerry users. Google Maps for mobile 3.2 is available for the BlackBerry. And, it brings with it...

Layers come to Google Maps for BlackBerry

Layers are special data sets like information from Wikipedia that can be overlaid on Google Maps in a, well, "layer". You can find a brief demonstration of Layers in Google Maps for mobile in the embedded video above produced by Google.

Result of searching for "phone watch" in Google

There are some ideas that never die even though they don't seem to succeed after many tries. The phone built into a watch concept is usually credited to cartoonist Chester Gould who wrote about comic strip detective Dick Tracy's two-way radio wrist watch in 1946 (it was later upgraded to provide video in 1964). I recall seeing a gigantic watch with a built-in phone at Comdex from, if I recall correctly, Seiko at Comdex in 1999. And, I saw a prototype Bluetooth watch accessory that worked with Windows Mobile smartphones a few years ago. This item noted by CrackBerry falls into the last category...

First Images: BlackBerry Watch is FOR REAL!

The InPulse watch CrackBerry discusses is not a BlackBerry, nor is it a phone. It is an accessory for a BlackBerry that can display notifications from a BlackBerry on the watch face.

Personally, I think it is a great idea that I've been watching being reimplemented in various forms for a decade now. I hope this idea takes off someday because I want one for either the iPhone or Windows Mobile phone (or maybe an Android).

Image courtesy of RIM

The BlackBerry Storm & Verizon didn't quite dethrone the iPhone after its introduction late last year. But, RIM didn't become a smartphone powerhouse by giving up easily. The New York Times takes a look at RIM's second attempt at a touchscreen phone...

BlackBerry, Upgraded, Aims to Suit Every User

So, what's new with the Storm 2? Well, according to its product page...

BlackBerry Storm product page

...it has, appropriately enough, has two highlighted new features...

- A redesigned SurePress technology that is said to give the impression of pressing a physical button (vs. the giant click screen effect) when pressing a virtual key on the touch screen
- WiFi: Yes, the original Storm did not provide wireless LAN connectivity! Who thunk of that?

I noticed that the Storm2 also adds GSM voice support to Verizon's native CMDA.

But, these enhancements apparently come with the price of decreased battery life compard to the original Storm. CDMA (voice) standby time drops from 356 hours to 280 hours. And, talk-time dropped from 6 hours to 5.5 hours.

YouTube video courtesy of spbsoftware

The potential appeal of mobile devices that just provide mobile TV viewing like the new Flo TV mobile device puzzles me because of apps like this one recently released for the BlackBerry from Spb Software...

SPB TV comes to BlackBerry Smartphones - the number of platforms provided with SPB TV rapidly grows

This $9.95 app provides more than 100 international live channels in more than 20 languages. It also provides schedule for a week of TV programming with the ability to set calendar reminders. It doesn not, I must admit, provide on-demand program viewing that the Flo TV mobile device does. However, there are other apps that provide that feature.

Image courtesy of The Weather Channel

If you have a BlackBerry Curve, Bold, Tour or Storm, The Weather Channel has an updated version of their free weather app...

The Weather Channel 2.0 for BlackBerry

The updated app adds a GPS location tracker, interactive maps with user selected weather layers, and a home screen temperature indicator.

You can download the appropriate app for your BlackBerry model at...

- m.weather.com/bbapp (for Curve, Bold, or Tour)
- m.weather.com/stormapp (for Storm)

Local video is only available when used on a Bold or Storm.

An advertisement-free version can be purchased for $3.99 from BlackBerry App World.