Gear Diary » BlackBerry Phones and Tablets http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:15:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 When THIS Happens … We ALL Winhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/when-this-happens-we-all-win/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/when-this-happens-we-all-win/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:15:10 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178064

If you search around the internet based on the images in this post you will find loads of prognostication - Android fans calling it meaningless (despite foretelling the death of iOS with each percentage Android gains at the expense of RIM), iOS fans calling it the 'Android plummet' (in spite of arguing that short term shifts are meaningless), and so on. What I see - particularly when I look at the next image - is a market that is moving more rapidly than ever before. Smartphones accounted for over TWO THIRDS of all mobile phone sales in October and November of 2011!

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/when-this-happens-we-all-win/feed/ 6 BlackBerry Continues To Demonstrate Cluelessness – This Time With Pricing!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/03/blackberry-continues-to-demonstrate-cluelessness-this-time-with-pricing/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/03/blackberry-continues-to-demonstrate-cluelessness-this-time-with-pricing/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:30:26 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=177026

Last night Francis shared a link with the rest of the GearDiary crew, to the BlackBerry store Playbook page. At first it looks reasonable, then you check out pricing at which point you think it must be a mistake, but alas ... you can go all the way through to check-out without any errors! Regardless of whether you think that the Blackberry Playbook is WORTH $300, plenty of the devices were sold at retail for $200 over the holiday season ... although I talked with several people who had no idea WHY they were buying them. But those devices were the 16GB version - and now you can get the full Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/03/blackberry-continues-to-demonstrate-cluelessness-this-time-with-pricing/feed/ 2 One More Tablet Gone; Can Microsoft Avoid the Same Fate?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/03/one-more-tablet-gone-can-microsoft-avoid-the-same-fate/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/03/one-more-tablet-gone-can-microsoft-avoid-the-same-fate/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:50:13 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=172624 image courtesy of BerryReporter 

Clinton recently wrote an opinion piece entitled, "As RIM Writes Off The Playbook, The Pressure is on Microsoft to Make a Complete Windows 8 Tablet", in which he says:
This morning the Wall Street Journal reported that RIM is taking a $485 million charge for their lackluster tablet, the Playbook.  The charge comes by way of a markdown in the value of the massive inventor that RIM still has of the devices.  It is a brutal and costly reminder that if you kinda-sorta-maybe-woulda-shoulda your tablet strategy, the price can be steep.  Very steep.
and
The challenge facing Microsoft is that they are behind when it comes to a tablet strategy.  Regardless of what
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/03/one-more-tablet-gone-can-microsoft-avoid-the-same-fate/feed/ 14 Technology Meets Tradition: Prague, a Bat Mitzvah and an iPhone to the Rescuehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/27/technology-meets-tradition-prague-a-bat-mitzvah-and-an-iphone-to-the-rescue/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/27/technology-meets-tradition-prague-a-bat-mitzvah-and-an-iphone-to-the-rescue/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:45:31 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171509 Safari Picture from Jewish Journal

A few years ago I received a picture from friends in my congregation. They were in Jerusalem for their daughter's Bat Mitzvah. The the picture their daughter was standing on the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount wearing a tallit (prayer shawl) and holding a BlackBerry. It seems she left her speech in the hotel room in Jerusalem. Luckily, her mom had it on her Blackberry for safe keeping. Yes, a BlackBerry saved the day and her Bat Mitzvah. Fast forward to last week. It seems when it comes to a smartphone saving the day during a Bat Mitzvah BlackBerries are out and iPhones are in. Here is the, slightly redacted for privacy Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/27/technology-meets-tradition-prague-a-bat-mitzvah-and-an-iphone-to-the-rescue/feed/ 0 Not So Random Videos of the Day: RIM… These are for You!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/09/not-so-random-videos-of-the-day-rim%e2%80%a6-these-are-for-you/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/09/not-so-random-videos-of-the-day-rim%e2%80%a6-these-are-for-you/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:42:20 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=168015 Google's Gmail app for BlackBerry is coming to an abrupt end on the 22nd of this month. (via The Verge) We thought we would let two videos provide the commentary. (Note: The relevant commentary comes at the end, not in the refrain.) :)

Click here to view the embedded video.

And here's the musical version…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/09/not-so-random-videos-of-the-day-rim%e2%80%a6-these-are-for-you/feed/ 2 B&N Drops Support for Blackberrieshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/05/bn-drops-support-for-blackberries/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/05/bn-drops-support-for-blackberries/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:15:43 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=163501 Bad news for Blackberry and B&N fans; you'll have to pick sides soon. B&N is notifying Blackberry users that effective January 1st, they're dropping all support for their eReader app. Of course, if you want to go through contortions, you can always sideload your books via USB. Or you could switch to Kobo or Amazon, both of whom offer fully supported ebook apps for Blackberry. According to Crackberry, this is the email B&N has sent to affected users:
We are writing to inform you about important changes being made to the BN eReader software for BlackBerry. Changes to the BN eReader software will directly affect how you purchase and access your digital
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/05/bn-drops-support-for-blackberries/feed/ 3 Gear Diary at 5, Day 1 Winner: BlackBerry PlayBookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/17/gear-diary-at-5-day-1-winner-blackberry-playbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/17/gear-diary-at-5-day-1-winner-blackberry-playbook/#comments Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:00:08 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=160847 Preview   We have a winner in the first round of our huge 5th Anniversary giveaway. And the BlackBerry PlayBook goes to... Safari   Not so fast! Before we get there we wanted to remind you that we are giving away both the Orbino Padova for iPad 2 and the Aranex Kangaroo Leather Folio today. ;-) Safari Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/17/gear-diary-at-5-day-1-winner-blackberry-playbook/feed/ 8 Gear Diary at 5 Giveaway: Day 1 Win a BlackBerry PlayBookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/16/gear-diary-at-5-giveaway-day-1-win-a-blackberry-playbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/16/gear-diary-at-5-giveaway-day-1-win-a-blackberry-playbook/#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:00:59 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=160437 Note: This contest has ended. What better way to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Gear Diary than to do a series of awesome giveaways?!?!? Those giveaways start today, so keep reading. The contests will cover the next two weeks leading us to September 30th, the actual anniversary of Gear Diary. This week we will be giving away a ton of review items. Almost all of them have been opened and lightly used for review, but all are in perfect working order without any significant cosmetic blemishes. Most have original packaging and any accompanying paperwork. Each contest will last no more than two days with some taking far less time than that. To enter Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/16/gear-diary-at-5-giveaway-day-1-win-a-blackberry-playbook/feed/ 18 The “Other” Reason the BlackBerry PlayBook Got No Playhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/12/the-other-reason-the-blackberry-playbook-got-no-play/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/12/the-other-reason-the-blackberry-playbook-got-no-play/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:00:53 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=160074 I attended RIM's rollout of the BlackBerry PlayBook and they were kind enough to give each of us in attendee one to take home and use. Since that time I have taken the device out of its box every week or so to play with it a bit. Unfortunately, after using it for a brief time back into the box it goes. Time and again this is what happens. It makes me sad. I love the hardware. The 7" form factor is fantastic, the design of the tablet is quite nice and the OS is great. The screen is gorgeous and the speakers are probably the best speakers I have heard on a tablet yet Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/12/the-other-reason-the-blackberry-playbook-got-no-play/feed/ 12 RIM’s Tablet Suddenly Becomes Useful as Evernote Arrives on BlackBerry PlayBookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/09/rims-tablet-suddenly-becomes-useful-as-evernote-arrives-on-blackberry-playbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/09/rims-tablet-suddenly-becomes-useful-as-evernote-arrives-on-blackberry-playbook/#comments Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:00:53 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=159800 Well would you look at this… the BlackBerry PlayBook just got a whole lot more useful! YEAH!!! Evernote just announced the release of an Evernote app for the PlayBook. Rather than simply port the tablet app from iOS or Android the Evernote team thought about the PlayBook, its 7" size and its overall form factor when designing the app. The result was a decision to use a two-column approach for notes with "a Snippet-filled note list along the left and the selected note on the right." When selecting a note the user has a choice of either viewing it in the two-column view or going into full-screen mode with the simple tap of the screen Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/09/rims-tablet-suddenly-becomes-useful-as-evernote-arrives-on-blackberry-playbook/feed/ 0 Would You Like an Invite to BlackBerry’s New BB Music Service?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/03/would-you-like-an-invite-to-blackberrys-new-bb-music-service/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/03/would-you-like-an-invite-to-blackberrys-new-bb-music-service/#comments Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:45:33 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=159255 image courtesy of BlackBerry Smartphones Week

If you live in North America or the UK, and if you have a BlackBerry, you have no doubt heard about the new BlackBerry Music service that we mentioned earlier this week. $5 per month gets you 50 songs that you can share with your friends ... but only if you own a BlackBerry and they own one, too. And this service is not available to the general BlackBerry population yet. According to Digital Music News, the plan details are:
(1) $5 a month. (2) User chooses 50 songs to access anytime, on-demand. (3) User then invites other ‘BBM’ friends to download the app and join the circle
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/03/would-you-like-an-invite-to-blackberrys-new-bb-music-service/feed/ 0 Music Diary Notes: RIM’s BBM Music Poses the Question: Perhaps Late is NOT Better than Never?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/25/music-diary-notes-rims-bbm-music-poses-the-question-perhaps-late-is-not-better-than-never/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/25/music-diary-notes-rims-bbm-music-poses-the-question-perhaps-late-is-not-better-than-never/#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:30:26 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=158153

Imagine if back in 2006 someone told you that RIM was offering a music plan for the Blackberry that would allow you to get 50 songs per month, share them with all of your friends who also have a Blackberry, unlimited and on-demand. And that it would have cost $5 a month! You would likely have lamented that you couldn't also get them on your PC or iPod ... but would otherwise been pretty thrilled and signed up immediately! This was the time before the iPhone, before Spotify and Slacker, and when RIM ruled the enterprise phone market. This was before RIM was bleeding market share ... well, because of moves like Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/25/music-diary-notes-rims-bbm-music-poses-the-question-perhaps-late-is-not-better-than-never/feed/ 0 RIM’s New BlackBerry Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370 Smartphones: Everything You Need?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/23/rims-new-blackberry-curve-9350-9360-and-9370-smartphones-everything-you-need/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/23/rims-new-blackberry-curve-9350-9360-and-9370-smartphones-everything-you-need/#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:45:29 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=157976

RIM has just announced three new BlackBerry Curve smartphones: the BlackBerry Curve 9350, the BlackBerry Curve 9360 and the BlackBerry Curve 9370. Those of you who love BlackBerry and have been chomping at the bit for a Curve upgrade will be glad to see features which include:
  •  Slim, sleek design
  • GPS and Wi-Fi support
  • MP camera with flash and video recording
  • MicroSD/SDHC slot supporting up to 32 GB memory cards
  • New BlackBerry 7 Operating System – Featuring:
  1. Faster, more fluid web browsing
  2.  Voice activated universal search
  3.  Smoother navigation and optimized HTML5 performance for gaming and video
  4.  Pre-loaded premium version of Documents To Go
  5.  BlackBerry Balance
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/23/rims-new-blackberry-curve-9350-9360-and-9370-smartphones-everything-you-need/feed/ 0 Let’s Make a Deal: Telenav Survey Shows Our Smartphones Aren’t in Playhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/05/lets-make-a-deal-telenav-survey-shows-our-smartphones-arent-in-play/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/05/lets-make-a-deal-telenav-survey-shows-our-smartphones-arent-in-play/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:45:36 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=156038   I hate being predictable. I hate being statistic. But Telenav's new survey basically suggests that I, and I suspect many of you, fall right in line with the data when it comes to out smartphone dependence (read: addiction). The question asked in the survey was, "How willing are you to give up… your smartphone, coffee, shoes etc.". For example,
54% of all respondents would be more willing to give up exercise for a week than their mobile phone. 55% of respondents would be more willing to give up caffeine for a week than their mobile phone, 63% would be more willing to give up chocolate 70% would be willing to forego
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/05/lets-make-a-deal-telenav-survey-shows-our-smartphones-arent-in-play/feed/ 0 “The iPod touch Effect”, or Why RIM Could Have Been a Contender… but Isn’t: Part 2http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/04/%e2%80%9cthe-ipod-touch-effect%e2%80%9d-or-why-rim-could-have-been-a-contender%e2%80%a6-but-isn%e2%80%99t-part-2/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/04/%e2%80%9cthe-ipod-touch-effect%e2%80%9d-or-why-rim-could-have-been-a-contender%e2%80%a6-but-isn%e2%80%99t-part-2/#comments Sun, 05 Jun 2011 01:00:38 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=147765 Last week  I wrote a post entitled “The iPod touch Effect”, or Why RIM Could Have Been a Contender… but Isn’t. In it I argued that even it Apple does not currently own the market they are positioned well for the long-term thanks to a little device known as the iPod touch. The Touch, I said, is now used by a huge number of kids who do not yet have a cell phone. Their love of the Touch, not to mention their having invested in apps and ringing up game scores, makes it more likely that they will go for an iPhone when the time comes for them to get a phone Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/04/%e2%80%9cthe-ipod-touch-effect%e2%80%9d-or-why-rim-could-have-been-a-contender%e2%80%a6-but-isn%e2%80%99t-part-2/feed/ 1 “The iPod touch Effect”, or Why RIM Could Have Been a Contender… but Isn’thttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/28/the-ipod-touch-effect-or-why-rim-could-have-been-a-contender-but-isnt/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/28/the-ipod-touch-effect-or-why-rim-could-have-been-a-contender-but-isnt/#comments Sat, 28 May 2011 16:00:39 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=146801 Yesterday a post on Cult of Mac related some bad news for the Canadian-based RIM. They noted, "Realizing its failure, the handset maker is ready to surrender to Apple in the consumer ring, and focus on its business roots… an arena which iPhone is also increasingly dominating." Their comment was, in part, based on a report from Wunderlich Securities analyst Matthew Robison who reported, “We no longer anticipate Research in Motion recovering to participate in the mainstream of smartphone industry growth,” As a result Robison cut RIM's target price from $76 to $46. I expect they are correct in their assessment of RIM's dire circumstances, but I don't need numbers and metrics to make Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/28/the-ipod-touch-effect-or-why-rim-could-have-been-a-contender-but-isnt/feed/ 0 Adobe brings Flash, AIR and More to the Blackberry Playbookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/17/adobe-brings-flash-air-and-more-to-the-blackberry-playbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/17/adobe-brings-flash-air-and-more-to-the-blackberry-playbook/#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 19:20:53 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=145348 As much as I love my iPad -- and I definitely do -- I'm always glad to see other folks starting to compete in the tablet market space.  Samsung got there reasonably quickly with their Tab of course, and RIM has entered the field with their new Blackberry Playbook (which Dan got a look at not too long ago). One of the knocks Apple has taken with regard to their iPad (and iPhone) is the lack of Flash support.  Well, RIM isn't going there; the Playbook supports a whole buncha' Adobe features.  "What features are those, Doug?" I hear you cry.  Well, read on!
Aside from Flash Player support for a full web browsing experience
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/17/adobe-brings-flash-air-and-more-to-the-blackberry-playbook/feed/ 0 BlackBerry World 2011: Is RIM Knocking It Out of the Park or Lobbing Soft Balls?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/03/blackberry-world-2011-is-rim-knocking-it-out-of-the-park-or-lobbing-soft-balls/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/03/blackberry-world-2011-is-rim-knocking-it-out-of-the-park-or-lobbing-soft-balls/#comments Tue, 03 May 2011 19:00:40 +0000 Jason Reese http://www.geardiary.com/?p=142821

[image via Yahoo News]

  This week's BlackBerry World Conference is meant to show off the latest and greatest BlackBerry products and software offerings -- as well as give a sneak peek into what RIM, the makers of the popular BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook tablet -- have planned.    Unlike many prior years (where the conference was branded as the Wireless Enterprise Symposium, or WES for short), there is a sense that RIM is struggling with the challenge of reinventing its brand and platform. Recent announcements such as the new crop of BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook updates are...to be blunt, falling a bit flat.   A touchscreen Bold running OS 6.1 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/03/blackberry-world-2011-is-rim-knocking-it-out-of-the-park-or-lobbing-soft-balls/feed/ 0 RIM Announces Multi-Platform Enterprise Mobile Support and some Bold New Phoneshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/03/rim-announces-multi-platform-enterprise-mobile-support-and-some-bold-new-phones/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/03/rim-announces-multi-platform-enterprise-mobile-support-and-some-bold-new-phones/#comments Tue, 03 May 2011 18:05:32 +0000 Francis Scardino http://www.geardiary.com/?p=142623  

Image courtesy of Blackberry

Recently at Blackberry World Conference 2011, RIM made some announcements on a few new devices, apps, OS 7, and most notably the new Multi Platform Blackberry Enterprise Server. Blackberry has been under some pressure in the past few years, mainly because they are losing market share daily to both mobile hardware and software competitors. Most of the recent phone offerings have not quite set the world on fire, and the OS leaves much to be desired. As most of the smartphones sold now offer all the things that once made Blackberry great, I feel like RIM has been left behind with their mediocre hardware and all but non-existent app store. We have been Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/03/rim-announces-multi-platform-enterprise-mobile-support-and-some-bold-new-phones/feed/ 0 RIM Pulls an Oprah, Gives All BlackBerry World Attendees a Brand New PlayBook Tablethttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/03/rim-pulls-oprah-gives-all-blackberry-world-attendees-a-brand-new-playbook-tablet/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/03/rim-pulls-oprah-gives-all-blackberry-world-attendees-a-brand-new-playbook-tablet/#comments Tue, 03 May 2011 17:52:11 +0000 Jason Reese http://www.geardiary.com/?p=142864

While attendees were Tweeting, BBM'ing and trying not to nod off during Mike Lazaridis's keynote address during this year's BlackBerry World Conference, a jolt of enthusiasm swept through the crowd as RIM announced every attendee would receive a complimentary 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Suh-Weet!   Gauging the rabid excitement of the crowd, the news was very well received.   Hopefully by the time attendees have it in hand, all those pesky software updates for the native Facebook app will be installed.   Since there's no native email on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet (until another software update brings native PIM features to the tablet 'sometime this Summer' per RIM), all I can say is thank Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/03/rim-pulls-oprah-gives-all-blackberry-world-attendees-a-brand-new-playbook-tablet/feed/ 2 GD Quickie: Breaking News? Who Needs a Tele-promptor When You’ve Got…http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/02/gd-quickie-breaking-news-who-needs-a-tele-promptor-when-youve-got/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/02/gd-quickie-breaking-news-who-needs-a-tele-promptor-when-youve-got/#comments Mon, 02 May 2011 13:45:04 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=142420 I was watching TV at 10:30 pm last night when the first reports came that President Obama would be making a special announcement. "Uh Oh," I thought, "This is either really good news or really, really bad." I was anxious to see which it was but then I waited... And waited and waited. It took an hour before the President finally came on and formally announced that Bin Laden had been killed by US forces. During that hour the news trickled in. In fact, as I watched, reporters were receiving and sharing news updates in real time. The information was so fresh that it was read from Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/02/gd-quickie-breaking-news-who-needs-a-tele-promptor-when-youve-got/feed/ 0 Video Chat And Facebook Apps Coming to RIM Playbook Tomorrowhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/02/video-chat-and-facebook-apps-coming-to-rim-playbook-tomorrow/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/02/video-chat-and-facebook-apps-coming-to-rim-playbook-tomorrow/#comments Mon, 02 May 2011 13:20:57 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=142428 Image Via MobileCrunch

I've had a BlackBerry Playbook for a couple of weeks now. I really like the device but have to concur with the many reports that it is, sadly, unfinished. The hardware is great. The OS is smooth. The cameras take FANTASTIC pictures and video. And I can actually use it to write a blog more easily than ON ANY OTHER MOBILE DEVICE I HAVE TRIED. But the device is unfinished. Yes, RIM, the company that built its reputation on email, shipped a device that didn't natively do email (more on that later this week) and they released something with so few apps that it has not yet shown its practical side Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/02/video-chat-and-facebook-apps-coming-to-rim-playbook-tomorrow/feed/ 0 Case-Mate Has the BlackBerry Playbook Covered with Great New Caseshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/27/case-mate-has-the-blackberry-playbook-covered-with-great-new-cases/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/27/case-mate-has-the-blackberry-playbook-covered-with-great-new-cases/#comments Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:00:19 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=141286 I've been playing around with the BlackBerry Playbook and, overall, I'm impressed. I say "overall" because I love the hardware but am increasingly frustrated by the lack of apps. (More on that in an upcoming post.) Since I DO love the hardware I'm more than a bit interested in some of the various ways to cover and protect the 7" tablet. Thankfully Case-Mate is rolling out some nice options. BB playbook Venture 1 The Venture The first is the Venture. This was one of my favorite cases for the original iPad and it looks like a great Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/27/case-mate-has-the-blackberry-playbook-covered-with-great-new-cases/feed/ 3 A Lifesaver in Barcelona, the Tru Enabled BlackBerry Bold 9700http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/13/a-lifesaver-in-barcelona-the-tru-enabled-blackberry-bold-9700/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/13/a-lifesaver-in-barcelona-the-tru-enabled-blackberry-bold-9700/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:59:32 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=131134 image I wanted to put in a quick mention for Tru, the service that offered to send me an international BlackBerry Bold 9700 to use for Mobile Congress Week along with their Tru SIM. The ultimate goal is that we'll compare what I would have spent on the same amount of Tru usage versus AT&T's best international rate (since they are my regular carrier) after Mobile World Congress is done. Here's where it gets even better, though. DHL came through and got the BB Bold to me before I left. Because Tru was worried that it wouldn't arrive in time, they also sent a BB Bold via DHL to Helena's and my hotel in Barcelona. When Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/13/a-lifesaver-in-barcelona-the-tru-enabled-blackberry-bold-9700/feed/ 8 Gear Deal: T-Mobile Makes it Easy to Score on Valentine’s Day with Free Smartphoneshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/11/gear-deal-t-mobile-makes-it-easy-to-score-on-valentines-day-with-free-smartphones/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/11/gear-deal-t-mobile-makes-it-easy-to-score-on-valentines-day-with-free-smartphones/#comments Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:27:45 +0000 Francis Scardino http://www.geardiary.com/?p=131187

Image courtesy of T-Mobile

Sometimes the best things in life really are free. T-Mobile has a promotion running on February 11th and 12th that is one of the best I've seen yet from a mobile provider. Sign up for a 2 year agreement, or add a line, and get ANY smartphone in the T-Mobile lineup for free. TmoNews has a screen snap of the rebate form showing a few handsets that will cost you a little up front, but will be refunded in some form or fashion. It's a great way to get your guy or girl a brand new Smartphone for absolutely nothing, and show your level of commitment by having a joint plan together Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/11/gear-deal-t-mobile-makes-it-easy-to-score-on-valentines-day-with-free-smartphones/feed/ 1 RIM Rebrands Annual WES Conference as BlackBerry Worldhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/09/rim-rebrands-annual-wes-conference-as-blackberry-world/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/09/rim-rebrands-annual-wes-conference-as-blackberry-world/#comments Thu, 09 Dec 2010 23:15:04 +0000 Jason Reese http://www.geardiary.com/?p=121073

RIM announced the name change from to annual Wireless Enterprise Symposium, aka WES, conference.  Now it will simply be 'BlackBerry World'.   This change marks a further move away from focusing only on the enterprise, or business customer.    Typically the yearly conference is filled with Sales and IT staff from companies all over the world learning about the latest product and server-side offerings.

Expect much more of a consumer focus at the BlackBerry World event as RIM tries to further push the BlackBerry brand against the Apple and Google Android Behemoth's who are infiltrating business use due to the volume of users, demand and the updates both Apple and Google have made to support enterprise

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/09/rim-rebrands-annual-wes-conference-as-blackberry-world/feed/ 4 Video Review: ADT PULSE Interactive Security Systemhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/24/video-review-adt-pulse-interactive-security-system/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/24/video-review-adt-pulse-interactive-security-system/#comments Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:00:02 +0000 LarryGreenberg http://www.geardiary.com/?p=114842

When the new ADT PULSE system became available in my area I immediate jumped at the chance to have it installed in my home.  PULSE not only allows for the ability to arm and disarm one's home security system from anywhere in the world, it does much more.  The new ADT PULSE system is all about home automation.  It includes lighting, temperature control, video, and more.

As a kid this sort of thing seemed like something that would exist in the far, far future, maybe not even in my lifetime.  But it turns out that future isn't far off at all;, it's actually here now

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/24/video-review-adt-pulse-interactive-security-system/feed/ 4 Kobo And Amazon Confirm eBooks Will Be Big On the PlayBookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/28/kobo-and-amazon-confirm-ebooks-will-be-big-on-the-playbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/28/kobo-and-amazon-confirm-ebooks-will-be-big-on-the-playbook/#comments Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:00:48 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=111610

Kobo with BBM from Kobo on Vimeo.

It's looking more and more like eBooks are the "killer feature" for tablets. Everyone is bragging about ebook integration into their tablets, from the iPad and iBooks to Kobo being native on the Galaxy Tab and now on the Blackberry Playbook as well! Not to be outdone, Amazon also announced they'll have Kindle for Playbook available on launch. The Kobo news is very interesting. As I've said before, Kobo makes up for their smaller marketshare by striking deals with anyone and everyone they can. One of the ways Kobo (and RIM) are trying to bring a unique angle to the Playbook offerings is by making the reading experience more "social" in nature. Kobo's video, while without any Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/28/kobo-and-amazon-confirm-ebooks-will-be-big-on-the-playbook/feed/ 6 Blackberry Takes A Shot At iPad Glory With The Playbookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/27/blackberry-takes-a-shot-at-ipad-glory-with-the-playbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/27/blackberry-takes-a-shot-at-ipad-glory-with-the-playbook/#comments Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:54:50 +0000 LarryGreenberg http://www.geardiary.com/?p=111581

At today's Blackberry development conference RIM announced their soon to be released tablet device named the Blackberry Playbook.  The 7" tablet features a 1GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM, and front and rear facing cameras. It'll run flash 10.1 with hardware acceleration and it supports HTML5.  The device also has both HDMI and USB ports.  It'll hook up with Blackberry's Enterprise Server straight out of the box too. Specifications:
  • 7-inch LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
  • BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
  • 1 GHz dual-core processor
  • 1 GB RAM
  • Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/27/blackberry-takes-a-shot-at-ipad-glory-with-the-playbook/feed/ 2 UAE To Suspend All Blackberry Use Because They Can’t Eavesdrop On Themhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/08/01/uae-to-suspend-all-blackberry-use-because-they-cant-spy-eavesdrop-on-them/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/08/01/uae-to-suspend-all-blackberry-use-because-they-cant-spy-eavesdrop-on-them/#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:30:08 +0000 LarryGreenberg http://www.geardiary.com/?p=103824

It seems that more than a million BlackBerry users may have key services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE cut off after authorities stepped up demands on smartphone maker Research In Motion for access to encrypted messages sent over the device. The BlackBerry's Messenger application (which allows users of Blackberry's to chat with each across devices in real-time) has spread rapidly in the Gulf Arab region but because the data is encrypted and sent to offshore servers, it cannot be tracked locally. "Certain BlackBerry services allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns," the United Arab Emirates' Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said in a statement. The UAE said Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/08/01/uae-to-suspend-all-blackberry-use-because-they-cant-spy-eavesdrop-on-them/feed/ 4