News
Big Brother, Google Maps and your BlackBerry
The guys at Skylab Mobilesystems have done it again: they keep creating these applications that I can't imagine living without. The latest is called Mobile Tracker and is described in their press release like this:
By taking advantage of the already built-in GPS receiver of the BlackBerry 8800 series, MobileTracker is able to record tracklogs. Those tracklogs are saved on the BlackBerry's internal micro SD-Card and can be viewed directly in Google Earth once you have the BlackBerry connected to your desktop and click on the tracklog file. To provide more flexibility it is possible to configure the delay between position recordings. So if you are on a ship crossing the Atlantic you can also set the delay to 5 minutes. MobileTracker works everywhere on the world, even without network coverage.
So now when my kid turns 16 and wants to drive the car around, I just stick my BlackBerry in the car and have it pump out updates to a website that understands the tracklog file (I don't believe it can do this now but my kid is only 2.5 years old so they've got 13.5 years to get their act together). Does anyone believe this isn't going to happen in 5 years? Kids everywhere are going to be devastated. When is the first transmission blocking phone going to come online?
Anyway, you can read more about MobileTracker and check out a cool demo on YouTube.com.
MobileTracker is available for $24.99.
May 22, 2007 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Mologogo Public Beta for Blackberry 8800
Noah from Mologogo is looking to get some beta testers for the new version of Mologogo (a free service that will track you and your friends using GPS). If you've got a BlackBerry 8800 and you use Cingular or T-Mobile, follow the directions below to get started and test it out:
You can download the software over the air by using your Blackberry Internet browser to go to bb.mologogo.com. Follow the instructions on the page to download.If you are unable to download it directly to your Blackberry, you can go to bb.mologogo.com using your computer, and download a file that you can then install using the Blackberry Desktop Manager.
You will also need to register at www.mologogo.com to begin using the application. Note that Mologogo uses your data connection to download maps and for posting location updates, so you need make sure that you have a data plan (preferably an unlimited one).
For more information about mologogo, check out their website: http://mologogo.com/.
May 22, 2007 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Radio Cognos
The guys over at Cognos (business intelligence and performance management software) have started a podcast channel called Radio Cognos where they been discussing some really cool mobility related topics with some big hitters (Jim Balsillie anyone?). You can can subscribe to the show using iTunes or using your own podcatcher software. If you're not an audio kind of person, they also make the transcripts available for each episode (1, 2 and 3 so far).
May 22, 2007 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry and Daylight Savings Time 2007
Tune out now if you're not a sys-admin in the US or Canada. All you sys-admin suckers still here? Good. I'm sure you've all read about the changes in Daylight Savings Time in 2007 brought on by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, but if you haven't, read all about it here. Bottom line: usually Daylight Savings Time happes on the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October, but starting this year, we'll spring forward on the second Sunday in March and roll our clocks back on the first Sunday in November. Why is this important? Because you'll want to head on over to read the February 2007 edition of the BlackBerry Connection, which has an article detailing how you'll need to patch your BlackBerry enterprise server before March 11th, 2007. Do it now, you know... for the children.
March 05, 2007 in News, Platform, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry vs. Treo
I'm an avid reader of Paul Kedrosky who authors a blog called Infectious Greed, you should read it too. Anyway, I've found some of the more illuminating posts he writes to be about Google Trends, more specifically how you can use Google Trends to see... well.. trends. So here's an interesting one for you BlackBerry fans out there. Check out this graph of searches of BlackBerry vs. Treo (click on the image to see the full version):
Looks like the guys at RIM are kicking some ass. Also of note: check out the top cities at the bottom of the page. New York and Washington DC are the top two regions that originate these searches (which makes sense since New York and DC might be the financial and political hubs of the world) and the BlackBerry leads by a large margin over the Treo in Washington DC.
September 19, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Added BlackBerryInsight.com to planet.blackberryblog.com
Quick update: a reader emailed me to let me know that the new BlackBerryInsight blog wasn't included on my planet installation. It is now.
September 15, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Planet.blackberryblog.com
It's getting pretty easy to follow sites websites these days with bloglines, google reader, etc.. but if you're one of those people who don't use an aggregator yet, but you want to keep up to date with all the BlackBerry related blogs, you should check out the website I just put up:
http://planet.blackberryblog.com/
It's an aggregator of the various BlackBerry related blogs I follow.
If you've got a BlackBerry blog not listed on the site, shoot me an email and I'll add it to the subscription list.
September 09, 2006 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Metro Maps for NYC and Madrid
If you happen to be one of the thousands of BlackBerry blog reads that also lives in New York City or Madrid (that would be in Spain for those of you who failed geography), head on over to the CrucialSoft website and download the Metro Network (subway system) map for your area. It's freeware and the maps live on the BlackBerry so you don't have to have data coverage for the map to work (which is important since you'll be using it UNDERGROUND). Here's the links to the appropriate versions:
August 24, 2006 in News, Software, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry 8100 Photos on mobility Today
David over at mobility today posted some high resolution pictures of the new BlackBerry 8100. It looks like it will support GSM/GRPS/EDGE and notably will support music, videos and photos. You can see the entire set of pictures on his flickr account which also has some cool pics of the new Sony Mylo.
August 17, 2006 in News, Phones by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Jobs
If you're visiting this site you're most likely a BlackBerry fanatic already, why not work for RIM? Their jobs page has over 351 job listed (as of 8/15/2006) in the US / Canada in a bunch of different categories.
August 17, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Promotion: Time Found
I'm pretty late to the game with this one, but if you could use an extra $10,000, you should head on over to the Time-Found.com website and enter to win one of a bunch of prizes, including $10,000. After registering you can also check out the podcasts created specifically for the promotion.
June 23, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New BlackBerry Training From Consilient
The guys at Consilient have come out with a new course for BlackBerry end users, which is something I wish every person who had a BlackBerry was required to take. No, I take that back. Every person who has a cell phone should be required to first take a cell phone etiquette class. And then, if they have a BlackBerry, they should have to take this class. Anyway, the BlackBerry class is approximately 56 minutes long, can be paused halfway through because you know there will be some emergency during the training that you'll probably read about on your BlackBerry while you're doing the training and includes audio narration and video demonstrations.
It costs $75 and you can purchase it online through the Consilient store.
May 06, 2006 in News, Reviews by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express Edition
If you're running a 'smaller' business (ie: one with 15 or less employees) and you have a BlackBerry or you're thinking about purchasing one, now turns out to be a good time. The good folks at RIM are giving away an 'express' edition of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server that comes with one user license and the ability to purchase up to 14 more. At the time of this writing, each additional user is $99 if purchased individually, $429 for 5, $699 for 10 and $3299 for 50 (source).
The original email said it was a limited time offer, so you should go check it out now!
May 06, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Questions for RIM?
Reader and author of Professional BlackBerry Craig Johnston secured a podcast interview with David Heit, Senior Product Manager at RIM and he's looking for questions. If you've got any, send them via email to mobilecomputingauthority@gmail.com. If you would like to hear the answers to your questions, subscribe to the podcast at http://mca.libsyn.com or via iTunes.
March 27, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Naggie
A number of the software products I read about fall into the category of "must be useful for someone just not me", but I can say without a doubt that Naggie falls into the "holy crap what a great idea, I'll take two!" category of software appliations. In short, Naggie is a location aware todo list which gives you the ability to set reminders for certain places. So for instance, if you're like me you look in the fridge and you notice that you're all out of Dew and you think to yourself "next time I'm at the store, get more Dew!" but then you go to the store to pick up diapers for the kid or something you TOTALLY forget about the Dew. Happens all the time to me. Naggie would TOTALLY solve my problems. The only problem is that it only runs on the 7520... argh!
Go check it out anyway, great idea! And if you have a 7520 and you download it, let me know how it works.
March 25, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New version of Spot for BlackBerry
Boris wrote to mention that he released a new version of Spot for BlackBerry which now includes support for the 7100 Series, 8700
Series and the 7250, 7290 models via a Bluetooth GPS receiver. If you missed my original post, Spot provides GPS mapping for the BlackBerry.
Get your Spot here, but only if you pick up a Bluetooth GPS receiver first.
March 25, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
More on Remote Access to PC: AppSwing
A couple weeks ago I got an email from Neil Thompson in response to my posting on 2/3 re: Remote Desktop for Mobiles 2.0. He mentioned that his company (called AppSwing) makes something similar. I couldn't find any screen shots of the application working on a BlackBerry on his site, but if you're looking for something like this for your own company, you should give him a call.
AppSwing available @ appswing.com.
March 25, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Google Talk for BlackBerry Devices
While poring through the mobitopia blog postings, I noticed that Google released a BlackBerry client (or did RIM release a client for Google Talk?) for their chat program called Google Talk. To download it you have to be using IE because they do some 'stuff' to determine whether or not you have the BlackBerry USB driver installed, which is lame, but whatever. I guess this would be cool if any of my friends actually used Google Talk, but Talk does support Jabber, so maybe someday this will be useful.
Get it here.
March 25, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Discoverblackberry.com
The latest BlackBerry Connection newsletter mentioned a new consumer oriented site for BlackBerry users called DiscoverBlackBerry.com. It's kind of like java.com/ in that it features of bunch of consumer oriented things you might want to do with your BlackBerry instead of the professional things (like answering the email from your boss at 10pm). They've got a couple different personas represented (stockbroker, mom, contractor, marketing manager), some consumer oriented getting started / setup / troubleshooting articles and a list of accessories, software applications and games that you can download.
With this focus on consumers, you can't help but ask: what's next? A BlackBerry with a camera phone and flash? An mp3 player? A phone with no keys at all?
February 03, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
The New Yorker: BlackBerry Picking
James Surowiecki wrote a fantastic article for The New Yorker which uses the issues RIM is facing with the NTP patents to illustrate how, in his words, the "... patent system is out of control." I'm not an anti-patent zealot (seems like the majority of the software patents in the news these days are nothing more than common sense 'patented'), but I'm not a big fan of these shell companies (like NTP) that don't actually make anything, but then I guess big companies use them too. But realistically, it's not NTP's fault: they're working the system. The USPTO is broken.
December 20, 2005 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry MDS v4.0 Upgrade pack: MDS Studio
The latest issue of SDTimes has a short article about the new MDS Studio which is part of the upgrade pack that RIM recently released. The main feature the article talked about was the ability for developers to point to a WSDL file (which is an XML file that describes a web service for those of you who don't wear propeller hats) in MDS Studio and the IDE will automatically generate an application for you (with the caveat that users who use this application must have the MDS runtime installed on their BB's and the BES you're using must install the MDS Services for Web Services component).
This sounded like pretty cool stuff, so I had to try it out... after digging out some space on my hard drive and clicking past all the open source license agreements (
including Derby, Axis, Bouncy Castle Crypto library and Eclipse / WSDL4J), I opened up MDS Studio and created a new project. The first step when creating a project is to point to a WSDL file, of which I've got a couple... I popped in the WSDL URL, it brought up all the available methods for that endpoint and then automatically created an entire application with screens for every one of the available methods. NICE. Our local BES is running an older version so I couldn't test out a deployment, but I HIGHLY recommend you check this out if you're doing any kind of BlackBerry development. It looks very cool AND it's based on Eclipse (which I've complained about them not using before) so there will be very little cognitive dissonance if you're a avid Eclipse user like I am.
Download MDS Studio now (and make sure you've got about 700MB of free space on your machine)
December 15, 2005 in Code, News, Platform, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
The BlackBerry is the new poisoned fruit
BlackBerryBlog reader Alasdair S. Roberts, an associate professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, wrote a paper about the little used (at least around where I work) PIN-to-PIN messaging capability of the BlackBerry. In the paper, he posits that the capability should be (and can be) monitored just like any other email traveling through a corporate system, especially in light of the Freedom of Information Act.
If you're still living in a utopian world where your PIN-to-PIN messages don't get recorded, welcome to the new world. And if you're interested in FOIA, privacy and security on your BlackBerry, go read Alasdair's paper.
December 05, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry on the Nokia 9300
From the latest BlackBerry Connection newsletter, RIM and Nokia have been busy getting the Nokia 9300 to play nicely with BlackBerry Enterprise servers (more here). The end result is that you should be able to buy this really cool looking phone RIGHT NOW on cingular.com, except that ... well you can't just yet because even though they said it would be available on cingular.com in November, it's not yet. So if you're a Symbian or Nokia devotee, keep checking the Cingular store site and let me know when it goes live. It IS on amazon.com, but there's no mention of BlackBerry Connect software, so I'd be wary of buying it there.
November 16, 2005 in News, Phones by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
European BlackBerry Conference: ibus 2006
If you live in Europe or want to visit, here's a good excuse to go to Amsterdam in January: ibus 2006.
The IBUS will be the annual European Event solely focused on the BlackBerry. The Independent Blackberry User Summit (IBUS) 2006 is organized by the International BlackBerry User Group (IBBUG) which has the mission to provide an independent platform for the sharing of information, knowledge and experience on the selection, implementation, and effective use of BlackBerry enterprise solutions.
More information is available on the ibus website.
November 16, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Monitoring Your BlackBerry Enterprise Server
My friends at Epoch Integration up in Canada have been busy working on software that helps administrators manage BlackBerry Enterprise Server installations. The press release for their latest version reads as follows:
NeedTEXT Monitor is a network management solution specifically designed to monitor BlackBerry Enterprise Server v2.2 and higher and BlackBerry Wireless Handhelds within enterprise organizations. The product has been adopted by many companies, such as BASF, Albertsons and Hyatt Hotels, looking to maximize the availability of their BlackBerry service to handheld users. By providing automated, 24/7 monitoring, NeedTEXT Monitor proactively identifies system issues or events that could cause an interruption in BlackBerry service and sends detailed alerts to system administration staff. The software also gathers key performance metrics for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry users, enabling reports and charts for use in everyday management of the BlackBerry deployment within the organization. For example, administrators can report on message activity across all of their BlackBerry Enterprise Servers simultaneously and use the resulting data for load balancing and capacity planning initiatives.
For more information, visit the NeedText Monitor site.
November 16, 2005 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Virtual Reach Begins Beta Testing for Newsclip 2.0
Those Canadians sure are busy these days. The guys at Virtual Reach (based on Toronto, CA) released the beta version of their Newsclip software (which gives you the ability to read RSS feeds on your BlackBerry), which will eventually be version 2.0. The feature enhancements include:
·Automated updating of content and news headlines delivered directly to your handheld;
·Rich content rendering, including HTML and other images for all feeds that provide such;
·Multiple single views with standard categories – "All Items", "Saved Items", "All Read Items" and "All Unread Items";
·Server based application with personalization functionality for greater optimization of content;
·Efficient data compression for faster transfers and downloads
You can read more about Newsclip here and Virtual Reach here.
September 28, 2005 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Developer Gaming Challenge
The RIM folks are sponsoring a contest (grand prize $14,500!!) for BlackBerry games.
We are challenging BlackBerry developers and the mobile developer community to create the hottest new game for Java™-based BlackBerry devices.Enter for the chance to win outstanding prizes, promotion on the BlackBerry website, and the opportunity to sell your game and have it promoted on the Handango Software Store for BlackBerry.
The BlackBerry Developer Gaming Challenge is intended for independent software vendors who can build and market a game designed for BlackBerry. All game entries must be in English, color and use Java technology.
More information here:
http://www.blackberry.com/developers/promos/devcontest.shtml
September 28, 2005 in News, Platform, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
GPS navigation with your BlackBerry
If you've got one of those new fangled BlackBerry 7520's from Sprint/Nextel, then you've got a GPS in your BlackBerry, which smart developers can access through the Location API (mentioned a couple weeks ago on this site). The guys at Skylab Mobilesystems in Germany have put together an interesting application that makes use of this API, it's called Spot and you should go check it out now.
September 08, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Smart Card Reader
The August issue of the BlackBerry Connection had a note about the new "BlackBerry Smart Card Reader" but then didn't really go on to talk about it at all (maybe I need to read the HTML version of the newsletter or something). Anyway, you can read all about it here. In short, it :
...is a lightweight, wearable smart card reader that enables controlled access to BlackBerry devices using Bluetooth® technology and advanced AES-256 encryption.If you download the brochure (available here), you can see the form factor. Effectively it looks like another BlackBerry which accepts a small card, much like your credit card, which then gives you access to sensitive information / destinations which are available via your BlackBerry (which is good since one of the success stories mentioned in the newsletter is ChoicePoint (read the PDF story), I'm not sure I would have highlighted them as a client given some of their recent 'issues'). Seems like a good idea given that a BlackBerry associated with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server is effectively always inside the firewall.
Any one else have any opinion on it?
September 04, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Training Courses available from Consilient
Karen Murphy from Consilient sent me an email a couple days ago with the news that the company she works for, Consilient, has begun offering courses on both the BlackBerry handheld and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The press release mentions that training is available both onsite and via webconference, but it looks like you'll need to call if you want those options. It looks like they currently have a class a month.
If you're interested, head on over to the training section of their website.
August 20, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry + Location API
This is probably old news for some of you (I'm catching up slowly) but the folks at RIM released BlackBerry JDE v4.0.2 a couple weeks ago. Noteworthy in and of itself, but the big note in this release is the inclusion of support for JSR 179, the Location API for J2ME*1. Mobile location based services have to be one of the hottest things going on these days (witness Where 2.0). The ability for your handset to know where in the world it is (and hence where you are) has the potential to enhance just about everything you do on your BlackBerry: the address book can show you where you are relative to one of your contacts, the calendar might be able to alert you that not only do you have a meeting but that you are 100 miles away from a meeting happening in less than hour.. you're gonna be late! Your wireless internet experience is transformed by applications that know where you are automatically, no need to punch in a zip code or an address. Associate your tasks with a location and the Task application could ping you about something that you need to get done that's right around the corner. Maybe it could automatically compute the quickest route between your stops for the day based on your starting point. What about a mobile Amazon-esque application called "WhereShouldIGo?" that pinpointed your location and then suggested places that you might want to visit based on your previous travel history and the clustered results of 5,000,000 other users?
Back to the Location API and the BlackBerry JDE. If you download and install the JDE you'll find a demo application (called GPSDemo) which is a simple travel computer, recording route coordinates, speed and altitude. It retrieves your location from the Location API (technically the LocationProvider) every 10 seconds and then sends it to a server every 100 seconds all the while displaying your latitude, longitude, altitude, heading and speed on the screen. Interested? Read the JavaDocs.
The downside? The Location API is currently only available on the Nextel platform via the 7520.
*1For those of you who aren't Java developers, JSR stands for Java Specification Request; it's the process through which members of the Java Community Process (JCP) make additions and modifications to the Java platform, which of course the BlackBerry is based on.
July 29, 2005 in Code, News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Consilient: BlackBerry Enterprise Server for the rest of us
Karen Murphy wrote in to tell me about the latest release of Consilient2 software which allows users of the Cyrus email server platform to use BlackBerry Enterprise Server. It's noteworthy because I didn't know that there were companies that were filling the holes left by RIM; obviously there are alot of companies not using Exchange, Notes or Groupwise. If you've always wanted to use a BlackBerry but your email server isn't one of those big three, check out Consilient2.
July 29, 2005 in News, Platform, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Blog.com on BusinessWeek
Ok ok, it's not in the magazine, but this little piece of cyberspace did get a mention in the BusinessWeek blog called 'Blogspotting' at the beginning of July. Check it out here.
July 17, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Pizza
Sounds like an interesting combination right? Well unfortunately it's not a pizza offer, it's a free BlackBerry 7100G if you buy a pizza, two drinks and a side from Papa John's. Oh, and you have to commit to a two year deal with Cingular at $75 per month (so that pizza is going to end up costing you $1800 over two years, no wonder they're giving the phone away for 'free').
July 16, 2005 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Enterprise Server Survey Results
The RIM Customer Value Management Team was (and continues to run a survey for BlackBerry Enterprise Server managers / administrators. They released some of the results in the latest version of the BlackBerry Connection:
71% of respondents are running BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.0
The top 5 reasons for upgrading to BlackBerry Enterprise Server
v4.0 were:
1. Wireless Provisioning and Synchronization
2. Ease of administration
3. Handheld Configuration Tool
4. Handheld Manager
5. Attachment viewing enhancements
91% of respondents would recommend the BlackBerry Enterprise Server to a friend or colleague
I'll go out on a limb (not really) and say that a 91% rate of satisfaction is pretty high for any product, we're not even talking about the people that are addicted to the hardware, this is the software. Great job RIM!
July 16, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Another BlackBerry Blog
Can't get enough BlackBerry news? Check out Robb's site: http://www.rimarkable.com/ described as ".. the Official, Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog".
July 16, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerrry Enterprise Server Email List
If you manage a BlackBerry Enterprise Server and you feel like the there's no web-based resources specifically for you, head on over to the newly formed BlackBerry Enterprise Server mailing list on Yahoo! Groups. It's described as a:
...worldwide mailing list for users of Blackberry Enterpriser Server. The subject is the Blackberry Enterprise Server installation, configuration, interfacing, compatibility, upgrading, administration, etc.
June 10, 2005 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Handango BlackBerry Software Sales up 64%
I might need to create a category called 'Wow' or 'Who knew?'. If I did, the latest news from Handango would surely be filed in that category. Apparently software sales for the BlackBerry platform are up 1,201% over Q1 2005 and 64% over Q4 2004. I think I just heard someone say 'tipping point'.
June 07, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Microsoft Direct Push
The guys at Microsoft recently unveiled their "Direct Push" system, which according to this article will:
...will transfer messages straight from the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server to devices running Microsoft's newest Windows Mobile software. The company says the approach doesn't require an extra server or other infrastructure used in the BlackBerry system, making it less expensive.
It's always fun to tear apart these marketing annoucements. Microsoft's Pieter Knook (what a name!), mentioned in the conference call that Microsoft has more than 100 million people using 'different versions of Exchange', while RIM only has 3 million subscribers. What he neglected to mention was that Direct Push will require a specific version of Exchange Server 2003, yet to be released, which means that even if the software is released later this year, it'll be a couple months before most large organizations put the release on the boxes and then probably another couple months while they evaluate the effectiveness of Direct Push. Oh, and then they have to get 3 million people to either upgrade their phone / PDA's to Windows Mobile 5.0 or buy new phones that support Windows Mobile 5.0. In short, they're still at least a year away from even moving out of vaporware status. And if Longhorn is any indication, I wouldn't be holding your breath.
June 07, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerryDeveloper.com
Looks like RIM is putting together a developer portal, mentioned in the latest BlackBerry Developer Newsletter:
Keep your eyes and mouse pointed to www.blackberrydeveloper.com this month for the reveal of some exciting new changes coming soon!
June 07, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Addiction Symptoms
Reader Vik David sent in this article which was recently featured in the Washington Post. In short, if you've got pain in between your thumb and your wrist is painful and you use your BlackBerry alot, you might want to give the article a read and your BlackBerry a rest.
April 26, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New BlackBerry blogs
A hearty welcome to the new kids on the block! In case you haven't noticed, you can now visit blackberrycool.com and bbhub.com (run by Weblogs, Inc.). Would it be relevant to know that bbhub.com pays $250.00 per 75 posts/month or $500 for 150 posts/month? That's what I was originally offered. 75 posts a month about RIM seems like a lot.
A suggestion: if you're that interested in the BlackBerry platform, skip the advertising and get a pubsub.com, topix.net or bloglines.com keyword search subscription.
April 12, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Should every startup CEO have BlackBerry?
New York venture capitalist Steve Brotman argues that every start-up CEO should carry a Blackberry for responding quickly to partners and customers. [source: Corante New York]
April 11, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Patent Law & RIM
If you read any tech related news sites or blogs, you probably heard that RIM settled with NTP for $450 million. I've mentioned before that I am not a lawyer, but I found someone who is, or at least someone who can write about it like they are. If you're interested in the patents, especially as they related to the BlackBerry / NTP case, you could check out patentlaw.typepad.com, or visit this link to see all the BlackBerry related posts.
April 11, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Users Group Survey
Laura at BlackBerry Users group is conducting a survey of BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.0 users. She says there are no more than 6 questions and it won't take more than 10 minutes of your time. Send her an email if you'd be willing to answer a couple questions and then she'll post the results to her site for all our benefits.
March 13, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Dilbert on BlackBerry: Part II,III & IV
BlackBerryblog peep Jasmeet sent in links to the February 10th, 11th and 12th editions of the Dilbert comic strip which feature a BlackBerry. No word on what device Scott Adams actually uses.
February 14, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New BlackBerry message board / forums site
David sent me a link to a new site he created called BlackBerry101.com, which seems to me at least to be the almost exactly the same thing as BlackBerryForums.com. Anyway, I guess it's another place where people can post questions and get answers, which is good enough for me.
February 14, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Good News for BlackBerry Users on T-Mobile
Mark over at BlackBerry Forums sent me an email with a link to an email someone posted on his site in which it appears that T-Mobile is now allowing non BlackBerry Enterprise Server users to access the TCP/IP stack directly. Get the details here.
February 14, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Canadian Government Files Brief in RIM Patent Dispute
From the interesting-people list, Michael Geist of the Toronto Star sent in news that the
"... Canadian government has intervened in the ongoing U.S. patent dispute involving Canadian-based Research in Motion. The Canadian government argues that the U.S. courts are giving U.S. patent law extra-territorial effect and ought to reconsider their decision."You can read the entire story on NYTimes.com, but in short, it appears that RIM is basically saying that because their relay servers (which you could argue is their core technology) are in Canada, the patents that NTP holds in the US don't apply. Surprisingly, they're getting some traction too. The Canadian government AND Earthlink are now formally supporting that argument. My instincts tell me that this is a big deal for both RIM and patent law in general.
January 26, 2005 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Wireless Enterprise Symposium 2005
RIM will be hosting the Wireless Enterprise Symposium in warm Orlando, FL this coming April. If you've got $800 dollars laying around (or know someone who does), you should register, looks like lots of interesting stuff for BlackBerry administrators and developers.
January 26, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Developer Journal Volume 2 Issue 1 is available
The latest version of the Developer Journal from BlackBerry is available for download. This is a good one including nuggets on garbage collection, a post mortem look at a game application that a group of internal devs @ RIM developed as a test of MIDP 2.0, an in-depth look at the net.rim.blackberry.api.phone package which allows signed applications to access the phone functionality of a BlackBerry, a look at developing XHTML applications for the BlackBerry platform and a review of the four ways of pushing content to a BlackBerry (Browser Channel Push, Browser Channel Delete Push, Browser Content Cache Push, and Browser Message Push).
January 13, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Free BlackBerry From Orbitz.com
Feels like 1999 again with all this 'free' stuff. Orbitz announced Tuesday that they too would be giving away BlackBerry 6710's for users who book a flight, rental car, vacation package or hotel on Orbitz.com. You can read more about this offer on orbtiz.com/blackberryoffer.
January 06, 2005 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Mobile PC Guide to BlackBerry
Bill Foust (of the website rimdev.com) mentioned on the bbusers Yahoo! group that he is writing a book called "Mobile PC Guide to BlackBerry" and that it should be released in April of 2005. You can pre-order it on Amazon.com.
January 06, 2005 in Books, News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Rent a Car, Get a BlackBerry
As reported on InformationWeek.com, Avis is giving away up to 5 BlackBerry 6710's each with an $85 rebate towards service activation to travelers who rent between Jan. 1 and March 31 and who sign a one-year telco service contract. One of the BlackBerrys, which have integrated speakers and microphones, will be awarded for each rental during the period, up to five. Read about it on InformationWeek and Avis.com. No word on who the carrier is.
January 06, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry 7100 Coming to Cingular / AT&T Wireless soon!
The guys over at BlackBerry Forums have posted a picture of what seems to be the 7100g, a custom branded version of the 7100 for Cingular / AT&T Wireless. According to the tipster, the phones are supposed to be in stores by EOM December 2004, but still haven't arrived.
January 04, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
BlackBerry... now with full TCP/IP support
I'm sure this is old news for some of you, but like I mentioned last week, AT&T Wireless released version 4.0 of the BlackBerry client on 12/23/2004 so I'm just catching up to with this one. The new BlackBerry client software (as of version 3.8) includes an option for configuring TCP/IP (Main Menu --> Options --> TCP) which is big because there are a number of users who don't have the MDS and would love to be able to use IRC, IM, SSH, etc. Basically all you need to do is enter the APN name in the appropriate TCP setting and possibly a username / password (you can find all the names here) and you should be up and running (note: T-Mobile will not work, read why here).
The bottom line is that if you were frustrated because you weren't able to use some of the great network enabled J2ME applications that just seemed to have BlackBerry written all over them... you can thank the guys at BlackBerry Forums for the detailed notes and then take another look at apps like veriChat, webMessenger, and midpssh. This is great news!