Android gamers rejoice OpenFeint is your savior

If you use an Android phone you may think to yourself man what are these other phone makers missing. Scrolling through your apps you may think quality over quantity any day. But if you are scrolling into your

Sprint officially announces Samsung Intercept

 Yesterday rang in the announcement of the new Sprint Intercept from Samsung, to further perpetuate the Android catalog Sprint is building as well as help Samsung too further cement its foot prints in the smart phone arena.

The Samsung Intercept was announced yesterday via a Sprint press release and is sure to bring some new customers their way. The Sprint Intercept will be officially made available on July 11th and will run you about 99 bucks before taxes and after a mail in rebate (oh how sprint loves those rebates). So out of pocket on the 11th you would be looking at paying around 200 bucks for this little guy. But is it worth it? Sure it is, the new Sprint Intercept features a 3.2-inch touch screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera and a full QWERTY key pad via its slider design.  Looking at the design and price you probably would not expect much is going on, on the inside of this Intercept however, those looks can indeed be deceiving. It’s not the most powerful phone on the market obviously, but smart shoppers will be happy to know that the Intercept runs 800MHz processor.  The new Sprint Intercept is running the Android operating system version 2.1 and could very well see a Froyo update when available. The Intercept has stereo Bluetooth capabilities and can accept up to 32GB of external storage.

Behold the Blackberry Curve 9300, Oxford 9670 and Bold 9800 “Torch”

I have been telling you for a while now that Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) has been planning to launch a bunch of new devices in the very near future. Well here is some video of the BlackBerry Curve 9300

iPhone Losing Marketshare to Android OS

a company that specializes in internet marketing research. Neither was Apple alone either. Research In Motion (RIM), Microsoft and Palm also lost market share. The only winner was Google Android OS powered devices that gained 44% (a gain of 4% of the total market), to reach 13% of the total smartphone market in the United States.

Apple currently has 24.4% of the market, down 1% from February. Microsoft is holding in at 13.2% which is a 1.9% decrease. Palm has a tiny 4.8% and lost 0.6%. And finally, RIM fell 0.4% to 41.7%.

While these figures do not count whatever market share Apple may have gained since the June launch of its wildly popular iPhone 4, they do make it clear that Apple has some serious competition from Android. This might be a sign that touchscreen devices and app stores might be influencing consumer buying more than anyone previously thought. However, to put this all into perspective, realize that of the 234 million cellphones in use, only 49.1 million are smartphones. RIM’s large chunk of the smartphone market only equals out to 8.7% of all phones in the country.

So what is Apple to do in light of these numbers? They probably do not come as much of a surprise. Since a wide array of phone manufacturers make devices that run Google’s Android operating system, new devices that run the OS come out in regular intervals. New iPhone launches are yearly affair. Getting another carrier, like Verizon Wireless (rumored to be happening around January) would make the iPhone more popular among consumers that dread AT&T’s congested network or are already locked into a contract with Verizon.

I will be looking forward to the next batch of marketshare numbers that come out to see how much of an impact the iPhone 4 is having on the ever growing smartphone market. In the meantime, let me know if you think if Android is going to outpace the iPhone by the coming year, if it will take more time than that, or if Android will eventually lose some of its charm and remain a strong, but not dominant player.

Opera Mini Mobile Web Browser Updates to Version 5.1 for BlackBerry

Opera Software announced today an update for its popular Opera Mini web browser and users of Research In Motion Ltd.’s (RIM) BlackBerry line of smartphones are in luck. The update which is available at m.opera.com promises an improved browsing experience that works better on phones with limited memory. It also features an optimized skin, which allows more pages to be open at once, faster scrolling and improved speed. The way the browser works is by

RIM and Ford Partnering up to Bring BlackBerry Integration to Ford SYNC

Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) and Ford are paring up to develop BlackBerry integration with Ford’s SYNC system in its cars. Ford Sync is a factory-installed system that offers a variety of features include text message read back abilities and entertainment integration for Ford’s cars. Basically, it is a computer that sits in the car’s dashboard and offers the promise of an entire new category of smart devices to develop for.

I reported here last month that RIM is already developing integration into BMW’s ConnectedDrive system that the luxury car manufacturer offers. It will offer the ability for properly equipped BMWs to read aloud emails received on your BlackBerry.

The Ford SYNC integration that RIM is working on builds on Ford’s implemention of the latest Bluetooth Message Access Profile (MAP) into SYNC. MAP promises a standard for all smartphones to  be able to connect to a variety of devices to share information, including email, SMS and MMS messaging. What RIM is doing now is to implement MAP into all of its phones to take advantage of the new technology. A lot more cars and devices will be able to interact with BlackBerrys in the future through it.

These car integration systems are part of RIM’s plans to become a visible player in the smart-automobile industry. RIM has already acquired two companies that develop software for GPS devices and cars, so we can expect that the BlackBerry brand might start popping up in quite a few more places. This will come as a blessing to heavy BlackBerry users that need the ability to send and receive the emails, calls and text messages while on the go. Here is an interesting overview of RIM’s potential plans into the future when it comes to your car in case you are interested.

Excited that your new Ford will soon be able to read you all of your tweets, emails and text messages while you drive? Let me know. And tell me if you think that RIM has the knowledge or experience to start doing more with cars.

BlackBerry Curve 9300 Nearly Identical to 8520

is even more similar to the Curve 8520 than anyone thought that it would be. BoyGeniusReports has gotten its hands on the T-Mobile version of the soon to be launched smartphone from Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) and apart from the inclusion of a UMTS radio for T-Mobile’s 3G network and a shiny metallic finish, the device is practically identical to the Curve 8520. It also does not appear to be running BlackBerry OS 6 either, but support for an upgrade to the upcoming OS might still be hiding in the smartphone’s ROM. Or at least we can wish until more information comes out.

With the standard connectivity options (3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth), the phone makes for a nice entry-level smartphone capable of most of what its pricier big BlackBerry siblings can. It is reportedly running a 624MHz Marvell PXA930 processor with 256MB of RAM. The usual microSD expansion slot is present, as is a flash-less 3.1 megapixel camera. Despite the fact that users who prefer more expensive devices with HD video shooting capability, processor speeds measured in GHz, and RAM in the 512GB range will be passing this phone up for other models, the inclusion of UMTS might signal that BlackBerry wants to start getting more of its phones into the prepay market since regional carriers like Cricket Wireless use this 3G technology like T-Mobile does.

How to Tether Your Computer to Your BlackBerry for Internet Anywhere

While the ability to tether your BlackBerry smartphone to your computer for internet access everywhere is not new, if you have been considering buying a 3G USB wireless internet card for your laptop to use the internet from the comfort of anywhere, then here is a quick rundown on how to do it. Plus, it will give you a feel of how the internet will supposedly work on the rumored BlackBerry Tablet, since it reportedly will be relying on a tether to your BlackBerry for internet access when a Wi-Fi network is not present. Interested yet?

The tethering magic all runs through Research In Motion Ltd.’s (RIM) BlackBerry Desktop Manager software, get it na.blackberry.com/eng/services/desktop for free. So run over and grab a copy for your PC. Next you need to check how much your carrier charges for the service. Some require a tethering plan, and others will simply bill you for it after the fact (usually pretty expensive in comparison to getting a tethering plan). After you have decided which option to choose and get the necessary connection information from your carrier, you just plug your Blackberry into your computer, open RIM’s Desktop Manager, click

RIM's BlackBerry Bold slider with OS 6 does a little dance, gets down tonight (video)

Pictures are great, but video's better. What holds true for salacious celebrity tattle is equally true for gadget gossip. So hold tight and prepare to leer, we've got the first quick and dirty video of RIM's new Bold slider running BlackBerry 6 after the break. Somebody alert TMZ.

Continue reading RIM's BlackBerry Bold slider with OS 6 does a little dance, gets down tonight (video)

RIM's BlackBerry Bold slider with OS 6 does a little dance, gets down tonight (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9800 slides open, shows off promising WebKit-based browser

We've known RIM has had a WebKit-based browser in its rear pocket since Mobile World Congress, and with confirmation that BlackBerry OS 6.0 would have traces of WebKit throughout, this discovery was simply inevitable. The BlackBerry Bold 9800 (polarizing design and all) has just made its most interesting appearance yet, this time showing off a purported WebKit-based web browser with a trio of tabs collected up top. Never mind the fact that whoever was using this clearly wishes he / she was browsing on an iPhone -- it's the 100/100 Acid3 test result that really titillates. 'Course, that could very well be a JPEG loaded up to fool us all, but we aren't losing the faith just yet. Head on down to the source for a few more teases.BlackBerry Bold 9800 slides open, shows off promising WebKit-based browser originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 12:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9800 caught sliding through OS 6 on video

When it rains Bold 9800 news, it pours. Just yesterday we were given a glimpse of its virtual keyboard and AT&T branding, and now BlackBerry's upcoming slider can be seen more fleshed out thanks to the power of moving pictures. No narration for this video -- that's either good or bad, depending on your own personal preference -- and the horizontal menu swipe looks like it's missing some animation, but otherwise the phone's looking pretty snappy for a pre-release. Unless we're mistaken, that's clearly a capacitive screen, and even better, it's got pinch-and-zoom multitouch. Not in the video? Some Dylan-esque troubadour holding up a cue card that gives price and release date. Bummer. Video after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9800 caught sliding through OS 6 on video

BlackBerry Bold 9800 caught sliding through OS 6 on video originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blackberry Bold 9800 and Blackberry 6

BlackBerry Bold 9800 gets some glamour shots, OS 6 gets a 16 minute video walkthrough

The verdict is still out on OS 6, but there's hardly any doubting the assured design and form factor that RIM has gone with for the BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider. Our latest look at the device comes courtesy of BlackBerry Times in China, who has what appears to be an early version of the device. They expect the smooth plastic back to be replaced by the leather look RIM favors on its higher end devices, but otherwise the unit looks to be pretty solid and far along. The Google-translated Chinese seems to confirm again that the screen is not SurePress. Not a lot of landmark news to be gleaned here, but we're mostly stoked about these delicious bokeh-filled shots of device -- it's really looking good, and the comparison shot with other recent BlackBerrys (check after the break) is rather helpful for sizing this thing up.

[Thanks, Johnny]

Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9800 gets some glamour shots, OS 6 gets a 16 minute video walkthrough

BlackBerry Bold 9800 gets some glamour shots, OS 6 gets a 16 minute video walkthrough originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSJ: RIM testing Blackberry tablet for potential release by year's end

We're not sure why the Wall Street Journal just posted up a piece talking about BlackBerry OS 6.0 and the Bold 9800 QWERTY slider as though we haven't been running leaked pictures and videos of them for months now, but whatever -- the story also apparently confirms RIM's Foleo-like tablet plans and says the device could be out by the end of the year. Sounds like RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis decided the tablet market is a little clearer than he's been letting on. As we've heard in the past, the tablet will tether to your phone for connectivity instead of sporting its own 3G connection, which is interesting, given that RIM is notoriously proud of how little bandwidth its phones use, and we're guessing a full-screen tablet experience might use just a little more data than the average Pearl. Plus, it would be pretty wild if RIM ended up validating a Palm product idea so seemingly doomed that the company killed it dead just four months after it was announced in 2007 -- we're not saying the times haven't changed dramatically, but we'd note the Celio RedFly has thus far failed to blow up the universe. We'll see -- the WSJ also says the tablet is in the "early stages of development," so anything can change.WSJ: RIM testing Blackberry tablet for potential release by year's end originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM sells 100 millionth BlackBerry, hints at two more devices in the near future

Say what you will about BlackBerrys -- although with the Bold 9800 slider and OS 6, things might be looking up -- Research in Motion is still doing strong in the pocketbooks. The company just released its first fiscal quarter 2011 results with revenue growth of 24 percent year-over-year, and here's the rounded-number kicker: its 11.2 million shipments of smartphones this quarter has raised total shipments to over 100 million BlackBerrys. Quite a feat, but enough chit chat about the past -- what does the future hold? In a conference call pertaining to the fiscal results, RIM alluded to two new devices shipping soon, with one for the summer and one closer to fall. We'd bet a pretty penny one of them is the aforementioned slider, but as for the second? Guess we'll just wait and see.RIM sells 100 millionth BlackBerry, hints at two more devices in the near future originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9800 gets some glamour shots, OS 6 gets a 16 minute video walkthrough

The verdict is still out on OS 6, but there's hardly any doubting the assured design and form factor that RIM has gone with for the BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider. Our latest look at the device comes courtesy of BlackBerry Times in China, who has what appears to be an early version of the device. They expect the smooth plastic back to be replaced by the leather look RIM favors on its higher end devices, but otherwise the unit looks to be pretty solid and far along. The Google-translated Chinese seems to confirm again that the screen is not SurePress. Not a lot of landmark news to be gleaned here, but we're mostly stoked about these delicious bokeh-filled shots of device -- it's really looking good, and the comparison shot with other recent BlackBerrys (check after the break) is rather helpful for sizing this thing up.

[Thanks, Johnny]