BlackBerry
”AT&T Confirms First Dibs on BlackBerry Bold
AT&T told our friend Sascha at PC Mag that it would be the first carrier to sell the new BlackBerry Bold. Others may very well follow this year, and judging from the fact that the hardware specs include room for T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon, they most certainly will. AT&T also said that it's got exclusivity on international 3G usage—Sprint/Verizon's EV-DO isn't as universal as AT&T's HSDPA—and the ability to use the BB in Japan and South Korea. [Gearlog]Hotmail Comes to BlackBerry
In addition to the big Bold BlackBerry news at RIM's Wireless Enterprise Symposium, the company announced it would finally support Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger, says Crave. This includes push, realtime synch and full HTML support, plus an "almost PC-like" Messenger experience, with file transfers, custom status messages and cartoon emoticons. Like the Bold itself, this service is due in the vague "this summer" timeframe. Ironically, this might actually be more than what Microsoft itself is doing for poor old Hotmail. [Crave]RIM Sees Apple $100M Fund for Programmers and Raises $50 Million More
Hot on the heels of the BlackBerry Bold comes the news that the company behind it is to start up its own venture capital firm. And if it's a way of besting Apple's iFund, then the Canadians win, by fifty million buckeroonies. The BlackBerry Partners Fund is a bunk up between RIM and Thomson Reuters, and has earmarked $150 million for mobile applications and services for mobile platforms including BlackBerry. Full press release after the jump. More »BlackBerry Bold (aka 9000) Officially Official
Is the BlackBerry 9000 Really Going to Be Called BOLD?
And Lo, it came to pass that, after the blessed angel RIM announced the arrival of the BlackBerry 9000, pointing its followers to a May 12 launch, there came a tumultous cacophony of sound from the masses, who wanted to know if the smartphone was going to get a catchier name, like its sisters, Pearl, and Curve. And the angel RIM paused for a moment and said, "Verily, I say unto you that, from henceforth it shall be known as Bold." And with wailing and gnashing of teeth, the followers rent their garments and, smiting their breasts, said, "Bloody Norah, that sounds more like a washing detergent." [Crackberry]Rumor: BlackBerry 9000 To Be Announced on May 12?
The BlackBerry 9000 will be officially announced on May 12 at WES 2008, according to the Boy Genius. The reviews have been glowing so far, so if you've been waiting for the 9000, time to start getting excited. [BGR via Unwired View]Blackberry Curve 8330 Coming To Sprint Tomorrow
Sprint may be a little late to the Blackberry Curve Party, but seeing as the Curve is a great phone, it's never really too late. The Curve 8330 will launch on the Sprint network tomorrow, complete with EV-DO, GPS, and tethering capability. You can order it tomorrow for $180 with a 2 year commitment. [Boy Genius via Crunch Gear]Video: BlackBerry 9000 vs. Curve and Pearl Plus Full OS Tour (Smoothest BlackBerry Ever)
Crackberry follows up their rave review of the pre-distro Blackberry 9000 they snagged off eBay with a full video tour that compares it to the Curve and Pearl before diving into the OS for the most in-depth look yet. If you've been staring at BlackBerries for years, it looks like the new UI will feel pretty refreshing, since all of the apps benefit too, not just the home screen. And menus have transparencies! Plus YouTube support (vid opens in BlackBerry media player, but it's there). Must watch if you're at all interested in the 9000. [Crackberry]
BlackBerry 9000 Reviewed Early (Verdict: Fantastic)
BlackBerry Niagara Full Specs Leaked (Has 3G After All)
It looks like The Boy Genius Report has scored some more information on the BlackBerry Niagara. Apparently it's a 3G (EVDO) device after all, planned for Verizon in May 2009. It's said to feature QWERTY, 480×360 LCD, aGPS, 3.2MP camera and OS 4.7. But to make things more confusing, there's a very similar model called the Javelin, featuring quad-band GSM/EDGE. In other words, the Javelin sounds like the what we thought the Niagara was yesterday, a dumbed-down Blackberry 9000 for cheapskates. Boy, isn't this fun! [BGR]BlackBerry 9000 To Offer 3G-Less "Niagara"
While most of us are addicted to high speed data, The Boy Genius Report is saying that the awaited AT&T exclusive BlackBerry 9000 will come in a version without 3G called the "Niagara." So what's the point, beyond watching geeks grab their testicles in sympathy pain? The Niagara will probably drive down the price of the 9000 for BlackBerry enthusiasts who are just looking for a newer phone to push their email. Also, we're wondering if the completely different back case may be a bit thinner in the pocket (or holster...sigh). [TheBoyGeniusReport]






