Claiming it's a "little too tiny," fondler Salomondrin says it's still slightly bigger than previous Pearl models, keeping in mind it's been styled after the latest Bold. The camera has been updated to 3.2-megapixels with a flash, and has Wi-Fi along with that much-needed 3G. Running on BlackBerry OS 5.0.0.350 in the video below, you can see the trackball has been swapped for the optical trackpad seen on the Curve 8530 and Bold 9700, and it's also got the new multimedia buttons on the right side.

I'm far too attached to QWERTY to even consider this new Pearl 2, but if you're looking for something slimmer and more candybar-like, schedule April in for a potential launch date. [Salomondrin via PhoneArena and CrackBerry]

There's a historical reason in tech for products with camel case, like QuickTime or WordPerfect, as Crain, channeling New Scientist lays out: Often, spaces had to be dropped in programming languages, so capital letters were used in compound words to make them easier to read. That's fine, but in today's world, I agree very much with this sentiment:

In my considered opinion, the juxtaposition of majuscule and minuscule in a personal name may be safely indulged as a prerogative of the human being, with all his individual strangeness, but to extend the same license to the fruits, literal and figurative, of human labor is another matter.

Now, we have brands and products like TiVo, NVIDIA*, iEverythingapplemakes, BlackBerry, eXpo, eBook, eMachines, iRiver (it's iriver, oops), PlayStation and way, way more that insist on being special through forcing you to stretch your pinky finger over to the shift key at odd intervals, following their rhythm, dancing to their tune. It's a form of control.

Historically, Crain says, word spacing didn't really become standard for the modern world until the 13th century, after disappearing for a millennium. So camel case, he says, "is regressive — in fact medieval. It harks back to an era when reading was effortful, public and loud - like a visit to a contemporary shopping mall." Yep, that's the point. [NYT]

*I hate all caps, too, unless it's an acronym.

If you hate the gallery format, click here.

All pricing shown is with a new 2-year contract, and some deals may be temporary.

AT&T

iPhone 3GS
The iPhone 3GS is the best overall smartphone you can buy. It's really that simple. Best user interface, best internet, best apps, best media supportthe list goes on. Okay, not the best network, but nothing's perfect. $199

BlackBerry Bold 9700
I miss the original BlackBerry Bold's king-sized keyboard, but the Bold 9700 squeezes the best of the BlackBerry for CEOs into an impressively tight form factorfaux leather back includedmaking it very possibly the best BlackBerry you can buy. $10

Bonus: Nokia e71x
It's free, and an actually good smartphonemy favorite Nokia phone on the planet. Free

Verizon

Droid
It's a terminator. A huge, disgustingly high-res screen, Batman-worthy industrial design, and the full power of Android 2.0 make it the best phone on Verizonand the fact that it's running on arguably the best network in the US make it the second best smartphone you can buy, period. $150

BlackBerry Tour
Sure, it's notorious for trackball problems and it's missing Wi-Fi, but this is the BlackBerry of choice for email warriors if they're not on AT&T or T-Mobileand it sure as hell beats anything running Windows Mobile. $50

Bonus: Droid Eris
If you're desperate to save $100 over the Droid, the Droid Eris will run Android 2.0 soon enough, and is smoother, smaller, and friendlier, if a little blander. $100

Sprint

Palm Pre
The Pre offers one of the best user experiences of any smartphone with Palm's webOS, and it's probably the best phone on Sprint, hardware build issues and comparatively dinky App Catalog aside. $80

HTC Hero
The best Android phone not running Android 2.0, HTC's Sense UI makes the sometimes confusing Android interface more digestible and has a few nifty tricks of its own, like integrated social networking. $100

Bonus: There is none. The Pixi's close ($25), but the fact that you can get the Pre for nearly as cheap undercuts a lot of the value, as much as we like the design and form factor.

T-Mobile

Motorola Cliq
Motorola's other Android phone is gussied up with Blur, a custom interface that's bright and friendly, with widgets for keeping track of everything happening on your social network. It's our favorite Android phone on T-Mobile. $100

Unlocked iPhone
No, I'm not kidding. A jailbroken and unlocked iPhone, even without 3G powers, is the second best smartphone you can use on T-Mobile.

Bonus: BlackBerry Bold 9700
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the first BlackBerry with 3G on T-Mobile, which is reason enough, really, but it's good the reasons listed above, too. $130

CrackBerry says it's been sitting on the photos for a while, but was waiting for its tipster's go-ahead to run them. No specs yet, but we're told they're coming soon. Stay tuned. [CrackBerry]

According to comments on various messageboards, BlackBerry data is either out or patchy at least in the States and Canada, with users unable to access BlackBerry services—but not necessarily third-party software like Opera Mini or Google Maps, although some, like Facebook, use BIS and are thus having problems. It's not carrier-specific, with problems being reported on Verizon, T-Mobile, Telus and Rogers, but it's also not universally down like the Great Sidekick Outage of 2009—some users are reporting no problems at all, while others are completely unable to access data. We'll keep you updated, but in turn, why don't you keep us updated: Any BlackBerry users out there having data problems? [Boy Genius Report]

Well, for one, Nokia, whose smartphones have failed to penetrate at all in the US, despite massive popularity overseas, and whose Symbian OS is starting to look downright old. Manufacturers like LG and Motorola, who for the last year were depending mostly on the waning Windows Mobile 6.1, have had a rough time of it, while Palm, presumably included in the "Other" category, consolidated its line to one phone for the duration of 2009, which has done wonders for its image, but unfortunately not for its sales.

Interestingly enough, Apple and RIM are doing spectacularly well for similar reasons: both have appealed to mainstream consumers with new products—the marked-down iPhone 3G and cheap-but-decent BlackBerry Curve line, respectively—while pushing app stores as a selling point. And honestly, look around. Smartphones are decidedly a thing right now.

I'll be interested to see what happens next year, when Android's had a little time to spread its wings. It looks like Google helped buoy HTC a little bit this year, but Android phones are still a rare sight. [Ars]

Walmart's BlackBerry selection includes:

* AT&T Curve 8310
* AT&T Bold 9000
* Sprint Curve 8330 (Red & Titanium colors)
* T-Mobile 8520 (Black, White, and Frost)
* T-Mobile Pearl 8120 (Emerald)
* Verizon Storm
* Verizon Storm II

So, if any of those phones are on your "must buy" list, then this'll be a good week for it. Keep in mind that while you'll get the gift card immediately with an in store purchase, online shoppers will wait four to six week for the gift cards to arrive in the mail. [Walmart]

The LG Chocolate Touch is the latest iteration of the Chocolate line, and brings with it some new music features: FM radio, dedicated key for favorites, Dolby Mobile sound enhancements, and an unexpected and downright weird "Join the Band" feature. Join the Band features a virtual drum kit and scrolling 88-key keyboard so you can tap along with your music. Of course, it also offers Twitter, Facebook and MySpace integration, a 3.2MP camera and one-touch uploading. It's not a super exciting phone like the BL40, but at least it's odd enough to be sort of interesting. It's available today and costs $80 after a $50 mail-in rebate.

On the BlackBerry side of things, we have yet another 'Berry with the Curve moniker (if you're confused about the multitude of identically-named but different-numbered Curves, check out this handy chart). The Curve 8530 is the followup to Verizon's Curve 8330, and has features more in line with the GSM Curve 8520 than the Curve 8900. If you're still following me, great, because this is one of the best Curves out there: It's got Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS. It's the only Curve with 3G, and improves on its GSM brother by offering GPS. Other than that, it's the same 85xx Curve that Matt already reviewed. It'll cost $100 after a $100 mail-in rebate when it's released on November 20th.

And bringing up the rear, we've got the Samsung Convoy, a burly push-to-talk flip-phone that meets military specification, unlike me. It's got a 1300 mAh battery, which is bigger than some smartphones, and is built to withstand shock, dust, vibration, salt fog, humidity, and solar radiation. It'll probably survive until the end of the Iraq War. The Samsung Convoy will be available November 15th for $50 after a $50 mail-in rebate.

[Verizon]

Succinctly, it's the new BlackBerry to buy if you're on T-Mobile or AT&T. Doubly so on T-Mo, since it's their first 3G BlackBerry.

It's not very much like the original Bold at all, which was the Escalade of BlackBerrys: big, obnoxious, but seriously comfortable to drive because it gave you tons of room to spread your legs (err, thumbs). If you're used to that, at first the 9700which is even smaller and lighter than the Tour on Sprint and Verizonfeels like you've been shoved inside of a clown car because the keyboard and screen, while retaining the same shape and resolution, respectively, have been shrink-rayed. (Update: Actually, the resolution's been bumped up 40 pixels, to 480x360, from 480x320.)

But, then you realize you're not typing any slower, or less precisely. The 9700's keyboard isn't as flat out comfortable as the original Boldpurely a matter of physicsbut it's a minor marvel of ergonomics that RIM has recession-sized the keyboard this effectively. They're simply brilliant at building keyboards. The screen has the same resolution as the Bold's, but in a smaller size, meaning it has a higher pixel density. Despite that extra clarity, I felt a bit constrained by it, especially browsing the web.

It's the second BlackBerry to ditch all-too-easily-slain-by-lint trackball for an optical trackpad, and the first that's not built for Walmart. You'll miss the trackball for about 15 seconds. Like I said before, the trackpad's 90 percent as good as the ball. You might miss the physical feedback, and it sometimes doesn't totally accurately interpret a diagonal swipe that you know wouldn't be a problem with the ball but it's good enough, and by far the most accurate and responsive trackpad I've used on a phone.

It's running BlackBerry OS 5.0 which isn't tons different than the OS that shipped on the original Bold or Curve 8900, but it's definitely springier and it has a few brushstrokes of added polish here and there. One place you notice is the browserwhile not as fast as the iPhone 3GS or Android, it has some extra zip to it, and it even sped past the Storm 2 loading pages, despite racing on T-Mobile's 3G network vs. Verizon's.

Note: In the gallery, the T-Mobile one is the Bold 9700, the AT&T phone is the original Bold.

Basically, barring any major bugs that pop up over the next couple of days, this is the BlackBerry you probably wanna bug your corporate overlords to handcuff to your pants if you're on AT&T or T-Mobile, since it'll slide into them easier than any BlackBerry yet. I just hope you enjoy the feel of faux leather. [BlackBerry]

BlackBerry just put out a call for WebKit developers, for a very specific reason:

Utilizing their knowledge in C++ programming, the successful candidate will be working in a fast-paced, dynamic development environment to develop a WebKit-based browser for the BlackBerry Platform.

Ok! The only question now is, when? Normally the initial hiring of a core developer could be taken to mean that the project is embryonic, and the final product still months away, but keep in mind: In Torch Mobile's Iris, RIM bought an entire, complete browser. In other words, this may just be an optimization project, not a full-on browser development, so decent browsing on BlackBerry could be closer than we thought. [CareerBeacon via Engadget]

It's the same phone, essentially, just refined in nearly every way. It's not the Storm reinvented, it doesn't shoot lasers, and it's not going to kill anything. It's just better than before.

Sure, Press Me Anywhere

SurePress, RIM's "the whole screen's a button!" touchscreen technology, lives on. But now it's four buttons. Four piezo-electric buttons that live under the screen, to be precise. What that means for you is that wherever you press on the screen, it feels way more localized, like the screen's only being pushed in exactly where you click it. Before, it was like the whole screen was on a see-saw.

The re-balancing of the screen lets you go far more smoothly and efficiently from one letter to another while typing, rather than waiting for it to pop back up every time. A software change—which is available for the first Storm too—enables true multitouch typing (for two fingers, but that's enough). You can actually take advantage of the new screen and type much faster than you could on the original Storm. In other words, the mechanics of SurePress actually work now.

The entire build of the mechanism is less janky too—the giant chasms between the screen and the rest of the phone begging for turkey jerky bits to get sucked like a gaping maw have been closed, and the four main buttons are now a seamless part of pushscreen. Oh, and one clever touch is that the screen's dead stiff whenever the phone's off—if it doesn't press down, you can tell the phone's off (though it does mean one less thing to fiddle with).

SurePress, while vastly more usable and comfortable now, is still flawed as a touchscreen navigational concept: It's predicated on literally putting an obstacle in front of you that has to be smashed in every time you want to do something. It's not an optimal experience. And it ultimately fails in what it supposedly sets out to do by "separating navigation from confirmation," to use RIM's verbiage: To make you type more accurately. It just makes you type slower and wonder why you can't use the Storm's quite dandy touchscreen like any other touchscreen, since the keyboard and screen are otherwise great.

Speed Isn't Everything

The Storm 2 is quicker all around. The response of nearly every element is just so much springier than the first Storm—I'm talking versus the launch software to be clear, since frankly, that was the last time I used the Storm. Apps pop up instantly most of the time, hang-ups are a rare occasion, the accelerometer kicks in quickly to rotate the keyboard, and it moves with the kind of speed you expect it to. The phone feels way more like it should. This extends in some respects to the browser, too, which seems a little more capable—though by no means as stacked as a WebKit browser. I wish the camera was faster to start up though; it's still sluggish most of the time.

There are a few slight visual tweaks to the OS since last year as well that make it more look more polished (I'm very surprised I noticed). For instance there's a more matte, almost Apple-like gradient for highlighted items, like in Messages. Icons are a little more sober, which reflects the darker, slightly more understated look of the phone itself. My favorite software tweak is probably the true QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode, instead RIM's SureType system that previously foisted in front of your thumbs. It's better than Android's—and HTC's reskin of Android's on the Hero—though not quite as good as the iPhone's.

While it's got a speed boost and a bit of extra iconographic spitshine, it is still fundamentally the same experience—the Storm 2 touchscreen interface still feels like it was designed by people with physical keyboards soldered into their brains. From the grand scheme of the UI, the standard BlackBerry setup re-jiggered for touch rather than a ground-up design, to the BlackBerry apps that clearly aren't designed with Storm in mind, there's a definite sense of non-belonging with the Storm 2, like when all of the puzzle pieces don't quite fit together and you jam them together to make it work anyway. In other words, it tries real hard to be a touch phone and a BlackBerry, but it doesn't do either of them exceptionally well.

The Storm 2 is where the Storm should've started, but at the same time, it's coming into a different world than a year ago—even on its own carrier—where not breaking new ground is simply moving too slow. More than that, while the Storm is overall a good phone, unless you have a very specific set of criteria for your phone—that is, a touchscreen BlackBerry—you probably shouldn't settle for a phone that doesn't do the touch or BlackBerry aspects (read: typing) spectacularly. There are phones that do each of those things better. If you want a BlackBerry on Verizon, get a BlackBerry Tour, which has an awesome keyboard, if a few trackball problems. If you want a touchscreen smartphone on Verizon, you should get a Droid. At least, that's how it's looking so far—come back early next week for our full in-depth Droid review.

SurePress actually works now

Wi-Fi!

It's pretty quick, most of the time

SurePress is still a mediocre concept, at best

Still doesn't fit in as a BlackBerry

There are phones that do what it's good at much better

Analysts who I won't name in order to preserve their most holy humility said that Windows 7 will help PC sales. We've been under the impression that this kind of prediction would fall into the "yeah no shit" category, but it's hard to prove, because a) Christmas is coming and b) the economy may be on the mend. Of course, on the not-so-outside chance that the economic Sarlacc is still slurping us toward its thousand-year stomach, Microsoft and the major PC makers refuse to predict what Windows 7 will mean for sales. So in the end, this "news" is just a chance for some stock brokers to make recommendations to rich speculators, and for analysts to get their names in the paper (whoops!). [WSJ]

Peek, the mute man's BlackBerry, was spotted today at Best Buy with a box proclaiming its Twitterificness to all the world in bold new packaging (shown at left). But we were under the impression that Peek users got Twitter last month. Update: So you're telling me this piece of %&#;$%& only does Twitter? Well then good day to you, Peek Incorporated. I said GOOD DAY!! [CrunchGear]

From the younger, fresher (but paradoxically Mossbergier) quadrant of Mr. Murdoch's Journal comes the startling declaration that the iPhone might overtake the BlackBerry in US market share. The evidence is a graph by a research firm called ChangeWave. At the moment, BlackBerry accounts for 40% of the nation's smartphones while iPhones account for 30%, with stronger upward momentum. But in the next three months 36% of some relevant cluster of Americans plan to buy an iPhone, while 27% plan to buy a BlackBerry. I love a good stat as much as the next guy, but in the end, they don't mean a lot, and these mean even less when juxtaposed. If I were an analyst, this would be my soundbite: "I won't be surprised if iPhone overtakes BlackBerry, but it may not happen." (I think you know why I'm not an analyst.) [AllThingsD]

If Google launches something called Social Search, we pay attention. But what the hell is it? Google's own blog's headline includes the baffling declaration "I finally found my friend's New York blog!" Wouldn't good old-fashioned Google show you your friend's blog? And more importantly, what kind of a friend is it who doesn't tell you how to find his or her New York blog?

At the outset, it sounds dumb, and digging deeper it sounds dumber: Though it proclaims to give you "relevant public content from your friends and contacts and highlights it for you at the bottom of your search results," all it gives me are links to stuff already in my RSS feeds. Because despite the fact that I'm logged into Google all day long, I haven't manually inputted my Twitter and Facebook information into my public profile, nor do I have plans to. Without heavy user input, it becomes a social with no people, hence my Zune 1.0 reference in the teaser. [Official Google Blog]

Apparently, midway through pre-briefing reporters and handing out review units, there was a disagreement between Verizon Wireless and RIM over the readiness of the phone (which Verizon just "announced"). We can't discuss details, but the communication breakdown—which involved a few days of unanswered emails—had nothing to do with dissing you readers. The phone, Matt Buchanan says, is far better than the Storm 1, which makes me think its still worth a review despite it being very late, but you get the final say. What do you think?

A POWERFUL NEW STORM ROLLS ONTO VERIZON WIRELESS' NETWORK ON OCT. 28

New Operating System for Existing BlackBerry Storm Customers

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and WATERLOO, Ontario – Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that the BlackBerry® Storm2™ smartphone will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications stores, online at www.verizonwireless.com, and through business sales channels beginning Oct. 28. The BlackBerry Storm2 with BlackBerry® OS 5.0 evolves the BlackBerry® touchscreen platform with hundreds of hardware and software enhancements – including new SurePress™ "clickable" display technology and built-in Wi-Fi® – delivering the exceptional multimedia experience and communications capabilities customers have come to expect from their BlackBerry smartphones.

Key Features:
· Smooth design and premium finish with sloped edges, chrome accents, glass lens and stainless steel backplate
· Large (3.25"), dazzling high-resolution 480 x 360 display at 184 ppi
· Capacitive touchscreen with integrated functions (Send, End, Menu, Escape) and new SurePress technology that makes clicking the display practically effortless
· 3G and global connectivity support for making phone calls in more than 220 countries and accessing data in more than 185 countries (with more than 80 destinations in 3G)
· Network Connectivity: EV-DO Revision A; UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz); and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks
· Supports Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
· 256 MB of Flash memory
· 2 GB of onboard media storage and a microSD™/SDHD memory card slot with a 16 GB card included

Software Updates on BlackBerry Storm2:
· Features BlackBerry OS 5.0, which includes typing accuracy and selection improvements, as well as usability and visual enhancements such as inertial scrolling, spin boxes that make it easier to set dates and times, gradient shading on buttons, and more use of animation
· BlackBerry® Browser is improved with faster JavaScript and CSS processing as well as support for Gears and BlackBerry Widgets
· Customers running BlackBerry® Enterprise Server 5.0 will gain the ability to set follow-up flags, manage e-mail folders, access remote files (Windows Shares), forward appointments, view calendar attachments, and more

Additional Features and Specifications:
· 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, Image Stabilization (IS), flash and video recording capabilities
· Premium and easy-to-access phone features, background noise suppression technology, loud distortion-free speakerphone and face detection (proximity sensor) that prevents accidental clicks and blanks the screen while the customer is on the phone
· Media player for videos, pictures and music, plus support for BlackBerry Desktop Manager for both PCs and Macs, and BlackBerry® Media Sync, for easily syncing Windows Media® Player music with the smartphone*
· 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and dedicated volume controls
· Bluetooth® (v2.1) capable with support for Secure Simple Pairing, hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals
· Built-in GPS for maps and other location-based applications, as well as photo geotagging; and Verizon Wireless' VZ NavigatorSM service is pre-loaded
· V CAST Music with Rhapsody
· Access to BlackBerry App World™, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones, with categories including games, entertainment, IM and social networking, news, weather, productivity and more
· Support for Verizon Wireless' Mobile Broadband Connect tethering service
· Removable, rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery that provides up to 5.5 hours of talk time or up to 11.2 days of standby time

Pricing and Availability:
· The BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone is available beginning Oct. 28 for $179.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an Email and Web feature or an Email and Web for BlackBerry plan. Customers will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data plans for the BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone begin at $29.99 when added to any Nationwide voice plan.

New Operating System for Existing BlackBerry Storm Customers
· Existing BlackBerry Storm customers will be able to update their handsets to the new BlackBerry OS 5.0 software via Web software load (www.blackberry.com/update), BlackBerry Desktop Manager, or from Verizon Wireless' download site (www.verizonwireless.com/storm). The software is available today.
· For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers can contact their Business Sales Representatives at 1-800-VZW-4BIZ.

[Verizon]

I don't know what's funnier, that Apple has the balls to erect a billboard so large it's illegal, or that Apple has such pull—financial and political—that they can get away with it. Since 2007 the 13,750-square-foot billboard has been up in a Boston-based storage facility, and the state has argued that it should come down. Protected in part by Boston hizzoner Thomas M. Menino and others, the ad remains, but after a temporary permit ran out, its owners had to pay a $110,000 "settlement." Sounds like a fine to me. Either way, the mofo is still standing. [AppleInsider]

On what looks like the Japanese equivalent of Regis and Kelly, a TV presenter showing off a Sony Vaio L touchscreen Win 7 PC can't quite get it to work. It's not fully frozen—it's the IR touch interface that seems to be the problem. Whatever the case, you can see this poor bastard visibly mourning his own rapidly decreasing family honor. And as for Reeg-san and JKelly, I don't know what they're saying, but I am pretty sure I've heard it all before. [MacDailyNews via CrunchGear]

Wal-Mart is sticking it to Best Buy with their own army of overpriced teenage-son replacements. You pay anywhere from $99 to $339 for, as Reuters puts it, "basic television installation on the low end to setting up a home theater, wireless router network or a home office computer network" on the high end. So let me get this straight, somebody paying $600 for a 40" LCD TV is going to pay $100 for it to be setup? Better yet, someone paying $30 for a wireless router will pay 10 times that for some dude to come install it? I mean, I know we're a service economy, but this is ridiculous. [Reuters]

My favorite Canadian co-CEO, RIM's Mike Lazaridis, did a kind of evasion/denial response to questions about the gloriously hideous Bluetooth BlackBerry smartwatch, a kind of wristborne Foleo, if you will. He kinda just giggled and said that the accessories they release are generally accessories that keep the BlackBerry handset at the center. Clearly this would be different—and CrackBerry maintains that it still may come out, designed and built for BlackBerrys by a firm unaffiliated with RIM. Sounds like a recipe for awesome to me. [TechDigest]