blackberry

Passing on the iPhone for the Blackberry Curve

I used to think I was an early adopter. But then then iPhone hit, and I just couldn't feel the hype. I had to go into my local Apple Store today to have an iPod fixed, and discovered that Apple had plenty of iPhones on hand (to try and to buy). So, I gave it a spin.

It's beautiful. It's easy to use. It has everything going for it, except two:

It's not very easy to type on this thing, whatever Mossberg may tell you. It's just not. It doesn't fundamentally change the value proposition of a phone/PDA combo.

On this first point, I suppose one could get used to hitting a screen and, if Steve Jobs is to be believed, eventually we all will. Why? Well, because Mr. Jobs tells us to. (I'm a diehard Mac fanatic, so I've been convinced by him before against my will. :-)

But it's the second point that has me sticking with my Blackberry (after years of using a Treo and recently switching to the Berry).… Read more

Long(er)-term test-drive: BlackBerry Curve

After a less-than-favorable review of the Helio Ocean, I was berated by enough yaysayers to try it for a second run. Nope. To quote the great philosopher Bob Dylan, "It Ain't Me, Babe."

However, after seeing two good friends loving their BlackBerry 8300 (the Curve), I wanted to give it another shot. And to my surprise, I'm slowly getting comfortable with it. As I previously wrote, this BlackBerry, with a great camera, MP3 capability, and the world's best e-mail, has everything. The problem is a very tight keyboard. Well, I'm in the middle of … Read more

Report: French officials skirt BlackBerry limits

Apparently even dire warnings about the threat of snooping by American spies aren't enough to keep some top French government officials from nursing CrackBerry addictions on the sly.

According to a report to be published in Wednesday's edition of the French newspaper Le Monde, bureaucrats continue to lament--and in some cases, quietly ignore--a warning dispatched 18 months ago from the head of France's national defense agency. Reissued recently, the notice reportedly bars certain categories of government officials from using their Research in Motion BlackBerries to circulate sensitive government information.

French security officials are still working on finding … Read more

Will iPhone be a Mom's Best Friend?

I've been drooling over the iPhone for months now. June 29th can't come fast enough for me. I have been an Apple user for almost 20 years now, going way back to my Macintosh 512 enhanced. In 2002, as soon as I saw an iPod I recognized it as a great tool for moms to "reclaim their mind space" by taking along their favorite music and podcasts with them on the go. The iPhone takes this a step further by combining a smart phone and mobile entertainment center in one device.

I am surprised we haven'… Read more

Loving the Curve is up to your fingers

It seems almost treasonous to diss the BlackBerry 8300. It's thin. It's got style. And it does everything except make breakfast for you. It has a 2 megapixel camera, plays MP3s and videos, and you can pop in a microSD card. It's a decent phone. And of course, there's that superb push e-mail.

So, what could go wrong? Well, the keyboard.

If you liked the 8800, sell it on eBay and grab the 8300 fast. You'll love it. If anything, the tiny space between keys makes it even a bit easier to type. But after … Read more

My BlackBerry Curve Arrives!

The long-awaited BlackBerry 8300 (the Curve) has arrived at your AT&T store. I'll be carrying it around the next few days, and that should be interesting.

I've been a BlackBerry fan since the original RIM 850. It seems like every generation gets better, lighter--and smaller. Sounds perfect, unless your thumbs are average size or above. For comfort, I've steered people toward the 7290. When the 8703e came out, some stayed with the 7290 because it was easier to type. With the 8800, it became an even more serious challenge. The Curve has slightly better keys … Read more

Curves ahead: BlackBerry Curve arrives at AT&T/Cingular tomorrow

For those of you who have been making regular visits or calls to your local Cingular/AT&T store about a certain BlackBerry Curve, you can stop reciting "Is it here yet? Is it here yet?" Today, the carrier announced that the Curve will be available in stores and online, starting tomorrow, for a reasonable $199.99 with a two-year contract and after mail-in rebates.

Some highlights of the Curve include a 2-megapixel camera, a built-in spell checker, noise-cancellation technology, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and Bluetooth 2.0. The device also supports a number of AT&… Read more

'CrackBerry' gets the best of David Spade

We all know that young celebrities can be fond of their BlackBerrys, but this intervention shows that old, C-list stars can fall victim to a "CrackBerry" addiction, too.

Smart-phone users just want to have fun

Sure, smart phone users need productivity and work programs, but according to Handango's Yardstick (the company's quarterly sales report of software for smart phones and PDAs,) they also want entertainment applications, games, and even dieting software.

Business software was the most popular category (17 percent of sales), but entertainment apps (13 percent), and games (12 percent) weren't far behind. In fact, the BlackBerry best-seller list had three ringtone, one instant messenger, and one poker game applications.

An Outlook syncing program, PocketMirror Standard, topped the Palm OS list, and synchronization applications did well across the board, as expected. … Read more