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July 6, 2009 10:09 AM PDT

U2 releasing 'mobile album' for BlackBerry

by Matt Rosoff

iPhone applications featuring particular musicians have been around for a while now--Nine Inch Nails was recently in the news when Apple rejected an update to its application, and tech companies like Melodeo and The Orchard have experimented with creating iPhone apps for their clients.

In the teaser video for the new U2 BlackBerry app, this map of a concert venue appears immediately after the text "Experience the tour from all angles." My guess: you'll be able to shoot and share concert videos.

(Credit: Research In Motion)

Soon, BlackBerry fans will be able to get in on the fun. Research In Motion, which is sponsoring the U2 360 tour, has posted a page on its Web site declaring the imminent arrival of the U2 "mobile album."

Although the video teaser is fairly cryptic, it looks like the app will let users listen to the latest U2 album "No Line on the Horizon," watch videos, and read news updates. A more interesting twist: it also looks like users will be able to share video clips from U2 concerts--a map will let you pick among BlackBerry-toting audience members with different stage angles.

U2 fans with BlackBerries can sign up here to be informed when the app's released. No word yet on timing or pricing. One possibility: the app might launch in conjunction with the Blackberry Tour 9630 on July 12.

Whether you're a U2 fan or not, it's great to see RIM getting serious about mobile music, and I think it'll help cement RIM's position alongside Apple at the top of the consumer smartphone heap.

Follow Matt on Twitter.

Matt Rosoff is an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, where he covers Microsoft's consumer products and corporate news. He's written about the technology industry since 1995, and reviewed the first Rio MP3 player for CNET.com in 1998. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network. Disclosure. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattrosoff.
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by CreativeMalcolm July 6, 2009 1:48 PM PDT
At the top? I'm sorry but RIM hasn't done anything interesting since the original Curve and Pearl came out. They're popular phones sure, but compared to other smart phone platforms like the iPhone and Android RIM is lagging behind, they're not so far back as Windows Mobile and Symbian, but they're not even close to leading the pack.
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by papsc July 7, 2009 2:27 PM PDT
Obviously you aren't a RIM fan, or else you would know that the Curve old sold the iPhone last quarter, hence the "at the top of the consumer smartphone heap."
by Gigdoggy July 10, 2009 3:43 AM PDT
@Matt
that part in the trailer with th Arena map strcuk me the most. I think your guess is a right one. Then again, that would mean ppl in the audience could shoot vids, have them uploaded to a central server, and have them accessed by all those who own the app. Sounds like a pretty amazing feature, but this couldn't be done in real time. Very curious to know what they really mean by "Experience the tour by every angle".
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by lymathias718 October 27, 2009 1:12 AM PDT
Good news,
if you have u2 album, you can <a href="http://www.imediacreator.com/tutorial-photo/make-u2-cd-cover-on-mac.html#175">make u2 dvd/cd cover on mac</a> for your dvd
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About Digital Noise: Music and Tech

Matt Rosoff is an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, where he covers Microsoft's consumer products and corporate news. He's written about the technology industry since 1995 and reviewed the first Rio MP3 player for CNET.com in 1998. He's also a bass guitarist and an avid collector (and digitizer) of LP records. DISCLAIMER: This blog contains the personal opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the opinions of his employers or of CNET Networks. As an IT industry analyst, the author occasionally agrees to nondisclosure agreements from Microsoft or other companies, and he will not violate the terms of such agreements on this blog.

He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET.

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