There have been rumblings for the last couple of months about a next generation BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Pearl code-named Striker, but in the way of details, we only knew it would have 3G. Well, today the veil has been lifted, and there’s a batch of pictures and a short clip giving us a full hardware tour. In terms of styling, there’s a lot borrowed from the latest BlackBerrys, like the Storm2-style battery door and chrome-finished siding, and the optical trackpad and sharp beveled edge of the Bold 9700, but anyone who used the original 8100 series phones will recognize the similarities immediately. The SureType keys have changed little, except for maybe a little extra rounding, but notably absent is any influence from the Pearl Flip, which featured a completely flush keypad with frets between the rows. Maybe RIM would just like to forget that one, and go with what works, eh? Hardware aside, OS 5.0 is purring like a kitten on there, and Wi-Fi and 3G are both confirmed. Since the home screen is asking for a SIM card, we can only say it’ll be coming to GSM carriers for now. I’m curious what kind of screen resolution it’s packing, but it’s expected to be in the same ballpark as the Bold (HVGA). More specifics are likely on the way, so stick around!

Hit the jump for a quick hands-on video!

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Those with an iPhone, Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre, or any Android device will be happy to hear about some new changes to the mobile Google (NSDQ: GOOG) News. The new version allows you to add custom keyword, local, and recommended sections, as well as shuffle and move the sections as you like. That’s the main thing, but it looks like there are a lot of optimizations in terms of layout and navigation that make Google News on mobile all the better. Personally, I’m still waiting for an official Google Reader application, which would make News pretty much a moot point, but you might as well go ahead and check out news.google.com in your mobile browser in the meantime.

[via Official Google Mobile Blog]

A tough, useful little flip has been announced on Verizon (NYSE: VZ) called the Casio G’zOne Rock. It had been previously spotted on a leaked roadmap, but few specifics were available.This phone looks like it would be a hikers dream, complete with compass, walking counter, thermometer, astro calendar, sunrise/sunset and tides apps to keep you oriented in the wild. It also features push-to-talk over EV-DO rev. A, a 2 megapixel camera, and meets MIL-STD-810F-grade ruggedization for impact, vibration, water, dust, extreme temperatures and just about anything else you could throw at it. The Rock joins the Boulder and Type-S in the G’zOne family of rugged handsets, but it’s tough to draw any real differentiation between them. The Casio Rock will run you $199.99 on contract after rebates starting tomorrow – just keep an eye out on the VZ store to pick it up.

[via Verizon]

Hey, Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T (NYSE: T) aren’t the only ones getting into hissy fits over inaccurate ad campaigns; telus (NYSE: TU) has just launched their own litigation against Rogers (NYSE: RCI) on similar grounds. Shawn Hall,? senior communications manager with telus, said “Rogers has no network advantage and should not be misleading Canadians with false superiority claims,”  although those claims were apparently accurate until telus opened up their HSPA network a few weeks ago. In compensation for these misleading advertisements, telus could be seeking millions in damages, although no dollar sign has been set. The tension is definitely building between Canadian carriers now that Rogers doesn’t have an exclusive on the iPhone (and all GSM handsets, for that matter). Combined with their move to shut down wind for not following foreign ownership laws, telus has been pretty aggressive towards the competition lately; way to keep ‘em on their toes.

[via Globe and Mail]

An over-the-air software update for the Sprint (NYSE: S) Hero is now available, the biggest change being a fix to SMS and daylight savings time bugs. There’s no documented changelog, but if you notice anything different, feel free to drop a comment. If you didn’t automatically recieve the option to update to 1.56.651.2, go to Settings, About, System Updates, then Firmware Update.

[via BGR]

Update: Oh, snap. Official change log here.

Feature Updates and Enhancements

HTC Hero Software Enhancement SW 1.56.651.2 provides feature updates and enhancements to address the following:
• Improvement to camera picture quality
• DST (Daylight Savings Time) issue addressed
• Unable to receive SMS due to full memory
• Memory leak when Bluetooth is in connecting state
• 3.5mm mono when not using headset with mic
• Dialer application causing excess battery draw

Important note: Dedicated Mute/Speaker buttons have been added to the Talk screen

Verification of updates:
To verify the customer has the updated build after the update:
1. Press Menu, Tap Settings
2. Flick Up, Tap About Phone
3. Scroll up and check Software version: After update 1.56.651.2

Now that Windows Mobile 6.5 is getting out there into the public, it’s time we started seeing something regarding the next generation of Windows phones. Apparently an early demo of WinMo 7 was shown to a private audience; some folks, like @ryanblock, kept their yap shut about it (presumably under the force of a non-disclosure agreement), but some of SoloPalmari’s impressions made it out to Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Translate before getting DCMA’d in the face:

Revolutionary, no need to take away: the next version of Windows Mobile, as shown by the leaks and the first screenshots of the new system, the Web will soon be spring, we are faced with an upheaval of the logic of interaction and not just a substantial revision of the interface. The concept of “applications”, as the programs continue to live their important identities, will bend to the principle of “user experience”.

Finally the performance, the fluidity in the display of screens, images and icons becomes a priority. As powerful and versatile Windows Mobile will be next, will never submit to slowdowns and delays in the response. How will, indeed, as they did to achieve this result is not yet technically clear. But developers say Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) is certain: the experience of use to forget the “old” Windows Mobile.

Those are some very promising (if awkward) words, and if Microsoft delivers, WinMo could be set for a resurgence to properly compete with the rest of the smartphone ecosystem. That’s a best case scenario, of course, since Windows has a lot of ground to make up for, what with new players like Android stealing the spotlight and riding a lot of momentum. Many of the important updates coming to WinMo 7 aren’t entirely secret – we’ve seen lots of bits and pieces, and one especially beefy leaked strategy document, but we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more juicy tidbits, especially now that Microsoft is starting to get comfortable talking about the update.

[SoloPalmari via MobileTechWorld]

In preparation for the incoming X10, Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) has opened up a new tool for developers called WebSDK. As you might imagine, it allows developers to write mobile apps in web languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript, not unlike Palm’s webOS or BlackBerry’s recently-launched widgets.  The system is all based around the open-source PhoneGap project cooked up back in March. It’s not just Android getting the love – Symbian phones will also be compatible with WebSDK, and combined with the Kurara/U5 leak earlier today, Sony Ericsson is clearly not forgetting Symbian, even in the wake of their burgeoning Android romance.

The devs in the house can read more and download the new WebSDK here, or get involved with PhoneGap here.

November 18 was set as the Samsung Behold 2’s launch, and here we are with another addition to the Android family. T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) is offering a 3.2″ AMOLED touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus, Wi-Fi, GPS, and the usual Google (NSDQ: GOOG) fare like Maps, Mail, Search, YouTube and the Android Market for $299.99 on two years of the Even More plan (or $57/month if you’d like to try financing the device). That cube-spinning interface gimmick looks like it would wear off awfully quick, but if you’re interested in giving TouchWiz-tinged Android a shot, you can pick up the Behold 2 from T-Mobile here. I believe Will is giving the Behold 2 a test drive presently, so sit tight for a review in the near future.

The most promising thing coming from Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) these days is the Android-powered X10, but not so fast – they haven’t put all of their eggs in one basket. This here is the Kurara, a Symbian smartphone with 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz processor, 3.2″ touchscreen, and HD video recording at 720p. Also called the U5, the usual fixings like GPS, Wi-Fi (with DLNA support), 3.5mm, microUSB and HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity are packed inside. We’ll have to see more of the device to pass judgment, but maybe SE should take a hint from Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and focus on Android for the immediate future. No release date, target markets, or pricetag just yet, but we’ll be keeping an eye out.

[via GSMArena]

It’s been in the works for awhile, but the BeamReader PDF viewing app fro Android is now ripe for the downloading. BeamReader boasts native font rendering, text search, and no requirement for network connection to handle document processing. On top of PDFs, BeamReader can handle TIFF, JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF image files, as well as compressed ZIP arhives. For a free app, that’s pretty dang useful. Documents to Go is still a big name in the Android Market (they even scored a preload deal on the T-Mobile Pulse), but PDF viewing in particular is locked away in the premium version. For more info on BeamReader for Android, hit up SLG, or go ahead and find the app in the on-device Market.