Gaming on BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) has never been what you would call breathtaking – a few low-key casual games here and there and the preloaded Brickbreaker could handle the lion’s share of twitchy boredom. Well, the platform is taking a big jump as OpenGL ES support has gone official and is currently available in the beta BlackBerry JDE we had mentioned earlier.

The in-app purchacing sounded vaguely iPhone OS 3.0, and OpenGL even moreso, but between these multimedia improvements and BlackBerry’s existing expertise in productivity, the whole platform is feeling a lot more balanced. Shown here is Need for Speed, which we’ll have some hands-on footage of shortly, complete with gesture controls for brake and boosting, and accelerometer use for steering. There’s going to be at least one other big name game showing off what OpenGL on BlackBerry can do, and we’ll be sure to check it out.

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More goodies from the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Developer Conference today: fresh location-detection options using cell site recognition, and push services for those who want to leverage RIM’s biggest advantage in mobile computing. First up, cell site recognition is a big one for location-based apps who want to keep battery drain down (GPS takes a significant toll). Anyone with 5.0 will automatically update the database of cell towers and their locations; a very cool use of crowdsourcing. There’s also new reverse geocoding that will tag specific coordinates with a proper street address – a nice addition that we’re already seeing in action in Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps for Mobile. On top of those two, RIM has introduced an API for estimated travel time within the U.S. and Canada; the time is generated based on aggregated traffic conditions and speed limits cross-referenced with distance.

Good stuff all around, but push services are probably bigger news for most developers. Push Services will enable apps to pull down up to 8 KB of data with all of the righteous immediacy that makes BlackBerry e-mail oh-so-very awesome. It’ll be interesting to see how this service will fare once it’s out in the wild and what developers use it for (push Twitter, anyone?); Web Signals have been testing the waters for a little bit with Alliance Members, but we’ll have to wait to see how much apps can really do with 8 KB. An added bonus, for devs who thought they might have to pay for it, is that Push Services will be available for free.

Both the new geolocation and push services are available specifically in devices with OS 5.0 and up, and will be available in the first half of 2010. You can try out some of these new options in the beta 5 Java Development Environment that was just released today. For more information on the upcoming push service, check out RIM’s page.

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One of the many announcements made at the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Developer Conference is a new ad partner program that allows app creators to monetize their apps right away. The BlackBery Advertising Service will plug in ads from Jumptap, Lat49, Millennial Media, Navteq, 1020 Placecast, Quattro Wireless and Sympatico.ca – an impressive initial list, but I’m wondering where Google Mobile ads stand, and if their own program stands on its own just fine for BlackBerry devs. Ads offered through this program can do all sorts of stuff, like click-to-call, launching the address book or browser, or find a program in App World.

A related update on the transaction front are in-app purchases. That means you can buy new levels for a game you’re really digging, or buy songs from on-device music stores (7digital comes to mind), and similar kinds of microtransactions. Yeah, it sounds suspiciously familiar to the iPhone 3.0 announcement, but it offers BlackBerry developers some added flexibility in how they make their money.

The new ad service and in-app purchacing goes live in 2010, complete with SDKs. Keep an eye on the newly redesigned Developer Zone for more info.

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Ever wanted to go to school and learn about BlackBerrys all day long? Well, two bits of news for you: one, you’re crazy. Two, RIM is officially offering curriculum to academic institutions under app development, support, and administration branches. This can help you provide students the knowledge they need to achieve those dreams of making the killer app, ruling a BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) rollout with an iron fist, or manning a soul-draining tech support cubicle. Instructors can use the textbooks, labs, and materials to teach the courses in whole semesters, or piecemeal as modules in other courses.

This is a really interesting strategy on RIM’s part, and reminiscent of their past efforts in certification programs. Plugging into legitimate educational institutes ensures that the hard skills necessary to maintain RIM’s infrastructure in the big wide world don’t die, and young tech professionals recognise the platform as a valid and real path to make a living. I’m interested in seeing the quality of graduates versus other IT professionals who have fallen into BlackBerry after finishing nonspecific courses…

For more information, hit up www.blackberry.com/academic, and be sure to stay tuned over the coming week for more information from the 2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference.

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While Adobe might be taking potshots at Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) for not providing the footholds to get Flash on the iPhone, RIM has announced that upcoming versions of Creative Suite 5 will allow developers to import Flash content in a BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM)-friendly format through the Eclipse JDE plug-in. So, yeah, Flash on BlackBerry. We had heard this was coming, and it’s great to see something good and official, though we’ll only really understand the scope of this announcement once we see developers do something with it (similar to the Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Gears and widget support in OS 5.0).

Adobe’s participation extends to all of their popular tools, like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator at first, Fireworks, and plenty of other popular apps already being used by web developers will be available later; AIR is in the works. This all elaborates on the Open Screen Project Adobe was talking about not too long ago, and has the potential to make the BlackBerry experience a heck of a lot more enjoyable. Flash-enabled widgets are a great weapon against Android and webOS who have had the benefit of creating a smooth user interface from the ground up; RIM is shackled to their old OS, and as we all know, it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Well, BlackBerry, prove us wrong – let’s see some new tricks.

Creative Suite 5 should be coming out in 2010, along with all of this BlackBerry support, but you can find more details on RIM’s Adobe tools here. Stick around for more announcements and news from the BlackBerry Developer Conference!

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Alex Albrecht, from the popular video podcast Diggnation, received a brand spanking new Nokia Booklet 3G and has posted an unboxing video. Notice how he immediately comments on Windows using “an old theme”. That’s called Windows 7 Starter baby, and it’s what Americans are going to get in order to make the cost as low as humanly possible. The dollar is weak. That $600 price tag is roughly 400 EUR, and here in Finland the Booklet 3G is twice that, as in 800 EUR.

Update: Correction, Finland is getting Windows 7 Starter Edition as well. Oh boy. That makes me mad.

[Hat tip to Ricky Cadden from Symbian-Guru for this tweet]

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Nokia (NYSE: NOK) just issued a press release asking you to replace your mobile fone’s charger if it is either the AC-3E and AC-3U models, manufactured between June 15, 2009 and August 9, 2009, or the AC-4U model, manufactured between April 13, 2009 and October 25, 2009. These defective chargers are an “electrical shock hazard”. Go to http://chargerexchange.nokia.com for more details.

One crucial figure, the number of chargers that are actually impacted by this recall, wasn’t mentioned. “Only a limited number of chargers of certain model types manufactured by a single third-party supplier during a specific time period are within the scope of the exchange program.” How many units are we looking at here?

Update: IntoMobile reader “FT” left a comment that points to an article published by Reuters with more information. The defective chargers, which are estimated to be around 14 million units, were manufactured by Chinese company BYD. Thanks FT!

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The Samsung Convoy is Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s latest rugged, PTT-enabled device. It’s a clamshell-shaped phone and aside from rocking the MIL-SPEC 810F standard for ruggedness, it’s also 3G-enabled, making sure you can access data services in all temperatures, altitudes and various solar radiation levels. In addition, the Convoy can also withstand shock, dust, vibration, salt fog and humidity.

As for the rest of the specs, there’s a 2-megapixel camera on board, Bluetooth, GPS (sings along VZ Navigator), large 1300mAh battery, and so on. Starting from November 15th, you will be able to grab this tough baby for $49.99 with a 2 year contract, and after a $50 mail-in rebate. In order to enable push-to-talk, prepare to pour out an additional $5 a month for the service.

[Via: MobileBurn]

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T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) has a new Nokia (NYSE: NOK) phone in its offering. Nothing too spectacular like the N900, but something more modest, something for an average Joe who don’t want to spend much to get basic calling and texting functionality. It’s the clamshell-shaped Nokia 3711 which prides itself with such usual specs like QVGA screen, 2-megapixel camera, GPS, FM radio, Bluetooth, microSD memory card slot, media player and so on. It’s available for $69.99 on an Even More contract after rebate or $159.99 on Even More Plus plan. T-Mobile’s AWS 3G is also included… The carrier’s website offers more details for those who care.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

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We’ve already had a chance to play with the HTC Droid Eris from Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless, but there’s nothing like a retail package unboxing ceremony to really get up close and personal with a new handset. As the “ying” to the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid’s “yang,” the HTC Droid Eris offers Verizon customers a fully capable Android smartphone at half the price of Moto’s headlining Droid, and it deserves some of our undivided attention.

The HTC Droid Eris is a lot like the HTC Hero from Sprint. Just like the Hero, the Droid Eris packs a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, 5-megapixel auto-focusing camera, 3G data, WiFi, GPS and a microSD card slot. It also runs the Sense UI, HTC’s custom Android homescreen skin, which gives the Droid Eris a bunch of extra HTC widgets to play with – and it doesn’t hurt that Sense UI looks way prettier than the vanilla Android homescreen.

Surprisingly, the HTC Droid Eris isn’t much thinner than the Motorola Droid, which sports a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. That’s not to say that the Droid Eris is a brick, it actually sits really comfortably in the hand. Still, the Eris could stand to lose a couple millimeters around its waist.

The Droid Eris’s 5-megapixel camera is faster and less laggy than the Motorola Droid. It also supports touch-focusing, which gives it a another small but significant leg-up on the Droid. The 3.2-inch display is smaller than would be ideal, but it’s plenty big for day-to-day use. Above all, there’s no sliding mechanism on the Droid Eris, so build quality is top-notch – no jiggling or creaking here.

The Droid Eris is available from Verizon Wireless for $99.99 with new 2-year contract. Or, you might be able to find a better deal here.

Unfortunately, the Eris runs Android 1.5 OS. The Motorola Droid features Android 2.0 OS, which has the Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps Navigation app pre-installed. Android 1.5 isn’t bad, especially with HTC’s Sense UI riding on top, but it’s no Android 2.0.

Anyway, acquaint yourself with the Droid Eris below!

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Previously leaked image of a rumored 2.8-inch iPhone touch panel

AT&T (NYSE: T)’s iPhone exclusivity deal, by most accounts, will come to an end in mid-2010. When that happens, iPhone fans hesitant to leave Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s network might finally have a chance to put a Verizon iPhone in their pockets. In fact, according to a new report from OTR Global proves accurate, the iPhone might very well hit the Verizon Wireless network in the third quarter of 2010.

Word on the street has Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) putting in orders to build a batch of iPhones equipped with a new hybrid UMTS/CDMA chip capable of surfing Verizon’s CDMA network as well as the 3G UMTS networks already used by carriers like AT&T. Apple is said to have tapped Asustek subsidiary Pegatron to manufacture the new iPhone, rather than current iPhone manufacturer Hon Hai.

There’s also talk of the hybrid iPhone sporting a smaller 2.8-inch touchscreen. We’d previously seen leak photos showing the 2.8-inch touchscreen panel sitting next to the 3.5-inch panel used on all current iPhone iterations, but we’ve yet to see a smaller-screened iPhone come out of Apple’s R&D labs. Will the rumored hybrid iPhone be the first to hit market with a smaller touchscreen?

At this point, nothing is confirmed. But, with a little luck, we might see Verizon picking up the iPhone in the second half of next year. It’ll be interesting to see how that affects AT&T’s business next year.

The question is – will the prospect of a Verizon iPhone keep you from pulling the trigger on another AT&T iPhone or Verizon’s Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid?

[Via: AppleInsider]

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If you’ve been resisting the urge to run out and buy a Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid at a Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless store, we’ve got some good news for you. Wirlefly.com is rewarding your patience with a seriously hot deal on a brand new Droid. How hot, you ask? Wirefly is offering the Droid for $99.99 with new 2-year contract (or contract extension). They also have the HTC Droid Eris on deck for FREE, if the HTC Sense UI is more your style.

For about $100, Wirefly.com will ship a newly activated Droid to your door. There’s no mail-in rebate to deal with and FedEx shipping is included, free of charge. The promotional ad makes it look like the $100 Droid requires new activation on Verizon’s $59.99 monthly rate plan, so we went through the checkout process with Verizon’s lowest-tier $39.99/month rate plan selected. We stopped short of processing payment information, but everything looked good to go with the cheaper rate plan.

The FREE HTC Droid Eris offer seems to be more limited. You’ll have to have an existing Verizon Wireless account and be willing to extend your contract for another two years. And, it seems the contract extension only applies to rate plans of $59.99 or more. On the upside, shipping is free via FedEx.

If you can wait a couple days for your new Droid hardware, you’re going to have a hard time beating these two deals.

$100 Motorola Droid
FREE HTC Droid Eris

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MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS) has a new entry-level all-touchscreen device in its portfolio. It’s the Huawei M750, which interested users could grab for $200. Specs wise, there’s a 1.3-megapixel camera on board, Bluetooth support, media player and a microSD memory card slot. In addition, the carrier emphasizes the “intuitive touch user interface,” but we don’t actually have any details about it.

In a nutshell, the Huawei M750 is a device made for those people who really dig the “touch” but don’t want to pay a small fortune or sign any contracts to grab such a phone.

[Via: PhoneScoop]

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We do know Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and Google (NSDQ: GOOG) have worked together on the Droid, but still we haven’t thought we’ll see the search giant promoting the smartphone on its homepage, which is known for not carrying any ads at all. There are no doubts in my mind, Google bets heavily on Android and I’m guessing this is their way to show the true iPhone killer is now available, sporting the latest version of Google’s mobile OS – Android 2.0. We’re also unaware whether some cash was exchanged in the process, and considering Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has spent a small fortune for Droid promotion, that also sounds like a viable option.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

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Motorola (NYSE: MOT) announced that “B” of the BRIC countries will get their Android 2.0-powered Droid. We’re talking about Brazil, of course, and since the carrier is TIM, it’s the GSM version of the phone called Milestone that will be available to interested users. The price is unknown and but the good news is that the version TIM will sell comes with the multi-touch display, which is very useful for zooming all around the web, maps and so on.

Again you know the specs, but let me shortly repeat them nonetheless – the display measures 3.7 inches, there’s a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, HSPA connectivity, GPS, WiFi, 3.5mm headset jack and a 1400 mAh battery.

[Via: Unwired View]

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Alltel has a new device for young but heavy texters. It’s the Samsung DoubleTake which prides itself with a sliding QWERTY keyboard, 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and so on. In a word, nothing special, yet enough for $39.99. That’s of course the price with at least 1-year service contract on a qualifying rate plan and after a $50 mail-in rebate. As for the color options, there are two versions – bold red and sleek charcoal gray, which seem designed for girls and boys, respectively… I guess. Alltel’s website has additional details for those who care.

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Sprint (NYSE: S) is the latest operator to offer Dell’s netbook – Inspiron Mini 10. The carrier is asking $199.99 for the computer on a Mobile Broadband plan and a two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate. Of course, the netbook comes with built-in EV-DO Rev. A modem which should provide average upload speeds of 350-500 kbps and download speeds of between 600 kbps and 1.4 mbps.

As you probably know, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 comes with a 10.1-inch screen, WiFi, 160 GB hard drive, 1.3-megapixel camera, Windows XP Home, Intel Atom CPU, card reader and Bluetooth…

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Samsung has launched another Korea-only device marked as W920. It’s a decent phone which, as it’s slowly getting a standard there, comes with a S-DMB mobile TV receiver. Rest of the 12.9mm thick phone’s specs include a 3-megapixel camera, front facing camera for video calls, Bluetooth, media player, SOS function, e-dictionary and pre-installed TOEIC/TOEFL test apps for learning English on the go.

As I said, the Samsung SCH-W920 is made for the company’s domestic market only, where interested buyers can grab it for 500,000 won (about $425) in either black or white.

[Via: SamsungHub]

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The cat-and-mouse game between Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and would-be iPhone hackers is about to get a little more interesting. Following the recent release of “blacksn0w,” an iPhone unlocking tool capable of unlocking new iPhone 3GS’s running the latest iPhone OS, Apple has posted a new job listing for an “iPhone OS Platform Security Manager.” Apple is apparently looking for someone to head the development team tasked with securing iPhone boot-up and operating system installation as well as other aspects of iPhone platform security.

We’re not sure if Apple is looking for someone new to fill the position, or if Apple wants to replace the current iPhone OS Platform Security Manager. In either case, it’s pretty clear that the iPhone maker wants to make sure that hackers like George “geohot” Hotz and the iPhone Dev Team aren’t able to keep cracking the iPhone.

The back-and-forth between hackers and Apple is an ongoing saga juicier than your daily soap operas. The iPhone and iPhone 3G were initially jailbroken (the process of opening the file-system to allow unauthorized application installs) and unlocked to work with any GSM network, courtesy of the iPhone Dev Team. Apple then updated the iPhone OS to close the jailbreak exploit known as “24kpwn,” eventually updating the baseband firmware (the code that controls how the iPhone connects to wireless networks like AT&T (NYSE: T) and T-Mobile (NYSE: DT)) from version 04.26 to 05.11 to prevent unlocking. iPhone hacker geohot countered with his “blackra1n” jailbreak utility, following that up with the release of “blacksn0w” to unlock the latest iPhone 3GS baseband (05.11) to work with GSM networks around the world.

That pretty much brings us up to speed (in a nutshell, from a very small nut). The iPhone platform is, at this point, jailbroken and unlocked. Now it’s Apple’s turn.

It’s conceivable that Apple’s incoming iPhone security manager will put an end to baseband 05.11 unlocks, but it’s hard to see Apple ever locking down the iPhone completely. Still, if you’re interested in jailbreaking and unlocking your iPhone, you’re best bet is to jump on board soon.

[Via: NetworkWorld]

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iPhone gaming can be hazardous to your privacy, apparently. A security hole in the iPhone OS allows someone with the right know-how to design an iPhone app to secretly learn an iPhone’s phone number. The problem is serious enough that iPhone game developer Storm8, creators of Vampires Live and iMobsters, has been hit with a class action lawsuit for allegedly collecting the phone numbers of iPhone gamers without their knowledge or consent.

The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco on behalf of Washington State resident Michael Turner, claims that Storm8 included “malicious software code” for gathering phone number data into the company’s iPhone games. “Storm8 has written the software for all its games in such a way that it automatically accesses, collects, and transmits the wireless telephone number of each iPhone user who downloads any Storm8 game,” alleges the suit.

In its defense, Storm8 acknowledged back in August that it was getting phone number data from its iPhone games. The company claims a “bug” was to blame.

What’s interesting here is that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) didn’t catch the supposed “bug” before approving the game for the AppStore. Apple’s getting really good at rejecting iPhone apps that don’t fit into the company’s narrow view of acceptable content, but it seems they still need to work on the basics – like rejecting potential spyware.

Should Apple be held accountable for letting an iPhone app embedded with “malicious software code” onto the AppStore? Should Apple pull the app on grounds that it’s collecting iPhone users’ phone numbers? We’d like to hear what you think in the comments below.

[Via: boingboing]

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