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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• Google Apps Connector Plugs into BlackBerry Enterprise Server

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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If you’re one of the early adopters of the BlackBerry Bold 9700, chances are you already have 5.0.0.321 or 5.0.0.330. However, heading into the weekend there’s been a new OS leak for the Bold 9700, bringing the OS to 5.0.0.344. Keep in mind this is an unofficial release, so be sure to backup your device and take all necessary precautions before you install. If you’re hesitant, hold off… I have a feeling we’ll see this build hit us in a more official capacity in the near future anyways.

Download OS 5.0.0.344 for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 >

[Via: CB]

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• OS 4.6.0.241 Leaked for the BlackBerry Bold 9000
• OS 4.6.1.231 Leaked for the BlackBerry 8900

So, not only do we have the new Storm2, the Bold 9700 and the Tour 9630 to gobble up on the market these days… It’s looking like AT&T (NYSE: T) may be slapping a new coat of paint on the Curve 8900 to push it out the door. Earlier this morning via BGR, I noticed said White BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Curve 8900. Of course, no pricing or launch details were made available, but what do you think? The 8900 is a solid device, would you pick one up in the new white livery when it becomes available? Or are the new offerings from RIM simply to good to go back to that ‘old’ 8900?

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Well, it didn’t take long for telus (NYSE: TU)‘ acquisition of Black’s Photography to prove useful for blogworthy information. The BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Storm2, which has yet to make an official appearance anywhere in Canada, can be seen plain as day in the Black’s online catalog. This is one example of how telus will continue supporting the ol’ faithful EV-DO network, and isn’t just throwing everything behind their recently-launched HSPA service.  If you haven’t tried out the BlackBerry 9550, take a look at our review; the long and short of it is that the Storm2 cleans up the SurePress clicking touchscreen so it sucks considerably less than the first Storm, throws in Wi-Fi, and OS 5.0 (which entails a lot of user interface improvements). We’re looking forward to seeing this one in Canada soon, even though telus still has a few other exciting handsets to announce in the next couple of weeks.

[via Cell Phones Etc.]

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Just a quickie here for the TweetGenius users out there. I noticed a little earlier via Twitter that TweetGenius has been updated yet again, this time to version 1.1.2. A bunch of bug fixes and tweaks have been addressed… Of course, no detailed changelog was made available, but we’ll have to assume 1.1.2 is a marked improvement.

If you’re running TweetGenius on your BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), the upgrade is free, as all upgrades are a free-for-all until version 2.0. If you haven’t bought it yet, you can pick up your copy for $7.99.

Happy Twittering!

Note: While you’re at it, follow @IntoMobile, would ya?

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Yeesh, Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s been busy: the Motorola droid, the HTC Eris, and now a new BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM). A simple CDMA version of the touchpad-toting Curve currently available on T-Mobile won’t exactly steal the thunder from Verizon’s other announcements, but based on our review of the 8520, the new Curve is a stable, if pared-down, BlackBerry with a few new stylistics twists. Sprint (NYSE: S)’s picking up the 8530 as well, and yes, both have Wi-Fi, a 2 megapixel camera without flash, optical trackpad, and 320 x 240 display like the original, but has the added bonus of 3G over EV-DO. Sometimes I wish BlackBerrys kept their cool codenames, like Aries in this particular case, especially now when there are three distinct families of Curves. In any case, you can sign up for notifications of Sprint’s version, or hold out for Verizon’s which will run $99.99 on contract after rebates, and be available November 20.

[via RIM, BusinessWire]

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The T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) (NYSE: DT) BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9700 isn’t quite launched just yet, but we’ve already gotten friendly with RIM’s newest hardware. The Bold 9700 looks and feels a lot like the original BlackBerry Bold 9000, with some significant under-the-hood upgrades. Cosmetically, the biggest difference is the missing trackball; in it’s place is a new optical trackpad. It’s a subtle design update that makes a lot of sense – the Bold 9000 was a big hit for RIM, of course they’re going to stick with a recipe that everyone loves.

The Bold 9700 is fitted with the same class-leading QWERTY keyboard that debuted on the Bold 9000. It’s slimmer than the original Bold, but packs an upgraded 3.2-megapixel camera and double the application memory (256MB) – all the while shipping on a fully-charged battery for days on end. The entire backside of the Bold 9700 is covered in a rubberized “soft touch” finish that highlights the faux-leather backing.

What about the new trackpad? Is it just as easy to use as the iconic BlackBerry trackball? Is it responsive and accurate enough to satisfy die-hard BlackBerry fans? In a word, “yes.” The optical trackpad samples your finger input hundreds of times a second, translating the direction and speed of your finger into smooth cursor movements. It works well. In fact, it might just be better than the trackball.

To beat the issue to death (again), the Bold 9700’s browser isn’t the best. The browser is said to be improved, but it still lags. It’ll get the job done, but you need to be patient with it. Check out the hands-on video below to see for yourself. It might help to distract yourself away from the browser and just focus on the Bold 9700’s improved camera and rock solid push email features.

Basically, if you liked the Bold 9000, you can’t really ask for any better than the Bold 9700. The official launch window is “sometime before November 27,” but all signs are pointing to a Nov. 18 launch for $199.99 with new 2-year contract.

Enjoy our hands-on video and photo gallery!

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Bell busted out their fresh HSPA devices yesterday, and today we  have a similar official announcement from telus (NYSE: TU). Earlier this week, we had a chance to sit down and take a look at the new toys; most of the players you’ll already be familiar with, but here’s a rundown of telus‘ take on each one.

First up we have the Hero, HTC’s Android avenger, jam-packed with their custom Sense user interface. I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t packaged in Sprint (NYSE: S)’s slick, smooth, curve casing, but telus apparently wanted to capture the European flavour by offering something unique to North America, although it’s arguably reminiscent of Rogers (NYSE: RCI)’ HTC Dream in terms of aesthetic. Prodding a little bit about other Android hardware in the future, telussaid that they’re really not interested in vanilla builds – they really want to see some unique experiences with each manufacturer, and I couldn’t agree more. If you’re hoping to see the Hero on another carrier up north, good luck; telus said they’ve nabbed the Canadian exclusive on the Hero, and it sounded indefinite. The price point is also killer: $99.99 on contract, $499.99 off contract.

Next is the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9700. You’ve seen our first impressions, and they’re mostly good, though it’s still a pretty predictable iteration on a proven formula. RIM has been making a point to say that their Wi-Fi is UMA capable, allowing for calls over your local wireless internet connection, assuming your cellular service provider has a supporting plan. I took the opportunity to prod telus about supporting UMA, and they said they’re continually evaluating options, but don’t expect UMA before the holidays. Things sounded doubtful in general though, so don’t hold your breath. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is available on telus for $249.99 on contract, or $649.99 with no strings attached.

Then there was the LG BL40, a ridonkulously widescreen device. I hadn’t spent much time with with LG’s S-Class 3D user interface, but the cube-spinning was kind of cool. The real wow factor was that telus was claiming a North American exclusive on the device. The original Chocolate did pretty well for itself, and I trust that the new one on telus will be equally successful. You’ll be able to pick up the New Chocolate for $79.99 on a three-year contract, or $249.99 without.

Finally, there’s the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) E71. There wasn’t much to ask about it, since it’s made the rounds by this point, but considering Rogers recently announced the N86 with 8 megapixel camera, I think telus is going to have some catching up to do when it comes to their high-end Nokia handsets. Still, the E71 is a great handset, and it’s available for $29.99 on contract, or $329.99 without.  Red/white version is also available, apparently.

Oh, then there’s the iPhone, but they didn’t have one there for some reason. Maybe they think everyone already has heard enough about the damn thing. I’m tempted to agree. The telus 32 GB iPhone 3GS will run you $299 on contract, $799 otherwise.

We also got some numbers on the new Clear and Simple pricing, which cuts the system access fee and 911. Here’s a quick rundown of the smartphone plans, which all includes voicemail, call waiting, and conference calling:

• $50/month: 100 local anytime minutes; 50 bonus anytime minutes; and choice between 5 local favourites or 1,000 outgoing and unlimited incoming SMS or double anytime minutes; unlimited nights and weekends; 500 MB data
• $65/month: 200 local anytime minutes; 50 bonus anytime minutes; and choice between 5 nationwide favourites or unlimited incoming SMS or double anytime minutes; unlimited nights and weekends; 1 GB data
• $80/month: 350 local anytime minutes; 50 bonus anytime minutes; and choice between 5 nationwide favourites or unlimited incoming SMS or double anytime minutes; unlimited nights and weekends; 2 GB data
• $100/month: 450 local anytime minutes; 50 bonus anytime minutes; and choice between 5 favourites or unlimited incoming SMS or double anytime minutes; unlimited nights and weekends; 3 GB data

Devices and plans aside, we talked about the HSPA rollout itself. Everything was built right on top of their existing EVDO network, so everything completely overlaps. The situation in the prairies still sounds somewhat sketchy, however – a roaming agreement with Sasktel is getting finalized, but the Manitoba network is still under construction. In terms of future hardware selection, telus will be pushing HSPA for the first little while, but they won’t be abandoning their EVDO network; it’s inaccurate to think that Bell and telus are swapping out CDMA for GSM, since they’re really just piling one on top of the other. It’s also kind of interesting that the HSPA handsets will have no 2G connectivity, which makes me a little scared – it’s always been somewhat reassuring that on Rogers I could fall back on an EDGE connection if 3G coverage was hurting. HSPA does have its benefits, though, like simultaneous data and voice transmission; missing calls while tethering shouldn’t be a problem.

I also asked about the telus Black’s Photography acquisition, which is seeing a proper retail presence today. I was a little worried that employees in a camera store would know jack-all about selling phones, but telus was likening the situation to Best Buy in that they’re as trained as they need to be to sell phones. It will be interesting to see what kind of perspective those salespeople offer on phones with higher-end cameras, though.

The whole lot of handsets are available today, but if you’re excited for these phones, telus showed us a few others that will be worth sticking around to hear about. One in particular we’ll probably be seeing Monday…  For more information, check out telus‘ HSPA landing page.

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Google Maps for BlackBerry has been updated, and as per usual, the folks on the Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Campus have personally let me down by not providing a changelog Let’s face it, I’d like to know what’s new before I actually pop open the app, am I the only one that feels this way? Me thinks not.

In the 3.2 update we noticed ‘layers’ functionality added to the app. A feature which allowed us to view all kinds of information on the map at one time. Turn layers on and off depending on the info you want to display on your map… View Wikipedia entries, transit lines, Google Latitude, and much more. It’s fun to explore this feature.

At any rate, the latest version brings us up to 3.2.1, and there’s no doubt the usual smattering of bug fixes and tweaks inside.

To grab your copy or to upgrade, hit up m.google.com/maps from your device. Enjoy!

[Via: BerryReview]

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Well whataya know… The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is just getting acquainted with us, and what do we notice? There’s already a leaked OS out for the device. Let the OS leaks for the 9700 begin! The OS is mighty unofficial, and brings things up to 5.0.0.321. As always, be sure to backup your device and take all necessary precautions before you proceed. Or, if you haven’t even picked up your Bold 9700 yet, heck, just download this and update the OS later. Apparently this is the OS shipping on the Rogers (NYSE: RCI) Bold 9700, so if you’ve got your hands on said device, probably best to pass this up.

Get OS 5.0.0.321 for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 while it’s hot >

[Via: CB]

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Bell has today gone ahead and flipped the switch on their brand new HSPA network. Coupled with telus (NYSE: TU) launching their own tomorrow, Rogers (NYSE: RCI) will no longer have a lockdown on hot GSM handsets like the iPhone, and Canadians will get some much-needed choice in service providers. The only devices Bell was forthcoming about before today’s announcement were an HSPA+ internet stick, and MiFi mobile hotspot, but they have really opened up both barrels with their full HSPA family. Earlier today, you might have heard about the Bell BlackBerry Bold 9700, but there’s also the original Bold 9000 for $249.95 on contract, the LG Xenon (simple, full-QWERTY slider; $89.95 on contract), the Nokia 2730 (standard candybar; $29.95 on contract), the Samsung omnia II (touchscreen slate running Windows Mobile with TouchWiz 2.0; $199.95 on contract), Samsung Impact (A.K.A Highlight, touchscreen slate with voice and motion-controlled UI; $79.95 on contract), and of course, the beloved iPhone 3GS.

On top of devices, Bell is also announcing a new HSPA video calling service available on the omnia II and Xenon that not only works with other capable phones, but also through a Facebook app. Overall, this is a huge step for Bell and Canadian wireless overall, and it’s not over yet – we’ll be hearing more about telus‘ HSPA  grand opening tomorrow. For a closer look at Bell’s full lineup, check their online store, or their HSPA landing page for more info on the new network.

[via Bell]

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Certainly of late it’s been all BlackBerry Storm2, Bold 9700 and Tour 9630 that has been making the news. That is, in the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) (NSDQ: RIMM) world. Berry addicts the world round are no doubt considering their options and making upgrades to the new devices from RIM as time passes.

However, if you’re the type that doesn’t need the ‘cutting edge’ in the RIM lineup, Rogers (NYSE: RCI) (NYSE: RCI) has dropped their pricing on some very solid BlackBerry devices. The Bold 9000, Curve 8900 and Curve 8520 have all been given price cuts, and at the new price points they’re looking more attractive than ever. The details:

• BlackBerry Bold 9000: $99.99 (in black or white)
• BlackBerry Curve 8900: $79.99
• BlackBerry Curve 8520: $49.99 (in black or lavender)

No surprises here that the above prices rest on a 3-year contract. Head on over to the BlackBerry lineup at Rogers for more. Happy shopping!

[Via: CB]

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Ah, we enjoyed some Bold 9700 love on Rogers yesterday, and now, this morning I stumbled across this one while checking out the new pricing on the Bell Palm Pre! Bell has launched the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9700 for $229.95 on a 3-year contract.

If you’d prefer to stay away from a 3-year deal, you can pick one up for 2-years at $449.95, 1-year at $549.95, or with no contract for $599.95.

To pick one up, head on over to Bell >

So, the Bold 9700 is now available at Rogers (NYSE: RCI) AND Bell. Gotta love the Canadian born and bread RIM sharing the BlackBerry love with Canadians (as they should!). Would love to hear some initial impressions on the 9700 from those that have one in-hand! T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) customers, I can hear you tapping your fingers, waiting patiently…

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Early in October we noticed that the BlackBerry Tour 9630 was already prepped and all shined up on the US Cellular website… Which, for all intents and purposes meant all we had to do was wait patiently for the device to go live. Well, the 9630 has done just that, it’s live on the US Cellular network right now.

You can pick one up for $199.95 on a 2-year contract, after a $70 mail-in rebate. You’ll also be required to sign up for a minimum $39.99/mth calling plan… AND a minimum $24.95/mth data plan for the term of the contract. That’s how she goes.

For all the details head on over to US Cellular >

Note: The Tour is not available on any of US Cellular’s prepaid plans.

[Via: CB]

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I was pretty sure the undead season had come and gone, but the tormented spirit of the far-fetched mobile companion idea has reared its ugly head once more in the form of fresh BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) drivers for the Celio redfly. Now, should you somehow become inclined, it’s now possible to plug your BlackBerry into this laptop-esque accessory (via USB or Bluetooth) and experience your smartphone on a bigger screen with a full keyboard and trackpad. If that sounds disturbingly familiar, it’s because you’re remembering the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Foleo, a project that was canned for fairly obvious reasons. Dusan still has a lot of hope for the idea, but I still don’t understand why I just wouldn’t invest a comparable amount of cash in a netbook or UMPC. In any case, if you’re thinking of picking up a redfly, they have one model going for $199 and another more buxom one for $249 over here. If you already have one, drivers for the BlackBerry 8900 Curve, Bold 9000, and Storm 9630 can be picked up from m.celiocorp.com/install on your mobile.

[via Celio]

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Last we heard the T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700 was coming November 16th. Now it looks like my bud David (over at TMoNews) has another Bold 9700 launch rumor for us today. The latest word is the second-coming of the Bold will hit us on November 18th. Apparently training on the new device has already begun for employees… but please treat this as a rumor, for now.

Interestingly enough, the Bold 9700 already seems to be featured on the T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) site here. I suspect T-Mo plans to throw down a little pre-order action… or it could be that the launch is coming sooner than we think. We’ll see.

Side Note: The official release package has been spotted by the folks at BlackBerry OS. Check out the goodness below. Looks like everything is there… Me thinks we’re going to see the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9700 on T-Mo really soon!

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