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.

I’ve always been a huge fan of geotagging pictures – it gives immediate context to memorable snapshots, and when you’re travelling, it can be really hard remembering where exactly each one was taken. Although I’m glad that my BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) natively geotags pictures, the data is buried in its EXIF data, which is only preserved if you got through arduous sideloading onto PC, and then uploading to your web service (GPSed is the only app that I’ve seen that makes pictures easily shareable). Luckily for iPhone users, Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s location-aware picture-sharing service, Panoramio, now has an app for iPhone that lets you share geotagged pictures over the air. After that, folks on Google Maps and Earth will be able to see your pictures once they’re approved. It would be cool if it all synced up with your Picasa account, but its relationship with Panoramio is still hazy. With an army of iPhone users sharing pictures to Google Maps, I could see Panoramio quickly becoming as useful as Street View. Interested? Grab Panoramio for free from the iTunes App Store.

[via Panoramio]

Buzzd, a great little Digg-style location-conscious mobile application for venues and events, has found its way to the iPhone. Buzzd lets you rate up, rate down, comment and upload pictures on where you’re spending your nightlife. By plugging into the GPS, you can quickly find out what’s happening in your vicinity, and local search helps you find just the right place. I tried the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) version for a little while, and I found that a lot depends on there being an active community submitting ratings, and since it was still relatively new to Canada (not to mention the fact that Ottawa is pretty quiet to begin with), there wasn’t much to run with However, if you’re in a big metropolitain area, go ahead and download it for free from the iTunes App Store.

[via buzzd]

The Windows Mobile Google application just got a modest update that includes a few handy new features. For one, it’s incorporating cell tower ID recognition to help provide local search results without needing a GPS fix. The technique, dubbed My Location by Google (NSDQ: GOOG), has been on BlackBerry’s search app since March, and is also available in Google Maps. Typing in a search query in the updated WinMo app will now offer suggestions as you type, potentially saving you some time. Finally, the Maps app now integrates with search – just pick the results with a red pin to open the target in Google Maps. To get started or update your current software, hit up m.google.com in your mobile browser.

[via Official Google Mobile Blog]

Travel application WorldMate Live has updated to version 3.0, boasting new browsability of user-generated reviews from Yelp, along with a few improvements to their calendar sync and hotel booking functions. Honest reviews are great to have when you’re in an unfamiliar city; sure a quick Google (NSDQ: GOOG) search can point you to a store or restaurant, but it would certainly be nice if to know beforehand if you’re wasting your time going there. WorldMate Live has a bunch of other great features, including flight status lookups, a time zone calculator, Outlook integration, and a whole lot more. The 3.0 update is only for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), but they’ve got version for iPhone, Symbian, and Windows Mobile as well. Most of the features are available for free, with a few locked away for Gold subscribers. For more info, visit WorldMate Live, or go ahead and pick it up in the BlackBerry App World.

[via WorldMate]

Brightkite is a location-aware social networking app for Android, iPhone, and now BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) that lets you share photos and notes at certain GPS coordinates both with your friends and to the community at large. Using the service requires you to occasionally “check in”, which might be a pain for those who are used to automated location sharing like we see in Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Latitude, but it does open the doors to those who don’t have integrated GPS in their phone. The interesting thing about the BlackBerry app in particular is that it was built by a third party using open APIs, basically making myKite a homebrew job with an official seal of approval; good on Brightkite for supporting the developer community like that. Interested? Give it a try for free in the BlackBery App World.

I popped my head into the live stream of the TechCrunch 50 to hear about a really great app for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), and soon the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre, that allows you to send geotagged pictures of problems around town (graffiti, potholes, etc.) and send them right to city hall. Cities can view the complaints with picture and text on Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps in order to analyze trends and sent to the appropriate department for action. Kevin Rose suggested a Digg-style rating system to prioritize existing problems, which makes really good sense. Take a look at the video for the full pitch – it’s worth watching the end when the developer gets razzed for supporting the Pre because Palm invested in them. If you want to get involved, you can contact the developers on info@citysourced.com

[via TechCrunch]

After looking into the new Yelp apps for the iPhone and Palm Pre, it turns out a BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) version was churned out recently as well. While not quite as snazzy as the iPhone’s augmented reality angle, the BlackBerry app should offer all the same points of interest reviews you need while on the move. GPS integration lets you automate the searching process a bit, but even if you don’t have GPS (like I do currently on the BlackBerry 8520), you can always input your location manually. I was initially really excited to see the app, but unfortunately you can’t write reviews from your device, which strikes me as the best way to do it – right there, while you’re at the restaurant/store/club/whatever and are able to take and upload pictures right from the floor. Ah well, maybe in a later version. Yelp for BlackBerry is available in the U.S., Canada, UK and Ireland – just head on over to yelp.com on your mobile browser to get downloading. I’d really like to see this in App World soon, mostly for the handy microSD archiving feature.

[Yelp via CNet]

DUBMeNow is a snazzy little application for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), iPhone and Android that came out awhile ago whose key feature was to automatically update your native address book whenever information changes – phone, e-mail, address, you name it. The catch, of course, was that both people needed to be registered users in order for the exchange to happen. An update released today includes GPS integration as well as a whole batch of social network support that may very well help convince the skeptical to install the mobile app. A new “locate” feature finds where you and your potential business card swap-ee are situated, and automatically prompts both to make the switch. You can also tweet who you’re meeting, send LinkedIn requests, and keep tabs on their Facebook account. While I still find the process a little more convoluted than, say, contxts, or even QR codes, but I’ll probably keep the new DUBMeNow app arhived on my Bold on the off-chance that folks I meet at trade shows are already signed up. If you happen to shake a lot of hands in your line of business, check it out in the BlackBerry App World, iPhone App Store, or Android Market.

This is pretty cool. Some basement developer in Toronto has cooked up an Android app that figures out which geocoded traffic cameras are on your estimated route, allowing you to check out conditions down the road before you get stuck in a jam. Trust me, having gone down the 401 a few times myself, it’s not somewhere you want to be around during rush hour. For a wider view, you can also look at traffic conditions in map mode. I’m still not sold on the interface in the proper augmented reality portion of the app, which overlays a list of bullets of the traffic cameras in the direction you’re pointing the phone, but it’s nothing a few good coats of paint can’t fix. Proximity alerts for speed traps and user-defined points of interest are also snazzy features, and make this a really well-rounded driving companion app. It looks like they’re working on some real estate points of interest for the future, too. If you’re in the Toronto area and packing a Magic or Dream, check out Augmented Traffic Views in the Android Market. Best of all, it’s free!

[via Wired]