comScore released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month period between October 2009 and January 2010.

The report found Motorola to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 22.9 percent market share, while RIM led among smartphone platforms with 43.0 percent market share.

INTERVIEW. Web2Mobile is a company that specializes in making your content mobile ready for ease of use for your customers on the go.

In the last 12 months we seen a lot change in the mobile market with a huge transition of users putting their mobile devices ahead of their laptops and desktop computers.

Deb Hall notes that even on a personal level, using mobile devices create a difference in behavior in how we use and read content and how we interact with our devices. In the last ten months she notes that this transition has become more apparent as the iPhone, specifically, has immersed itself into the general populace.

Overall satisfaction among smartphone owners has increased considerably over time as manufacturers continue to improve styling, feature sets, usability and software, according to the J.D. Power and Associates studies.

Apple ranks highest among manufacturers of smartphones used primarily for personal reasons, with a score of 811, and performs particularly well in ease of operation, operating system, features and physical design. LG (776) and RIM BlackBerry (759) follow Apple in the rankings.

INTERVIEW: Scott Belsky, founder and CEO of Behance, tells smartphone.biz-news about his company's Action Method iPhone application - a free and innovative app aimed at increasing users' productivity.
He said that people focus too much on deadlines instead of what matters most - action and delegating.

RIM has launched a RIM-operated community forum for BlackBerry users.
MyBlackBerry is akin to a bulletin board and is intended as a place were any BlackBerry users can share tips, stories, review apps and discuss their handsets.

Following up on the Sprint Launch, Verizon has launched its version of the BlackBerry Tour 9630 and has launched both a non-camera and camera-equipped version for consumer purchase.

The devices are otherwise identical to the Sprint version with a tri-mode CDMA EVDO Rev. A/quadband GSM/EDGE/single-band HSPA radio, HVGA landscape display, GPS transceiver with A-GPS support, Bluetooth, Qualcomm chipset with 256 MB of RAM and 192 MB of ROM running at 528 MHz, speakerphone, and microSDHC expansion slot.

Both versions are available for $269.99 after a new two year agreement before a $70 instant rebate, bringing the total to $199.99.

Encyclopedia: BlackBerry 9630 Tour

Buy the BlackBerry Tour 9630 from Verizon Wireless
Get Cashback from PhoneCashback.net

Sprint has officially launched one of the most highly awaited BlackBerry devices in the Tour, an unexpected color variant in the Inferno Curve, and the LG LX290 entry-level slider.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 is functionally identical to prior models with EVDO Rev. A, QWERTY keyboard, speakerphone, media player, HTML browser, Bluetooth, microSD expansion slot, MMS support, and QVGA display with the only change being an uncharacteristically loud orange color called Inferno by Sprint.

The LG LX290 features a QVGA resolution display, Sprint One Click user interface, Sprint Mobile Email Work and Mobile Email Work Calendar support, Bluetooth, speaker-independent voice dialing/voice control, GPS support and speakerphone.

The BlackBerry Tour features a tri-mode CDMA EVDO Rev. A/quadband GSM/EDGE/single-band HSPA radio, HVGA landscape display, GPS transceiver with A-GPS support, Bluetooth, Qualcomm chipset with 256 MB of RAM and 192 MB of ROM running at 528 MHz, speakerphone, microSDHC expansion slot and 3.2 megapixel camera with video recorder, auto focus and flash.

The LG LX290 is available for $79.99 after new 2 year agreement before an additional $50 mail-in rebate, bringing the total to $29.99. The BlackBerry Curve is available for $149.99 after new 2 year agreement before an additional $100 mail-in rebate, bringing the total to $49.99 and the BlackBerry Tour is now available for $299.99 after new 2 year agreement before an additional $100 mail-in rebate, bringing the total to $199.99.

Filed under: Culture, Handsets, RIM, Misc

Not that we haven't heard a few miraculous gadgets-saving-lives stories before, but this one is in a league of its own. According to the always-embellishing Sun, one David Fitzherbert is thanking his smartphone after coming entirely too close to falling 700 feet to his death. As the story goes, he got wedged between a pair of rocks after losing control of his skis in the Matterhorn, and while we aren't quite sure why he chose RIM's BlackBerry over -- say, chap-stick, car keys, his wallet or a fattening breakfast -- he credited it with adding just enough width to his person to keep him wedged. Two hours after finding himself between a rock and a hard place, rescue crews arrived and flew him to a hospital where he used the "0.5-inch wide" phone to tell his wife that he had survived a nasty spill. We still say David owes a round of thanks to genetics, luck and Zeus, but hey, what do we know?

BlackBerry credited with saving skier's life, serendipity left hanging originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM is boosting its Blackberry range with a new 3G dual-mode handset aimed at both its core executive users and the wider consumer market.
Candy-bar shaped and with a full keyboard, the Blackberry Tour will launch with Verizon and Sprint in the US and Telus and BCE's Bell unit in Canada.

Crazy Palm addicts are excited about 'tweeting' from their as-of-yet-purchased Palm Pre handsets from Sprint (they go on sale this Saturday, June 6, 2009).

Check this:
http://palmwebos.org/2009/06/03/palm-pre-already-twittering-with-tweed/

These bloggers are happy to report that they think the iPhone as king has limited shelf life. The jury is way out on that one.

But, its good to see the excitement all over for this device. I personally think, and have expressed, that the Pre seems to be the first real competitor to the iPhone. the Storm and G1 were OK efforts, but no one has been that excited over them, and I have used both and was left wanting much more (especially after using an iPhone for almost 2 years now).

Im thinking about heading over to Best Buy this Saturday to see if there are people camping out (I bet NOT). And I hope to be able to play around with a phone in the store. Stay tuned.

According to a recently released report, Apple (and its iPhone), has doubled its marketshare in the global Smartphone market in the last 12 months. Abbreviated report from Gartner.

The report indicates that overall mobile phone sales were down, but that Smartphone devices sales were up over 12% from a year ago. Nokia is still the world's dominate Smartphone device OEM, but its lead is slipping as both RIM (makers of Blackberry) and Apple gained share.

NOTE: no mention of Android (yet).

(Continued from previous posts)

Objective: an automated, elegant way to keep calendars and contacts synced between numerous devices and 'in the cloud' services, for those of us who use multiple devices and operating systems (specifically those of us on Mac/iPhone for personal use; Windows and Blackberry for work, using Exchange).

Devices: Macbook Pro (MBP), iPhone, PC laptop (Windows XP) and Blackberry Pearl (BB).

Software: MobileMe, Google (Gmail), Soocial, Mac iCal, Mac Address Book, Outlook, Exchange

The picture above shows the current set up. You will notice the MobileMe and Google are redundant. I am in the process of cutting off MobileMe and the $99 a year Apple charges me to keep in sync. And one item I dont have pictured is that I sync Address Book with Yahoo Mail, just as another back up option.

At home I have my MBP, at work a Lenovo X60 laptop. Because my company will not open up Exchange server to iPhones, I carry both an iPhone (for calls) and a Blackberry Pearl (for email). Plus, the iPhone really is the device for all other information and gaming.

Calendar: I now have one calendar, and it is totally in sync. I can create/edit/delete calendar events on any of the four devices or from Gmail calendar (I am using Exchange on the PC). Almost perfect syncing, as sometimes (depending on where I start an event) my Gmail user and my Outlook user are invited to the same event, but that is not a big deal.

Contacts: Keeping contacts in sync has proven to be a pain in the @$$. But, I finally have pieced together a workable solution. The picture below depicts the connections currently running:



Syncing between the Mac/iPhone and Google is simple, as the MBP and iPhone sync anytime you are using them (on the MBP, as long as Address Book is open, it syncs with Google; the iPhone is always syncing).

The Blackberry stays in sync with the PC using the Blackberry software, so whatever is on the PC is on the BB.

The part that was difficlut to nail down was the Google to PC syncing for contacts. I tried various pieces of freeware (OggSync, Go Sync, MobileMe for PC, etc.) and finally found Soocial (www.social.com). In theory, soocial wants to be your 'contacts in the cloud'. Great idea, and they are doing a fine job. But, once Google has a way to sync nicely with Outlook, I'll probably cut out soocial. Ideally Google is my one stop shop for contact/calendar syncing.

soocial: this is not perfect, as I have noticed some odditites when syncing (info is not exactly the same in Outlook as it is on soocial as it is in Google).

Issues with other choices:

• OggSync - simply never worked! This was the free version, not pro. I did not want to pay for any software (Yes, MobileMe cost $99; I paid that before I really jumped into this).
• Go Sync - the most I could do send some contacts from Outlook to Google. Could never do any other type of merge or sync; always got an error about negative count numbers?#$%
• MobileMe - the idea is great: sync Outlook contacts to MobileMe. BUT, does not work with Exchange contacts! That is the catch. Had this worked, I may have kept up with MobileMe.
  

Final thoughts: I really like using Google, because it hosts my personal email address, calendar and contacts, and is always on and free. Google simply needs to create a solution for contact syncing like it does for calendar syncing and we should be all set. Right now, though, all the places that hold my contacts have some different names for fields, are missing some fields, etc. Its not perfect, but its getting close. Every time I get frustrated, I remind myself of exactly what Im tryingto do and sit back and smile: I'm trying toget Google, Apple, Microsoft and Blackberry to place nice together!

RIM's plans for its soon-to-be unveiled BlackBerry OS 5.0 include an overhaul of maps and messaging options.
BGR reports that the Canadian smartphone maker is bringing in new maps features, including displaying the address location of a message - such as email, text or PIN.

Nokia's Q1 sales are expected to be down when accounced tomorrow - despite the success of its 5800 XpressMusic smartphone launched last year.
Analysts estimate 2.5 million 5800s may have been sold in the first three months of the year - helped by repeated sell-outs in the UK and roll-outs into new markets.

Research In Motion (RIM) has launched its application store Blackberry App World in the US, the UK and Canada, with more country launches to follow.
Unveiled at CTIA 2009 in Las Vegas, the much-anticipated app store for BlackBerry smartphones will offer a mix of personal and business applications, both free and paid.

Skype is now available for the iPhone - and will be coming to BlackBerry in May.
The VoIP app on the iPhone will only work over Wi-Fi and not 3G.
It will allow iPhone subscribers to use phone numbers in their existing iPhone address book - without the need for duplicate lists.
UPDATE: Since being released on Tuesday it has emerged that Skype on iPhone does works over 3G, despite being intended only for use with WiFi.

Filed under: Features, Reviews, Software, RIM, BlackBerry OS

Twitter clients for the iPhone are pretty much a dime a dozen, but unfortunately, the same can't be said for the BlackBerry platform. Things are looking up for the Waterloo faithful, though, with a number of clients on the horizon -- and one of the best we've seen thus far is SocialScope from the guys at Ubiquitous Systems. The app has been around in the form of an invite-only alpha for a few months now, and with more recent releases the guns are coming out and it's really starting to develop into a fairly advanced app. Read on for more impressions and an exclusive hands-on with the latest build -- and oh, yeah, we've got loads of invites for you certifiable addicts as well!

Continue reading SocialScope for BlackBerry impressions (and invites!)

SocialScope for BlackBerry impressions (and invites!) originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: RIM, Accessories

Golf claps, please.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

Mobile Visor, for BlackBerry Curves on the pro tour originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software, RIM, BlackBerry OS

What's bigger than a store, a market, or a catalog? A whole frigging world, that's what. A sign-up page to be notified when the BlackBerry App World is available -- which we've linked -- will go live at 10PM tonight.

RIM names its app store 'BlackBerry App World' originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Peripherals, Others, RIM, BlackBerry OS

After two years in development, Lenovo Constant Connect is finally here. A groundbreaking new tie-up between Lenovo and RIM has led to the creation of a $150 54mm ExpressCard -- which slots into any ThinkPad from around Summer '08 onward -- and automatically pulls down any email sent to your BlackBerry via Bluetooth, even if the laptop is completely powered down. The idea here is to always have your most recent inbox available within eight seconds of opening your machine, and thanks to the card's dedicated Bluetooth radio and 500MB of inbuilt storage, it can pull down and send out emails so long as the card and your 'Berry are within 30 feet or so from one another. Aside from needing an ExpressCard slot, you'll also need a handset with OS 4.2 or higher. It's designed to work with Exchange, Outlook, POP and Gmail, with Lotus Notes support coming in 2H 2009; as for availability, the card will be available through Lenovo and its partners in early Q2 here in America, while those elsewhere in the world will have to wait until the latter half of the year. Full release and demo video is after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo Constant Connect brings BlackBerry email to ThinkPads automatically

Lenovo Constant Connect brings BlackBerry email to ThinkPads automatically originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was interesting to hear Eitan Linker, CEO of emoze, talk about his company's efforts to introduce the mass market to mobile push email at the Showstopper event on the eve of Mobile World Congress 2009.
Emoze's free software enables users to configure multiple mobile email accounts - and send and receive emails from corporate, personal and family accounts all on the same mobile.

Orange UK is to offer a pay-as-you-go Blackberry - the first carrier in Europe to launch a PAYG RIM device.
The move underlines RIM's intention to re-position itself as a provider of handsets that appeal to the consumer market as well as its traditional enterprise stronghold.

Demand for GPS-enabled mobile phones will slow in 2009 but will avoid the fall in shipments expected to affect handsets generally.
At least that's what ABI Research is predicting. It forecasts that feature-rich smartphones will post year-to-year unit growth through the current economic downturn.

Skydeck has launched a feature-packed beta that syncs what takes place on cell phones to a web page.
The mobile startup's offering lists all contacts, received calls, missed calls, voicemails and text messages. So much so that the company is calling the new Skydeck "your cell phone, online".

Filed under: Handsets, RIM, GSM, EDGE

Fido and the BlackBerry, friends at long last originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile has sent out an internal memo to employees informing them that the long-awaited BlackBerry Curve 8900 smart device will be launched ahead of its scheduled launch on February 11th, now on January 19th for business customers only.  This follows up on the leaked consumer release date for the device and lends credence to the fact that T-Mobile is pushing to court international business travelers.  

The device is intended to be a variant of the Bold without 3G access and features a landscape HVGA (480×320) display, quadband GSM/EDGE 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, speakerphone, microSDHC expansion slot, media player,  Wi-Fi with UMA support for HotSpot @ Home, Bluetooth with stereo audio support, and GPS support via built-in transceiver.

Now that the Blackberry Storm smartphone has been out for a couple months, its time to really consider if even going down this road of producing a multi-media, touchscreen device is really in RIMs best interest.

Details are emerging about Palm’s expected launch of its latest smartphone and operating system at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show.
The new handset is to have a full QWERTY keyboard that will slide down under a portrait-oriented touchscreen.

Trying to build a list of Smartphones that have an accelerometer. Send me suggestions in the comment area.

• iPhone
• iPhone 3G
• Blackberry Storm
• Nokia 5500
• Nokia N95
• Nokia N82
• HTC Touch Pro
• HTC G1
  
• HTC Touch Diamond
• Sony Ericsson G705
• Sony Ericsson W595
• Sony Ericsson W910
• Sony Ericsson W902
• Sony Ericsson K850i
• Sony Ericsson C905
• Sony Ericsson W705

Palm has secured a USD $100 million equity lifeline from Elevation Partners just a few weeks before it unveils its new Nova operating system.
Faced with mounting losses and weak smartphone sales, the success of the new operating system could very well decide the company's fate.

Devoteam is to release a Blackberry version of its VoIP client OnePhone that runs on mobile platforms enabling voice calls over an IP network.
smartphone.biz-news spoke to Christoph Wernli, business development manager at Devoteam, about the convergence market and the opportunities offered by open-source operating systems.

Whether the long, cold waits - and, for many, ultimately empty-handed departures - were down to a security issue or general inventory problems is still not clear.
What's certain is that the Blackberry Storm's US launch didn't go as either exclusive operator Verizon or maker Research In Motion would have wished.

A security issue could lead to shortages of Verizon's Blackberry Storm on its US launch day today.
The last minute hitch has forced both maker RIM and exclusive operator Verizon to update the firmware and reduce supplies of phones, according to a report on BGR.

PhoneTopp has announced an online conference and collaboration tool for use with smartphones - initially only for the iPhone and the Blackberry Bold.
Gartner estimates that in 2010, web conferencing will be available to 75 per cent of corporate users as standard facility alongside email, presence and calendaring.

Information has surfaced regarding the delay of the highly anticipated BlackBerry Storm.

Many reps and engineers have been quietly confirming the delay of the device from a planned Friday November 14th simultaneous launch with Vodafone to a new date later in the month, with most reps suggesting a release on Black Friday, but a more realistic timeframe given by engineers is closer to the end of the month. 

The delay is due to two factors: Carrier field testing and the fear that the device suffer the same type of delay cycle as the oft-delayed Bold due to the same strict carrier testing requirements that have led to delay cycles stretching as far as five months after planned launch date.

With Verizon positioning the Storm as its gambit against iPhone 3G, potential and current customers are waiting to experience RIM’s take on the touchscreen device concept and expecting an equal if not greater experience than the former.

Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone

As promised, Vodafone has officially announced a November delivery order date for its BlackBerry Storm -- November 14, to be specific. Pre-orders are being taken (as they are in the States), so if you want to be in the first batch of Brits to rock this thing, it might be a good idea to go ahead and get on a list lest the throngs of humanity trying to get one on launch day end up harshing your chances. On a related note, Vodafone's better (or worse) half Verizon has come forward with a surprisingly affordable data plan -- GlobalEmail -- that'll allow unlimited web browsing, MMS, and visual voicemail both in the US and a laundry list of countries around the world for $69.99 (or $64.99 when tied to a voice plan). Speaking of voice, Verizon's also announced a new Global Value Plan that hooks you up with discounted minutes abroad for $4.99 a month. Seeing how the Storm is Verizon's first handset with global 3G, this new action should see some serious play.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Read - Vodafone release date
Read - Verizon's global plans

Vodafone sez November 14 for Storm, Verizon offers new global plans for it originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile has updated the BlackBerry Pearl Flip to OS 4.6 and the BlackBerry Curve 8320 to OS 4.5.

  

The upgrade features support for myFaves version 1.5, HTML email support, video recording, attachment download with full editing support, full UMA support, general improvements to the Wireless Network stack, improved HTML browsing, phone application, Bluetooth, and now features a software GSM/EDGE toggle.

As an additional service, T-Mobile has also jointly developed updates for the SunCom BlackBerry lineup with RIM.

Firmware Tracker: Updated

Buy a BlackBerry Pearl Flip from T-Mobile
Buy a BlackBerry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile

T-Mobile has launched new colors for the venerable BlackBerry Pearl 8120 in time for the holiday shopping season.

   

All three new colors are otherwise identical to the original model with quadband GSM/EDGE radio, Wi-Fi with support for WPA encryption and UMA support for HotSpot @ Home service, QVGA display, converged QWERTY SureType keyboard, microSDHC expansion slots, media player, myFaves support, speakerphone, Bluetooth with stereo audio support, and 2.0 megapixel camera with video recorder.

The devices are available now for $349.99 retail, or $199.99 after new 2 year agreement, $150 instant online discount and additional $50 mail-in rebate, bringing the total to $149.99.

Buy a BlackBerry Pearl from T-Mobile
Buy a T-Mobile BlackBerry Pearl from Wirefly

T-Mobile has officially launched the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, the first clamshell BlackBerry device manufactured by Canadian platform developer and hardware manufacturer Research In Motion.

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip features quadband GSM/EDGE, Wi-Fi radio with WPA encryption, UMA support for phone calls via T-Mobile HotSpot@Home, QVGA internal display, converged QWERTY SureType keyboard, trackball navigation, microSDHC expansion slot, media player, 2.0 megapixel camera with video recorder and flash, speakerphone, and Bluetooth with stereo audio support.

The device is now available from T-Mobile for $349.99 retail or $199.99 after $150 instant online discount and new 2 year agreement before an additional $50 mail-in rebate, bringing the total to $149.99.

Whether the Blackberry Storm unveiled today lives up to its much-hyped “iPhone killer” title remains to be seen.
What’s certain is that RIM – the champion of corporate emailers – appears to have delivered excellent new touchscreen technology in its first handset not equipped with a physical keyboard.

HTC’s Touch HD has joined the Blackberry Bold and Nokia 5800 on the list of 3G smartphones that have no US release date.
HTC has announced through its Twitter feed that says that although it "looked into it," it has decided that by the time the HD could be converted and imported into the US, the device would be "old news".

Thirty per cent of US consumers who purchased Apple’s new iPhone 3G from June through August 2008 switched from other mobile carriers to join AT&T, according to a survey by the NPD Group.
Unsurprisingly, the new iPhone was the top selling smartphone between June-August, pipping RIM’s Blackberry Curve and Pearl to the top slot.

Salary details, financial data, bank account details, sensitive business plans, notes from board meetings and personal medical details are being discovered by buyers of second hand smartphones.
Nearly a quarter of re-sold smartphones contain sensitive data, with BlackBerry owners identified as the worst offenders for discarding their handsets with company and personal information.

In a post on the Official Google Mobile Blog, Google has announced a new version of the venerable Google Maps for Mobile application with support for Street View and pedestrian direction input as well as increases in loading speed and My Location updates.

The application is now available for all Java enabled handsets and BlackBerry devices with future versions for other platforms planned.

The increasing numbers of smartphones on flat-rate data plans, coupled with ever-improving handsets, is leading to a surge in mobile search, according to comScore.
It has published the results of a survey which show that searching the internet from a mobile phone is gaining in popularity in the United States and Western Europe.

Touted as Google's answer to the iPhone, the first cell phone powered by the feverishly anticipated Android software is to be unveiled on 23 September.
The Android launch will heighten competition in a market increasingly dominated by Apple's 3G handset and RIM's BlackBerries.

T-Mobile has opened a placeholder product page for the forthcoming BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220.

The clamshell device features a large internal QVGA display, large outer display, converged SureType QWERTY keyboard, quadband GSM/EDGE support, Wi-Fi radio with WPA encryption and HotSpot@Home support for calls over UMA, myFaves support, 2.0 megapixel camera with video recorder and flash, Bluetooth 2.0 with stereo audio support, speakerphone, microSDHC expansion slot, full HTML browser, and media player.

T-Mobile has opened a placeholder product page for the much anticipated first clamshell from RIM in the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220.

The device features a large portait QVGA display, quadband GSM/EDGE support, large outer display, 2.0 megapixel camera with video recorder and flash, Wi-Fi radio with WPA encryption support, trackball navigation, SureType QWERTY keyboard, microSDHC expansion slot, speakerphone, media player, and Bluetooth with stereo audio support.

An internal information card designed for Verizon Wireless sales people has surfaced with detailed specifications on the forthcoming BlackBerry Storm touchscreen device.

Image courtesy of Engadget Mobile

The device will feature RIM’s first attempt at a “click” touch display at HVGA (480×320) resolution, microSDHC expansion slot, 3.2 megapixel camera with video recorder, and quadband GSM support for international roaming on Vodafone along with an HTML browser, VZ Navigator support, and media player.

save

For many, Research in Motion’s Blackberry has been seen simply as a corporate favorite with little appeal beyond email-hungry executives.
Yet the Canadian handset-maker is broadening its consumer reach, announcing deals with TiVo and Ticketmaster and the addition of “lifestyle” apps like Slacker Radio, MySpace and Microsoft Live Search.

Filed under: Software, RIM

TiVo and RIM are getting all friendly on us, teaming up to build software for the BlackBerry that could strike fear in the hearts of Slingbox and Orb. Right now it's pretty innocuous, utilizing the phone to check listings and schedule recordings, but in the future the two are looking to "further simplify mobile access to video content" -- which means streaming video straigh off the TiVo to a BlackBerry's ever-expanding screen, if we had to guess. Everything's pretty preliminary at the moment, the two are just announcing the partnership, and say to expect the first software from the duo later this year.

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Smartphones accounted for 25.8 per cent of worldwide mobile ad traffic in August, up 3.4 per cent since May 2008, according to AdMob’s August 2008 Mobile Metrics Report.
Nokia dominates globally, with a 62.4 per cent slice of the traffic in August and more than 50 per cent in every region except North America.

AOL’s email and instant messaging applications, AIM and ICQ, are to be embedded in Blackberry smartphones.
RIM and AOL have developed native BlackBerry applications for both of the IM clients to ensure they work effectively on the Canadian-made handsets.

Questions remain about battery life, security and email options but it would seem Apple’s 3G iPhone is attracting increasing interest from the business world.
HSBC is considering equipping its employees with some 200,000 iPhones, according to HSBC’s Australia and New Zealand chief information officer Brenton Hush.

The US smartphone market grew 67.3 per cent in the first half of 2008 with RIM’s Blackberry the firm leader with nearly half of all sales.
However, even with Q2 shipments dropping in anticipation of the new 3G iPhone, Apple retained the second place spot for the first half of the year with Motorola a close third.

The Blackberry Curve in “Sunset” Red is now available at T-mobile’s website. It carries the same features as the titanium and gold Curve, with a 2 megapixel camera, full querty keyboard, stereo Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and support for T-Mobile’s “Hotspot at Home” service. The phone replaces the not-so-popular gold color with a sleek dark red casing, as well as a black keyboard. The Titanium Curve is still available and both phones are priced at $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, with a 2 year contract.

T-Mobile Curve (Sunset) Product Page
Buy a Curve (Titanium) from Amazon.com

Avid posters on  SprintUsers have been discussing the leak of a new roadmap that details new phones and smart devices up to September.

Click for full-size image.

The first wave of phones launches this month with the hotly anticipated Treo 800w launching this Sunday July 13th, followed by the formerly Best Buy exclusive Blue/Black LG Rumor and Red BlackBerry Curve on the 27th.

August 17th sees the release of the previously reported Motorola VE20 which will fall under the MOTORAZR family as well as updates to both Sierra Wireless and Novatel ExpressCard and PC Card EVDO Rev. A modems respectively, while finishing out the month with an updated version of the Katana DLX known as the Eclipse which will feature EVDO, microSD expansion slot, full access to the PowerVision suite of services, Bluetooth, and external touch sensitive music controls.

September sees the release of two low end clamshells from Samsung in the M220 and M320 which will replace the M300 respectively in the lineup. The first Motorola QChat device will launch under the the name Renegade while adding a new iDEN bar phone in the lineup with the i365/iS.

The last device to launch on this day will be the MP6950 from HTC which is expected to be the CDMA version of the Touch Diamond smart device, with the model number corresponding as the successor to the 6900 series Touch also known as the Vogue.

As always these dates are tentative and subject to change without notice.

A three-way initiative between Vodafone Australia, Cisco and Research In Motion (RIM) is to launch an integrated business communications services in Australia known as Vodafone Business One.
Starting later this year, it will combine all telecommunication services - fixed and mobile, voice and data, services and equipment - into one managed service with single-point accountability on installation, technical support and fleet management and one monthly invoice.
The service will be focusing primarily on small-medium sized businesses of between 10 to 100 employees.
By using Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry smartphones along with Cisco Wi-Fi and IP-PBX in the office, Vodafone Business One customers will be able to make calls within the office zone at fixed-line rates, while making calls outside the office via the Vodafone mobile network.

Strong sales of Blackberry devices have helped Smartphone-maker Research in Motion Ltd (RIM) to more than double its first quarter profit and revenue.
The Canadian company earned US$482.5 million for the three months that ended May 31, up from US$223.2 million in the same period last year.
RIM’s revenue increased to US$2.24 billion from US$1.08 billion for the same period.
There was a net gain of 2.3 million BlackBerry subscribers in the quarter, six per cent higher than in the fourth quarter, to bring the total number of subscribers to more than 16 million.
Around 5.4 million new devices were shipped by the company in the first quarter of 2008.
Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive of RIM, said revenue had increased 107 per cent in the quarter, a rise he attributed to the continued popularity of the BlackBerry platform in business, government and consumer segments.

Nokia’s intention to compete in the Smartphone market by launching an array of devices will lead to a substantial and prolonged “upside” for the mobile giant.
Gus Papageorgiou, an analyst at Scotia Bank, said he believes Nokia is undervalued after hearing its CEO outline future growth plans.
Among the reasons for his optimism is the company’s aggressive plan to compete in the high-end Smartphone market, so far largely dominated by the rivalry between Research in Motion’s Blackberry and Apple’s iPhone.
Nokia is launching a range of new Smartphones and repositioning its image away from the hardware/”mobile phone” tag, by integrating services with its handsets to deliver web-enabled customer solutions.

The success of Research In Motion’s Blackberry Curve will ensure the company announces good first quarter 2008 results, according to analysts.
Simona Jankowski, an analyst with Goldman Sachs, said results, driven by US sales of its Curve at Verizon Wireless, were likely to be at the high end of current guidance when revealed on June 25.
“Our view is based on very strong retail checks suggesting that the Curve remains the most popular device among consumers and small and medium businesses alike, partially offset by a softer enterprise environment,” she said.