blackberry

Is the keyboard the only thing keeping BlackBerry afloat?

The other day I was taking a spinning class at the gym and I looked over at the woman next to me and noticed she had both a BlackBerry Bold and an iPhone 4 propped up on her bike's handlebars. This was New York, where it's not unusual to see people pounding out e-mails in the middle of a spinning class at 6:30 a.m. But most people just do it on a single phone. However, this woman, who turned out to work for a hedge fund, had some double-barrel e-mail action going.

"Let me guess," I said after class. "BlackBerry's for work. iPhone's personal."

"Uh, yeah," she said a little embarrassed.

"Well, here's my question. If you could only have just one of those two phones, what would it be?"

She thought about it for a moment and said, "The iPhone, I guess. The BlackBerry's great for e-mail but basically useless for everything else."

"But you seem to be doing e-mail OK on the iPhone."

"Yeah, but I can't type nearly as fast. I really need the keyboard. And there's just something about the BlackBerry keyboard."

"So the only reason you use the BlackBerry is because of its keyboard?"

"Pretty much. And I know the interface and can navigate it really fast. Why are you asking?"

… Read more

Sprint BlackBerry Curve 9350 delayed till October

If you were planning to head to Sprint today to pick up the RIM BlackBerry Curve 9350, you're going to have to save that trip for later. The carrier announced on its Community page that the launch of the entry-level BlackBerry is delayed till October due to "unexpected circumstances."

Sprint said it will share the specific release date closer to launch, though a source at Phone Arena believes the launch date will be October 2.

The BlackBerry Curve 9350 will cost $79.99 with a two-year contract (business customers can get it as low as $49.99) … Read more

Five SMS alternatives for smartphones

Short messaging services (SMS) are very popular, but can end up costing you a lot if you don't have an unlimited plan for your smartphone. All the apps in this collection offer more features than standard SMS clients, and can often be more fun to use. For instance, some send pictures, show you when a message is read by the recipient, or send videos and voice clips. There's even an app that lets people without smartphones reply to you from a user-selected phone number.

Kik

Kik is a simple yet functional messenger app. No other service can match … Read more

The 404 890: Where we put a tornado in your hurricane (podcast)

Don't dump your Apple stock before you listen to today's episode, because Wilson's going to tell us why Apple will survive the resignation of Steve Jobs. Wilson lets go of a couple tears before we lighten up a bit with a slightly less upsetting fact: the Web is older than incoming college freshmen.

You mad yet? What about the fact that most incoming freshmen don't anything about the OJ Simpson trial, or that they'd rather be like LeBron than Mike? Oh, and Ferris Bueller could be their father.

After the break, we'll address your concerns about the podcast feed, tell you why we stopped Tang That Tune, and reiterate an important point to remember: all Asian people are not tech experts!

The 404 Digest for Episode 890

Steve Jobs resigns from Apple (CNET roundup). Aww man, the Web is older than incoming college freshmen. Future PlayStations could read you like a book. All Asian people are not tech experts!

Episode 890 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

iSpeech app puts your words in Obama's mouth

It was inevitable.

Text-to-speech company iSpeech has released a pair of smartphone apps that tap the actual voices of President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush to allow you to convert any text into audio that's a dead ringer for the president or former president.

This could take phone pranks to an entirely new level.

The free iSpeech Obama and iSpeech Bush apps were released last week, and are designed to show off what the company's text-to-speech technology can do. The apps are available for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry. iSpeech also sells its technology to other companies.

That anyone can make the former president's voice say anything, while satisfying in a certain sense, is a little unnerving. That anyone can do the same for the sitting president is downright scary.

Want to know what your graduation speech would sound like if the president spoke it? Now you can, and worse. Check out the video below to hear for yourself.… Read more

U.S. Cellular to offer BlackBerry Torch 9850, too

Sprint customers won't be the only ones to get their hands on the RIM BlackBerry Torch 9850, as U.S. Cellular revealed today that the all-touch-screen BlackBerry will be available starting August 26 for $199.99 with a purchase of a data plan and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

The Torch 9850 has a 3.7-inch, an 800x480-pixel touch screen, a 1.2GHz processor, and a 5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video capture. It's also running the latest BlackBerry OS 7 software, so you'll get such enhancements as better graphics, faster Web browser, and BBM 6.

To … Read more

Gadgets and computer gear: How to clean them

We all love our gadgets and computer gear, but how often do we actually take the time to clean them? Probably not often enough.

The cleaning tips below will not only make them look good, but will make them more sanitary and run better.

Computers and peripherals

Keyboard and mouse Computer keyboards can get pretty filthy from just normal use, not to mention from eating at our desks or working while we're sick. Studies have shown that keyboards have more bacteria than toilet seats--ick! It's a good idea to regularly clean and disinfect your keyboard and mouse, especially … Read more

Sprint to offer BlackBerry Curve 9350 Sept. 9 for $80

Well, that was quick. Earlier this morning, RIM introduced its new BlackBerry Curve and now, the entry-level smartphone has its first U.S. carrier.

Sprint just announced that it will offer the BlackBerry Curve 9350 starting September 9 for $79.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, while Sprint business customers may qualify to get the handset for $49.99 on a business account.

The Curve 9350 is a CDMA-only device, so you won't get world-roaming capabilities, but the BlackBerry OS 7 smartphone does offer a 2.44-inch, 480x360-pixel display, an 800MHz processor, a 5-megapixel … Read more

RIM debuts new BlackBerry Curve

The BlackBerry Bold, Torch, and Storm all got a makeover, and now it's the Curve's turn.

Today, RIM introduced the latest version of its entry-level Curve series. Available in Canada later this month and shipping to other carriers worldwide starting in September, the new BlackBerry Curve will come in three models: the CDMA-only BlackBerry Curve 9350, the GSM/UMTS BlackBerry Curve 9360, and the dual-mode GSM/CDMA BlackBerry Curve 9370.

Designed for those looking for a more affordable smartphone option or for people making the jump from a feature phone, the Curve offers a more entry-level set of … Read more