blackberry

Barack, Do you really want everyone to know where you are? In the Googorola aftermath, Microsoft was reportedly one of the comapnies in negotiations with Motorola. And the best way to kill an iPad 3 rumor, is to squash it with another rumor that you made up. Plus, Wilson Tang of the 404 joins us in studio.

RIM has been courting general consumers for a long time, but not quite succeeding. In the meantime, more and more rivals have encroached on RIM's keyboard territory with stepped-up QWERTYs. What's a struggling device maker to do? Introduce the BlackBerry Torch 9850 for Sprint, of course, and try to beat all-touch smartphone makers at their own game.

Possessing a 3.7-inch WVGA display, the Torch 9850 is RIM's best and largest touch-screen BlackBerry to date. In addition to the sharp screen is a certain element of style that we appreciate, and the phone feels good in the hand.… Read more

We've had the pleasure of playing around with the Bold 9930 for a day or so, so we'll cut to the chase: the BlackBerry Bold 9930, and by extension, the Bold 9900, is the best Bold handset BlackBerry has ever made. It is a wonderfully sculpted device that marries curves with stainless steel, and high-quality glossy plastic with soft touch bezels. We admittedly rolled our eyes at RIM's claim that it is the thinnest BlackBerry ever, but the device's slender profile does add to the phone's sleek and elegant aesthetic. We're also very happy … Read more

Google buys Motorola Mobility! Once we figure out that it's not actually a joke, we grabbed News.com senior writer Maggie Reardon to help break it all down for us. Upshot: patents, patents, and more patents, and a war with its hardware partners. And also, a sea change in the entire industry. So, no big deal. Also, Anonymous rides to war with San Francisco's subway system over free speech, and we're with Anonymous. And did Apple's amazing Photoshop skills kill Galaxy Tab sales in Europe? The plot thickens.

Verizon Wireless announced today that the Bold 9930 will be available for $249.99 after a two-year customer agreement. The phone will be initially offered online starting today, and in stores starting August 25.

Hours later, and Sprint followed suit with a similar announcement that its version of the Bold 9930 will also be priced at $249.99 after a two-year agreement. Sprint also announced it will be selling the BlackBerry Torch 9850 for $149.99 after the usual two-year contract. Both the Bold 9930 and the Torch 9850 will be available on Sprint starting August 21.

The Bold 9930 … Read more

BlackBerry to help police probe Messenger looting "role"' in U.K. riots; Chinese smugglers use epic zip-line to transport iPads and iPhones; and power companies prepare as solar storms set to hit Earth.

It seems August 21 might turn out to be a pretty busy day for Sprint. Not only is the carrier releasing the Samsung Conquer 4G that day, it might be also be launching the BlackBerry Bold 9930 and the BlackBerry Torch 9850, according to a leaked document spotted on SprintFeed. The document claimed Sprint priced the Bold 9930 at $249.99 after a rebate and a contract, while the Torch 9850 would sell for less, at $149.99 after a similar rebate and two-year contract.

The Bold 9930 and the Torch 9850 were both announced a week ago and are … Read more

TORONTO--To celebrate the announcement of the new BlackBerry OS 7 devices, RIM put on a special event for BlackBerry fans tonight to come check out the new models. Select media were also invited, and of course, we jumped at the chance to get a closer look at the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930, BlackBerry Torch 9810, and BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860 because despite all of RIM's recent woes, we want to see the company succeed and offer compelling and competitive products.

From what we saw tonight, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that these new … Read more

To busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Wednesday, August 3.

• Google top lawyer calls the patient claims by Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle "bogus" and says the patent feud will increase the price of Android phones. More than 550,000 Android devices are activated daily, through a network of 39 manufacturers and 231 carriers, the lawyer pointed out, adding that the patent wars are getting in the way of innovation, instead of encouraging it.

• Also, bogus is the claim that Internet Explorer users have lower IQs. … Read more