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Waiting for the BlackBerry Storm: Ask the Editors

Ever since the RIM BlackBerry Storm was introduced in early October, I've received a ton of questions about the smartphone. A majority of the queries have been about availability and pricing, but there have been some more specific questions about features, competitor comparisons, and whether it will come to other carriers.

Given all the interest in the BlackBerry Storm, I decided to round up some of the most frequently asked questions about the first touch-screen BlackBerry and share them with you in this Ask the Editors post. I've tried to answer them to the best of my ability, but please realize there are just some things I can't completely answer, whether it's because the companies aren't talking (trust me, I'm trying) or because I haven't had any real hands-on time with the device. Still, I wanted to get as much information as I could out there.

Also, if you have any questions that weren't answered here, post them in the comment section below and I'll try to get them all.

Q: When will the BlackBerry Storm be available and for how much?

A: Ahh, the million dollar question. I talked to Research In Motion on Monday to try to get more information, and not surprisingly, I got a canned response: "The BlackBerry Storm will be available from Verizon Wireless this fall. Pricing in the U.S. will be determined by Verizon Wireless and they haven't announced the price."

To be fair, these details will largely be determined by Verizon, so I can't really fault RIM. I did also reach out to Verizon Monday and have yet to hear back (I'll update as soon I do), but I suspect I'll get a similarly vague response. … Read more

Mformation sues RIM for patent infringement

Mformation, a maker of mobile device management software, said Friday that it has sued Research In Motion for patent infringement.

According to the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California, RIM is infringing on two of Mformation's patents, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,970,917 and 7,343,408, by making, using, and selling RIM's BlackBerry devices and their management software.

"After refusing to license Mformation's disclosed systems and software, RIM modified its BlackBerry software to include Mformation's patented systems and methods of remote management," New Jersey-based Mformation said in a … Read more

The Digital Home Video: Apple doesn't deserve all the praise

Check out my latest video where I discuss why Apple doesn't necessarily deserve all the praise in the cell phone industry.

Even better news: you can now subscribe to this show. Just add it up right here!

And as always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter!

RIM BlackBerry Bold reviewed: Worth the wait

It's been a good six months since Research in Motion first announced the RIM BlackBerry Bold (aka RIM BlackBerry 9000). Originally slated for a summer release on AT&T, the launch date kept getting pushed back...and back. Frustrated with the delays and wooed by other new smartphone releases, we moved on (and so did many of you) and nearly gave up on the Bold. However, now that we finally have it hand, the love affair has begun all over again.

Read our full review of the RIM BlackBerry Bold to get all the details and check out … Read more

Red BlackBerry Pearl Flip now available at T-Mobile

A short, but sweet, news bulletin for BlackBerry fans: on Wednesday, T-Mobile announced the immediate availability of the red RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smartphone. It joins the black version, which has been on sale since October 13. You can get either colors for $149.99 with a two-year contract. The Pearl Flip is the first BlackBerry to sport a clamshell design. For more information, read our full review of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220.

BlackBerry Fund makes first major investments

The BlackBerry Partners Fund announced Wednesday its first three major investments.

The $150 million fund was established in May to bankroll software developers creating new applications for smartphones, including Research In Motion's BlackBerry devices. The fund, which considers investments throughout the world, is co-managed by JLA Ventures and RBC Venture Partners.

So far the fund has made only small investments. But now it's picked three established start-ups that will get much bigger chunks of investments.

The three companies are: Buzzd, which uses GPS to provide city guide information and social networking; Digby, which builds "mobile storefronts" … Read more

BlackBerry Bold gets official release date, pricing

This is it! This is the news we've been waiting for since May. On Wednesday, Research In Motion announced that the long-awaited RIM BlackBerry Bold will finally be available starting November 4 at AT&T for $299.99 with a two-year contract and after a mail-in rebate.

Though the smartphone was originally slated for a summer release, as we all painfully know, the Bold was delayed time and time again. Part of it was the lengthy carrier certification process and most recently, RIM said it held off on the release to make sure the 3G experience would be … Read more

Software upgrade now available for T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8320

Attention T-Mobile customers: if you own a RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320, you might want to head on over to the carrier's Web site and download a nice little software upgrade for the smartphone. We think it'll be worth it.

The BlackBerry 4.5 update brings some notable features, including video recording capabilities, HTML e-mail support, and music- and video-streaming capabilities. You also get attachment viewing and editing, a new browser design, and improved download and data performance. The update is available now for free download. As with all software upgrades, be sure to back up your data.

More BlackBerry app store details emerge

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Mike Lazaridis, Research In Motion's co-founder and co-CEO, has just given the 700 registered developers at the first-ever BlackBerry Developer Conference sound but strange advice. The key to successful BlackBerry development isn't just good programming, Lazaridis told the room, it's physics.

Very specific physics, it turns out. Lazaridis pointed to an image of a box with the words Bandwidth, Capacity, Performance, and Battery Life, written in each corner. These are the four principles of BlackBerry's "physics," he said. If developers push too hard to achieve high broadband speeds, for instance, capacity drops. On individual devices, there is a trade-off between battery life and performance.

"This is one box that it's wise not to think outside," Lazaridis joked.

Lazaridis' insight is one reason that scores of developers have gathered at the Silicon Valley conference. Another is meeting with technical experts for hands-on advice to ready their applications for the sleek BlackBerry Bold and touch-screen BlackBerry Storm--slated to hit stores within the next few weeks--and for the BlackBerry application store--anticipated to debut in March 2009.

The on-device BlackBerry Application Center and online BlackBerry Application Storefront will make it easier for the 20 million BlackBerry users on all platforms to find and download add-on applications for their specific phone models.… Read more

CNET News Daily Podcast: The layoff notices keep coming

In today's headlines, the economy worsens and tech companies try to cope. For some that means laying off employees. Rafe Needleman, editor of Webware.com, talks with CNET News' Charlie Cooper about what's in store for Web 2.0 in the face of a volatile economy.