crackberry

The 404 229: Where there's no one here to pick on Wilson

With Jeff on vacation and Justin dying of stomach herpes, Wilson is left alone to hold down The 404 fort. Mark Licea and Joey Kaminski join him today to talk about Quantum of Solace, Obama's BlackBerry, and ordering pizza from your TiVo.

Unfortunately, Wilson doesn't have the writing prowess of a one Justin Yu, but he'll do his best today to sum up what was a relatively disaster free show. First of all, he actually did pay attention to the chat room. So all you haters out there, Wilson can read. We also wish our second favorite Asian, J-Yu, a speedy recovery. We know we shouldn't have let him go home with that woman. Mark Licea joins the show to talk a bit about the latest Bond-movie and how kick ass it was. Mr. Kaminski chimes in on President-elect Barack Obama's BlackBerry addiction and its threat to national security. People keep on getting lazier, with cell phone airport check-in and ordering pizza from their TiVos. This, in turn, brings up memories of My Half-ton Dad on TLC. (Seriously people when you hit 400 lbs. put down the cheeseburger and see a doctor!)

Finally, the latest trailer for the new J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek comes out today. So for all your Trekkies out there, check your pants. It's already an order of magnitude more exciting than the craptastic Star Trek: Nemesis we got a few years ago. And we pay our respects to ValleyWag and Total Request Live. Only the former deserves our respect.

EPISODE 229 Download today's podcast Read more

BlackBerry gets some Bluetooth help for music

Now that they're back among the living (for now), CrackBerry addicts can get their fix in a new way with a "Bluetooth Music Gateway" that will stream tunes wirelessly to portable speakers or another system, according to Boy Genius Report. And it may actually be more useful than originally billed, as Engadget speculates that the new matchbook-sized dongle from RIM can be used with devices other than the BlackBerry as well. Regardless of how it works, anything that keeps the thumbs off the keys is probably a good thing.

'Xtensor' claims CrackBerry rehabilitation

We recognize that "BlackBerry Thumb" can be an all-too-real affliction but, seriously, if you need something like this therapeutic contraption you've really got to let it go. Literally.

The "Xtensor" claims to be "the first product on the market to perform with true bio-mechanically correctness and treats the direct cause of this pain." That may be so, but to us it looks like a bowling glove combined with those elastic bands that pitchers use for to exercise their rotator cuffs.

In any case, the makers of the Xtensor say it can help rehabilitate … Read more

More things to play with on your BlackBerry

Good news for all you BlackBerry users out there, as Gameloft announced today it will be bringing its mobile games to everybody's favorite thumb-straining devices. The games will cost about $7 a piece, and covers a range of categories from King Kong to golf.

The New York Times said this is the latest move in the BlackBerry line becoming more mainstream. With the release of the mainstream-friendly BlackBerry Pearl and the increased graphical prowess of devices like the BlackBerry 8800, mobile games seem like a natural step. But with users already willing to pay hotels to lock up their devices, … Read more

Spa treatment for CrackBerry addicts

Crave has been remiss in our self-imposed obligation to issue public service announcements on a regular basis, and for that we sincerely apologize. So today we'll try to make up for our shortcomings by addressing the dreaded "BlackBerry Thumb" affliction.

New York spa Graceful Services is joining a trend started by major U.S. hotels and is offering a "BlackBerry Finger Massage," according to My: Tech News. We don't know of anyone personally who has undergone such treatment, but we wouldn't be surprised to hear that it was frequented by a certain celebrityRead more

Trusty BlackBerry is there for Britney

Say what you will about Britney's relationships (including the one with her hair), but there's one love where her loyalty has never wavered: her bond with the BlackBerry.

Just as it was instrumental in her final text message to K-Fed, the trusty device has never left her side through the latest rehab stint (and escape), as the paparazzi found out. And she's not alone: the BlackBerry 8700, according to GeekSugar, is apparently the smart phone of choice for scads of other celebs, from Brit-buddy Jamie-Lynn Sigler to Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Aniston, and the ubiquitous Paris Hilton.

We'… Read more

Hotels give 'CrackBerry' addicts a hand

"CrackBerry" addicts are getting much-needed help from, of all things, the hotel industry.

A few months back, the Sheraton Chicago made headlines by offering afflicted guests a harsh but effective cold-turkey treatment that put their BlackBerries under lock and key. Now, Hyatt hotels are offering a special hand massage designed to counter the dreaded "BlackBerry Thumb" malady.

The therapy begins with heat treatment and uses a "BlackBerry Balm" that "focuses on counteracting tension on various hand and arm muscles, specifically in the thumbs and overworked wrists," Hyatt said, adding that a 30-minute … Read more