News
Big Brother, Google Maps and your BlackBerry
The guys at Skylab Mobilesystems have done it again: they keep creating these applications that I can't imagine living without. The latest is called Mobile Tracker and is described in their press release like this:
By taking advantage of the already built-in GPS receiver of the BlackBerry 8800 series, MobileTracker is able to record tracklogs. Those tracklogs are saved on the BlackBerry's internal micro SD-Card and can be viewed directly in Google Earth once you have the BlackBerry connected to your desktop and click on the tracklog file. To provide more flexibility it is possible to configure the delay between position recordings. So if you are on a ship crossing the Atlantic you can also set the delay to 5 minutes. MobileTracker works everywhere on the world, even without network coverage.
So now when my kid turns 16 and wants to drive the car around, I just stick my BlackBerry in the car and have it pump out updates to a website that understands the tracklog file (I don't believe it can do this now but my kid is only 2.5 years old so they've got 13.5 years to get their act together). Does anyone believe this isn't going to happen in 5 years? Kids everywhere are going to be devastated. When is the first transmission blocking phone going to come online?
Anyway, you can read more about MobileTracker and check out a cool demo on YouTube.com.
MobileTracker is available for $24.99.
May 22, 2007 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Mologogo Public Beta for Blackberry 8800
Noah from Mologogo is looking to get some beta testers for the new version of Mologogo (a free service that will track you and your friends using GPS). If you've got a BlackBerry 8800 and you use Cingular or T-Mobile, follow the directions below to get started and test it out:
You can download the software over the air by using your Blackberry Internet browser to go to bb.mologogo.com. Follow the instructions on the page to download.If you are unable to download it directly to your Blackberry, you can go to bb.mologogo.com using your computer, and download a file that you can then install using the Blackberry Desktop Manager.
You will also need to register at www.mologogo.com to begin using the application. Note that Mologogo uses your data connection to download maps and for posting location updates, so you need make sure that you have a data plan (preferably an unlimited one).
For more information about mologogo, check out their website: http://mologogo.com/.
May 22, 2007 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Radio Cognos
The guys over at Cognos (business intelligence and performance management software) have started a podcast channel called Radio Cognos where they been discussing some really cool mobility related topics with some big hitters (Jim Balsillie anyone?). You can can subscribe to the show using iTunes or using your own podcatcher software. If you're not an audio kind of person, they also make the transcripts available for each episode (1, 2 and 3 so far).
May 22, 2007 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry and Daylight Savings Time 2007
Tune out now if you're not a sys-admin in the US or Canada. All you sys-admin suckers still here? Good. I'm sure you've all read about the changes in Daylight Savings Time in 2007 brought on by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, but if you haven't, read all about it here. Bottom line: usually Daylight Savings Time happes on the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October, but starting this year, we'll spring forward on the second Sunday in March and roll our clocks back on the first Sunday in November. Why is this important? Because you'll want to head on over to read the February 2007 edition of the BlackBerry Connection, which has an article detailing how you'll need to patch your BlackBerry enterprise server before March 11th, 2007. Do it now, you know... for the children.
March 05, 2007 in News, Platform, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry vs. Treo
I'm an avid reader of Paul Kedrosky who authors a blog called Infectious Greed, you should read it too. Anyway, I've found some of the more illuminating posts he writes to be about Google Trends, more specifically how you can use Google Trends to see... well.. trends. So here's an interesting one for you BlackBerry fans out there. Check out this graph of searches of BlackBerry vs. Treo (click on the image to see the full version):
Looks like the guys at RIM are kicking some ass. Also of note: check out the top cities at the bottom of the page. New York and Washington DC are the top two regions that originate these searches (which makes sense since New York and DC might be the financial and political hubs of the world) and the BlackBerry leads by a large margin over the Treo in Washington DC.
September 19, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Added BlackBerryInsight.com to planet.blackberryblog.com
Quick update: a reader emailed me to let me know that the new BlackBerryInsight blog wasn't included on my planet installation. It is now.
September 15, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Planet.blackberryblog.com
It's getting pretty easy to follow sites websites these days with bloglines, google reader, etc.. but if you're one of those people who don't use an aggregator yet, but you want to keep up to date with all the BlackBerry related blogs, you should check out the website I just put up:
http://planet.blackberryblog.com/
It's an aggregator of the various BlackBerry related blogs I follow.
If you've got a BlackBerry blog not listed on the site, shoot me an email and I'll add it to the subscription list.
September 09, 2006 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Metro Maps for NYC and Madrid
If you happen to be one of the thousands of BlackBerry blog reads that also lives in New York City or Madrid (that would be in Spain for those of you who failed geography), head on over to the CrucialSoft website and download the Metro Network (subway system) map for your area. It's freeware and the maps live on the BlackBerry so you don't have to have data coverage for the map to work (which is important since you'll be using it UNDERGROUND). Here's the links to the appropriate versions:
August 24, 2006 in News, Software, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry 8100 Photos on mobility Today
David over at mobility today posted some high resolution pictures of the new BlackBerry 8100. It looks like it will support GSM/GRPS/EDGE and notably will support music, videos and photos. You can see the entire set of pictures on his flickr account which also has some cool pics of the new Sony Mylo.
August 17, 2006 in News, Phones by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Jobs
If you're visiting this site you're most likely a BlackBerry fanatic already, why not work for RIM? Their jobs page has over 351 job listed (as of 8/15/2006) in the US / Canada in a bunch of different categories.
August 17, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Promotion: Time Found
I'm pretty late to the game with this one, but if you could use an extra $10,000, you should head on over to the Time-Found.com website and enter to win one of a bunch of prizes, including $10,000. After registering you can also check out the podcasts created specifically for the promotion.
June 23, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New BlackBerry Training From Consilient
The guys at Consilient have come out with a new course for BlackBerry end users, which is something I wish every person who had a BlackBerry was required to take. No, I take that back. Every person who has a cell phone should be required to first take a cell phone etiquette class. And then, if they have a BlackBerry, they should have to take this class. Anyway, the BlackBerry class is approximately 56 minutes long, can be paused halfway through because you know there will be some emergency during the training that you'll probably read about on your BlackBerry while you're doing the training and includes audio narration and video demonstrations.
It costs $75 and you can purchase it online through the Consilient store.
May 06, 2006 in News, Reviews by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express Edition
If you're running a 'smaller' business (ie: one with 15 or less employees) and you have a BlackBerry or you're thinking about purchasing one, now turns out to be a good time. The good folks at RIM are giving away an 'express' edition of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server that comes with one user license and the ability to purchase up to 14 more. At the time of this writing, each additional user is $99 if purchased individually, $429 for 5, $699 for 10 and $3299 for 50 (source).
The original email said it was a limited time offer, so you should go check it out now!
May 06, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Questions for RIM?
Reader and author of Professional BlackBerry Craig Johnston secured a podcast interview with David Heit, Senior Product Manager at RIM and he's looking for questions. If you've got any, send them via email to mobilecomputingauthority@gmail.com. If you would like to hear the answers to your questions, subscribe to the podcast at http://mca.libsyn.com or via iTunes.
March 27, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Naggie
A number of the software products I read about fall into the category of "must be useful for someone just not me", but I can say without a doubt that Naggie falls into the "holy crap what a great idea, I'll take two!" category of software appliations. In short, Naggie is a location aware todo list which gives you the ability to set reminders for certain places. So for instance, if you're like me you look in the fridge and you notice that you're all out of Dew and you think to yourself "next time I'm at the store, get more Dew!" but then you go to the store to pick up diapers for the kid or something you TOTALLY forget about the Dew. Happens all the time to me. Naggie would TOTALLY solve my problems. The only problem is that it only runs on the 7520... argh!
Go check it out anyway, great idea! And if you have a 7520 and you download it, let me know how it works.
March 25, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New version of Spot for BlackBerry
Boris wrote to mention that he released a new version of Spot for BlackBerry which now includes support for the 7100 Series, 8700
Series and the 7250, 7290 models via a Bluetooth GPS receiver. If you missed my original post, Spot provides GPS mapping for the BlackBerry.
Get your Spot here, but only if you pick up a Bluetooth GPS receiver first.
March 25, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
More on Remote Access to PC: AppSwing
A couple weeks ago I got an email from Neil Thompson in response to my posting on 2/3 re: Remote Desktop for Mobiles 2.0. He mentioned that his company (called AppSwing) makes something similar. I couldn't find any screen shots of the application working on a BlackBerry on his site, but if you're looking for something like this for your own company, you should give him a call.
AppSwing available @ appswing.com.
March 25, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Google Talk for BlackBerry Devices
While poring through the mobitopia blog postings, I noticed that Google released a BlackBerry client (or did RIM release a client for Google Talk?) for their chat program called Google Talk. To download it you have to be using IE because they do some 'stuff' to determine whether or not you have the BlackBerry USB driver installed, which is lame, but whatever. I guess this would be cool if any of my friends actually used Google Talk, but Talk does support Jabber, so maybe someday this will be useful.
Get it here.
March 25, 2006 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Discoverblackberry.com
The latest BlackBerry Connection newsletter mentioned a new consumer oriented site for BlackBerry users called DiscoverBlackBerry.com. It's kind of like java.com/ in that it features of bunch of consumer oriented things you might want to do with your BlackBerry instead of the professional things (like answering the email from your boss at 10pm). They've got a couple different personas represented (stockbroker, mom, contractor, marketing manager), some consumer oriented getting started / setup / troubleshooting articles and a list of accessories, software applications and games that you can download.
With this focus on consumers, you can't help but ask: what's next? A BlackBerry with a camera phone and flash? An mp3 player? A phone with no keys at all?
February 03, 2006 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
The New Yorker: BlackBerry Picking
James Surowiecki wrote a fantastic article for The New Yorker which uses the issues RIM is facing with the NTP patents to illustrate how, in his words, the "... patent system is out of control." I'm not an anti-patent zealot (seems like the majority of the software patents in the news these days are nothing more than common sense 'patented'), but I'm not a big fan of these shell companies (like NTP) that don't actually make anything, but then I guess big companies use them too. But realistically, it's not NTP's fault: they're working the system. The USPTO is broken.
December 20, 2005 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry MDS v4.0 Upgrade pack: MDS Studio
The latest issue of SDTimes has a short article about the new MDS Studio which is part of the upgrade pack that RIM recently released. The main feature the article talked about was the ability for developers to point to a WSDL file (which is an XML file that describes a web service for those of you who don't wear propeller hats) in MDS Studio and the IDE will automatically generate an application for you (with the caveat that users who use this application must have the MDS runtime installed on their BB's and the BES you're using must install the MDS Services for Web Services component).
This sounded like pretty cool stuff, so I had to try it out... after digging out some space on my hard drive and clicking past all the open source license agreements (
including Derby, Axis, Bouncy Castle Crypto library and Eclipse / WSDL4J), I opened up MDS Studio and created a new project. The first step when creating a project is to point to a WSDL file, of which I've got a couple... I popped in the WSDL URL, it brought up all the available methods for that endpoint and then automatically created an entire application with screens for every one of the available methods. NICE. Our local BES is running an older version so I couldn't test out a deployment, but I HIGHLY recommend you check this out if you're doing any kind of BlackBerry development. It looks very cool AND it's based on Eclipse (which I've complained about them not using before) so there will be very little cognitive dissonance if you're a avid Eclipse user like I am.
Download MDS Studio now (and make sure you've got about 700MB of free space on your machine)
December 15, 2005 in Code, News, Platform, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
The BlackBerry is the new poisoned fruit
BlackBerryBlog reader Alasdair S. Roberts, an associate professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, wrote a paper about the little used (at least around where I work) PIN-to-PIN messaging capability of the BlackBerry. In the paper, he posits that the capability should be (and can be) monitored just like any other email traveling through a corporate system, especially in light of the Freedom of Information Act.
If you're still living in a utopian world where your PIN-to-PIN messages don't get recorded, welcome to the new world. And if you're interested in FOIA, privacy and security on your BlackBerry, go read Alasdair's paper.
December 05, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry on the Nokia 9300
From the latest BlackBerry Connection newsletter, RIM and Nokia have been busy getting the Nokia 9300 to play nicely with BlackBerry Enterprise servers (more here). The end result is that you should be able to buy this really cool looking phone RIGHT NOW on cingular.com, except that ... well you can't just yet because even though they said it would be available on cingular.com in November, it's not yet. So if you're a Symbian or Nokia devotee, keep checking the Cingular store site and let me know when it goes live. It IS on amazon.com, but there's no mention of BlackBerry Connect software, so I'd be wary of buying it there.
November 16, 2005 in News, Phones by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
European BlackBerry Conference: ibus 2006
If you live in Europe or want to visit, here's a good excuse to go to Amsterdam in January: ibus 2006.
The IBUS will be the annual European Event solely focused on the BlackBerry. The Independent Blackberry User Summit (IBUS) 2006 is organized by the International BlackBerry User Group (IBBUG) which has the mission to provide an independent platform for the sharing of information, knowledge and experience on the selection, implementation, and effective use of BlackBerry enterprise solutions.
More information is available on the ibus website.
November 16, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Monitoring Your BlackBerry Enterprise Server
My friends at Epoch Integration up in Canada have been busy working on software that helps administrators manage BlackBerry Enterprise Server installations. The press release for their latest version reads as follows:
NeedTEXT Monitor is a network management solution specifically designed to monitor BlackBerry Enterprise Server v2.2 and higher and BlackBerry Wireless Handhelds within enterprise organizations. The product has been adopted by many companies, such as BASF, Albertsons and Hyatt Hotels, looking to maximize the availability of their BlackBerry service to handheld users. By providing automated, 24/7 monitoring, NeedTEXT Monitor proactively identifies system issues or events that could cause an interruption in BlackBerry service and sends detailed alerts to system administration staff. The software also gathers key performance metrics for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry users, enabling reports and charts for use in everyday management of the BlackBerry deployment within the organization. For example, administrators can report on message activity across all of their BlackBerry Enterprise Servers simultaneously and use the resulting data for load balancing and capacity planning initiatives.
For more information, visit the NeedText Monitor site.
November 16, 2005 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Virtual Reach Begins Beta Testing for Newsclip 2.0
Those Canadians sure are busy these days. The guys at Virtual Reach (based on Toronto, CA) released the beta version of their Newsclip software (which gives you the ability to read RSS feeds on your BlackBerry), which will eventually be version 2.0. The feature enhancements include:
·Automated updating of content and news headlines delivered directly to your handheld;
·Rich content rendering, including HTML and other images for all feeds that provide such;
·Multiple single views with standard categories – "All Items", "Saved Items", "All Read Items" and "All Unread Items";
·Server based application with personalization functionality for greater optimization of content;
·Efficient data compression for faster transfers and downloads
You can read more about Newsclip here and Virtual Reach here.
September 28, 2005 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Developer Gaming Challenge
The RIM folks are sponsoring a contest (grand prize $14,500!!) for BlackBerry games.
We are challenging BlackBerry developers and the mobile developer community to create the hottest new game for Java™-based BlackBerry devices.Enter for the chance to win outstanding prizes, promotion on the BlackBerry website, and the opportunity to sell your game and have it promoted on the Handango Software Store for BlackBerry.
The BlackBerry Developer Gaming Challenge is intended for independent software vendors who can build and market a game designed for BlackBerry. All game entries must be in English, color and use Java technology.
More information here:
http://www.blackberry.com/developers/promos/devcontest.shtml
September 28, 2005 in News, Platform, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
GPS navigation with your BlackBerry
If you've got one of those new fangled BlackBerry 7520's from Sprint/Nextel, then you've got a GPS in your BlackBerry, which smart developers can access through the Location API (mentioned a couple weeks ago on this site). The guys at Skylab Mobilesystems in Germany have put together an interesting application that makes use of this API, it's called Spot and you should go check it out now.
September 08, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Smart Card Reader
The August issue of the BlackBerry Connection had a note about the new "BlackBerry Smart Card Reader" but then didn't really go on to talk about it at all (maybe I need to read the HTML version of the newsletter or something). Anyway, you can read all about it here. In short, it :
...is a lightweight, wearable smart card reader that enables controlled access to BlackBerry devices using Bluetooth® technology and advanced AES-256 encryption.If you download the brochure (available here), you can see the form factor. Effectively it looks like another BlackBerry which accepts a small card, much like your credit card, which then gives you access to sensitive information / destinations which are available via your BlackBerry (which is good since one of the success stories mentioned in the newsletter is ChoicePoint (read the PDF story), I'm not sure I would have highlighted them as a client given some of their recent 'issues'). Seems like a good idea given that a BlackBerry associated with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server is effectively always inside the firewall.
Any one else have any opinion on it?
September 04, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Training Courses available from Consilient
Karen Murphy from Consilient sent me an email a couple days ago with the news that the company she works for, Consilient, has begun offering courses on both the BlackBerry handheld and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The press release mentions that training is available both onsite and via webconference, but it looks like you'll need to call if you want those options. It looks like they currently have a class a month.
If you're interested, head on over to the training section of their website.
August 20, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry + Location API
This is probably old news for some of you (I'm catching up slowly) but the folks at RIM released BlackBerry JDE v4.0.2 a couple weeks ago. Noteworthy in and of itself, but the big note in this release is the inclusion of support for JSR 179, the Location API for J2ME*1. Mobile location based services have to be one of the hottest things going on these days (witness Where 2.0). The ability for your handset to know where in the world it is (and hence where you are) has the potential to enhance just about everything you do on your BlackBerry: the address book can show you where you are relative to one of your contacts, the calendar might be able to alert you that not only do you have a meeting but that you are 100 miles away from a meeting happening in less than hour.. you're gonna be late! Your wireless internet experience is transformed by applications that know where you are automatically, no need to punch in a zip code or an address. Associate your tasks with a location and the Task application could ping you about something that you need to get done that's right around the corner. Maybe it could automatically compute the quickest route between your stops for the day based on your starting point. What about a mobile Amazon-esque application called "WhereShouldIGo?" that pinpointed your location and then suggested places that you might want to visit based on your previous travel history and the clustered results of 5,000,000 other users?
Back to the Location API and the BlackBerry JDE. If you download and install the JDE you'll find a demo application (called GPSDemo) which is a simple travel computer, recording route coordinates, speed and altitude. It retrieves your location from the Location API (technically the LocationProvider) every 10 seconds and then sends it to a server every 100 seconds all the while displaying your latitude, longitude, altitude, heading and speed on the screen. Interested? Read the JavaDocs.
The downside? The Location API is currently only available on the Nextel platform via the 7520.
*1For those of you who aren't Java developers, JSR stands for Java Specification Request; it's the process through which members of the Java Community Process (JCP) make additions and modifications to the Java platform, which of course the BlackBerry is based on.
July 29, 2005 in Code, News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Consilient: BlackBerry Enterprise Server for the rest of us
Karen Murphy wrote in to tell me about the latest release of Consilient2 software which allows users of the Cyrus email server platform to use BlackBerry Enterprise Server. It's noteworthy because I didn't know that there were companies that were filling the holes left by RIM; obviously there are alot of companies not using Exchange, Notes or Groupwise. If you've always wanted to use a BlackBerry but your email server isn't one of those big three, check out Consilient2.
July 29, 2005 in News, Platform, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Blog.com on BusinessWeek
Ok ok, it's not in the magazine, but this little piece of cyberspace did get a mention in the BusinessWeek blog called 'Blogspotting' at the beginning of July. Check it out here.
July 17, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Pizza
Sounds like an interesting combination right? Well unfortunately it's not a pizza offer, it's a free BlackBerry 7100G if you buy a pizza, two drinks and a side from Papa John's. Oh, and you have to commit to a two year deal with Cingular at $75 per month (so that pizza is going to end up costing you $1800 over two years, no wonder they're giving the phone away for 'free').
July 16, 2005 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Enterprise Server Survey Results
The RIM Customer Value Management Team was (and continues to run a survey for BlackBerry Enterprise Server managers / administrators. They released some of the results in the latest version of the BlackBerry Connection:
71% of respondents are running BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.0
The top 5 reasons for upgrading to BlackBerry Enterprise Server
v4.0 were:
1. Wireless Provisioning and Synchronization
2. Ease of administration
3. Handheld Configuration Tool
4. Handheld Manager
5. Attachment viewing enhancements
91% of respondents would recommend the BlackBerry Enterprise Server to a friend or colleague
I'll go out on a limb (not really) and say that a 91% rate of satisfaction is pretty high for any product, we're not even talking about the people that are addicted to the hardware, this is the software. Great job RIM!
July 16, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Another BlackBerry Blog
Can't get enough BlackBerry news? Check out Robb's site: http://www.rimarkable.com/ described as ".. the Official, Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog".
July 16, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerrry Enterprise Server Email List
If you manage a BlackBerry Enterprise Server and you feel like the there's no web-based resources specifically for you, head on over to the newly formed BlackBerry Enterprise Server mailing list on Yahoo! Groups. It's described as a:
...worldwide mailing list for users of Blackberry Enterpriser Server. The subject is the Blackberry Enterprise Server installation, configuration, interfacing, compatibility, upgrading, administration, etc.
June 10, 2005 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Handango BlackBerry Software Sales up 64%
I might need to create a category called 'Wow' or 'Who knew?'. If I did, the latest news from Handango would surely be filed in that category. Apparently software sales for the BlackBerry platform are up 1,201% over Q1 2005 and 64% over Q4 2004. I think I just heard someone say 'tipping point'.
June 07, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Microsoft Direct Push
The guys at Microsoft recently unveiled their "Direct Push" system, which according to this article will:
...will transfer messages straight from the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server to devices running Microsoft's newest Windows Mobile software. The company says the approach doesn't require an extra server or other infrastructure used in the BlackBerry system, making it less expensive.
It's always fun to tear apart these marketing annoucements. Microsoft's Pieter Knook (what a name!), mentioned in the conference call that Microsoft has more than 100 million people using 'different versions of Exchange', while RIM only has 3 million subscribers. What he neglected to mention was that Direct Push will require a specific version of Exchange Server 2003, yet to be released, which means that even if the software is released later this year, it'll be a couple months before most large organizations put the release on the boxes and then probably another couple months while they evaluate the effectiveness of Direct Push. Oh, and then they have to get 3 million people to either upgrade their phone / PDA's to Windows Mobile 5.0 or buy new phones that support Windows Mobile 5.0. In short, they're still at least a year away from even moving out of vaporware status. And if Longhorn is any indication, I wouldn't be holding your breath.
June 07, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerryDeveloper.com
Looks like RIM is putting together a developer portal, mentioned in the latest BlackBerry Developer Newsletter:
Keep your eyes and mouse pointed to www.blackberrydeveloper.com this month for the reveal of some exciting new changes coming soon!
June 07, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Addiction Symptoms
Reader Vik David sent in this article which was recently featured in the Washington Post. In short, if you've got pain in between your thumb and your wrist is painful and you use your BlackBerry alot, you might want to give the article a read and your BlackBerry a rest.
April 26, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New BlackBerry blogs
A hearty welcome to the new kids on the block! In case you haven't noticed, you can now visit blackberrycool.com and bbhub.com (run by Weblogs, Inc.). Would it be relevant to know that bbhub.com pays $250.00 per 75 posts/month or $500 for 150 posts/month? That's what I was originally offered. 75 posts a month about RIM seems like a lot.
A suggestion: if you're that interested in the BlackBerry platform, skip the advertising and get a pubsub.com, topix.net or bloglines.com keyword search subscription.
April 12, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Should every startup CEO have BlackBerry?
New York venture capitalist Steve Brotman argues that every start-up CEO should carry a Blackberry for responding quickly to partners and customers. [source: Corante New York]
April 11, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Patent Law & RIM
If you read any tech related news sites or blogs, you probably heard that RIM settled with NTP for $450 million. I've mentioned before that I am not a lawyer, but I found someone who is, or at least someone who can write about it like they are. If you're interested in the patents, especially as they related to the BlackBerry / NTP case, you could check out patentlaw.typepad.com, or visit this link to see all the BlackBerry related posts.
April 11, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Users Group Survey
Laura at BlackBerry Users group is conducting a survey of BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.0 users. She says there are no more than 6 questions and it won't take more than 10 minutes of your time. Send her an email if you'd be willing to answer a couple questions and then she'll post the results to her site for all our benefits.
March 13, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Dilbert on BlackBerry: Part II,III & IV
BlackBerryblog peep Jasmeet sent in links to the February 10th, 11th and 12th editions of the Dilbert comic strip which feature a BlackBerry. No word on what device Scott Adams actually uses.
February 14, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New BlackBerry message board / forums site
David sent me a link to a new site he created called BlackBerry101.com, which seems to me at least to be the almost exactly the same thing as BlackBerryForums.com. Anyway, I guess it's another place where people can post questions and get answers, which is good enough for me.
February 14, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Good News for BlackBerry Users on T-Mobile
Mark over at BlackBerry Forums sent me an email with a link to an email someone posted on his site in which it appears that T-Mobile is now allowing non BlackBerry Enterprise Server users to access the TCP/IP stack directly. Get the details here.
February 14, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Canadian Government Files Brief in RIM Patent Dispute
From the interesting-people list, Michael Geist of the Toronto Star sent in news that the
"... Canadian government has intervened in the ongoing U.S. patent dispute involving Canadian-based Research in Motion. The Canadian government argues that the U.S. courts are giving U.S. patent law extra-territorial effect and ought to reconsider their decision."You can read the entire story on NYTimes.com, but in short, it appears that RIM is basically saying that because their relay servers (which you could argue is their core technology) are in Canada, the patents that NTP holds in the US don't apply. Surprisingly, they're getting some traction too. The Canadian government AND Earthlink are now formally supporting that argument. My instincts tell me that this is a big deal for both RIM and patent law in general.
January 26, 2005 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Wireless Enterprise Symposium 2005
RIM will be hosting the Wireless Enterprise Symposium in warm Orlando, FL this coming April. If you've got $800 dollars laying around (or know someone who does), you should register, looks like lots of interesting stuff for BlackBerry administrators and developers.
January 26, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Developer Journal Volume 2 Issue 1 is available
The latest version of the Developer Journal from BlackBerry is available for download. This is a good one including nuggets on garbage collection, a post mortem look at a game application that a group of internal devs @ RIM developed as a test of MIDP 2.0, an in-depth look at the net.rim.blackberry.api.phone package which allows signed applications to access the phone functionality of a BlackBerry, a look at developing XHTML applications for the BlackBerry platform and a review of the four ways of pushing content to a BlackBerry (Browser Channel Push, Browser Channel Delete Push, Browser Content Cache Push, and Browser Message Push).
January 13, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Free BlackBerry From Orbitz.com
Feels like 1999 again with all this 'free' stuff. Orbitz announced Tuesday that they too would be giving away BlackBerry 6710's for users who book a flight, rental car, vacation package or hotel on Orbitz.com. You can read more about this offer on orbtiz.com/blackberryoffer.
January 06, 2005 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Mobile PC Guide to BlackBerry
Bill Foust (of the website rimdev.com) mentioned on the bbusers Yahoo! group that he is writing a book called "Mobile PC Guide to BlackBerry" and that it should be released in April of 2005. You can pre-order it on Amazon.com.
January 06, 2005 in Books, News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Rent a Car, Get a BlackBerry
As reported on InformationWeek.com, Avis is giving away up to 5 BlackBerry 6710's each with an $85 rebate towards service activation to travelers who rent between Jan. 1 and March 31 and who sign a one-year telco service contract. One of the BlackBerrys, which have integrated speakers and microphones, will be awarded for each rental during the period, up to five. Read about it on InformationWeek and Avis.com. No word on who the carrier is.
January 06, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry 7100 Coming to Cingular / AT&T Wireless soon!
The guys over at BlackBerry Forums have posted a picture of what seems to be the 7100g, a custom branded version of the 7100 for Cingular / AT&T Wireless. According to the tipster, the phones are supposed to be in stores by EOM December 2004, but still haven't arrived.
January 04, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
BlackBerry... now with full TCP/IP support
I'm sure this is old news for some of you, but like I mentioned last week, AT&T Wireless released version 4.0 of the BlackBerry client on 12/23/2004 so I'm just catching up to with this one. The new BlackBerry client software (as of version 3.8) includes an option for configuring TCP/IP (Main Menu --> Options --> TCP) which is big because there are a number of users who don't have the MDS and would love to be able to use IRC, IM, SSH, etc. Basically all you need to do is enter the APN name in the appropriate TCP setting and possibly a username / password (you can find all the names here) and you should be up and running (note: T-Mobile will not work, read why here).
The bottom line is that if you were frustrated because you weren't able to use some of the great network enabled J2ME applications that just seemed to have BlackBerry written all over them... you can thank the guys at BlackBerry Forums for the detailed notes and then take another look at apps like veriChat, webMessenger, and midpssh. This is great news!
January 01, 2005 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Handheld Software v4.0 Released for AT&T
If you're using a BlackBerry on AT&T (soon to be Cingular), version 4.0 of the handheld software was released a couple days before Christmas! You can download version 4.0 for your 7780, 7280, 7230, 7210, 6280, 6210, and 6710 as well as an updated version of the Desktop Software (also at version 4.0). Why am I excited? This means that AT&T is now supporting all the great version 4.0 features that I talked about a couple weeks ago including the enhanced BlackBerry Browser, native XML suport, offline form submission, better attachment viewing, calendar, phone and tasks enhancements, global search, pictures application, categories for each PIM type... Read them all here.
(note: make sure that you download and install the version 4.0 of the Desktop Software first!)
December 27, 2004 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Do not get a BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Just adding some fuel to the fire, Emory wrote up an excellent and completely justified post on his blog about his experience trying to use third party applications on his BlackBerry provisioned through T-Mobile. Recently they decided that "unlimited data" really only applies to WAP and Email (which is exactly the same restriction that AT&T has) after allowing other types of traffic for a couple months. Emory makes the point that he's not a freerider, he's not trying to get something for nothing. Just like every other BlackBerry user he pays a premium price for unlimited data... very few, if any carriers mention that "unlimited data" actually means "very limited data".
This kind of crap drives me nuts: BlackBerry users probably spend more money on data services than all other users combined and we get shafted more than they do. My Nokia 3650 could browse HTML pages or use third party applications with no problem. More information is available about this on BlackBerry Forums, Howard Forums and TinyScreenfuls.com.
December 27, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry 7290 on AT&T Wireless devCentral
If you have an AT&T Wireless devCentral account (free signup), you can read about the specs on the BlackBerry 7290. It's newsworthy because of this line:
Commercial Availability Q4 2004. We're getting pretty close to end of Q4 and it's not in the store yet, someone let me know if you see it before I do.
December 27, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Dilbert on BlackBerry
A reader sent me a link to the today's Dilbert Comic, which mentions a BlackBerry in passing. Thanks Jasmeet!
December 16, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
NTP / BlackBerry Update
I haven't written about the NTP patent dispute much, mainly because I'm not an expert at patent law, nor am I a lawyer, but mainly because it's boring. If you're into this sort of thing, there was a development in the case today which you can read about on PC World. If you do happen to be a lawyer or know a little bit more than I do about patents (especially this particular case), I'd love to hear your thoughts on the issue.
December 15, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BusinessWeek on RIM
Well written and very informative article on the transition RIM appears to be trying to make from a hardware company with software to a software / services company that also sells some hardware. One tidbit that stuck out to me was the note that carriers pay RIM between $5 & $10 per subscriber. Is that per month or year? If BlackBerry has 2 million subscribers and gets $10 per month for each subscriber, that's $$240 million dollars per year they get in revenue through subscriptions. Wow. But get this:
Sales of all of RIM's handsets, affectionately known as "crackberries" for their addictiveness, are expected almost to triple in this fiscal year. This would drive hardware revenue to 76% of the total in the 2006 fiscal year, up from 58% last year.Sales are expected to triple. That's a good year.
Read more on BusinessWeek.com: The Squeeze On BlackBerry
December 10, 2004 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
Inaugural BlackBerry Developer Newsletter
The nerd newsletter I mentioned yesterday? I got it in via email this morning; if you weren't signed up already, you can view it online here: http://www.blackberry.com/developers/newsletter/December_2004/. Some of the more interesting tidbits:
· BlackBerry Developer Journal includes two two articles that caught my eye: Understanding MDS: A Developer's Perspective and Creating a RSS/RDF Push Service for BlackBerry (the Developer Journal was apparently released in October, so I guess this is old news to some...)
· Case Study: Extending Applications Wirelessly in a Microsoft.NET Environment Using the BlackBerry Solution: You can listen to a webcast given by the team at ATSG that built a BlacKBerry application using .NET for Grayson Homes
December 10, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Using Your BlackBerry As A Modem
On Wednesdays the guys in my group and I go up to Boston to work, the drive usually takes about an hour. The two of us with a BlackBerry were sitting in the back seat on the way home yesterday pecking away, him on his BlackBerry, me on my laptop. At one point he turned to me and said; "Wouldn't it be cool if you could use your BlackBerry as a modem for your laptop?", which of course it would be. A couple months ago I remember reading on BlackberryForums.com that the 7100 could be used a modem so I looked that up this morning... surprise surprise! It looks like not only the 7100, but the 7290 AND the 7520 also work! Check out the directions on BlackberryForums.com.
December 09, 2004 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Good Review of the BlackBerry 7100
InformationWeek recently ran a review of the BlackBerry 7100t. Mostly upbeat, it gave the BlackBerry good marks for it's GSM coverage, small form factor, and easy access to data and e-mail (naturally) and lower marks for the handcuffed Bluetooth implementation and hip holster (which IMHO has to be the most important factor in your smart phone buying decision... err maybe not). The review did have an excellent summary of the options facing a user who is considering the 7100t versus a more traditional BlackBerry:
In the end, the 7100t gives BlackBerry users an intriguing choice. If you are interested in mainly e-mail with phone capabilities, you should look at one of the traditional BlackBerry devices. But if you are looking for a phone with e-mail capabilities, consider the 7100t.
December 09, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry vs. Treo on Forbes.com
A couple years ago Arik Hesseldahl, a staff editor at Forbes.com wrote up a head to head comparison of the Treo (then the Treo 300) and the BlackBerry (then the BlackBerry 957). In that article he chose the Treo (but just barely) as the winner based mainly on the Palm operating system.
This past Monday he did it again, comparing the Treo 650 against the BlackBerry 7100t (note: it's amazing how far both these devices have come... take a look at the pictures of the Treo 300 compared to the Treo 650 and the BlackBerry 957 vs. the BlackBerry 7100, it's like night and day) and guess what? This time the BlackBerry won but not just barely, in his words "... it's not even close."
It gets more things right than does the Treo, and I say that as a longtime lover of the Palm OS. My frustrations with the BlackBerry were minor compared to the much bigger issues I had with the Treo. And I for one didn't miss the lack of an integrated camera on the BlackBerry. PalmOne might fare better were it to try a stripped-down Treo without a camera, which seems an indulgence that accomplishes little but adding weight and costly components. To me, the BlackBerry's relative simplicity is the better choice.Hmm, where have I heard that before?
December 09, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
State Senators Given A BlackBerry
I didn't see this mentioned anywhere but here (use bugmenot to read it), but it's just another notch in the BlackBerry belt: all US Senators were given a BlackBerry this past Monday by the Senate Rules Committee. The article didn't mention which model but I'm guessing that it's not the 7100.
December 09, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Developer Newsletter
The folks up at RIM are launching a newsletter aimed directly at nerds, calling it the BlackBerry Developer Newsletter. You can sign up for the newsletter by clicking here.
December 09, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Extending the Enterprise With BlackBerry
I have a longer essay to write about this sometime, but it's interesting to read about all the companies that are deploying J2ME applications on the BlackBerry platform. Case in point: Manulife Financial recently deployed the mWholesaler sales force solution from Pyxis (a local MA company up the road from the home of BlackBerryBlog.com). I'm not really listening all that well to the Palm / MS Smartphone community, but it seems that RIM / BlackBerry has a compelling solution for organizations that want to provide wireless access to enterprise data. Palm doesn't sell server software, so that means if you want to deploy an application to a bunch of Palm devices, you have to write your own custom server-side solution, wire up encryption, make sure that everything is locked down appropriately and hope for the best... oh and if you want the ability to push alerts or any of the other features that the BlackBerry enterprise server offers, you'll have to write those yourself. With the BlackBerry platform, you can deploy your applications through BlackBerry Enterprise Server, encryption is automatic and you get all the great little benefits of having the BlackBerry Enterprise Server in place...
December 02, 2004 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
Computerworld: Nokia taking on BlackBerry?
Computerworld ran a misleading headline a couple days ago titled "Nokia takes on Blackberry as wireless mobility set to explode". The main point of the article is that wireless email is going to be as ubiquitious as the phone in the future and that IT managers have a variety of tools to choose from when it comes to wireless email. The variety of choices include Nokia (the author mentions the upcoming Communicator 9500) and BlackBerry, but Nokia taking on BlackBerry doesn't mean a fight. It means (like I've mentioned before) that the BlackBerry client will be installed on the Communicator 9500, which is good news for both Communicator lovers and for RIM, which stands to benefit from even more BlackBerry Enterprise Server licenses sold.
December 02, 2004 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Nextel Offering BlackBerry + Bluetooth
The turkey is killing me. The guys at Brighthand beat me to the story about the new BlackBerry 7520 (which is basically a rev of the 7510 that they've been offering with the addition of Bluetooth from the 7290 platform). The cool thing about Nextel is a) they have that annoying (but cool) direct-connect feature and b) they're the only carrier to offer a full native TCP/IP stack which means that you can install and run MIDP applications that need TCP/IP support *without* having to have an account on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (like yours truly). Check it out on nextel.com.
December 02, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Sprint Does BlackBerry (but only if you're a 'business user')
Brighthand and Engadget mentioned this a couple weeks ago (the turkey slowed me down), but Sprint is offering a BlackBerry for the first time: the 7750 specifically. For whatever reason though, they're not showing it on the consumer site (http://sprintpcs.com/), you have to cruise on over to their business site (where they presumably charge you more per phone and don't offer tasty rebates) to get bent over for five and one half hundies. If I was you (and I'm not just so you know), I'd head over to Verizon where they sell it for $100 less (question: in this day and age of instant information, why would Sprint choose to offer the phone for $100 more than Verizon? they have to know that Verizon is offering it for $100 less don't they? Is it some kind of marketing / promotion ninja thing that I slept through in college?)
December 02, 2004 in News, Tips by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.0 Released
News.com (and a bunch of other sites) highlighted the recent release of BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.0, the major step forward in BlackBerry server-side software. You can read about the new features here or just read about what I'm excited about:
· The BlackBerry Browser now supports WML, cHTML, xHTML and HTML, CSS (partial) and JavaScript that can help organizations create simple, browser-based wireless solutions. This is big. The BlackBerry Browser previous to version 4.0 was pretty limited; next to email I'm guessing that the browser is the next most used tool.
· Native XML support helps speed application development and optimizes XML-based wireless traffic. Also big IMHO. Instead of having to use kXML or one of the other J2ME XMl parsing libaries, BlackBerry includes a native XML parser (net.rim.device.api.xml). Someone ping me if you do speed comparisons before I do.
· The new Synchronization SDK
· Image support (JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG and TIFF) with image manipulation controls (Pan, Zoom and Rotate).
· Bluetooth API: support for reading and writing bytes to and from the serial port using Bluetooth
· Browser Plugin API: an API that allows third parties to register for specific MIME types within the BlackBerry Browser, enabling third parties to write applications such as a RSS Reader that is automatically invoked when the RSS MIME type is encountered
· J2ME WMA (messaging) support
· J2ME PDAP (PIM) support
· Phone API, improved Synchronization API and lots more... download the BlackBerry JDE 4.0 when you have a chance...
December 02, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Delivering Your Mail
The BlackBerry delivers your email every day, but did you know that by the end of this year about 6000 USPS managers will be equipped with BlackBerry devices?
Keeping ties. Use Research in Motion BlackBerry devices to keep managers in the loop. More than 4,000 USPS managers, including IT managers, use BlackBerry wireless messaging devices to stay connected and receive alerts. Another 2,000 managers will be using them by the end of the year.(source) It's notable because it's listed under a section titled "First-class IT practices", which "...highlights some of the practices that the U.S. Postal Service's information technology managers have found to be effective." Note that camera phones with MP3 players and BlueTooth are not on the list.
November 23, 2004 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Why you need a BlackBerry
If you've ever wanted a BlackBerry and didn't have a good argument to present to your boss ("I'll be able to get fantasy football league stats anywhere I go!"), check these stats from a survey done by a bank after a pilot rollout:
Ninety-six percent of the pilot users stated the device significantly improved their business effectiveness. Eighty-three percent of users stated the mobile service improved their responsiveness and customer service. Forty-four percent reported direct revenue gains as a result of their increased responsiveness.(source) Not convincing enough? Read on:
According to a recent study by consulting firm AT Kearney, having secure, around-the-clock access to corporate data can increase employee productivity as much as 30%. Wirelessly enabling enterprise applications boosts profitability through reduced cycle times, increased asset utilisation and increased service levels.
November 23, 2004 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
KISS and BlackBerry: Simplicity wins again
Some friends over the pond at IDC released the results of a PDA survey they completely recently and the folks at DMEurope.com wrote them up for all you PDA hounds here. The survey revealed that while most 'enterprises' have
... limited intentions to purchase PDAs in 2005, suggesting that IT decision makers remain cautious in allocating funds for the purchase of non-essential hardware..BlackBerry devices are a 'best fit' solution for business users:
Despite the broad functionality and applications available on today's PDAs and smart phones, it was found to be straightforward personal information management (PIM), voice, and e-mail access that constitute the most valued applications. This insight into the application demands of business users explains the growing popularity of RIM's BlackBerry devices, which provide business users with a "best fit" solution that meets basic business requirements without overreaching in terms of functionality.The results of this survey and the AvantGo survey I mentioned a week ago show that time and again, mobile phone / PDA users only want a couple things: contact / calendar, phone, great battery life, synchronization and email. Give them those five things, put it in a small package and you've got a winner.
November 20, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
2 Million Blackberry Subscribers
Thought the market share numbers were mind boggling? How about the subscriber numbers? RIM announced yesterday that they now have 2 million subscribers, just 10 months after reaching the 1 million mark.
"This is a significant milestone, especially when you consider it took five years to establish the market and attract the first million BlackBerry users and less than ten months to double that number," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "Together with our partners around the world, we continue to build upon this momentum and expand the market opportunity for BlackBerry."
November 18, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackberryBlog Peeps
And now I want to thank my peeps.. err.. the people that gave me some link love the last couple weeks:
· Om Malik writes a blog on wireless, wired, broadbandish kind of stuff. He also writes for Business 2.0. Check it out.
· Jeff Nolan: Jeff, do you work for the SAP Ventures?
· Russell Beattie: If there was a king of mobility blogging...
· Alan Reiter: On the same note, if there was a king of wireless technology blogging...
· Jevon MacDonald: I almost made it PEI this summer... maybe next summer.
· Jasmeet Singh: The guy goes to school and has 5 blogs. I could barely write a paper in college.
Thanks all!
November 18, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Blackberry Market Share Quadrubles
CNN reports on the latest Gartner research statistics mentioning that Microsoft will overtake Palm (yawn). In the article, they also quietly mention that the PDA market share of the Blackberry went from 4.9% to 19.8%. In one year. Read that again. Here's the other interesting thing: this research report is only about PDA's, which of course are dying and reincarnating themselves at smart phones. I think one of the reasons that the Blackberry is doing so well is that effectively straddles the fence between being a PDA and being a phone. I'd also venture a guess and say that the Blackberry picked up a large percentage of the 17% market share that Palm lost within the last year (because the Blackberry is the new Palm).
November 12, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Local BlackBerry User Group meetings Sydney, Brussels and Frankfurt
I get this really funny picture in my head of what a Blackberry user group meeting would look like (imagine 40 people with ADD madly pecking away at their thumb keyboards and no one paying attention to the speaker, maybe it would be more effective if the speaker emailed a paragraph at a time to everyone in attendance), but if you're into that sort of thing and happen to live in or around Sydney (Australia, not New York), Brussels or Frankfurt, then pack up your Blackberry and go (and make sure to send me a report).
Los Angeles (1/27), Atlanta (2/3) , Calgary (2/9), Houston (3/1) and New York (3/3) are coming soon as well.
November 12, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
marketStream Data now available via Blackberry
If you're a 'financial professional' (ie: you make cash hand over fist) you can now get real-time Dow Jones news sent directly to your Blackberry handheld through a company called TeleCommunication Systems:
Financial professionals are now able to select TCS' Market Data application as well as real-time Dow Jones news covering specific asset classes in their preferred language: Dow Jones Newswires' services in English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Dutch are available to marketStream users. Additionally, marketStream users are able to access the premium Dow Jones Economic Alerts service, which informs them of market-moving Treasury announcements as they happen.
You can download a free trial from marketstreamlive.com after filling out a short registration form.
November 12, 2004 in News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BlackBerry Java Development Environment v4.0 Now Available!
The latest version of the Blackberry IDE is available on Blackberry.com, full release notes below. There actually seems to be some pretty exciting stuff in here.
· Previous Blackberry's didn't offer a TCP/IP stack, if you wanted to make a HTTP connection to retrieve XML from a website, you had to use the WAP gateway that the carrier setup.
· They included an XML parser so that you don't have to go out and use kXML (which isn't that bad, but it's an additional jar in your and every bit counts on mobile phones).
· The mail API includes the ability to set a listener on the inbox, which means you could write an app that listened for a specific type of message (say a message with a certain subject line or body copy) and then perform some sort of action....
· The browser API allows you to register your application with the rendering library to that you application could handle MIME types that the browser doesn't have the ability too (ie: you could write an RSS reader app to handle any invocations of application/xml)
We are pleased to announce that the BlackBerry Java Development Environment (JDE) v4.0 is now available for download from the BlackBerry Developer Zone. The new BlackBerry v4.0 platform includes a number of enhancements that you can take advantage of when building custom applications for BlackBerry, including:
* Enhanced Java API libraries for 3rd Party Applications
* Enhancements to the BlackBerry Browser for Improved HTML Rendering & Offline Capabilities
* Enhanced "Reliable Push" Interfaces Within BlackBerry Enterprise Server's Mobile Data Service (MDS)
* New BlackBerry Handheld Simulators
Where Can I Download BlackBerry JDE 4.0?
(a) The new BlackBerry JDE v4.0 can be downloaded from the BlackBerry Developer Zone:
http://www.blackberry.com/developers/
(b) Developer Guides and Whitepapers for BlackBerry JDE v4.0 can be downloaded from the BlackBerry Developer Zone's Java Documentation site, located at:
http://www.blackberry.com/developers/na/java/doc/index.shtml
What's New? Enhanced BlackBerry Java API's
BlackBerry JDE v4.0 includes a number of enhancements to the Java API libraries available to 3rd party developers, such as:
* MIDP 2.0 and CLDC 1.1 Support
* BlackBerry Phone and Application Invocation APIs
* Enhanced Email, PIM & MenuItem APIs
* Native XML Parser and Generator
* Direct HTTP and TCP/IP Connectivity Support
* PIN-to-PIN Messaging API
* Service Book API
* Shared Game Library
* Bluetooth "Serial Port Profile" API
* "Grouping" API for Improved Memory Management
* Support for Reliable Push (see below)
What's New? Enhanced BlackBerry Browser Features
* JavaScript 1.3 Support
* Enhanced Rendering for HTML Tables
* Offline Forms: Support for Queuing Form Submissions If Out Of Wireless Coverage
* Support for Animated GIF Images
* Support for Reliable Push (see below)
What's New? Reliable and Managed Push Enhancements for MDS
* Additional Support for Push Access Protocol (PAP) 2.0
* Support for Reliable Push Transport and Notifications Upon Push Content Delivery to Handheld
* New Push Management Features Including: Push Cancelations, Support for "Deliver-Before" and "Deliver-After" Headers, etc.
What's New? BlackBerry Integrated Development Environment (IDE) v4.0
* Performance Ehancements
* New Handheld Simulators for all BlackBerry Handhelds Available Today
* New JavaDocs and Sample Code
November 05, 2004 in Code, News by ajohnson | link | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Blackberry Connection Newsletter: Upcoming Blackberry Events
The latest issue of the Blackberry Connection newsletter was delivered to my inbox this morning. Not many new or interesting items that haven't already been covered here or elsewhere (it mentions the Product Preview Program for Blackberry Enterprise Server v4.0, the WLAN Blackberry 7270, the Blackberry Built-In and Blackberry Connect programs, etc). There were two items that perked my electronic ears:
· Connect with the Experts – Technical Series: a day long event for administrators and developers (multiple tracks) in various cities around the country. If you're an administrator of an Exchange or Domino envrionment they have a full day of training on Blackberry Enterprise Server v4.0 (what's new, upgrading, deploying, disaster recovery, desktop/handheld deployment, MDS) or if you're a developer, they have five sessions on various developer related things (web-based applications and the Blackberry Browser, custom client / server applications, extending SFA, etc).
·: Connect with the Experts – BlackBerry User Groups: a 1/2 day long free seminar with ".. a 2 hour BlackBerry Enterprise Software v 4.0 Deployment Planning Workshop with RIM architects."
You can register for all of the events online.
November 04, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New Application from PeopleSoft Plus A Blackberry Synchronization Rant
Internet.com reported today on the rollout of an application designed for the Blackberry platform from PeopleSoft called "PeopleSoft Enterprise Sales for Blackberry". I mention it not because you can actually buy them now or use them as a regular Joe Average Blackberry user, but more because it these applications seem pretty, well, cool. The application from PeopleSoft is a Sales Force Automation (SFA) tool that keeps sales reps always up-to-date with all the information they need to continually bother people like me(did I say that?). The cool part about it is this "trickle sync" technology they talk about: "... a data synchronization method based on the BlackBerry push and always-on architecture, ensures data accuracy by detecting when a wireless connection is available and automatically refreshing data. As a result, users can access and update data at any time without synchronizing data on their own." From the looks of it, they're probably using a combination of some of the cool 'push' ability that you get with a Blackberry Enterprise Server and the Record Management System in J2ME Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) to send out information from the server that handles SFA duties directly to the handheld and then letting the handheld store only the information related to that particular sales rep. Sounds like a winner, especially since the user doesn't have to do the synchronization. I've found with my own Blackberry and prior experience with a Palm that I synchronize my PC, laptop and PDA alot less frequently than I should, so this automatic handling of synchronization sounds like a wonderful tool.
Which brings me to the rant (one that other people have eloquently stated already): synchronization is a big problem. And not just for corporate users. I have a laptop with contacts in Outlook that when connected to the corporate network can see every contact my company and a personal address book within Outlook... that syncs with my Blackberry. I have contacts stored in Gmail but that doesn't syncrhonize with anything yet. Email is all over the place. My calendar is stored in Outlook and my Blackberry and getting data out of Outlook, while possible, is a pain. I'm not going to touch the thousands of photos and MP3's stored on my home computer and mirrored on my laptop... when and how will someone come up with a solution for synchronization? Could trickle sync be a start? Why doesn't Blackberry offer some kind of trickle sync technology with every Blackberry they sell? Where does SyncML fit into this?
October 25, 2004 in News, Platform, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A Case For Your Blackberry
If you aren't satisfied with the clip-on case that comes standard with the Blackberry, you should run your digital self on over to StylusCentral.com. They launched a new line of cases (both hard and soft) for the Blackberry 6200,7200,6500,7500, and 6700/7700 lines. According to the press release:
StylusCentral now offers three new hard cases for various Blackberry models, each made of tough anodized aircraft-grade material and precision molded to fit the exact dimensions of each model. All three cases include Neoprene lining to firmly secure the Blackberry and protect it against drops, shocks and collisions. Each case also includes a swivel belt clip to enable the owner to carry their device on their waist and “cut-outs” to provide easy access to the important features of the Blackberry device.
StylusCentral also is offering two models of leather cases by Piel Frama. These cases are beautifully designed and hand-stitched by craftsmen in Spain to hold the Blackberry firmly in place. Each case includes a flip-top cover with slots for credit card, cash and identification storage. When closed, the cover is secured with a snap. Cases can be attached to belts with a removable swivel belt-clip.
October 19, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Blackberry 7270: Now with VoIP and WLAN Support
Both Geekzone.com and Engagdet reported on the news that Blackberry is demostrating a new model at the Gartner ITXPO Symposium in Orlando, FL. The big new feature? Wireless LAN support and Voice over IP. Unfortunately, I'm not all that hip to the phone terminology ("...utilizes SIP-based call control to deliver standards-based interoperability with IP PBX and traditional corporate telephony equipment."), but I think that means that you can use this model almost as a replacement for your office phone; all calls could be forwarded from your desk phone to your Blackberry and vice versa... all of this happening over a local wireless network, so you wouldn't be incurring data or voice charges from your cell phone provider. That's pretty cool stuff.
October 18, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
RIM Refutes BlackBerry Buffer Overflow Claim By Hexview
If you were paying attention on Wednesday, I mentioned a security issue put out by a company called Hexview that warned of a possible buffer overflow condition if a user receives an Outlook meeting invitation with more than 128KB in the Location field. On Thursday RIM posted a Knowledge Base article that addressed said issue and while they acknowledged that the handheld could be reset by sending said message, they denied that it was either a buffer overflow condition (which means that a hacker couldn't then execute arbitrary code on your handheld after sending you a message) or that it could cause data loss. Additionally, the handheld reset issue would only affect users running handheld software version 3.7 SP1 or earlier (ie: they already fixed the problem).
In other words, if a) you're running old software, and b) someone had alot of time on their hands then they could cause your handheld to restart. Whoop-de-doo. I bet this is one of those times when the guys at Hexview maybe should have contacted the vendor in advance (even though it's not their policy). It's nice and all to get the information out in the open, but you definitely need to get your facts straight if you're going to cry wolf. The next time around people just might not listen.
October 15, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Blackberry Security Notice: Buffer Overflow
Ryan on the Blackberry Users group alerted the group to the recent disclosure by Hexview where sending a "... a standard Microsoft Outlook meeting request message with very long string (over 128K) in the 'Location:' field.." causes the Blackberry to reboot immediately, losing all stored messages. You can read the entire disclosure here, here's an excerpt:
Overview:
=========
RIM Blackberry is a Java-based wireless connectivity solution providing phone, e-mail, and other services on a variety of handheld devices.Affected products:
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All tests were performed on a RIM Blackberry 7230 with RIM Blackberry Operating System software version 3.7.1.41. The Blackberry was synchronized with Microsoft Exchange server using Blackberry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange.Cause and Effect:
=================
Insufficient data validation for incoming calendar data makes possible to cause buffer overflow condition leading to stack corruption. As a result, it is possible to reboot the device (all stored messages will be lost since RAM storage will be reinitialized). It is also possible to execute code embedded by the attacker. It should be mentioned that Blackberry developers tools are freely available.
October 13, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Blackberry 7290: More memory, Bluetooth
The folks at RIM announced the availability of the Blackberry 7290; an upgrade to the 7280 platform. It's two biggest selling points are the availability of Bluetooth, which would allow you to use a Bluetooth headset or car kit and double the memory (32 MB flash memory plus 4 MB SRAM). Bluetooth is a radio itself, so that also means less talk time / standby time, although if it's like other phones I've used, you can turn Bluetooth off, which may then give you the same amount of talk / standby time; bottom line is that Bluetooth is tradeoff between usefulness and battery life. It's a touch heavier (.1 ounce!) and now works on the 900 frequency in Europe/Asia Pacific. Initially it's available from Cingular.
September 29, 2004 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Blackberry for your Palm
Good news for users of wireless Palm devices: RIM announced today that they will be releasing BlackBerry Connect software for existing Palm OS-based wireless devices, like the Palm Tungsten W pictured to the left. This announcement is another adjustment of the ship that points to RIM understanding that their business is not about handsets; it's the platform. The Tungsten (not to mention the Treo) had all the features except for always-on Blackberry email plus it offered expandability, infrared, a built-in camera (in the case of the Treo) and a stylus for those that prefer point and click. In short, the only reason you'd want to carry around a Blackberry 7200 series instead of a Treo would be the push email that the Blackberry offered. No more.
September 27, 2004 in News, Platform, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Blackberries and RSS Feeds
A couple weeks ago the guys at FeedBurner released a beta version of their RSS Reader for the Blackberry platform (which according to Steve is a pretty straightforward port of the same version they released for phones using MIDP 1.0). I downloaded it this morning to my 7280 on the AT&T Wireless network (no Blackberry Enterprise Server yet, working on that...), the installation went flawlessly and I was able to download and view feeds within a couple minutes. Couple reflections / things that could be better:
a) when viewing a feed that hasn't been updated yet (i.e. a feed that hasn't been downloaded yet), I get a Java error: "Uncaught exception: java.lang.illegalStateException" and the application exits. I'm sure this will be fixed by the time the application goes live, but make sure that you choose 'Menu --> Update" for each feed before you try to view the feed.
b) Pushing the scroll wheel in to view the menu defaults to the 'Exit' option. Is there a way that this can be modified so that 'Exit' is not the default?
c) The 'escape' button doesn't work on all the screens; I think this is as simple as providing a key listener for the escape button on each screen (ie: the 'Preferences' screen, the 'Register' screen)
d) Thinking differently for a second: the Blackberry is really good at reading and writing email right? So why not make a version of this application that can read and write feeds that you want to read and then save those to a server and have the server email you the text of a post (example: rss2email), thus taking advantage of what the Blackberry does well: email. This implementation is only slightly different than what Bloglines does right now... you enter all the feeds you want to read, Bloglines will go out and retrieve the feeds every n minutes and then you read them from any computer. Using a server-side aggregator instead of a desktop aggregator saves the publisher some bandwidth, the server can splice and dice the feed into something readable for the Blackberry and you can read your feeds in your email client. As a sidenote, there's an interesting discussion over on OreillyNet about RSS and email.
e) I know it's possible to add options to the menu; it would be nice to be able to browse a blog using the browser, have the browser auto-discover feeds and then have an option in the menu to add the feed to your list of feeds. This would probably require some hacking in the browser application provided by Blackberry, so it may not be possible, but it sure would save alot of keystrokes.
Finally, it's interesting to hear Steve mention that "... any application that looks remotely like a WAP stack .." was given alot of criticism at a meeting he attended recently and that more and more of the applications being written for portable devices have to be rewritten for each platform to take advantage of the particular nuances of each device.
September 27, 2004 in Code, News, Software by ajohnson | link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Blackberry: The new Palm?
A couple years ago it was all the rage to give university students a Palm Pilot (or require that they purchase one) with the stated goal of "... advancing the students technically." With PDA sales in the tank and with Blackberries becoming the de-facto standard for business users, it only makes sense that the Univerity of Maryland is giving them away to all of its full-time MBA students this fall. Eerily, "... the university says it's trying to make students technologically savvy."
Schools might be giving Blackberries away instead of Palms nowadays, but the real story is how the name "Blackberry" [1], [2], [3] is replacing "Palm" as the name brand associated with email/scheduling/tasks etc, which can only be good for RIM. I think it's a reflection of what's important to business users: we all need tasks, calendaring, etc.., but we live and die with email. In fact, a ZDNET report quotes Gartner as saying that "... 80 percent of workers will use wireless email by 2008." That's alot of Blackberries.
September 21, 2004 in News by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Symbian gets Blackberry
In platform related news, infoSync World is reporting that phones loaded with Symbian OS Series 80 will be equipped to communicate with the Blackberry Connect push server. Other licensees include the HTC Pocket PC, Sony Ericsson P900 and P910, Motorola MPx and MPx220 and Samsung.
It seems that the guys at RIM understand that their business is the platform and not the devices. While the Blackberry device itself has been wildly popular, it's an indefensible position; other phone manufacturers have phone / PDA / keyboard combinations on the market already. It's the instant email that makes Blackberries kick ass.
September 07, 2004 in News, Platform by ajohnson | link | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)