RIM Wants Billboards That Know How Fast You're Driving

You're flying down the highway at 70MPH and you notice a billboard that reads "LIFE'S BETTER WITH BBM." The next day, crawling along that same stretch during a traffic jam, the billboard enumerates a BlackBerry's many features. That's RIM's vision.

In a patent filing for "Adaptive roadside billboard system and related methods" (there's one for pedestrian billboards, too), RIM looks to make the most of those huge LED ads by making them aware of the speed at which you're passing them by. The idea, roughly: the slower you're going, the more dense the advertising they're showing.

RIM mentions several methods for tracking traffic speed near the ads, including using the GPS sensors in commuters' mobile phones, though it's still a kind of a curious idea coming from a major phone manufacturer. But I've already figured out how to beat their system: drive faster. [Unwired View] via Gizmodo.

Blackberry Torch 9800 coming soon

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Research In Motion unveiled the much-hyped BlackBerry Torch 9800 on Tuesday, a new touch-screen BlackBerry smartphone with a pull-out keyboard and a significantly updated operating system that is designed to compete with the likes of the iPhone and Android smartphones.

The new phone will hit U.S. stores August 12 and will be priced at $199.99 for customers who purchase a two-year service agreement. RIM said the Torch will be available to international customers "in the months ahead."AT&T (T, Fortune 500) will be the exclusive carrier of the Torch 9800, the first BlackBerry to run RIM's modernized operating system, BlackBerry OS 6. The new operating system gives BlackBerry its first full Web browser, as well as other features that are common on most of today's smartphones like social networking integration, universal search and multiple home screens.

The new phone also includes a 5 megapixel camera, built-in GPS, and video recording at up to 640x480 resolution. RIM estimates that the phone's battery charge will last for 5.8 hours of talk time on 3G networks. (Follow Fortune.com's live blog of the BlackBerry launch.)

Like the iPhone, the BlackBerry Torch will be covered by AT&T's metered data plans. The less-expensive DataPlus plan allows 200 MB of data each month for $15, with the pricier DataPro offering 2 GB of data for $25.

The Torch is RIM's (RIMM) first attempt at a combination touch-screen/physical keyboard hybrid, and looks somewhat like the Palm Pre. Verizon Wireless' (VZ, Fortune 500) BlackBerry Storm and subsequent Storm 2 were RIM's preliminary tries at a touch-screen, but without a physical keyboard, they never appealed to RIM's core customers and failed to live up to the "iPhone killer" hype.

With the Torch 9800, RIM hopes it has a phone that will appeal to both its dedicated corporate customers as well as fickle consumers that are constantly in search of the new best thing.

The Torch allows users to preview e-mails, appointments, texts and social network updates in one location. The phone has a much-improved media experience with Wi-Fi music synchronization, a new podcast app and an easy-to-manage photo gallery with a pretty neat two-finger tap function for selecting multiple images. Social media is easier too, with a feed that integrates Twitter, Facebook and other sources.

The phone's 624 Mhz processor is fast compared to previous BlackBerry devices, but not compared to the 1 Ghz speeds available in other $200 smartphones like the iPhone 4, HTC Evo and Motorola Droid X. No new third-party apps for the Torch stood out at RIM's unveiling of the device, but the company said it has made the app development process much easier, which should help it compete with bolder and richer app selections on the iPhone and Android app stores.

In all, the Torch is certainly the best BlackBerry available and a marked improvement over previous versions, but it's more of a catch-up device than a leap forward compared to its smartphone competitors.

"If you like BlackBerry, you'll look at this design and think it's a nice upgrade, but it's not going to convince anyone that's looking for an iPhone to change their minds," said Ken Dulaney, analyst at Gartner. "The Torch is a market-holder rather than a market-expander."

BlackBerry has been able to make significant inroads with consumers in past years with low-priced models like the Pearl and Curve. For users who text a lot -- especially teens -- the BlackBerry keyboard is a hit, as is the BlackBerry Messaging service.

Still, the momentum has shifted in the mobile world towards Apple and Google. Despite BlackBerry's commanding lead in the smartphone market, with double the market share of the nearest competitor, Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500), BlackBerry's growth has stalled in recent quarters.

Apple and Google had bested RIM's devices in terms of ease of use, availability of third-party applications, touch-screen technology and Web browsing capabilities -- to name just a few critical smartphone components. Plus, newer iPhones and Android phones offer secure Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail and calendar support -- the hallmark of RIM's devices.

The good news for RIM is that more than half of its business comes from the slow-to-change enterprise space. Though some are starting to dabble in iPhones and Android phones, BlackBerry remains the corporate smartphone brand.

BlackBerry Desktop Manager - Built in Tethering

Good news for BlackBerry owners who tether their phones—RIM has made the process easier by including a bulit-in version in the leaked 5.0.1. Desktop Manager update.

The pre-release version is available now in English and multilingual versions for those anxious to give it a spin. As always, make sure you have a plan that supports tethering so you don't accidentally run up an outrageous data bill. [The BlackBerry Ninja via IntoMobile]

BlackBerry's App World Webportal

You can now get BlackBerry's application storefront through a webportal. It lets you browse applications on your computer and then email yourself the link to purchase or download the app on your phone.

Definitely a nice shopping alternative to having to browse on your Berry, but I kinda wish you could purchase through the site and then sideload. [BlackBerry via CrackBerry]

Read More Here

BlackBerry App World Has Officially Launched

BlackBerry App World™ lets you personalize your BlackBerry® smartphone with tons of great apps that let you do more with your time while you’re on the go. You can download BlackBerry App World from your desktop computer or your BlackBerry smartphone at no cost. Purchasing apps from BlackBerry App World requires a PayPal® account.

The current categories include:

- Entertainment
- Games
- Maps and Navigation
- Music and Video
- News and Weather
- Personal Finance and Banking
- Personal Health and Wellness
- Productivity and Utilities
- Professional and Business
- Reference and eBooks
- Social Networking and Sharing
- Sports and Recreation
- Travel

RIM opens the BlackBerry Application storefront "Music 2.0"

Better late than never, we suppose -- joining Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Palm, RIM's officially opened the BlackBerry Application Storefront to submissions, just a hair after the December launch we'd originally heard. It sounds like RIM's going to be doing more an Apple-style closed market than an Android-style free-for-all.

read more | digg story

Touchscreen BlackBerry Storm Will Be $199

Boy Genius has a fairly juicy bit of backstory on the delays plaguing the BlackBerry Bold, and the serious, stab-you-in-the-throat infighting between AT&T and RIM that drove RIM to deliver their touchscreen baby, the Storm, exclusively to Verizon in the US (probably in Nov.), where it will apparently be going for just $199 with a two-year contract and rebates.

To read more, click here.