• blackberry,  rim,  sprint

    On the Trail of BlackBerry OS 4.5

    December 1, 2008 /

    Not wanting to let it go, I’ve continued my search for answers about when Sprint might actually get around to certifying and releasing the BlackBerry Device Software 4.5 for the Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330.

    During my search, I stumbled across the Sprint discussion forums, BuzzAboutWireless.com. There I found a thread titled, “Update on 4.5 code upgrade“, started by a Sprint forums administrator, SarahKS. In her October 17, 2008 post, the admin writes:

    “Sprint would like to make its customers aware that it is currently in testing with the 4.5 code for a number of our BlackBerry devices. We understand that many of you are anxious to receive this upgrade; please note that it is very important that Sprint has time to adequately test and certify the code to ensure a quality experience for you, our customers. Once this process is complete Sprint will make this upgrade available as soon as possible.

    We understand and appreciate the enthusiasm shown here at Buzz About Wireless and want you to know that we value your feedback and hope you will continue posting and letting us know what is on your mind. Please continue to watch this site about availability of the BlackBerry 4.5 code and other relevant news for Sprint customers.”

    Ok, I get it. Sprint is telling us that they are working on the update, but have not committed to a release date. The admin being only a forums admin, has no specific information except what the software development team reports to her.

    Another Sprint employee chimes in and writes:

    “I just read today on another website that Sprint confirmed the release of OS 4.5 to sometime in November…which would mean we will be the 2nd carrier to release it in the U.S. (following the release at T-Mobile, USA)”

    Checking the calendar on my Curve, it looks like the November date was missed.

    On November 25, 2008, the forums admin posts another OS 4.5 update that reads:

    “First off, yes we are still working to deliver the 4.5 software absolutely as soon as possible. We want to make it absolutely clear that Sprint is not sitting on its laurels here. We are working hard to ensure that the software you get is absolutely tip top and will do what you need (and nothing you don’t!).

    Unfortunately the software is not quite ready. Right now Sprint and RIM are working together to make the necessary modifications to ensure you have the best possible experience. The good news is that we believe we are getting close to final software.”

    The lack of MultiMedia Service (MMS) on Sprint’s BlackBerry devices is another hot topic from the looks of things. While browsing through that thread, I found a post by another Sprint employee dated November 29, 2008. It reads:

    “The PictureMail update for the blackberries should come with the new OS update, that should also coincide with the release of the 8350i within the next few weeks. Interestingly Sprint seems to be skipping the OS 4.5 update alltogether and going straight to OS 4.6

    EDIT: The OS update will be avalable for both the 8330 and the 8130, in addition to shipping with the 8350i.”

    Well, well, well. Ok, so when will the Sprint BlackBerry 8350i for the iDEN network finally arrive? A quick Google search turned up this page over at Engadget Mobile dated November 17, 2008 that suggests that the new BlackBerry will be arriving the the cheers of iDEN users on, oh-ho, December 1, 2008.

    Will Sprint’s BlackBerry customers get some love tomorrow and get a new BlackBerry and some new software updates? I don’t know, but I really hope so.

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  • blackberry,  rim,  verizon

    BlackBerry Bold OS 4.7 Leaked

    November 30, 2008 /

    Blogger Don Nguyen has posted a leaked BlackBerry Storm 4.7 OS upgrade package. On his site, Mr. Nguyen writes:

    “After so many requests and the OK from my source, I am officially leaking the new Blackberry Storm OS.”

    I’m not sure who he has gotten the “OK” from, so if you plan on loading this update on your brand spankin’ new Verizon BlackBerry Storm, you do so at your own risk. The directions for applying the update can be found over on CrackBerry.com forums.

    [Via CrackBerry.com…]

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  • blackberry,  rim,  sprint

    BlackBerry Device Software 4.5 for Sprint 8330

    November 30, 2008 /

    I recently purchased a BlackBerry Curve 8330 for Sprint. One of the must-have software packages for me is DataViz Documents To Go; which was recently released for the BlackBerry platform. But you need Device Software 4.5 or later. My Curve has 4.3.0.127.

    There seems to be some confusion about the 4.5 software. It has been officially released for many of the current BlackBerry devices. My research shows that it has been released for some of the Curves, including the CDMA Curve for Verizon. I just can’t seem to find the official Sprint edition.

    Threads on some discussion forums indicates that any BlackBerry Curve 8330 can be upgraded with the multilingual release. Reading through these threads though, it seems like some of the carrier specific features, like No Force Roaming, aren’t in the generic release. Go figure.

    So I’ll have to do some more poking around to figure out whether or not BlackBerry Device Software 4.5 is officially supported on Sprint’s devices.

    For the bold and the daring, there is a thread on SprintUsers.com that talks about loading over carriers version of 4.5 on your Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330. With my BlackBerry kung-fu not as good as my Palm OS kung-fu, I’m not sure I’m ready to pull the trigger on an official unofficial upgrade just yet.

    UPDATE 1:

    I found this article on BlackBerryCool.com and they are reporting that OS 4.5 is official on Sprint, yet when I run the “Windows Update”-like upgrade checker at BlackBerry.com I get the message that my device is running the latest software; 4.3. Ugh!

    UPDATE 2:

    After a few hours of poking around on the Internet with Google and on the BlackBerry.com and Sprint.com websites, I have finally come to the conclusion that BlackBerry Device Software 4.5 is not (officially) available for the Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330.

    While searching for an answer, I stumbled across the BlackBerry Device Software v4.5 Availability page on the BlackBerry.com website. When I entered my device’s PIN number, I received the following message:

    “BlackBerry® Device Software v4.5 is not supported by your wireless service provider.

    You will be redirected in 10 seconds to our Product Update form to receive notification when the software is available.

    If you are not automatically taken to the form, please click here“

    So, it seems that us BlackBerry Curve owners on Sprint who don’t want to roll the dice with one of the unofficial upgrades still have to wait this out. I do hope that Sprint gets around to releasing the upgrade soon.

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  • apple,  dell,  palm,  treo

    Orlando Update

    November 29, 2008 /

    A week ago Friday, I returned home after spending a week down in Orlando, Florida to attend the Open Text Content World user conference. As you will recall from my post about getting ready for the trip, I wanted to travel as light as possible.

    Dell Inspiron 910 (aka: mini 9)

    To my surprise, the Dell mini 9 worked really well. I was able to get about 5-6 hours of battery life out of the unit. That number still isn’t enough to get me through a full 10-12 hour day; however, it was as good as my heavier Dell Latitide D630 with a 9-cell battery. To get the best possible battery life, you need to be smart about what you are doing.

    During the day, I would use the built-in Wi-Fi radio. To conserve battery power, I would turn the radio on and off as needed. The same is true for the screen brightness. While I was using the notebook in a workshop or presentation that had the lights dimmed, I would turn down the brightness on the screen. When I was meeting with someone or using the notebook in the lounge area, I would turn the screen brightness up to a level that was comfortable to read in a room with full lighting.

    The weight was fantastic. The mini 9 weighs less than 2.5lbs and you will appreciate not having a throbbing shoulder after traversing two airports. The quilted slip case that I purchased for it is considered “TSA safe” meaning that you can keep the notebook in the slip case while it is run through the x-ray machine.

    Being a corporate asset, my team and I converted the base install of Windows XP Home SP3 to Windows XP Professional SP2. I was able to run all of my required corporate applications without any trouble. Applications did seem to run a little bit slower than my full powered Latitude D630, however, I was willing to accept the trade off.

    The only thing that I really wasn’t crazy about on the mini 9 was the size of the keyboard. I was able to touch type on the keyboard. The main Qwerty keys on the mini 9 where big enough for my fingers. What I didn’t like was the keys that surrond the main keys. For example, the shift, tab, and alt keys were about half as big as you would expect them to be. I was forever hitting the wrong keys. I also didn’t like having some keys being what I call “tipple stacked.” For example, the equals key shifts to the plus key which is normal. However on the Dell mini 9, the equals key also blue Fn shifts to get the back slash key. Being in IT, typing in Windows directory and network paths can be a real pain in the neck. Over time, this will be something that you will get used to.

    Palm Treo 755p

    My Treo 755p performed as I expected it to: beautifully. I purchased an extended life battery for my Treo and it was able to keep running all day. I have my Treo programmed to check my various email accounts at 30 minute intervals. The Treo did a great job of tackeling email, weather updates, and some light web surfing through out the day. I did use the World Clock application as my alarm clock. If you chose to use your Treo as your alarm clock, just make sure that you set the ringer switch from silent back to ring mode. During the day, I keep my Treo in silent mode and at night I switch it back to ring mode so I can hear the alarm when it is time to start the day.

    Apple iPod touch (1st Generation)

    The last bit of technology that I took with me was my 16GB iPod touch. The battery in my year old iPod held up well while I was using it in the airport for music and podcasts and on the plane for TV shows and movies. One thing that did trip me up was not doing a list minute review of the iPod before I left the house. As it turned out, I had forgot to select the new TV shows and movies that I loaded on my MacBook (which was saying home). The cost for this mistake was leaving home with only half of the TV shows and only one movie that I had planned to watch on this trip.

    All in all, the technology that I took on the trip with me worked well. I’ll be taking another trip down to Orlando in another two weeks. (I love the fact that confernces move south when the weather turns cold up in New England.) This time, I plan to make sure I have my iPod chuck full of content.

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  • centro,  treo

    TimeDrift for Palm OS Smartphones

    November 28, 2008 /


    Tam Hanna has released a new application for Palm OS devices, including the popular Palm Centro smartphone. TimeDrift keeps your devices clock accurate after a Palm PDA, Treo, or Centro is reset.

    Mr. Hanna writes:

    “Ever wondered why your Centro’s / Treo’s clock becomes inaccurate after a few resets or battery changes? Palm is to blame – but be sure that they saved a few cents by excluding certain key components.

    Tamoggemon Software’s TimeDrift steps in where Palm left off: our highly customized snooping algorithm makes sure that your smartphone’s clock is as accurate as the clocks on other (cheaper) phones.

    As we use a local algorithm rather than relying on external time servers, TimeDrift can be used abroad without any roaming chares fior data (which can be extremely expensive).”

    Keep your clock accurate – get TimeDrift!

    Features:

    • Fire and forget solution – no “maintenance” required
    • Highly reliable – maximal drift of 30 secs/reset
    • Small – less than 50KB of memory usage
    • Works independant of network – no network charges

    Tamoggemon has a 30-day trial version available for people who like to try before they buy; which is always a good idea. The full version retails for $9.95 and is currently available for a limited time at a special promotional price of $7.95.

    You can purchase TimeDrift from the TamsShop.

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  • blackberry,  mac os x,  markspace,  rim

    Mark/Space Updates The Missing Sync for Bold, Storm

    November 28, 2008 /


    Mark/Space has updated their Missing Sync for BlackBerry software to now include support for the latest RIM BlackBerry devices; the Blold and the Storm. The latest edition of the Missing Sync for BlackBerry is 1.0.3.

    “The Missing Sync for BlackBerry is popular with BlackBerry-to-Mac users because of its reliability and range of sync features, and it is the only Mac synchronization software that works seamlessly with the BlackBerry Bold and the new BlackBerry Storm.

    The Missing Sync allows for easy syncing of contacts, calendars, tasks, notes and more between the Bold, Storm – or any other BlackBerry handheld – and Mac OS X computers.”

    For more details and Mac and BlackBerry system requirements, visit the MarkSpace website.

    Pricing and Availability

    The Missing Sync for BlackBerry is available now for $39.95 (software download) or $49.95 (physical CD shipment). Existing customers can upgrade to the latest version of the Missing Sync for BlackBerry for $29.95. Upgrades from other Missing Sync platforms (Palm OS, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Symbian, and Sony PSP) is allowed. For business customers, there are volume license for 5, 10, and 25-packs.

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  • Uncategorized

    Black Friday Sales Round Up

    November 27, 2008 /

    Here are just some of the sales that are going to be in effect for this year’s Black Friday (11/28/08).

    Palm.com (Online)
    Save $50 on online orders between $150 – $299.99
    Save $100 on online orders over $300

    Staples (In-store)
    SanDisk 4GB microSDHC card $9.99

    Apple.com (Online)
    Check the Apple store on Friday morning for their list of deals

    eReader & Fictionwise (Online)
    Get triple eReader Rewards points when you purchase any ebook from eReader.com by November 30, 2008.

    Get 40% Micropay rebates when you purchase any of Fictionwise’s 53,000 ebooks.

    BJ’s Wholesale Club (Online)
    8 different portable GPS units, LCD monitors, and digital picture frames

    SanDisk (Online)
    SanDisk has many of their popular memory cards and USB flash drives on sale

    Wal-Mart (In-store)
    Magnavox Blu-ray DVD player $128

    UPDATE 1:
    Amazon (Online)
    Check out Amazon’s Black Friday DVD and Blu-ray deals! Select new DVD and Blu-ray titles are going for under $15. You can also scoop up copies of Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 on DVD for $1.99!!

    UPDATE 2:
    Palm is offering the Centro cradle for $12.99 (regularly $29.99). Get it here.

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  • blackberry

    Pogue BlackBerry Storm Review

    November 27, 2008 /

    Famed New York Times writter David Pogue has weighed in on the new Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry Storm – and it ain’t pretty. Mr. Pogue writes:

    “Research in Motion (R.I.M.), the company that brought us the BlackBerry, has been on a roll lately. For a couple of years now, it’s delivered a series of gorgeous, functional, supremely reliable smartphones that, to this day, outsell even the much-adored iPhone.

    Here’s a great example of the intelligence that drives R.I.M.: The phones all have simple, memorable, logical names instead of incomprehensible model numbers. There’s the BlackBerry Pearl (with a translucent trackball). The BlackBerry Flip (with a folding design). The BlackBerry Bold (with a stunning design and faux-leather back).

    Well, there’s a new one, just out ($200 after rebate, with two-year Verizon contract), officially called the BlackBerry Storm.

    But I’ve got a better name for it: the BlackBerry Dud.

    The first sign of trouble was the concept: a touch-screen BlackBerry. That’s right — in its zeal to cash in on some of that iPhone touch-screen mania, R.I.M. has created a BlackBerry without a physical keyboard.

    Hello? Isn’t the thumb keyboard the defining feature of a BlackBerry? A BlackBerry without a keyboard is like an iPod without a scroll wheel. A Prius with terrible mileage. Cracker Jack without a prize inside.”

    I have to agree with Mr. Pogue’s assessment of the missing keyboard. I just recently purchased a BlackBerry Curve, the Bold isn’t available on Sprint yet, and the main feature for me was the keyboard. (And the fact that it is smaller and lighter than my Palm Treo 755p.)

    Read the full review at NYTimes.com…

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  • Uncategorized

    Elevation Responds to Palm Divestiture Rumor

    November 26, 2008 /

    Earlier this week, CNBC’s Jim Goldman wrote an article titled, “Palm Gets a Thumbs Down.” In the article, Goldman states that Pablo Perez-Fernandez, a Global Crown Capital wireless analyst, thinks that Palm’s major investor, Elevation Partners, could be preparing to pull out of the mobile handset company and take their money elsewhere. In his article, Goldman writes:

    “Perez-Fernandez throws it out there that Elevation might divest, but he offers nothing concrete to support the claim. It’s reasonable, he tells me, given the circumstances, though he also tells me hasn’t gotten any specific information from Elevation on this front. He says Palm’s decision to launch a shelf registration on Nov. 3 because the company is so desperate for cash, will significantly dilute the shares, and the company risks a change in control because of that dilution. Under the rules of the Elevation deal, Palm is required to offer to buy back Elevation’s stake at a premium of 1 percent to 5 percent. Elevation, he thinks, would jump at the chance to get out. I sent an email to Elevation’s managing partner Roger McNamee this morning seeking some guidance, but I haven’t heard back.”

    Interestingly, Elevation Partners co-founder and member of Palm’s board, Roger McNanmee stepped up to the mic yesterday to reaffirm Elevation’s commitment to Palm and to reassure investors that Palm is still on track to deliver a new mobile operating system, Palm OS II/Nova, by the end of this year (2008) and to release new devices based on that OS by the middle of next year (2009). Mr. McNanmee stated:

    “Elevation Partners is very pleased with the progress Ed Colligan, Jon Rubinstein and the entire Palm team are making. The Company’s product pipeline, including a next generation operating system due out soon and a new device targeted for the first half of 2009, excite us enormously. Elevation supports Palm in taking the difficult but necessary steps required to migrate from legacy products. We have a very long-term investment horizon and have no plans to exit our investment in Palm.”

    May people see Palm OS II/Nova as being Palm’s last change to become a relevant player in the mobile computing space. With devices from Apple and Research In Motion continuing to grab headlines, the public opinion is that Palm has been standing still for years and relying on new colors to keep people interested in their low cost, low profit Centro consumer oriented smartphones. Delays in releasing their next business class Windows Mobile Treo is not helping things.

    Statements of reassurance from Palm’s major investor is nice and all, but the time has come for Palm to stop talking and to start showing people that they have something coming down the pipe that will be worth the long wait for Palm OS II/Nova.

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