You may remember the post Ronen did last week on Super QWERTY app  by MMMOOO. Just to recap, the application basically lets you set the Q key as a shortcut launcher to open up to 80 different shortcuts that costs $3.99. Some features are listed below.

Features:

• The fastest way to access your applications at present.
• Quick start with the key “q” in main screen.
• You can start Super QWERTY in the system menu, launch from anywhere.
• Up to 80 shortcuts, you can set as much as your favorite applications.
• Friendly design, attention to the used shortcuts, never mess up.
• You can enter the applications in Super QWERTY simply by clicking your trackball/trackpad/enter.
• Easily to compose a SMS/PIN/Email text to your contacts.
• Your settings will be saved even your reinstall Super QWERTY.

As a thank you to our readers, Owen and the good folks at MMMOOO are giving away 30 free copies of their cool new app! Just go to the Berryreview Store and select the version you want and enter coupon code BRSQ100 at checkout. Hurry now if you wanna be one lucky ones cause these freebies go real fast.

For those of you who do get lucky, please send a thank you to MMMOOO in the comments section of this post. A BIG THANKS to MMMOOO for this special giveaway!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Super QWERTY – One Step Closer to a True Shortcut System
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• Giveaway: 5 free copies of Phoneface & Flipside
• Wallpaper Changer (for OS 4.7+) – 50 Free Copies!

Posted by Vicky for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 1:00 pm. | Super QWERTY App from MMMOOO – 30 Free Copies! | Leave a comment |

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Why Cant RIM Overhaul Their Browser? WebKit is OpenSource…
• BlackBerry Browser to match Apple’s iPhone ?
• RIM Posts Job Looking for WebKit Developer – Finally!!!
• Bolt Browser Hits 1 Million Installs – Update Coming Soon
• Skyfire Browser Beta Coming This Summer… I Can’t Wait!

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 12:56 pm. | BBDC – RIM Confirms WebKit Browser Coming Soon! | Leave a comment |

RIM will also be opening the push API’s to all developers instead of just alliance members but I am not sure if they still plan on charging them for using it. Also interesting is the new Cell Site services for Geolocation that will allow applications to tap into your location so you don’t need 3 different applications keeping track of your location.

Check out the details below if you want to get a preview of what’s coming!

RIM Unveils New Services Platform for BlackBerry Developers

2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference – San Francisco – Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today unveiled a new services platform for developers that will enable them to streamline business processes and build highly responsive, location-aware, revenue-generating applications for BlackBerry® smartphones. The new services platform will offer advertising, payment, content push and new location services.

“The BlackBerry ecosystem is thriving and with the new services platform announced today we will help developers further monetize their applications and build breakthrough, highly responsive, location-aware applications for BlackBerry smartphones,” said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “RIM is continuing to provide the tools, technologies and business services that developers need to create and market even more powerful and successful applications on the BlackBerry Application Platform.”

BlackBerry Advertising Service to Create New Revenue Opportunities for Developers

      The new and innovative BlackBerry® Advertising Service will enable developers to integrate advertising into their BlackBerry applications, helping them generate revenue and simplifying the business of mobile advertising. With the BlackBerry Advertising Service, RIM plans to provide developers with access to a large pool of quality and innovative ad units from trusted top tier and specialty advertising networks such as Jumptap, Lat49, Millennial Media, Navteq, 1020 Placecast, Quattro Wireless and Sympatico.ca. The service will feature ads compliant with the Mobile Marketing Association’s (MMA) guidelines as well as rich media ads that will be able to deeply integrate with BlackBerry applications. Examples of this deep integration between ads and applications will include the ability to easily initiate a call from an ad, add a calendar entry or contact entry from an ad, and directly link to an application in BlackBerry App World™ from an ad. The service will also include real-time, detailed, consolidated reporting of advertising across ad networks, including ad impressions, clicks, conversions and earnings, as well as integration into the Omniture Online Marketing Suite™ for more advanced analytics.

BlackBerry Advertising Service and a software development kit (SDK) are planned to be available in the first half of 2010.

BlackBerry Payment Service to Enable In-Application Transactions and Streamlined Payment Processes 

A new BlackBerry® Payment Service from RIM will present BlackBerry developers with new opportunities to monetize applications by selling digital content such as premium content, monthly or annual subscriptions, and additional levels or upgrades for games and other entertainment applications from within their applications. The BlackBerry Payment Service will also incorporate merchant services, including customer billing.

BlackBerry Payment Service and an SDK are expected to be available in mid 2010.

BlackBerry Push Service for Delivering Content and Alerts to Applications to Become Generally Available

BlackBerry® Push Service, which was first made exclusively available to BlackBerry® Alliance Program members earlier this year, will be made generally available to registered developers in the first half of 2010. BlackBerry Push Service allows developers and content providers to deliver time-sensitive alerts and up to 8 KB of data to applications.

More information about BlackBerry Push Service is available at www.blackberry.com/developers/pushservice.

New Location Services to Advance Location-Aware BlackBerry Applications

Adding to the GPS capabilities already supported on the BlackBerry Application Platform today, RIM will introduce three new location-based services for developers to build highly responsive, location-aware applications for BlackBerry smartphones. The three new location-based services include cell site geolocation, reverse geocoding and travel time.

Cell Site Geolocation – Cell site geolocation is a new service that will provide developers with an alternative to GPS, providing an estimate of a smartphone’s location based on cell tower triangulation. Cell site geolocation is generally faster than GPS, uses less battery power (which makes it ideal for applications that run in the background while multi-tasking), and is ideal for indoor use where the line-of-sight to satellites required by GPS receivers is not always available. 

The cell site geolocation service is planned to be available in the first half of 2010. It will be supported on BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 5.0 or higher. 

Reverse Geocoding – RIM is introducing a new reverse geocoding service that converts geolocation coordinates to a specific address for use in BlackBerry applications. Reverse geocoding is available today with BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 5.0 or higher. A reverse geocoding API is available with the BlackBerry® Java® Software Development Kit 5.0 (BlackBerry Java SDK 5.0) which is available in beta at http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/devbetasoftware/javasdk5.jsp.

Travel Time – RIM will also launch a new travel time service. Using a simple API call, developers will be able to incorporate estimated travel time within their applications for almost any destination in the US and Canada. The travel time calculations will be based on distance, speed limits and aggregated traffic conditions. The service returns values for an estimated arrival time, total travel time and total distance that can be used in an application.

The travel time service is expected to be available in the first half of 2010.

For more information and updates about the new services available to developers on the BlackBerry Application Platform, visit www.blackberry.com/developers.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Obopay Mobile Payment Application Coming This Month
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• Keytoss Mobile Portal Adds Hotels.com Reservations

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 12:00 pm. | RIM Adding Advertising Service, Payment System, & More | Leave a comment |

RIM also announced today that themes for BlackBerry smartphones can now be submitted to BlackBerry App World.

They have also announced their new BlackBerry Theme Studio for easy theme design, illustration and animation. This will also add support for the Storm2 and Bold 9700.

New themes will be built with two tools just like the original Plazmic builders:

• BlackBerry Theme Builder – a design tool for customizing a smartphone’s user interface, including the home screen layout, fonts, icons, message list colors, cursors, dialog boxes and home screen application icons.
• BlackBerry Composer – an illustration and animation tool for creating animated SVG graphics that can be used to add animation to theme buttons and backgrounds as well as animate web sites and applications for BlackBerry smartphones.

The new BlackBerry Theme Studio replaces the Plazmic CDK and will add the ability to import Photoshop files into the theme builder along with adding transitions like zooming, sliding, wiping, and fading within themes.

BlackBerry Theme Studio is available for free and can be downloaded at
www.blackberry.com/themestudio.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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• Developer Betas Of BlackBerry MDS Studio 2.0 & BlackBerry Plug-in 1.1 for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 12:00 pm. | RIM Allowing Themes in App World! New BlackBerry Theme Studio | 3 comments |

The new GUI builder for Eclipse will help developer create new Java user interfaces for applications. It will also allow developers to preview their application on different BlackBerrys. The OpenGL support should be in an upcoming update to the Java SDK 5.0 but the GUI builder for Eclipse will be coming sometime in 2010 though it will be previewed at DevCon.

So anybody working on Doom 3D for BlackBerry?

OpenGL ES Support Enables 3D Games and Graphics for BlackBerry Smartphones 

With OpenGL ES support, Java developers will have the ability to build 3D games and graphics for BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 5.0 and higher. The OpenGL ES support is available through an update of the BlackBerry® Java®  Software Development Kit (BlackBerry Java SDK). A beta version of the BlackBerry Java SDK 5.0 including OpenGL ES support is available at http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/devbetasoftware/javasdk5.jsp

GUI Builder for BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse to Simplify User Interface Design 

An upcoming GUI builder integrated into the BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse will make it faster and easier for Java developers to build user interfaces for BlackBerry applications. Developers will be able to rapidly create and localize complex user interfaces with a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) view and drag and drop capabilities. The Java GUI builder will also allow developers to easily preview their user interface design on different BlackBerry smartphones.

The GUI builder for the BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse will be previewed this week at the 2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference (www.blackberrydeveloperconference.com). It is expected to be available in mid 2010.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• BlackBerry JDE Plugin For Eclipse Now Available For Download
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• RIM Announces Even More Technical Support Services & Levels

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 12:00 pm. | RIM Announces OpenGL ES Support & New GUI Builder for Eclipse | Leave a comment |

For example, BlackBerry Widget development will be added to the Adobe workflow in Dreamweaver and Fireworks. Adobe will also provide the ability for designers to create optimized graphic assets, such as image and video content, from tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects, for the BlackBerry platform. They will also add better support for creating theme elements for BlackBerry themes inside of Photoshop.

As a nice little addition RIM also mentions that they are working with Adobe to bring Adobe AIR support to the BlackBerry platform along with Flash. Interesting times we have ahead of us… Full press release after the jump.

RIM and Adobe to Simplify Delivery of Rich Content and Applications for BlackBerry Smartphones

Adobe to Deliver Support for BlackBerry Smartphones within Adobe Creative Suite; RIM to Incorporate Flash Platform into BlackBerry Platform

San Francisco, CA – At the 2009 BlackBerry® Developer Conference, Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) and Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) today expanded their collaboration and announced that creative professionals and application developers will be able to use the Adobe® Flash® Platform technology and Adobe Creative Suite® content development and authoring tools to easily create rich content and application experiences for BlackBerry® smartphones.

“There is tremendous opportunity for RIM and Adobe to align our platforms to help developers create BlackBerry applications that are highly engaging and deeply integrated in order to deliver the best user experience in the market,” said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO, Research In Motion. “We are working closely with Adobe to enable our developer communities to build rich content services and BlackBerry Widgets that leverage the latest runtime environments, APIs and network services through Adobe’s industry leading design and development tools.”

“RIM is at the forefront of driving smartphone innovation, and it’s only natural that further integrating our respective platforms will set new standards for engaging content and applications,” said Shantanu Narayen, president and CEO of Adobe. “The expanded partnership between both companies will open up great new opportunities by making it even easier for content designers and mobile application developers to create rich and compelling content for the BlackBerry platform.”

Future versions of Adobe Creative Suite starting with Adobe Creative Suite 5 will provide the ability for designers to create optimized graphic assets, such as image and video content, from tools such as Adobe Photoshop®, Adobe Illustrator® and Adobe After Effects®, for the BlackBerry platform. These graphics assets can then be easily imported into BlackBerry application development tools, including the BlackBerry® JDE Plug-in for Eclipse® (www.blackberry.com/developers/java) and the BlackBerry® Web Plug-in for Eclipse® (www.blackberry.com/developers/web), for use in applications and user interfaces.  Backgrounds, icons and images created with Adobe tools such as Adobe Photoshop will also be able to be used in the new BlackBerry® Theme Studio (www.blackberry.com/developers/themes) to create compelling BlackBerry themes.

Adobe Dreamweaver®, Adobe Fireworks® and Adobe Device Central software will also be enabled to support the creation and testing of BlackBerryWidgets and web content optimized for the BlackBerry® Browser. Additionally, users will be able to directly import photos and video captured on their BlackBerry smartphones and edit them using Adobe’s consumer offerings including Photoshop Elements and Photoshop.com.

The collaboration aims to accelerate the mobile application and content development workflow between BlackBerry application and web content developers and creative professionals that use Adobe tools. It will also reduce the re-creation of graphic assets and iterations that designers and developers have to go through to generate rich application user interfaces, animations, images and video content when supporting multiple platforms.

Today’s news builds upon the recent announcement that the two companies are working together as part of the Open Screen Project to bring the Adobe Flash® Player browser runtime to BlackBerry smartphones. The two companies will also be collaborating to adapt other key components of the Flash Platform including Adobe AIR®.

RIM and Adobe are demonstrating a sneak peek of the enhanced mobile authoring workflow during the keynote address today at the 2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference. To learn more about this collaboration, developers can visit the BlackBerry® Developer Zone (www.blackberry.com/developers/adobe) and Adobe Developer Site (www.adobe.com/devnet).

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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• RIM Announces New BlackBerry Developer Conference

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 12:00 pm. | Adobe Adding BlackBerry Support to Their Creative Suite | Leave a comment |

RIM has developed course material and curriculum for university level classes teaching/training potential BlackBerry developers and administrators. It seems like there will be two different strains with one focusing on Java Development and the second on BlackBerry server administration. I know that many universities offer courses on Windows and Exchange administration and I wonder if this will be as popular.

Any students out there who would be interested in such a program? Check out the full press release after the jump or more information at www.blackberry.com/academic.

RIM Announces BlackBerry Academic Program

Program Provides Colleges and Universities with Curriculum and Course Content

BlackBerry Developer Conference 2009 – San Francisco, CA – Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM, TSX: RIM) today announced the BlackBerry® Academic Program to provide colleges and universities around the world with a curriculum and course content to offer courses in administering and supporting the BlackBerry® solution and developing for the BlackBerry platform.

“Career opportunities in information technology are abundant, and there is increasing demand for people with expertise in managing BlackBerry products and services and developing BlackBerry applications,” said Robert Crow, Vice President, Industry, Government and University Relations at Research In Motion. “Millions of people are using BlackBerry smartphones in more than 170 countries today and the BlackBerry Academic Program will help colleges and universities prepare students for careers in technology and help to meet the growing demand for BlackBerry developers, administrators and technical support professionals in the global marketplace.”

Course content is currently available for mobile application development for BlackBerry® smartphones, administration of BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, and support for BlackBerry smartphones. The curriculum has been developed in collaboration with academic professionals and has been in pilot for over a year.

Mobile Application Development Courses – Students can learn about the tools and techniques for developing applications for BlackBerry smartphones. Courses cover topics such as BlackBerry smartphone features and functionality, user interface design, multimedia application development, mobile web application development and Java® application development.

Administration Courses – Mobile communication and collaboration tools continue to play a large role in boosting the productivity of enterprise workforces, and the need for trained professionals to administer and support mobile solutions has grown with it. There are over 200,000 BlackBerry® Enterprise Server installations globally and trained professionals are needed to maintain and support these deployments.

Administration courses offered through the BlackBerry Academic Program can help prepare students to administer, configure, troubleshoot, and perform essential tasks for managing a BlackBerry Enterprise Server environment.

For example, the “Maintaining a BlackBerry Enterprise Server in a Microsoft Exchange Environment” (BCP-410) course includes information that can help prepare students for the corresponding BlackBerry Certification exam as well as additional information that can help students find opportunities in IT departments of large organizations.

Support Courses – Students are trained to work in technical call centers or IT support environments in support of the BlackBerry solution. The Support courses also include information that can help prepare students for the corresponding BlackBerry Certification exam.

The BlackBerry Academic Program provides an outline of the content for each course, as well as learning materials including student textbooks (with instructor copy), student lab manuals, instructor guides and an academic product suite that covers hardware and software. Course content can be offered over the full length of a semester, or as individual modules that can be integrated into an existing information technology curriculum.

Academic Program Rolls Out

Over 500 students have already taken courses based on the BlackBerry Academic Program as part of a pilot project and several universities in Canada and the US are now in the process of incorporating courses and course content from the program into their course offerings.

For more information:

BlackBerry Academic Program – www.blackberry.com/academic
BlackBerry application development – www.blackberry.com/developer
BlackBerry Certification Program – www.blackberry.com/certification 

A special track supporting the BlackBerry Academic Program has also been added to the BlackBerry Developer Conference this year in San Francisco (November 9 – 12, 2009). More information is available at www.blackberrydeveloperconference.com.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• RIM Releases More Information On Their Certification Program
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• RIM Opens Up New BlackBerry Alliance Program – Interesting Changes
• BlackBerry JDE Plugin For Eclipse Now Available For Download

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 12:00 pm. | RIM Announces BlackBerry Academic Program | Leave a comment |

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 11:05 am. | T-Mobile Business Customers can order the Bold 9700 Today | 7 comments |

Website: www.shopblackberry.com
Price: $79.99
Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

What’s Different: The HS500 is a Blackberry branded headset.
Features:

• Automatic volume control: The volume changes based on how loud or quiet the background is.
• Noise Cancellation: Becoming standard at this point.
• Integration with navigation software (unable to test): The HS-500 is designed to also work with specific BlackBerry navigation software. Thus, when using turn-by-turn directions with a BlackBerry navigation app, the directions are fed into your bluetooth headset rather than the BlackBerry speaker.
• Power consistency: The HS-500 is recharged using a mini USB connection so a user can use the same charger as they do for their BlackBerry itself, saving hassle and space.

Audio Quality: The audio quality is standard. I made a few test calls and they went smoothly. There was nothing overly positive, yet nothing negative to write about the sound quality.
Fit: This is the only area where I had a complaint about the HS-500. The headset uses an earloop to stay affixed to the ear. But the earloop isn’t the usual comfortable feel and shape. It is an oddly rigid and shaped which made it uncomfortable to wear and not very secure on the ear.  Maybe it works well for others, but the earloop just didn’t work for me. 
Overall: Besides for the earloop fit, I had very few complaints about this headset. It’s not the prettiest headset and the isn’t high end, but it is fairly priced for what it is–a solid BlackBerry branded headset. Compared to more trendy headsets like the Jabra Stone and Jawbone Prime, which can run well over into the three digit range, the more modestly priced HS-500 seems like a fair buy for solid call quality and turn-by-turn directions delivered to your headset.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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Posted by David for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 8:00 am. | Review: BlackBerry Wireless Headset HS-500 | Leave a comment |

Seriously TetherBerry is #2! You would think that somebody at Verizon would be checking this stuff out but I guess this one flew under the radar. Still kudos for TetherBerry to get promoted by Verizon’s own app store to help you avoid paying Verizon for tethering.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 8:00 am. | Verizon #2 Best Selling BlackBerry Software Title is… | 2 comments |

Now, Sprint customers can use YouMail as their mobile voicemail and get these great benefits.

• See a list of your messages and scroll and listen to voicemail on your phone, online or email
• Save your voicemails forever and share with anyone
• Greet callers by name or assign different greetings to different callers
• Block unknown and unwanted callers

It’s easy to switch your voicemail to YouMail:

1. Go to www.youmail.com to create a YouMail account
2. Simply dial *289095106169 and press ‘talk/send’.
3. Upon successful activation you will hear two alert tones. If you’re unsuccessful activating call forwarding, contact Sprint Technical Support at 888-211-4727 for assistance.

Let us know if it works for you!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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• UPDATED: YouMail Releases Their Own Free Visual Voicemail BlackBerry Application
• OS 4.5 & MP3 Attachments – YouMail Users Rejoice

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 8:00 am. | YouMail Now Free On Sprint – Free Call Forwarding | 2 comments |

Terry let me know that Case-Mate is now selling the Fuel case for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 and will soon be carrying it for the BlackBerry Tour 9630. The main downside of the 8900 and Tour versions is that they have the BlackBerry screen facing out instead of in like the original Fuel cases. This is because RIM only put the charging contacts on the back.

Hopefully Case-Mate is working on a variant for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 since I am really missing the double battery life…

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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• Preorder Seidio’s Innocase II Surface Hard-case For The 8900 Curve

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 7:00 am. | Case-Mate Fuel Case for Curve 8900 Now Available – Tour Coming Soon! | 2 comments |

The conference schedule looks action packed but not much in terms of new devices. Hopefully RIM will detail more about their plans for rolling out OS 5.0 and embracing their developer network. Most of the conference will be focused on development so forgive us if we get a bit technical over the next few days.

Let us know if you are attending the conference! If you have some new idea or product you want to bounce off Ronen or think is worth featuring on BerryReview we would love to hear about it.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 12:07 am. | BerryReview @ the 2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference! | 2 comments |

Congratulations Dom for winning the October prize! Expect an email from us soon.

We will be continuing our successful tips promotion. You all know the drill. All you need to do is send us a relevant tip and you’re entered to win $50. Every month we will randomly select one reader who has sent a tip. That person can choose to receive $50 through PayPal OR a $50 Amazon gift certificate.

We already receive quite a few tips a day from you (our amazing readers), so we decided to reward something many of you already do! If you submit multiple tips in one month you have that many more chances to win. All tips remain confidential if you wish. As a reminder… Tips can include but are not limited to:

• Your own review of BlackBerry software, accessories, or hardware that you submit for review & publication
• A hot new BlackBerry release or rumor
• New software or a software update (For example a new version of GTalk)
• A new theme release that we have not mentioned
• New or updated BlackBerry accessories
• Relevant news you found on another website
• Relevant leaked/insider information
• An interesting mobile website
• A tip on how we can improve BerryReview
• Anything BlackBerry related that you think we would find interesting
• In short: if we post an article about it you know you have the right idea

Rules:

• Tips must be sent to either tips@berryreview.com or by using our Contact Us Form. That way we can accurately record your tip to be included in the drawing.
• Every tip you send in is counted as another chance to win.
• Tips that have no relevance or are just plain ridiculous (based on our judgment) will not be included in the drawing.
• You must include a valid email address along with the tip or else we won’t be able to contact you if you win.
• If you are selected as the winner we will do our best to get you your prize as long as it is allowed by law. For example, if you live in Nigeria you are probably out of luck.
• We reserve the right to modify, end, or cancel this promotion at any time at our sole discretion.
• The winner can choose that the $50 USD prize be delivered through either PayPal OR an Amazon gift certificate. (Keep in mind that PayPal will probably deduct some fees.)
• Sadly Public Relations representatives and vendors are not eligible for this promotion.

Good luck!!!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Send Us A Tip & Win $50 – October Winner Announced!
• Send A Tip And You Could Win $50!!! September Winner Announced
• Send A Tip And You Could Win $50!!! May Winner Announced
• Send A Tip And You Could Win $50!!! January Winner Announced
• Send A Tip And You Could Win $50!!! June Winner Announced

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 4:00 pm. | Send A Tip And You Could Win $50!!! October Winner Announced | 2 comments |

Review: SoundID 200 Bluetooth Headset

Summary: SoundID was founded by an otologist (ear doctor) who sought to create bluetooth headsets that work with the natural sound processing of the ear. With that in mind, they created the SoundID200. The SoundID200 does one thing and does it right–gives you an earphone that safely and intelligibly delivers audio to the ear and a microphone that focuses in on a user’s voice and blocks out other sounds.

Fit: The SoundID200 gives you the option of using an ear loop like most headsets, but by default uses a smaller rubber cover with a nub that presses against the inside cavity of the ear. The default configuration is designed to hold the unit in your ear like a hearing aid–nice and snug without having to reach around the back of your ear. After using the SoundID200 for about a week I have to say, its pretty damn comfortable.

Sound: The rubber cover earpiece has a funnel that goes deep into the ear, delivering the audio straight into the ear. This makes the audio seem loud without having to hurt your eardrums with actual increased volume. Lastly, by funneling the sound deeper into the ear, the effects of background noises are decreased.

Volume: The SoundID200 also utilizes automatic volume control, which detects the how loud your surroundings are and adjust the volume accordingly. Thus, theoretically, you should never have to raise or lower the volume. But if you were to manually adjust the volume there is a single volume button. Hitting it once will raise the volume to max, twice will reduce the volume to low and three times will bring the volume back to midlevels. It might seem  weird at first, but the single button system really isn’t so complicated and makes it easier to simply raise or lower volume automatic volume control. While it used to take almost four clicks to raise the volume to max, now it only takes one.

Microphone Quality: The unit employs “black out” technology, which uses two microphones to filter out background noises. A few bluetooth headsets are employing this tech lately and SoundID employs it well.

Power: Micro usb connection, so no new power cords needed.

Aesthetic: Brushed dark blue faceplate makes it stick out from the normal headsets. The boom holds close to the cheek so no dangling. Overall, looks like a quality build.

Final Verdict: If you are looking for a no-nonsense bluetooth headset that that is sensitive to you hearing health, this is definitely a good buy.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Ugliest Bluetooth Headset Ever
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Posted by David for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 3:00 pm. | Review: SoundID 200 Bluetooth Headset | 3 comments |

You can sign up for the BerryReview Websignal Beta at:
www.berryreview.com/berryreview-websignal/

This new Websignal notifies you with a icon when there is a new article to check out on BerryReview. You can preview the title and then easily click on the homescreen icon to launch the article in your browser. While setting up the Websignal I was saddened to learn a few limitations of the system. For example, the Websignal can take up to 5-8 minutes to update on your BlackBerry. You also need to send a link to your device using our signup form and then click on the link from your BlackBerry and accept the RIM legal agreement to register for the Websignal.

The BerryReview Websignal is currently in beta but our private beta testers had no issues with the push updates. We plan on releasing the source code for the Wordpress plugin we wrote to implement Websignals in Wordpress but right now the code is quite raw. I am slowly creating a simple backend management page for Wordpress that I hope to get done before unleashing it on the public. If you know your way around PHP and Wordpress just send us an email using the Contact Us form and we will send over the code. Keep in mind you will need to register for a Websignal from RIM which may take a few weeks to get approved and setup. I am trying to work with RIM to simplify the signup process.

Please let us know about any issues or comments you have by using the Contact Us link at the top of the page! Keep in mind the Websignal will only show up after a new article has published on BerryReview. Also you may find the Websignal originally hides in your downloads folder in some themes.

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• Wicked Wordpress App Public Beta from ScreamingToaster
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• Pocket Informant For BlackBerry Public Beta! 40% Off During Beta
• BBText2IM Public Beta- Threaded SMS For BlackBerry

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 1:00 pm. | BerryReview Websignal Public Beta – BlackBerry News Pushed to Your BlackBerry! | 34 comments |

In case you didn’t win you still might want to check Elertify out. Elertify alerts you to new emails by reading them out loud to you when your phone is connected to your PC over USB. Essentially when your BlackBerry is connected to your PC the app can display a popup preview of messages for email, SMS, and calls and lets you hear who is calling or emailing/texting you using the built in voice synthesizer. The app is available now for $4.99 on sale until Nov 15th after which it goes up to $5.99.

From the description:

Are you tired of picking up your BlackBerry® every 15 seconds to check messages only to discover it’s ad from Ed’s Furniture Company or another silly joke from Aunt Kathy?
Now you can preview messages while you work on your PC with Elertify!
Elertify can display a popup message on your PC when you receive incoming Email, SMS and Phone calls on your BlackBerry. You can even hear who’s calling, texting, or emailing you by using the built voice synthesizer!
Elertify lets you choose which types of messages you want to receive: Email, SMS or phone calls.
You can set the popup display time and whether you want the voice synthesizer or a ringtone to play when you receive a message. You might even turn off the popups altogether and just listen to the voice synthesizer.
Now you won’t have to look at your BlackBerry unless you really want to.
Elertify works via the USB cable and is for the PC only.
You must install both the BlackBerry and Windows software to use Elertify.
If you use your PC a lot, you need Elertify!

Features:

• Popup Message with Sender & Subject
• Voice Synthesizer or Ringtones
• USB Auto Connect Option
• Auto Run at Startup
• Suspend Option
• Save Time – Stop checking your Berry
• USB cable Charges your BlackBerry

Minimum Requirements:

• BlackBerry OS 4.2.1 or Greater
• Windows 7, Vista, or XP w/ .NET Framework 3.0 or Greater
• BlackBerry desktop software or USB drivers installed
• USB Cable that came with your BlackBerry

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Giveaway: Elertify Uses Your PC to Announce Your Emails – 30 Free Copies!
• HOT! Google Voice BlackBerry App Download Link!
• Giveaway Winners: Documents To Go 2.0
• Pinger – Free Voice SMS Application
• Giveaway Winners: BlackBerry Resolution Prizes From Electric Pocket!

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 11:56 am. | Giveaway Winners: Elertify Makes Your PC Announce Emails | 9 comments |

I been testing out drivesafe.ly for the past few days which I find useful since I drive a lot during the day. With two BlackBerry’s on me at all times & on the road I like having a safe and easy way to know whether the message I just receive needs my immediate attention without being distracted from the road. With many states banning texting while driving & the fact that it is dangerous this comes in handy.  I have tested similar technologies that promised good service but they have not met expectations.

Drivesafe.ly is a simple application you install on you Berry you can get it from either App world or directly from their website. Note that there are two different version of the application a free version and the Pro Version, the free only reads up to 25 words and the pro up to 500 words and a few customization options.

Setup: Once you have the application installed just make sure you check the options you like, and Un-check the boxes you don’t need. There are options to select a female voice or a males voice for the transcript. It also includes the option to select Text messages or emails or both, including senders name, subject, and the body of the message. You can set the option to play via Speaker, earpiece, Bluetooth, & headphones, make sure you have the correct one selected.

Important part of setup: TURN OFF THE AUTO TEXT if you don’t want to annoy people, you can do that by going to settings > Advance settings found towards the bottom, and un-check the auto response boxes. The auto response replies to the reader that you have heard their message and that you will get back to them and tells them to download the application as well. The reason I mention this is because some people may get annoyed by this and may Blacklist your email. But there is a good side to this you can edit the Auto response create a custom response.  Drivesafe.ly does not require anyone to use the auto response or any of the options on there but some come set by default so make sure you explore through all the settings.

Text to Speech capabilities: This service really impressed me on how clearly the female voice sounds, (I did not test the male voice).  The service even reads to you words in Spanish, my brother and I even had some fun typing some bad words to see if it would read them, , Yes it does work. There is an option for acronyms to be read as well. The way the application works is by sending your email data over to drivesafe.ly which turns around and streams the voice over to the BlackBerry. For this application to work you must have a data plan for it to work. The transcription is fast on EDGE and faster response in turnaround time.

Security: I asked How safe is the data transfer?  & this is what I was told “Our application uses iSpeech.org. None of the information is stored. All of the audio is streamed”

Usability: The application itself is simple to use to turn on and off just go to the application and click on the ON/Off button. To Exit the application you need to go to the settings & click exit application or else the application runs on the back ground.  I was told that they are working on a convenience key feature for easy On and Off activation.  To stop a from playing simply click the end key on your Berry.  The application also disables when the profile is set to silent if you have that option check on the settings.

Cons: Only one major thing that I have seen is some users are not aware of the auto response message being sent and are in a way spamming their contacts with the auto response & those receiving the message may not like it. Make sure you turn that option off or change it to a personalized message. Second thing I did notice is that sometimes when you get multiple messages it did skip a few.

Overall I really like the service & how useful it can be, for those that don’t need it everyday I recommend trying the free version. This application will probably not stop everyone from texting & driving because if they get a must reply to message people will likely still use it. This service really helps me from having to take my Berry out of the Holster every time I get a message. What it really does help with is keeping users from getting distracted from the road because reading a message requires you to take your eyes off the road. I see some good use for this application, specially if they were to implement speech to text.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Review: Notes2Self – Record & Email Yourself Voice Memos
• Review: Voice on the Go – Listen to Your Email While You Drive
• Beta Review: Empower HTML Email Viewer Beta for BlackBerry
• SpinVox – Voicemail To Text Gets BlackBerry Client
• Google Voice Lets Your Forward AND Reply to SMS via Email!

Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 11:00 am. | Review: Drivesafe.ly Text to Speech for Email & SMS | 12 comments |

I just checked yesterday and it looks like Google has added it! Just fire up Google Maps and go to Menu->Layers->More Layers->Transit Lines. You will then see the NYC subway map overlayed on the regular map like you see in this screenshot.

If you don’t already have Google Maps pick it up at m.google.com/maps

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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• Google Maps 3.0.2 Released – No Change Log
• Free New York City Cab Zen Theme For BlackBerry 8100/8300/8800

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 11:00 am. | Google Maps Adds Overlay Layer for New York City Subway | 2 comments |

They even have screen protectors for the Storm2 and upcoming Bold 9700…

Check them all out at this link and let me know if you spot any gems.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Deal: BlackBerry Accessories 30% Off @ HandHeldItems.com
• Great Deals on Premium Themes from JC Designs/GadgetBean.Com
• BlackBerry Bold 9700 Now Available on Rogers Website
• Leaked Storm 9500 OS 5.0.0.230 & Bold 9700 OS 5.0.0.321
• 50% Off BlackBerry Accessories & Meritline – Free Shipping

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 10:00 am. | Great Deals on BlackBerry Accessories @ HandHeldItems.com | Leave a comment |

The free version comes with the following features:

• - Display Caller ID Alert
• - Display Email Alert
• - Bluetooth auto connect

You can pick up the free version in our store at this link.

The pro has quite a few more features:

• - Display Caller ID Alert
• - Display Email Alerts for all email accounts
• - Bluetooth auto connect
• - Display SMS/Text Alert
• - Send SMS/Text from your computer
• - Answer call from your computer
• - Ignore call from your computer
• - Activate Speaker phone from your computer
• - Control call volume from your computer
• - Place/Dial call from your computer
• - Disconnect call from your computer
• - Blurts will auto start on device reset
• - Options to control alerts

The paid version can be bought in our store also for $4.99 at this link.

A bit more information from their PR:

If you are like us, you sit in front of a PC most of the day with a BlackBerry in your pocket. Every time it rings you have to dig it out just to see who is calling, and you think to yourself, wouldn’t it be nice if the caller ID just popped up on my computer screen so I could see who is calling before going through the trouble to dig it out of my pocket?
Well that is exactly what Blurts is designed to do. A desktop app and a BlackBerry app talk via Bluetooth to display caller ID info and email alerts.
With the Bluetooth auto connect feature, don’t worry about missing an alert because you forgot to connect your phone to your PC.
No cables to tether your device! You have the freedom to keep your phone where you want it – your pocket, your purse, your holster.
And Blurts Pro takes it to the next level allowing you to place and answer (or ignore) calls from your PC. Also read and send SMS from your desktop.

Thanks also to rorosz for sending this tip as well.

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Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 9:00 am. | Blurts now out of Beta with both a Free & Paid version | 4 comments |

The new Canada plan will be called AT&T Nation with Canada which adds no long distance charges on calls to Canada along with 1,000 night and weekend minutes that work in both countries with rollover, A-List, and early night and weekends still available. No word on price.

Anybody excited?

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

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• AT&T Adding Free Unlimited Calling to 5 “A-List” Numbers

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 5:19 am. | AT&T Releasing Voicemail-To-Text & Canada Plans Next Week | 3 comments |

The app runs in the background but since it is using your GPS all the time along with cellular connection to upload data there may be a battery usage constraint for users so keep that in mind. On the other hand a user generated coverage map could go a long way to proving to your carrier that reception sucks for everybody in your location.

You cannot see the map from the application but it is available at www.iblipped.com. Let me know if you join in on the fun by downloading the application at this link.

From the description:

Today’s cellular phone network provider’s carrier maps are often out of date and/or inaccurate. The iBlipped site aims at gathering volunteered cell phone signal strengths to point out strengths and dead zones in cell phone providers coverage.
By taking users GPS and measuring their cell signal at regular intervals we can see just how good the coverage is.

Features:

• Works for both CDMA and UMTS carriers
• Signal Strength mapping using GPS
• Time or Distance based based recording
• Ability to halt/resume gathering
• Displays cell site information
• Upload signal strength to a website for analysis
• Uploading data through email.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• User Generated Wattpad Returns to App World
• SignalLocBB Beta – Free Signal Location/Info Tool
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• SignalLoc Now Supports The Bold – Free Utility Shows Cell Tower Information & More
• Preparing For The Bold – High Res AT&T 3G Coverage Map

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 4:31 am. | Help iblipped Create a User Generated Coverage Map | 9 comments |

Ringtone Expressions is relatively expensive at $24.95 with all things considered but the app really does simplify the process of creating ringtones from quite a few sources. It can even extract ringtones from flash based music and video players.

Giveaway Details: Gx5 has kindly offered 30 free copies of Ringtone Expressions to readers who comment on this article. Just leave your name and a valid email address in the email field and if you are randomly selected you will win a free copy! Comments must be left before Monday Nov 9th at 11:59PM EST to win and winners should hopefully be notified shortly thereafter. Only one comment per user will be considered!

From the description:

Ringtone Expressions is the fastest and easiest way to create your own custom Ringtones for your BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm Pre or Windows Mobile Phone using the music from your music library. This new found power we are giving you means you can now create an unlimited amount of ringtones and never have to pay for ringtones again. Ringtone Expressions only works on Windows.

Features:

• ******Get Ringtone Shuffler for absolutely free******
• Create ringtones instantly with Drag and Drop from iTunes
• Create ringtones instantly with Drag and Drop from Windows Explorer
• Create ringtones from songs purchased on the iTunes store
• Express your ringtones to friends on Facebook and Twitter
• Create ringtones from YouTube Videos
• Discover cool new ringtones from your Facebook friends
• Create ringtones from website with flash based music or video player
• Create ringtones from your computer’s microphone
• Your own Ringtone Expressions Facebook Widget
• Create different ringtones for special contacts
• Re-use your ringtone on future Phones
• Gorgeous Interface and Experience

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Aukido – Free Ringtone Downloads & Generator – Create Ringtones From YouTube Videos
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• Ringtone Shuffler – Random Ringtone For Each Call
• Giveaway: Elertify Uses Your PC to Announce Your Emails – 30 Free Copies!

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 5, 2009, 3:00 pm. | Giveaway: Ringtone Expressions – Easily Create Ringtones – 30 Free Copies | 95 comments |

You can pre-register for more information at:
www.sprint.com/blackberrycurve8530

Pricing and availability will be announced later but the device will come with three color options, Black, Royal Purple, and Red. The rest of the press release below seems to be justifying Sprint’s existence as a major carrier by comparing themselves to the AT&T iPhone plan and claiming that they have twice AT&T’s current 3G network and 14 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s. Pretty interesting read… especially the disclaimers in the footnotes.

BLACKBERRY CURVE 8530 SMARTPHONE COMING TO sprint FEATURING america’s most dependable 3g network and AFFORDABLE PRICE PLANS

Next generation of popular BlackBerry smartphone adds Wi-Fi, external multimedia buttons and BlackBerry App World; visit www.sprint.com/blackberrycurve8530
to pre-register for BlackBerry Curve 8530 from Sprint

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Nov. 5, 2009 – Sprint (NYSE: S) announced today it will add the new BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone to the wireless industry’s best lineup of devices. Beginning today, customers can visit http://www.sprint.com/blackberrycurve8530 to pre-register for this next generation of the popular BlackBerry wireless device on America’s most dependable 3G network¹ with the affordability of Sprint’s Everything Data plans featuring Any Mobile, Anytime^SM. Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone makes it even easier to enjoy music on-the-go with dedicated keys to skip to the next song on a playlist, pause or play. It comes preloaded with several multimedia applications including BlackBerry Media Sync, Sprint Music Store™, Sprint TV™ and Pandora™. It also boasts dedicated applications for a smoothly integrated social networking experience with Facebook^®, MySpace™ and Flicker™. BlackBerry Curve 8530 will be available in three color options – Black, Royal Purple and Red.

“BlackBerry Curve 8330 has been a tremendous success for Sprint. BlackBerry Curve 8530 continues that legacy with the addition of several important features that make it a winner for both entertainment and productivity,” said Kevin Packingham, Sprint Senior Vice President of Product Development. “This is one device that can really do it all with the email, calendar and contact synchronization BlackBerry is known for as well as the latest multimedia and social media features. We are anxious to bring it to our customers who also appreciate the strength of our network, the affordability of our rate plans and our Ready Now customer service experience.”

Sprint’s BlackBerry Curve 8530 will offer BlackBerry App World™ for instant access to thousands of applications. Sprint has employed an open Internet approach, and the Sprint Application Developer Program has been providing tools for third-party developers, since Sprint first launched the Wireless Web on its phones in 2001.

Sprint’s affordable Everything Data plans now include Any Mobile, Anytime, a feature that removes restrictive calling-circles and provides unlimited calling on the Sprint network to and from any U.S. wireless phone regardless of carrier, at no additional charge with Everything Data plans starting at $69.99 per month (all price plans exclude surcharges and taxes).

Sprint’s Simply Everything^SM offers nationwide unlimited calling, unlimited text and unlimited data, including email, social networking, Web browsing, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, for only $99.99 per month (plus taxes and surcharges). That is a $1,200 savings over two years versus a comparable AT&T iPhone^® plan². Both Everything Data and Simply Everything plans are available to existing customers without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.

The Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches more than 269 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports. The Sprint Networks (inclusive of data roaming) have twice the coverage of AT&T’s current 3G network and 14 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, both based on square miles³.

According to Sprint performance data, Sprint Mobile Broadband connections are successfully connected and maintained better than 99 out of 100 times. According to a recent independent network test conducted by PC World, Sprint tested as the most reliable network overall among US carriers in a 13-city performance test⁴.

Sprint is the first national carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology. Separate from its 3G investment, Sprint has announced plans to extend its 4G leadership by launching the next-generation service in numerous markets in 2009, including the recently launched markets of Atlanta, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Portland, Ore.

Sprint is also the only wireless carrier to offer Ready Now service with trained retail associates to work one-on-one with customers to personalize their BlackBerry Curve 8530, set up features and demonstrate how it works before the customer leaves the store. Customers have the choice of sitting down with a Sprint retail associate at the time of purchase or they can schedule an appointment for a later time at www.sprint.com/storelocator.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 48 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2009 and the first and only 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

¹ Dependable” based on independent, third-party drive tests for 3G data connection success, session reliability and signal strength for the top 50 most populous markets from January 2008 to July 2009. Not all services available on 3G and coverage may default to separate network when 3G unavailable. Coverage may not be available everywhere. Customers should refer to sprint.com/coverage for details.

² Savings based on publicly available information comparing AT&T Nation Unlimited plus required iPhone data plan and optional unlimited text messaging totaling $149.99/month for AT&T as of publication date, excluding taxes, surcharges and fees. iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.

³ Coverage comparison based on publicly available information as of 04/01/09 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners. Based on square miles. Coverage comparison based on publicly available information as of 04/01/09 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners. Based on square miles.

⁴ The PC World tests took place in March and April 2009 in 13 major markets across the country. In each location, testers measured download speed, upload speed and reliability. In all, 5,443 individual tests from 283 testing locations were conducted for each provider’s 3G service. Testing was one minute in duration, and network performance can be highly variable from neighborhood to neighborhood.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Verizon Wireless Announces BlackBerry Curve 8530 – Coming Nov 20th
• BlackBerry 8530 Curve Arrives in Verizon’s Systems in Black & Lavender
• Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8530 Gets Reviewed
• Sprint Any Mobile Anytime Plus Plan Announced – Includes BIS Email
• Sprint To Get BlackBerry 8330 Curve Sometime This Month

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, November 5, 2009, 2:06 pm. | Sprint Announces BlackBerry Curve 8530 – Coming With OS 5.0? | 2 comments |