News

New YouTube player for BlackBerry

While I was checking out crackberry.com earlier today I spotted that they mentioned a new YouTube player was available to download for free. I like free stuff so the app was downloaded straight away.

Streaming YouTube videos on a BlackBerry never gives you the quality picture you may find on other devices but it is still good to have a decent app for when you want it. If your BlackBerry is running OS 4.6 and up then I think this is a much better solution than heading over to YouTube on your BlackBerry web browser.

This new one is rather attractive. As you can see it’s extremely colourful and it’s is dead simple to navigate.

More after the break.

Are RIM working on a BlackBerry Pad?

The guys over at bbleaks.com are convinced that RIM are currently working on a BlackBerry pad.

Apparently they have inside information and if past history is anything to go on then they may well be right. The word on the street is that RIM have ordered 8.9" display screens from Hon Hai.

Please note that the image here is a mock up of what the BlackBerry tablet may look like. It’s not a photo.

With the Apple iPad recently released I think all the big manufactures will be following suit over the next year or two.

Are you a BlackBerry user? Would you use a BlackBerry tablet? Please let us know your thoughts in the forum.

Personally, I think RIM will have to do a blooming good job to make a tablet better than the iPad. Will I get a BlackBerry pad? Of course I will. I’m an addict!

Posted by: James

Twitter for Android

Twitter for Android is now available for download in the Android Market.

Unfortunately it will only work on devices that have Android 2.1 so if you are still using an earlier version then I’m afraid you will have to carry on using your current Twitter app.

I’m not an Android user and I don’t currently have a 2.1 device laying around but I know a man that has. Phil Nickinson over at Android Central has published a video of him using the new application.

Head on over to Android Central and check it out.  We would love to hear your comments in the forum. And nice video Phil!

Posted by: James

UK to only get one of the new BlackBerry Pearl 3Gs

Yes you did read the header correctly. I have been told today that the UK will only be getting the Blackberry Pearl 3G 9105.

That’s the one with the T9 keyboard. Why this decision has been made kind of baffles me but that’s the way it is. If RIM were only to supply one of them here in the UK then I do think they have made the right choice in terms of which of the ‘Pearls’ it is. I quite often speak with people who say they are so used to typing with there feature phone they couldn’t handle using a full QWERTY keyboard. So, in my opinion, the BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 will enable those users to make the transition over to a BlackBerry without making the change complicated.

As the 9105 is packed with the same high end features as on other bigger BlackBerry devices, users are going to get a decent specced compact messaging device. It wouldn’t surprise me if all the major UK carriers picked this one up.

More after the break.

Apples iPad 3G goes on sale in USA Friday 30th

If you are in the United States or know someone that is then Friday 30th April (yes, that’s tomorrow if you are reading this today!) is a big day in the Apple world. The Apple iPad 3G will go on sale. You will have to wait until 5PM to get one and clearly some shops will have queues so turning up early may be a good idea.

The iPad 3G comes with a micro sim built in and AT&T will be the carrier of choice. Prepaid data plans will be available for $14.99 (250MB cap) and $29.99 (unlimited).

The Apple iPad 3G will be priced as follows:

• $629 for 16GB
• $729 for 32GB
• $829 for 64GB

Here in the UK we are still waiting for the launch of the iPad and our prices are not yet confirmed. Both Matt and I have been lucky enough to get the Wi-Fi only iPad imported and we are both loving the experience. You can view Matt’s iPad unboxing video here.

If you are off to get a 3G version tomorrow I wish you the best of luck.

Posted by: James

BEST BUY GRAND OPENING OFFERS

Best Buy, a leading consumer electronics retailer, is set to open its doors to the public on Friday, 30th April at 7am. The highly anticipated first store will open to expectant crowds at the West Thurrock Retail Park, Essex and will be marked with four days of activities over the early May Bank Holiday weekend, with plenty of amazing deals, competitions and entertainment.

The doors will open at 7am on Friday to allow technology enthusiasts from the local area and London to take advantage of the great deals on offer before heading to work. The rest of the bank holiday weekend will be themed to showcase the breadth and depth of Best Buy’s offer with a focus on music, movies and games.

Best Buy is offering a wide range of amazing deals during the weekend, saving early customers hundreds of pounds on the latest and greatest technology. Samsung’s current 32" LED HD TV is available for only £399.99, equating to a saving of £300, whilst the Toshiba 32" HD-ready LCD TV is available for only £179.99!  Best Buy is also offering the latest Blu-Ray content, with the Avatar Blu-ray and DVD combi pack at just £9.99.  Meanwhile, football fans will have an extra reason to celebrate this, as foremost amongst the offers to look out for is Best Buy’s pledge to give customers their money back on any TV over £499 bought before 5^th June if England wins the final.

Lots more info after the break…

Nokia N8 Promo Video

Earlier in the week we announced the launch of Nokias first Symbian 3 handset, the N8.

The Nokia N8 looks to be packed full to bursting point with top end features and to give you a little taster of what is to come Nokia have given us a promotional video, and what a nice video it is too.

If you didn’t see our post the other day here are just a few of the N8s great features:

• 3.5 inches Capacitive Touchscreen display
• supports multi-touch gestures
• Symbian^3 Operating System*
• 12-megapixel Camera
• Video – 720p at 30 frames per second
• HDMI output
• Divx Support
• web TV feature

Check out the video below and please let us have your thoughts on the forum.

HP to buy Palm!

HP and Palm today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which HP will purchase Palm, a provider of smartphones powered by the Palm webOS mobile operating system, at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash or an enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction has been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors.
The combination of HP’s global scale and financial strength with Palm’s unparalleled webOS platform will enhance HP’s ability to participate more aggressively in the fast-growing, highly profitable smartphone and connected mobile device markets. Palm’s unique webOS will allow HP to take advantage of features such as true multitasking and always up-to-date information sharing across applications.

Nokia E72 gets update and is also now available in white

With free satellite navigation rolling out to Nokia devices the E72 is the latest to get OVI Maps with free voice guided navigation.

Today’s update also includes improved overall performance for email, contacts, calendar and browser and Nokia E72 owners will also be able to listen to internet radio.

The OVI Maps Sat Nav is not something I have tried but I will be reviewing it shortly so watch this space.

Nokia have also announced that the E72 will now be available in white and this new edition will come with the above update pre – installed.

Not sure when we will see the white version here in the UK as at present it is only showing on the Nokia Asia website.

If you have an E72 please use your Nokia software updater to grab the update and enjoy.

Posted by: James

Palm Pre sales a ‘disaster’

Store staff in Carphone Warehouse and O2 shops claim sales of Palm Pre device have been terrible.

Palm Pre sales have been a disaster, claim staff in O2 and Carphone Warehouse stores. This follows news that Palm is to be put up for sale. Many stores have registering zero sales.

An O2 spokesperson said: “Palm Pre sales are in line with our expectations.”

But one store manager said “Our store has sold hardly any Palm Pres, It never stood a chance against the iPhone and they both advertise themselves as doing the same things”.

A Carphone staffer added: “It is a good device but it doesn’t really have a place in the market. No one knows who Palm is.  So Nokia, Sony Ericsson and the iPhone will always be preferred.”

The Pre is available exclusively on O2 contracts. It was also launched on a premium £35 per month tariff but has since become free on all tariffs to “shift stock” staff claim.

According to O2 forums, sales were so low many smaller stores stopped selling the Pre. Other shop staff have reported software and hardware issues including freezing, poor battery life, and faults with its slide track.

I am certainly not surprised by this news. When I reviewed the Palm Pre I thought much the same as most people that the New Web OS was great but sadly let down by the cheap feeling hardware. Will Palm get some good news one of these days?

Posted by: James