Fresh from the announcement from RIM regarding the launch of BlackBerry 10 we now get notified of another new super feature for all BlackBerry users – BBM Voice.
For the times when you want to hear a friend’s laughter instead of reading LOL, BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM) is taking the social networking experience to a whole new level with an exciting new feature called BBM Voice. Research In Motion (RIM) today announced BBM version 7, a free update for the globally popular mobile social network, which will allow customers to make free voice calls to other BBM customers in the world over a Wi-Fi® connection*.
BBM is a fast, convenient and inexpensive service for BlackBerry® customers that gives them the ability to instantly chat with a friend, family member or colleague, and know when their message has been delivered, and read. With the new version of BBM, customers have a new option – they can talk with their BBM contact across the globe for free over a Wi-Fi connection. In an instant, customers can switch between texting and talking, or talk and text at the same time. For consumers, especially in developing markets, the BBM Voice feature offers an attractive way to talk with friends and family near and far, and staying in contact will be easier than ever as the holiday season approaches. For business customers, BBM Voice allows for enriched collaboration.
“BBM is the quick, easy way to stay connected to the people that matter to you, and with today’s announcement we’re expanding the capabilities of the service for deeper social engagement and even greater collaboration, beginning with voice functionality,” said T.A. McCann, Vice President of BBM and Social Communities at RIM. “The new BBM Voice feature is for when you’re travelling and you want to call home without worrying about phone charges. It’s for when you have news you can’t wait to share, for quickly explaining complicated details, and collaborating with colleagues. Whenever your ideas are too big for text, there’s BBM Voice.”
BBM Voice includes a number of convenient features.
-
Customers can initiate a BBM Voice call directly, or instantly switch from a BBM text chat to talk, and back again.
-
The split-screen feature allows customers to talk and text at the same time, so for example, they can send a picture to their contact while talking with them. They can also check other BBM text chats, check email, or navigate to other apps while engaged on a BBM Voice call.
-
BBM provides a visual indicator that shows when contacts are available for a voice call.
-
BBM Voice is compatible with any accessories a customer has now for making voice calls on their BlackBerry smartphone, such as a Bluetooth® or wired headset. Customers can also use BBM Voice over their BlackBerry smartphone’s speakerphone.
-
If it’s not an ideal time to talk, customers can simply choose to respond by texting back.
A rather unexpected addition to Google’s device list on Play was the announcement there would be an all new Chromebook for sale. Whilst we don’t have the $249 Samsung Chromebook for sale to the mass market yet we do have this Acer sitting in the Play store at £199.
Much is being made of the Acer selling for $199 Stateside and the exchange rate being left out of the mix. By comparison to Samsung’s Chromebook that is likely to sell for about £50 more there are a few big differences to justify the pricing. Firstly we have a Intel Celeron processor running at 1.1ghz, whereas the Samsung has a slower atom processor. Battery apparently lasts an alarmingly short 3.5 hours. A standard hard drive that will no doubt run slower than the included 16gb flash drive on the Samsung however it packs 320gbs. The Acer is also larger and heavier.
Could this be a flooding of the market with ultra cheap laptop’s running Chrome like we saw several years ago when Android was taking a tight robotic grasp of the mobile market. Only time will tell and it’s going to jolly exciting finding out, Chromebooks will be the way forward in this writer’s opinion.
Here is the press release from Acer: Continue Reading »
Gareth, James and Dan chat about their experiences with EE. Dan and Gareth both manage to purchase a new device from Google. James gets an invite to the Blackberry 10 launch even (next year)
Direct Download
iTunes
Download the iPhone App
Download the Android App
RSS Feed
Continue Reading »
Expansys were expecting stock of both Windows ATIV devices this month but they have today confirmed that the dates have been pushed back and fingers crossed it will now be December 4th. I suppose that if you were planning on buying one as a Christmas present at least you have a couple of extra weeks to save your pennies!
You can check out the two devices using the following links:
Posted by: James
If you have been eagerly awaiting to order the Nexus 4 from Google Play and you didn’t get in quick I’m afraid you are going to be disappointed. Here in Europe both the 8GB and 16GB are now showing as out of stock which either means the device has been rather popular or maybe LG didn’t make enough?
Both phones offer great value for money – the 8GB is only £239 and the 16GB at £279. If you fancy the Nexus 10 instead then that one is currently in stock although it clearly isn’t a Nexus 4 replacement but it does look to be a great large Android tablet.
If you have to get the Nexus 4 then head on over to Google Play and enter your email address so they can keep you in the loop.
Posted by: James
If you have been waiting for Nokia’s flagship Windows Phone 8 device then good news as you can grab one from tomorrow. Expansys will have a limited stock so you had better get in quick. SIM free the phone isn’t cheap at £544.99 but what a beauty it looks and it is available in white, red, black or yellow.
The Nokia Lumia 920 is the flagship Windows Phone 8 smartphone, including the latest advances in Nokia PureView imaging innovation. Using advanced floating lens technology, the camera in the Nokia Lumia 920 is able to take in five times more light than competing smartphones without using flash, making it possible to capture clear, bright pictures and video indoors and at night. It also compensates for hand movement while the photo is being taken.
The Nokia Lumia 920 also comes with Nokia City Lens, the latest addition to the Nokia location suite. By pointing the camera at a city street, City Lens overlays information about restaurants, shops, hotels and more on the surfaces of buildings, for the most intuitive way to explore surroundings. Nokia City Lens is the start of a new augmented reality experience that also enhances Nokia Maps, making it possible to move between maps view and augmented reality view to help people check their direction and surroundings. Along with enhancements to Nokia Drive and Nokia Transport, the Nokia location suite of services represents the most comprehensive, integrated mapping experience of any smartphone.
The Nokia Lumia 920 also comes with Nokia’s largest ever battery (2000mAh) and, for the first time, built-in wireless charging for an easy, convenient way to get more out of every day.
Posted by: James
I have been waiting for today for many months but at last we know that BlackBerry 10 is still on track and RIM will hold a launch event on January 30th, 2013 – WOOP!
You can catch the official press release below:
Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced today that it will hold its BlackBerry® 10 launch event on January 30th, 2013. The event will happen simultaneously in multiple countries around the world. This day will mark the official launch of its new platform – BlackBerry 10, as well as the unveiling of the first two BlackBerry 10 smartphones. Details on the smartphones and their availability will be announced at the event.
“In building BlackBerry 10, we set out to create a truly unique mobile computing experience that constantly adapts to your needs. Our team has been working tirelessly to bring our customers innovative features combined with a best in class browser, a rich application ecosystem, and cutting-edge multimedia capabilities. All of this will be integrated into a user experience – the BlackBerry Flow – that is unlike any smartphone on the market today,” said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of Research In Motion. “Thanks to our strong partnerships with global carriers and a growing ecosystem of developers, we believe our customers will have the best experience possible with BlackBerry 10. We are looking forward to getting BlackBerry 10 in the hands of our customers around the world.”
The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is the new compact version of the Samsung Galaxy S III. Featuring a large 4.0″ display, the S III Mini is great for viewing more content on one screen, reducing the need for scrolling and zooming out. Its HD Super AMOLED technology also means that videos and pictures come to life in amazingly clear, crisp colours.
This elegant but minimal smartphone comes with a fast 1GHz dual core processor that allows apps and games to load quickly, enabling people to enjoy seamless browsing, gaming, viewing and downloading. Perfect for budding Instagrammers, the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini delivers great images using a 5 megapixel camera, which also has Best Shot mode that takes a burst of photos and then cleverly selects the best one.
Sylvia Chind, Head of Devices at Three, said, “Not only is the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini a top performing phone but it’s also full of innovative touches like the notification light, which can be customised to flash a different colour to alert users to new messages or calls.”
The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is available with no upfront cost on the Ultimate Internet 500 plan for £28 a month, and on The One Plan, which offers a fear-free mobile internet experience with a guarantee of no surprise out-of-bundle data charges, for £32 a month.
The smartphone is also available on Pay As You Go for £269.99 plus a top up. All in One 15 costs £15 and gives 30-day access to All-You-Can-Eat data along with 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts. Or All in One 25 costs £25 and offers All-You-Can-Eat data, 500 minutes and 3,000 texts and for a 30-day period.
With EE rolling out their 4G service just over week ago many people have been eagerly awaiting to purchase a SIM only plan. Unfortunately the network Tweeted the following statement earlier today:
Sorry folks – there’s been a date change for our SIM-only plans. We expect to bring them in the next 2 weeks. Stay tuned for the new date.
Not the best of news for those of you that have been looking forward to SIM only but I suppose good things come to those who wait.
Source: techcrunch
Posted by: James
Connect
Connect with us on the following social media platforms.