It was back in November when we posted some of the first live images of the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 here on CrackBerry. These photos might not be breaking news, but as BlackBerry lovers it's impossible to not love checking out some fresh pre-release pics. The crew of Tecnomovida landed some new photos of the upcoming Pearl 9100 which show off this little beauty. Nothing really new to look at per se, but some of the photos are at different angles than have been posted on previously which give even more perspective to what the new 3G Pearl will be like to hold. The device is still sporting the SureType keyboard and running OS 5.0.0.449, and also has some Curve 85xx style media keys on the top.

I'll be off to CTIA in Vegas next week where new devices often get announced by carriers and manufacturers. That being the case, I'm not expecting to see an announcement on the new Pearl next week. It does seems to be getting closer, however, so hopefully we'll hear about it "officially" sometime between CTIA and WES at the end of April. Hit the jump for some more shots.

Not really much to write home about here (unless of course someone at home has an 8530) but it looks like the Curve 8530 update we thought was coming from Verizon will indeed be arriving next week. According to our latest intel, OS 5.0.0.508 will be available from Verizon starting Monday 3/22. From the sounds of it, the new software will be ready to go for both OTA and desktop installs. The site listed in the original PDF is now live but the software is still listed as "Coming Soon". Hang in there over the weekend, we'll see for sure come Monday if this holds true or not.

Back on St. Patty's day we announced here on the blogs that Need for Speed Shift 3D for the BlackBerry Storm2 finally hit App World. This is one of the games that was demoed back at the BlackBerry Developer showing off RIM's newly announced Open GL APIs. With the 3D version of the game now available for the Storm2, I gave it a download and walkthrough and also compared to the 2D version available for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 (does not support Open GL) as well as the version of Need for Speed Shift available for the iPhone in Apple's App Store. Watch the video above to see how it unfolds and read on for some more details.

Howdy everyone. Hope you all had a great week. As per usual, lots of good stuff in the roundup this week. Interestingly enough, all three of the 'In Case You Missed it' titles are freebies as well. Lots of free stuff this week! We've also got 25 copies of WordSearch to give away. Covered this week in the App Roundup are the following titles:

Giveaway of the Week: WordSearch

Freebies of the Week: MMAJunkie.com App for BlackBerry, Personal Assistant, HSBC HK Business Banking Launcher, Thomson Reuters News Pro

In Case You Missed It: Social Business Communicator, GoDaddy Mobile App for BlackBerry, Opera Mini 5 Out of Beta

New This Week: Goal Keep, Quick Shot, WiFi Meter

Cool at BlackBerry App World: WWF Earth Hour App

 

The NCAA tournament is in full swing, and some CRAZY games yesterday made for a great start. I'm sure the upcoming games will be just as nuts, so you won't want to miss a thing. To keep you updated when you're out and about, CBS has brought us CBS Sports Men's College Tourney for BlackBerry. The free app gives you news headlines, scores, player stats, bracket tracking and more. The app will keep you informed when you're at work or away from a TV/PC so you don't have to worry about not knowing whats going down. It looks like the app works on most devices (US only) and is 100% free. Head to Blackberry App World to download.

• More information and download of CBS Sports Men's College Tourney >>

The Case-Mate Hybrid case offers two layers of protection for your device, and brings a sweet look along with it. The base of the case is a silicone skin, and its covered by a hard plastic shell to hold on tight. It wraps around the entire device, leaving only the front screen and keyboard exposed. It has covers on the side buttons, and offers a good amount of protection that should keep your device safe from a few drops on the pavement (we've all been there). The case is a bit bulkier than some, but the overall two-part design is very cool. The Case-Mate Hybrid Case sells for $29.95 at ShopCrackBerry.com and is available for the Bold 9700, Tour 9630 and Storm2.

More Best-Selling BlackBerry Tour Cases:

Recently updated, BerryBuzz is on sale for 50% off today as our Deal of the Day and you can pick it up for just $2.97. BerryBuzz is a simple app that lets you customize your device LED and alerts for different apps on your device. Want blue for BBM? Purple for Facebook? Orange for AIM? You can do them all and even create custom colors. Set alerts for IM apps, the Gmail app, tasks, calendar, all your email addresses and more. New additions to version 2.2 include the ability to backup and restore settings to your media card. A free trial is available, but don't think on it too long as you'll want to get it at the sale price before the day is over.

• More information and download of BerryBuzz >>

Just in case you were wanting to sign up for this $5/month unlimited service, you can now get your push to talk on through Verizon. The offering comes as an application which is currently available through the Verizon application centre. After downloading and installing, you'll still need to speak to Verizon to have the service fully added on but at least you'll have the app installed already.

• Make quick exchanges. - Push one button to contact team members or clients.
• Place group calls. - Hold conversations with as many as 50 total participants.
• Check team member status with Presence.- See who is available for a Push to Talk call.
• Manage contacts for the entire company online. - Add, delete and assign contacts, create groups and more.
• Use one number, one device. - Make and receive voice calls without needing a second device or phone number.
• Enjoy coast-to-coast coverage. - Connect on our nationwide broadband network, and get expanded coverage across the United States within the National Enhanced Services Rate and Coverage Area. 

As expected, business clients are being targeted with this service offering and it does come with a few caveats. First, you need a PTT enabled device. Secondly, if you are roaming the service will not work. All minor caveats mind you but still stuff you should be aware of.

• Check Out The Verizon Website For More Information On Push to Talk >>

Well, this is rather interesting to see. The above shots were recently posted over at BBLeaks. Now, while the pics are mentioned to be of OS 6.0 they are clearly just images of what might be. Nothing appears to be running on a device here. Oddly enough, they look all too familiar to the concierge app that was shown off at DevCon and again in a recent RIM held webinar. So, while we can't say for certain this is what it's going to look like or definitively confirm the accuracy (nor does BBLeaks), what do you think if this was indeed the case? Looks entirely too crowded for my liking, if they are indeed the real deal. Share your thoughts.

Source: BBLeaks

Contest and Sale: Chance to win a Free 5BARz Road Warrior; Save $20 if you purchase the 5BARz Road Warrior from ShopCrackBerry.com by March 26th. Full Details below...

We got a new accessory into the ShopCrackBerry.com store this week that I haven't had a chance to use personally yet, but in speaking with some of the folks who have used it and checking around the net it is getting glowing reviews.... and I'm talking about the 5BARz Road Warrior by Cel Lynx.

With a retail price of $299.95, the 5BARz Road Warrior isn't what you'd call a cheap accessory, but for those who are continously dealing with weak signal strength on their BlackBerry due to where they live, work, drive, travel, etc. this is an accessory you'll want to check out. The 5BARz Road Warrior Cell Signal Booster is plug and play - just make sure the unit is plugged into an AC source or car adapter and the other end into your BlackBerry (or other smartphone). From there you should see your weak signal strength immediately take a big jump up, seeing those 5 full bars where you normally would see less. Be sure to check out the video above and 5BARz product page for more details. And we'll definitely be following up with a more in-depth review on the blogs here soon.

5BARz Sale: Until March 26th, you can save $20.00 on the 5BARz Road Warrior when you purchase it from ShopCrackBerry.com. All you need to do is use coupon code 5barz at checkout. Sale ends March 26th at Midnight PST.

Contest - Win a Free 5Barz!: Simply leave a comment to this blog post letting us know how owning a 5BARz Road Warrior could help you in your day to day BlackBerry use and you'll be entered to win. Contest entry closes this Sunday, March 21st, at Midnight PST.  Good luck!!

One of the first videos I ever did up for CrackBerry.com was a BlackBerry 101 on How to Install the MicroSD Card into your BlackBerry Smartphone. To this day it is still one of the most popular articles viewed on CrackBerry.com though back in October 2007 there were only a few BlackBerry device models on the market that actually accepted a MicroSD card. We're into 2010 now so I figured it was time to do a little update covering both MicroSD card installation and SIM card installation.

Warning: I did this video one take, no excuses. It's a bit long and tedious (I like vids to be 3 or 4 mins tops but dang there are a lot of BlackBerrys on the market these days), but seriously...I did a few extra takes and they weren't any better. But at least this way you can follow the trials and triumphs as I walk through the BlackBerry lineup starting with the Bold 9700 and going down the line to earlier devices. Since this topic of video has helped sooo many people over the years, I'll be sure to follow up in the months ahead with some shorter / concise by device model clips. In the meantime, enjoy the show. :) 

SmrtGuard is one of those apps that just works. It gives you peace of mind that your device is safe and can be remotely wiped of all data should it ever be lost or stolen. You can backup/restore data, remotely wipe and locate the device, protect your SIM from being swapped out and more. I love having it installed as it can be used both as a backup tool and has loads of security features. Everything can be managed from an easy web-interface (check out what it looks like after the jump) and it just does what it does. Hit the video above for a quick look. SmrtGuard is available in the CrackBerry App Store for monthly, semi-annual and annual subscriptions. A free version is available in BlackBerry App World that gives you the remote tracking, remote wipe, personal guardian and SIM guardian all for free (so you have no reason not to try it). Check the links below for more info.

• More information on SmrtGuard in the CrackBerry App Store >>
• More information on SmrtGuard Free in BlackBerry App World >>

I'm sure you all remember the Facebook announcement from Research In Motion announcing the cool things coming for BlackBerry Messenger. Well, here is one of the things they had planned for those upcoming days and weeks.

You can now add your BlackBerry Messenger barcode to your Facebook profile using the new Barcode generator app on Facebook. While it's not likely what we were all hoping for, it's kinda cool to play around with. You can add your PIN, change your barcode colors and background. One more pic after the jump of some of it in action, although..at the moment the Facebook app seems to be having some troubles.

Wordpress has released their latest update to Wordpress for BlackBerry. Version 1.1 came shortly after the Tumblr announcement we seen yesterday. I guess maybe they fet some pressure from Tumblr. A lot of enhancements came with this release, especially for BlackBerry Storm owners out there that may be making use of the app. A feature breakdown list is as follows:

• Comment Notifications
• Geotagging of Posts
• Improved UI interaction on Touch devices
• introduction of Touch Gestures: Sliding a finger to the left or right quickly on the Comment screen displays the next or previous comment.
• Photo Resizing improvements with user defined dimensions
• New File Browser with thumbnails support
• Overall enhancements to the speed and stability of the app 
• Additional Language Support: English, Italian, Finnish, French, German and finally, Indonesian and Portuguese

For anyone who makes use of Wordpress as a CMS this app just keeps getting better. If you do run into issues however, you can check out the Wordpress for BlackBerry support forums. Wordpress for BlackBerry is available in BlackBerry App World or via OTA download from the Wordpress site.

• Click Here To Learn More About Wordpress For BlackBerry>>