Use the Sun to Charge Your BlackBerry!

It seems apt that I am writing this with Earth Day coming up on April 22nd. Green is all the rage these days and while even Al Gore uses a BlackBerry there is no getting away from the fact that they do run on electricity. So, while it might be the size of a squirrel’s paw, the little device does leave a carbon footprint.

Thankfully, there is a solution for those who want to have as little impact on the environment as possible – the Solio Hybrid 1000, a portable solar panel recharger.

Simple Cradle Helps with Desktop Clutter

Looking to de-clutter your desk? If you are like me, you have cables running all over the place and recharging your BlackBerry can often involve hunting down an outlet and your recharging cable. I have tried the BlackBerry multifunction desktop recharging platform that also had ports for earphones and found it very handy. The Seidio Desktop Recharging Cradle is a stylish, albeit simpler, desktop solution to desktop clutter and an easy-to-use accessory for both Pearl and Curve versions of the BlackBerry.

The Only Bluetooth Headset with the BlackBerry Name On It! 

Innovative and sleek, the Blackberry HS-655 delivers Plantronics technology in a stylish BlackBerry livery. With 128-bit encryption for enhanced privacy and digital signal processing the HS-655 features advanced technology in one of the most attractive packages out there. The fact that it bears the BlackBerry logo means you can be assured it is optimized for use with most BlackBerry devices. It is also compatible with the BlackBerry Power Station, making for an ultra-convenient charging solution.

Even with so many excellent carrying solutions available for BlackBerry smartphones, Research in Motion's line of BlackBerry OEM cases and skins remain a top choice with BlackBerry users everywhere. There are three reasons why BlackBerry-brand accessories are top sellers: they are widely available (walk into your local carrier store or click into your local online store a la ShopCrackBerry.com and you are bound to find them); they carry the BlackBerry logo (cool!); and just like BlackBerry smartphones, they are simply Well-Designed and Well-Executed Products.

When it comes to selecting a holster for your BlackBerry, there are only a few things that one need consider. Does it keep my Berry safe? Does it fit well? Does it look good and does it allow me to access my phone in a timely manner? Does it have a sleeper magnet?

The Blackberry Leather Holster with Swivel Belt clip addresses all of these points admirably and is available for the BlackBerry Curve, Pearl and 8800 series smartphones in a variety of colors.

RIM takes a beating in stock market turmoil

We all love our BlackBerrys for sure, but the maker of the little device needs a little more love after the company took a beating on stock markets amid some major turmoil on world markets.

Research in Motion trades on the Toronto Stock Market (TSX) and on Tuesday and Wednesday that market took everyone on a wild ride . RIM, by virtue of its dominance in the smartphone market, has become a bellwether stock and on Tuesday its shares dropped 11 percent on fears of a US recession. With other key tech stocks like Apple and Motorola taking a dive there are fears a global recession will slow up the tech, computer and smartphone market. Of course, there is no evidence for that but who needs empirical evidence to get in the way of speculation when it comes to market journalists.

The good news is that RIM remains a well-run and strong company. Despite the big push from Apple and its iPhone, RIM has maintained a strong market share and commands 39 percent of the world smartphone market. Fears are being voiced that an economic downturn will impact the consumer market for electronic devices although, again, that is speculation.

The reality is that RIM’s ups and downs are more a reflection of a general jitteriness in the markets as a whole. It will be interesting to see how the company positions itself if indeed the economy does go into recession. The company is aggressive and is diving into Asian markets – areas that may not suffer as much as the US.

It’s worth noting that RIM’s stock was trading at just over $50 a year ago, was up to $126 in October and closed at $88 on Wednesday. So a rough ride and it isn’t over yet. 

The Z9: To use it is to love it

The BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth headset blends innovation and serious good looks to create the device to beat in the competitive headset market. This Australian company’s design has garnered raves and awards and marks a new standard in headsets. Over-the-top raving? Maybe, but this unit is worth the plaudits it has received. Stylish design, innovative noise reduction, echo cancellation technology and dual microphones mark this as the gold standard of headset design.

Must Have Accessory for Every BlackBerry User (& Abuser!)
The Blackberry Power Station has nothing to do with dodgy 1980s supergroups, but is a great way to recharge your BlackBerry, BlackBerry HS-655 Bluetooth headset and extra battery simultaneously with one sleek desktop unit. With a retail price of $99.99 (just $69.95 in the CrackBerry store), the BlackBerry Power Station is a simple but effective accessory from Research in Motion which not only powers up your Berry and accessories but also gives you easy access to the device’s hands-free functions. While I tried the Power Station for the BlackBerry Curve, RIM also offers the product for both the BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry 8800 series smartphones at the same price.

Stylish Italian styling sets RexRegina apart
Last month, I reviewed a new side pouch by Smartphone Experts so I was eager to see how the RexRegina Winston side pouch stacked up.

The RexRegina Winston Side Pouch features a horizontal design for those who prefer belt clips and horizontal insertion of the BlackBerry. It is designed to protect your BlackBerry against scratches and dings and is small enough to fit into purses or bags too. But that isn’t why you’d pick a RexRegina case. The real reason for picking this side pouch is the leather styling. And at just $49.95 it's affordable as well as elegantly stylish and functional.

Looking and Sounding Good: Three Generations of Folding/Sliding Motorola Bluetooth Headsets Reviewed and Compared

As a newcomer to the world of Bluetooth technology, I was both intrigued by and apprehensive at the prospect of trying out three generations of Motorola Bluetooth headsets. I needn’t have worried. Motorola has successfully maintained a great tradition of mixing aesthetics and ergonomics and its evolving line of folding/sliding headsets proved to be functional, stylish, comfortable and a snap to use.

Motorola has gone through a number of styles and incarnations of the Bluetooth headset. The CrackBerry.com store carries most of them and each offers the user something different. Whether it be in-ear, over-the-ear, behind the ear, sliding/folding, cost effective or stylish with a bit more of a price tag, Motorola have effectively blanketed the market. I decided to review Motorola’s currently-available three generations of sliding/folding headsets. The solid HS-850 ($39.99) is the originator (a.k.a. oldest) of the bunch, while the small and stylish H700 ($69.95) is still Motorola’s best selling headset, which updates provides an update to the design and technology found in the HS-850. With the innovative and new H800 Slider Bluetooth headset ($79.95) with RapidConnect, Motorola has taken a slight change in direction from the H700 and HS-850’s popular design, but has delivered a unit capable of competing with the latest generation of high-tech Bluetooth headsets on the market. I found each offered something unique for most users and proved that going wireless can be both fun and practical.

Funky SidePouch Blends Form and Function
The stylish Smartphone Experts SidePouch marries form and function and provides Curve users with a useful accessory that, not only looks good, but also provides the BlackBerry with a good level of protection. Available in five snazzy colors, the leather cases are priced at an extremely reasonable $19.95 and are designed to fit the BlackBerry Curve series of phones. Smartphone Experts also has SidePouch cases available for the BlackBerry 8800 series and BlackBerry Pearl. 

While North America eagerly awaits the arrival of the 8820 it looks like Spain is going to be the first country to get the Wi-Fi enabled and GPS-equipped smartphone. The BlackBerry 8820 will be introduced by provider Orange next week according to a RIM press release .

According to the release to meet various security requirements for users accessing a Wi-Fi connection, the BlackBerry 8820 is compliant with Wi-Fi security protocols including WEP (Wireless Equivalency Protocol), WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and WPA2, as well as Cisco Compatible Extensions for simple, secure connectivity with Cisco wireless solutions. For enterprises that require Wi-Fi users to access the corporate network through a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

The BlackBerry 8820 also includes built-in GPS that provides support for a wide range of location based applications and services. This smartphone from Orange Spain also comes with BlackBerry Maps pre-installed, providing users step-by-step with driving directions, which is useful when you are zipping in and out of lanes down Las Ramblas in Barcelona looking for that awesome paella place.

For further information go to: www.blackberry.com

Perhaps it’s time for an eleventh commandment. Thou shall not peek at thy BlackBerry while thine priest is speaking.

According to a 20-city survey conducted by AOL, 22 percent of people confessed to sneaking a peek at their e-mail devices during a church service. The survey asked people if their CrackBerry addictions extended into church and the responses were surprising.

One of the main cities of the Bible belt, Atlanta, Georgia, turned out to be most addicted when it came to sneaking a peek during church services. Washington reported the most addicts, but they were a little more discreet when it came to playing BrickBat during fire and brimstone sermons.

The cities with the most attentive church goers? Minneapolis, Tampa and Phoenix. Go figure.

Perhaps priests and pastors should simultaneously e-mail their services to their congregations.

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Research in Motion didn’t take much time to fire back at critics who have suggested that
Wi-Fi security concerns would mean limited enterprise use for the 8820.

The 8820 model will offer Wi-Fi as well as traditional cellular connectivity.

According to PC World , upon the product release this month, many analysts raised security concerns around the use of Wi-Fi for business, saying Wi-Fi security fears reduced this channel to harmless Web surfing, albeit at a higher throughput. Other analysts have warned of security risks in public unlicensed hot spots.

But a RIM spokesman said the problems lie with end users who don't secure their Wi-Fi access points. He also recommends enterprise customers deploy a virtual private network (VPN).

Although 8820 was designed for the enterprise, RIM expects adoption to be highest among those industry verticals already known for Wi-Fi use, like health-care, retail, manufacturing and hospitality.
To read the full story go here .

The new wi-fi-enabled BlackBerry 8820 could provide RIM with “significant” opportunities in Europe, according to a RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky.

The new device is due to come out in North America later this summer. So far, only AT&T has signed up to carry the device.

The 8820 acts as a regular cellphone and can also connect to the Internet through a wi-fi connection at home or at “hotspots.” This innovation allows user to connect to the Internet, and make phone calls, send e-mails or browse the Web without incurring charges from their wireless provider.

According to Abramsky, these dual-mode handsets are still in the “early adopter stage,” and carriers are concerned about them eating into their usage revenue. He also suspects the device isn’t likely to make big initial inroads in the United States because of large the large, cheap data plans already in existence.

However, RIM is looking toward Europe where they are hoping the 8820 could gain particular traction because high landline and cellular pricing there makes dual-mode handsets much more attractive.

On the other side of the earth, however, RIM may face more challenges making inroads into Japan.
RIM unveiled a new version of the device this week in one of the largest markets in the world. The Japanese language version of the BlackBerry will go on sale from July 23, and will be offered by Japan's largest cellphone operator NTT DoCoMo, but only to corporate clients for now.

The BlackBerry is the world leading mobile e-mail device but has yet to make a huge impact in Japan. Which is odd given Japan’s reputation for technology adoption and work ethic.

A software industry association today published a list of the most important developments of the past decade and the BlackBerry cracked the top 10.

According to the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) 10 developments confirmed to their criteria and had a “significant impact on electronic commerce” in the past 10 years.
“E-commerce has provided a significant engine for the growth of the global economy and has sparked the delivery of a multitude of innovative products and services,” said SIIA president Ken Wasch.

“It is no surprise to see Google rank as the most important e-commerce development in the past 10 years. But the list also includes several e-commerce tools that have become so commonplace that we almost forget they did not exist 10 years ago,” added Wasch.

SIIA Top 10 Most Significant E-commerce Developments of the Past 10 Years:

1. Google (September 1998)

2. Broadband penetration of US internet users reaches 50 per cent (June 2004)

3. EBay auctions (September 1997)

4. Amazon.com (IPO May 1997)

5. Google AdWords (2000)

6. Open standards (HTML 4.0 1997)

7. Wi-Fi (802.11 1997)

8. User-generated content (YouTube 2005)

9. ITunes (2001)

10. BlackBerry (1999)

The list was compiled by policy and industry experts from a wider list of developments chosen by SIIA staff. Voting occurred over the past month.

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