Google has announced today that they will soon be discontinuing support for their Google Sync for BlackBerry app. The app, which has since been replaced by BIS calendar sync, will no longer be supported after June 1, 2012. This isn't the first Google BlackBerry app to hit the dumpster as Google stopped supporting their Mail app late last year.

From the Google Blog:

Beginning June 1, 2012, we're ending our support for Google Sync for BlackBerry. If you already have the app installed, you'll still be able to use it; however it will not be available for download after June 1. If you currently use Google Sync for BlackBerry, we encourage you to switch to BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) or the Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server going forward. These alternatives offer a better overall experience, as you can sync your email messages, calendar and contacts through a single service. 

I'll be honest, I'm pretty ticked about this one. I've been using the Sync app forever since I have multiple family calendars, and without it I'd be lost. While it's good that it will still work at least, it's a drag that it won't be supported after June. Anyone else in the same boat? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Phonescoop

While Oracle is in a hefty battle against the likes of Google now, there was once a time when they had played with the idea of seeking to purchase RIM and even Palm to take on Google and Apple. As noted by Oracle Corp Chief Executive Larry Ellison, Oracle spent quite a bit of time weighing out their options only to ultimately decide that it was a bad idea.

An interesting situation to say the least especially when you consider this all supposedly happened before HP took over Palm. We know now that RIM is open to options but it makes you wonder what would have happened if Oracle approached RIM back when Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie were still heading up the day-to-day operations. Probably for the best anyway. In this case Oracle doesn't know all and OracleBerry just doesn't have a nice ring to it.

Source: Reuters

The Calendar application is just one of the great new features available on the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software but it still needs a few fixes to make it perfect. For anyone that just has basic needs when it comes to using the Calendar, getting up and running is very simple. But for those of us that need a bit more functionality, a few tweaks need to be made. We already looked how to sync multiple calendars when using Gmail, but what about adding attendees to events?

Some of you may have noticed that when syncing a Google calendar to your PlayBook, the "Attendee" option is curiously missing. Well not to worry because there is a quick work around that will have you adding attendees in no time at all. Thankfully some forum members have already found a solution that seems to work flawlessly for most of us. Keep reading for the step-by-step guide to allowing attendees in your Google calendar on the BlackBerry PlayBook.

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While most people likely just set up their GMail on their BlackBerry directly, Google does offer their own native app for accessing GMail on BlackBerry smartphones. Adam, I know used to use it a lot but as Phil over at Android Central noticed -- Google has now deprecated the GMail app for BlackBerry. Yes, you can still get GMail on your BlackBerry -- this is strictly the app, that you download that will no longer be supported not GMail through your BIS account.

Beginning November 22, 2011, we will end support for the Gmail App for Blackberry (installed native app). Over this past year, we've focused efforts onbuilding a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser and will continue investing in this area.

Users may continue to use the app, if installed, however it will not be supported by Google, or available for download starting November 22. BlackBerry users can continue to access Gmail through the mobile web app at http://www.gmail.com in their BlackBerry web browser. 

Sounds rather harsh right? While it may seem like a shot at BlackBerry, it's more a push for people to use Googles web services considering BlackBerry devices now support HTML5 better through the BlackBerry web browser. The current GMail app for BlackBerry is based off the 'old' look of GMail so there is still room for Google to revamp it.

They've done it with the most recent GMail for iOS -- but that thus far hasn't worked out so well either since it launched on iOS essentially broken. Of course, you can't forget the Android factor either which arguably offers the best GMail app experience on a mobile device so while it may not be a direct shot at RIM, its a clear sign they want you aware of Android.

Source: Google

Amazon made a big splash this week in the tech world with their announcement of the Kindle Fire.  The hardware looks practically identical to a BlackBerry PlayBook, running an Android OS that's been dumbed down to deliver a "content consumption" experience with a dirt cheap starting price of $199 (I preordered a Kindle Fire - will do a PlayBook head to head as soon as it arrives). 

The week isn't over, and again Amazon is making headlines, this time via a VentureBeat rumor that Amazon is in talks to pick up the webOS platform from HP, who is looking to do something with it (they already stopped making webOS devices).

Earlier in the week I saw some reader comments/forum posts here on CrackBerry following the Kindle Fire announcement saying that Amazon should just buy RIM already. I'm not going to put together a 10 Reasons why Amazon should buy Research In Motion post on this (I almost got shot by you guys when I suggested Google buy RIM), so this time around I figured I would toss the idea out there to see what the CrackBerry community thinks.

Obviously I want to see the RIMPIRE Strike Back on their own, but I can definitely see a few reasons why that sort of an acquisition by Amazon could mean good things for both companies.  I can also see some big reasons why it wouldn't work so well. Of course, webOS would be cheaper for Amazon to acquire than RIM, and over on our sibling site PreCentral.net, Derek pointed out the reasons as to why an Amazon acquistion of webOS could make sense. So that brings us to the...

Question of the Week: Assuming Amazon is going to acquire a mobile platform, should it be webOS or BlackBerry? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts and reasoning. Should be a fun one (and please, keep the commentary civil!).

We've mentioned it plenty of times now that NFC is a new technology and as it grows, we'll hear more about it.  Today is one of those days where we learn more. The latest news comes to us from ISIS. If you're not familiar with that name and who they are - ISIS is a joint venture between AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless and was the first to have agreements is in place for NFC payments with all four major credit card providers. As NFC technology grows, they'll be working with everyone possible to help expand the use of NFC wherever possible.

Today, ISIS has announced they've teamed up with HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, RIM, Samsung Mobile, Sony Ericsson and DeviceFidelity which have all promised to offer NFC equipped devices in the near future or already have devices in the market. So what does this mean for NFC? Well, basically -- a lot more devices will arrive with NFC enabled and all those carriers involved (AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless) will have widespread use cases, such as paying your bills with NFC.

“Isis’ technology standards provide the direction and certainty needed for the development and deployment of NFC devices and the mobile commerce ecosystem,” said Scott Mulloy, chief technology officer, Isis. “Working together with the device makers and our founding mobile carriers, Isis can provide the consumer choice and scale necessary for widespread adoption of mobile commerce.” 

RIM is on board for this of course as they already have NFC capable devices in the market, so the NFC space, while not instantly impacted, is growing. Between this announcement and the launch of Google Wallet, NFC is growing quite rapidly now that things are coming together. The argument for NFC and its usage is a strange one. Many people hope to see such things as contactless transfer of things like phone numbers, business cards and other data, but I've always maintained the position that NFC has to be profitable before it will become used in those manners.

If nothing else, the ISIS announcement lends some credit to that as its main focus is based on mobile payments. Again, NFC is new and those invested in it want to see profit from it before they really advance it into everyday things beyond payment of services. You can read the full press release past the break if you're looking for the full details.

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Some rather interesting news taking place out in the Android world today as Google announced this morning that they have acquired Motorola Mobility for 12.5 billion dollars. This move is huge on Google's part, and they have said that they made the move to "supercharge the Android ecosystem" and believe that it is beneficial to partners, developers and consumers. While we all know the Kevin believes that Google should buy RIM, do you think that the move to buy Motorola Mobility was their first of many, or a solo deal just to get the patents that they owned, and that is it? Be sure to let us know your thoughts!

Source: Android Central 

While Google's mobile operating system may have consumer market momentum with Android handset activations hitting 500,000 per day, one person who appears to not be in a rush to abandon his BlackBerry habit is Google Chairman Eric Schmidt. Schmidt was in Indonesia last week for an entrepreneurship summit, and one of our CrackBerry spies on the ground in Bali managed to catch Schmidt black-handed snapping a photo on his BlackBerry Bold 9780.

What's really funny about this photo is that it isn't the first time Schmidt has been photographed while taking a photo on his BlackBerry. Back in July 2009 he got caught using his Curve 8900 (see photo below). Past precedent is always the best indicator of future performance, so I'm placing my bet we'll see Schmidt upgrading to the BlackBerry Bold 9900 next month. I'm not sure what this says about Android, but it definitely says a lot of good for BlackBerry. Maybe it's the keyboard, maybe it's the world class security, the BBM, the battery life or impossible to ignore blinking red light... or maybe it's all that and more.

There's nothing really "new" in that Bold that can be justified as testing out the competition, so at the end of the day I'm thinking that Eric Schmidt just loves his BlackBerry. Smart man. Kind of makes you wonder if he also has a BlackBerry PlayBook running Android apps?

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As a long-time BlackBerry enthusiast and proud Canadian, I want to see Research In Motion turn around the negative sentiment that is now stalking them in the media and gain back the sales momentum and brand popularity they have enjoyed in the past.

But should this challenge prove too difficult in the months ahead or simply take too long to execute in the face of an eroding market cap, what will become of RIM? I've pondered this question a lot in recent weeks from every conceivable angle, and it was sitting on a patio sipping my fourth pitcher of Sangria on Canada Day that I concluded Google will buy Research In Motion. It won't be Microsoft - they've made their bet on Windows Phone and Nokia (and the Steve Ballmer at BlackBerry World thing was little more than a PR stunt). It won't be Co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis buying back the company and going private again (though I'm sure they'd love to do that). It won't be any other company seriously stepping in with a bid. It'll be Google. Keep reading for my logical reasoning.

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Google is rolling out all sorts of changes this week. Not only did they announce Google+, but they've been working on some UI changes both on the web and for mobile devices. Today they have updated and improved Google search on BlackBerry 6.0 devices. Accessible in 20 languages in 700 countries, if you have a BlackBerry on 6.0 (for example the BlackBerry Torch or Bold 9780), head on over to www.google.com on your device and check it out. You may need to clear your browser cache before you see the changes.

• Enter searches faster: Save time by using autocomplete and search history queries that appear beneath the search box as you type.
• Web search: Find what you're searching for fast. Comprehensive results pages let you see relevant websites, images, videos, news, real-time results and more. Simply click on the arrow button ‘>>’ to the left of the top search box for more refinement options.
• Image search: Swipe through image results quickly and easily on touch enabled devices. Start by selecting ‘Images’ at the top of www.google.com, then enter a search. From there, click on any image to view a larger size.
• Local search: Find restaurants, shops and other popular business categories with a single tap. Start by selecting ‘Places’ at the top of www.google.com, then click on an icon from the Places homepage.
• Enter searches faster: Save time by using autocomplete and search history queries that appear beneath the search box as you type.
• Web search: Find what you're searching for fast. Comprehensive results pages let you see relevant websites, images, videos, news, real-time results and more. Simply click on the arrow button ‘>>’ to the left of the top search box for more refinement options.
• Image search: Swipe through image results quickly and easily on touch enabled devices. Start by selecting ‘Images’ at the top of www.google.com, then enter a search. From there, click on any image to view a larger size.
• Local search: Find restaurants, shops and other popular business categories with a single tap. Start by selecting ‘Places’ at the top of www.google.com, then click on an icon from the Places homepage.

Source: Google Mobile Blog, Thanks Jerry!

Like CrackBerry? Hit the +1 Button Below!

Buttons on blogs. You either use them or you ignore them. At the bottom of each CrackBerry article we have been rocking Facebook's Like and Twitter's Tweet buttons for a while now, and last week we added the newest one to hit the scene, Google's +1 Button.

If you're not familiar with the +1 Button, the video above will quickly walk you through what it's about. Basically the +1 button is your way of publicly saying to Google and anybody you're connected with via Google that you like this content. Later, when you're searching Google for info, you'll see that search results are accompanied with the +1 count, and if anybody you know has +1'd a page you'll see that person in the search results too. Google puts value on the number of +1's a page and website has received (the more the better of course!), so if you like an article or page here on CrackBerry and see a +1 button, be sure to click it!! Right now the +1 is just on the blogs, but we'll be rolling it out in more places on CrackBerry where it makes sense, so keep your eyes on the lookout for it.

Want some practice? Be sure to hit the +1 button at the top of this post. That'll say you love CrackBerry!!

Are you a Google Apps Connector user? If so, you'll be pleased as punch to know that Google has updated Google Apps Connector to version 3.0. With the update in versions comes a lot of needed additions as well. One of the key updates was the addition of BESX. Although, the full list has many others:

• Support for BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0.2.
• Support for BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express.
• Support for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2008 SP2.
• Improved Dynamic GAL synchronization.
• Improvements to some calendar synchronization components to provide enhanced robustness and accuracy.

Kind of curious as to how many SMB's out there actually make use of BESX and Google Apps Connector. With the two now working together, it makes it rather easy to deploy a BES environment for a fraction of the cost. If you're making use of these services, please free to leave us some comments on how it's working out for you.

Source: BerryReview

These days, the talk surrounding mobile devices is really heating up. With the explosion of Android devices and the ongoing substantial growth of the iPhone showing no signs of slowing down, many folks are constantly looking at their options. Be it, switching from Android to iPhone, iPhone from BlackBerry to webOS or however else you really want to look at it, people are making choices and changes on what they want from their mobile devices.

This area is certainly going to expand as well. Windows Phone 7 devices are soon to arrive and many are waiting to see what is in store for them as consumers there. One thing that has really been a focus of some media outlets is the supposed influx of people deciding to leave BlackBerry in an effort to seek out more. While it is true that many users appear to be heading away from BlackBerry devices, one often forgets to look at the information about how many of those users once gone, actually come back to BlackBerry devices after spending time on other platforms.

Each day, the CrackBerry forums fills up with users proclaiming they are either leaving BlackBerry for another platform or, they have just arrived back from another platform and are proclaiming what they missed about their BlackBerry devices. Now, being a multi platform user myself, I can easily say the grass is not exactly always greener on the side of the fence. For some though it is and that's quite alright as people SHOULD be buying devices based on their needs rather then what they think is cool. But often times this isn't the case. Often times, people will buy what they think they need or want rather then face then reality being that they really do not need all the bells and whistles that some other devices offer.

So how about you all, anyone tried another platform yet returned back to BlackBerry for whatever reason? If so, tell us why in the comments it's always cool to see the variation of users. In the meantime, check out the forum thread posted below and see some reasons others have chosen to return back to their BlackBerry devices having spent time on other platforms

• You Don't Realize How Good BlackBerry Is Until, You Leave >>

Review of Google Talk for BlackBerry Smartphones

With the popularity of Google Mail on BlackBerries, it comes as no surprise that Google would introduce an instant messaging service to the BlackBerry. Since instant messaging isn't anything new for BlackBerry, and the overly popular BlackBerry Messenger is prevalent among users, Google makes its own attempt with Google Talk. The application isn't really anything more than a simple instant messenger, but it has a very interesting Google-esque style. With all the available platforms on the market (Blackberry, Andriod, Apple, Win Mo, etc.), many applications have tried to bridge the messaging gap. Google Talk successfully allows users to chat to their Gmail friends across multiple platforms in a simple, but all too recognizable, style.

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My personal email account is managed through Gmail it works well and it's free. Truthfully I don't stay up at night worrying that Google is going to come crashing down one day and I'm going to lose my data, but if there was a free automated independent service why not put it to work? Enter Backupify; they are powered by Amazon S3 so it's reliable. Backupify offers free automated storage for multiple accounts: Flickr, Twitter, Hotmail, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Address Book and Facebook.

I first learned of this service when I was looking to close my Facebook account and wanted an easy way to get my data out of that privacy nightmare. After a few quick clicks I had a Backupify account and a couple clicks later it was backing up Facebook, every 7 days automatically. When the weekly backups are complete I receive a status update email reporting that the backup was successful.

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