When we first heard about the idea of our BlackBerry devices communicating with our Blu-ray players it came in the way of "Blu-ray Extras". While I really cannot find any information on what happened with that app, Pocket Blu just released a BlackBerry compatible app that seems to offer quite a bit in the way of functionality. You can use your BlackBerry smartphone as a remote to view content or enter text. One of the better features is to use the app to stream content from the disc such as bonus content or download it for offline viewing.

Right now, only a few devices are supported. Bold 9700, Bold 9000,Curve 8900, 8820, Curve 8520,Curve 8350i, Curve 8320,Pearl Flip 8220 all fit the bill and of course, you need to have a Blu-ray 2.0 player and a Pocket Blu enabled disc. The list is growing for Pocket Blu enabled discs and as the area opens up more I'm sure we'll see more companies on board. Something to keep an eye out for thats for sure.

• More Information And Downloads Available Via The Pocket Blu Website>>

Back at CES we told you about Root Wireless and their mission of reporting on carrier network performance using data collected from real users. In case you missed that post, be sure to check out the video here.

An event like the SuperBowl puts a whole lot of cell phone users in place, so the folks at Root Wireless decided this would be a good instance to see just how well each carrier performed. You can find the whole report below, but here are some of the highlights:

• Verizon Wireless was the day's ‘loser,' recording far more connection failures than typical, while providing the slowest service at the game Sunday.
• Of the ‘Big Four' carriers, AT&T provided the fastest service - despite the expected congestion created in part by the iPhone's popularity. But like Verizon, it reported much higher connection failure rates than usual; attempts to connect failed 16% of the time.
• T-Mobile was a winner, far and away recording the fewest connection failures and providing transmission speeds on par with its everyday service. Sprint also performed close to par, relative to its everyday service. (Charts included with report.)

It's pretty interesting that prior to the SuperBowl three of the big four carriers issued press releases saying they would beef up their service for the game (read Verizon | AT&T | Sprint). Despite the high connection failure rate, it appears that AT&T's efforts paid off, given that they maintained speedy download speeds. As for Verizon... well... Root Wireless tells us they have never performed so poorly in one of their tests before. What's up with that?! Full Report below.

The internet is buzzing lately regarding the recent annoucement of a proof of concept spyware presentation that was delivered at ShmooCon2010 by the folks over at Veracode. The concept video and presentation shows how a BlackBerry device could basically be overtaken by simply installing an application, which allows for all sorts of nasty to happen. Emails forwarded, text messages forwarded even remote listening of conversations from a BlackBerry sitting on a close by table.

One thing thing the presentation neglects is the fact these things have been in the BlackBerry OS for quite some time now. The "listeners" are actually built direct into the APIs delivered by Research In Motion. Some trusted companies have even made great use of them, SmrtGuard being one of them by leveraging the remote listen option in their offerings. There really is nothing new here and just like a virus anywhere else, this proof of concept still needs the human element in order to work. You wouldn't go installing some unknown application on your PC these days would you? Not likely. So why would you do so on your BlackBerry? The logic is pretty much the same. If you are unsure of what something does don't install it. Especially if its not coming from a trusted source.

Grooveshark, the premium streaming music application we looked at previously has rolled out an update recently. Sadly, no changelog was issued with the release but users opening up the application were indeed, prompted to download what is now v1.0.7. Seems a lot of T-Mobile users were having issues with getting the application to work previously, so maybe you'll want to give this version a shot to see if it works better. Grooveshark is available for $3/mnth through their VIP program which allows for unlimited streaming and caching of music played for offline usage.

• For More Details And Downloads Check Out The Grooveshark Website>> 

It's been a little contest crazy around CrackBerry lately, but that's ok.... we are mixing the giveaways in with a bunch of quality content and I haven't heard anybody complaining about chances to win free stuff yet :) That said, there are a couple deadlines approaching we wanted to make quick note of again here on the blogs:

• The Developer Survey we mentioned last week is still running but will end this weekend. Interpret is putting together an exciting set of data about mobile app development and needs your input. Take the survey here and be entered for your chance to win a BlackBerry Curve 8520/8530. Heck, if those phones aren't your style, you can also opt for up to $550 to purchase the phone of your choice.
• Since not everybody will qualify for the developer survey prize, one more reminder: the Smartphone Round Robin contest is still running, but will end on Thursday. You can enter to win the BlackBerry Smartphone of your choice by posting in this thread (or any of the other SPE editors' Round Robin threads in the forums). Everybody's been asking so here's the news: we are announcing the winners on Friday!

Here we go with another official carrier release of OS 5.0. No folks, it's not from AT&T it's actually from Zain Kuwait. OS 5.0.0.464 as we seen leaked not that long ago has gone all official like, so if you are wanting to grab the download you can do so from their BlackBerry download website. By the time AT&T gets around to releasing 5.0, we'll be wondering where OS 6.0 is at I'd say.

• Download OS 5.0.0.464 From The Zain Kuwait BlackBerry Site>>

WorldMate has long been know as the "go-to" app for travelers. With flight alerts, hotel info, itinerary tracking, weather and more, WorldMate stands above the rest. Today they have added another weapon to their arsenal by announcing integration with the popular business network LinkedIn. The new partnership allows WorldMate users to share travel and meeting itineraries, notify contacts when arriving in destination cities, search contacts by city and more.

"This WorldMate integration is a perfect synchronization of our two companies' strengths and goals," said Adam Nash, Vice President of Search & Platform Products at LinkedIn. "LinkedIn's mission is to connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. The Worldmate integration extends our mission by allowing members to access their professional networks when they're on-the-go. WorldMate has taken an innovative approach to our APIs, extending and tying together the LinkedIn experience to both web and mobile."

This makes WorldMate one of the first companies to incorporate with LinkedIn and offer enhanced features. The new tools will definitely keep WorldMate at the top of it's game, and give users multiple options for better staying in touch with business contacts when traveling. The LinkedIn app is still said to be on the way, but this will help keep users in touch for the mean time. A WorldMate Gold subscription will run you $99 for the year (a free trial is available) but if you travel often it is well worth it. The new version will be pushed out to current users on February 16th. Check out the full press release after the jump.

Contest: To enter to win 1 of 4 one-year WorldMate Gold subscriptions, leave a comment on this post telling us how WorldMate helps you with your travels and/or travel planning. Please only leave one comment, multiple entries won't count. Contest ends this Sunday at Midnight PST.

• More information and purchase of WorldMate for BlackBerry >>

There's now the original BlackBerry Curve 83xx series, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 and the more newly-released BlackBerry Curve 8520/30 on the market... that's a lot of Curves available for purchase on a lot of carriers in the USA. And according to the IDC Mobile Devices and Technology Trends division that tracks these things the BlackBerry Curve was yet again the best-selling smartphone in the USA for the calendar Q4 part of 2009. The top 10 smartphones sold in America were as follows:

1. RIM - BlackBerry Curve
2. Apple - iPhone 3G S
3. Motorola - DROID
4. Apple - iPhone 3G
5. RIM - BlackBerry Pearl
6. RIM - BlackBerry Bold
7. RIM - BlackBerry Storm
8. Palm - Pre
9. RIM - BlackBerry Tour
10. T-Mobile - myTouch 3G 

Pretty solid results for RIM considering they cover 50% of the top ten. They had this to say on it:

February's Prizes include a T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700, Accessory SuperBundle, and BlackBerry VM-605 Bluetooth Speakerphone!

WooHoo! It's contest time and you're going to love this one. It's easy to enter, features great prizes, and best of all, is ONGOING. It'll just take you a few minutes to make sure you're entered and once complete all you need to do is sit back for your chance to win each and every month. Inspired by my CrackBerry Kevin's Ongoing Twitter Contest, we're taking things to the next level with CrackBerry.com's Ongoing Follow CrackBerry and Win Contest!!!

The Premise: Follow CrackBerry on Youtube, Twitter and Facebook and you could win! The last day of each month we'll pick three lucky winners -- one from the CrackBerry subscribers on each of these sites -- to win some awesome BlackBerry prizes - apps, accessories and even devices (minimum prize value $50). We'll announce the winners on the CrackBerry blogs the first day of each month as well as let you know what the prizes for the next month will be. Subscribe to all three for the most chances to win and keep on following! And if you're already following us prior to the launch of this contest, don't worry, you're automatically entered!

February's Prizes: Are awesome. Follow us on Twitter for your chance to win a BlackBerry Accessory SuperBundle for your BlackBerry and become a fan of our Facebook page for a chance to win a BlackBerry Visormount Speakerphone. AND for the sweetest prize of the month, follow us on Youtube for your chance to win an unlocked T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700!!! Click the image links above to login to each respective site and follow us. 

For full contest details and for the specific urls to each site's CrackBerry channel/page, visit the contest page at crackberry.com/followcrackberrycontest

It's been a while since we first saw the initial release of HulloMail. In that time the HulloMail has made some advancements in their application with the latest version, v1.1.1 now available for USA and UK BlackBerry users to download. The video demo above shows how the application works overall. For some you may already be using HulloMail but a quick description for those who might not: 

'Hullos' are short, audio messages that enable users to send and receive voice messages without ever having to make a phone call.  They are free* to send, both domestically and overseas. Hullo technology is compatible across different mobile platforms allowing subscribers to easily talk back and forth for hours, never incurring a single voice call charge, even when exchanging Hullos between continents. HulloMail subscribers are also able to quickly play a received Hullo as soon as it appears within their mobile app and will only need to know an intended recipient's email address to send a Hullo. In addition to the Hullo feature, push notifications and automatic message downloads the enhanced application offers support for headsets and Bluetooth®. The service continues to provide subscribers with unique message syncing capabilities with email compliant accounts such as Gmail, MobileMe and Microsoft® Exchange.

The latest version of HulloMail is now available in BlackBerry App World or via the HulloMail website. My only wish is that with the new updates they had included Canada in the list of available countries that can make use of HulloMail. Seems like a great product that I could surely make use of. Supported device include 89xx, 90xx, 96xx and 97xx, No Storm support folks.

• Click Here For More Information And Videos On HulloMail Via Their Website >>

Zach dropped me a line the other day to let me know about his newest theme Berry, My Hero. Designed for the 95xx series of devices, it ports the Sense UI look and feel to your BlackBerry. To those who know me, it's no surprise that I loved this theme right from the start - the homescreen clock gets me every time. The homescreen is clean and well laid out, as we have come to expect from ZMan, and the more I use this theme the more I love it. I purposely didn't do any research on the theme before loading it, and the amount of function packed into the homescreen has not ceased to impress me over the last two days as I've been using this theme.

Initially I found the usual hotspots very quickly, with the handy bottom dock allowing shortcuts to Manage Connections and Profiles, and the clock launching (as expected) the clock. I was extremely impressed with the quick menu incorporated into the bottom dock, which allows me fast access to common applications including my Options, Browser, and Music among others. However, what I didn't realize was that I hadn't yet found the coolest features of this theme, which are two hidden hotspots in the top corners of the screen. Clicking the top left corner transfers over to a lock screen, and clicking the top right launches a Today area with three panels. This would have to be my favorite component of the theme, incorporating a feature that I have found immensely useful, yet haven't seen before. The middle panel of the Today area allows you to compose a message directly from your home screen, perfect for firing off that quick message without having to open the Messages folder. If you are looking for the look and function of the Sense UI on your 95xx series device, you have to try this theme, which you can find in the CrackBerry App Store for $5.

• More information and download of Berry, My Hero >> 

The team over at Gym Technik, makers of the NextGen fitness app for the BlackBerry and winners of the CB Awards '09 for best Health/Fitness App, have just informed me about an upgrade they performed over the weekend. The NextGen app for the BlackBerry is now compatible with OS 5! I can't wait to load this bad boy on my Storm 2, and I've been hearing it runs quite smooth on the 9700.

For those of you who haven't tried out Gym Technik yet, you can download the app by pointing your BlackBerry browser to http://get.gymtechnik.com

Standard features of the NextGen Fitness app for the BlackBerry include:

• Visual and descriptive workout guidance
• Workout and body stats tracking
• Routine scheduling
• Before/After photo uploads
• Sync capabilities to safely back up your data online
• Offline access with or without cell coverage for those basement gym rats

Contest and Giveaway: And they've also informed me that they are giving away 100 premium subscription discounts this week. The first 100 sign ups using offercode feb10upgrade at the Store will get 10% off their premium subscription.

And second - They've asked the CB community to dream up the most wildest craziest feature that you would like to see on the Gym Technik app. The craziest idea will be selected for a free year of premium! So come on... Rise to this... Drop your idea in the comments. First to say it and have it be the one that gets picked by Gym Technik as best wins (contest ends this Sunday at Midnight PST). Let's see what the CB community has got!

We're proud to say that The iPhone Blog is now TiPb: your #1 iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad blog!

A little SPE network news before we get to our weekly list o'links. We've been calling TiPb 'TiPb' instead of 'The iPhone Blog' for so long now, we figured we may as well make it official. Add in that the iPhone platform now encompasses the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the newly announced iPad and renaming the site pretty much became a foregone conclusion. Same great content, new shorter URL to type in!

If you're a hardcore Craiglist user and a BlackBerry fan you'll be happy to know that the craiglist mobile app for BlackBerry was finally approved into App World today (we first caught a glimpse of it back in November - check out that post for video). This full-featured app is the "official craigslist app" and was built for craigslist by Movela/Pyxis Mobile. That being the case, the bad news here is that the app carries a price tag of $4.99. It definitely provides a smoother and faster experience than running the mobile website, that's for sure, but may not be worth the $ for those who just check out craiglist from time to time. You can debate that one in the comments or discuss it in the forums!

• Learn more / Download craigslist mobile app for BlackBerry Smartphones >>

So far 2010 is moving along well. We are already in to February and have started out the year with a bang. Loads of great content, regular podcasts (on schedule!) and rumors galore. Some more great stuff this past week, so hit up the links below to check out all the happenings. Don't forget to get in on the contests as well since you still have some time left!

What You May Have Missed

• Introducing SmrtGuard-Free: Provides Remote Tracking and Wiping of Device (and More) for Free! >>
• Sirius XM Radio For BlackBerry Launched >> 
• Ultimate Twitter Client Roundup Part 3: TweetGenius >>
• WTF?! Even Jeopardy Doesn't Know That Research in Motion is the Company That Makes BlackBerry Smartphones... >> 
• Blubber Blasting BlackBerry Apps >> 

Contest Reminders

• BlackBerry App Roundup for February 5th, 2010; Contest: 50 Copies of TyperSpeed to be Won! >>
• BerryWeather 2.1 Gets Official; Thank You to Beta Tester Contest: 50 Free Copies of BerryWeather to be Won! >> 
• BlackBerry Accessory Roundup: Win a Free Blackerry Charging Pod! >> 
• BlackBerry Theme Roundup for February 1st 2010 >> 
• Contest: Win 1 Of 100 Free Unlock Codes For Your BlackBerry >>