T-Mobile USA and RIM Go Official With the BlackBerry

T-Mobile USA and RIM Go Official With the BlackBerry Curve 8520
You may recall Simon touching on the BlackBerry 8520 ‘Gemini’ this past week. Looks like he was spot on, as RIM and T-Mobile USA have officially announced the new Curve 8520, with availability expected on August 5th. This news also lines up nicely with a Walmart rumor I had posted a few weeks ago as well. If all go as planned, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see the 8520 pop-up in Walmart on the 5th as well. We will see soon enough.

At any rate, earlier in the day today RIM had placed the 8520 on their website, and on BlackBerry.com. Shortly thereafter, the press release became available. The BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Curve 8520 packs a 2MP digital camera with video and 5x digital zoom, 256MB flash memory, WiFi, Bluetooth, 4.5 hours of talk time, standby time of 17 days, 320×240 hi res display, and of course… the full 35 key backlit QWERTY keyboard.

Make the jump for the full press release.



T-Mobile USA and RIM Introduce the New BlackBerry Curve 8520

Approachable New Smartphone Offers Email, Messaging, Social Networking, Music and Entertainment for People on the Go

BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON and WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire - July 27, 2009) - T-Mobile USA, Inc., and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today announced the new BlackBerry Curv 8520 smartphone, a new addition to the BlackBerry Curve series of smartphones, with availability expected on August 5.

The slim new BlackBerry Curve 8520 is an incredibly approachable smartphone that comes in two attractive colors from T-Mobile - black and frost. For people who like to be connected, it provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including Facebook and MySpace) and features a highly tactile full-QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing. It also features rich multimedia capabilities and access to music, games and other mobile apps for entertainment on the go.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone is a world phone, and is also Wi-Fi(R)-enabled to arm customers with fast Web browsing and Wi-Fi calling. T-Mobile customers can continue to get great mobile coverage and unlimited nationwide Wi-Fi calling with T-Mobile’s Unlimited HotSpot Calling service as well as unlimited nationwide calling to five people with T-Mobile myFaves(R) service.(i)

In addition to providing the industry’s leading mobile email and messaging solution, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone is designed to be efficient and convenient. It introduces an innovative touch-sensitive optical trackpad, which makes scrolling and selection smooth and easy for a great navigation experience. It is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to feature dedicated media keys, smoothly integrated along the top of the handset, giving customers an easy, convenient way to control their music and videos.

“People increasingly expect a rich, diverse experience with their phones because they’re using them in new and different ways,” said Travis Warren, director of product marketing, T-Mobile USA. “Adding the BlackBerry Curve 8520 to the T-Mobile line-up gives our customers a phone capable of helping bring balance to the chaotic demands of a busy professional and personal life.”

“More and more cell phone users are choosing to upgrade to a smartphone and the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 will undoubtedly convince many more people to make the switch. It delivers all the great messaging, social networking and multimedia features that have made BlackBerry the top-selling smartphone brand in the United States,” said Carlo Chiarello, vice president, product management, Research In Motion. “T-Mobile customers are going to love how easy it is to keep in touch on Facebook and MySpace and the full-QWERTY keyboard is amazingly fast and comfortable for typing on the go.”

Key features of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone include:

* Full-QWERTY keyboard and touch-sensitive optical trackpad for reliable, responsive typing and navigation
* 256MB Flash memory and a 512Mhz next generation processor for enhanced performance
* Premium phone features including voice activated dialing, and Bluetooth (2.0) support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth peripherals
* 2 MP digital camera with zoom and video recording
* Advanced media player for music, pictures and videos, with dedicated media keys and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, plus BlackBerry(R) Media Sync, which makes it easy to quickly sync music from iTunes(R) or Windows Media(R) Player with the smartphone(ii)
* Access to BlackBerry App World(TM), featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones. Categories include games, entertainment, social networking and sharing, news and weather, productivity and much more
* BlackBerry(R) Internet Service support for access to up to 10 supported email accounts, including most popular ISP email accounts such as Yahoo!(R), Windows Live(TM) Hotmail(R), AOL(R) and Gmail(TM); and BlackBerry(R) Enterprise Server support, which provides advanced security and IT administration features for corporate deployments
* Expandable memory via hot swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot, supporting cards of up to 16 GB today and expected to support next generation 32GB cards when available; a 1GB card is included
* Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) with support for T-Mobile Unlimited Hotspot Calling service
* Quad-band world phone: EGDE/GPRS/GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)

The new BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone from T-Mobile will be available on August 5 at T-Mobile retail stores, Walmart Stores, select authorized dealers, and online at http://www.T-Mobile.com.

Prior to retail availability, customers can learn more about the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone at www.blackberry.com/curve8520.

[Via: CrackBerry]

iPhone app scores devs more than 1000 paid downloads

Even with all that money being spent on “zips” of purple kush, pot-heads across the US have driven over 1000 paid downloads of the “highest” iPhone app, recently launched on the AppStore. The Cannabis iPhone app, for those of you with (ahem) memory problems, gives iPhone-wielding smokers a quick and easy way to find the closest marijuana dispensary.

Using geo-location data garnered from GPS coordinates or cell-tower triangulation, Cannabis for iPhone helps you literally pin-point the “weed stores” in your area. The app shows 200 “green merchants” (okay, I’ll stop now) in the Los Angeles area, which should keep you and your friends busy for a good long while. Search for a specific club, find those around you and even bookmark your faves - just don’t forget your iPhone at home.

I should mention that Cannabis for iPhone wouldn’t even be a twinkle in some fiend’s red eyes if not for a California law that allows residents to light up the sticky green for medical purposes. Thanks to said law, cannabis dispensaries are popping up like, well, weeds. It’s no wonder the developers of Cannabis have so far seen over 1000 downloads of the $2.99 iPhone app


[Via: LATimes]

Microsoft opens Windows Marketplace to devs

Microsoft opens Windows Marketplace to devs
Microsoft isn’t exactly known for making good on their launch deadlines, but it seems Redmond has learned from their past. Today, as Microsoft had said they would, the Windows Marketplace for Mobile is officially open to Windows Mobile developers. Microsoft has announced that it is now accepting WinMo app submissions from developers in the 29 countries where the Windows Marketplace will go live. And, to celebrate, Microsoft is holding a “Race to Market Challenge” that will end with four worthy WinMo developers each winning a Microsoft Surface Developer Edition table, free online marketing and promotion for their WinMo app and some nifty trophies.

The contest is open to all registered Windows Mobile developers. Apps submitted for certification will automatically be entered into the “Race to Market Challenge” contest (as long as they’re approved, that is). Winning applications will be determined by app downloads, application value, most useful and most playful. The contest will run from launch to December 31, 2009.

So, fire up them coding-fingers and get your app onto the Windows Marketplace for Mobile!



Find more info here.

Xperia X2 Caught | video

A video showing off Sony Ericsson upcoming Xperia X2 has bubbled up; though not showing much, it does confirm a launch with Windows Mobile 6.5. The Panels interface is alive and well. The unreleased Xperia X2 was quickly overshadowed by the Android-packing X3 when it first broke cover, but the X2 still promises to be a fine device.

* 8.1 megapixel camera
* VGA video @ 30 fps
* WVGA (800 x 480) 3.5″ touchscreen
* Windows Mobile 6.5 (upgradeable to 7)
* GPS, WiFi
* 3.5 mm headphone jack
* 512MB RAM
* Accelerometer

Still no information on pricing or release date, but a launch is clearly coming to a boil with the rash of X2 pictures lately.



[via Engadget]

Resident Evil 4 for iPhone goes live

Resident Evil 4 for iPhone goes live
Just as expected, Resident Evil 4 for iPhone has gone live on the AppStore. Capcom’s more highly rated Resident Evil title is now available for iPhone gamers itching to take fire a couple rounds into a zombie head… or two. At $7.99 (iTunes link), Resident Evil 4 for iPhone isn’t one of the cheaper games on the AppStore, but it’s also arguably cooler than most $1 games available for the iPhone.

The RE4 for iPhone game puts you in control of a zombie-fighting gunslinger with on-screen touch controls. The game boasts the “best 3D graphics to date on iPhone,” and supports the shake control-gesture for reloading your weapons.

Go get your zombie-killing fix below!

Resident Evil 4 for iPhone

Bacon and Eggs Hallowed iPhone Protectors

Bacon and Eggs Hallowed iPhone Protectors
While most foodstuffs, especially greasy ones, are the bane of touchscreens and mobile tech in general, this modest slice of bacon and lonely egg stand firm between your beloved iPhone and the cruel outside world. Earbuds can enjoy safe passage nestled lovingly under a golden over-easy, while bacon, ever the protector of all things good and right in the world, staunchly holds the top flap shut. Try not to let your ravenous hunger overpower you while admiring this case, however - only a moutful of felt awaits you. Why not use your iPhone to find the closest diner? Pick up your bacon and egg iPhone sleeve for $35.00 from Etsy.





[via iPhoneSavior]

Samsung Announces 1 GHz Hummingbird Processor

Samsung Announces 1 GHz Hummingbird Processor
Qualcomm has been getting all the attention of the Snapdragon 1 Ghz processor sitting happily inside the Toshiba TG01, but Samsung is ready to fight back with their new ARM processor, the Hummingbird. These little squares of technohappy could find themselves into an iPhone in the moderate future, as Samsung has been supplying the CPUs to Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) for some time now. Here are the Hummingbird’s quick specs, for those worldly enough to understand them:

* 45 nm, dual-issue ARM Cortex-A8 processor
* 2000DMIPS at 1GHz
* 32KB each of data and instruction caches, plus L2 size-customizable cache
* ARM NEON multi-media extension
* Intrinsity Fast14 technology

The Hummingbird promises to handle multimedia while keeping power demands as low as 1.0 V; saving battery life is a big challenge for the hot-burning handsets out there. For more information, keep an eye on Samsung’s semiconductor page.

[MarketWire via Electronista]