Waterloo Archive

  • RIM’s BlackBerry tablet starting to sound suspiciously like a Foleo

    RIM’s BlackBerry tablet starting to sound suspiciously like a Foleo

    So BGR is reporting that it has "confirmed with multiple sources" that RIM's alleged BlackBerry tablet device is very real -- despite Mike Lazaridis' recent downer comments on the subject -- and that it'll have an 8.9-inch screen, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity to hook up with your phone. Oh yeah, about that Bluetooth connectivity: the tablet is being billed as a "companion" device, something to use when you need a little bit more horsepower and screen real estate for multimedia and the like. Sound familiar? Yeah, Palm tried this with famously catastrophic results a while back -- and considering RIM's ultra-conservative policy on product innovation, we can't imagine things going any better up in Waterloo. It's apparently slated for a December release with engineers scrambling to get it released even sooner... and, you know, discontinued sooner, too.

    RIM's BlackBerry tablet starting to sound suspiciously like a Foleo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Report: RIM planned to out an Android tablet, scrapped and delayed until next year

    Report: RIM planned to out an Android tablet, scrapped and delayed until next year

    RIM has a tablet in the works. This isn't the first we've heard of it either. Apparently it was even supposed to be powered by Android and was to be released this year. But that's not going to happen according to one source. Nope, the RIM "BlackPad" has been pushed back to next year and will ship with RIM's own BlackBerry OS instead.

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  • RIM’s official BlackBerry Twitter client rolling into public beta tonight

    RIM’s official BlackBerry Twitter client rolling into public beta tonight

    Didn't get into the BlackBerry Twitter beta when it was locked up tight? Didn't feel like dabbing with leaked software when the newest version leaked to everyone a few days later? Fear not, dear reader! It's almost your time to bask in the sweet, sweet RIM-brand Twitter client sunlight.

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  • Oh, neat: Command & Conquer 4 requires a constant Internet connection, too

    Oh, neat: Command & Conquer 4 requires a constant Internet connection, too

    Let's make one thing clear: I wouldn't play Command and Conquer 4 if it was the game on Earth. It's just not "me." So pardon my blase attitude while I drop this bombshell: the game uses the same stupid DRM that Ubisoft now uses, which I complained about on CNN. Add this to your list of games not to buy, then.

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  • RIM blames massive service outage on newer Messenger versions

    RIM blames massive service outage on newer Messenger versions

    Diehard BlackBerry users often compare BlackBerry Messenger to a potent drug. And just like a drug, coming down from a BBM high can be rough -- so rough, in fact, that RIM's claiming that a couple recent releases are responsible for "an unanticipated database issue" that stone-cold knocked out data service for many of the world's subscribers yesterday. Folks using versions 5.0.0.55 and .56 are being strongly advised to upgrade to 5.0.0.57 immediately, but in the meantime, Waterloo says its systems are back to normal while apologizing "for any inconvenience to customers." With three major outages now under BlackBerry's belt in the past month, faith in the rock-solid stability of its infrastructure is fading rapidly -- but then again, it gives you a great excuse to be off IM for a few hours and talk to live humans, doesn't it?

    RIM blames massive service outage on newer Messenger versions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • BlackBerry 8130 vs. BlackBerry 9100… fight!

    BlackBerry 8130 vs. BlackBerry 9100… fight!

    Some of us at Engadget HQ won't ever be sold on the merits of SureType over good, old-fashioned QWERTY, but there's clearly a market for it -- RIM's BlackBerry Pearl series almost singlehandedly catapulted Waterloo into the consumer market, after all, and the upcoming 9100 looks to refine the formula to a crisp, golden brown perfection. Here, we've got one of the originals -- the 8130 -- beaming proudly next to its offspring, and RIM seems to have done a commendable job updating the package in all the right ways (optical trackpad, Bold 9700-esque design elements) while carrying over most of what the old model great. And knowing these guys, you'll be able to get it in a billion colors and special edition designs -- but for now, you can have these comparo shots in any color you want, as long as it's black.

    BlackBerry 8130 vs. BlackBerry 9100... fight! originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Telstra brings BlackBerry Bold 9700 into the fold

    Telstra brings BlackBerry Bold 9700 into the fold

    Waterloo's latest weapon of choice is continuing its ruthless quest to eradicate the original Bold around the world this week with an official announcement of availability on Australia's Telstra, where it'll be hitting shops on Tuesday the 24th. The Bold 9700 that you're getting here is the same you'll find elsewhere -- 3.2 megapixel camera, BlackBerry OS 5.0, and a 480 x 360 display -- and will be made available to non-business customers at a whopping AUD $999 (about $917), though that financial blow is softened a good deal by Telstra's Mobile Repayment Option which spreads the outlay over two years. You'd better really be pining for that optical pad, eh?

    Telstra brings BlackBerry Bold 9700 into the fold originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions

    BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions

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    For a company with the most starched, buttoned-up roots of any major wireless manufacturer, RIM's venture out of its enterprise comfort zone to the consumer space went amazingly smoothly thanks to the introduction of the original Pearl, a phone that's still sold in a variety of colors, configurations, and carriers to this day. At some point, though, it became clear that the industry was moving toward touch -- a space RIM had never dabbled in -- and the trend gave birth to the Storm, a product that had obviously been rushed to market with countless software bugs and a dodgy SurePress concept that caused more problems than it solved. With prototypes floating around in the wild mere months after its predecessor's release, RIM's message was loud and clear earlier this year: "we need to fix the Storm, and we need to do it quickly." Ultimately, it's ended up taking the company just about a year to get the Storm2 to market, a product that attempts to tweak Waterloo's touchscreen strategy just enough to undo a few mistakes and send it down the right path. Mission accomplished? Read on.

    BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • The Ultimate iPhone Car Kit: Complete remote control via the iPhone

    The Ultimate iPhone Car Kit: Complete remote control via the iPhone

    Is there anything the iPhone can't do? Sure you can store your files, add contacts, and play Civilization Revolution on it but did you know you could drive your car with it? The lads from Engineer Awesome rigged up a Oldsmobile Delta 88 to run entirely by remote control and then created an iPhone app so they could drive the sucker with a few choice taps and swipes.

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  • Oh, BTW: The Verizon BlackBerry Storm2 launched today

    Oh, BTW: The Verizon BlackBerry Storm2 launched today

    When we heard the news that the BlackBerry Storm2 would be launching on Verizon on the same day as their much heralded Droid, we got a gut feeling that the Storm2 would fly pretty much under the radar all day. And sure enough, it has. So, let this serve as a reminder for anyone who’s itchin’ [...]

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  • BlackBerry Bold 9700 announced, launching globally starting next month

    BlackBerry Bold 9700 announced, launching globally starting next month

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    Properly replacing one of the most popular, recognizable BlackBerrys ever made is no easy task for RIM, but it looks like they've done a respectable job in officially announcing the Bold 9700, a device we've seen rumored as the "Onyx" through much of 2009. The new model gently massages the original Bold's time-tested formula by moving the camera up to 3.2 megapixels, giving the screen another 40 lines of vertical resolution (480 x 360, up from 480 x 320), and shipping with the brand new BlackBerry OS 5.0 out of the gate. Also notable is that the 9700 replaces the trackball with an optical trackpad --continuing a trend started by the Curve 8520 -- and will ship in both 900 / 1700 / 2100 and 800 / 850 / 1900 / 2100MHz 3G varieties, making the phone a perfect fit for AT&T, T-Mobile, and a multitude of networks in Canada and Europe. RIM isn't announcing specific carrier availability, but they're teasing that it'll be coming on "carriers around the world" starting in November. Follow the break for a quick teaser video from the boys and girls up in Waterloo.

    Update: Engadget Germany is at the launch event with RIM's co-CEO Mike Lazaridis. We'll be back shortly with a hands-on.

    Update 2: T-Mobile just announced its flavor of the Bold 9700 for the US which it says will be the first BlackBerry that allows voice calling over WiFi.

    Update 3: And here comes AT&T, which says the 9700 will be out in the "coming weeks" for $199 after $100 mail-in rebate.

    Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9700 announced, launching globally starting next month

    BlackBerry Bold 9700 announced, launching globally starting next month originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Have you returned your BlackBerry Tour like you just don’t care?

    Have you returned your BlackBerry Tour like you just don’t care?

    The BlackBerry Tour is apparently being returned in droves. It seems that the trackball is easily mucked up, which requires constant cleaning and sometimes just outright fails. RIM’s recommendation is to clean the trackball with compressed air. Serious. Barron’s quotes a TownHall Investment Research director as saying that Sprint’s return rate on the Tour has [...]

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  • T-Mobile officially announces the BlackBerry Curve 8520

    T-Mobile officially announces the BlackBerry Curve 8520

    As expected, T-Mobile has announced the BlackBerry 8520. The latest BlackBerry Curve features an optical trackpad and not much else that the Curve 8900 already offers T-Mobile customers. I guess the media dedicated keys are cool and it’s certainly a first for the Waterloo-based telecoms granddad. Here’s what else you get for $130: a 2-megapixel camera, 256MB of RAM, 512Mhz processor, BT 2.0, Wi-Fi, and a 1GB microSD card (that’s it?!). BlackBerry Media Sync, which enables iTunes syncing sounds promising, but it still runs on EDGE. *sigh* I guess I'm really done with the BlackBerry on T-Mobile. Viva la Android!

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  • BlackBerry Onyx reviewed way before RIM intended it to be

    BlackBerry Onyx reviewed way before RIM intended it to be

    We don't know exactly what they're feeding the engineers up in Waterloo, but we're guessing it's a combination of Red Bull, NoDoz, and speed, because they appear to be working on about ten devices at once -- awesome news for anyone looking to pick up a new BlackBerry in the next 6 to 12 months. We've already seen the Onyx in the wild, but as a refresher, this puppy does UMTS (and we'd assume HSDPA as well), a 3.2 megapixel AF cam, an undoubtedly gorgeous 480 x 360 display, GPS, and WiFi in a body more svelte than the Bold's; now, CrackBerry's managed to score a unit and give it a quick once-over. All told the impression seems very positive, with the takeaway being that RIM has taken the best personality traits of the 8900 and 9000 series and stuffed it all into a single device. We're not necessarily expecting this one on the market any time soon -- AT&T just launched the 8900 a couple days ago, after all, and CrackBerry believes RIM could replace the trackball with a Gemini-style optical pad prior to launch -- but it's something to look forward to.

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    BlackBerry Onyx reviewed way before RIM intended it to be originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 May 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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