BlackBerry Bold 9900, 9930 Will Run BlackBerry OS 7

RIM kicked off its BlackBerry World event in Orlando, Florida by launching the not-so-secret BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 models, also dubbed "Bold Touch."

While the devices don't noticeably stray from RIM's design choices from the past decade -- they're instantly recognizable as QWERTY keyboard BlackBerrys -- the 9900 and 9300 pack some impressive guts. While the 2.8-inch VGA touchscreens won't impress many in today's world of 4-inch screens, but the devices are RIM's thinnest yet at 10.5mm.

Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9900, 9930 Will Run BlackBerry OS 7

BlackBerry Bold 9900, 9930 Will Run BlackBerry OS 7 originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 May 2011 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

BlackBerry OS 7 Features Announced--But It Won't Run On Older Devices

This morning, RIM finally unveiled its next generation mobile operating system, BlackBerry OS 7. It's not a giant leap forward, but RIM is detailing a faster and easier-to-use OS that comes with an integrated, voice-enabled Universal Search system.

BlackBerry fans that have been frustrated by the operating system's chronically sluggish Web experience will be pleased to know that OS 7 offers a "significantly enhanced" browser with HTML5 video support and speed updates.

Interestingly, OS 7 won't have any legacy support, meaning that even the current generation Bold or Touch that you bought last year will be left behind -- you'll need to have one of RIM's brand new 9900 or 9930 devices to run it. SlashGear writes that according to RIM, "the reasoning behind the absent upgrades is that the new OS is so dependent on the hardware graphics capabilities of its new handsets."

RIM's new BlackBerry Balance application, though, will work on any device running OS 6.0 or later. First detailed in January, Balance is RIM's solution for combining both your personal and corporate accounts -- and all the security requirements that those require -- on a single device. For example, you can wipe all of the enterprise data from your phone, while still leaving the personal accounts intact. Or, social networking apps like Facebook and Twitter can be given limited access to anything from your corporate accounts.

BlackBerry OS 7 Features Announced--But It Won't Run On Older Devices originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 02 May 2011 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Farewell, Internet

Farewell, Internet originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Interview with Digital Camera Inventor, Making Game Boy Music

Read:

"They've been caught flat-footed," said Jean-Louis Gassée, a former Apple executive, the former chairman of Palm's software spinoff and a partner at Allegis Capital in Palo Alto, Calif. "They've built a tremendous company; they are people with distinguished backgrounds. They are not idiots, but they've behaved like idiots."

Of course, most everyone, when challenged at a conscious level, will correct this mistake, and agree that no, Google only aggregates, it doesn't think, that the Internet is just a compilation of human endeavors. But how often do you hear someone say something like "ask Google", "Wikipedia says", "Facebook told me..."? Before the Internet, there was no tool with which people interacted linguistically.

Watch:

• unicode
• Inventor Portrait: Steven Sasson
• Showtime: Forrest Oliphant, 'Slithering'
• GAME BOY MUSIC

Know:

• The latest scam sweeping Facebook pretends to tag you in photos from the Olive Garden restaurant. [From: Sophos nakedsecurity]
• Lifehacker counts down the 10 best micro-apps (often uni-tasking tools for controlling image uploads, desktop settings or clipboard history) for Mac and Windows. [From: Lifehacker]

Interview with Digital Camera Inventor, Making Game Boy Music originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dinos and Trenches in '1916 - The War You Never Knew'

Gallery: 1916 - The War You Never Knew

Continue reading Dinos and Trenches in '1916 - The War You Never Knew'

Dinos and Trenches in '1916 - The War You Never Knew' originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments