BlackBerry Empathy Concept by Designer Kiki

For their sponsored project held by RIM Blackberry at the Art Center College of Design, designers Kiki and Daniel had to incorporate an interface that integrates human emotions with the concept of social networking. The result of this exercise was the Empathy concept. The phone is used in conjunction with a biometrics ring that is worn by the user to collect “emotional data”. Spec-wise it features a transparent OLED screen that becomes transparent when not in use and opaque during interaction. The front is all touch surface, while on the back there is a physical keyboard.
As Daniel describes the interface:

It is of course touch based and all the user’s connections are shown graphically so you can see who is connected to whom. Each contact has an avatar that is encompassed by two colored rings. The inner colored ring shows the contact’s previous emotional state, and the outer ring represents the contact’s current emotional state. It is important to show the shift in emotions in order to see how an event has affected that contact.
Another important feature that we felt was important was the “Emotional Health Chart”. This chart would monitor the user’s emotional health through an indefinite period of time. One would be able to see how a certain event, or phone call/ message has affected the user. Obviously, if the chart shows someone is always upset, there would be a problem… If permitted, a user would be able to view other user’s charts as well.

Designers: Kiki Tang & Daniel Yoon

 

Please Leave your comments!

BlackBerry PlayBook!

This has to be the most important news for every blackberry owner technically attached to their devices and for those who felt RIM was loosing it’s touch.

The announcement of the BlackBerry PlayBook a few days ago at DEVCON has to be the sweetest news and without a doubt the most anticipated BlackBerry device yet. I think boxes of tissues was needed to wipe the drool when RIM CEO’s announced the specs and other wonderful information regarding the device. For those who’ve expressed disappointment and concern with the competition, you can stop now. With new devices underway, os6, Social Platform, PlayBook, RIM is without a doubt going to show and prove.

• PlayBook is a ultra thin device; 0.4 inches (9.7 mm) thick, making it thinner than the iPad’s 0.5 inches;
• high-resolution 1024 x 600 pixels widescreen display and will be lightweight at just 0.9 lbs, compared to the iPad’s 1.5 lbs
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• 1 GB RAM
• Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
• Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
• Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
• HDMI video output
• Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
• Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java

The PlayBook will have wi-fi and bluetooth connectivity that can connect to a BlackBerry phone for 3g access. This part is good because you won’t need to add another line of service to use the tablet. It is also enterprise ready. When connected over Bluetooth, device content is viewable on the tablet, but it remains stored on the device and is only temporarily cached on the tablet (and subject to IT policy controls). Basically, there will be no worries of company information remaining on the PlayBook.

RIM is well-known and respected for being the most secure device with a wall of security certifications that no other platform has. There’s no “jail breaking” or “rooting” with BlackBerry! With that said, the PlayBook will also come packed with the best OS RIM acquired last year:

QNX Neutrino Reliability

The BlackBerry Tablet OS is built upon the QNX® Neutrino® microkernel architecture, one of the most reliable, secure and robust operating system architectures in the world. Neutrino has been field hardened for years and is being used to support mission-critical applications in everything from planes, trains and automobiles to medical equipment and the largest core routers that run the Internet. The new BlackBerry Tablet OS leverages and builds upon the many proven strengths of this QNX Neutrino architecture to support a professional grade tablet experience and to redefine the possibilities for mobile computing.

For More Information and to get exclusive updates on the PlayBook *sexy name by the way*, visit blackberry.com/playbook

BlackBerry PlayBook Accessories Kit: Ruby Red Snug Fit BlackBerry Playbook Tablet Hard Case + A Vangoddy Live*Laugh*Love Wrist Band!!! 

Oh, and yes I will be getting it. Viva La BlackBerry!

BlackBerry Tour Review

Original Review - Published March 17, 2009 @ 14:55:21 -0500

A Note About the Pre-Release Device Review
In the case of the BlackBerry Tour 9630 unit reviewed here, the hardware is actually really solid. Compared to the other pre-release devices I have handled, this hardware feels final form (which gives me hope that it could be announced and available sooner than Q3). However, while the hardware seems pretty much good to go, the device software is another. The 4.7.1.10 software on this unit is very early days, which means it's practically unusable. So for the purpose of this review, we're just going to focus on the hardware. We'll be back to talk software and device usage and performance once we get some updated code on it. Don't worry, there's still lots to get excited for and drool over in here!
 
An Intro and Overview of the BlackBerry Tour 9630
It's been a long time now since word of the BlackBerry with the codename "Niagara" first popped up in the forums and blogs. So what's it all about? It's probably easiest to think of the "Niagara" as the next-generation BlackBerry 8830 World Edition. It's hard to say which carrier will land this new device first (safe bets would be Verizon or Sprint), but the odds are good you will see the "Niagara" roll out with time to every carrier who currently sells the 8830.

The BlackBerry 9630 itself is really a mash-up of RIM's BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Storm. Size-wise it fits somewhere in the middle between the 8900 and Bold, and it shares design influences from both. Though smaller, the 9630's keyboard is of same style as the Bold, with no spaces between the keys and "guitar frets" between the rows. The 9630's display is the same as the Curve 8900's, as is the layout and type of ports/buttons around the perimeter of the device. And with the 9630 being a world phone, under the battery cover the ‘guts' are basically the same as the BlackBerry Storm in terms of processor (528) and radios (though layout is of course different). And like the Storm and Curve 8900 both, the 9630 gets the new and improved 3.2 megapixel camera. Looking at the 9630, the most unique visual queue is its battery door which I'm happy to say I personally think looks much better in person than in the previous photos that popped up on the net of it.  

One last thing to think about before moving on to some hand-on impressions is the name. While "Niagara" is kind of a cool name that won't be the go-to-market name labeled to the 9630. After holding the device, I'm really baffled as to what name it will be sold under. Is the keyboard what makes a Bold a Bold? Maybe it'll be the BlackBerry Bold 9630. Or BlackBerry Bold 9630 World Edition (or WE). Or maybe RIM will skip the brand name and just go with BlackBerry 9630 WE. It seems unlikely that they'd develop a new brand name to market it under, but they do have to name it something... and I don't think BlackBerry Curvy Bold 9630 would work! 

BlackBerry Tour 9630 Hardware First Impressions
Every time I look at the BlackBerry 9630 I can't help but do a double take. And I'll bet the same thing will happen to those of you reading this when you first see it. The Curve 8900 and Bold dominant my brain when it comes to new BlackBerry smartphones with keyboards it seems, so to see this third same but different form factor keeps tripping me out.
Form Factor - In hand, the BlackBerry 9630 feels awesome. For all those who say the Curve 8900 is too small or that the Bold is too big, you're going to find this device to feel just right. As you can tell from the photos, the Curve 8900 is definitely the smaller device, which means the 9630 isn't quite as pocket-able (but it's still small). It also seems to be a hair thicker than the 8900. There's definitely a different and distinct feeling when holding the 9630 as opposed to the 8900. I think I like the feel of the 8900 a little bit better personally, but am sure many will prefer the feeling of the 9630.
Compared to the BlackBerry Bold the 9630 shaves off about a quarter inch of width, which is really noticeable when you back and forth between devices. All said and done, I think the 9630 is the first device from RIM to sort of "bridge the gap". A lot of BlackBerry users go with the Bold because they have big hands, and a lot people choose the Curve because they have small hands. I think regardless of hand size, most will be able to get a long with the BlackBerry 9630 just fine. As for comparing the 9630 to the 8830 World Edition... well.. honestly, there is no comparison. If you're on an 8830 right now, start saving your pennies.    

BlackBerry Bold Review

The Blackberry Bold sports an excellent connectivity, a magnificent screen and one of the best QWERTY keyboards. The Bold 9000 is extremely well equipped regarding the emission standards; because a PDA phone from Canada usually is not equipped with HSDPA. By doing so RIM wanted to increase quality in its devices. The Bold 9000 entered the market at a later date than initially announced. Therefore all the issues with the software were fixed before the official release.

The first impression when you hold the Bold is that RIM really improves the Blackberry's design using a much more commercial look. The Bold precedes both Storm and the Curve 8900 so the different design choices are understandable. The glossy black front is pretty nice and the false leather at the back looks good. The overall design of the Bold 9000 is a great, but the profile is not as sharp and neat as the Curve 8900. The chrome frame on the left is not a great element. It only adds a few more millimeters of thickness to the Bold. Even more is not actually chrome, more a chrome-like plastic. The front panel of the Bold 9000 respects the standard of its class. Great features here are the excellent landscape display and the flawless QWERTY keyboard. The left side of the Bold 9000 features one of the loudspeaker, the 3.5 mm jack and the mini USB port. On the right we have the second loudspeaker, the volume keys and other feature keys. There called feature keys because you can assign them whatever function you would like. The top of the Bold 9000 features the mute key while at the bottom the device sports the microphone.

The Blackberry Bold is still a big phone if you compare it to the Nokia E71. Its height reaches 114 mm, wide of 66 mm and deep of 14 mm the Bold weight 133 g. It looks like the weight or volume played a smaller role in comfort than the extremely friendly keyboard and the wide display. The Blackberry Bold is equipped with a TFT display of HVGA resolution - 480 x 320 pixels, with a 6.8 cm diagonal - 2.6". The 6.8 cm diagonal really helps you work with Office documents or web pages. The Bold 9000 has a fabulously bright and vibrant display, while the Trans reflective technology improves the quality of reading from the display in bright light. Landscape displays are more natural to work with. The reason of why manufacturers don't pick this feature in their phones is to save space.

The Bold 9000 has the best display from the Blackberry series. Because of the ergonomic keypad and the excellent organized menu working with the Bold is a real treat. Bold is playing in the smart phone line so the connectivity is well ensured by all standards. It works in 2G network, GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, and in the 3G network, HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100. Also it has GPRS Class 10 (4 + 1 / 3 + 2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE, Class 10, 236.8 kbps, HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps, WLAN is represented by Wi-Fi with 802.11 a/b/g standard, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP and micro USB v2.0. The HSDPA comes without the rapid upload option HSUPA. The Blackberry Bold is equipped with a great CPU. This CPU runs on a 6524 MHz frequency. Tanks to this feature all the work you will be doing on the Bold will run smoothly.

As for the operating system, the Blackberry Bold 9000 runs on the Blackberry OS v4.6.0112. The home screen and the main menu have nice and simple icons. You can customize your menu but also the standby appearance of the display. Beside the great CPU, the Bold boosts a 874 MB usable memory. Therefore the RIM device provides with one of the largest storage capacity for data and music in the PDA phone line with only one exception, the Samsung i900. The memory can be expanded by using a micro SD card. Be careful, the Bold 9000 will not work with a 16 GB card, it barely runs with an 8GB model. The specs list is completed with GPS module and a 2 MP digital camera, 1600 x 1200 pixels, LED flash.



The hardware is also convincing because Bold offers good signal quality. However the loudspeaker is not the great. You could end up missing a call or two. Therefore it is a good idea to keep the Bold within reach. The autonomy is excellent for a PDA phone when features are used proportional. Some users might be less fortunate if they are only using the call function or the push e-mail. If you think about it, this is the users Bold 9000 is trying to impress. So, with a standard Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery the Bold has a stand by time up to 310 hours and a talk time up to 5 hours. In the UMTS mode Bold has up to 3 hours call time.

The Bold leading menu includes 28 symbols - here we can find beside the messaging button for e-mail, MMS and SMS symbols for PIM features: address, calendar, tasks and notes. RIM united under the same symbol videos, MP3, photos, ringtones and voice memos which don't impact in a negative way the usability. However the music player lacks some extras like equalizer presets, track repeat option and also if you minimize the player in the background you will not have any indication of the currently playing song. At the Application symbol you can find features that will let you view and edit Word and Excel documents.



The Blackberry Bold 9000 also offers a web browser, pocket calculator and Blackberry software navigation that will download maps from the network. Overall RIM Blackberry Bold offers up to date technology wrapped under a mature design.

Java Application Development Overview

Leverage your Java development skills and a rich set of BlackBerry APIs to build applications your users will love. Developing in Java allows you to create diverse, feature-rich apps for BlackBerry smartphones. Whether you want to push data, use streaming media or GPS navigation, create games or extend enterprise services, the development tools available for the BlackBerry platform provide you with the APIs to develop powerful, full-featured applications.

With the BlackBerry® Java® SDK v6.0, you can incorporate the features of BlackBerry® 6 in your app, including enhancements to the BlackBerry® Browser, pre-built UI elements, and Wi-Fi® geolocation and travel time APIs.

Learn how to install the BlackBerry Java SDK v6.0

Write your applications using either the Eclipse® environment or the legacy BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment (BlackBerry JDE).

Blackberry Money Transfer Freeware

MatercardSend - Blackberry Software

The race for the dominant mobile money transfer app on the Blackberry has just started. A year ago Paypal came out with their mobile money transfer app for the Blackberry, securing its users on being able to make transactions on their Blackberry phones.
Just recently credit card giant Mastercard released its money transfer app for the Blackberry. Using one of its companies to develop a Blackberry Software to managed its mobile money transfer called OboPay. Using their service you can send money to registered and unregistered users of Obopay. The recipients phone number serves as special ID and act as verifications for sending and receiving money. Payments can be sent with just entering simple details. Charges to all the payments are then deducted from your Mastercard.
Although Mastercard has a long way to go on getting the word out, low transfer fees and charges can work to their advantage in attracting more user to their service and Blackberry Software.

download link: MastercardSend Blackberry App

iPhone 4 review

The iPhone 4 is no small thing to review. As most readers of iGadgets are well aware, in the gadget world a new piece of Apple hardware is a major event, preceded by rumors, speculation, an over-the-top announcement, and finally days, weeks, or months of anticipation from an ever-widening fan base. The iPhone 4 is certainly no exception -- in fact, it may be Apple's most successful launch yet, despite some bumps on the road. We've already seen Apple and AT&T's servers overloaded on the first day of pre-orders, the ship date for the next set of phones pushed back due to high demand, and die-hard fans in line outside of Apple locations a week before the phone is actually available. It's a lot to live up to, and the iPhone 4 is doing its best -- with features like a super-fast A4 CPU, a new front-facing camera and five megapixel shooter on the back, a completely new industrial design, and that outrageous Retina Display, no one would argue that Apple has been asleep at the wheel. So the question turns to whether or not the iPhone 4 can live up to the intense hype. Can it deliver on the promises Steve Jobs made at WWDC, and can it cement Apple's position in the marketplace in the face of mounting competition from the likes of Google and Microsoft? We have the answers to those questions -- and many more -- in our full review, so read on to find out!

Hardware

 Perhaps the most notable change with the new iPhone is the drastic industrial design overhaul -- Apple seems to have completely rethought its strategy on how the phone should look and feel, and the results are nothing if not striking.

Industrial design

 In his WWDC keynote, Steve Jobs likened the design of the iPhone 4 to that of a "beautiful, old Leica camera," and as we've said before, he wasn't off the mark. Instead of hewing to the curved, plasticky, silver-bezeled look of the iPhone 3G and 3GS, the company has turned the casing and face of the device into something decidedly more detailed and sophisticated. From the design aesthetic through to the actual build process, Jony Ive and his team have reset what we expect in an iPhone, coming up with something that clearly harkens back to the retro-future Braun designs of Dieter Rams. The iPhone 4 is made up of three basic parts: two pieces of smooth, strengthened glass, and a stainless steel band which wraps around the sides, top, and bottom of the phone. The effect is clean but not simple, and Apple has added little details, like altered volume buttons (what used to be a rocker is now separated into circular clickers labeled + and -), and notches in that metal band which serve to improve radio connections (more on that in a minute). The phone is noticeably thinner than the 3GS at .37 inches compared to .48 inches, but it weighs the same 4.8 ounces, making the whole package seem tighter and denser. It feels great in your hand, with good heft, although it might take a little time to get used to the lack of a rounded back if you're coming from the 3G or 3GS.

 We can't overstate how high-end the design of the iPhone 4 is. The 3GS now feels cheap and chubby by comparison, and even a phone like the HTC Droid Incredible -- which just came out -- seems last-generation.

As we said, there are three main pieces of the phone, which together create an effect not wildly dissimilar to that of an ice cream sandwich. You know, but far pricier... and not edible. The face of the device is made up of extremely strong glass which Jony Ive says is "comparable in strength to sapphire crystal, but about 30 times harder than plastic." A small slit for the earpiece and the front-facing camera are embedded in the glass above the display, with the familiar home button towards the bottom -- a button we should note feels much clickier than on our 3GS. On the left side of the phone you've got the new volume buttons, a redesigned mute switch, and a small notch towards the base of the unit. On the right side is the Micro SIM slot and another notch in the band at the bottom, and up top there's the power / sleep button, headphone jack, another notch, and new noise-canceling microphone. Along the bottom is a speaker, microphone, and the 30-pin dock connector port. The backside of the phone is made from the same kind of ultra-strong glass as the front, interrupted only by the new five megapixel camera, its LED flash companion and, of course, the Apple logo.

 

Overall, the iPhone 4 outclasses pretty much every smartphone on the market in terms of industrial design. It just comes off like a far more expensive device, like a Mobiado or Vertu -- but better designed. And it's not just the way the phone looks; the materials feel good -- premium -- in your hands. The first few days we had our test unit, we were definitely freaked out about dropping or losing the phone, and some of that had to do with the fact that it's just a really beautiful device to use and hold.

Internals

It's not just the face of the phone that's undergone a transformation -- the iPhone 4 is all new inside as well. For starters, Apple has moved on from the Samsung-built ARM Cortex-A8-based CPU used in the 3GS to its custom A4 chip used in the iPad, which funnily enough... is an ARM Cortex-A8-based CPU. While the company hasn't yet said what the clock speed of the processor is, we're guessing it's something below the 1GHz touted for its tablet cousin. The phone is definitely snappier than the 3GS, so we're not about to volley complaints just yet -- in particular, graphics seemed to render faster, and overall responsiveness was slightly higher, though admittedly, it wasn't blowing the doors off the joint. It's certainly faster, but the 3GS wasn't hurting on speed to our eyes, so it's not as wildly noticeable a leap as the 3G to the 3GS.


As usual, Apple isn't fessing up about the RAM situation, though we have on very good authority that the iPhone 4 has 512MB onboard, a big step up from the 256MB in the previous model and the iPad. We would have liked to see it futureproofed with something like 1GB, but then again, Apple's got to sell a new phone in a year. As far as internal storage goes, you can buy the new iPhone in either 16GB ($199 on contract) or 32GB ($299 on contract) capacity -- fine for now, but since the company has just introduced 30FPS 720p video recording, you could find yourself outgrowing that number pretty quickly. It's a little odd, in fact, that the company didn't double down here and bump the capacity to 64GB, as it's recently done with the iPod touch. In terms of wireless, the iPhone 4 is packed with an 802.11n WiFi radio, as well as a quad-band HSUPA chip and Bluetooth 2.1.

 The redesigned housing allows for a much larger lithium-ion battery on the inside, providing improved numbers for Apple's life ratings (more on that in a moment), though it's still not easily replaceable. Additionally, the new phone has those two new cameras (VGA up front, five megapixels with LED flash around back), a new second microphone used to combat background noise while on calls (similar to the Nexus One), a gyroscope in addition to the standard accelerometer, a light sensor, and a proximity sensor. As with the 3GS, an AGPS chip and compass are bundled somewhere in that tiny frame as well.
Of course, the big internal story is what has become external: namely, the UMTS, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth antennas. Apple has made the stainless band around the phone essentially a couple of big antennae, and they seem to be doing a pretty good job at hanging onto radio signals. The big question is obviously whether or not this fixes or helps with the constant dropped calls iPhone users on AT&T's network have gotten used to. Well in our testing, we had far, far fewer dropped calls than we experienced on our 3GS. Let's just say that again: yes, the iPhone 4 does seem to alleviate the dropped call issue. It wasn't perfect, and we had some connection issues in downtown New York City in particular, though it's tough to say if it was the fault of our phone, the cluster of buildings we were near, or the person we were speaking to, who was on a 3GS in the same location.
 

Display

 By now you should know that iPhone 4 has an all-new display, as well. Apple is calling the LED backlit, 960 x 640 IPS screen the "Retina Display" due to its high resolution and pixel density. At the same 3.5-inches as the older screens, the new display manages an insane 326ppi pixel density along with an 800:1 contrast ratio. Steve made a huge point about the science behind this technology during his keynote, claiming that the resolution of the screen essentially tops what is perceivable by the human eye. There have been some debates as to whether or not this argument holds water, but we can tell you this: to our eyes, there has never been a more detailed, clear, or viewable screen on any mobile device.

Apple iPhone 4 pre-orders now sold out?

We have no idea how this happened given the insane problems Apple and AT&T have had processing iPhone 4 pre-orders today, but lots of people (including us) are seeing a July 2 ship date at Apple's online store, or about a week after the next-gen iPhone launches on June 24. Frankly, that's amazing -- we can only imagine the kind of sustained rush it took to cause a sellout of a product virtually no one was actually able to order. So that's Apple and AT&T both sold out -- at this point it's looking like standing in line somewhere come launch day is going to be your best bet, but we'll let you know if we hear any better news.

600,000 iPhone 4s pre-ordered, Apple apologizes for issues

We were amazed last night to see both Apple and AT&T sell out of iPhone 4 pre-order units despite the sustained ordering issues, and now we know why: Apple managed to move 600,000 iPhones in just a single day. Yes, that's a lot -- Apple says it's the largest number of pre-orders it's ever taken in one day, and AT&T says it's ten times as many orders as it took for the iPhone 3GS. It's not all sunshine and roses, though; Apple's also apologizing to the large numbers of people who simply couldn't get through yesterday, and AT&T's suspended pre-orders entirely until the device is in stock. We're guessing AT&T might also be putting the stopper on things while it gets those pesky security issues under control, but there's a chance the carrier is just trying to deal with the insane order volume coming from Apple's servers -- it served up 13 million eligibility checks yesterday, shattering the previous record by three times. All in all, it looks like Apple has a hot item on its hands here -- almost too hot to handle. Here's Apple's full statement:

Yesterday Apple and its carrier partners took pre-orders for more than 600,000 of Apple's new iPhone 4. It was the largest number of pre-orders Apple has ever taken in a single day and was far higher than we anticipated, resulting in many order and approval system malfunctions. Many customers were turned away or abandoned the process in frustration. We apologize to everyone who encountered difficulties, and hope that they will try again or visit an Apple or carrier store once the iPhone 4 is in stock.

Update: Looks like that "ships by" date just slipped once more from July 2nd to July 14th. Yikes.

iPhone 4 pre-orderers overwhelm servers, world on the brink of ending

Look up at the sky -- is it falling? It sure seems as if that kind of doom is imminent, at least if this whole iPhone 4 pre-order situation is any indication of future tragedy. We've received hundreds of tips this morning from friends near and far that iPhone 4 pre-orders aren't going through, though a few of us here on staff were able to get a confirmation during the wee hours of the morning. From AT&T in the US to O2 over in the UK, it seems that just about everyone ambling to get their name on a future iPhone 4 is experiencing a great deal of frustration. AT&T's servers seem to be completely hosed here in America, and since Apple's own online order process has to ping those to check on your contract status, neither option is... um, working. Those who decided to line up at a local store are facing similar issues; employees aren't even able to fully process pre-orders in store due to systems being overwhelmed, and no one seems to exactly know when things will be back to normal. And you thought the most enraging part of this was the inability to select a white model. Let us know how your experience has been in the poll and comments below, won't you?

Update: So, it sounds like Best Buy is taking pre-orders (even for white units), but chances are remarkably high that you're not actually getting in any line. Still, it's a working option for the moment. In other news, the Apple Store app is seeming to allow iPhone 4 orders, but it looks as if they're reserving off-contract phones (read: full price ones), so we'd only recommend this avenue if you enjoy things like "arguing about contract dates" and "yelling at brick walls." We're guessing you'll be doing both on the 24th.

BlackBerry Curve- Review Of BlackBerry Curve

When it comes to BlackBerrys, you have the really tiny one, the one with GPS, and now you can add to that list the one that just rocks. And we're not just talking about the Curve's music player or fully integrated stereo Bluetooth. RIM's latest fun-loving smart phone (available for AT&T later this spring) boasts a sharp two-megapixel camera and a much-improved multimedia software package for taking your favorite songs, pictures, and videos to go--all without sacrificing the long battery life that's made BlackBerry the device of choice for e-mail addicts.

 

Just Right Design

 

It sports the kind of sleek design that will make BlackBerry Pearl owners say "D'oh!" The Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches), and at 3.9 ounces it's only 0.7 ounces heavier. It slips easily into a pocket, no geeky hip holster required. Granted, at first glance this device doesn't seem as deserving of an iconic name as the Pearl, but the Curve's liquid-silver finish with chrome accents and rounded edges make it an attractive alternative to the Samsung BlackJack.

 

More important, RIM managed to squeeze in a full-sized backlit keyboard, one that makes the Curve noticeably wider than but also much more reliable than the Pearl, whose not-so-SureType keyboard doesn't always accurately guess the word you're trying to peck. In just a few minutes we were typing e-mails and entering Web addresses at a brisk pace, thanks to the Curve's well-spaced layout. Just like the Pearl and the 8800, the Curve has a trackball for simple (if sometimes erratic) menu navigation.

 

The 2.5-inch, 320 x 240-pixel display did a superb job rendering everything from Web pages and maps to photos and videos. The rest of the design is pretty straightforward. A standard 3.5mm stereo jack, a USB port, and a push-to-talk key line the left side of the Curve, and the volume buttons and camera-launch key are on the right side. The top of the device houses the Mute button. We wish the microSD Card slot weren't located beneath the battery, but chances are you won't be removing your card very often; the Curve's mass-storage mode enables easy drag-and-drop file transfers.

 

Sharp Camera, Smarter Media Software

 

What separates this BlackBerry from the Pearl and the 8800 is its robust multimedia capabilities. The Curve's 2-MP camera takes pictures good enough for 4 x 6-inch prints. Everything from a photo of a fountain in Bryant Park to a portrait of two children was highly detailed and richly saturated. We like the fast shutter speed, and a built-in flash allowed the Curve to take decent close-ups in dimly lit rooms. The Curve's inability to record video is a bummer, however.

 

The robust Desktop Media Manager software is powered by Roxio's Easy Media Creator. A split-screen interface makes dragging and dropping files to the Curve (and from the Curve to your desktop) a cinch. If you want to take some videos to go, the program will attempt to convert all sorts of files to MPEG-4, including AVI, DivX, WMV, and Xvid, so long as your PC has the right codecs loaded. Media Manager can also be used to automatically monitor certain folders for new media files, create music playlists, and edit photos.

 

Desktop Media Manager did a good job transferring MPEG-4 footage captured with our Sanyo HD1 camcorder and a 68MB WMV clip downloaded from Microsoft's site. But the software had a little trouble with a five-minute MPEG-4 clip ripped from a DVD, as the audio wasn't in sync with the video when we played it back on the Curve. Then we tried a large AVI file of a "Heroes" TV episode; the Curve was able to play the audio but not the video. (Roxio claims that a successful conversion depends greatly on how a file is encoded, so be sure that a video file can play within Desktop Media Manager before you bother transferring it.) Music files transferred without a hitch, but you have to add album art manually by editing the audio tags.

 

Media playback on the Curve was generally smooth, and the device supports a wide range of audio (AAC, MP3, WMA) and video (MPEG-4, H.263, WMV) files natively. The device's speaker puts out a decent amount of volume, but we highly recommend pairing this smart phone with a Bluetooth stereo headset. We enjoyed superb audio quality via the Curve's Bluetooth 2.0 connection when we used the Motorola HT820. Another benefit of stereo Bluetooth is that you can remotely skip tracks with a simple press of the Fast-Forward button on a headset, as opposed to the two-step process of hitting the Menu key and then selecting Next Track on the Curve. The device also supports AT&T Music services, such as streaming XM radio ($9.99 per month). We had no problem downloading the app and liked the wide selection of stations in seven genres (including Pop, Rock, Decades, Country, and Hip Hop & Urban). We didn’t mind the tinny sound quality that much over the Curve’s EDGE connection, but we experienced so many momentary drop-outs that it ruined our enjoyment of the service. We say stick to your own tunes.

 

Long-Distance Sprinter

 

Despite its multimedia prowess, e-mail is this (and every) BlackBerry's killer app. We had no problems setting up our Gmail account using the setup wizard (the device supports ten personal and corporate accounts), and we appreciated the new spell-checker function, complete with a customizable dictionary. Similar to the Pearl and 8800, the Curve lets you view Word, Excel, PDF, and JPEG attachments. Overall performance was just as fast as other BlackBerrys; the only time the Curve slowed down a bit was when we streamed music over Bluetooth while trying to surf the Web.

 

Speaking of which, the Curve's Web-browsing performance was pretty snappy over its EDGE connection. (Yes, without HSDPA or Wi-Fi.) We could start reading most sites within 7 to 10 seconds, and images filled in 10 to 20 seconds later. Call quality was generally good on AT&T's network, but as with the 8800, we wish we could get more volume out of the Curve's earpiece. More disconcerting were the two occasions when we couldn't get through to the number dialed on the first try. On the plus side, the Curve delivered excellent endurance on our tests, with the battery lasting four days with periodic use. You get only four straight hours of talk time versus five for the 8800, but that's still half an hour more than the Pearl.

 

The Curve's biggest competition isn't other BlackBerrys but the Samsung BlackJack, which currently costs only $149 with a mail-in rebate. The BlackJack's 3G data connection is only a moderate advantage because of Windows Mobile's slower browser, but its built-in camcorder and support for Cingular Video are definite pluses. On the other hand, the Curve offers a better e-mail experience, a sharper camera, and much longer battery life. Despite a few drawbacks, this is the best BlackBerry--and one of the most well-rounded smart phones--money can buy.

Check out our review of the updated BlackBerry Curve 8310 for AT&T.

The Best Way To Experirence The Web, email, photo and Video

All of the built-in apps on iPad were designed from the ground up to take advantage of the large Multi-Touch screen and advanced capabilities of iPad. And they work in any orientation. So you can do things with these apps that you can’t do on any other device.

Safari

iPad is the best way to experience the web. View whole pages in portrait or landscape on the large Multi-Touch screen. And let your fingers do the surfing

Mail

There’s nothing like the Mail app on iPad. With a split-screen view and expansive onscreen keyboard, it lets you see and touch your email in ways you never could before.

Photos

A vivid LED-backlit IPS display makes viewing photos on iPad extraordinary. Open albums with a tap. Flip through your pictures one by one. Or play a slideshow and share your photos. 

Videos

The 9.7-inch high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching HD movies, TV shows, podcasts, music videos, and more. 

iPod

Reach out and touch your songs. View your album art full-size. iPad makes music look as good as it sounds.

                

           

iBooks

Reading is a joy on iPad. Text looks crisp and bright. Pages turn with a flick. And you can buy new books from the iBookstore. Just download the free iBooks app to get started.

                   

Numbers

Numbers includes over 250 easy-to-use functions, an intelligent keyboard, flexible tables, and eye-catching charts. So you can create compelling spreadsheets in just a few taps.

           

iOS 4.0.1 Software Updates

iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS owners.

Haven't upgraded to iOS 4 yet? The free iOS 4.0.1 Software Update brings over 100 new features to your iPhone. Here are a few.

                                          

Multitasking

Now you can run your favorite third-party apps — and switch between them instantly — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily

 

 

Compatibility

iOS 4 works with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 3G. Not all features are compatible with all devices. For example, multitasking is available only with iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.