NEW BlackBerry 6 OS Video Revealed at WES
April 27th, 2010 // 9:58 am @ Terrance Gaines
Just from the video, the new BlackBerry OS 6 looks more fluid and better intergrated with other BlackBerry apps. The web browser is definately in improvement.
BlackBerry is definately the go-to smarphone for most consumers (all of my family owns one). I just wonder if it can keep up with likes of Apple and Android in terms of leading edge smartphone technology. Right now, they are playing “catch up”
We will have to wait and see
Category : Random Tech
BlackBerry OS 6.0 – Finally Something To Talk About
April 20th, 2010 // 11:56 am @ Terrance Gaines
Looks as if BlackBerry is stepping up it’s ‘accidentally on purpose leaked info’ game up too with new images copped by BGR from an “AT&T connect” of it’s new OS 6.0, supposedly dropping around the same time as the new iPhone 4G.
Some of the features include:
- Multi-touch web browswer. ANY improvement over RIM’s current browser should be a treat
- Updated Media Player & Photos App (multi-touch as well)
- Re-vamped inbox with thumbnails to identify what type of message and built-in RSS Reader
- Homescreen “Pages” that allow you to scroll through customizable screens that will display different groups of icons – “Favorites, All, Home, etc”
It’s about time RIM/BlackBerry stepped it’s game up. Apple & Android have owed the smart phone news buzz for the first half of the year. Hopefully with this new OS, BlackBerry will give it’s faithful (like myself…You suprised? I told you there was nothing to talk about) something to look forward to this summer.
For more information about the new OS, go to BGR.com
Category : Mobile Tech
Why I haven’t bought an iPhone, and what Apple and BlackBerry are doing about it
April 1st, 2010 // 10:09 am @ Terrance Gaines
…Or RUMORED to be doing about it – Just about ALL of this is just a bunch of speculative rumors, but when has speculation and rumors that ever stopped anybody?
First, let’s get the main and most popular reason why I haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet:
The Low Down:
1. Their stuff is expensive. They provide a good product for their fanboys/girls loyal customer base, so they have every right to be handsomely compensated. I just haven’t been able to convince the CFO of the family (read: Mrs. Tech) to shell out the dough for “research”.
If cost wasn’t an issue, then another issue is that…
2. I am currently on contract with “Big Red” (rhymes with “Horizon Fireless”), and it doesn’t expire until December. Once my contract is up, I would consider a switch to AT&T and their dreaded “You don’t need to talk to anyone right now” network capabilites. But word on the street is that AT&T is ramping up their network to compete with a rumored new iPhone version the COULD work on Verizon’s Network…which seems to be more stable. This works for me in two ways – 1. If I decide to switch to AT&T, the network should be improved. 2. If Verizon does get a decent iPhone version, I may not have to switch at all. Well, actually 3. Since I have preorded the 3G version of the iPad, so I REALLY want AT&T’s network to get it’s act together.
Now I can feel all the geeks breathing down my neck ready to jump on me with a knee-jerky “You know you can “jail break” your iPhone and use it on T-Mobile right?” reactions. Me being a geek myself, I would be intrigued to do so, and I probably wouldn’t have any trouble freeing up an iPhone from AT&T. And I wouldn’t be worried about voiding out any warranty or dealing with Apple customer/tech service with a jail broke iPhone – i’m a geek, so I would figure it out. My response would be “I shouldn’t have to jail break my phone to use it properly”. Not down playing the ingenuity and “workaroundability” (I just made that up) of folks who have figured out how to crack an iPhone. It just aint THAT deep for me. That and…
Cost and a sucky wireless network aren’t the ONLY, albeit good reasons why I have shyed away from an iPhone. I am currently using a BlackBerry, and I enjoy being able to hop in and out of apps (Opera Mini, UberTwitter, Viigo News) at will.
3. With the iPhone, or the new upcoming iPad for that matter, Multi-tasking is a no-go…for now. It was speculated that Apple passed on the ability due to a drain on battery life. But it seems as if Apple does listen to it’s customer base if the rumors about the upcoming iPhone 4G and that it’s operating system will add multi-tasking are true. Since the iPad will run on a similar OS, my hope is that I get a two-fer: Both the iPad and iPhone will finally get on board with the rest of the mobile technology world and give us multi-tasking.
5. The only other issue I can think of with the iPhone is you can’t view Flash content, which most people scoffed at Apple for not adopting. Since most websites use Flash for video content, you can see a bunch of holes on websites where videos would normally appear if you are trying to view them on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the new iPad. Steve jobs on several occasions has stated that he doesn’t like Flash so none of these gadgets use it.
Apple’s workaround: HTML5 – The upcoming improved world wide web coding language than gives developers the ability to script their own multimedia user interface (more control over content). One can assume that Apple is betting on the idea that HTML will free up web developers to do what they please with their media content. With the addition of the iPad to Apple’s arsenal, and the so far good response from consumers, Apple and it’s products, could be the catalyst for more companies to adopt the improved web language and rush it from currently being a just a “draft”, to a reality – YouTube, Brightcove (who might just boost Apple’s video capabilities) and a host of others are already working on modernizing HTML5, so look forward to that reality sooner than later.
Hulu is using Flash, which sucks, because I watch it when I am work when I can’t catch my shows on network TV – more after the break:
Like I stated earlier, right now, just about all of this is speculation, so who knows what’s gonna happen. Add to the fact that BLACKBERRY IS THE NUMBER ONE SMARTPHONE SELLER IN THE WORLD, and add to the fact that and I am creature of habit, and my BlackBerry works just fine…pretty well actually. Also, I am pretty sure RIM is not gonna stand idle and let Apple control all the current hype surrounding their products. Or let Android surpass it with their new found popularity and handsome app offerings…and a HUGE name like Google behind them.
RIM does have it’s work cut out for it is they want to keep me (among others) as a loyal customer (my wife and just about my entire family uses a BlackBerry, and I’m the techie of family, so where I go…)
- RIM’s web browser is sad at best – which I have found my own workaround with the Opera Browser for smartphones until the rumored (yes another rumor) BlackBerry WebKit Browser comes out.
– RIM is getting killed in the app department – folks like the ease of use in apps and to my knowledge, they are not that complicated to create (“Thinkin’ of a master plan, Cuz ain’t nothing but sweat inside my hand…”), and Developers are leaning towards Apple, then Android, then BlackBerry as their platform of choice.
So by the time 2011 rolls around, all of these speculations and rumors should be laid to rest, and it will be clear if I, according to this article, am one of the 40% of BlackBerry users who want to switch to an iPhone. – That number seems high, but when has numbers and statistics ever stopped anybody?
Category : Mobile Tech
