News and Rumors

BlackBerry has posted another promo video for the BlackBerry PlayBook on their youtube channel. This one emphasizes multi-tasking capabilities of the PlayBook.

• Discuss the Step It Up promo clip in the BlackBerry OS forums

With the appearance of the Memory4Kidz app in BlackBerry App World, it seems as though BlackBerry PlayBook apps are starting to be accepted for BlackBerry App World. Memory4Kidz was posted on December 23rd. It is a memory game for children to explore colors, numbers and shapes. There are a few screenshots of the game. App World shows the required device software is OS 6.0.0 or higher, but likely refers to the QNX OS that the PlayBook runs on.

• Check out all the information at BlackBerry App World
• Discuss this in the BlackBerryOS forums

According to RIM sources while LTE for BlackBerry phones is in the early stages of development, they will not be releasing any LTE capable smartphones until possibly late 2011. Rim claims that the LTE chips are currently too expensive and consume too much battery power for their liking. They also state that with the limited number of LTE networks in place that at this time it is not economically feasible for the company. What are your thoughts ? Is RIM falling behind further in the smartphone industry or are they just waiting for all the bugs to be worked out with LTE and for LTE to expand further in the consumer market ? Let us know what you think.

Ever wonder what you can give the BlackBerry fanatic that has the newest device, has the most current OS, has every case, and every app known to man? Well, you get them something that's much less known to man... BlackBerry Monopoly, of course. If you're lucky enough to find a copy, that is. It's looking like this may have just been a fun gift to RIM employees.

And by fun I mean that instead of a "Go To Jail" card, your card may say, for example, "WES fees due - Pay $50 dollars" - whoops! But fun, right? And get this, your monopoly pieces would be miniature BlackBerry phones.

It will be fun to keep an eye out on eBay and Amazon to see if any more pop up like this one did.

The game is not sold to the public, so I assume that it was a fun gift within the RIM company and its partners.

- Avonlea

It's that time of year again when we reflect back on where we have been, and also gaze into the future at where we would like to be in the coming year. A lot has happened this year at BBOS. We saw many new faces and changes. From a total site makeover, to a growing membership of over 25K members, we would like to thank you for a great Year 2010 at BBOS! Remember to play responsibly as you go out and enjoy the fruits of the New Year celebration tonight!

Also, don't forget to enter in our current running contests for a chance to win prizes for your BlackBerry...

• Win a copy of Berry GBC - Nintendo GameBoy for BlackBerry
• Win a free theme 'Gingerbread' from ALH Designs

It's that time of year again. The task of setting some goals and making a list of New Year's resolutions. So, why not let your BlackBerry help you? We have just the deal to make that happen. Going on now in our Online Store, for 3 days, Dec 30th - Jan 1st, take 50% off our top BlackBerry apps to help you achieve those New Year's resolutions! Click the banner above to get started now, and save BIG for the New Year!

According to Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu, the BlackBerry PlayBook is delayed until May 2011 due to battery life issues. Wu's sources have said that the current battery on the PlayBook only lasts a few hours. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy at six hours and the iPad at ten hours, the PlayBook will be a tough sell. With a dual core processor and 1 Gb of ram, the PlayBook seems to require a larger battery to power it. Also, the QNX OS that the PlayBook runs on was initially designed for network equipment and automobiles, devices where battery life is not a huge consideration. Hopefully RIM can pull this off with minor adjustments to the design.
Update: Late last night, RIM released a statement denying these claims. Read the full story in the BlackBerryOS forums.

• Discuss the BlackBerry PlayBook in the BlackBerryOS forums

Telus users now have the option to purchase apps from BlackBerry App World and have the cost deferred to their monthly bills. This is a great innovation for users who possibly do not have a credit card or simply choose not to use their credit card or paypal for app purchases. What are your thoughts on this? Do you like the idea of carrier billing?

Skype is now officially BlackBerry OS 6 compatible for Verizon Wireless Phones. Skype teamed up in March of 2010 with Verizon wireless to provide Verizon customers with the ability to provide free skype to skype calls and messaging without worrying about your minutes or the amount of text messages you send.

Now we all know that Verizon has not officially released OS 6 for any of their devices yet,and Sprint has now officially released OS 6 for the 9650 and the 9330, can this mean we all could see an upgrade really soon ? Verizon Wireless is the only one that can answer that. Hopefully Verizon will stop dragging their feet and release OS 6 to the masses. In the mean time give Skype a try.

Looks like some special Holiday treatment from the Conan/Andy combo as they release a series of 'smiles' and 'dings' to advertise the BlackBerry Torch for AT&T, looking to boost their advertising for the Holiday Season. Conan has been known to use a BlackBerry as his primary phone, perhaps this is his new baby Torch.

GEICO has released a new application for their BlackBerry customers suitably titled "GEICO Insurance GloveBox." This handy application allows users to access information about their insurance, and even how-to tips on changing a flat tire or jump-starting their car. Download the app and get all that and more including the following features, all at your fingertips!

• Bill Pay – Pay your GEICO auto insurance bill.
• View Insurance ID Card(s) – Access your current insurance ID cards from your phone.
• Accident Helper – Helps put you in contact with emergency services, gives you a place to organize photos and much more.
• Roadside Service – Find nearby tow services and gas stations… anywhere, anytime.
• Auto How To’s – Get step-by-step instructions on how to jump start a vehicle, change a flat tire or check your tire pressure.
• And more!

• Click here to discover more about this app!
  Download the FREE GEICO Insurance GloveBox App Here

- Avonlea

We’ve been hearing a little bit about the upcoming BlackBerry 8980 and today FCC posted pictures and a User's Manual of the upcoming device on their website. The BlackBerry 8980 will apparently only run on 2G and currently only supports OS 5. We sure hope RIM pushes out the OS 6 update pretty soon. Also, as we know the 8980 has been picked up by China Mobile so it will likely show up in China first.

• For more details on the BlackBerry 8980 check out our Forum