Archives for January 2007

I’m Looking For A Really Good Bluetooth Headset

January 31, 2007 by Robb Dunewood 10 Comments

I am in the market for a really, really good Bluetooth Headset. I currently have a Plantronics Discovery 645 that I absolutely love and am seriously thinking about just moving up to the Plantronics Discovery 655 or possibly the BlackBerry branded version of the 655 (if it doesn’t cost too much more).

I figured, however, that this would be a good time to ask RIMarkable readers what Bluetooth headsets you swear by. I tend to like headsets with ear buds or gels and sound canceling technology like DSP is a must. I need to be able to hear and be heard in noisy airports and other public places with lots of background noise.

If you have or know of a headset that fits the bill, leave us a mini review in the comments.

Bluetooth Headset

Corporate BlackBerry Users Want CRM

January 31, 2007 by Robb Dunewood 1 Comment

In a survey of 100 corporate execs in the UK conducted by Vanson Bourne, CRM and Feild Force Automation top the wish lists of 29% of those surveyed for the next generation BlackBerry applications.

The survey demonstrates that mobile CRM tools are a logical extension to the BlackBerry platform. They enable field staff to have access to and update information at all times. This allows them to spend more time in the field, and less time relaying information. It also ensures that they have the most recent figures for customers so that they can give the best service.

BBHub is Shutting Down

January 30, 2007 by Robb Dunewood Leave a Comment

A little over a week ago we heard a rumor that AOL was going to shut down BBHub along with several other Weblogs Inc. properties and now a post by Russell Shaw over on BBHub confirms the rumor. BBHub was one of the blogs that I can honestly say that read everyday and, as I have said before, it will be missed.

Make Cheap International Calls from your BlackBerry with One4000

January 29, 2007 by Robb Dunewood 1 Comment

One4000, another one of those “make cheap international calls from your BlackBerry” services has announced support for the BlackBerry today.

By downloading the free One4000 call-back application, BlackBerry users can easily initiate calls via the internet and save money, especially when dialing international or long-distance. For anyone who doesn’t want to download the application, but still want to use the service, not to worry. All registered One4000 customers can easily and instantly initiate calls via a simple text message or through their online account pages.

Read the full press release…

Slingplayer Mobile for BlackBerry not coming any time soon…

January 27, 2007 by Robb Dunewood 13 Comments

When of the best pieces of electronic gadgetry to come out in the past few years is the Slingbox from Sling Media. The Slingbox is a little gizmo that allows you to control your DVR, cable box, satellite receiver or any other type of TV entertainment you have as well as watch live TV via an internet connection.

Slingplayer is the utility that allows you to control your Slingbox over the internet on your PC and Slingplayer Mobile can do the same from a Windows Mobile powered PDA or smartphone. Slingplayer Mobile clients are currently in beta for Palm and Symbian powered devices, however, unfortunately, no one seems to be able to get a clear answer on if Sling Media is working on Slingplayer Mobile for BlackBerry.

Analysts Say That The iPhone May Not Be All That Smart

January 27, 2007 by Robb Dunewood 7 Comments

Apple debuted it’s iPhone a couple of weeks ago and the initial thought of many analysts was that it would change the face the smartphone industry the day it ships. Stocks of RIM and Palm dropped significantly shortly after Steve Jobs keynote at Mac World and the iPhone, although won’t be released until June, is extravagantly expensive, and is a first stab at a completely new type of mobile device, is tops on the new toy lists of many a gadget junky.

Now that much of the hoopla and fanfare after the announcement of the iPhone has passed, analysts have had a chance to really think about what the iPhone is. Some are claiming that the iPhone isn’t really even a smartphone because it won’t support third party applications.

Was Dick Cheney Using His BlackBerry During the State Of The Union Address?

January 27, 2007 by Robb Dunewood Leave a Comment

I can spot someone in the BlackBerry Prayer a mile away and there is no question that the Vice President was either trying to set a new high score in Brick Breaker or checking email right during his boss’s speech.

Will We Start To See More Carrier Specific Applications On Next-Gen BlackBerrys?

January 25, 2007 by Robb Dunewood 1 Comment

T-Mobile My Faves on the BlackBerry Pearl Have you ever noticed that many of the carrier specific applications offered on new mobile devices are absent from the BlackBerry devices specific to those carriers. T-Mobile’s My Faves on the BlackBerry Pearl is one notable exception, however, a lot of the things you can do on a $50 mobile device cannot be done on a $350 BlackBerry.

One argument was that hardware limitations prevented some of the rich multimedia content from being offered on BlackBerry devices. There is probably some truth to that, however, this is no longer the case for the BlackBerry 8700, 7130, Pearl, and any new BlackBerrys that will follow.

Will next-gen BlackBerry users be able use Cingular’s Music Store, or V Cast from Verizon? Will we be able to watch Sprint.TV? If RIM is serious about making a move in the consumer market, their devices need to offer the same features as consumer oriented mobile devices do.

BlackBerry RSS Feed Advertising

January 24, 2007 by Robb Dunewood Leave a Comment

Yesterday Steve St. Pierre wrote a very good post about RIM’s advertising initiative with the BlackBerry and one of the things he said was that RIM shouldn’t make customers “sick” with “viral” gimmicks but should use blogs and other popular sites to “get into their (customers) homes and workplaces without them really knowing it.”

Well, it looks like RIM has already started doing just that. One of the most popular blog networks out there, Gawker Media, has advertising directly from RIM in the RSS feeds of a few of their gossip and celebrity blogs like Gawker and Defamer.

The BlackBerry RSS ads take you to a BlackBerry.com site that allows you to Tell Your Story about Why You Love Your BlackBerry.

This is definitely not par for course advertising for RIM and it is doing exactly what Steve recommended.

Getting blogs to talk about BlackBerry.

Analysts think that the iPhone will undermine the BlackBerry

January 23, 2007 by Robb Dunewood 1 Comment

I have been on the record since before the iPhone was announced that it would compete with the BlackBerry much more than many people think it will and today Needham analysts John Lynch and Charlie Wolf “assert that the introduction of the Apple iPhone clouds the prospects for Research in Motion’s first phone targeted at the consumer market, the Blackberry Pearl.”

In plain english this means that guys looking at the mobile phone industry at Needam feel that the iPhone will give consumer oriented BlackBerry devices some real competition. Needless to say, Needham has lowered it’s rating on RIM (RIMM) from Buy down to Hold.