You don’t have to sacrifice functionality for entertainment with the BlackBerry® Storm2™ 9550 smartphone. Quickly and easily message your friends with the enhanced virtual keyboard on the high resolution clickable touchscreen. The Storm 2 features many improved features over the original Storm, along with an evolution in touchscreen technology. Visit one of our locations today to find out more about this great new device.
The new phone, has a better touchscreen than the original version but BlackBerry has retained the Storm's controversial SurePress technology - which requires the user to physically press down the screen, rather than just touching it - to execute certain tasks. While the original Storm had just one SurePress sensor, however, the new device has four - one at each corner of the screen - meaning that pressing the device is a far smoother experience and typing takes far less effort.
RIM has also turned the individual physical buttons from the first version - which included call pick-up, end, menu and back buttons - into part of the touchscreen. The keys on the side of the device, meanwhile, which had a tendency to fall off the first phone, have been replaced by more durable rubber keys.
The Storm 2 has a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video recording but only 2GB of storage - though it can take microSD cards, which would raise this by as much as 16GB. BlackBerry has also improved the 3.5mm stereo headset jack, which was also a problem on the earlier device. Crucially the Storm 2 has Wi-Fi capability, something that was sadly lacking from the original device.
Height:
4.43 inches (112.5 mm)
Width:
2.45 inches (62.2 mm)
Depth:
0.55 inches (13.95 mm)
Here is your first look at the brand new BlackBerry 9550 Storm 2. The biggest change is coming with the new operating system that is supposed to make the sure-press touch system have better responsiveness and be more user friendly. Other upgrades include a new screen with integrated buttons, more memory and faster processor as well as Wi-Fi!
If you need a GPS device to get around, it's becoming more likely you'll get yourself a mobile phone with built-in satellite mapping than buy a standalone personal navigation device.
According to market research firm iSuppli, by 2011, virtually all smartphones will sport built-in GPS functionality, and by 2014 there might be no more market left for PNDs.
While this is a grand statement, it's quite credible. Just a year or two ago, it was hard to find a phone with built-in GPS functionality that actually worked reliably. Today there are various applications available that can turn your smartphone into a dependable navigator.
Nonetheless, for now, the market for PNDs is still going strong. According to iSuppli, PNDs will continue to lead the navigation market in 2009, with some 114 million sets predicted to be in use by the end of the year, compared with 57.8 million navigation-enabled smart phones.
New smartphone models are becoming increasingly suitable for use as navigators due to their larger displays, bigger internal storage, faster processors, and most importantly, the increased number of developers creating apps for them. As a matter of fact, all current navigation solutions on smartphones are applications developed by third parties.
iSuppli predicted that thanks to such factors, the number of people who use the iPhone alone as a navigator - Apple now has eight navigation applications available for it - will increase from just 2 million in 2009 to 20 million by 2013.
Source: Compare Cellular
Check out the above leaked screengrab of Facebook 1.7 for BlackBerry — clean, right? Rumored to hit in September, some of the new features and changes include:
The B.C. government promised Tuesday to pass a law that will restrict cellphone use behind the wheel “to create a safer driving and pedestrian environmental for all.”
Solicitor General Kash Heed told reporters yesterday he is looking at three key changes for drivers:
He said the timing of the legislation and further details are still being worked out, but it will bring B.C. in line with at least four other provinces.
In April, Ontario passed a law that bans using handheld devices to talk, e-mail or send text messages while driving. The new rules, which will come into effect this fall, include a fine of up to $500. The law doesn't affect the use of hands-free devices such as those with Bluetooth or dialling 911 on cellphones. Global positioning systems will be allowed as long as they're properly secured to the dashboard.
Ontario followed Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland – all have banned drivers from chatting and texting on handheld devices while on the road.
In 2003, Newfoundland and Labrador became the first province to ban hand-held cellphones for drivers. Penalties in the province range from $11 to $400, plus four demerit points.
Nova Scotia passed its cellphone ban in April, 2008. Also in that month, Quebec banned drivers from using hand-held cellphones. The law was enacted on June 30, and drivers face a $115 fine and three demerit points. Penalties apply even if drivers are not talking but are spotted with a cellphone in their hands.
Manitoba and Prince Edward Island are also considering a ban, but Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach spoke out against a private member's bill introduced in the legislature to ban drivers from using cellphones.
About 50 countries, including Australia and Japan, have cellphone restrictions. In the United States, the District of Columbia and 17 states have laws that restrict cellphone use for teenage drivers.
Source: Compare Cellular
We’ve been gathering details over the past month or so on this, and it’s pretty much confirmed: Research In Motion is planning on integrating full Flash and Microsoft Silverlight support into their BlackBerry web browser. Read that again boys and girls — full Flash support, not Flash lite.
We’ve been told this won’t happen until next summer or right before it as RIM needs their devices to be more beefed up as well as have access to higher data speeds for this to work effectively (HSPA and LTE). RIM has already achieved over 10Mbps downloads on next generation BlackBerrys in the test labs with test LTE equipment so it’s looking good, folks.
| Network | 3G EVDO Rev A (800/1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz), GSM/ EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) |
| Weight | 115 grams |
| Size | 114.15 x 63 x 13.35 mm |
| Display | WVGA 3.6” (800 x 480 pixel) touchscreen |
| Talk time | 6 hours talk time in 3G |
| Standby time | 11 days |
| Internal memory | 512 MB ROM/ 288 MB RAM |
| Expandable memory | up to 16GB |
| Camera | 3.2MP |
| Language | English and French |
The HTC Snap™ is the latest full QWERTY smartphone with an updated slim and stylish form factor, easy to use keyboard and enhanced Windows Mobile® 6.1 operating system.| Network | 3G EVDO Rev A (800/1900 MHz), GSM/ EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) |
| Weight | 115 grams |
| Size | 114.15 x 63 x 13.35 mm |
| Screen | QVGA 2.4” (320 x 240 pixel) |
| Talk time | 5.3 hours talk time in 3G |
| Standby time | 13.5 days |
| Internal memory | 256 MB ROM/ 192 MB RAM |
| Expandable memory | up to 16GB |
| Camera | 2.0MP |
A multicountry study from Lightspeed Research sheds light on how consumers use their mobile phones in the US, UK, France and Germany.
Users in the US and UK were most likely to say they would be lost without their mobile device, at 49% and 30%, respectively. But US and UK users were also most likely to report “never” making voice calls.
n all four countries studied, making a mobile phone call at least once a day was the norm, however. Frequency was highest in France, where 57% of users called daily. The US was close behind at 52%.
The European Commission has welcomed a commitment made earlier this year by the handset industry to provide a common charger for mobile phones. The first generation of new inter-chargeable mobile phones should reach the EU market from 2010 onwards.
In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) submitted to the Commission today, the industry has committed to provide charger compatibility on the basis of the Micro-USB connector. New EU standards to ensure continued safe charger use, as well as avoidance or radio interference problems, will also be developed.
Currently, there is a plethora of chargers for mobile phones in the EU. Many of them can only charge a particular mobile phone. Almost every household has a collection of chargers that have become superfluous over time. Old chargers currently generate several thousands of tons of waste a year.
Ten companies have signed the MoU:
More than a third of younger people living on their own have dumped their landline in favour of mobile phones, according to the latest figures from Statistics Canada.
Eight per cent of Canadian households have cellphones but no landline, according to the December 2008 figures from Statistics Canada's Residential Telephone Service Survey.
But that number jumps to 34.4 per cent when looking at households composed solely of 19-to-34-year-olds. Only 4.5 per cent of other households have given up their landline in favour of cellphones.
The changing habits of younger consumers helps explain the shift over the past few years as Canadians have increasingly come to rely on their cellphones for communication.
Overall, 74.3 per cent of Canadian households indicated they had a cellphone in 2008, up from 72.4 per cent in 2007 and 67.1 per cent in 2006.
Western Canada has led the way in cellphone adoption, with 84.5 per cent of Albertan households having at least one cellphone. Quebec has the lowest adoption rate with 65.5 per cent of households having cellphones.
Less than a quarter (24.8 per cent) of homes had only landlines, while less than one per cent had no phone service.
The study drew on the responses from participants of the agency's labour force survey conducted in December.
Source: Compare Cellular
The BlackBerry Tour 9630 is Official! Yes folks, the Tour went live on RIM's website yesterday afternoon official specs include:A recent survey found that nearly two-thirds of respondents have made a date via text messaging.
It seems that texting and social networking sites may be the new way to show you care-and that you don't. A recent survey of 500 Americans aged 18 and above carried out by Nokia USA, found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of them have made a date via text messaging. But it's not only for good news that they're using technology. When a relationship goes south, they turn to technology to break the news: Roughly one in every 10 (11%) of Americans have used text messaging to end a romantic relationship and 7 percent have ended a relationship via a social networking site on their mobile device.
Send and receive twitter updates from your TELUS phone
TELUS clients can now stay connected with their twitter community quickly and easily by sending/receiving updates via text messages or using their mobile browser.
What is twitter?
Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?
New users can create an account for free at www.twitter.com
How clients can access twitter:
twitter text alerts:
TELUS clients that sign up for twitter alerts can send/receive “tweets” through text messages. This is ideal for someone who wants to make quick updates or get notified instantly when one of their friends tweets.
Setting up:
Clients can add their phone to twitter by visiting http://twitter.com/devices After their phone is verified, they can start sending and receiving updates instantly. To send an update, clients send their under 140 character tweets in a text message to 21212.
For additional support, clients can visit: http://help.twitter.com/forums/10711/entries/14589
twitter mobile:
Clients access twitter similar to how they do on their computer - through their browser at http://m.twitter.com. This is great for someone who wants to see updates from everyone in their twitter community at once.
3rd party applications:
There are also a growing number of 3rd party applications that provide a great way to experience twitter on the go (i.e. TwitterBerry). These applications are available on many TELUS Smartphones including most BlackBerry devices.
Pricing:
Using twitter through text messaging or the mobile browser comes at no additional cost to clients, above standard text messaging and browsing rates.
The Samsung Omnia2 sports a 3.7-inch WVGA TFT resistive touchscreen, 8.1 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and VGA@30fps video recording, 150 MB internal memory, a Qualcomm processor and a microSD card slot. The connectivity includes all you may need as usual - 3G support, Bluetooth, miniUSB, GPS and Wi-Fi.
Rumors speculate that the Windows Mobile OS on board (purportedly 6.1) will be heavily customized and will bear the Samsung's TouchWiz styling with deep menu restyling (much like the latest TouchFLO 3D in HTC Touch Diamond2 and Pro2). DivX/XViD support is also expected.
Although this phone is currently just a rumour, Samsung has had a marketing campaign going where a phone is seen X-Rayed is a briefcase and the world will be shown on June 15th. And this phone bears a very similar shape to the one seen in the briefcase So check back next week to see if this rumour is real or not.
Source: GSMArena.com
