Admittedly, it’s been a long, long time since I last updated the Tech Bottle blog. It’s not that I’ve fallen months behind on technology.  I have been reading and interacting with tech enthusiasts but I haven’t been posting here.  A New Years resolution is to keep the blog updated on at least a semi-regular basis. Here’s what I’ve been doing and what’s caught my eye:

• I’m still a big supporter of Google Buzz. I think it is intelligently designed and well executed. I tend to read much more than I write on Buzz but I have been getting back in the swing of things. It’ll hopefully be rolled into the rumored Google Me service which apparently goes by the code name Google +1 now.
• I’m also liking Quora and Diaspora quite a bit. Quora is a Q&A forum of sorts. It’s like Yahoo! Answers, in a way, but Quora is populated with real techies and entrepreneurs.  Diaspora is the “open” alternative to Facebook.  Readers of my blog know that I’m not a big fan of Facebook. Diaspora has better privacy settings and it’s more intuitive to use than Facebook.  Quora is open to all but Diaspora is by invitation only (I think… I tried confirming but they are upgrading their servers… a much needed chore for them).
• I’m still running Ubuntu linux at home.  I am pleased to report that I haven’t had to boot Windows or virtualize Windows even once since converting to Ubuntu nearly six months ago. Oh, in Ubuntu I’ve been toying with MythTV which is pretty darn cool but difficult to set up.  I also revitalized a 333 MHz old Dell machine with 256 megs of RAM by installing Ubuntu. It’s usable but, well, not quite snappy enough for my liking.
• I’ve downloaded the Dell build of Chromium OS but I need to clean up and fix a USB stick to try it out.
• I’m eagerly awaiting the HTC Thunderbolt, which is rumored to be Verizon’s first 4G/LTE phone.Tell me this isn’t a great looking Android phone?  I have an upgrade saved up on my account.  The only thing that would keep me away from the Thunderbolt would be an encrypted bootloader that would make rooting and custom ROMing the phone impossible (or, at the very least, extremely difficult).
• Also in the mobile industry, I see RIM slipping further into irrelevance.  They announced a switch to a completely new OS built from an operating system designed for touchscreen GPS standalone devices. The new OS won’t be available for a long time (my guess, over a years… 2012) yet they’re still selling OUTDATED Blackberry OS devices like the Torch (major flop) to keep revenue going. Goldman Sachs downgraded RIM’s stock not too long ago. Oh, and RIM has a dual core tablet in the works that some are touting but others are already criticizing (mostly re: battery life).
• The CR-48 Chrome netbook looks great to me but I haven’t been able to score one. I’ve been reading about it on Buzz from those lucky few who received them.

That’s all folks.  Expect more in 2011.  Have a happy and healthy new year.

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To celebrate the upcoming release of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft held an official “funeral” for Blackberry and iPhone. While there’s something to be said for team building, this really takes the cake as the dumbest, most tasteless corporate event in history. The pictures below and videos of employees performing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller seem to say it all. Shame on Microsoft.

[via Engadget]

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Today Verizon announced the launch of it V Cast App Store on Blackberry smartphones. This will go head-to-head with RIM’s own Blackberry App World and Handango. Apps purchased from V Cast are billed to a subscriber’s phone bill. The V Cast App Store is currently available on the BlackBerry Bold 9650, Storm 9550, Curve 8530 and Tour 9630 and will be coming in the next couple weeks to the forgotten devices… the Storm 9530 and Curve 8330. Want to check out the V Cast App Store? Verizon’s making it easy by pushing an icon to your Blackberry.

Why am I mildly excited about this? 1. Blackberry App World and Handango are both rather crummy. 2. RIM’s not dead and might not die as fast as a lot of us were predicting. Some amazing reports have come out about the upcoming WebKit browser that will be featured in OS 6.0. Apparently, it scores higher on certain standard Acid tests than Android 2.1 and Apple’s Mobile Safari. While the browser advancement is good news, Blackberry still lags the two giants, Android and iOS, in app development by an impressively wide margin.

Android offers users the ability to return paid apps within 24 hours for a full refund if they’re unsatisfied. While V Cast does not appear to have a similar return policy, it is somewhat less necessary on Blackberry. RIM controls both the hardware and the software on Blackberry phones. With Android, not every app plays nice with every Android device. Because of this problem, returns are sometimes necessary. I returned an app once but all of the other apps I’ve downloaded played nice on my Incredible.

For more information about the Blackberry advancements, including OS 6.0 and the new browser, I highly recommend Salomondrin’s site. He is generally the blogosphere’s starting point of all reliable Blackberry rumors and he’s been kind enough to pay us a visit and comment on a post about his 9800 prediction he made back before the holidays.

[via Official Verizon Press Release]

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Click to Enlarge

AT&T is landing one of the most anticipated Blackberries. It went under the codenames Mr. T and Talladega but now the Blackberry 9800 is being called the “Torch.” While I’m not thrilled with the name, this device looks pretty good. It’ll run OS 6.0 with a significantly improved browser.

Engadget landed some “leaked” pictures from RIM of the Torch. I cherry picked the best one for this post but there’s an entire gallery.

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I tend to think of Blackberries as primarily e-mail-centric devices. They’re the gold standard when it comes to real time email push. However, app-centric Android and iOS are really chipping away at RIM’s smartphone dominance. The good news for Blackberry loyalists is that RIM is responding. Blackberry App World is improving and 2.0, which is around the corner, offers some significant improvements:

• Optional carrier billing. Previously, PayPal was the only method for purchasing apps.
• “Blackberry ID” which allows you to take your paid apps along with you when you switch Blackberries.
• Wifi support. It’s a mystery why it’s not already supported but better late than never.

While these changes will help, I question whether app developers will focus on the Blackberry platform. Some, like SkyFire, have abandoned the platform. On the one hand, Blackberry OS 6.0 could breathe new life into RIM. On the other hand, one pillar of Blackberry OS 6.0 is a WebKit browser; developers may choose to reach the Blackberry crowd through their browsers instead of Blackberry App World.

[via thecellularguru via Crackberry and WorldTech24]

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Samsung will launch a mixed candybar QWERTY with a touchscreen, quite similar to upcoming 6.0 Blackberries. Currently named the Galaxy Q, I learned about this from Phandroid which picked up the story from the Korea Times. I can’t say that I can vouch for the Korea Times but this story is believable. Apparently, Samsung’s Blackberry-like Androids will launch in the U.S. by year end.

P.S. I am standing by my prediction that RIM will only survive the smartphone wars if it manufactures some Android devices.

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I’m a big fan of Google Buzz and encourage others to check it out. Today the Google Buzz Team made two big announcements — one awesome and the other so-so.

I’ll start with the awesome announcement. The mobile version of Google Buzz now works on virtually all smartphones, including Blackberry, WebOS, Android <2.0, Nokia S60, and Windows Mobile. Previously, only iPhones and Android 2.0+ could access the mobile site. The Blackberry version can even support location based searches by following some simple instructions. The inclusion of Blackberry specifically should help build the Buzz user base because 43% of smartphone users are toting Blackberries, as of Jan. 2010.

The so-so news is that Buzz now has a native rebuzzing feature which is called “reshare.” Some people are wild about this but I’m not. While it’s only been out a few hours, it seems to fragment meaningful discussions into multiple tidbit buzzes. Also, who wants to read the same blog post 30 times in their Buzz stream? Nonetheless, the eagle has landed and rebuzzing is here.

[via Official Gmail Blog]

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Click to Enlarge

Today Sprint released the Blackberry Bold 9650. For the past few months, it was assumed the 9650 would be the “Tour 2″. I hate to be such a cynic but it is hard to get excited about the phone because it is basically the Tour 9630 with defects cured.

The Tour 9630 launched with two major problems back in July of 2009. First, the trackball was defective. Eventually RIM thought they had it right. Tours with better trackballs were identified with a green dot on the packaging. Not surprisingly, many of those failed too. It was not uncommon to read about people making warranty exchanges multiple times. I had to swap out my own Tour 9630 twice. Second, the Tour 9630 launched with OS 4.7 which was really buggy, though not quite as notorious as the Storm’s initial OS. Bricking the Tour upon installing an app was quite common.

Good news! The Bold 9650 doesn’t have a trackball and it is being launched with OS 5.0. The trackball has been replaced with an optical trackpad which is also found on the new Blackberry Curves and it is reportedly reliable. OS 5.0 is much more stable than 4.7, though it could masquerade as 4.8 and nobody would notice — very few noticeable feature improvements. It is worth noting that RIM claims to have OS 6.0 right around the corner. OS 6.0 has a respectable native browser. It would be nice to get official word from RIM that this device will receive an OS 6.0 upgrade.

Other improvements include Wifi b/g which is a welcome improvement and 512 megs of RAM. The phone retails for $199 with a new 2 year agreement. The Bold 9650 is what the Tour 9630 should have been.

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So, you’re comparing the Storm 2 to the HTC Incredible? Or the Motorola Droid to the Blackberry Tour? I’ve toted both a Blackberry Tour and an HTC Incredible. Based on my experience, these are the primary differences between Blackberries and Android phones.

Hardware

Navigation/Input – I won’t insult your intelligence and point out the difference between touchscreens and physical keyboards. Go to the store, talk to friends and decide which you prefer. If you want a physical keyboard, you’re in the Motorola Droid vs. Blackberry Tour camp. If you think you’ll be smacking a lot of keys, I think the Tour’s keyboard bests the Droid’s. Also, a revised version of the Tour (the Bold 9650) is on the horizon with a trackpad instead of a trackball or think about the new Curve with the trackpad. If you’re in the touchscreen camp, then you’re looking at the Storm 2 or HTC Incredible. The HTC Incredible has a more responsive screen and it’s a large (3.7″ vs. 3.25″), bright, impressive AMOLED screen. It has a resolution of 480 x 800 vs. a barely adequate 360 x 480.

Speed/Processor – While exact specs are unknown, Blackberries use much slower processors than competing Android phones. The HTC Incredible runs at 1 Ghz and the Droid runs at 550 Mhz. Blackberry specs are not released but it is assumed that they are much slower based on lag when installing apps, multitasking or doing processor intensive tasks.

Cameras – Currently, Androids have better cameras. Who cares?

Stock Software

Operating System Overall - Android 2.1 bests the Blackberry OS 5.0 and almost certainly OS 6.0. Blackberry OS is simple but subpar by today’s standards. No widgets. You can “lose” icons by placing them in folders. It lacks core features that are included in stock Android even on the Droid. However, Blackberry OS is a tad bit easier to use (if you don’t hide or misplace an icon).

Email - Blackberry whips every device out there in push email. RIM has patented technology that makes your emails push almost as soon as they are sent. Bam. If you need real time email, then the Blackberry is an easy pick. For real time communication on an Android device, you can use SMS/text messages or IM apps. Speaking of which, Blackberry has a proprietary IM system, Blackberry Messenger, that only runs on Blackberries. I think it’s overrated and the interface stinks but some swear by it.

Browser – The Android browser is very, very good. The RIM browser in OS 5.0 is a complete failure. OS 6.0 will incorporate a better browser but based on the leaked screenshots, I don’t think it will measure up to the Android browser which even supports Flash Lite on the HTC Incredible. Also, Android supports many third party browsers (Dolphin HD, SkyFire, Opera Mini and others) that best the third party browsers available on the Blackberry (BOLT! and Opera Mini).

Media – Blackberries lag in this category but the upcoming OS 6.0 sports a new media player that looks right up there with stock Android.

Apps and Third Party Software

Android walks all over the Blackberry in app development. Google has programmed some amazing apps for Android (Googles/Visual Search, Google Maps with Navigation, Sky Map and others). Third party developers have really taken the ball and run with it. Replacement keyboards, SMS clients, games, browsers, media players, etc. are available for free or cheap in the Android Market. RIM’s Blackberry App World is a joke compared to the Market or the Apple App Store. Sure you can load Pandora on both but once you really evaluate the two, Android wins the apps category easily.

My Opinionated Conclusions

Blackberries are very functional devices and they’re terrific, industry standard email devices. They’ll probably stay numero uno in enterprise use for a couple years and maybe longer. On the other hand, the Android experience is “fun” and app-centric.

If it’s your first smartphone, you’ll probably love either one. Maybe the Blackberry is the gateway drug to the smartphone world. If you’re a seasoned smartphone user, you will probably find the Android experience much more appealing.

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Research in Motion released a video touting its upcoming operating system, Blackberry 6.0. It’s set to the Black Eyed Peas Boom Boom Pow.  It matches up well with the lyrics, “I’m so two thousand and eight.”

On a more positive note, Blackberry 6.0 is a significant step forward for RIM. Frankly, 5.0 could have been more aptly named 4.8. There were almost no improvements in the bump to 5.0. Blackberry 6.0 brings with it a much better browser, music player and other goodies. It is designed for touchscreens and traditional Blackberries alike. This video is entertaining but it didn’t seem to impress analysts; Nasdaq:RIMM was off 1.85% today.

What bothers me about RIM is that they hold back goodies and go for incremental changes hoping that loyal Blackberry aficionados will upgrade to the next step up. Consider the Tour 9630 to Bold 9650 changes. Where’s a snapdragon chip? Where’s a 8.0 MP camera? 512 mb of RAM is a little light. Advice to RIM: Reach for the stars. You’re blowing it. Everyone is excited about the HTC Incredible. Why? Because it offers the best of the latest technology. RIM is still serving up two thousand and eight.

[via too many sources to name]

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Boy Genius got his hands on a pre-release device running Blackberry OS 6.0. Presumably, the device he tested it on was the upcoming slider which has appeared on this site. Below are the screenshots along with my commentary.

First up, we have the browser shot. It’s the WebKit browser we’ve heard some much about. It looks quite a bit different than what we’ve seen in OS 5.0 because it’s been totally redone. The bar just below the always present status bar shows the URL, that the site is encrypted, a gear which apparently does something (reload?), and a trigger to load the tab switcher. Just below that bar the small upward arrow suggests that the URL bar can be swiped off the screen for nearly full screen browsing. According to Boy Genius, the browser supports multitouch which begs the question of whether Apple will sue RIM for infringing on its multitouch patent or if that honor is reserved exclusively for HTC’s Nexus One.

Next, we see the tab switcher which is semi-transparent over the page in the browser window.

We also have a shot of the new home screen. It does not appear to support widgets but that “All” bar appears to scroll left and right to reveal Favorites and other icon sets. The magnifying glass below “Network” is a search button which is interesting because Blackberry’s native search is poorly designed. Perhaps it has been improved. The Google Mobile App now searches contacts and email… highly recommended.

We also have a shot of the revised music player. It displays album art and browses similar to an iPhone or iPod.

All in all, this is shaping up better than I expected. Boy Genius is practically guaranteeing a June or July release. Oh, and this was tested on AT&T’s network which means they have a new device coming. AT&T has not had a touchscreen Blackberry in its lineup. So, perhaps the “slider” is landing on AT&T.

[via BGR]

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Google Maps for Blackberry was updated today to version 4.0.1. New features include:

• Buzz Layer. See geolocated buzz from Google Buzz. This is mildly amusing considering Google never programmed a Google Buzz app for the Blackberry. Instead, Blackberry users can email a buzz to buzz@gmail.com from their gmail accounts or follow these instructions for buzzing from BitStream’s BOLT! browser.
• Star Synchronization. Favorited locations on the computer and the Blackberry should sync if you login to your account with the Google Maps app.
• Search by Voice. They had the plumbing already there in the Google Apps.
• “and More…” which means bug fixes, I assume.

Point your Blackberry’s native browser to http://m.google.com/maps to download version 4.0.1.

[Crackberry]

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There is no doubt that the market for mobile apps is on fire. ABI Research is predicting enormous growth in app downloads in 2010 followed by modest growth through 2013 and then the trend will move downward. See the figure below:

As the graphic shows, ABI Research believes Apple will continue to be the dominant player in the app arena. They predict Android will follow in second place with over 800 million app downloads in 2010.

When I look at the graphic and read their report, I question whether they have all of this right. I’d question just about anyone who tells me they can predict where technology will be in 2015. While iPhone and Android are almost certain to dominate for awhile, Palm may not exist much longer and ABI predicts substantial app downloads on Palm through 2015. Further, Blackberry OS app development is still in the dark ages and may never break out to the high numbers they are predicting. Furthermore, ABI predicts the following:

Revenues from mobile app sales, however, are expected to decline by 2012, as competition has led to downward pressure on application prices; and a greater proportion of “must-have” applications will begin to have free or advertising-supported substitutes. In addition, many handset makers such as Nokia, and Motorola with its Android handsets, have started to bundle applications that allow users to connect to popular social networks, instant messaging, and GPS services.

While that’s all reasonable, the report says nothing about a potential shift from an app-centric mobile world to a browser-based HTML5 or Flash handheld world. I suppose they’ve left room to re-forecast between now and 2015.

P.S. Fellas, “Series” was dropped from the name of Windows Phone 7 last week.

[via IntoMobile]

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…the Apple iPhone is the big winner, again. On a 1,000 point scale, the iPhone scored 810 points followed by Blackberry with 741 points and HTC with 727 points. In the dumbphone category, LG took first place with 729 points followed by Sanyo and Samsung. Some of the conclusions in the report are interesting:

• Touchscreen smartphone owners and considerably more satisfied with their handsets (smartphones and dumbphones alike) than owners of handsets with other input mechanisms (physical keys and keyboards).
• 17% of touchscreen smartphone owners frequently stream videos on their device.
• Apps are very popular among smartphone users. (Duh!)

Although Apple was the shoo-in to top the survey, HTC had a very strong showing in customer satisfaction. This bodes well for the Taiwanese device manufacturer that was relatively unknown amongst non-geeks prior to the announcement of Google’s Nexus One. The HTC brand will significantly strengthen in the coming months. While Blackberry had a very strong showing, the trends towards touchscreen devices and an app-centric experience suggests to me that Blackberry will struggle to perform well in next year’s survey.

[via J.D. Powers & Associates]

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I don’t mean to pour salt in their wounds but Research in Motion is down around 7% in trading mid-afternoon following Goldman Sachs cutting its recommendation from Hold to Sell. According to MarketWatch, Goldman justified the downgrade because the smartphone market has shifted from email-centric devices to app-centric devices and RIM significantly lags Apple and Android in app development.

On RIM’s quarterly analyst call CEO Jim Balsillie said, “If you saw the roadmap you’d be blown away.” I suggest that they start showing us the roadmap if they want to retain customers and investors.

[via MarketWatch]

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The much anticipated LinkedIN for Blackberry was released moments ago. The hardcore business Blackberry user addicted to online professional networking will rejoice. The app integrates with Blackberry’s native apps for contacts, calendar and messaging. I haven’t really played around with the LinkedIN app yet because my Tour is updating its OS to the official 5.0 that was released by Verizon around the same time. I’ll update this post if there’s anything noteworthy about the app.  To download the app, point your Blackberry browser to:

http://m.linkedin.com/blackberry/download

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This is a follow-up post to one I wrote two weeks ago entitled, “Bad News for Blackberry [Survey].” I use a Blackberry Tour and I have been less than satisfied with it. Both the hardware and software disappoint. I have been quite open about my disappointment. Nonetheless, I don’t really have a dog in the fight between mobile platforms but I intend to switch to Android soon, probably on an HTC manufactured phone. Obviously, I haven’t been alone in my whining about the Blackberry platform and Research in Motion generally. However, I was surprised to read Brett Wyman, the founder and owner of BlackberryOS.com, post to his site a searing rant against RIM. He cites the terrible web browser and inadequate app development among the reasons he sees RIM failing in North America.

This is the third time I’ve written this but the only scenario that could save RIM is releasing a industry-leading browser and a shift from installation-based apps to browser-based apps. I don’t think either of these two events will happen within a reasonable period of time. RIM is notoriously slow to release apps and I don’t see the browser project moving along at lightning speed. Its Twitter app development has moved along at galacial speed. It still hasn’t been released, not even in the new beta testing area of the RIM website. Frankly, they should have purchased BitStream a long, long time ago to acquire its BOLT web browser technology.

In the mobile industry news breaks hour by hour and significant advancement in devices occurs every few months. Already, we’re seeing prototypes of 4G phones like the upcoming “Supersonic” HTC Evo 4G. RIM, however, has products in the development WAY too long. People have been talking about Mr. T (the Blackberry Slider) for more than a year. Yet, what do we have? We have some crappy photographs of the phone. When will this product launch? Some have said April. I highly doubt it. It’s supposed to sport a flashy new OS and the new WebKit browser. I can’t imagine RIM having either one ready for the market in time for an April launch. Expect delay, delay, delay… maybe we’ll be
“blessed” with some more crappy photographs along the way. If RIM thinks that will keep users salivating for Blackberry, they’re very wrong.

I think RIM might want to consider a Plan B, specifically the following: ditch your crappy OS for recreational consumers (as opposed to business customers) in favor of Android. This would immediately result in a better browser and better app development. They could try to code a proprietary Blackberry Messenger client for Android. Admittedly, keeping it locked down on RIM-made devices would be difficult. Frankly, I don’t think they have the foresight within the company to go this route but I say, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Capitalize on the RIM brand but offer the best technology has to offer. It’s something short of plainly giving up but they’re hardly in the running among recreational consumers, as survey data shows. Ardent RIM supporters invested in RIM’s success like Brett Wyman are becoming former RIM fans.

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RIM is offering all Blackberry users the ability to participate in testing pre-release device software and RIM apps like the upcoming Twitter client (which sucks, stay with UberTwitter). Presently, the only offerings appear to be variants of OS 5.0 for the 8520 and 8530.

I have to say, this Blackberry Beta Zone makes a ton of sense. Clearly, RIM was leaking OSs to sites like BlackberryOS.com and Crackberry.com, among others. Now, there’s a central repository for the leaks. No longer will Blackberry adventure seekers need to scour the chatboards or purchase apps like BBOSAlert to learn of leaks.

If I were RIM, I would go one step further and post the blurry pre-release device photos to the Blackberry Beta Zone.

Users can be selected to participate in a beta by completing a profile on the site. To get started, head over to https://www.blackberry.com/beta/

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IntoMobile is reporting that Research in Motion has purchased Viigo, the app maker of the popular Viigo Blackberry RSS reader.  I’ve previously written about Viigo because it integrates with Google Reader. Perhaps RIM can work on a two-way sync between Google Reader and Viigo which would be a significant step up for the app. This also hints that RIM doesn’t believe that Google will release Blackberry app for Google Reader. For those unfamiliar with RSS, it stands for Really Simply Syndication and you can read my primer on it to get started.

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One of my very first posts to this blog was a review of the Blackberry BOLT Browser by BitStream. It’s a phenomenal browser and it just got better, much better. I’ve already touted its speed, rendering accuracy (perfect scores on Acid3 test), keyboard shortcuts and magnification feature. The new public beta version brings the following improvements:

• Tabbed browsing. This was my suggestion in November. (See, I could do one of those Windows 7 advertisements.:)) Opera Mini offered tabbed browsing so I knew it was possible. BOLT tabs are easy to use and work flawlessly. There’s virtually no lag even on the ‘ole Blackberry Tour.
• Facebook support without leaving the page you are viewing. I could take it or leave it but this differentiates the BOLT browser from all others.
• Support for various chat services, including Facebook chat. This is cool, very cool.
• Widgets (which were introduced in v. 1.70). I’m not so sure these were necessary or that they’re helpful. When I think of widgets, I think of an operating system. BOLT is a browser, not an OS. Also, Blackberry OS 6.0 will have native support for widgets.

It’s well known that RIM has its own WebKit browser in the works. Given how RIM software is usually both buggy and delayed (they STILL haven’t released a Twitter client), you should install BOLT… today.

http://boltbrowser.com/beta/boltbb.jad from your Blackberry browser.

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Some analysts are now projecting that Palm stock will go down to zero. This perplexes me because WebOS and the patent portfolio alone are worth something to somebody. There’s even speculation that Google will acquire Palm to obtain the patent portfolio. The writing was on the wall that the downward trend would continue for Palm when it decided not to attend the Mobile World Congress 2010. I was writing about Palm “slipping further into oblivion” in early February.

Nonetheless, I’m not in the business of predicting stock prices and I want to clarify a remark I recently made about RIM (which included a stock chart for Nasdaq:RIMM). In my post about the Crowd Science survey, I commented:

Perhaps if RIM’s stock is beaten up badly (it still has a market cap of $42B), it could become a takeover target.

While I stand by the remark, I don’t mean to imply that RIM has no hope for the future. RIM is executing a strategy that could work.

As any Blackberry user will tell you, app development for the Blackberry plainly sucks compared to iPhone and Android. I don’t foresee this changing and I don’t think RIM does either. Instead, RIM is betting that mobile apps will be replaced by platform independent mobile web apps. RIM’s energy is focused on its WebKit web browser which was demoed at the MWC 2010. While it wasn’t included in Blackberry OS 5.0, it will almost certainly be a highlight of OS 6.0. Recently, images of the OS 6.0 interface leaked (via BBLeaks.com) which appear to me to be authentic. They include:

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

In my opinion, the biggest take away from the photos is the use of widgets and feeds. Useful widgets could make Blackberry competitive even if traditional app development significantly lags other platforms. Also, current Blackberries have no native support for RSS feeds. In fact, at holiday time, Crackberry.com sponsored a petition to request Google to develop an RSS reader for the Blackberry which evidently failed. If Blackberry had native support for RSS feeds, this would be a huge plus. Many Blackberry users use the very popular Viigo app but it has limitations and cannot run in a widget mode.

RIM is updating its Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) service on March 28th which will, among other things, improve Gmail integration. This is a significant step in the right direction for non-corporate customers.

The leaked photos of the Blackberry Slider (Codenamed “Mr. T”) were poorly received in the Blackberry community but the device could be a surprise success. While the Palm Pre never really lived up to expectations, the Blackberry Slider has a larger screen and better branding. Some are speculating that the device will be released in April. I doubt that it will. As I mentioned before, BGR reported that the Slider has been failing internal testing. RIM employees should be working day and night to work out the problems because many of Verizon’s Blackberry customers, me included, are seriously interested in the Android phones. Both the Nexus One and HTC Incredible will be released for Verizon within the next few weeks. Perhaps I’m stating the obvious: The later the release of the Blackberry Slider, the less likely it is to penetrate the increasingly competitive smartphone market.

In other RIM news, a new Blackberry manufacturing plant will be opened in Latin America soon.

Unlike Palm, which basically curled into the fetal position and died, RIM has a strategy. Its success depends on many factors but it could succeed. I’m not betting money one way or another.

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A recent survey by Crowd Science reveals that 40% of Blackberry users would prefer an iPhone if they were in the market to purchase a device available today. Similarly, 33% of the same group would prefer an Android device to a Blackberry. 1,092 Blackberry owners were surveyed.

If these numbers are statistically meaningful (BGR reports the survey has a +/- 10% margin of error) and these preferences play out in the marketplace, RIM will suffer immensely (Nasdaq:RIMM stock chart). My assessment is that there is only scenario that rescue RIM. If RIM develops a competitive web browser (the present one stinks) and the mobile market shifts from apps to HTML5 which is platform independent, then RIM could compete. I wonder, however, whether both of these events can happen within a reasonable period of time. RIM is working on a WebKit browser. However, the smartphone market in the U.S. churns phones every two years. Hordes of Blackberry Curve 8330 users are up for new phones within the next year. So, unless RIM kicks it into high gear and rolls out a killer product very soon, it is virtually guaranteed to lose substantial market share (as has been predicted by many).

Speaking of a RIM “killer product,” I posted up a leaked photo of the upcoming Palm Pre-like Blackberry Slider. To put it lightly, the product is not being well received in the Crackberry community. It’s probably not the answer to RIM’s prayers. Also, BGR reports that it failed internal RIM testing four out of five times. This product isn’t looking pretty, literally or figuratively.

Also foreboding for RIM, the Crowd Science report suggests that people who go for iPhone or Android remain loyal to their chosen platform. 92% of iPhone users would prefer another iPhone and 87% of Android users would prefer to remain with Android.

Perhaps if RIM’s stock is beaten up badly (it still has a market cap of $42B), it could become a takeover target. As I relayed, Microsoft is shopping for a device manufacturer to vertically integrate (the Apple model). Maybe that’s the way RIM will shakeout.

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I’ve been writing about the cloud lately and remotely hosted files. Quite a few Blackberry users already use the cloud to backup contacts and calendars either with Google Sync or mIQ. I recently discovered two new Blackberry cloud apps that have significant potential… one for managing cloud hosted files and another for streaming your Mp3s or discovering new music.

Glide Engage

Glide Engage v. 1.0 is a free app for the Storm, Tour and Bold 9700 (as well as an Android flavor). It is intended to operate somewhat like Twitter but with a much higher character limit and the ability to post multimedia (a la Google Buzz). Frankly, I wasn’t interested at all in the “engage” element of the app. Instead, I noticed that you can browse the 30 free gigs of cloud storage they give each user that I wrote about four days ago. This is nifty…

…but you can’t seem to do anything with your files through the Blackberry. I thought I’d be able to download, attach, delete and rename files. Nope. You can view thumbnails of the documents that are too small to be legible on the Blackberry screen. Maybe someone can figure this out and comment on this blog post because I’m really curious why these features aren’t baked into the app. I assume that they’re in development.

To create a Glide account and claim your 30 free gigs of cloud storage, visit http://glideos.com/. To download the free Blackberry app, point your Blackberry’s browser to http://glideos.com/download/glideengage.jad.

GrooveShark Mobile

GrooveShark mobile requires a premium GrooveShark account ($3/month, discussed below) and allows Blackberries to tap into GrooveShark’s music library and a user’s own cloud-hosted music library. It streams the music with high sound quality and creating playlists is a breeze. (I’m listening to Roger Waters’ Radio Waves as I type this.) You can also create your playlists on the computer and launch them with the app. Also, this app, like the desktop web version I wrote about yesterday, allows you to play a “Radio” mode similar to the Pandora and Slacker apps. GrooveShark mobile allows unlimited skips.

The GrooveShark mobile app is well designed and easy to use. It is much more polished than the Glide Engage app.  Where I think GrooveShark is going wrong is the “pay $3/month to play music you already own” model. Frankly, most Blackberry owners can accommodate their music libraries on their MicroSD cards and preserve battery life by not streaming data.  For this app to take off, I think GrooveShark should follow the UberTwitter and IM+ app model and have visual advertisements in the app and drop the monthly charge.

To get started with GrooveShark, visit http://grooveshark.com.

Closing Remarks

These apps have the potential to be really cool. Even without the apps, I recommend both services even if you only intend to use them on the computer. If you have any opinions on the Glide Engage or GrooveShark apps, leave a comment. I’ll see if I can get the developers’ attention.

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So, I’m still wielding a Blackberry Tour 9630. I know that’s very 2009 but that aside… I was encountering two significant problems after consolidating my email on the computer into Gmail (I have the enhanced Gmail plugin installed on my ‘berry) and after I started using Google Buzz:

1. Duplicate emails. Each time I received an email at something@something.com it also ends up in my Gmail inbox. Works great on the computer. However, my consolidated Blackberry Inbox would show two copies of every message except for those sent directly to my Gmail. I considered removing all email addresses from my Blackberry except for the Gmail address but that would prevent me from composing or replying from any address other than Gmail.
2. Buzz notifications. My Blackberry was going berserk every time a new buzz appeared in my stream. I would receive an email with every comment on that buzz. This happens even though I have a filter in Gmail to auto-archive those emails (instructions here). Not only was this annoying but it was also hogging the memory on my Blackberry.

The “workaround” isn’t too elegant but it does work. Install the standalone Gmail app from Google (http://m.google.com/ on the Blackberry browser). Use that to read your Gmail. You’ll probably want to move it to your home screen. Remove your Gmail address on your ‘berry through the Email Settings icon. Now, you will not receive any Buzz notifications on your ‘berry if you have a buzz filter to auto-archive those emails. Your Gmail inbox will receive every message your Gmail on the PC receives. Admittedly, this can be kind of slow because sometimes Gmail waits up to an hour before POPing email from other accounts. However, your normal  consolidated Blackberry Inbox will receive push email from your non-Gmail addresses. And, you can compose and reply from all of your email addresses. Note that your Gmail will not appear in your consolidated Blackberry Inbox.

This is only a partial solution to problem #1 because anything sent to something@something.com will appear in both the Gmail app and the consolidated Blackberry Inbox. Frankly, I tend to ignore my consolidated Blackberry Inbox because I don’t need to respond to my emails immediately. The workaround above  is a complete solution to problem #2. Also, the Gmail App is handy to have for other reasons. For example, you can search your entire email archives for old emails.

I hope that the BIS update RIM is promising solves the duplicate email problem but it is unclear when the BIS update will be released. For the Buzz notifications, I wrote to Google to help make them aware of the problem. If the Buzz notifications are skipping the inbox in Gmail, they shouldn’t push to the Blackberry. The most elegant solution would be to allow users to simply turn off the notifications completely.

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I finally figured out hot to send a Google Buzz from the Blackberry by tinkering with URLs and using the BOLT! browser by Bitstream. Simple two step instructions:

1. Download the free BOLT! Browser (if you don’t have it already)

Instructions here:

http://tbottle.com/tb/2009/12/07/bitstreams-bolt-free-blackberry-browser-upgraded-to-v-1-6/

2. Point BOLT! to:

https://m.google.com/app/buzz?force=1#~buzz:view=me

You may be required to login to Google services before Buzz loads but this works…

Voila!

Incidentally, if you click on the link above from your desktop instead of your Blackberry, you can view Buzz with collapsible comments.

Please follow me on Google Buzz: http://bit.ly/9z4c2M (personal) & http://bit.ly/asucfb (blog)

UPDATE: For a complete rundown of mobile browsers and their compatibility with the Buzz link above, visit WAP Review by Dennis Bournique.

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