Before the United States ofcourse.  Not even the slightest suprise for us.  But all you folks out in India should be plenty happy.

As funny as it would be it is NOT the band “Saxon” who is suing.  Saxon is a small company built of five employees who purchased patents from AMD two years ago in 2007.  They are suing RIM for violation of use of their patents now.  This will be an interesting case.

BGR shows us screen shots of the all new visual voicemail applet for BlackBerry Bolds.  Supposedly releasing from at&t very soon.  Is it going to be included in the new OS update?  Or is this going to be an OTA download..  I’ll be very happy with an OS update from at&t, as they haven’t had any official updates since the November 4, 2008 release of the Bold.  Special thanks to the Boy Genius Report

The idea was out in the open for awhile and we heard rumors for quite a few months as to when RIM will finally release OTA (over the air) BlackBerry Storefront, right on your phone.  Apple iPhone has a very easy revolutionary interface for application purchasing/downloading.  In addition it informs you when updates are available for applications already on your iPhone.  The plan here is to have something with similar atrributes and better if possible.   RIM released in the Developers section reaching out to all BlackBerry application developers to submit their applications now for review.  By doing so, developers can have their applications featured on the actual storefront.  For all the developers out there, it’s quite easy to get started in just a few steps.

First, simply agree to the “Developer Application Evaluation Agreement.”  After doing so you must create a “vendor account.”  This consists of entering your personal and company contact information.  Also, you must associate your verified PayPal account with your new vendor account.  This should not even be an issue to you developers out there who have websites running selling your softwares to individuals.

TurkCell has released the BlackBerry Flip today. They had other BlackBerry devices including the Pearl, Curve, and Bold. Here are some of the Flip specifications for those of you who forgot:

* Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) supporting extended data coverage and fast Web browsing
* Large SureType® keyboard for easy text entry and phone dialing
* Support for text messaging, picture messaging, popular instant messaging services, personal email (access up to 10 supported email accounts), and corporate email
* 2 megapixel camera with digital zoom, built-in flash and video recording
* Advanced media player for music, video and pictures with full-screen video playback
* Stereo Bluetooth® support (A2DP/AVRCP) and 3.5mm stereo headset jack
* Media management software including the new BlackBerry® Media Sync application making it quick and easy to sync iTunes digital music with the handset **
* Enhanced HTML browser for high-performance browsing with desktop-style depiction
* Internal QVGA 2.4-inch diagonal display, 320 x 240 pixels and supports 65,000 colors
* 256 MB microSD card included
* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi network support including support for international roaming
* Dimensions: 3.9” x 1.96” x 0.68”
* Weight (including removable battery): 3.6 oz

Please visit www.turkcell.com.tr for further details.

This has just been unbelievable past few weeks with the BlackBerry Storm OS leaks!  At average once every two weeks, there has been OS leaks for the 9500 just hovering the internet.  Over ten websites to my knowledge reported 4.7.0.88 being leaked on the internet over a MegaUpload download link.  Very shortly that link became invalid for breaking site’s “terms and conditions.”  Nothing like we saw in the past where the OS links stayed for days and many people were able to download!  Looks like someone is actually doing their job now, not allowing leaks of RIM’s new OS go here and there on the net.  Good job guys!

We found this hilarious and had to share it with you. BrightHand.com has provided a way to almost simulate a typical “Google Phone”

The biggest news in the smartphone business last fall was the launch of Google’s new mobile operating system, Android. There’s a lot to like in this new platform, but if you use your smartphone for business, odds are Android isn’t for you.

This is because it lacks support for the email systems used by most mid-sized to large companies — Exchange ActiveSync and BlackBerry Server.

However, if you’re a BlackBerry user, you can get many of Android’s consumer-friendly features without giving up the business features you need.

Better yet, the software to do this is all free and easily available.

But there’s something to be aware of. While there’s no cost for any of the software, it will require wirelessly exchanging data over the network. Carriers charge for this sort of thing, so be sure your wireless contract includes data service. If it doesn’t you will be hit with a nasty bill at the end of the month.

Google Sync

One of the most important features of Android is the ability to keep the smartphone’s contacts and calendar automatically synchronized with Google’s servers. Thanks to a utility called simply enough, Google Sync, your BlackBerry can do this, too.

This software able to synchronize your Google Calendar with the built-in Calendar on your smartphone, and it can do two-way contacts synchronization, too. This process happens in the background and over the air, so information is always up to date.

To install, enter m.google.com/sync in the BlackBerry web browser.

Google Maps Mobile

Many recent BlackBerrys, including the Bold, come with a GPS receiver. You can take advantage of this with Google Maps Mobile.

Don’t confuse this with the version of Google Maps you use on your desktop browser. On the BlackBerry, this is a stand-alone application that needs to be installed, not a website.

Naturally, Google Maps Mobile can show you where you are on a map, but that’s just the start. It can also give you turn-by-turn directions, show you traffic tie-ups, and even supports Google’s Street View, giving you images of the locations you’re looking for.

And even if your device doesn’t have a built-in GPS, Google Maps Mobile can still get an approximation of your location. That’s good enough to help you find the nearest Starbucks or gas station.

Oddly enough, the BlackBerry version of this application is better than the Android one; It’s more polished, less prone to problems. Still, it has the same limitations that all versions do: there’s no spoken directions or automatic rerouting.

To see a the software in action, download it by visiting m.google.com/maps on your BlackBerry.

Opera Mini

The default BlackBerry web browser has gotten much better in recent years, but it still has plenty of room for improvement. Fortunately, there’s an alternative: Opera Mini

Naturally, it’s made by the same company that makes the Opera desktop web browser, and it’s available for free.

To download Opera Mini 4.2, go to operamini.com or mini.opera.com on your BlackBerry. For more information on this browser, readthis article.

Gmail

Google offers a stand-alone application that ties into Gmail. This comes in handy if for some reason you can’t get your messages from Google with the standard email application.

This is a fairly basic application, but it does the job. If you’re using it, you have access to your Google Address Book without having to use Google Sync because it directly accesses Google’s servers for this.

The down side is that this application can’t connect to the other applications on your BlackBerry, including the address book. You also can’t save attachments to your device.

To install, go to m.google.com/mail in the BlackBerry web browser. To learn more about this software, and see a video of it in action, read this article.

*DroidBerry

DroidBerry is a theme that makes the Bold look remarkably like Android (see image at right). All of the notification, battery, and signal icons are the exact same, while the application icons resemble the ones from Android.

http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=14629

Its not just U.S. President-elect Barack Obama whos addicted to a BlackBerry these days. It was hard to find an executive at a music industry conference in Cannes this week without one of the devices in hand.

BlackBerry is expanding into digital music and hopes to attract consumers whove gravitated to Apple Inc.s iPhone or Nokia Oyjs Comes with Music mobile phone. Research In Motion, the Canadian company that makes BlackBerry, was a main sponsor of the Cannes music conference, with co-Chief Executive Officer Jim Balsillie demonstrating the companys products and promoting its open platform for digital music applications.

“Were rocking, were totally rocking,” Balsillie, 47, said in an interview. “The company is forecasting 20 percent to 25 percent growth for this quarter and expects to exceed that target”, Balsillie said. “We’re already very music centric, what were talking about now is our platform.”

While Balsillie says BlackBerry isnt “trying to compete with Apple”, the company is cementing partnerships with a variety of application developers. It plans to open an online applications store for BlackBerry users in March, showcasing content deals with Slacker, an Internet radio device, and Shazam, a music recognition service. Another rival, Palm Inc., unveiled its own touch-screen model, Pre, last week to compete with the iPhone.

We are the overwhelming market leaders and weve been in the smartphone business for years, Balsillie said. The Storm is a BlackBerry with different packaging, not a competitor of iPhone.

As for Obamas professed love for his BlackBerry, which has provided the company with a marketing boost, Balsillie said the U.S. government is BlackBerrys biggest account, with more than 500,000 customers.

The CIA and FBI recently just ordered 20,000 more units, and Balsillie said hes been personally cleared for security by the U.S. government. “There is enormous privacy and an enormous responsibility and this is obviously not a game for us.”

One of the most heavy duty case makers, OtterBox has released a case for the BlackBerry Bold.  With this case, the keyboard is still completely accessable and comfortable to use.  The inner corners and borders were designed to absorb any shock or damage to the inner part of the phone where the keyboard and screen are.  You can find it here for only $19.95

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is confident that he will be able to keep his BlackBerry after he takes office Tuesday, despite concerns that it would leave him open to hackers who could gain access to presidential business.  In an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN’s new political program, State of the Union, Obama said he is confident that he can keep his beloved BlackBerry, despite strict U.S. government guidelines for keeping communication secure.  For months, experts have expressed concern about potential security breaches of Obama’s electronic gadget of choice.  However, he has remained steadfast in his desire to keep his BlackBerry to stay in touch with the outside world.  Obama told CNN’s John King that his BlackBerry is just one of a number of tools that he will use to “break out of the bubble” of the White House, so the average American can still communicate with him.  ”That if I’m doing something stupid, somebody in Chicago can send me an email me and say, ‘what are you doing?’ Or, ‘you seem detached,’ or ‘you’re not listening to what is going on here in the neighbourhood,’” Obama told King. “I want to be able to have voices other than the people who are immediately working for me be able to reach out and send me a message about what’s happening in America.”  BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion offers encryption on the device.  However, reports suggest that U.S. security officials have tried to entice Obama to switch to other products on the market that have government approval for their ability to secure classified documents and e-mail communication.