At the RIM’s press event the other night in New York, we mentioned meeting the Rdio guys and getting a little tutorial with their awesome music application which integrated social networking into it.  As they have not officially launched yet, it is under private beta testing at the moment.  Kal and myself have been using this application nonstop since yesterday.  One thing I realized is that I had some invitations I could send to other people… So with that said, we decided to do a little giveaway here for 5 free invitations to try it out.  It’s a free 3 day trial, where then you can sign up with their premium services for either $5 limited or $10 unlimited access (as a monthly subscription).  Whether you’re interested in signing up with their services later, definitely check it out now for 3 days free.  Simply drop a line below in the comments using a valid email, and we will be announcing winners by Monday June 21st.  So from now until Sunday June 20th, feel free to drop a comment to enter to win one out of 5 invitations for the unreleased and exclusive Rdio.

- The PocketBerry Team

T-Mobile announced plans to develop their super fast 4G network across a variety of major cities Tuesday. The move comes as other major providers also begin to add on to their 4G/HSPA+ networks, heating up a data network competition that will surely benefit all smartphone users. T-Mobile has plans to introduce 4G networks into  Los Angeles; Dallas; Atlanta; Houston; Seattle; Tampa and Orlando, Fla.; Pittsburgh; Charlotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem, N.C.; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.; New Orleans; and Charleston, S.C.

While Research In Motion has not yet announced plans for 4G models, T-Mobile supports the BlackBerry Bold 9700, a 3G capable phone. With the imminent release of OS 6.0 aka BlackBerry 6 and the use of Flash on phones, data usage will rise significantly in the near future. T-Mobile’s expansion of their 4G network, as with similar plans from other providers, will give future 4G-enabled smartphones the bandwidth needed to allow them to perform a range of different activities at their highest capacity, leaving concerns over data networks aside.  Hit the jump for the full press release.

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Any big mentions we made about the BlackBerry Curve 8910 were seriously a waste.  As we read on BBLeaks and Berrytimes.cn, this 8910 is seriously a big joke to all of us.  It makes me wonder if RIM is going to launch a trackwheel device somewhere in the world again.  The BlackBerry Curve 8910 is just how you see it above, which yes – does very much resemble the Curve 8900.  Differences? No WiFi.  How about E-EDGE?  It was rumored to be for so long –just a big bummer seeing it not ready in place yet.  So for those who did take a few looks into the 8910, here it is, and obviously not a big deal at all.

-by Otoniel Bruno

We know there are newer OS versions available for the BlackBerry Bold 9700, but we had to share this with you as it is an official OS from AT&T.  As you all may know by now, AT&T releases their OS updates not so frequent, and they’re always a few steps behind.  I know a lot of folks who are still using their native OS update that came with their AT&T Bold 9700, so this is a great legit update for you.

• Download OS 5.0.0.602 for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 >>

-by Mac Jadalhack

Source: CrackBerry

We spoke with Pandora last night at the BlackBerry press event in New York just to follow up on what’s going on with their application.  Things seem to be quiet when it comes to the Pandora BlackBerry application, as pretty much all the recent updates (and some future ones) include bug fixes for the most part.  Aside from BlackBerry, we were interested to see that they are getting pretty hyped up with other things such as the all new Ford SYNC service.  SYNC is not designated for just Pandora, but Pandora is one of the many apps which will communicate through it.  We heard about it and saw the preview at CES earlier this year and now it’s going to be launching in Ford automobiles in the next few months.

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Last night at the RIM press event, we were able to speak with the folks over at Rdio.  Note, Rdio is pronounced ar-dee-oh. As we didn’t hear about the company before, we were really fascinated with what services they had to offer.  Firstly, it is a premium service being at $5 a month which gives you access to millions of music tracks and they are adding more and more every day.  So what makes this different than the others? It’s very interactive with other users as you can see what others are listening to, what they recommend, and you’ll be able to tweet it out to share with your friends.  My next question was how limited in access the application would be as some apps do tend to just lock on your mobile device.  Rdio works on your computer or BlackBerry, as well as other smartphones, even if offline.

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BlackBerry Handheld Software v5.0.0.1254 (Multilanguage)
Package Version: 5.0.0.1254
Consisting of:

• Applications: 5.0.0.743
• Software Platform: 5.1.0.165
• File name: 9700M_PBr5.0.0_rel1254_PL5.1.0.165_A5.0.0.743_Rogers_Wireless_Inc.exe
• File size: 133.47MB

Note: The Software Platform and Applications version numbers can be found under Options-About screen on the handheld.

• Download OS 5.0.0.743 for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 >>

Source: CrackBerry

BlackBerry 6 themes seem to be the new trend for everyone when it comes to picking out a new theme.  Lot of folks aren’t fond of themes only because they get altered too much, and end up lagging with all graphics, visuals, and effects.  BlackBerry 6 themes are a lot different and are optimized to work seamless for the most part.  I just tried out this one here and it seems to be working a charm.  Every time a new BlackBerry 6 theme comes out, it just keeps getting improved.  Icons are very “stockish” which keeps your BlackBerry still looking sleek.  Best of all, it’s only $2.99 to purchase from the PocketBerry Store.

• Check out BlackBerry 6 Theme >>

-by Mac Jadalhack

Source: BerryReview

We don’t know how factual any of this can be, but according to Business Insider, this is the road map for BlackBerry in Quarter 3 and 4.  First thing we want to see is the BlackBerry Bold 9800 (Torch perhaps) as we expected to see it this month at first.  According to this map above, the 9800 gets to be exclusive for six months with AT&T which makes us want to assume that T-Mobile could very well be getting it later on.  Other devices on there include the Curve 9300 and Atlas which is what we’ve seen as the 8910.  Weird devices we saw on there is the 9900, which is a touch screen version of the Bold 9700 according to the chart rockin’ 512MB of RAM and a 5MP camera.  What we want to know if RIM is going to have this 9700a alongside with this alleged 9900 device.  Another oddball is the touchscreen Curve with the codename Dakota which is also styled out the same way — fully QWERTY Curve with a touchscreen.  Of course the very ugly clamshell 9670 is on there too and is expected to be launching for Verizon in either Q3 or Q4 this year.

All these are rumors as of now, and there’s not telling what’s true and what’s not so take it as it is.

-by Otoniel Bruno

What about the US?  Strangely the app is hitting Indonesia first in their native language according to BlackBerry Cool.  Yahoo! Messenger One app is an all in one application with an address book and communications hub that basically lets you talk to everyone you know via email, IM, or text (SMS).  Here are some more specs:

Other features include:

• Mobile registration: You can sign up for a new Yahoo! ID right from within Yahoo! Messenger One app. No PC/laptop needed.
• Unified inbox: Now you have all your email, IM and SMS conversations in one easy-to-use-and-access inbox, you can always keep track of all your conversations, hassle free.
• Native address book syncing: Simply upload your contacts to Yahoo! so you can access them from one place, anywhere.
• Message archive and search: With all your conversations stored in the cloud, you will never have to worry about losing your messages or having to delete them ever again.
• IM and SMS chats: You can still chat with you contacts even if they are not on Yahoo! by using SMS (presently supported for Indonesian and US mobile contacts only).
• News Content: Lets you always stay up to date with the latest news, and you can share articles with your friends.

As we mentioned before, Yahoo! Messenger One will be heading out to Indonesia first and available in their language there.  Application support includes: Bold 9000/9700, Curve 8900, and Tour 9630.  Hit the link below to check out the beta application.

• Check out Yahoo! Messenger One App Beta >>

-by Mac Jadalhack