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Viber app for free international phone calls

Saturday, September 10th, 2011

An overseas friend uses the Viber app on her iPhone for free VOIP international voice calls and text messages on her smartphone. I installed the free app on my Android phone and tested it. Setup was swift and quality was superb.
Viber for iPhone and Android phones

I was at the petrol station and the attendant was filling up an almost empty tank with petrol. While waiting, I whipped out my Android phone, searched the Android Market for Viber and installed it. Before the attendant had finished filling up the tank, I was already chatting with my friend in Kuala Lumpur on her iPhone – for free.

Set up was really simple on the Android phone. Once it was downloaded and installed, it gets your permission to access your contacts and sends you a 4-digit access code to activate your account. After that, you’re set to go!

Viber is free and works on the iPhone and Android phones.

The interface looks similar to the usual numeric dialpad with tabs to access recent calls, contacts, messages and more activities such as inviting friends, sharing on Facebook, tweeting etc.

Basically, Viber emulates the usual phone calling and sms usage – everything is based on your regualr phone number.

Viber dialpad on Android phone

Your account id is your phone number. If the party you’re calling has Viber installed on her Android or iPhone, you just dial her usual number, complete with international dialing code, to get connected. Viber is currently only available on the iPhone and Android phones. A BlackBerry version is in the pipeline.

Quality was good. Voice quality was loud and clear, although there was just a split-second lag, which didn’t affect the flow of the conversation in the slightest bit.

If the other party does not have Viber installed yet, the app gives you the option to place a regular call through your carrier.

Conclusion: Fast and easy to set-up and use, call quality is fantastic. The free app is compatible with iPhone 3GS (and later) and Android phones.

Tags:Android, Apple, Apps, Google, iOS, iPhone, smartphone
Posted in Android, App, Apple, Audio, Gadgets, Google, iOS, iPhone, Operating Systems, Phones, Review, Utility | 3 Comments »

BlackBerry App World 3.0 out of beta and available now

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

BlackBerry App World 3.0 is now out of beta and available for all BlackBerry smartphone users.

BlackBerry App World is free and works on BlackBerry smartphones running the BlackBerry® 5 OS (Device Software) or higher.

BlackBerry App World is free and works on BlackBerry smartphones running the BlackBerry 5 OS or higher.

The BlackBerry App World 3.0 storefront makes discovering and downloading apps, games, and themes easier than before. Users can personalize their BlackBerry smartphone, find the hottest games and entertainment and get apps to stay connected with the people who matter.

New features include:

Sleek New Design – The BlackBerry App World experience has been enhanced to help users discover the latest and greatest apps and content, starting right on the BlackBerry App World home screen where rotating spotlight banners show off all that’s new and exciting.
New Channels – Apps, Games, and Themes now have their own channels so users can get to what they want even faster.
Introduction of My Account – My Account makes managing BlackBerry ID and payment options easy with direct access to all account information from the home screen.
New My World Features – My World gives users a streamlined view of their apps and status, and now at a glance, in addition to seeing which apps are installed and uninstalled, users can manage subscription content and services. When new updates or subscription renewals are available for apps, users will be notified using push technology.
App Social Sharing – when a user finds an app they can’t live without, they can share it directly from the app details screen through BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger), Facebook®, Twitter™, email and SMS
Evolved App Details Screen – At a glance, users can get a quick summary, check out reviews and star ratings, take a look at screen shots, and more
More Search Options – Quickly find apps with a Search Bar now appearing on the storefront home screen and search results are presented across Channels as well as My World. Search Bars are also within each Channel and users have the ability to filter by App Name, Price, Rating, Newest, Best Match, or Popular

Tags:App World, Apps, BlackBerry, RIM, smartphone
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Launch, Phones, RIM, Software | 1 Comment »

BlackBerry DevCon Asia to be held in Bangkok

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Following the BlackBerry DevCon in Bali earlier this year, RIM has announced that the next DevCon Asia will be held on the 7-8 December 2011, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Research In Motion (RIM) today announced the return of BlackBerry DevCon Asia that is scheduled to take place on 7 – 8 December 2011 at Centara Grand at CentralWorld in Bangkok, Thailand.

BlackBerry DevCon Asia in Bangkok from 7 to 8 September 2011

BlackBerry DevCon Asia will feature keynotes from leading experts, breakout meetings and hands-on sessions that preview and demonstrate tools that assist developers to create apps.

The agenda will not only focus on technical sessions for building BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry PlayBook apps, but attendees will also be able to get advice and hear about how other developers have commercially launched and make money from developing on BlackBerry.

Attendees at BlackBerry DevCon Asia will be able to join sessions that cover:

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) Social Platform
Adobe Flash and Adobe AIR
BlackBerry Java SDK 6.0
BlackBerry Services (including Payment Service, Advertising Service, BlackBerry Push Service, and more)
Business Success and Case Studies (share your app development, B2C commercialization or internal deployment lessons learned)
Other Developer Tools and Platforms
BlackBerry Native C/C++
BlackBerry WebWorks™ application
BlackBerry Web Development
Multimedia

BlackBerry DevCon is an event that caters to both experienced BlackBerry developers as well as those who are new to the BlackBerry platform. Registration will open in the second week of September 2011.

Tags:BlackBerry, DevCon, RIM
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Events, Gadgets, PlayBook, RIM | 3 Comments »

BlackBerry App World 3.0 now available in BlackBerry Beta Zone

Monday, August 8th, 2011

BlackBerry smartphone users can more easily discover and download apps, games, and themes via the BlackBerry App World 3.0 storefront.

Users can personalize their BlackBerry smartphone, find the hottest games and entertainment and get apps to stay connected with the people who matter.

New features in BlackBerry App World 3.0 include:

Sleek New Design
New Channels
Introduction of My Account
New My World Features
App Social Sharing
Evolved App Details Screen
More Search Options

The App will likely come out of beta and be officially released about a month from now.

BlackBerry Beta Zone is the place where Research In Motion (RIM) communicates with and receives feedback from beta participants.

Members of BlackBerry Beta Zone, will have the opportunity to sign up for beta programs and be among the first to try out new BlackBerry software before it’s released to the general public.

Feedback from the beta trial helps future BlackBerry products better meet the needs of customers.

Tags:App World, Apps, BlackBerry, RIM, smartphone
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Phones, RIM, Software | 1 Comment »

RIM marries apps with social networking by launching BBM6

Saturday, July 30th, 2011

Just as Facebook has apps and games on its social networking platform, Research In Motion (RIM) is allowing BlackBerry apps to leverage the extensive BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) network and its social networking features – in its newly released BBM6.

BBM allows BlackBerry users to communicate and interact with each other with ease The BBM platform hosts one of the largest mobile social networks in the world. BBM version 6 (BBM 6) provides support for “BBM connected” apps, allowing users to easily interact with each other from within the BBM connected app.

With a BBM connected game app, users can invite their BBM friends to join them in a game and then chat with one another in real time while the game is being played – without having to leave the game app.

New functionality

Some of the additional functionality users can expect to see with BBM connected applications include the ability to:

Share app experiences with friends – When users discover a new BBM connected app they likes, they can instantly let their friends know about it. Users can simply select a BBM contact directly within the BBM connected app they are using.

Have a BBM chat within apps – Users can simply pull up their BBM contact list directly from within the BBM connected app and start chatting. The functionality can enable everything from enhanced social game play to collaboration through productivity apps.

Discover apps through friends – Users can also discover new apps by viewing the list of apps that are posted to a BBM friend’s profile. They can also click on an app within the list, and instantly download it from BlackBerry App World.

The BBM 6 software is available for free download. A selection of BBM connected apps are already available on BlackBerry App World. Some Asia-based developers who have integrated BBM6 into their apps include:

“BBM6 represents an incredible opportunity for developers to leverage the viral nature of the BBM service,” said Alistair Mitchell, VP, BBM Platform & Integrated Services at RIM.

Koprol – A location based social networking app now integrates with BBM6 to enable users to chat with people nearby.

Elasitas – The creator of several gaming apps has integrated BBM6 chat functionality into its Menoo, Gamemachi and MiMoMachi apps.

Bouncity – The location based gaming company has integrated BBM6 into its app to enable users to simply share what they are doing with their social network.

Tags:Apps, BBM, BBM6, BlackBerry, RIM
Posted in App, BlackBerry, Gadgets, Launch, Phones, RIM, Software | 3 Comments »

New Facebook app for BlackBerry smartphones

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Research In Motion has announced the availability of Facebook 2.0 for BlackBerry smartphones. The free app is now available in the BlackBerry App World storefront.

The Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones v2.0 app sports a complete makeover in the user interface and is compatible with BlackBerry smartphones running Device Software v5.0 and above. To check the version of your smartphone’s software, here are the instructions.

The Facebook app features a revamped user interface which includes a new navigation grid and a notifications bar, with Messages, Friend Requests and Chats all in one convenient location.

Facebook Chat is now fully integrated with the smartphone, so you can start a conversation within the Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones app or from the Messages app on the smartphone. You’ll be notified of new chat messages even when you’re not using the Facebook app.

An enhanced News Feed allows easier scrolling and easier interaction with your friend’s posts. Simply click the ‘More’ button (+) to ‘Like’ or add a comment to a post. The enhanced publisher functionality allows you to post photos to your Wall, add an update, or check in to a Facebook Place right from the News Feed.

Furthermore, there’s Redefined Notifications updates you of polled items – those notifications that aren’t delivered through BlackBerry push technology – such as ‘Likes’ and Event Wall posts.

The new Profile interface now provides Wall, Info, and Photos tabs for an even better browsing experience. New to v2.0 is the ability to view key information on Profiles and Pages, such as contact info, basic info like birthdays, hometown and relationship status, and likes and interests. Mutual Friends lets you discover which friends you have in common with another user.

The app is also integrated with core BlackBerry functionality, such as your BlackBerry Message list, BlackBerry Contacts, BlackBerry Calendar, BlackBerry Browser and now even BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM). You can share Facebook posts with BBM contacts and invite friends to BBM when you come across a PIN posted on Facebook.

Tags:BlackBerry, Facebook, RIM, smartphones
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Gadgets, Launch, Phones, RIM, Software | 1 Comment »

RIM introduces Version 2.1 of the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK for Tablet OS

Friday, June 24th, 2011

This release from Research In Motion (RIM) adds new APIs and application functionality which developers can leverage to create WebWorks applications that deliver a richer, more interactive end-user experience.

The BlackBerry WebWorks SDK is the toolset that supports developers who wish to build applications using standard web technologies for the BlackBerry WebWorks Platform.

BlackBerry WebWorks is RIM’s open source, mobile web platform that enables developers to build standalone, integrated applications for BlackBerry devices.

RIM releases Version 2.1 of the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK for Tablet OS

The new APIs enables the following:

More Ways to Monetize

With support for the BlackBerry In App Payment API, developers can now include In App Payment Services as part of their applications. This enables them to sell digital goods directly from their BlackBerry PlayBook applications.

More Ways to Integrate

Developers can now further integrate their applications with the functionality of the Tablet OS for PlayBook and can create new BlackBerry experiences that leverage the PlayBook’s professional grade features. Among the new APIs that enable deeper integration are:

Camera API for taking pictures/video taping from within the WebWorks applications with the PlayBook’s powerful dual HD cameras
Microphone API which developers can use to activate the capability to record audiowith the PlayBook’s microphone
Identity API provides applications with the ability to retrieve information about the BlackBerry PlayBook PIN
File IO API which gives developers the possibility to read, copy and write files onto the Tablet OS file system.

More Development Choices

In addition to JavaScript many Tablet OS WebWorks APIs can now be called using AJAX which allows for increased development flexibility for developers who prefer a RESTful or URI implementation.

The new File Properties API, Home Screen Category and App Securities Permissions also enable deeper app integration with the BlackBerry PlayBook and expand development choices.

To help developers with a smooth transition to version 2.1 of the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK, RIM has also updated the API Reference Guide and included an additional mechanism to call some of the WebWorks APIs.

Tags:BlackBerry, OS, Playbook, RIM, SDK, tablets
Posted in App, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Gadgets, Operating Systems, PlayBook, RIM, Software, Tablets | No Comments »

Apple iWork available for iPhone & iPod Touch today

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Apple’s iWork productivity apps – Keynote, Pages and Numbers – are now available for the iPhone, iPod touch,and iPad. iWork apps are available on the App Store for US$9.99 each to new users and as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers.

Originally created for the Mac and now completely redesigned for Apple’s iOS and Multi-Touch interface, Keynote, Pages and Numbers allow users to create and share presentations, formatted documents and powerful spreadsheets on the go.

“The incredible Retina display, revolutionary Multi-Touch interface and our powerful software make it easy to create, edit, organise and share all of your documents from iPhone 4 or iPod touch,”said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

Keynote, Pages and Numbers import and export documents from iWork for Mac and Microsoft Office; print wirelessly using AirPrint; and include beautiful Apple-designed themes and templates.

All iWork apps now include improved document management with thumbnail images that let users find files quickly, organise them and group them into folders using intuitive gestures.

From the Tools button in the toolbar, presentations, documents or spreadsheets can be shared directly without leaving the app.

Keynote makes it easy to create impressive presentations, complete with animated charts and transitions. Presentations can be played in Full Screen view on the high-resolution Retina display or be connected to a projector or HDTV for a large audience. Available separately, the Keynote Remote app allows an iPhone or iPod touch to control a Keynote presentation on any iOS device or Mac.

Pages is a word processor specially designed for a mobile device and has everything needed to create documents. Pages takes full advantage of the high-resolution Retina display on iPhone 4 and iPod touch so users can see all the detail and richness of their documents. To make working with text easy on iPhone and iPod touch, Smart Zoom automatically zooms in to follow the cursor during editing and zooms back out when done.

Numbers uses Multi-Touch gestures and an intelligent keyboard to help create compelling, good-looking spreadsheets with over 250 easy-to-use functions, flexible tables and eye-catching charts. Similar to Pages, Numbers takes advantage of the high-resolution Retina display and Smart Zoom to make working with text and cells on iPhone 4 or iPod touch easy.

Pricing & Availability

Keynote, Pages and Numbers are universal apps that run on iPad and iPad 2, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 and iPod touch (3rd & 4th generation). Keynote, Pages and Numbers are available from the App Store for US$9.99 each for new users, or as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers. Keynote Remote is sold separately via the App Store for US$0.99.

Tags:Apple, Apps, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, iWork, Keynote, numbers, Pages
Posted in App, Apple, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Launch, Phones, Software, Tablets | No Comments »

Seagate introduce GoFlexAccess app

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

The free GoFlexAccess app allows the iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones to access media shared on the Seagate’s GoFlex Home network storage system.

Seagate Technology LLC The free app is now available for download from the iTunes Store and Android Market. The application can be found by searching for “Seagate” or “GoFlex” in either storefront using the computer or the app store on a iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Android compatible mobile device.

Seagate’s GoFlex Home network storage server is designed as a simple to set up shared storage drive, which provides back up and sharing capabilities within a home network and is also accessible using remote access from a personal computer.

With the introduction of the GoFlexAccess app, the GoFlex Home network can be accessed from mobile devices as well.

The possibilities enabled by the GoFlexAccess app include:
Access photos, movies, music and documents stored in the GoFlex Home network from an iPad, iPhone or Android smart phone.
Create slideshows from photos in the network drive and play music at the same time to accompany it.
Stream music or video to mobile devices over 3G/4G and WiFi.
large number of files and file types.
Album art support for music files.
Access Excel, PowerPoint, Word documents and PDFs etc.
The app features content type filters, to simplify access to content that may contain a large number of files and file types

Capacity	SRP
1 TB	S$219
2 TB	S$319
3 TB	S$379

Available in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB capacities, the GoFlex Home storage system allows files to be centrally stored, easily accessed and continuously backed up wirelessly from computers on the home network running either Windows or Mac OS X operating systems.

Storage capactiy of GoFlex Home system can be increased simply by connecting additional drives to the USB port. What’s more, this USB port can be used to wirelessly share a USB printer with all computers on the network.

Tags:GoFlex, GoFlexAccess, Seagate
Posted in Accessories, Android, App, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Phones, Prices, Seagate | No Comments »

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