Posts Tagged ‘smartphone’

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.

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

RIM introduces new BlackBerry 7 Curve smartphones

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Hot on the heels of the BlackBerry 7 Bold and Torch smartphones last week, Research In Motion (RIM) has introduced the new Curve – also based on the BlackBerry 7 operating system.

New BlackBerry 7 Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370 from RIM

New BlackBerry Curve 9350 / 9360 / 9370

The new BlackBerry Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370 smartphones will be available from carriers in Canada this month and from other carriers around the world come September. The GSM model to look out for in Singapore is the Curve 9360.

These new models are designed to address a large and important segment of the global mobile phone market where customers are looking to upgrade their existing feature phone or existing BlackBerry Curve with an affordable, easy-to-use, full-featured and socially-connected smartphone.

“The new BlackBerry Curve smartphones … offer a significant performance upgrade with an unmatched mobile social experience for the millions of feature phone users in the market as well as our existing Curve customers,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.

The new Curve features the classic BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard reputed for enabling fast, accurate finger-typing, and an optical trackpad for easy, one-handed navigation. GPS and Wi-Fi support are also included, as well as a 5MP camera with flash and video recording for instant sharing on social networks. The microSD/SDHC slot supports up to 32 GB memory cards for additional media storage.

In addition to supporting the new BlackBerry 7 OS, the new Curve feature a range of powerful hardware enhancements including upgraded processors, displays and memory, and built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), a new technology that is enabling many exciting capabilities, including the ability to pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.

New BlackBerry 7 Curve 9350 / 9360 / 9370 from RIMThe latest release of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) is pre-loaded and now extends the real time BBM experience to a range of other apps, such as Foursquare, allowing users to easily interact with each other from within the ‘BBM connected’ app.

The updated Social Feeds (2.0) app has been extended to capture updates from media, podcasts, and favorites all in one consolidated view. The new Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones (2.0) app introduces features like Facebook chat and BBM integration that makes it easier for users to connect with their Facebook friends in real time utilizing push notifications. Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones also delivers a deeply integrated experience including use of real time push notifications and Social Feeds integration.

Here are the main specifications of the new BlackBerry Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370.

First look at the new BlackBerry Bold 9900

Saturday, August 20th, 2011

Based on the new BlackBerry 7 operating system, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 was unveiled on 3 August 2011 and launched in Singapore on 18 August. It is the thinnest (10.5mm) BlackBerry smartphone to date and includes built-in NFC support.

The Bold 9900 includes the classic BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard.

The Bold 9900 includes the classic BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 from Research In Motion (RIM) is available for pre-order with the three telcos in Singapore – SingTel, M1 and StarHub. It will be available in the shops from 1 September 2011.

The Bold 9900 sports a brushed stainless steel frame, uses the classic BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard and is the first BlackBerry smartphone to include built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), a new technology that will enable it to pair with NFC-enabled accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.

BlackBerry Bold 9900 from RIMThe new BlackBerry 7 operating system introduces a new BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience. The WebKit browser engine promises browsing results that are up to 40% faster than BlackBerry 6 based smartphones and up to 100% faster than BlackBerry 5 based smartphones.

Additional enhancements to this next generation BlackBerry browser include optimised zooming and panning for smoother web navigation and optimised HTML5 performance. Flash is not supported.

Main specs

The Bold 9900 is powered by  a 1.2 GHz processor, features HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, and the usual suite of sensors. More specs are included below:

Main specifications of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 from RIM

Main specifications of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 from RIM

Singapore first to launch three BlackBerry 7 phones in South East Asia

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

RIM launched three new smartphones based on the new BlackBerry 7 operating system in Singapore today. The phones are available for pre-order and will hit the shelves in Singapore on 1 September 2011.

The three new BlackBerry 7 phones were launched in Singapore today.

The three new BlackBerry 7 phones were launched in Singapore today.

The three smartphones are the Bold 9900, and the Torch 9810 and 9860. The three models offer consumers the choice between the classic BlackBerry keyboard (Bold 9900), a full touch-screen with no physical Qwerty keyboard (Torch 9860) and the best of both worlds – the Torch 9810 with both a full touch-screen and a slide-out Qwerty keyboard.

Francois Mahieu, Head of Product Management for RIM in Asia Pacific with the Bold 9900.

Francois Mahieu, Head of Product Management for RIM in Asia Pacific with the Bold 9900.

I played with all three models and the immediate first impression was how light they were, especially when compared with previous models. The displays were crisp and clear and the touch screen was really responsive.

Surfing the net on the phones was a breeze, with fast loading times. The new hardware, operating system and enhanced browser has indeed made a tangible improvement.

The phones will be available from all three major telcos in Singapore – SingTel, M1 and StarHub. When queried, Mr Francois Mahieu from Research In Motion (RIM) said that for the moment, there were no plans to sell white versions of any of the three smartphones, even though he understands that it was a popular colour choice with consumers today. Mahieu is the head of product management for RIM in the Asia Pacific.

BlackBerry 9810 includes both the classic keyboard and a full touch screen.

BlackBerry 9810 includes both the classic keyboard and a full touch screen.

As with Apple’s iDevices, the new BlackBerry phones support HTML5 but does not play with Flash.

In addition to supporting the new BlackBerry 7 OS, the smartphones include a 1.2 GHz processor, HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, and advanced sensors enabling new augmented reality applications such as Wikitude that can be seamlessly integrated with BBM 6.

Main specifications for the HTC EVO 3D

Monday, August 15th, 2011

The HTC EVO 3D was launched in Singapore on 10 August 2011. The Android-Gingerbread (2.3) smartphone will be available at S$895 in August 2011. Here are the main features.

SRP: S$895 available in August 2011
Operating System: Android Gingerbread (2.3)
4.3-inch QHD 3D display
1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor
Dual rear-facing 5 megapixel camera
1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video chat
3G Mobile Hotspot capability, supporting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously
Android Market for access to more than 200,000 applications, widgets and games available for download
Google mobile services such as Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Calendar, Voice Actions, and YouTube
Corporate e-mail (Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync), personal (POP and IMAP) e-mail and instant messaging
1GB Usable memory/1GB RAM
microSD slot (supports up to 32GB memory card)
Wi-Fi – 802.11 b/g/n
Stereo Bluetooth
Integrated GPS
1730 mAh Lithium-ion battery

Main specifications for the LG Optimus 3D

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

The LG Optimus 3D was launched in Singapore on 11 August 2011. The Android smartphone will be available at S$938 (incl GST without contract) in Singapore in end August. Here are the main specifications.

Network 2G GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
Size Dimensions 128.8 x 68 x 11.9 mm
Weight 168 g
Display Type 3D LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16 million colors
Size 480 x 800 pixels, 4.3 inches
Memory Internal 8GB storage, 512MB RAM
Card slot microSD, up to 32GB
Data 3G HSDPA 14.4Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA
Bluetooth Yes, v3.0 with A2DP, EDR
USB Yes, microUSB v2.0
Camera Primary Dual 5 megapixel, 2560х1920 pixels, autofocus,

LED flash

Features Stereoscopic photos and videos, geo-tagging
Video Yes, 1080p@24fps (2D), 720p@30fps (3D)
Secondary Yes
Features OS Android OS, v2.2 (Froyo), upgradable to v2.3
CPU Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor,

PowerVR SGX540 GPU, TI OMAP4430 chipset

3D Features – Glasses free 3D viewing
– 3D Hotkey
– 3D Video Stabilization
– Real-Time Misalignment Correction
– Real-Time 2D/3D Conversion
– 3D Depth Control
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh

LG Optimus 3D launched in Singapore

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Available at S$938 (incl GST without contract) in Singapore in end August, the latest Android smartphone from LG allows users to create 3D photos and video using the phone and to view 3D content and play 3D games without wearing any 3D glasses.

LG Optimus 3D launched today at Marina Bay Sands

LG Electronics today launched the LG Optimus 3D at its LG Live outlet at Marina Bay Sands.

Optimus 3D smartphone from LGThe new Android smartphone boasts a “Tri-Dual” architechure – dual-core, dual-channel and dual-memory – promising improved performance when multi-tasking, viewing graphics-intensive websites, watching a movie or playing graphics-intensive games.

It also brings glasses-free 3D experience into the palms of its users. LG wants to empower its users to immerse themselves in 3D – from creating 3D photos and video, to enjoying them, and beyond that to sharing 3D media with others  – all from a smartphone.

Create, enjoy, share

Optimus 3D smartphone from LGTo create 3D photos and video, the user can use the dual 5 megapixel stereoscopic cameras on board to shoot 3D stills and footage. Alternatively, users can use included software on the smartphone to convert existing 2D photos and videos into 3D. Free software for converting 2D games will be available for download (more details to be announced soon)

Optimus 3D smartphone from LGTo enjoy 3D media  – and this is where LG is all excited about – the user does not need to wear 3D glasses. By using double-layered screen technology, the two images for the left and right eyes are are interlaced with each other and sent separately to both eyes so that the left eye only sees the image meant for the left eye and the right eye only sees the image meant for the right eye.

Optimus 3D smartphone from LGLG boasts that the cross-talk between the two images – the extent to which pixels meant for one eye is seen by the other eye – is extremely low. I tried it myself and found the 3D images gave a strong sense of depth and dimensionality – very realistic without any nausea even after more than 10 minutes of use.

The intensity of the 3D effect can be reduced or turned off – based on user’s preference – similar to the Nintendo 3DS game console. The sweet spot for optimal 3D effect seems to be about 30 cm away from the screen.

The 4.3-inch WVGA display offers bright and flicker-free images in HD, up to 1080p in 2D and up to 720p in 3D.

In case the user drops the smartphone after purchase and the dual stereoscopic cameras get misaligned, the Optimus 3D allows re-calibration of the cameras by correcting the images captured via software to account for any mis-alignment.

LG Optimus 3D smartphoneThe Optimus 3D comes preloaded with 10 free 3D games including titles such as Nova, Asphalt 6 and Let’s Golf 2.

Play 3D games on the LG Optimus 3DCaptured 3D content can be shared with 3D TVs via an HDMI 1.4 connection and the phone can also send content to any DLNA Certified device. In addition, users can upload and stream 3D content on YouTube’s dedicated 3D channel (www.youtube.com/3D).

Smartphone and 3D gizmo

Even without its 3D functionality, the Optimus 3D serves as a highly powered smartphone with top-notch graphic performance, web browsing experience, raw computing speed and high video resolution.

The LG Optimus 3D smartphone was launched in Singapore today.

The LG Optimus 3D smartphone was launched in Singapore today.

For 3D buffs, it offers a chance to own a 3D camera and glasses-free 3D viewing/playing device and a gadget to share and interact with 3D content on the Web.

The LG Optimus 3D offers the best of both worlds and places both functionalities into a single device. This class of gadgets will surely bring 3D into the lives of the average smartphone user.

The main specifications of the Optimus 3D can be found here.

HTC EVO 3D arrives in Singapore

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

The EVO 3D is the first smartphone with “glasses-free” 3D display to be launched in Singapore. The Android-Gingerbread (2.3) smartphone will be available at all mobile operators and authorized retailers at a suggested retail price of S$895 in August 2011.

Android Gingerbread 2.3 based HTC EVO 3D

The HTC EVO 3D empowers the user to capture and view photos and video in 3D through a brilliant high-defintion 4.3-inch QHD 3D display, which does not require the wearing of special 3D glasses.

HTC EVO 3D arrives in Singapore on 10 August 2011The HTC EVO 3D features a powerful 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor, dual 5 megapixel cameras, which can be used to capture both conventional 2D and stunning 3D images and videos.

With integrated 3D HD (720p) video capture and the latest version of HTC Sense, HTC EVO 3D will enable users to easily and seamlessly post 3D media to YouTube or Facebook.

Its integrated DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) capability allows fast and easy to sharing of stored music, pictures and user-generated HD video wirelessly with other DLNA-certified home electronics, including HDTVs, monitors, digital cameras, printers and more.

Connection via an HDMI cable (sold separately) enables sharing of user-created 3D video content via a 3D TV.

Access 3D movies and games through the EVO 3D

According to ABI Research (Dec. 20, 2010) mobile 3D devices will be driven by three key applications: creation of user-generated 3D content by integrated video and still cameras, playback of 3D content and 3D gaming.

It also anticipates that mobile devices may turn out to be the most successful form factor towards bringing 3D technology into mainstream markets.

HTC EVO 3D will be pre-loaded with HTC Watch which provides access to a large catalog of movies, including 3D titles optimized for viewing on the HTC EVO 3D’s 4.3-inch screen.

HTC Watch offers the latest new releases on the same day that they become digitally available in the region. Customers can buy or rent digitally and download directly to their smartphone, along with select 3D movies.

Rentals will be available for viewing on one screen within at least 30 days of rental, with a 24-hour  or 48-hour viewing period once the title is first played.

The HTC EVO 3D ships with a whole library of multimedia entertainment that includes The Green Hornet 3D Movie  (limited stocks available) and games such as Spider-Man: Total Mayhem HD, Need for Speed SHIFT and  The Sims 3.

HTC has also teamed up with Chalkboard, a large location-based network in Southeast Asia  to offer HTC EVO 3D users access to a catalogue of local offers wherever they go.

Main features of the HTC EVO 3D are summarised here.

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.

Company byte: Research In Motion

Monday, July 11th, 2011

Research In Motion Limited (RIM) is a Canadian multinational  telecommunications company that makes the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer, as well as BlackBerry smartphones.

Update (30 January, 2013):

Along with the launch of the new BlackBerry 10 platform, President & CEO Thorsten Heins has announced that the company will change its name from Research In Motion to BlackBerry.

Research In Motion, maker of BlackBerry smartphones and the PlayBook tabletRIM was founded in 1984 by Mike Lazaridis, who currently serves as its co-CEO along with Jim Balsillie.

The company designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. The introduction of the BlackBerry solution in 1999 provides platforms and solutions for access to information, including e-mail, voice, instant messaging, short message service (SMS), Internet and intranet-based applications and browsing.

Headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario in Canada, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM).

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