BlackBerry Bold 9700

RIM's just-announced BlackBerry Bold 9700 today, and every indication we've gotten is that this thing is a perfect -- if not extremely conservative -- successor to the first-generation Bold.

Here’s a quick refresher on the critical specs:

* BlackBerry OS 5.0
* 624MHz CPU
* 256MB flash memory and support for microSD cards up to 32GB
* Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA (800/850/1900/2100 MHz) or tri-band UMTS/HSDPA (900/1700/2100 MHz)
* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
* Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g with UMA support (carrier dependent)
* A-GPS
* 2.44″ HVGA+ display
* 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
* Optical trackpad
* Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP/AVCRP
* 1500 mAh battery
* 6 hours of talk time and 17 days of standby (3G)
* 109mm x 60mm x 14.1mm, 122g

In short, this is the BlackBerry device of your dreams.

AT&T, Rogers and T-Mobile also have announced they will be carrying the Bold 9700 in the weeks ahead. AT&T and T-Mobile’s 9700 will go for $199.99 after a $100 MIR on 2-year deals while Rogers will be asking for $299.99 on a 3-year contract with a monthly minimum voice and data plan of $45. Bell and TELUS have yet to come forward with pricing but have confirmed they will be carrying the device.

Qik Finally Announces Streaming Video for BlackBerry

Qik, a startup that allows you to stream live video to the web directly from your phone, has launched support for RIM's incredibly popular Blackberry platform. The software is currently available in an alpha state (so don't be surprised if you encounter bugs), and includes support for the Blackberry Bold and Pearl (other phones, like the Flip and Curve, will be available in a later release that the company expects soon).

This brings Qik to a much broader platform, and also helps cement Qik's lead in terms of device support well ahead of competitors Kyte and Flixwagon, neither of which support Blackberry. However, Qik will have another competitor on the Blackberry platform: today's news comes hot on the heels (and may have been prompted by) the launch of Next2Friends, the first streaming video application that supported Blackberries.
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Blackberry Refused The Indian Government Request

There are only around 115,000 Blackberry users in India, but they’re causing the government a problem. It seems that the country’s security services and department of technology haven’t been able to unencrypt text messages sent on the Blackberry, and they’ve asked Research In Motion (RIM), the Canadian company that makes the device, for the master key, worrying that criminals and terrorists might take to the device.

They’d expected co-operation, but they’ve been met with a refusal. RIM claims that its technology prevents any third party – even the company itself – from reading messages sent over the network. In The Times of India RIM was quoted as saying:

"The Blackberry security architecture for enterprise customers is purposefully designed to exclude the capability for Research in Motion (RIM) or any third party to read encrypted information under any circumstances."

Research In Motion, the company that makes the Blackberry phone, has refused demands by the Indian government to decrypt suspicious text messages.

India is joining other countries in its worries about being able to crack texts on the Blackberry.

The White Blackberry Pearl

The BlackBerry Pearl is finally living up to its name now that it has been released with a lustrous, pearl white finish. The Pearl is know for its easy-to-use phone, personal e-mail, and web browsing capabilities and it just happens to be my phone of choice because it allows me access to my e-mail and geeksugar no matter where I am.

"The BlackBerry Pearl has set the bar for combining the functionality of a full-featured BlackBerry phone and the ultimate in style, all at an affordable price,” said Mike Butler, Chief Marketing Officer, T-Mobile USA. “Now, the white BlackBerry Pearl provides our customers with another effortless, yet stylish, option to stay connected with loved ones.”

For more about the phone, visit BlackberryPearl.com.
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