Archive for: Blackberry Storm
Ok, while the Robot shown above in the Robotika theme doesn’t really look anything like Johnny Five, it is the early afternoon and I’m running on 3 hours of sleep. I’m tired and my creative bubble burst long ago. Back on topic, the Robotika theme for the Blackberry Storm is a rather unique theme that I haven’t see anything quite like yet. While the current fad seems to be iPhone-ish/rounded icons or a dark/glassy appearance, Robotika moves in the opposite direction with a bright physique coupled with a less than normal icon layout. The coolest part about Robotika is that the robot displayed in the center of the screen changes as your change your homescreen icons – a sort of “build your own” robot/theme. Very cool! Definitely a first. This feature alone will ensure Robotika enjoys a nice long stay on your device. The theme features and several more screenshots are just inside after the click.
While a constant, continuous, and reliable production schedule is good for business, I’m not too sure Verizon and RIM’s latest drama entitles. Word in the ninja catacombs is that Verizon reps are or will be very soon starting on training for the upcoming Storm 2. Not even a year into the Storms debut and we are already talking about its more attractive sibling. Ouch. While technology is a fast paced market and hobby to get in to, that is still a fast product replacement even by Apple standards. According to the source, we could be physically staring down a Storm 2 as early as this month if all goes well and no later than June if not so well. Of course, the biggest news around the Storm 2 is the addition of WiFi, the apparent relocation of the 4 physical buttons onto the touchscreen part of the phone, and rumors of the clicky surepress getting kicked to the curb. Hopefully soon we’ll get some more concrete evidence as to get a better timeline together regarding a real release date. I just can’t believe that Verizon and RIM would outdate they greatly hyped device that is not even a year old. Eh, I’ve seen stranger things. Until then we’ll just have to make do with what little we know and all that our imaginations can create!
Source: BG, BlackberryOS
Blackberry Storm users who are just starting to get aquainted with and into the rythmn of things with the current first gen Storm may be happy/sad/angry that we now have pictures of the next iteration of the Storm floating around. From the pictures we can tell that there isn’t that big of a difference. The sides and back have slight changes. Perhaps the biggest physical thing we can see right away is that the standard answer/end/back/berry button are now incorporated into the glass/touchscreen part of the display as opposed to being stand alone buttons. Whether this will change on future reditions as the Storm 2 makes its way through the development cycle remains to be seen. All I can say is that if they could improve that touchscreen “click”, the Storm would be a much more serious contender. Anyone care to argue? 2 more pics inside to drool over.
While Blackberry users and iPhone users have two completely different platforms with generally vastly differing users, there is no arguing that the iPhone has a very nice GUI and the Blackberry a messaging powerhouse under the hood. Many times before we have seen attempts to copy the iPhone’s look and often the attempt comes off pretty well. However, their is a new champion in the building. JC Designs has created hands down the best iPhone theme for the Blackberry Storm and Bold. Now users will truly have the beauty and style of the iPhone and still get to keep the ultra high functionality of the Blackberry. JC claims (and you can tell form the video above) that there is not a single ounce of lag – a big plus for such a graphically intensive theme. I highly suggest picking this up if you have even a small like for the iPhone GUI as it looks truly stunning on a Berry. Come inside for a nice video highlighting everything iBerry Blocks Slide Edition has to offer as well as some handy DL links!
The Blackberry Storm is by far one of the riskiest moves ever taken on by RIM. Be eschewing the Blackberry’s tried and true keyboard, the Storm had to rely on it’s tight business integration and bullet proof email to make up for phsyical shortcomings. While the popularity and effectiveness at which RIM’s first keyboardless phone was carried out is debateable, one thing is for sure – the Storm is a remarkable device. If you are a heavy traveler, you no doubt also enjoy the Blackberry’s relatively easy set up for tethering. However, it doesn’t always come without a hitch or limitations. Blackberry’s and Macs aren’t exactly the closest of friends as RIM doesn’t even have a legitemate Destop Manager equivelent for Macs. Though that hasn’t stopped developers for doing their own dirty work. Moving back to tethering, Launch2Net makes a once more finicky and hoop jumping procedure much more enjoyable. Much more inside…eye candy included!
Social butterflies and text based chatters who have had the luck and honor of being able to see or use Beejive IM on any device, will quickly come to realize how awesome it is as a multi-chat software and just how much other services and applications lag behind. Until now, the Blackberry Storm has been left out of the game and has had to make due with an unsupported version meaning that users were treated to often quirky and downright poor operation. However, the fine folks at Beejive have stepped up and have completely redesigned the program to make use of the Storm’s unique UI and navigation features. I am happy to announce to all of you that Beejive IM for the Storm has officially entered public beta. If you are so inclined to help test out the early beta release, point your BB Browser on your Storm to the Download Link, and start chatting away. Keep in mind that since it is an early beta, features such as chat logs and file transfers have not yet been implemented. Fret not as it will in deed be coming in future releases.
Source: Crackberry
While I am not too particular on the Blackberry Storm myself (I don’t really like the touchscreen on it), it is no doubt a monumental step for RIM. With the Storm, RIM entered a new market that was devoid of their signature feature, the keyboard. While the whole click screen wasn’t my favorite, their are many people who have fallen in love with the combination of the whole touch and “clicking” idea. Because of the Storm’s obvious focus on the touchscreen, it has time and time again been compared to the iPhone, often coming in behind Apple’s jesus phone. Because of that, you won’t see many reviews or articles about the many benefits of the Storm and all that it has to offer. For those of you who are looking at purchasing a Storm but need a small push over the mental edge, check out this article on Vodafone’s blog that gives some honestly good insight on the Blackberry Storm. While some will argue it is biased because it is an article on a product straight from a carrier that is selling the same product, each of the 49 reasons are valid reasons that any Storm user can appreciate.
When the original Blackberry Storm was leaked, the Crackberry nation was in a flurry. The consumer minded Berry users were praising RIM for finally bringing them something to shut up those darn iPhone users. Almost immediately, the Storm began being criticized for its lack of WiFi. However, being a Verizon exclusive, the lack of WiFi was hardly a new occurance. Though many argued that a such a device being designed and soon afterward marketed so strongly towards the consumer market was being gimped by its lack of WiFi. Time has passed and that complaint is still a very valid and often voiced complaint that many people just can’t get over. But, what if you could have a second chance at life? What if you could have your Verizon branded Blackberry Storm and WiFi?
ShortcutBerry has been updated to 2.01. It may not seem like a big number change, but it does bring one big advancement with it…support for the Blackberry Storm. Finally Storm users can join in on the shortcut nirvana that is ShortcutBerry. Enough blabbing. Come inside for the feature list…again…
