Blackberry Storm is Here!
I am headed to the Verizon store right now to get my hands on the Storm.
Five reasons this device could really be an iPhone killer:
- It has a better camera -
The iPhone 3G comes to the table with a puny 2 megapixel camera and, at the moment, doesn’t offer video capture. The BlackBerry Storm, however, features a 3.2 megapixel camera with video capabilities, variable zoom, auto focus and a flash that has the ability to provide continuous lighting while recording video. For many smartphone buyers, a decent camera is becoming a more important component. And the BlackBerry Storm does it right. In the day and age of content sharing, the Storm makes it easy to snap and upload high-quality photos while also sharing video — a win-win. - It has better ‘push’ email for corporate email accounts -While the iPhone is capable of making e-mail look and work pretty much exactly as it does on a home computer and supports e-mail from Yahoo, Gmail and AOL, along with most IMAP and POP mail systems, it’s BlackBerry that takes the biggest piece of the e-mail pie.The Storm continues BlackBerry’s 10-year legacy of mobile e-mail, working with BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise. It also ties in e-mail access for consumers with most popular personal e-mail services. While the iPhone does now integrate with Microsoft Exchange, it doesn’t have the proven track record of corporate e-mail greatness that BlackBerry brings to the table.
- You can edit documents, spreadsheets, etc -The BlackBerry Storm comes preloaded with the DataViz Documents to Go suite for editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from the handset. For mobile workers, this capability has become a must. The iPhone, however, offers document viewing, but not editing for Microsoft Office applications, though there are downloads available that will enable editing.Still, having that capability out of the box puts the BlackBerry Storm one more notch above the Apple iPhone 3G.
- The Storm’s touch screen is “clickable’ -Maybe a minor feature, but the BlackBerry Storm’s “clickable” touch screen could be a deal breaker when considering what smartphone to buy. Sounds a bit petty, but you know you want to check it out — it’s the world’s first. I am truly excited about this considering the haptic research I have been involved in relates directly to this technology.The clickable display responds like a physical keyboard and supports single-touch, multitouch and gestures. The BlackBerry Storm’s clickable touch screen depresses slightly when the screen is pressed, allowing users to feel the motion, and is released with a click, similar to that of a physical keyboard or mouse button. The clickable screen gives users confirmation that they have made a selection. Certainly, someone at Apple central will devise an application that makes the screen clickable, but having the first device with that feature will make it a draw.
- Blackberry will launch its own app store -Last month, RIM unveiled plans to launch its own application store, similar to the AppStore for the iPhone and the Android market for the Google Android-based T-Mobile G1.BlackBerry’s Application Store Front will enable users to find and download applications to their smartphones. It’s set to launch in March 2009. The storefront will let developers set their own prices for applications, similar to Apple’s AppStore, and developers will retain 80 percent of the revenue their applications bring in. BlackBerry users will be able to buy directions directly from their smartphones and pay for them through eBay-owned online payment service PayPal. Apple’s AppStore caught flack for offering dozens of applications deemed as useless and unproductive. While there’s no proof yet that BlackBerry’s application store won’t fall into the same hole, BlackBerry has said it plans to allow companies with BlackBerry Enterprise Server or BlackBerry Professional Software have control over which applications users can download and use.
For those who just want to know the final details, there is a great specification sheet
Specifications
* 360º
* Photos
* Videos
* BlackBerry 101
* Specifications
* Where to Buy
Features Available
BlackBerry Storm
* Wireless email
* Organizer
* Browser
* Phone
* Camera (3.2 MP)
* Video Recording
* BlackBerry® Maps
* Media Player
* Built-in GPS
* Corporate data access
* SMS
* MMS
Size and Weight
* 4.43″/112.5mm (Length)
* 2.45″/62.2mm (Width)
* 0.55″/13.95mm (Depth)
* 5.5 oz/155g (Weight)
Data Input/Navigation
* SurePressâ„¢ touch screen
* On screen keyboard: portrait SureType® and Multi-tap, QWERTY landscape
Voice Input/Output
* 3.5mm stereo headset capable
* Integrated earpiece/ microphone
* Built-in speakerphone
* Bluetooth® v2.0; mono/stereo headset, handsfree, phone book access profile, and serial port profile supported
* M3 (Rating for hearing aids (PDF))
Media Player
* Video format support: MPEG4 H.263, MPEG4 Part 2 Simple Profile, H.264, WMV
* Audio format support: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WMA ProPlus
Display
* High resolution 480 x 360 pixel color display
* Transmissive TFT LCD
* Font size (user selectable)
* Light sensing screen
Notification
* Polyphonic/MIDI ringtones
* MP3 ringtones
* Vibrate mode
* LED indicator
Approximate Battery Life
* Up to 15 days (Standby time)
* Up to 5.5 hours (Talk time)
Memory
* Expandable memory – support for microSD™ card
* 1GB onboard memory
* 128 MB Flash (flash memory)
Modem
* RIM® wireless modem
* Tethered modem capability
Email Integrations
* Works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for Microsoft® Exchange
* Works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for IBM® Lotus® Domino®
* Works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for Novell® GroupWise®
* Integrates with an existing enterprise email account
* Integrates with existing personal email account
* Integrates with optional new device account
Device Security
* Password protection and screen lock
* Sleep mode
* Support for AES or Triple DES encryption when integrated with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server
* FIPS 140-2 Compliant (FIPS Validation in Progress)
* Optional support for S/MIME
Wireless Network
* UMTS/HSPA: 2100 MHz
* North America: 850 MHz GSM®/GPRS networks
* North America: 1900MHz GSM/GPRS networks
* Europe/Asia Pacific: 1800MHz GSM/GPRS networks
* Europe/Asia Pacific: 900MHz GSM/GPRS networks
* Dual-Band: 800/1900 MHz CDMA/Ev-DO networks
Additional articles and videos are available here:
Blackberry Storm Articles
Blackberry Storm New Update
As Verizon gets ready to release the Storm in its stores here in the U.S., the hype on the net is reaching fever pitch.
They have a new flash presentation that details its specs and capabilities up:
There are blogs-A-plenty comparing the Storm with the iPhone (looks like the Storm is winning)
I have been really excited about these releases (Android, iPhone 3G, Storm). Since I have had good service from Verizon over the last 6 years, I was thinking that now that my contract is up I still want to stay with them. All it would take would be to feel that they have a phone that will serve me well in the coming two years while my business is really taking off.
I figured with the merging of smart phone/enterprise features of the Blackberry line and the “Gee Whiz” factor of touchscreens and entertainment , that the Storm would be a slam-dunk for me.
There is just one pesky doubt in my mind. The Storm does not allow for Wi-Fi connectivity. With all the other features it sports, I had hoped that they would include this low cost alternative to the 3G data option.
With my iPod Touch, I am constantly using the Wi-Fi option and living in the Bay Area, I can’t go more than a couple miles without finding a hot spot.
Am I just being too demanding? Am I being a difficult customer?
Apple, Business, Design, Gadgets, Technology, Verizon, iPhone, mobile | Comment (0)Apple’s iPhone Developer Kit Agreement Published
original article by Thomas Claburn available at Information week here.
The restrictive terms of the old iPhone SDK Agreement effectively prevented iPhone developers from discussing their coding work with anyone other than project team members.
The controversial iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) Agreement that Apple last week discontinued has been posted to Wikileaks, where it is available for download.
NOTE: Wikileaks provides anonymously leaked corporate and political documents online.
The iPhone SDK Agreement states that it is for internal use only and not for redistribution.
The summary information that accompanies the iPhone SDK file states that the agreement has never before been publicly released.
“This file is important because Apple is being extremely secretive about the iPhone developer program,” the Wikileaks summary page says. “The agreement contains several controversial terms and claims that need to be discussed in an open forum. This is however explicitly forbidden by the agreement.”The SDK Agreement was posted to Wikileaks on October 24th, the day that Apple issued a new iPhone developer agreement. Earlier in that week, the T-Mobile G1 mobile phone was released. The G1, built atop Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s Android mobile platform, is widely seen as an iPhone competitor.
Please see other stories about the G1 phone and Android
Apple, Business, iPhone, mobile | Comment (0)Apple did not respond to several requests for comment.
The restrictive terms of the old iPhone SDK Agreement effectively prevented iPhone developers from discussing their coding work with anyone other than project team members. Many iPhone developers complained about Apple’s restrictions. Some reportedly took to paying friends a token sum so they could be legally classified as project contractors and thereby discuss iPhone development with them.
WordPress went so far as to release the source code for its iPhone blog-posting application, a violation of the SDK Agreement. Apple, however, has not pursued any legal action.
Apple’s SDK Agreement also prohibited developers from talking about its restrictions. “You may not issue any press releases or make any other public statements regarding this Agreement, its terms and conditions, or the relationship of the parties without Apple’s express prior written approval, which may be withheld at Apple’s discretion,” the posted SDK says.
In announcing its plan to release a new iPhone developer agreement, Apple acknowledged that its non-disclosure terms created too much of a burden for developers and relaxed them for released iPhone software.
The new agreement continues to regard as confidential: Apple pre-release software, related documentation, information presented at Apple Events, and paid developer content.
