Engadget

BlackBerry Messenger 5 now available, we go hands-on

by Jacob Schulman posted Oct 8th 2009 at 4:20PM

BlackBerry Messenger: it's the holy grail of the BlackBerry platform, and, for many, the only real reason why they don't make the jump to another smartphone. Well, RIM has finally gone ahead and released the latest and greatest version upon the world (in an official capacity at least), and we're definitely pleased with the added functionality and other updates that they've cooked in to the app to make it even more useful and better. Be sure to check out Engadget Mobile for a review of what's hot, what's new, and what we think of it all.

BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac now available, we go hands-on

by Jacob Schulman posted Oct 2nd 2009 at 2:15PM

Today is the day that the BlackBerry-toting Mac faithful have been waiting for. After years of "making do" with less-than-desirable options like PocketMac and Missing Sync, RIM has taken it upon itself to finally release a home-cooked solution for Mac users who simply want to back up their devices without having to install a virtual machine or revert to a Windows PC. Well, it's been a long month and a half since they first announced it was coming, but BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac has finally landed (officially, we mean), and we're glad to say it definitely gets the job done. Check out our full impressions and a quick rundown of the big features over on Engadget Mobile!

BlackBerry Storm 2 -- and its piezoelectric soul -- dissected at last

by Jacob Schulman posted Aug 25th 2009 at 12:53PM

The leaked photo of the Storm 2's internal board got our juices flowing -- and our curiosity piqued -- but this latest set of photos really takes it up a notch. In addition to showing the rest of the device inside and out, we've got a handful of new pictures showing off that piezoelectronic technology doing its thing. Basically, as we understand it, those four "buttons" which are pictured are more like sensors than buttons. When the device is on, they communicate with the screen, and when it registers enough pressure, the result is the familiar "click" that Storm users know all too well. However, when the device is powered off (or in standby mode we assume), the screen stays put, as there isn't an actual mechanism to move the screen like there was in the original Storm. Of course, we won't know how to judge it until we can actually play with a real live demo unit in the flesh, but you can definitely say that RIM has us interested. At least they weren't lying about that whole 'SurePress is here to stay' thing.

Gallery: BlackBerry Storm 2 Dissected

Video: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets yet another prerelease review

by Jacob Schulman posted Aug 15th 2009 at 7:04PM

Still not convinced that the BlackBerry Storm 2 is alive and kicking in places outside of RIM's "secure" labs up in Waterloo? How's a seven minute long video showing off this perennially-leaked device for all you skeptics? The blur-free video shows off the updated SurePress screen that only clicks when the unit's actually in use, as well as some size comparisons with the Onyx and Tour. The mystery man behind the camera says that even though his OS is super old -- at least by pre-release firmware standards -- it's much faster than the previous-gen Storm. Also interesting is the fact that WiFi doesn't appear to be present in the "Manage Connections" screen, although we can almost say with 100% certainty that there will be WiFi at launch. The full video's posted after the break, conspiracy theorists: go wild.

[Thanks, bighap]

Continue reading Video: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets yet another prerelease review

Samsung's E1107 with built in solar panel gets a thorough shakedown

by Jacob Schulman posted Aug 11th 2009 at 11:32AM

Sure, a cellphone made out of 80 percent recycled materials might be considered pretty environmentally friendly, but a cellphone with a built-in solar panel? Now that's something with the potential to make Al Gore cry. Enter the Samsung E1107. It's solar panel-equipped back cover comes in at 1.2-mm thin, and is said to revive a dead battery after just 15 minutes in the sun. Besides the FM radio and flashlight features, the only other noteworthy addition is an "Eco" profile, that essentially just changes screen brightness and shuts the Bluetooth off. If you're interested, the cost of entry is a reasonable $59, but you'll probably have to find an importer, as we don't expect this tree hugger to land stateside any time soon.

[Thanks, Vadik]

Engadget's recession antidote: win a Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000

by Jacob Schulman posted Jul 23rd 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got nine (9) Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 keyboard and mouse up for grabs. Besides the sleek design and BlueTrack Technology, it boasts some handy Windows 7 features like Taskbar Favorites and Windows Flip to make use even easier. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Big thanks to Microsoft for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. Nine (9) winners will each receive one (1) Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 keyboard and one (1) mouse. Approximate retail value is $69.95.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Thursday, July 23rd, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

Engadget's recession antidote: win a LG enV3 for Verizon Wireless

by Jacob Schulman posted Jul 11th 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got eight (8) LG enV3's (in blue and maroon) for Verizon Wireless up for grabs. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Special thanks to LG for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. Eight (8) winner will receive one (1) maroon or blue LG enV3 for Verizon Wireless. Approximate retail value is $299.99. (Color will be chosen randomly.)
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Saturday, July 11th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

Full rules can be found here.

Verizon BlackBerry Tour 9630 review

by Jacob Schulman posted Jul 7th 2009 at 1:30PM

It's here, folks. The BlackBerry Tour has been unboxed, and now that we've had a few days to mess around with it, we're able to tell you how we truly and deeply feel. There have been countless leaks and unofficial reviews circulating for the past few months, but now that it's finally legit we can give this sexy piece of tech a proper shakedown. It's been roughly described as a CDMA Bold, but does it surpass its GSM counterpart? Be sure to head over to Engadget Mobile for the full review!

Engadget's recession antidote: win a Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000

by Jacob Schulman posted Jul 7th 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got a Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 keyboard and mouse up for grabs. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Big thanks to Microsoft for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 keyboard and one (1) mouse. Approximate retail value is $69.95.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Tuesday, July 7th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

Sprint launching BlackBerry Tour on July 20th?

by Jacob Schulman posted Jun 27th 2009 at 2:40PM

When the teaser went up, we knew the hotly anticipated BlackBerry Tour for Sprint was right around the corner, but the only hint of a release date was "later this summer." Lucky for us, the, um, insiders at Inside Sprint Now have clarified the vague window for all of us mere mortals. They confidently state that the Tour will be available on July 20th, just over a week after the purported release date on Big Red. This hasn't yet been confirmed by Sprint, but we're sure they want this baby out sooner rather than later, so quasi-mark your calendars, quasi-set your alarms, and get your $199.99 ready.

Engadget's recession antidote: win a LG enV3 for Verizon Wireless

by Jacob Schulman posted Jun 19th 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a maroon LG enV3 for Verizon Wireless up for grabs. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Special thanks to LG for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) maroon LG enV3 for Verizon Wireless. Approximate retail value is $299.99.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Friday, June 19th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

Full rules can be found here.

Engadget's recession antidote: win a LG enV3 for Verizon Wireless

by Jacob Schulman posted Jun 15th 2009 at 12:21PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a maroon LG enV3 for Verizon Wireless up for grabs. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Special thanks to LG for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) maroon LG enV3 for Verizon Wireless. Approximate retail value is $299.99.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Monday, June 15th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

Full rules can be found here.

Dell Studio One 19 unboxing, hands-on, and impressions

by Jacob Schulman posted May 21st 2009 at 4:00PM

We thought it'd be a good idea to get all touchy-feely with Dell's latest -- and its most family friendly -- all-in-one, the Studio One 19, and while there are things we like, there are certainly a bunch of things that we wish they had done differently. Although it's already gotten some lukewarm reviews, we decided to put it through its paces and check it out for ourselves. Click on after the break for more of our impressions and what we really thought about this interesting machine.

Gallery: Dell Studio One 19 unboxing

Continue reading Dell Studio One 19 unboxing, hands-on, and impressions

BlackBerry Storm 2 dropping SurePress screen?

by Jacob Schulman posted May 15th 2009 at 5:50PM

When we brought you those exclusive Storm 2 pics and details just a short while ago, we touched upon the "new approach to text entry," but unfortunately didn't have any details. However, lightning has struck again, and our source has gotten back to let us know that the Storm 2 does indeed have a stationary screen "just like the iPhone's," which lines up with what Boy Genius Report is hearing. That's right, it looks like RIM is axing its SurePress technology in favor of a more conventional touchscreen, though our tipster says the model he has may allow for some type of haptic feedback to be enabled. This should be great news for all you folks having dust-under-screen issues on your first-gen Storms, but obviously, we'll have to wait and see until this thing gets, you know, legit.

[Thanks, BBninja1389]

Exclusive BlackBerry Storm 2 shots!

by Jacob Schulman posted May 14th 2009 at 11:44PM

What's this we have here? A trusted source just hit us with a slew of beauty shots of the Storm 2 that leaked a little bit ago. Not much else to say at this point until we can get one in our hands -- the photos really speak for themselves. But seriously, what are you still doing here? Get over to the gallery and see all the tasty (and frankly, familiar) shots!

[Thanks, BBninja1389]

Gallery: Exclusive BlackBerry Storm 2 shots!

BlackBerry Storm 2 gets pictured early

by Jacob Schulman posted May 14th 2009 at 8:05PM

We knew it was coming, and just like its relatives the Onyx and the Gemini, yet another unreleased model has managed to escape the confines of RIM's Waterloo headquarters. This time, however, it's the Storm 2, which we've heard has been internally codenamed "Oden." We've also caught wind that this model pictured is of the GSM flavor, and yes, it's indeed packing WiFi in addition to GPS according to one of our sources. As far as that rumored "new approach to text entry," it sounds like the keyboard has been tweaked but isn't a radical departure from the first generation. From the photos, it seems that RIM has advanced in the war on buttons and axed the bottom four in favor of some touch-sensitive controls. The real improvements, however, appear to be under the hood, as the whole device reportedly runs much faster and smoother than the current model. We can't confirm these specs, but with the Tour coming this summer, and the Storm 2 hopefully making an appearance before the holiday shopping season, looks like you Verizon BlackBerry fans might not have to be that jealous of your GSM brethren after all.

Best Buy Mobile to get some Pre stock on June 7th?

by Jacob Schulman posted May 3rd 2009 at 6:24PM

If this latest bit of Pre intel scored by Boy Genius Report is to be believed, it looks like you might be able to pick up one of 4,500 of Palm's latest and greatest as early as June 7. According to a tip from a supposed Best Buy insider, the venerable retailer could be gearing up to launch the hotly anticipated handset in just over a month's time, though it's not clear whether this'll coincide with Sprint's full-scale launch or come before or after. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, they've got some possible numbers on what this beauty will run you: $199.99 for new customers with a 2-year plan, $299.99 for upgrades, and a cool $999.99 contract-free -- though in our experience, Best Buy Mobile frequently has its pricing wrong ahead of launch, so these are definitely subject to change.

BlackBerry 9630 Niagara headed to Verizon in May?

by Jacob Schulman posted Mar 19th 2009 at 2:36PM

"Buckle up folks," because if the TheStreet actually has any, er, street cred, then it looks like the BlackBerry 9630 Niagara might very well be hitting Verizon Wireless by May. Citing omnipotent BlackBerry gods / "analysts familiar with the plan," the oft leaked device should indeed be landing fairly soon. Obviously, no word on price or even an official acknowledgment that the damn thing exists from RIM, but this latest intel -- coupled with whispers we've heard of hardware finalization -- makes us think that this is definitely nearing release. We just hope they can at least make the phone turn on (and stay on) by the time they get it to market.

BlackBerry "Niagara" 9630 given yet another pre-release shakedown

by Jacob Schulman posted Mar 17th 2009 at 4:42PM

Man, RIM's just full of leaks when it comes to the purported next CDMA BlackBerry, and as long as they're not memory leaks, we don't think we'll be complaining. CrackBerry has somehow managed to secure yet another pre-release device, and this time it's none other than the CDMA Bold / Curve 8900 / Storm hybrid. Like we saw with the latest Mr. Blurrycam video review (and all those other leaked pics) the keyboard sure looks to be a real winner and to quote CB, it's "the optimal solution." The form factor is also described as "awesome" and its narrower size made it even nicer to hold than the Bold. Unfortunately, this particular device was running -- or trying to run -- OS 4.7.1.10, which is basically a dummy phone equivalent at this point, while .17 is purportedly available somewhere in the Great White North. We've heard that the hardware has indeed been finalized, and that RIM is mass producing these like crazy -- and if they can get the software to match what we've seen of the hardware, it looks like they're going to have another winner on their hands.

Video: BlackBerry 9630 Niagara shown off... and on, and off again

by Jacob Schulman posted Mar 15th 2009 at 6:00PM

As if the both sets of pictures weren't enough to give you a glimpse at the BlackBerry 9630 "Niagara," now CrackBerry forums member salisa.m has graced us mortals with some honest-to-goodness video of the thing in all its rebooting glory. Of course -- in the tradition of all things leaked -- the video's got a good amount of blurriness, but it's not like we haven't seen it before. Apparently this 'Berry's rocking OS 4.7.1.10 -- not 4.6 like its sibling the Bold -- but it's got a "very likable Bold keyboard" albeit with a bit smaller keys. The back battery cover looks to be a piano-like carbon fiber plastic with a new hinge design to prevent dust accumulation, and it's described as being very light and sleek. Unfortunately, the OS was super buggy, and the videographer couldn't even get the device fully powered on for a tour of Verizon's presumably tweaked software -- but with this latest torrent of information over the past few days, we're sure that we'll be seeing a lot more of this bad boy in the not-so-distant future.

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Gallery: BlackBerry Storm 2 Dissected

Gallery: Dell Studio One 19 unboxing

Gallery: Exclusive BlackBerry Storm 2 shots!

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