Sabtu, 09 Juli 2011

BerryReview.com Giving Back to the BlackBerry Community

BerryReview.com Giving Back to the BlackBerry Community


My Own Icons Shortcut Creator With Homescreen Hotkeys

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:09 AM PDT

moi9 moi1

I'm always on the lookout for new apps to test out. So when I saw a public beta for MyOwnIcons, I got a little excited. MyOwnIcons is a new app by Fonware Ltd, the maker of the popular app ShortcutMe. At first, I though MyOwnIcons was just another shortcut creator – there's already a couple apps out there that will create shortcuts and put them on your homescreen. OS6 even has this as a native feature for contacts and web pages.

moi2 moi3

But as I started reading the description for MyOwnIcons I realized there was something that it did that other shortcut creators don't do: it allows you to set your own homescreen hotkeys. It will also let you create launchers from the BlackBerry Menu!

moi4 moi5

My Own Icons can do the following:
Launch almost any application
Send a PIN message to someone
Call someone
Text someone
Email someone
Compose an Email
Compose a SMS
Compose a PIN
Create a new Task
Create a new memo
Create a new calendar appointment
Create a new Contact
Open Calendar in Agenda, Week, Month, Day view
Open a web page
Runs a shortcut in ShortcutMe

One of the reasons I love BlackBerry is because of the physical keyboard because, let's face it, there's no real competition to a BlackBerry keyboard among mobile phones (sorry Storm users ;) ). And when I got my first BlackBerry, I was delighted to learn that RIM had assigned some of those glorious 35 keys to quickly and easily launch some of my most used apps; M for messages, N for BBM, O for Options, etc. But I felt it was a huge shortcoming that I couldn't define my own custom shortcuts. At first I sought an app that would allow me to define my own homescreen hotkeys, but never could find one. Eventually, like many BlackBerry owners, I purchased QuickLaunch (and won ShortcutMe in a giveaway) and gave up on the idea of custom homescreen shortcuts.

moi6 moi7

Thanks to MyOwnIcons, I can finally have custom homescreen hotkeys. MyOwnIcons lets you create ten custom shortcuts. The light version lets you create one. I personally already setup a weblauncher for BerryReview (homescreen hotkey R), a launcher to SMS my wife (hotkey C), a menu launcher for AP Mobile, and a launcher for calling my parents (hotkey P). Not sure what I'm gonna do with those other 6 launchers, but I'll figure it out soon enough!

So here's how MyOwnIcons works:

  • Choose an icon to configure (icons are names moi_0 to moi_9)
  • Select what you want the icon to do
  • Choose an icon. You can use the default icon, the address book picture, or any picture from your BlackBerry.
  • Choose a homescreen hotkey if you want one
  • Decide if you want your icon to show in the menu or not.
  • That's it! You're done.

For more information about MyOwnIcons, you can watch the Developer's Youtube video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-WCTGykmZc Or read about and purchase the full version in the BerryReview App Store: store.berryreview.com/product.asp?id=654914&n=MyOwnIcons

moi8 moi10

A light version is also available in BlackBerry App World:
appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/47907?lang=en

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 8, 2011, 12:09 pm. | My Own Icons Shortcut Creator With Homescreen Hotkeys | Leave a comment |


Renault Frendzy Concept Car Packs a BlackBerry PlayBook

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 08:06 AM PDT

 Renault Frendzy

While QNX has been showing off their concept cars with BlackBerry PlayBook integration its always nice to see others warming up to the idea. Renault just released a new concept car design called FRENDZY which is meant to be a commercial business vehicle which can double as a comfortable passenger car. It brings the "Office on Wheels" by adding the BlackBerry PlayBook into the dash. Check out the video below:


Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link

Oddly the PlayBook is put in portrait mode which makes for an interesting docking situation that seems to be more design than function. Still it could be interesting to see cars that already run QNX working to use the BlackBerry PlayBook as a central console. Here is the press release:

Renault Frendzy: A Vehicle for Work and Family!

Ahead of the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault is pleased to reveal details of its latest concept car, FRENDZY.

  • After the notion of 'love at first sight' expressed by DeZir, discovering the world with Captur and the establishment of a family with R-Space, FRENDZY presents the world of work. It is the fourth step in Renault's design strategy based on the different stages of the human life cycle.
  • The latest concept car to be produced under the leadership of Laurens van den Acker is the perfect multi-talented vehicle. As a commercial business vehicle which can double up perfectly as a comfortable passenger car, it meets the requirements of business users on the one hand and those of families on the other.
  • A fully fledged office on wheels with the introduction of the new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, the electrically powered FRENDZY showcases Renault's new design language.

Laurens van den Acker, Senior Vice President, Design Renault: "FRENDZY is the fourth vehicle to illustrate Renault's new design strategy, a series which started with DeZir. FRENDZY takes an original and innovative stance on the world of light commercial vehicles – a key part of Renault's activities".
FRENDZY, a multi-faceted friend

Renault's latest concept car has a dual personality. These days, professional and personal lives are so intricately interwoven that drivers find themselves permanently channel-hopping between one world and the other. The role of FRENDZY is to be a partner that takes the strain out of this lifestyle.

Axel Breun, Design Director, Concept and Show Cars: "FRENDZY is the must-have vehicle for flexibility and versatility. It is efficient and modern as a work tool, yet sporting and warmly welcoming for the family".

On the outside…
On the passenger's side, there's no glazing and no centre pillar, just one conventional door and one sliding side door which incorporates a 37-inch widescreen display. This is the world of work. The driver's side, complete with side windows, still no centre pillar, but with centre opening doors represents the world of the family. Ease of loading and ease of entry go without saying in both worlds!

Exterior designer, Deyan Denkov: "The concept of an asymmetric body design was the most logical way to express this vehicle's two roles. From the very start, I wanted to move away from the traditional format for commercial vehicles and, in doing so, show that this type of vehicle could also be more emotional, more dynamic and more attractive. I took inspiration from a wide variety of sources, including unconventionally shaped aircraft such as the Airbus Beluga and the Antonov 224."

On weekdays, FRENDZY is a vehicle that adapts to the requirements of the business user, with a large external screen that can display useful messages or information (such as "making deliveries" or "back in five minutes", the battery-charging method or the remaining charge) or advertising messages, either whilst parked or on the move. Come the weekend, the vehicle transforms itself into a family vehicle, with a comfortable passenger seat and, in the rear, a big bench seat. Depending on their mood of the moment, children can watch a film or play games on the touch-sensitive pad which slides out from the back of the driver's seat. They can even draw on a special slate integrated into the sliding door.

The driver, likewise, can adapt the vehicle to his or her needs. In 'work' mode, the rear-view mirrors sit upright and the interior lighting is green; in 'family' mode, the mirrors swivel round to the horizontal position and the interior is bathed in a radiant orange ambience. Coloured repeater lights in the headlamps and tail lights provide an external indication of the mode in which FRENDZY is operating.

With FRENDZY, Renault – as Europe's light commercial vehicles' market leader for the past 13 years – is once again able to showcase the practicality, modularity and versatility already proven by the Kangoo, Trafic and Master on our roads today.

On the inside…
The driver's side cockpit is designed along the theme of a futuristic 'work bench' featuring a structure which appears to be made from molten metal. Green light emanating from the dashboard brings this smooth and organic architecture to life. These lights signify the 'work' mode and tie in with the colour displayed on the exterior of the vehicle.

In the 'family' mode, the atmosphere becomes warmer as the green lights turn orange – a subtle reference to the colour of the previous concept car, the family-oriented R-Space.
Dominant throughout is the sense that the interior forms a cosy cabin which echoes the simple yet practical world of camping, and this is further reflected by extensive use of wood. Indeed, as much a symbol of warmth as it is of strength and timelessness, wood forms a link between the two modes. The leather latticework seats and removable accessories also refer to the camping metaphor.

Antoine GĂ©nin, Design Director, Interior and Colour/Materials: "Our research into materials centred on the area where the technology of industry meets the cosy softness of the family nest. This modern combination of wood and metal picks up on Renault's strategic design values of simplicity, sensuousness and warmth."

On a practical level, the fabric roof adapts itself to the shape of bulky objects, magnetic fixings allow the load to be secured to the floor, and modular stowage systems are a practical bonus for business users. The single-piece rear seat is integrated into the floor, while the front seat folds forward in order to free up space. Thanks to its practical, modular interior, FRENDZY lends itself perfectly to the requirements of traders and tradesmen.

Interior designer Ana Zadnik explains: "The interior of the vehicle reflects its double identity: on the one hand, it provides a roomy, uncluttered cargo carrying space and, on the other hand, a space that's fun and interactive and which seats up to four people. The organic volumes of the dashboard and rear door panels are extruded by strikingly shaped "nozzles", which become "receptors" for accessories, which can be plugged directly into the dashboard and door panels."

An innovative office on wheels

The user-friendly layout of the driver's environment and tablet turn FRENDZY into a truly interactive and communicative tool. The BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet recently launched by Research In Motion (RIM), plugged into the dashboard, has enabled the concept of an office on wheels to become reality. BlackBerry PlayBook is ultra-portable (seven-inch touchscreen, 425g in weight, measuring 130mm x 194mm x 10mm), yet it delivers advanced performance, uncompromised web browsing with support for Adobe® Flash®, HD multimedia, advanced security features and out-of-the-box enterprise support.

BlackBerry PlayBook can allow users to benefit from an effective workplace and unrestricted mobility while on the go. This makes it particularly well suited to neighbourhood deliveries and local craftsmen, for whom it is a genuine work tool, both inside and outside of the vehicle.

The tablet connects directly into the centre console, ensuring perfect convenience of operation once on the move. As soon as it is plugged in, it becomes an integral element of the vehicle and configures itself into the Renault environment. Continuity of work is assured once the device is removed, and it can of course be used for all of the renowned BlackBerry PlayBook tablet features.

The device has an important role to play, too, in the customization of the vehicle as it controls the exterior screen while the vehicle is in motion and when parked, for business as well as for personal uses – pictograms illustrating life with electric vehicles, or the viewing of a film, for example.

Sensors located on each door sill log the loading or unloading of packages equipped with RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) chips containing key information such as destination address, weight and dimensions. This gives users a real-time inventory of the goods being carried in their vehicle. In addition, tradesmen can automatically calculate or re-calculate their itineraries on the basis of this information.

FRENDZY – a commercial vehicle that's also electric

Like DeZir, which was unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, FRENDZY is an electric vehicle.
As for FRENDZY's powertrain, it is the same as that of Kangoo Z.E., although the charging point – located under the Renault logo at the front of the vehicle – is identical to that on ZOE Preview.

The chief new feature of FRENDZY as an electric vehicle is the extensive work that has gone into the sounds it produces. This work was carried out in conjunction with IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique / Musique). Electric vehicles are silent, so one of the big challenges facing Renault is customizing the sound they produce for safety reasons, notably at slow speeds.

The collaboration between Renault and IRCAM began with the creation of a sporty sound for DeZir which conveys the driving enjoyment associated with the car. In the case of FRENDZY, the aim was to produce a custom sound which corresponds with the new concept car's calling as an "office on wheels".

FRENDZY's dual personality prompted Renault and IRCAM to develop a broad range of sounds. The programme has led to a variety of sounds that are emitted both inside and outside of the vehicle to ensure that everyone can tell whether it is in business or passenger car mode, thanks simply to its sound signature.

More impressive still, it is possible to distinguish the passenger side (the world of work) from the driver's side (the world of the family) merely by the sound produced by FRENDZY.

The life of the vehicle and its functions as a mobile office are highlighted by a diversity of sounds composed by Andrea Cera using IRCAM's Modalys software.
As he says himself: "Exploring the most informative sounds possible led me to work on variations in speed in order to express them in a clear manner. When accelerating hard, the sound becomes sharper, with a little wind noise. For deceleration phases, I added a more prominent notion of wind which provides greater scope for adapting the sound as a function of how the vehicle is being employed."

Dimensions (mm)

  • Length 4,091
  • Width 1,872 (excluding mirrors)
  • 2,172 (including mirrors)
  • Height 1,743
  • Ground clearance (laden) 200
  • Wheelbase 2,691
  • Front track 1,640
  • Rear track 1,640
  • Carrying capacity (litres) 2,250

Technical data

  • Motor Electric
  • Power (kW /hp) 44 / 60
  • CO2 emissions (g/km) 0
  • Batteries Lithium – ion
  • Peak torque (Nm) 226
  • Top speed (kph) 130
  • Transmission Direct drive, with reverse
  • Tyres Concept 205/45 R19
  • Kerb weight (kg) 1,420

Partners

  • Body construction ProtoStyle
  • Tyres Michelin
  • Mobile interface Research In Motion (RIM)
  • Optics Gaggione
  • Sound IRCAM

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 8, 2011, 11:06 am. | Renault Frendzy Concept Car Packs a BlackBerry PlayBook | One comment |


Blaq Twitter Client For PlayBook Update v1.1 Now Available

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 07:55 AM PDT

If you have a BlackBerry PlayBook you know that the Twitter client options are limited. One of the most popular apps just received a nice update. This new update v1.1 now allows you to manage multiple accounts and search Twitter.

The app costs $1.99 but the update is free for existing users at this LINK

New features and Fixes include:

FIXED: Mentions show as new on refresh

FIXED: "Remove Photo" stays after tweeting a picture

FIXED: Composed tweet runs behind avatar

FIXED: Cannot send a tweet with special characters

FIXED: Fix composed tweet with … turning into shortened URL

FIXED: Real-time streaming fails after upgrading to OS 1.0.6

FIXED: User can only retweet once then only old-style RTs afterwards

FIXED: Keyboard doesn't show up on reply or compose

ADDED: Scroll to top by double tapping respective icon

ADDED: Show lock when account is protected

ADDED: Maximize Web view

ADDED: Delete tweet

ADDED: Pull-down Options Menu (non-functional)

ADDED: Search

ADDED: Trending topics

ADDED: Link hashtags to search

ADDED: Better support for non-english languages when displaying tweets

ADDED: Progress bar for image upload

ADDED: New reply icon

ADDED: In-app notification system

ADDED: Link @ mentions to profile card

ADDED: Lists

ADDED: Multi-account

ADDED: New search icon to toolbar

REMOVED: Compose icon from toolbar

ADDTL: Minor cosmetic changes and performance improvements

About Blaq for PlayBook™

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Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview, July 8, 2011, 10:55 am. | Blaq Twitter Client For PlayBook Update v1.1 Now Available | 5 comments |


RIM Adds 1+ Million New Subscribers in EMEA Region in Less than 3 Weeks

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:41 AM PDT

RIM sales EMEA

Things are looking up for RIM outside of the US. They announced on Twitter this week that they have blow past one million new subscribers in the EMEA (Europe Middle East & Africa) in less than 3 weeks. That is about 50,000 activations a day in that region alone. I have been really surprised to see the growth RIM is seeing even though they have yet to release a significant new device is over a year. This should all get much more interesting when the whole new lineup launches starting with the BlackBerry Bold 9900 when RIM has new wares to hock.

Thanks to everyone that sent this in!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 8, 2011, 8:41 am. | RIM Adds 1+ Million New Subscribers in EMEA Region in Less than 3 Weeks | 5 comments |


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