Kamis, 15 Maret 2012

BerryReview.com Giving Back to the BlackBerry Community

BerryReview.com Giving Back to the BlackBerry Community

RIM Awarded Patent for Placing Fuel Cell Behind Cellphone Keyboards

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 02:04 AM PDT

BlackBerry Fuel Cell Patent

It looks like RIM planned on people refueling their cellphones way before fuel cell technology has even taken off. RIM applied for this patent for placement of fuel cells in smartphones back in 2009 and was just awarded a patent for it. Engadget spotted RIM's new patent make its way onto the USPTO which describes placing a fuel cell between the keyboard and circuit board of the phone. That way the fuel cell would somehow ventilate through the keyboard.

I am not sure how this would all work without melting your fingers or burning a hole in your pocket but its fun to see how far ahead engineers at RIM have been thinking even 3 years ago. Check out the full patent filing here. I copied the abstract below:

A mobile device having: a keyboard; a printed circuit board having at least one contact responsive to the keyboard; and a fuel cell assembly having: a fuel cell located between the keyboard and the printed circuit board, the fuel cell having a membrane and at least one aperture corresponding with the at least one contact; a tank adapted to store a fuel for the fuel cell; and piping connecting the tank with the fuel cell, where the fuel cell ventilates through the keyboard. Alternatively, the fuel cell acts as the printed circuit board and at least one contact for the keyboard is printed onto the fuel cell.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, March 15, 2012, 5:04 am. | RIM Awarded Patent for Placing Fuel Cell Behind Cellphone Keyboards | Leave a comment |


BlackBerry PlayBook Gets a Bittorrent Client in App World

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 01:31 PM PDT

 Torrent PlayBook

I am really starting to wonder if RIM has finally seen the light and decided to relax some of the App World restrictions. The latest example brought to my attention is Torrent by Dmytro Mishchenko. (thanks DH) I am not sure where Dmytro ported this app from but it seems to work for basic torrent files. As the few reviews note the app is not integrated with the browser so you first have to download the .torrent files through the browser and then open them through the app. Other than that I have not had too much time to test it out but it does work! Anyone care to take a stab on if RIM will allow a Bittorrent client to stay in App World?

You can find  Torrent in App World for $0.99. We take no responsibility if RIM pulls the app after you purchase it…

PS: If you don't mind sideloading a Bittorrent client you may also want to check out Playtorrent (Google it)

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 4:31 pm. | BlackBerry PlayBook Gets a Bittorrent Client in App World | 3 comments |


Frogatto Platformer Released for the BlackBerry PlayBook

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 01:17 PM PDT

Frogatto Frogatto2

We told you earlier that it was coming and now Frogatto has finally landed on the PlayBook. Artem let us know that Lost Pixel has released the platformer style "jump and run" game Frogatto for the PlayBook. The gameplay is spot on and the price is the same as the previous iOS release. You control their "quixotic titular frog" on his adventure while he sucks in bugs and spits them out to level his enemies.

Features include:

  • grab enemies with your tongue and spit them to deal damage
  • buy powerups to enhance and unlock new abilities
  • arcade mode, giving instant access to action-only gameplay on randomized levels
  • forgiving savegame/respawn system so you don’t have to be afraid of losing progress
  • playful dialogue writing that tries not to insult your intelligence
  • massive soundtrack with over an hour of original music
  • sprawling, complex world with over 50 levels to explore, and tons of secrets to find

Check out Frogatto for $4.99 in App World or read more at www.frogatto.com.

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 4:17 pm. | Frogatto Platformer Released for the BlackBerry PlayBook | Leave a comment |


BlackBerry Messenger v6.2.0.15 Released in Beta Zone

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 01:03 PM PDT

 BBM Beta Zone

Today is all about the Beta Zone releases. Quite a few readers have let us know that RIM has rolled out BlackBerry Messenger v6.2.0.15 in the Beta Zone with loads of improvements based on USER FEEDBACK! I am loving that RIM is listening. My favorite new feature is the improved search that "ignores special characters and emoticons to make it easier to find what you’re looking for." I have been hating those special characters just because it makes it impossible to find contacts!

What’s New in BlackBerry Messenger 6.2?

Based on your feedback, we’ve added some new features to BBM!

  • Animated display pictures – More animated display pictures are now built into BBM. Change your picture to suit your mood.
  • Change your name or message inline – You can quickly change your name or status message without leaving your contact list by clicking the text at the top of the screen. To exit inline editing, just scroll down. You can still access your profile screen by clicking your display picture.
  • Streamlined voice notes – When your convenience key set to open BlackBerry Messenger, if you highlight a contact in BBM and press the convenience key, you can start recording a voice note. Once you’re done, pressing the convenience key again will send the voice note.
  • BlackBerry Tag enhancements – Adding contacts has never been easier. If your BlackBerry smartphone supports NFC technology, you can turn on the Allow Automatic Invitations by Tapping option. Then, as long as you or someone else has BBM open, you can add each other as contacts by aligning the backs of your smartphones.
    This feature requires that you both have the latest version of BBM installed on smartphones that support NFC technology.
  • Improved search – When typing the name of a contact or group, the search ignores special characters and emoticons to make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
  • Resend a message  – If a message didn’t send (for example, if your smartphone was outside of a wireless coverage area), you can highlight the message and select Resend from the menu.

Check out the BlackBerry Messenger 6.2 program in the Beta Zone now!

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 4:03 pm. | BlackBerry Messenger v6.2.0.15 Released in Beta Zone | Leave a comment |


WebKit Vulnerability Plagues BlackBerry, iOS, & Android

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:58 AM PDT

Crowdstrike logo

Its unusual to find a vulnerability that is this cross platform on mobile devices. The latest attack vector was identified by CrowdStrike's George Kurtz and Dmitri Alperovitch and demoed on an Android (OS 2.2) phone at the RSA security conference earlier this month. This drive by download takes advantage of users who click on a malicious link and using a vulnerability in the WebKit browsing engine they exploit the phone. According  to Dmitri they are reforming the attack to work on Android 2.3 phones and the same attack vector would also work on iOS. They used the attack to install a RAT (Remote Access Tool) to eavesdrop on conversations and monitor the users location.

RIM has confirmed on their website that the exploit does effect all BlackBerry smartphones that use WebKit (OS 6, 7, & 7.1) along with all the versions of the PlayBook OS. The difference is that RIM clarifies that the RCE (Remote Code Execution) on both smartphones and the PlayBook is limited to the access of the browser which is only user level access. That means that attackers with this vulnerability alone cannot access user data beyond what the browser can access which is mostly the media card and not emails or phone calls like iOS and Android. On the PlayBook this is a little bit different if the code is in the messages app where it can then run with the access of the messages app but once again is sandboxed there.

Right now there is not much to worry about with this vulnerability since there are no known exploits in the wild beyond this proof of concept for Android v2.2 only. My guess is we will be seeing a fix from WebKit and then RIM shortly especially for the PlayBook.

What I found most interesting about this hack is that according to the NorthwestStar, CrowdStrike purchased the 20+ WebKit vulnerabilities (aka Bugs) that led to this exploit for $1,400. They then spent approximately $14,000 weaponizing it into an actual exploit and working on getting root access from it and then setting up their own command and control for the RAT tool. Just think of that as one malicious link, $15,000, and some know how being all it takes to break into a any of the most popular smartphones.

Check out the full details that RIM has released about the exploit here. I copied the most common questions below:

BlackBerry smartphones only

Can an attacker exploit these vulnerabilities when I am using email on my BlackBerry smartphone?

No. The act of sending, receiving, or reading email does not allow an attacker to exploit these vulnerabilities on your BlackBerry smartphone.

What is a user mode process and how does it relate to WebKit?

WebKit does not run in the context of the BlackBerry® Java® Virtual Machine (JVM). WebKit runs only in a user mode process, meaning that it has limited access to data stores on the smartphone. A user mode process can access any data in built-in media storage. Code running in the context of a user mode process has much less control of the device than code running within the operating system kernel.

How does the BlackBerry smartphone use its separate file systems?

The BlackBerry smartphone storage space consists of various sections that store BlackBerry device user data and sensitive information: application storage, built-in media storage, NV (non-volatile) store, and media card. Note that your BlackBerry smartphone may not have a media card inserted.
Separate processes have specific levels of access to the sections of BlackBerry smartphone storage space. For example, only the operating system can access the NV store. Email and phone functionality is provided by Java applications running on the device, so data such as contacts and email are in the application storage, not built-in media storage.
For more information about the separate file systems, see "Device storage space" in the Deleting Data From Devices Security Note for BlackBerry Device Software.

Is turning on content protection an effective mitigation for these vulnerabilities?
While enabling content protection is a recommended best practice for BlackBerry smartphone security and does provide some level of data protection, RIM advises that it is not a comprehensive mitigation for these vulnerabilities.

BlackBerry smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

How could an attacker use a message to a user to launch an attack that exploits this issue?

The most common scenario on a BlackBerry smartphone involves the user receiving a hyperlink to a malicious website either through SMS, email, or BBM. Clicking the link and visiting the malicious site allows exploitation of the WebKit issue. It is also possible for the vulnerability to be triggered when viewing a maliciously crafted email in the preview pane of the Messaging app on the BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0.

What can the attacker gain access to if a user clicks the malicious link?

The attacker would have the same permissions as the application used to browse the website. Applications, as well as the native WebKit based web browsers on BlackBerry devices, run in a sandbox with reduced permissions. Using this vulnerability by itself will not gain the attacker root level permissions on the device.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 2:58 pm. | WebKit Vulnerability Plagues BlackBerry, iOS, & Android | One comment |


BlackBerry World Conference Reduced Pricing Ends this Friday

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 10:45 AM PDT

 Register Early

If you are planning on attending BlackBerry App World in Orlando and haven't registered then you better start cracking. The reduced pricing for BlackBerry World ends on Friday March 23rd which saves you $300 off the full price. ($1,399 vs $1,699) RIM has recently posted up a partial content catalogue with additional sessions being published regularly.

Sessions at BlackBerry World will cover the following:

  • BlackBerry 10 Platform
  • BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet
  • BlackBerry Mobile Fusion
  • BlackBerry Roadmap
  • BlackBerry Enterprise Server
  • BlackBerry Mobile Voice System
  • …with more to come

Check out the details and registration material at www.blackberryworld.com

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 1:45 pm. | BlackBerry World Conference Reduced Pricing Ends this Friday | One comment |


Twitter for BlackBerry v3.0.0.16 Released in Beta Zone

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 10:18 AM PDT

Twitter BlackBerry

RIM has pushed out another update to their popular social app Twitter for BlackBerry in the Beta Zone. This update seems focused on fixing bugs introduced in the latest update to v3.0. Personally I am loving the direction RIM is taking with the app. Now they just need to bring something like it to the PlayBook ASAP.

Here is the change log RIM posted in the Beta Zone:

  • Loading spinner persists after sending a Tweet
  • BBM is prompting user to update their status twice after uploading a photo
  • Unable to open links from Social Feeds
  • Phantom DM notification
  • Prompted with "Uncaught exception: Application net_rim_bb_twitter (309) is not responding; process terminated" after app hang
  • Promoted Tweet – Dismiss is still available in the menu and GCM when viewing the profile of the promoted Tweet user
  • BlackBerry Bridge "Open Link On PlayBook" does not work for Twitter (but does for all other BB apps)
  • Memory leak after changing options
  • Uncaught exception when opening the Messages
  • Need error message to indicate when an account is suspended
  • Unable to see top trending lists beyond the basic 'worldwide' list
  • The Favorite counter is not accurate after click follow and then unfollow many times quickly
  • Map it doesn't work for any location on the 9930
  • Twitter not showing up in the Send menu after upgrading device OS
  • "Are you sure you want to dismiss this tweet?" > T in Tweet is not capitalized
  • Create New List  – description  text it is cut at the bottom of the edit field

You can pick up the updated Twitter for BlackBerry in the BlackBerry Beta Zone.

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 1:18 pm. | Twitter for BlackBerry v3.0.0.16 Released in Beta Zone | Leave a comment |


4G LTE & 3G+ HSPA+ BlackBerry PlayBooks Gets FCC Approval (1.5Ghz + NFC)

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 10:00 AM PDT

PlayBook 4G FCC

If you had any question on when the 4G LTE and 3G+ HSPA+ packing PlayBooks would be launching this should be a clear sign. Engadget spotted both of the devices clearing FCC approval with 1.5Ghz processors and NFC added to the mix. The 4G LTE radios seem to support the frequencies for AT&T and carriers in Canada but no word on Verizon. We have not found much else in the filings but if you do let us know!

Check out the FCC filings for the PlayBook here and here

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 1:00 pm. | 4G LTE & 3G+ HSPA+ BlackBerry PlayBooks Gets FCC Approval (1.5Ghz + NFC) | 11 comments |


Free YouVersion Bible App Ported to the PlayBook (Android)

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 08:20 AM PDT

YouVersion Bible

A few readers let us know earlier in the week that it seemed like YouVersion had put their free Bible app back in App World for the PlayBook. It was in App World awhile back but then yanked for some reason. Now Tom let us know that YouVersion's Bible app is now officially back on the PlayBook according to the YouVersion blog. It is a ported version of the YouVersion Android app and is "Now optimized to make the most use of this exciting device."

Features include:

  • Bible Search. Filter your Bible searches, showing only Old Testament, New Testament, Apocrypha, or a single book. Even sort your results.
  • Reading Plan Reminders. Schedule your Reading Plans to pop up at your convenience.
  • Note Highlights. Tag and organize your individual Notes with customizable colors.
  • Notification Preferences. Tell the Bible App
    which account actions you want to trigger emails to yourself.
  • User Profile View. View and adjust all your account settings in one place—even browse your Friends' and followers' profiles.
  • In-App Help. Access Technical Support from directly inside the Bible App.
  • Password Reminder. If you forget your YouVersion password, email reset instructions to yourself.
  • Sign up with Facebook. Save time by instantly signing up for your free YouVersion account using your Facebook login.

Check out YouVersion's Bible App free in App World

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 11:20 am. | Free YouVersion Bible App Ported to the PlayBook (Android) | One comment |


Are these Headlines about Mid-Nineties Apple or Present-Day RIM? (Quiz)

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 07:47 AM PDT

Produce - apples and oranges woman

A couple of our readers sent in a very interesting article by CantechLetter that draws on how off mark the press can be and how times change. The CantechLetter collected 10 article headlines and asked readers to guess which ones were about RIM recently and which were about Apple in the mid-nineties when Apple was in a similar transition period. They point out that things were even worse for Apple resulting in them taking a $150 million from Microsoft for much needed cash and dropping a long standing lawsuit.

I thought it would be fun to share those same headlines with all of you and seeing if you can tell which ones are about Apple in the nineties or RIM recently:

  1. "Company X should close shop" CNET
  2. "Company X's CEO said to be out the door" San Francisco Chronicle
  3. "Why Microsoft Should Buy Company X" Windsor Star
  4. "Company X struggling as market share in U.S. keeps slipping" National Post
  5. "Company X: "Morgan Stanley Chops EPS Forecasts" Forbes
  6. "The Fall of an American Icon" BusinessWeek
  7. "Company X results will continue to disappoint" Reuters
  8. "Company X Holds School Market, Despite Decline" NY Times
  9. "Are Company X sales weaker than thought?" The Globe and Mail
  10. "Company X Expects it will Lose $700 Million" NY Times

Check out the answers over at CantechLetter and discuss it in the forums (Thx Techbc)!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 10:47 am. | Are these Headlines about Mid-Nineties Apple or Present-Day RIM? (Quiz) | Leave a comment |


Maxthon Mobile Web Browser Ported to the PlayBook (Android)

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 06:23 AM PDT

Maxthon Mobile Browser

Jerry let us know (via PBDaily) that another popular Android browser has been ported to the BlackBerry PlayBook. This time we have Maxthon Mobile Web Browser which is a solid third party Android browser but still has lots of bugs on the PlayBook. I am really hoping the developers don't just do a drop and run on the PlayBook port since the browser shows lots of potential. I had better luck getting it to run in portrait mode but it still locks up too often to be used for anything other than casual use.

Maxthon Mobile Browser2

Check out Maxthon Mobile Browser free in App World and let us know what you think!

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 9:23 am. | Maxthon Mobile Web Browser Ported to the PlayBook (Android) | 2 comments |


Free WiFi Manager Turns Wi-Fi On & Off Based on Your Location (CellID)

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 05:50 AM PDT

WiFi Manager WiFi Manager2

There have been a few Wi-Fi managers for BlackBerry that turned on and off your Wi-Fi connection based on your location but I think Wi-Fi Manager by PingDev is the first free one. Joseph let us know about this app and I have to say it works like a charm. You install it and then set up your location ID's when you are in the location you want Wi-Fi to be on for and it just works in the background.

NOTE: When you install the app you will NOT see it as an icon on your homescreen. It integrates tightly with the Options/Settings on your BlackBerry. You need to go to the Options and the select Third Party Options (on BB7 Devices) and there you will see the settings screen.

You can pick up Wi-Fi Manager free in App World and let us know how it works for you!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, March 14, 2012, 8:50 am. | Free WiFi Manager Turns Wi-Fi On & Off Based on Your Location (CellID) | 11 comments |


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