Category Archives: BlackBerry

9105 more popular than 9100

The BlackBerry Pearl 91xx series has had disappointing sales so far, with most BlackBerry buyers opting instead for a full qwerty experience. Still those who are buying the Pearl are actually opting for the even fewer keyed 9105 over the SureType 9100. The following chart shows the percent of Pearl 3G owners using each model over half month intervals, from the second half of August to the first half of October.

Surprisingly the 9105 has consistently held around two-thirds of the Pearl 3G market. There are a few things that this may imply. First that anyone looking for a more complicated keyboard is willing to take the step to a full qwerty device. Second of all it looks as if the target market is people who already are well accustomed to 9 key typing, and want to keep an experience that they already know from their non-smart phones when they upgrade to a BlackBerry. Another possible conclusion is that SureType is dead. BlackBerry has been the only model to offer something between 9key and full qwerty keyboards, and it isn’t selling it all that well. Of course all of this data is from before the recent launch of the Pearl 3G on AT&T in the United States, so next month it is possible that these statistics change completely.

As usual, all of these statistics come from downloads of the free game Pixelated, the most popular strategy game in BlackBerry AppWorld.

BlackBerry, Statistics

Hockey Scores updated to version 2.2

The Hockey Scores application for BlackBerry phones has been updated to version 2.2 with improvements to the font options, and more efficient connecting over wi-fi.

Supported Devices

The Hockey Scores application supports all BlackBerry devices with OS 4.6 or higher. This includes the 8220, 8230, 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9100, 9105, 9300, 9330, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, 9700, and 9800. The 9670 and 9780 will also be supported by this version when they launch in the coming weeks.

Links & Information

BlackBerry, Hockey Scores

BlackBerry Curve support added in update for Liar’s Dice

Liar’s Dice is a recently released game for BlackBerry that is based off of the classic dice game of strategy and deception. The game involves seeing only your own dice you must bet on the combined dice in play without getting caught in a lie. It is also known by the names Perudo, Dudo, and Cachito. Version 1.1 of the application adds support for more devices as well as a few additional features.

New in Version 1.1

BlackBerry Curve 85xx and 93xx devices as well as the Bold 9000 are now supported (although still requiring a minimum operating system of version 5.0). In addition, the application has been optimized to run smoother, make the dice roll animation optional, add icons to the menu options, as well as a few bug fixes.

Video Demo

How to Play

The object of the game is to catch your opponent (the computer) betting too high. Bets are placed on both your own dice which you can see, and your opponent’s dice which are hidden from you. You begin each round by making a bet. The computer then has an opportunity to either call your bet a lie, or to bet higher then you. Then it is once again your turn to call your opponent’s bet or to bet even higher. This continues until eventually a bet is called. Then if the bet is too high the caller wins, or if the bet is not a lie, the bettor wins the round.

The game has two main game modes. The “High Score” mode is the default mode, points are awarded for each round, and the first to gain a given number of points wins. The amount of points that the game plays to can be selected from the options page, allowing for shorter or longer games.

The second game mode is an “Elimination” mode in which the loser of each round loses one dice for the following rounds, and the last player with any dice left is the winner. This game is more dynamic as there are a different number of dice in play each round. Additionally these games in this mode typically play faster than high score games.

Device Support

Version 1.1 of Liars Dice requires at least OS 5.0 and supports the 8520, 8530, 8900, 8910, 9000, 9300, 9330, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, 9700, and 9800. It is anticipated that the 9780 will be compatible as well when it releases early next month.

More Information

BlackBerry, Liar's Dice, Video

Free advice for Widality

A recent Wall Street Journal Article talked about some of the limitations of BlackBerry development. However instead of looking at real issues, such as the fact that only CDMA devices support OpenGL, the article instead focused on a company called Widality who quite simply is just doing things wrong. Widality obviously is clueless and needs some help, so simply here is how to fix (some) of their self inflicted problems.

First of all Sell the application through BlackBerry AppWorld. In the article you claim to sell “exclusively through BlackBerry’s App World store” but a quick search of AppWorld doesn’t show a single product for sale. If customers got the free version from AppWorld, they are going to look to AppWorld to but it.

This is related to the last point but, make it easy to buy. Getting people to upgrade from the free version of an application, to a paid version is tough. Only a small percent of Pixelated users upgrade to Pixelated Plus, but it is much better if users can figure out how to upgrade. Even under the “Try & Buy” tab on your website there is no clear way to actually buy the application.

Third you should not require users to delete the free version in order to upgrade to the paid version. You are just making things difficult on your customers. Instead let the apps play nice with each other by simply giving them different names. It really is that easy. Also related to smoothing out the upgrade process don’t make users reload their data. There is about 10 different ways to migrate the data automatically, please use one of them.

There is no excuse for your application to be so ugly. This is honestly one of the worst looking applications that I have ever seen. RIM includes native API’s for things like text and buttons, and if you used them your app might actually look decent and get some more sales.

Finally, you need to set a fair price. The article states that you moved form charging $3 to charging $96 per year. You do not need to charge the minimum, but your price does have to be reasonable.

Hopefully this can help Widality out, so that in the future they can just make decent applications instead of looking for somebody else to blame.

BlackBerry

Simple Sample Code for the ActivityIndicatorView

As part of BlackBerry operating system 6.0 RIM has added the net.rim.device.api.ui.component.progressindicator module to help with things such as displaying progress and activity indicators. Progress indicators are used to show how far along a task is when the length of the task is known (ie. 5 of 7 done; or 35% complete), while activity indicators are used when the length of time is unknown (typically displayed as a pulse or a spinning object). An activity indicator as shown below is used in version 2.0 of the Hockey Scores application while the app is waiting for the scores to initially download.

The main complication in implementing this feature was that the sample code for the feature consists of 4 java files and over 800 lines of code. Fortunately actually using this feature can be much simpler, and in fact can be simplified down to only 8 lines of code.

Screen s = new Screen();
ActivityIndicatorView view = new ActivityIndicatorView(Field.FIELD_HCENTER);
Bitmap spinImage = Bitmap.getBitmapResource("spinner.png");
view.createActivityImageField(spinImage,6,0);
LabelField label = new LabelField("Loading Hockey...");
s.add(label);
s.add(view);
pushScreen(s);

Granted this doesn’t make use of all the features that the ActivityIndicatorView can make use of. However, as soon as the data is loaded there is no need to keep the ActivityIndicatorView around anyways as the screen replaces it with real data that we were waiting for anyhow.

BlackBerry, code, Hockey Scores

Jack-O-Lantern application updated

The Halloween themed Jack-O-Lantern application has received an update. Version 1.1 adds more options face options to the application, and includes a few bug fixes.

About the BlackBerry Jack-O-Lantern application

This application is designed to turn your BlackBerry into a virtual Jack-O-Lantern in order to help you celebrate the Halloween season on your phone. You can change the Jack-O-Lantern’s face by sliding in different designs for the eyes, nose and mouth from the left or the right. You can also change the back colour of the design by clicking on the screen.

Supported Devices

The Jack-O-Lantern application supports all touchscreen BlackBerrys including BlackBerry Storm model numbers 9500, 9520, 9530, and 9550 as well as the BlackBerry Torch 9800.

More Information

BlackBerry, Jack-O-Lantern

Hockey Scores application updated for new season

The Hockey Scores application for BlackBerry phones has been updated to version 2.1 for the new 2010-2011 Hockey season. As it did last year the application provides the day’s hockey scores is an intuitive and easy to use format. It also includes additional game statistics such as start times, goal scorers, shots on net, hits, faceoff percentage, and team Corsi numbers.

Supported Devices

The Hockey Scores application supports all BlackBerry devices with OS 4.6 or higher. This includes the 8220, 8230, 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9100, 9105, 9300, 9330, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, 9700, and 9800.

More Information

BlackBerry, Hockey Scores

New Jack-O-Lantern application

In time to celebrate the Halloween season we are launching a free Jack-O-Lantern application. This application is designed to turn your BlackBerry into a virtual Jack-O-Lantern in order to help you celebrate the Halloween season on your phone.

You can change the Jack-O-Lantern’s face by sliding in different designs for the eyes, nose and mouth from the left or the right. You can also change the back colour of the design by clicking on the screen.

Supported Devices

The Jack-O-Lantern application supports all touchscreen BlackBerrys including the 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, and 9800.

More Information

BlackBerry, Jack-O-Lantern

Liar’s Dice game for BlackBerry released

Liar’s Dice is a new BlackBerry game, that is available today. This application is based off of the classic dice game of strategy and deception in which seeing only your own dice you must bet on the combined dice in play without getting caught in a lie. The game is popular in many different cultures and is also known by the names Perudo, Dudo, or Cachito.

How to Play

The object of the game is to catch your opponent (the computer) betting too high. Bets are placed on both your own dice which you can see, and your opponent’s dice which are hidden from you. You begin each round by making a bet. The computer then has an opportunity to either call your bet a lie, or to bet higher then you. Then it is once again your turn to call your opponent’s bet or to bet even higher. This continues until eventually a bet is called. Then if the bet is too high the caller wins, or if the bet is not a lie, the bettor wins the round.

Game modes

The game has two main game modes. The “High Score” mode is the default mode, points are awarded for each round, and the first to gain a given number of points wins. The amount of points that the game plays to can be selected from the options page, allowing for shorter or longer games.

The second game mode is an “Elimination” mode in which the loser of each round loses one dice for the following rounds, and the last player with any dice left is the winner. This game is more dynamic as there are a different number of dice in play each round. Additionally these games in this mode typically play faster than high score games.

Additional Features

In addition to the main game, the Liar’s Dice application contains features to keep track of statistics and to integrate well into the BlackBerry. Included in version 1.0 are:

  • High Scores list
  • Win Percentage Statistics
  • Achievements
  • The option to reset High Scores, Win Percentages, and Achievements
  • Backup/Restore functionality through BlackBerry Desktop Manager

Limited Time Sale

In celebration of its release Liar’s Dice will be available in BlackBerry AppWorld for $2 dollars off of the normal price through October 15th.

Device Support

Version 1.0 of Liars Dice requires at least OS 5.0 and supports the 8900, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, 9700, and 9800. Version 1.1 of the application will add support for more devices in the near future.

More Information

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3 reasons the BlackBerry PlayBook will not have battery issues

1 Comment

After the announcement of the BlackBerry PlayBook earlier this week, one of the most common criticisms is that it is not expected to have a good battery life. Never mind that the battery life was not announced, or probably even finalized yet, there are three good reasons not to be worried.

1. It is a low heat device

One of the reasons why people are worried about the battery life is because of the PlayBook’s impressive processing power. The specs indicate the kind of processing that usually requires a 4-inch heat sink and a few fans to cool off. Instead however they have placed all of this technology inside a 9.7mm shell. This implies that they have solved the heat problem, and if the heat problem is solved it is low power, and if it is low power it will minimize strain on the battery.

2. No GPS, No 3G

On current BlackBerrys the largest drains in battery life are (in order) GPS, 3G radio use, and Wi-Fi. The PlayBook will not have GPS, and it will not have 3G radios. The device will have Wi-Fi but this does not use as much energy as other possible ways of downloading information to the device.

3. BlackBerry has a reputation for good battery life

Finally BlackBerry already has an outstanding reputation for good battery life in their products, with devices made by RIM usually being rated better then those produced by Apple, HTC, or Motorola. This expertise will not disappear. RIM is known for their efficiency, and so far all indications show that the QNX operating system improves on that efficiency even more.

Until the actual device and the development platform are released there will continue to be alot of questions about the BlackBerry PlayBook. However, at this point there is little reason to think that battery life is one to be too worried about.

BlackBerry, PlayBook

Thoughts on BlackBerry DevCon 2010 Keynote

Yesterday kicked of BlackBerry DevCon and the opening keynote included a number of big announcements.

  • BlackBerry PlayBook – RIM announced the BlackBerry PlayBook based off of the QNX OS. Personally I am still not a fan of the form factor, however, the hardware stats are pretty impressive. We really know almost nothing about the software and won’t for another few months so there isn’t really anything to say yet.
  • Native Advertising Service – This is something that RIM needed to do, and at first look implementing this code appears to be really easy. However, RIM has yet to get back to us after applying for the service so it is hard to say right now how it will go.
  • In-app payments – another feature that will be very useful. Applications like Hockey Scores and Twinkle may be using this in the future as a way to pay a dollar to remove the advertising. However this will require AppWorld 2.1 which probably will not be out all that soon.
  • BBM API – This will be very useful, but isn’t going to be rolled out until next spring and will probably require an update to BBM.

Overall the announcements look to be promising but all carry the warning that these are things to be excited about in the future, rather than features that will be in applications very soon.

BlackBerry, PlayBook

10,000 Farkle upgraded to Version 1.2

10,000 Farkle has been updated to version 1.1 adding some new features. 10,000 Farkle is a dice game that requires both skill and luck. Points are awarded for various dice combinations, but if a roll fails to contain any combinations the turn ends with no points awarded.

Version 1.2 of 10,000 Farkle makes the animations run faster, adds support for the BlackBerry Torch, adds the ability to reset statistics, and reduces the file size by over 17%.

Faster Animation

Version 1.2 of 10,000 Farkle smooths out the animation of the dice allowing the game to run faster and smoother.

BlackBerry Torch Support

Also new to version 1.2 is support for operating system 6.0 and the new BlackBerry Torch.
The new operating system makes it possible to include additional features, such as a signal strength indicator.

Reset Statistics

It is now possible to reset all statistics, win percentages, high scores and achievements. These can either be reset all at once or in groups. This may be done through a menu option in the high scores screen.

Smaller Application Size

Version 1.2 of Farkle is 17.44% smaller which allows for more efficiency and frees up more room for other applications on your BlackBerry.

How to play

Farkle gives you six dice to roll and awards points for a straight, three pairs or three or more of the same number. Fewer points ares also awarded for each individual 1 and 5. Any dice that do not score can be re-rolled for additional points. If all 6 dice can be scored, all of the dice can be re-rolled on the same turn.

The skill in this game comes from knowing how far to push your luck, and which scoring combinations to take, and which to re-roll.

The default game mode gives you 10 turns to score as many points as you can. The 10,000 point mode is the traditional way to play, where the goal is to reach 10,000 points in as few turns as possible. The two competitive game modes “vs Friend” and “vs Computer” both use the traditional race to 10,000 points.

Supported Devices

10,000 Farkle requires a minimum OS of 4.6 and supports the 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9300, 9330, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, 9700, and 9800.

More Information

Video Demonstration

BlackBerry, Farkle

Where is BB OS 6?

Research in Motion launched their newest BlackBerry operating system (version 6.0) with the release of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 on August 12th. At the time they promised that the OS update was coming soon to some other devices such as the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and 9650. However, now well over a full month past the release of the Torch there has still been no release of OS6 for any other devices. The new webkit browser was showed off on the 9700 over 7 months ago, there is really no reason not to have these releases ready to go.

Instead we have plenty of BlackBerrys that are “OS6 ready”, but only actually have OS6 on a single device, that is currently only available in a single country, from a single carrier. The Torch is selling well enough, but is still a small segment of the market for the reason mentioned above. As a result there are very few devices that currently support OS6.

The end result is that as a developer all of the new features and APIs that OS6 offers will go unused. There are alot of cool options in the new operating system, but if the vast majority of users are unable to use them, then it is impossible to justify spending time learning and developing for OS6. Features that a super majority of users can not use is not a good reason to delay the launch of an new release.

It is not that I don’t want to offer these new options, it is that I need the market share in order to do so. All RIM needs to push out an update to the 9700, 9650, and 93xx devices and that would be a significant amount of users. Until then the advantages of OS6 will not be seen, even by those that already have the Torch.

BlackBerry

The limitations of the SpinBoxField

BlackBerry operating system 5.0 added the new SpinBoxField ui component. This is a slick looking and useful graphical element that also forms the basis of the DateTimePicker. An example of the DateTimePicker as used in the Twinkle application is pictured.

However the SpinBoxField has some major limitations. Unlike the ObjectChoiceField the SpinBoxField does not display over the other elements and therefore requires large buffers above and below it in order to give its intended look. As a result it can only really be used on a very sparsely populated form, or within its own popup screen, which the documentation actually suggests. This severely limits the usefulness of the object and prevents designs from using what would otherwise be a fun and good looking element.

BlackBerry, code