The Beanster Blog

https://twitter.com/BBM/status/381577435122126848 Nothing is going right for Blackberry (BBRY)... They even fumbled their very late entry into the cross-platform messaging application wars. They are blaming it at the over 1 million downloads on an leaked android version of the BBM app. I think they were not prepared. I was able to download the app before the roll-out got "paused" and have been poking around with it. The first few (about 5x) I launched it I could not create a Blackberry ID. So I decided to create one on the computer via this site:  http://us.blackberry.com/bbid.html After a few more restarts of the app I was finally able to login and use it. BBM for iPhone relies on Blackberry's PIN system and DOES NOT auto-populate from your contacts lists like popular competitors: Whatsapp, Viber, WeChat, LINE, etc. This can be a plus if you want to insulate your mobile number from certain contacts. It is unclear when Blackberry will resume the ...

I've been noticing that Globe has been pushing BlackBerry heavily on twitter and on their site. But you would be an idiot to take up that offer now.   If you are transitioning from a feature phone please consider getting an Android device (HTC, Samsung ones look really nice) and of course an iPhone should be on your shortlist. It is my opinion that RIM is not a practical smartphone choice at this time.  So why is Globe pushing BB heavily? I suspect is it's to dispose of aging stocks of OS5/OS6 devices. clear the slate for OS7 BlackBerry will lock you in to their proprietary server based service. I have been telling everyone this is an additional point of failure. The strength of the RIM platform is tied to the carrier. They use less data than any other smartphone. Carriers love them because of this and carriers can also charge extra for BIS/BES service. Again as a consumer you do not need to pay this! If you have data on your iPhone or even on your 2009 Treo Pro you ...

I’ve finished my research on Blackberry and even though I cannot get one because I am locked to contracts on both Globe & Sun, and adding Blackberry service is either too expensive or outright not offered for my plan. I have decided to share what I’ve learned SMART also offers Blackberry service but they have been excluded from this comparison because they are EVIL and you shouldn’t sign a contract with them anyway This is for SIM only postpaid subscription. I compared plans that offered the same features. This is the lowest plans you can go on while getting unlimited blackberry + data service. Clearly Sun offers it cheaper but price is not the only consideration, keep in mind that Sun is #3 network, so I did some speedtests this morning. 3G Data Speed / Marikina City / AM Sun 300Kb Globe = 1.76Mb PLDT DSL (Business plan) = 1.51Mb As always YMMV. Speed will depend on location, network traffic, signal strength, device etc etc. Verdict: Globe for co...

My palm Treo pro is dying, while it hasn’t completely conked out it has been with me for more than 1 year (the longest ever for any device). I would like to retire it while it is still working. So I did some initial canvassing and the prices seems fair for an unlocked device. For a Blackberry Bold 9700 around PhP 28,000.00 and for a Blackberry Curve 8520 around PhP 12,000.00 So why would I try the oldest and honestly the crappiest looking, hardest to navigate mobile OS in the market? Well the short answer is CENSORSHIP, or circumventing censorship to be more precise. I learned recently that everything you do with your BB has to go thru RIMs servers in Canadia! Meaning if I were in China and using a China Mobile SIM or hotel wifi. I will still be able to punch thru the Great Firewall of China. Well that is the plan or working theory for the moment. Does anyone have actual experience using a Blackberry device in China? Can you really access the whole interwebs (with your own SIM...