This article was first written in March 2010. Some stats may have changed since it was published.

Blackberry was there from the beginning of the smartphone revolution. The first Blackberry device was just a two-way pager, way back in 1999. However, in 2002 the first Blackberry smartphone was released and it was the first of its kind created for wireless email. Now RIM, the makers the device, control 21% of the market, second after Nokia and ahead of Apple and the i-phone series by 6%.

But what exactly is a ‘smartphone’? A smartphone offers advanced, computer-like capabilities such as emailing and web browsing but it is also synonymous with camera and mp3 functionality. They run on their own operating system which varies from phone to phone. In reality, smartphones are actually mobile computers with telephoning ability.

Most Blackberry users are businessmen and women. Blackberrys are less fussy than some of their peers and have a straightforward operating system that is designed for business. However, in the past few years, Blackberry phones have been ‘pimped’. They are now super stylish, come complete with decent cameras, mp3 players, loads of memory and still maintain the easy to use mantra that made them successful in the first place. So here’s the low down on top three Blackberry smartphone handsets.

The Blackberry Bold 9700 is the latest addition to the Blackberry family. This may be a phone for business but by no means is it a boring as a black suit. The colours are more vivid thanks to new processes fusing the LCD screen to the outer glass layer covering it. The handset also has a complete Qwerty keyboard, i.e. the one you get on a normal computer, and despite its small size it is completely usable. You can hold the phone to your ear without looking like your using a brick. It’s narrow but still has an effective keyboard.

It also makes full use of 3G technology. Up until recently, Blackberry opted to stay put with 2G because it felt this was fast and efficient enough, but now it has fully embraced the latest technology and it hasn’t had to sacrifice small size and efficiency to do so.

Up next is the Storm 2. It has a touch screen so should appeal to iPhone affectionados. It has wi-fi and 3G internet, better than its predecessor and like the Bold, it hasn’t compromised on space. It also has a few things the Bold doesn’t, such as mass storage and back up and restoration of PC files.

The Curve is designed for a broader consumer market, not specific to business users, but this does mean that it lacks 3G and HSDPA, restricted to 2G browsing. But for most uses this is perfectly adequate. It is quite a bit cheaper than the Storm and Bold too.

Image: official logo, owned by RIM.

Mobile operator Orange are to start offering the ‘Samsung Wave 578′ to British customers. Why is this significant? It is one of the smartphones which has NFC technology – near field communication. NFC has started to gather pace in recent times, due to the contactless payments that can be done, meaning less reliance (and potentially long-term no need) for cards. In fact the product is being launched in association with Barclaycard What’s more this is a budget phone so you won’t need an iPhone style contract.

Samsung Wave 578 spec details:

• 3.2-inch touchscreen
• Bada operating system (Samsung’s own OS)
• Quick Tap contactless payment technology
• 3G
• Bluetooth
• Built-in GPS
• Video calls
• Java capable
• 3.15 megapixel camera
• FM radio or MP3 player
• Battery life 7hrs talk time, 20 days standby

It is a fairly basic handset, and will have to compete against a lot of other smartphones at the lower end of the market. We will have to see if the near field communication aspect can win it many sales.

Here is a video of the smartphone in action.

The handset will be free for pay-monthly customers. As this time we are not aware of an exact date, as the Orange website simply says ‘coming soon’. Expect it to be only a few weeks now. As for price it should be cheap, but we have no solid figures. If the phone was on Android it would be much better as you would have access to thousands more apps, unfortunately the Samsung app store is only stocked with the company’s favourite apps. But if you aren’t too fussed about that, and more focused on the NFC tech then it’s not an issue.

If you really want one but don’t want a contract, their is a company called Sotel UK selling them already on Amazon.

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Over the past couple of days, Netflix and its subscribers have been transitioning to the new pricing plan it set in place. Now customers will have to pay for the streaming service and the DVD by mail service separately instead of having them combined together. Customers are in an uproar and the company expects over one million of them (approx 30%) to leave and cut their subscriptions to the service by the end of the month.

Netflix may be going through a time of worry and upheaval, but because they are in a unique position in the marketplace, they are providing an excellent way to learn that the best online schools can’t even offer. Can Netflix survive a maelstrom of negative publicity while waiting for technological updates like Windows 8, the iPad 2, and other mobile devices.

A Lack of Competition

Netflix is an excellent service with almost no competition. There do not seem to be any solid alternatives to Netflix’s stellar selection of movies and television shows. Blockbuster wants to unveil its own streaming service, but must wait on Dish Network to set up a pricing package. Hulu is a free alternative, but only offers current episodes of television shows and has a lackluster selection of movies to offer.

Because they are in such a strong position, a small dent in the number of subscribers can be withstood while they figure out how to create strategic gameplan for the future.

Netflix is in the position of being the best service in town, and expects to break even from its price hike because of retaining enough people to its service. They are not expecting to lose any money over the deal, just the number of subscribers and the company’s growth rate.

By introducing new services like the Netflix for kids and increasing the quantity and quality of their streaming catalog, Netflix might be able to bring some customers back or gain new ones who are interested in the product.

Relying on the Near Future for Ease of Streaming

In an article in Forbes, Cablevision COO Tom Rutledge says that he would love to be able to offer Netflix as part of the cable package subscribers pay for. Instead of having to access the streaming Netflix library through a PS3, Xbox, or Smartphone app; people could have it stream right onto their televisions through their cable provider. As the author of the article stated, it makes perfect sense because the data is already coming in through the wire your cable company provides.

The streaming service is what Netflix is banking on in terms of profitability and user subscriptions. Their DVD service is the most expensive operation it has going right now. With the turmoil of the United States Postal Service and the rising price of gas, it is the safest bet to rely on the Internet for the greatest profitability.

With the emerging dominance of tablets, smartphones, and laptops, having to wait for a DVD to come to your house might seem like it takes too long. The instantaneous nature of the streaming service gives people the best access to what they want. Windows is releasing a new operating system with a metro-style interface which will cater to tablet technology and the iPad 2 will be an even more popular device now that consumers are starting to treat tablets as computing devices and not just frivolous distractions.

According to an article in The Week, about 10 million people subscribe to the streaming service, 2.2 million subscribe to the DVD only service, and 12 million people subscribe to the dual option.

Time will only tell if Netflix is going to meet its downfall with the recent price increase. Streaming video services and other similar startups can use the story of Netflix as a case study. Business majors and students all across the country have gained some excellent material for course papers.

This is the new Samsung Galaxy Tab, and very good looking it is, albeit very very similar to the iPad 2. It is available in stores across Britain this month – just in time for Christmas!

I has a 10.1" 1280 x 800 (WXGA) TFT display, 1GB (RAM) and the latest Android Honeycomb operating system. It weighs just 565g. If you wish to capture video the rear camera captures footage at 720p. It takes photographs at 3.2MP, and includes an LED flash to help out in low light.

Samsung have created a number of videos to demonstrate their new gadget. Here is the always smiling Cat Deeley talking about it, and describing what she likes most about it. The video is a smidgen cheesy, but you get a good sense of how the tablet is to hold by the way she handles it. Watch it now:

It is clear to see why many early reviewers are predicting this will be the best rival to the Apple iPad

You can see more videos by the company on their YouTube channel, the URL to visit is youtube.com/samsunguk.

You can also find more information about their products in their Facebook group, you can ‘Like’ it now at facebook.com/samsunguk.

If you have any thoughts or opinions on the Samsung  Galaxy Tab you can share them below in the comments section.

All images and video are copyright of respective owners.

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Toshiba have beaten their closest rivals and used the IFA Consumer Electronics Show in Berlin to unveil the world’s first 3DTV for consumers that doesn’t need glasses. It carrys the name of 55ZL2. The company say it will go on sale in December 2011 in Germany. Read further down the page for more details.

With Direct TV planning to offer even more channels in 3D in the near future, a glasses-free TV could be a fantastic investment for those interested in sporting events or hosting Super Bowl parties.

Toshiba 55ZL2 image.

The TV has a diagonal screen size of 55inches, and is capable of 4x the quality of the existing Toshiba full high-definition TVs. This is what they call a ‘Quad Full HD screen’, this is described in the press release as “a 3D TV experience that can be enjoyed by a large group of viewers and displays 2D contents in four times (Quad) Full HD resolution”. The company claims it will have 9 perspectives, using face tracking to know where individuals are sitting.

Want to know more details? Well it is powered by the multi-processor platform CEVO-ENGINE. It has an Auto Calibration feature. It is a 16:9 LCD panel, with LED backlight. ‘Personnel TV’ with profiles for 4 users. Tuner for DVB-T, DVB -T2, DVB-C, and DVB-S/S2. SMART-TV: Access to Toshiba Places, with built-in wireless interface, compatibility with Windows7, USB capture to external HDD, and Toshiba apps Connect HbbTV.

Many people are somewhat put off by the need to wear glasses to enjoy existing 3D televisions, and the cost involved with having to buy multiple pairs if you want to enjoy the big screen with your buddies. This new release may cause some to wait for the market to continue to develop before buying their first 3DTV. Given the probable high price of this particular product most will not be able to afford this actual set, but it will show what is on the way and encourage some to hold out.

At the time of writing we are unaware of what the price will be in the UK, we expect many thousands of pounds though. The initial release date of December 2011 is for Germany, other regions have not yet been confirmed.

Will you be buying this TV, or waiting for competitors to release their own glasses-free screens?

Source for info and image: press release

This is a guest blog post.

In all honesty, the Google Camera and Gallery apps for Android leave much to be desired. With the release of the HTC 4G Android phone series and the iPhone 5 getting deployed to even more service providers than the previous model, maybe we’ll see some adjustments in the pre-installed Android OS. Until then, consider these five free photography apps:

QuickPic
The Android gallery app is particularly cumbersome and not very well-organized. QuickPic is an amped up version of it that allows you to better categorize your photos and get to your albums and images faster. Showing off your photography to pals won’t take ten weeks anymore while you search through the complicated and easily confusing Gallery app. QuickPic enhances the potential of Android photo-sharing possibilities.

PicPlz
Meant to contend against Instagram which is only available on the Apple iPhone, PicPlz is a photo editing app that allows users an incredible amount of freedom to alter their images. Even photos saved in the phone before you install the app can be adjusted using it the program. Photos can be customized with 16 different filters and contrast adjustments, and can then be immediately posted to a variety of social networks you link your PicPlz account to.

QikCam
If you’ve ever detested having to fight to get to your camera while the perfect moment to take the photo slips away, you’ll love QikCam. The app allows you to take a snapshot by simply clicking its button available on the phone’s desktop. It even lets you perform the same function for video shooting. QikCam is perfect for those who have a preference for candid photography (particularly when coupled with the SilentCam)

Photo Grid
This app can be seen as being a bit benign but it has its purpose. Photo Grid lets you make collages out of the images on your phone and save them as new ones. The collages can be changed around after the fact too. It’s great for individuals who might just want to put two pictures together for some reason. If you lack sophisticated Photoshop software then this app is an easy backdoor way to achieve image consolidation.

SilentCam
Unfortunately, the sound of the Android camera’s shutter is exceedingly shrill. Installing the SilentCam app is an easy way to cut out the annoying shutter sound without having to toggle your phone settings over and over. Think about how handy this is going to be when you’re trying to take quality photos during sentimental moments (nothing is lamer than a toast getting interrupted by the “cah-shhhh” of the Android camera).

They’re all a combination of the words “quick, “pic”, “photo”, or “cam,” but they all have two other words in common: free and practical. I can’t say these apps are guaranteed to turn you into the next Ansel Adams, but they’ll spruce up your phone-based photography in no time.

Thanks for reading, got an app you love? All comments are welcome in the section below.