Ten Things To Lose In Blackberry 10

BlackBerry 10 is a new platform and there is much to be gained for BlackBerry users. But what about things the dedicated Blackberry users are losing?


To be certain, there are things we will be giving up as BlackBerry Smartphones make the leap up from the legacy BlackBerry OS to the QNX-based BlackBerry 10 platform.At the same time, based on what we have seen of BlackBerry 10 preview software and devices so far (the Dev Alpha A and B and unofficial leaked images that have surfaced of the L and N series), it appears blackberry will be losing a handful of things that many of us have come to love on our current BlackBerry Smartphones.

10 Things To Lose in BlackBerry 10 (maybe, sorta...things change) 

               Keep in mind as you read this that items on the list *could* change. It's based on observations to date leading up to the launch of the first BB10 phones in 2013. BlackBerry 10 is a new platform that RIM will continue to build on for the next ten years. That's a long time. Which means anything can change. A few of the things we'll lose are certain. Others we put question marks around.

1. The Trackpad 

Starting from the  trackwheel to the trackball and onto the optical trackpad, there has always been a stationary navigation input on BlackBerry phones. However, with BlackBerry 10 it's all about swiping and tapping on the touchscreen display, even on the physical keyboard model.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone at this point.Given that the PlayBook OS never made use of a menu key, back button or navigation input other than the touchscreen, it seems practical  that this completely touchscreen user interface would evolve to remain fully touchscreen on the phone too.


Is losing the trackpad a big loss? I don't believe so. In fact, I think maintaining the trackpad on BlackBerry 10 would only confuse the user experience. Think about the peek and flow gestures that are so fundamental to the BlackBerry 10 experience. It seems like making these gestures work off a trackpad would be extremely tricky, given their nature. Would you want to be able to swipe up on the trackpad to peek in to the BlackBerry Hub too? Or just off the display? How about glancing back within apps to the different layers within the app? Via the trackpad too? Or just the display?

2. Call / End Call / Menu Key / Back Button

 

Along with the track button being removed on BlackBerry 10, so are the buttons that flanked it on both sides.

To me, losing the dedicated call and end call buttons is not that big of a deal since the call button is present in the OS itself at the bottom left corner of the display on the home screen. It's still highly accessible, which is what matters most. Even within an app, it's so easy to swipe up to return to the homescreen and access the call button, that losing the dedicated button should not be a concern. As for the end call button, you only really need it there when you're ending a call - it would just be taking up precious real estate if it was always there. On the legacy BlackBerry OS the end call button served double duty as a way to get back to the homescreen. That's not needed in BlackBerry 10.

 Having the menu and back buttons located next to the trackpad helps maintain that speed and one-handed ease of use on current BlackBerry Smartphones. You really do have full control over the phone within an inch. But as I demonstrated with a video of BlackBerry Messenger running on a preview build of BlackBerry 10, the in-app experience is so buttery smooth and fast, that I don't think these buttons will be missed. The ability to swipe back within an app and swipe or tap into menus is very fast (and fun!). Watch below to see what I mean...

3. Convenience Keys

 

BlackBerry Smartphones historically had two programmable convenience keys, one on each side of the phone. Then the one on the left was removed on more recent models, leaving only the one on the right (exception - they did add a dedicated BBM key back onto a couple of models).

With BlackBerry 10 phones, it appears we're now down to zero convenience keys. Removing the buttons does simplify the experience a bit, and most likely helps keep the costs of the hardware down . But power users like having shortcuts,right?

6. Charging Contacts

Not every model of BlackBerry to date has had charging contacts, but it's something many of us are used to having and expect to have on a flagship BlackBerry. The main purpose of the charging contacts is for the device to easily sit in a charging pod (especially important for a portrait orientation phone, when the USB was high up on the left side of the device). The charging pod has always been an additional accessory, which means a lot of BlackBerry users to date have never even used the charging contacts, instead charging via the USB port.

I'm sure with BlackBerry 10 we'll still see charging stands available for devices, they'll just work via USB instead. On the full touchscreen device, it's easy enough to use the usb as the connector to the charging stand. Just lie the phone horizontal into the charging stand, and it's all good. RIM took this approach way back with the BlackBerry Storm and it's always worked. It will be interesting to see how charging stands pan out with physical keyboard BB10 devices. If they put the USB port at the bottom of the phone, then it can easily connect to a charging stand. However, if they were to put the USB up on the left side of the phone, then with no charging contacts things could get a little weird.

6. Third Party Themes

 

Though many theme developers and BlackBerry owners have been hoping third party themes would come to BlackBerry 10, it has been officially announced they will not be supported. At least for the foreseeable future (anything can change, right?).

For people who have never changed up their theme from the default one, this probably isn't a big deal. For people who like to personalize their phone and love changing up themes, it is.

In the past with the legacy BlackBerry OS, theme developers could really do a lot with Theme Builder, altering pretty much the entire user experience of the device. Beyond just changing up icons and color schemes, we saw a lot of creativity in the actual UI.

I'm a huge fan of personalization. Changing up wallpapers is a start, but I'd love to see theming options come to BlackBerry 10. Even limited ones, for example the ability to change up the default icons to new ones. We've already seen differing opinions on the native icons on BlackBerry 10. That's where the need to theme comes in. You can make everybody happy.

7.  Keyboard Shortcuts?

This one is a bit of a question mark. On the legacy BlackBerry OS, there are TONS of keyboard shortcuts, but we have yet to see them transition over to the QNX-based OS. Will they come? We're not sure. With full touchscreen devices, there isn't much point to having them, even though you can slide up the keyboard from basically anywhere on the OS (it's just quicker to tap into whatever you want to do).

When you have a physical keyboard, however, it's really nice to be able to use keyboard shortcuts. Being able to map contacts to keyboard buttons and dial them up just by pressing is awesome. And tons of power users love to launch apps from the keyboard on the current OS. Beyond that on the current BBOS, there are lots of other keyboard commands that pull up different screens and functions. Not a lot of average users take advantage of those ones, but power users love them.

8. In / Out Holster Profile Settings?

* Update - Couple things here... A) When you go to the Device Password screen on the Dev Alpha, there is an option for "Lock Device Upon Holstering".
There appears to be a "sleeper magnet" on the Dev Alpha B. Running a magnet over the back of the device, there is a spot that flips the switch, so the display turns on and off when you move over it with a magnet. In the past, the purpose of this was to put the device into standby mode and trigger the in-holster notification profile. Having the sleeper functionality is handy - when you put the phone into a case that has a sleeper magnet, it ensures you'll never accidentally turn of the display. It's locked off until you pull it out of the case, at which time the display automatically is turned on.

For those who used a holster, the in-holster settings were super useful too. For example, when holstered you could have the phone ring louder and vibrate, but when out of the holster it wouldn't vibrate and ring quieter.

As of now on the preview build of BB10 on the Dev Alpha B, there are no holster settings options.

9. Google Maps?

You can download Google Maps today for your BlackBerry Smartphone. With BlackBerry 10, Research In Motion has announced Tom Tom as their traffic and mapping partner. As of now, we don't really know if we'll see Google Maps become available as a third party application for BB10. A lot of people love Google Maps, myself included, so we'll keep our fingers crossed on this one.

10. Apps like QuickLaunch?

 

The legacy BlackBerry OS gave developers a lot of APIs, to the extent where developers could really alter and fix up the device. Over the years, third party developers were faster than RIM in a lot of cases at improving native OS features. Remember how HTML email viewing came to BlackBerry via a third party app long before it was ever built in?

RIM has already opened up a lot of APIs to developers and more are on the way, but it seems with the new QNX-based OS that developers won't be able to roll out some of these utility/function-based apps as they have in the past with the legacy BBOS. We'll have to see on this one though.

Google Nexus 10 Preview

Google's upcoming Nexus 10 slate already has leaked.Set to be officially unveiled on Monday, the device packs impressive specifications, headed by a stunning 10.1" display with a iPad beating resolution of 2560x1600 pixels and a pixel density of 298.9ppi.

        


The Google Nexus 10 will feature a brand new dual-core Samsung Exynos 5250 chipset, whose Cortex-A15 cores run at 1.7GHz. The new silicon is reportedly faring better in benchmark scores than the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro and Apple's custom A6, but we got no actual scores confirming that.
The Mali -T604 GPU is also brand new - it should be able to handle the massive amount of pixels with ease. Two gigs of RAM, 16GB of non-expandable built-in memory (other options will likely be available), 5MP camera (you can check out its samples here) with front-facing companion, and full connectivity suite are also on board.
The back of the slate appears to be made of metal, while the dual-speakers at its front remind us of its Samsung roots. The tablet is said to be remarkably thin for its size.
The Google Nexus 10 will launch with Android 4.2, which will still go by the name Jelly Bean, but will bring a number of improvements to the OS. The more notable ones include improved camera UI, and connectivity toggles in the notification area.

The nexus 10 will launch at a Google Event in New York on Monday

Blackberry Desktop Software On Windows 8

 If you are going to upgrade to windows 8, you may be wondering whether or not your BlackBerry Desktop Software will work. As noted by RIM in their BlackBerry knowledge base, everything will go fine provided you follow some initial steps.

BlackBerry Desktop Software will function when installed on Microsoft Windows 8 however .NET Framework 3.5 must be installed and enabled prior to the install of the BlackBerry Desktop Software. Microsoft .NET 3.5 framework can be installed and enabled by following the instructions in the Microsoft article listed below.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh506443.aspx

In addition, RIM also notes that an updated version of the BlackBerry Desktop Software is coming that will have enhanced features specifically for Windows 8 users.

Top 10 Apps For Windows 8

I hope you already know that  Windows RT is not the full Windows 8. It won’t run Photoshop, Dreamweaver, or other Windows program you install in it. Except for Microsoft’s Office package which is pre-loaded

Knowing this alone will save you plenty of confusion. But still this won’t answer the burning question: what apps does Windows RT have then, and which ones should I install right after getting it?

There is no universal recipe, but I think there are  10 apps that should come handy for pretty much everyone out there. You might still feel like you are in a ghost town in the Windows Store after you download them, but at least one thing is clear - this time around, unlike with Windows Phone, developers will just have to start cranking up apps soon. We just see no way all those tablets, laptops and desktops would be left without their attention. So just give it some time.

1.Metro Commander

              

           Windows 8/RTdoes not have a dedicated file manager, and that seems like a glaring omission for those who like simple easy drag and drop action. Metro Commander delivers just that, in the Modern UI design style.

2.Firefox

    If you are searching for an alternate browser,then Firefox is there.Its final version is still not available though.

3.Skype

          

Skype functionality is built in all across the operating system, and that’s why there is no good excuse for not having the application running on Windows RT.

4.Netflix

Netflix is what you’d expect it to be - streaming your movies on your Windows RT device instantly. 

5.Evernote

        

Cloud-synced app Evernote is probably the best way to stay organized, jot down notes and quickly take a look at what you shouldn’t forget, and it’s on Windows RT as well.

6.Minesweeper

                   Feeling nostalgic?Missing those old games of windows?Well, don't worry Minesweeper is here.

7.Tunein Radio

              

If you want Internet radio from all across the globe and not just music, TuneIn radio, the app that has already become very popular on other platforms, is there to fit your needs on the Windows store.

8.SketchBook Express

        

Like to sketch?Haven't got the Note II ?The SketchBook app is a perfect tool , with plenty of options to fine tune your drawings.

9.Wordpress

    

One of the  most popular blog platforms has alsogot its dedicated app for Windows RT.

10.Cut The Rope

Cut The Rope is one of the most interesting games available in the store now.

                     So do you like the collection?Wanna add more?Please comment below.

TubeDownload For Windows phone review

As the name suggests this app is designed to download YouTube videos and it nails it.However,WP 7's multitasking as we all know is not that great and so there may be a few problems.

Click here to download free trial


Tube Download allows you to pull down YouTube videos to watch offline on your Windows Phone handset. Now there's no need to wait for your download speed to catch up while the cache is empty, and you can happily watch the latest videos even when you are out of coverage.

The process is a pretty simple one. You search and find your video, you press the download button, choose the quality of the video you are going to download, and Tube Download will do the rest of the work for you.

Once the videos are downloaded, you can build up playlists of the downloaded videos inside the application, or watch single videos on their own. Launch any video and you will be greeted with the built in video player controls familiar to Windows Phone users.






It's important to note that because of the silo'ed nature of Windows Phone applications, these videos are not directly available in the Videos section of the Media Player - they will only be available through the Tube Download application.

This isn't as painful as it might sound, because media applications are well integrated across Windows Phone. Tube Download appears as a media application in the Music+Video hub, and any videos or playlists that you have watched with Tube Download will show up in the 'new' and 'history' lists

Because of the silo, Tube Download needs to be opened to hand over the video to the built in media player. This means you'll catch sight of a splash screen before the video starts to play, which isn't perfect, but its not much of a problem



With the native code access that Windows Phone 8 offers, I suspect Tube Download could integrated completely with the music+video hub. Until then, it does the very best I think you could do with Windows Phone 7. If you grab a lot of video then you are going to use up a fair bit of storage, but this is a useful application that is constantly maintained by the author.

Overall,I would say that this is quite an useful app for those WP users that watch a lot of videos online

FantasyCar Game Review

FantasyCar is a mobile agme that gives you the choice of five different vehicles and four landscapes (farm, dirt track, moon and Mars) and a selection of increasingly tricky obstacles to slam your vehicle over. No matter that you'll virtually destroy the vehicle in the process, the physics are 99% spot on, making it all more fun than should be legal when in charge of a billion dollar space car....

FantasyCar is a game, but it's also, at heart, something of a simulation, being built on the Box2D physics engine. What this means is that, as you drive up and down ramps, as you bash into obstacles, as parts are knocked off your vehicle, as objects fly through the air, everything behaves impeccably. The physics even go as far as modelling the weight and power (and drive wheels) of each vehicle, and of the gravity on the planet you're currently driving on!



Unlike the traditional 'start on easy levels and then work your way up' model, FantasyCars takes a much freer approach - you can drive any car in any location and over any level, anytime you like. The satisfaction then comes from trying to get awarded three stars for each of the sixty or so levels, stars being awarded for speed in getting to the finish line. There are no opponents, nothing's locked out, it's just you and your satisfaction. And quite a lot of pure fun.



Once into a level, there are only two controls - forwards gear and reverse, each of which operate on the driving wheels with some sense of inertia  so you can't just stop the wheels going full tilt clockwise instantaneously - a change of direction requires some planning and timing of your pulses on the forwards/backwards accelerator keys.



The levels are filled with obstacles, naturally, each of which falls and slides realistically, as if it has the appropriate mass, from barrels to blanks to sections of metal fencing to seesaws to windmill arms - oh, you get the idea. There's a lot to push, to climb, to duck under, to traverse....



One of the cutest aspects of FantasyCar is the way your vehicles fall apart. As they get knocked, bits start falling off - bumpers, engine cowlings, and so on. If you bash the vehicle up enough, you can even disconnect the engine from its mountings, and the wheels from the chassis, with the disastrous example result above. Happily, a 'retry' icon is top and centre and then you're off driving again, with a newly restored vehicle.



I mentioned Mars above - there's also the moon, with very low gravity, presenting a slightly different challenge and different obstacles. Shown above is the moon buggy, but the game's happy to let you rev up the 'monster car' and drive that on the moon, too - with predictably overpowered results.



Shown above is a Mars rover (oh, look, a few bits have fallen off already - NASA aren't going to like this!) on the surface of the red planet. In truth, the physics aren't that different to that of Earth, but at least there's a bit of natural variation.



Getting three stars for a level isn't trivial, so the gameplay's pitched about right, especially as there's no competitive aspect other than competing with yourself to get perfect scores all the way through.

The backgrounds are photo-realistic and well done, panning smoothly in parallax fashion, to help the illusion of progress, while on the sound front you get not only appropriate engine noises ('put-puts' from the tractor diesel to more sci-fi like whines from the space rovers), but also appropriate vibrations from the phone's vibrator whenever you hit something or land hard - I've always felt that vibration was under-used in phone games, so it's good to see FantasyCar come good here.




And, after all, where else could you drive a farm tractor on the flippin' moon?

FantasyCar isn't perfect - I experienced occasional lock-ups from the Box2D engine  but the developer has shown that he's willing to keep updating the game, so I'm sure he's tweaking the code even as I write this. But for a 'casual' game, FantasyCar has a surprising amount of longevity, I'd estimate up to a hundred hours of gameplay.

And for 1 pound( 86 INR) it is a fantastic choice

ROMOW EXTREME For Galaxy S III

Why do people want to root their android smartphones?One of the main reasons why people flash custom ROMs is to enjoy a totally different look on their Android device, but there are also other people who flash custom ROMs because they want improved performance and longer battery life. Then, there are the individuals who want to taste the latest software update even before the official release reaches their phone.

A lot of the time, developers give users who want aesthetics, performance, and being up to date all of these things in one neat package. Of course, developers also throw in their own touches, such as home-brewed kernels, tweaks, and optimizations and cut away unnecessary apps that take up precious space.

The ROMOW EXTREME ROM, developed by XDA Developers member mowow, gives users the much-craved-for Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean taste with a side order of being deodexed and zipaligned. The ROM also has a number of goodies thrown into the mix, such as BusyBox, Superuser, and optimizations for improved battery life and performance. You can also enjoy an enhanced Task Manager, an extended Power menu, and a whole lot more. The ROM’s size is also small, so you can easily enjoy the  Samsung bloatware-free experience without any lag.

This tutorial will teach you how to flash ROMOW EXTREME ROM for the Galaxy S3 I9300.

Warnings

1.The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy S3, model number GT-I9300.      

   Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.

2. Use these instructions at your own risk. I shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens 

     to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.

That said,don't panic.Just read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions and your device shoul be absolutely perfect.

Requirements

 1.Samsung Galaxy S3 with ClockworkMod Recovery installed

 2.Download the ROMOW EXTREME ROM (ROMOW EXTREME by mowmo.zip, 550.0 MB) to your    

    computer.

 3.Make sure your device’s battery still has at least 70% power. I hope that you don't want your device to     

    shut down in the middle of the operation.

 4.Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., 

    contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this 

    guide erases such data.

Instructions

1.Copy the ROMOW ROM file to your Galaxy S3′s internal SD card.

2.Switch off your S3

3.Boot into Recovery Mode by pressing and holding down the Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons.

4.Make a NANDroid backup by selecting Backup and Restore. Select Backup.

5.Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset. Confirm on the next screen.

6.Select Wipe Cache. Confirm on the next screen.

7.Select Advanced and select Wipe Dalvik Cache.

8.Select Install ZIP from SD card.

9.Select Choose ZIP from SD card and select the ROMOW ROM file.  This will start the installation.

10.Select Go Back.

11.Select Reboot System Now.

And now wait for the final result.Yipee!you have done it.The ROMOW EXTREME ROM is now running on your Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300. How do you like the ROM? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.