RIM plans Wi-Fi BlackBerry
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(InfoWorld) - Research In Motion expects to start selling a BlackBerry with both cellular and Wi-Fi wireless capabilities, the company's CEO said Thursday. Speaking at the JP Morgan Technology Conference on Wednesday, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said such a converged BlackBerry should come out "in the back half of this year." RIM is behind its competitors in developing devices with both cellular and Wi-Fi. Motorola and NokiaÂ were both selling phones with Wi-Fi and cellular aimed at business users last year. RIM had recently hinted at forthcoming converged phones, but until Thursday, it hadn't said when they would ship. "Wi-Fi was overhyped," Balsillie said. "I was not a big believer in it for the first two or three years because it was hyped as something that would subsume everything, that you would get rid of your cell phone. We feel it's complementaryÂ to a cell phone." The BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) that companies use to deliver corporate e-mail to BlackBerry users already supports roaming for customers that may travel between multiple operators so the BES would treat Wi-Fi networks just like additional cellular networks, he said. That capability enables the handoff of data connections and voice calls between Wi-Fi and cellular networks as customers move. In addition, the BES "presupposes the airlink is insecure," and so encrypts all voice and data transmissions using either technology, he said. The BES already supports Wi-Fi connections because the BlackBerry 7270 has Wi-Fi. Many mobile operators, particularly those that aren't related to a landline service provider, have resisted FMC (fixed mobile convergence) because they can lose revenue by transferring calls from their cellular networks to a potential opponent's Wi-Fi network. But Balsillie said the operators are open to it. "Most of the carriers I've dealt with are supportive of FMC," he said. Also, he's finding that an increasing number of operators have both cellular and fixed-line networks, and those companies are looking for strategic ways to leverage both assets. Services like FMC can allow those operators to offer a value added service rather than simply offering a single bill.
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Now with Wi-Fi and other refinements Unwired Video Review Everyone knows that the Blackberry is de rigeuer for corporate types, but now RIM is making a real push to get the mobile email devices into the hands of consumers too. The Pearl 8120 builds on the original slimline Pearl and adds some cool new features - like Wi-Fi and a better camera.â¦
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The new BlackBerry device can support VoIP over an 802.11b-based wireless network.
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It&#39;s now possible to enjoy all the benefits of a full featured QWERTY keyboard in a small wireless device, thanks to Research In Motion&#39;s (RIM) new patent-pending SureType keyboard.
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Analysis Prospects bright in the Wi-Fi arena
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Boston's plan to blanket the city with wireless Internet connections is set to pick up speed this month as companies jockey to play a role and a pilot WiFi project gets underway in a square-mile area of the Grove Hall neighborhood.
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Research In Motion RIM.TO said on   Monday it aims to offer a Japanese-language version of its   popular BlackBerry device between April and June 2007.
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Chip maker wants you to know about the benefits of a wireless network.
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Blog: Research in Motion unveils the BlackBerry 8820 with integrated Wi-Fi.
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The upcoming BlackBerry 8820 with support for cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity is intriguing, but it won't have much of an impact on enterprises, experts claim.
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SAN FRANCISCO - Intel Corporation recently disclosed key technical details of its upcoming wireless broadband chip for WiMAX products, which will enable long-distance, high-speed wireless Internet access for homes and businesses.
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Besides working toward compatibility with wireless USB, the Bluetooth SIG is also developing the ability to transparently switch from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi for higher-bandwidth applications, according to a manager for the group.
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Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (RIMM.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , which popularized wireless e-mailing with its thumb-operated BlackBerry
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In what may someday may be nicknamed the MacBerry, Information Appliance Associates (IAA) announced this week a product called PocketMac BlackBerry, a synchronization application that will give RIM BlackBerry users the ability to do two-way synching of Mac and RIM data.
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Mac fans now can sync their BlackBerry devices with their PCs using software from Information Appliance Associates. The BlackBerry platform has developed a broad following in the enterprise, delivering wireless access to e-mail and ...
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802.11 to speed Bluetooth transmissions MWC The organisation behind Bluetooth will tomorrow go public on its plan to borrow bandwidth from Wi-Fi, allowing the device-to-device wireless connection technology to offer faster data transfers when it needs to.â¦
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Internet Service Provider (ISP) EarthLink Inc. Wednesday announced it is extending its reach as a communications company by offering Research in Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry 7750, which is both a wireless phone and a data device.