In response to a user who asked about a possible Netflix app for the BlackBerry Playbook tablet, Netflix’s Twitter support account replied that the company has no current plans to support BlackBerry devices, including the Playbook. Crackberry.com spotted the tweet, and is encouraging BlackBerry loyalists to voice their outrage.

A lack of apps continues to be RIM’s biggest problem, especially now that Playbook OS 2.0 has filled in many of the tablet’s missing features, such as a native e-mail, calendar, and contacts apps. Without apps for popular services such as Yelp, Spotify, Kindle, Hulu, and Netflix, RIM will have a tough time convincing consumers that its app store is thriving.

Although Playbook OS 2.0 supports Android apps through an emulator, developers must still submit their apps to RIM for approval. It’s not yet clear whether Netflix or other streaming video services will go that route.

Of course, things can change, and sometimes “we don’t have any current plans” is just PR speak for “we have plans that we’re not announcing yet.” But as it stands, Netflix’s disinterest in BlackBerry isn’t a good sign.

Up to now if you are at home or in the office you can go online with your computer and visit a website like www.costoffuel.co.uk to find the cheapest local petrol, diesel or LPG, however now you can get the same local price information direct to your Blackberry device, faster and slicker.

‘Fuel Prices Plus UK’ is an app that does just this and it can pay for itself ($13.99 USD) almost immediately because it is the only BlackBerry® app at the moment that provides unlimited, accurate and up-to-date fuel prices in the UK. Fuel Prices Plus UK is purchased from App World on an annual subscription basis.

One of the great things with Fuel Prices Plus UK is that it has no log-in and allows unlimited use.

Unlike many fuel apps, the Fuel Prices Plus UK  app does not rely on user-driven data submitted weeks previously by another user.  This is how the makers of the app describe their app and the data collection process that sets them aside from other apps:

The fuel prices are provided to them by Experian Catalist in association with ARVAL Ltd. The data comes from monitoring the hundreds of thousands of Arval fuel card transactions which take place daily across the UK ? these are mainly from the use of the All Star Card.  These are collated and fed into the Fuel Prices database every working day.

Experian Catalist update the fuel prices for the majority of petrol stations every working day morning based on the prices of the previous day. Note that every price shows the latest update date. Of course the service is available 24/7 but there is no update to the prices on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays.

The app works by identifying your location then wherever you are Fuel Prices Plus UK checks the ten closest stations to you and then ranks the cheapest five. Of the five green is the cheapest, red the most expensive. We ve performed extensive testing to determine that the data can be relied upon to find you cheap fuel in an area.

We wanted to keep this app elegantly simple so it only searches on your current location. It does not provide every petrol price in an area  it gives you the cheapest five for your chosen fuel type. It does not give a history of prices only the prices for the particular day shown.

Fuel Prices Plus UK, an app that provides real value for money!

Requirements:
OS 4.6.0+,
GPS,
Internet,
BlackBerry® Maps™ Some carriers block BlackBerry Maps so please ensure BlackBerry Maps works before purchasing

Although no release or launch date or UK contract prices have been announced yet, it is expected that Vodafone will be the first carrier to release the latest Blackberry.

It comes with the new BlackBerry 6 operating system and there is a lot to be excited about. “BlackBerry spent a lot of time talking with customers, testing and re-testing the software to make sure we could deliver the new features users want without losing any important aspects of the user experience that our customers already know and love” says Mike Lazaridis, the President and Co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM) on his blog.

Mike continues… BlackBerry 6 delivers a stunning visual design and the teams here have done an incredible job implementing the amazing array of enhancements, including our new WebKit-based web browser which was first previewed at MWC earlier this year.

BlackBerry 6 has something for everyone, I am particularly enjoying the new universal search and auto-wrap text zoom features.

With the new BlackBerry Torch smartphone, we also believe our hardware team has delivered the best combined touch-qwerty experience available, seamlessly incorporating our signature BlackBerry keyboard and precision trackpad in a striking design that simply feels great in your hand. One of the things I love the most about the BlackBerry Torch design is the way it allows me to easily transition between using the touch screen, trackpad and keyboard interfaces. I can switch between them and interact with the handset and applications in a very natural way.

The BlackBerry Torch is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to ship with our new web browser and we invested a substantial amount of time and effort to engineer a WebKit-based browser that can operate quickly, beautifully and efficiently. In fact, Peter Rysavy today released a new study reporting on the efficiency of the BlackBerry 6 Browser with respect to data usage. We continue to believe that efficiency is an important advantage for our customers and an imperative for the wireless industry.

BlackBerry 6 is scheduled to be first introduced to the market with the BlackBerry Torch on August 12, but I know many of you are also wondering about support for existing BlackBerry smartphones.

I am happy to report that BlackBerry 6 will be available in the months ahead (pending carrier certifications) on some of our leading smartphones, including the BlackBerry® Pearl™ 3G 9100, BlackBerry® Bold™ 9650 and BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700.

At RIM we have a long history of building groundbreaking technology, and we are passionate about our products – each day, thousands of RIM employees are focused on enhancing our software, services and smartphones in order to continue meeting your changing wants and needs. The launch of the BlackBerry Torch with BlackBerry 6 is one of the most significant launches in our history and this amazing new smartphone brings together many of RIM’s core strengths into one fluid and superior user experience.

I hope you will be as delighted with the BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6 as we are, because we are very proud of these accomplishments and because we really do love what we do.

BlackBerry Torch 9800 Launch

BlackBerry users are hoping that the new products will be backward-compatible, so that those with older BlackBerry models also can enjoy the new benefits. That said, RIM has videos with teasers for upcoming features that look promising and even fun.

BlackBerry OS6

BlackBerry OS6, according to RIM, will be loaded with new features such as a redesigned home screen for easier navigation; context-sensitive pop-up menus; universal search options; new applications that integrate all your news and social networks into one destination; and a revamped browser powered by WebKit.

Webkit, an open-source engine, displays Web content in windows, follows links when clicked, maintains back-forward lists, and tracks the history of recently visited pages. It has many of the benefits of a PC browser, such as search, bookmarks, pinch-zooming, and tabbed browsing compressed into a smartphone environment.

The new home screen looks awesome and “fluid”, with touchscreen icons that also appear in a swipable panel at the bottom of the display, plus a soft keyboard.

The new app Social Feeds should allow you to post messages instantly or make updates to multiple social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook. Plus, it enables access to online news sources and RSS feeds. The integration of news and social networks is a nice touch.

The OS6 universal search bar is built to make searching easier, and has context-sensitive pop-ups. For editing, there’s a text magnifier, which appears to makes it easier to insert the cursor between two letters.

Can anyone say iPad OS or Android? It looks like a lot of these new features were borrowed from BlackBerry’s competition–a nice improvement, but hardly original.

BlackBerry Protect

The second of these programs is a free data backup and protection utility developed by RIM. Later this week, a small number of users will be able to check out the beta version of BlackBerry Protect, which will become available to the public later this year.

BlackBerry Protect offers some protection and control over your device. For example, features include remote backup, lockdown, and data wiping. You’ll be able to activate a louder ringtone to help you find a nearby phone, and create a custom lost-and-found message to appear on the device’s screen, in case a stranger has your handheld. Protect also offers a restore device feature and the option to view the current location of the device on a map. It’s all controlled by you–or your company–through a Web Interface.

Since BlackBerrys are so popular and coveted by so many, this program looks like a wise and logical addition to the family of BlackBerry apps. With these features, you and your company no longer have to worry about a security breach of confidential or privileged information if a cell phone is lost or stolen. The remote features that allow you to lock down or wipe a BlackBerry should ensure protection of your data. Remote ringtone activation, mapping the location, and custom lost-and-found messages could greatly increase your chances of retrieving that missing smartphone.

Remote backup lets you quickly back up even a lost device, in case you are forced to wipe it because initial efforts to reclaim it have failed. And the restore data feature could be a real time-saver if you find the missing phone, then need to restore your data and custom settings.

You can view and perform these tasks from a remote location, which is obviously necessary if the device is lost or stolen

Both BlackBerry OS6 and Protect look like they could become essential tools for BlackBerry aficionados. We hope to learn more soon about compatible devices and release dates.

I’m very excited today to tell you about a new security application from Research In Motion® (RIM), BlackBerry® Protect. To help get a better understanding of the product, I spoke with Michael Accettura, Product Manager for BlackBerry Protect.

What are the key features of BlackBerry Protect?

BlackBerry Protect allows you the ability to wirelessly backup, restore and locate your BlackBerry® smartphone. In the event that your BlackBerry smartphone is misplaced, lost or stolen, BlackBerry Protect provides features like: remote device wipe, remote device lock, ‘Lost and Found’ screen, locate device on a map, remote activation of the BlackBerry smartphone loud ringer, and wireless device backup and restore.

How, when and where can users get the BlackBerry Protect application?

BlackBerry Protect is not yet generally available; it is currently in beta phase and will be launching first in limited beta through BlackBerry Beta Zone later this week via invite codes. If you’re a member of Beta Zone and don’t receive a download code, don’t worry, you will be able to try it out when it reaches open public beta later this year. If you aren’t a member of BlackBerry Beta Zone yet, it’s not too late – sign up for a BlackBerry Beta Zone account now and try out other apps available in open beta!

Can you walk us through BlackBerry Protect and give readers a preview of the functionality?

I’ve love to! The easiest way to explain the product is to walk through a few ‘real-life’ scenarios.

BlackBerry Protect Setup

First, the user would need to download and install the BlackBerry Protect application on their BlackBerry smartphone. After completing the initial registration, you’ll be given the option to backup the data on your BlackBerry smartphone. You will be able to decide what you want to back up – contacts, calendar, memos, tasks, browser bookmarks, and/or text messages. You will even be able to choose how often your BlackBerry smartphone is automatically backed up (i.e. daily, weekly, and monthly). Also, once the first back up is completed, only incremental data is backed up (i.e. new data since the last backup) to reduce data usage. Remember to always check with your wireless service provider to determine any additional charges that may be incurred through your use of the wireless network.

Misplacing your BlackBerry Smartphone (Loud Ring Feature)

So, I love my BlackBerry smartphone but for some reason I often seem to misplace it around my house (you’re not the only one — Ed.). This is why ‘loud ring’ is one of my favorite features of BlackBerry Protect. When this happens, I simply log into the BlackBerry Protect web portal where I can activate the loud ring feature – this makes my BlackBerry smartphone ring loudly for one minute, even if I had the profile set to silent. It also changes the default profile to ‘loud’, so I can call my BlackBerry smartphone to try to locate if I didn’t find it while it was initially ringing.

Dealing with a lost BlackBerry Smartphone (Lock, Lost and Found screen, Locating and Wiping Features)

In another situation, let’s say that I was out running errands, and when I got home I couldn’t find my BlackBerry smartphone. I realize I must have left it at one of the stores I was at. In this case, I want to be sure that if someone finds my BlackBerry smartphone, they can’t access any of my personal information on my device, and I want to try to locate the device so that I can hopefully get it back.

First, I would log onto the BlackBerry Protect web portal, where I would lock my BlackBerry smartphone and set a password.

Next, I would set the ‘lost and found’ screen with a message and contact information in case the device is found – this way they know who owns the device and can get ahold of me to let me know they found it.

Next, still from within the BlackBerry Protect web portal, I can use the ‘view current location feature’, which will use the built-in GPS functionality in most BlackBerry smartphones to help show me the current location of my BlackBerry smartphone. This will give me a good idea of where to find it.

In the worst-case scenario, if I can’t find my BlackBerry smartphone and no one has called to say they have found it, I can use the Remote Wipe feature to delete all the information off the device, including the data stored on the device and on the Micro-SD card.

Getting a new BlackBerry Smartphone (Restore from Backup Feature)

Once I have a new BlackBerry smartphone, I can wirelessly restore all my backed up data from my old device onto my new device. So, even though I’ve lost my BlackBerry smartphone, all of my information can be transferred to my new BlackBerry smartphone.

Michael, thanks for taking the time to talk with us today, and we look forward to hearing more about BlackBerry Protect later this year.

No problem!

To read the full blog interview by Douglas Soltys with Michael Accettura, Product Manager for BlackBerry Protect with supporting screenshot images etc, go to: http://blogs.blackberry.com/2010/07/introducing-blackberry-protect/

Battery life has been improved with the latest BlackBerry Messenger.  This version also addresses some of the issues identified in BlackBerry Messenger 5.0.0.33, such as file transfer not working or working slowly, no file preview, and file transfer requests expiring after a short period of time. This version does not include any new features. The Check Spelling As You Type feature has been restored for all devices.
Get into BlackBerry® Messenger and express yourself – your way.

• Share your pin or unique barcode to connect with friends anywhere, anytime.
• Take comfort in knowing your friends are only a BlackBerry® Messenger message away whether you want to make plans for the night or ask a quick question.
• Chat and share funny stories, pictures, videos and more with individual contacts or groups of friends instantly.
• Stay in touch like never before with BlackBerry® Messenger

All of the main social networking websites have recognised the importance of having mobile phone capabilities and using a Blackberry to stay up to date has now never been easier.

You can update your status as and when you feel like it. Instantly share and tag funny pictures you just took. Stay in touch with your social world from almost anywhere with social networking on your BlackBerry® smartphone.

No matter where you are, if you have a half a reasonable mobile signal, you can read or update your social networking scene.

 Facebook

Post, poke and lots more with Facebook® on your BlackBerry mobile phone.

It’s the desktop experience for Facebook® that you love, but on your BlackBerry® mobile phone. Post, poke and stay connected to your friends from almost anywhere life takes you. View other peoples profiles, wall posts and status updates. And as those special moments happen, you can conveniently upload them directly to Facebook whilst you are on the go.

Features

• Update or view your status
• Receive instant notifications
• Post and tag photos
• Sync your Facebook friends
• Organize Facebook events

System Requirements

To use Facebook for BlackBerry® smartphones, the following is required:

• A wireless data service plan from your wireless service provider
• A Facebook® account. If you don’t have one, set up a Facebook account now
• A BlackBerry smartphone with 64 MB of memory
• 882 KB of available smartphone memory
• BlackBerry® Device Software Version 4.2 or later

  Twitter

Do all the things you love on Twitter® with your BlackBerry smartphone.

With Twitter® for BlackBerry® smartphones, you can easily stay connected to the information and people you care about. It’s available now as a beta release – download Twitter for your BlackBerry smartphone today

Features

With Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones, it only takes a moment to do the things you love on Twitter.

• Get your Direct Messages as soon as they arrive
• Reply to tweets, re-tweet and send Direct Messages
• Post a link from your BlackBerry® Browser
• Take a funny picture and upload it
• Share your thoughts or join a conversation

System Requirements

To use Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones, you will need the following:

• 64MB BlackBerry smartphone
• 750KB of available BlackBerry smartphone memory
• BlackBerry® Device Software Version 4.5 or later

 Flickr

Share all your pictures with Flickr® on your BlackBerry smartphone.

Download the Flickr® Uploader for BlackBerry® smartphones to snap and share your photos. Delivering the same uploading and geotagging features as the desktop version, Flickr Uploader for BlackBerry smartphones is your instant, portable photo album.

Features

• Geotag pictures so people know where they were taken
• Take a picture with your smartphone, then tag it, change the size and post it
• Share pictures with your contacts from your BlackBerry smartphone

System Requirements

To use Flickr Uploader for BlackBerry® smartphones, you’ll need:

• A data service plan from your wireless service provider
• A Flickr™ account. If you don’t have one, set up a Flickr account now
• A BlackBerry smartphone with 64 MB of memory
• 305 KB of available smartphone memory
• BlackBerry® Device Software v4.2 or later

  MySpace

Get everything you love about MySpace® on your BlackBerry smartphone

Access MySpace™ from your BlackBerry® smartphone to update your mood, post your photos, send mail or post bulletins. MySpace™ for BlackBerry® smartphones lets you access your page so you can instantly share life’s moments as they happen.

Features

• Send and receive MySpace mail from your BlackBerry smartphone
• Update your status whenever you feel like it
• View and send bulletins, or add comments to your friend’s posts
• View profiles while you’re on the go
• Upload photos to your MySpace page

System Requirements

To use MySpace for BlackBerry smartphones, the following is required:

• A wireless data service plan from your wireless service provider
• A MySpace account. (If you don’t have one, set up a MySpace account now)
• A BlackBerry smartphone with 64 MB of memory
• 800 KB of available smartphone memory
• BlackBerry® Device Software Version 4.2 or later

As with any technology based products, you should always read the small print…

Many if not all social networking features above require activation with data plan.
Always check with your service provider for supported features and services that you are interested in using..

When you subscribe for, acquire, or use third party products and services with RIM products or services you accept that:

1. It is your sole responsibility to (a) ensure that your airtime service provider will support all of their features; (b) identify and acquire all required intellectual property and other license prior to installation or use and to comply with the terms of such licences;

2. RIM provides such products and services on an “AS IS” basis with no express or implied conditions, endorsements, guarantees, representations or warranties of any kind, and assumes no liability whatsoever with respect to them.

Always know where you are and how to get where you need to be with BlackBerry ® mobile phones (smartphones) featuring BlackBerry ® Maps and GPS (Global Positioning System) capabilities.

BlackBerry Maps

Enter an address and receive directions to businesses, restaurants and other locations. Type or paste the information, or launch a map by clicking on a pre-existing address in your address book to view routes and step-by-step directions.

• Interactive maps allow you to pan left, right, up and down and to zoom in and out
• Local search lets you find locations based on keywords. Enter a search term like “pizza” to find pizza places near you
• Send maps via email
• Bookmark your favorite locations for future reference
• Fully optimized for BlackBerry smartphones for fast loading times and efficient data usage
• BlackBerry Maps works with your current wireless network, so no carrier switching is required.

• Download BlackBerry Maps now from the Blackberry App’s store

Learn more about BlackBerry Maps

(links below are direct to the BlackBerry ® website)

• BlackBerry Maps coverage areas
• BlackBerry Maps for Business
• IT Information
• Developer Information

GPS

Know where you stand, even when you’re on the move. Many BlackBerry smartphones feature GPS capabilities that work with BlackBerry Maps and other location-based applications¹. Use GPS on your BlackBerry smartphone to pinpoint your location, and get turn-by-turn directions to restaurants, businesses and other destinations.

• Plan and view routes
• Build a list of favorite locations for easy reference
• Get more from social networking sites and location-based mobile games

GPS Business Advantage

For your business, BlackBerry smartphones with GPS capabilities works with Location-Based Services (LBS) to support employee and resource tracking, dispatching and more.

• Team Transport streamlines dispatching process using GPS navigation capabilities of BlackBerry devices.
• Safelite Autoglass enhances productivity with BlackBerry smartphones by deploying dispatching, GPS tracking, mobile printing and more.
• Paulding County School District in Georgia uses the BlackBerry smartphone for GPS tracking of school buses in the county.

BlackBerry smartphones with GPS capabilities

The following  BlackBerry ® mobile phones have been designed with GPS capabilities, but always check with your service provider for supported features and services, as they may differ.

• BlackBerry® Storm2™ 9520 smartphone
• BlackBerry® Storm™ 9500 smartphone
• BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 smartphone
• BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 smartphone
• BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 smartphone
• BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8120 smartphone
• BlackBerry® Pearl™ Flip 8220 smartphone
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 8310 smartphone
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 8320 smartphone
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 smartphone

Learn more – click on the mobile phone links above to learn more about that device and its functionality.

The Canadian company made a net profit of $710m (£468m) in the three months from December 2009 to February 2010, up from $518m the year earlier.

Its revenues for the quarter, its fiscal fourth, added 18% to $4bn.

Despite both profits and revenues rising, they were at the lower end of market expectations.

Analysts said that RIM was having to get used to living with the big growth in rival smart phones, such as Apple’s iPhone.

“They did inline or a little better than their own guidance. but Wall Street expectations were for quite a bit more,” said Ed Snyder of Charter Equity Research.

It is without doubt that the timely launch of the BlackBerry Storm 2, a touchscreen smartphone that competes with the Apple iPhone, significantly helped in RIM’s 37% quarterly rise.

It has proposed cutting the cost mobile phone firms can charge for connecting a call from another network from 4.3 pence per minute to 0.5p by 2015.

Ofcom has also issued new rules to make it quicker and easier to switch mobile phone providers.

Customers should, by 2011, be able to change mobile providers in one working day rather than two.

In addition, mobile phone companies will have to issue users with the Pac code they need in order to keep their existing mobile number by text message within a maximum of two hours, Ofcom said.

Currently, some mobile phone companies only issue these codes by letter, which can mean switching takes several days.

But the move did not go far enough for mobile phone operator 3.

“The UK is the only country in Europe where you have to ask permission from your current operator to leave and take your mobile number with you,” a spokesman said.

“[In other countries,] consumers benefit from near-instant porting and don’t have to ask permission to move their number.”

Ofcom research shows that 70% of customers want to keep their mobile number when they change providers.

More from this story (from the BBC) (opens in a new window)