News just out from Nav4All is that they have just added New Zealand and Jakarta to their already extensive on-line GPS database. This now makes Nav4All the largest and most detailed On-line mapping program on the market. There has been extensive testing side by side with some of the biggest names in GPS software and hardware (TomTom, Nokia & WayFinder to name but a few) and Nav4All has come out on top. For the full report just hit this link:http://www.stichtingonderzoeknavigatiesystemen.nl

Enigma has been releasing some interesting games for BlackBerry recently. They released EFL: Preseason Football Game earlier this month and have followed with another game. This one is called Rosie’s Revenge and is available for $6.95 from Enigma games. Rosie’s Revenge is the only First Person Fighting game I know of for BlackBerry so it definitely perked my interest. You can see a short video clip of the game on the product page.

The idea is that Rosie is trying to learn how to exact revenge on a mugger that violently attacked her in an alleyway. The point of the game is to help Rosie earn her black belt in self defense as she trains in Zara’s Dojo.

I love the games tag line: When life attacks you, kick it in the balls!

From the description:

Game Information

Innovative fighting controls

8 authentic martial art strikes

Auto-saving game progress

In-game help by 13-time world champion Zara Phythian

Gameplay

Progress from white to black belt by learning martial art combinations

Fast paced fighting

Take down the mugger and get revenge for Rosie

I have not had a chance to play the game myself but I will be downloading it soon. Hopefully a review will follow. I just love how this game got a Family Friendly rating from TIGRS.

Kevin at CrackBerry.com has been keeping up some amazing coverage during CTIA this whole week. His latest find is the new Project Tango that Viigo has been dangling in front of our noses these past few months. Kevin promised not to take any screenshots of the application but he did snap a few of the powerpoint presentation showing off project tango. You can check out his eyecandy screenshots at the link above.

As with before the new version of Viigo will be released at WES in a month and a half. Should be an interesting build up for Viigo. I wonder if the other RSS reader developers will respond in kind.

Quick summary:

• They have added an audio & podcasts section allowing you to subscribe, download, and listen to podcasts!!!
• There is a new revamped main screen which you can see in the screenshot above
• The top link will take you to the list of feeds your used to
• The menu is now like the iPod with transitions going right or left
• They have added weather, stocks & finance, flight & travel, and sports sections to the app

I highly advise checking out the pictures Kevin took at this link. Some promising stuff from Viigo. The Podcast screens look awesome!

I will not admit that I have a problem. I like my BlackBerry and thats that. Whenever I read articles like this one on Forbes.com I always wonder why the millions of iPod & Mac users don’t get labeled as addicts. They always seem to get the much nicer label of enthusiasts.

So I decided to do some Googling to define what an addict is:

Slang for person with an addictive disorder. This stigmatizing term is demeaning because it labels a person by his/her illness. …

someone who is so ardently devoted to something that it resembles an addiction; “a golf addict”; “a car nut”; “a bodybuilding freak”; “a news junkie”

And then I Googled enthusiast:

an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity

a person having a strong liking for something

Am I the only one who thinks that enthusiast is a better term?

Forbes.com cites the study of David Vance & Nada Kakabadse (love the last name) who found in a study that a third of BlackBerry users show signs of addiction similar to alcoholics. This just brings to mind the old t-shirt I had in college. “I am not an alcoholic, I am a drunk”

So I have to ask what do you think we should be labeled as, a addict? or an enthusiast? Personally I just think it depends on perspective.

BTW: If you want a good laugh check out the Forbes.com “Rules To BlackBerry By”

The admin of eVeek.com, Peter, let me know about a new Beta that they have just launched. They introduced a video platform where you can find videos online and download them to your BlackBerry.

Peter told me about this service a bit back and it got me quite excited about the prospect. The service is truly a beta but it does work. You must register to download the videos but you can watch them online to see if there is anything you like without registering. From what I understand you can also upload your own videos. You can watch all the videos online before you download using the Flash Video file player on the site.

There are some limitations to the videos. Videos that are uploaded and downloaded will come in 3GP format but only in standard 320×240 screen resolution. This may not look the best on Pearl devices and older 4.2.1 devices.

To check out the videos head on over to vids.eveek.com

BTW: eVeek has also launched two other services that I found interesting. The first is a training video program for BlackBerry users. The second is a theme development service where eVeek will develop themes for companies as promotional content. Pretty cool stuff.

I think the world needs more laughs so a few days ago I asked Ronen to add a ’Jokes’ section to BerryReview. I will try to keep them short and clean (Can’t promise :) ). Most of them will be forwarded emails that I receive but I might try some original stuff later on… Anyway, this one has been forwarded from a good friend of mine Pete, and I think it’s a ripper (Australian for really good). BTW, this guy (or girl) should not have been fired, instead given a medal for patience…

Enjoy…

“This is alleged to be a true story from the Word Perfect Helpline. Needless to say the Help Desk employee was fired; however, he is currently suing for ‘Termination without Cause”.
(Now we know why they record these conversations! )

• Operator: ‘Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?’
• Caller: ‘Yes, well, I’m having trouble with WordPerfect. ‘
• Operator: ‘What sort of trouble??’
• Caller: ‘Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.’
• Operator: ‘Went away?’
• Caller: ‘They disappeared. ‘
• Operator: ‘Hmm So what does your screen look like now?’
• Caller: ‘Nothing.’
• Operator: ‘Nothing??’
• Caller: ‘It’s blank; it won’t accept anything when I type.’
• Operator: ‘Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out??’
• Caller: ‘How do I tell?’
• Operator: ‘Can you see the C: prompt on the screen??’
• Caller: ‘What’s a sea-prompt?’
• Operator: ‘Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?’
• Caller: ‘There isn’t any cursor: I told you, it won’t accept anything I type.’
• Operator: ‘Does your monitor have a power indicator??’
• Caller: ‘What’s a monitor?’
• Operator: ‘It’s the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it’s on??’
• Caller: ‘I don’t know.’
• Operator: ‘Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??’
• Caller: ‘Yes, I think so.’
• Operator: ‘Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it’s plugged into the wall.
• Caller: ‘Yes, it is.’
• Operator: ‘When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one??’
• Caller: ‘No.’
• Operator: ‘Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable.’
• Caller: ‘Okay, here it is.’
• Operator: ‘Follow it for me, and tell me if it’s plugged securely into the back of your computer.’
• Caller: ‘I can’t reach.’
• Operator: ‘Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is??’
• Caller: ‘No.’
• Operator: ‘Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over??’
• Caller: ‘Oh, it’s not because I don’t have the right angle - it’s because it’s dark.’
• Operator: ‘Dark??’
• Caller: ‘Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window.’
• Operator: ‘Well, turn on the office light then.’
• Caller: ‘I can’t.’
• Operator: ‘No? Why not??’
• Caller: ‘Because there’s a power failure.’
• Operator: ‘A power……. .. A power failure? Aha, Okay, we’ve got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in??’
• Caller: ‘Well, yes, I keep them in the closet.’
• Operator: ‘Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from.’
• Caller: ‘Really? Is it that bad?’
• Operator: ‘Yes, I’m afraid it is.’
• Caller: ‘Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them??’
• Operator: ‘Tell them you’re too f*****g stupid to own a computer!!!!!’

Since RIM announced their amazing results this quarter I have been hearing so many different stories as to why. These stories range from the logical to the downright fanciful. One news source even blamed it on a chronic BlackBerry addiction sweeping the nation.

My two favorites are the iPhone theory and the carrier theory.

The iPhone theory, repeated by abcnews, states that the iPhone brought quite a bit of attention to smartphones and RIM is benefiting from it. This sounds like something I made up but it seems to have a grain of truth.

The more likely story was related on TheStreet.com by Priya Ganapati. RIM has embraced wireless carriers and forged great partnerships (except for India). They make the carriers quite a bit of money with the high rate plans and addicted users. Once again even this theory is tied to the iPhone due to the fact that they compare RIM’s embracement of carriers to Apple’s take it or leave it approach.

I just thought I would share the second one because the iPhone theory was really starting to get on my nerves.

I was just reading a post on the official Google Mobile blog about Androids first 5 months of existence. Some of these things are stuff RIM should have been doing ages ago. Also note by the way the fact that RIM does not even have an official blog beyond press releases that come days after the news. I guess RIM is not embracing the Social Networking revolution as much as they think they are.

The first thing Android did was release an early look at the Android software development kit (SDK), allowing anyone to learn and start creating apps for the platform. RIM might do this for a developer if they are paying them tons of money. Otherwise they are on their own to wait for the public release.

Feedback from developers has contributed to numerous fixes, improvements, new tools, and major updates to the SDK. Other than the horrible developer forum there is no real way for developers to contribute feedback. Unless you happen to know somebody at RIM or have a support contract your up the proverbial creek. This is especially true with small developers. Even large developers such as Viigo have been waiting months for fixes as simple as allowing them to use the spacebar to go down a page in RSS articles.

Google also setup the Android Developer Challenge, which setup $10 million in prizes for the best Android applications. Is RIM not getting it? All the other major mobile OS platforms have done these challenges and have been met with great success. What are they waiting for???

Feel free to correct me (or even agree with me) in the comments