Recently 5.0.0.348 for the BlackBerry Bold 9000 was leaked. I installed this on my BlackBerry and all was well, until I traveled to the US and put my AT&T SIM card into the device. It then gets into a reboot cycle the minute a network connection is established. I am speculating that something in the AT&T service books is causing the device to reboot. Potentially their service books are not updated to work with this version of OS5 on the Bold.
Compile Problem with Chan_SCCP_B on Asterisk 1.6
December 3, 2009 By 3 Comments
When you try to compile chan_sccp_b on a machine with Asterisk 1.6.0+ installed you receive the following error:
sccp_pbx.c:588: error: ‘AST_CONTROL_T38’ undeclared (first use in this function)
Adding MySQL Privileges to a Subnet…
November 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I spent to day adding new web servers to my employers co-located cabinet, our older ones just weren’t cutting it any more – mainly because they did not have enough memory. Most of the stuff that we run is back-ended by an MySQL database running on a nice fat machine with lots of disks all setup in a RAID-10 configuration, behind our firewall. The web servers are hosted on their own DMZ and connect to the MySQL server via IP through the firewall.
So, for the 100th time, I was writing SQL of the sort:
grant all privileges on wp_mainsite to 'wbusr_mainsite'@'10.0.%' identified by 'Secret';
This works fine, but what if you want to use CIDR to specify a smaller sub-net. I found numerous references to the fact that you can simply use the / notation, as in /12 for the number of network bits. The MySQL documentation, comprehensive as it is, simply does not seem to say how you can do this, other than that you can. After tinkering for a bit, I realized that the only way to achieve this is to use the full sub-net mask in dotted decimal format. So lets say you have a /30 sub-net, starting at 10.1.1.0. To grant this access to the MySQL database you need to specify the grant statement as follows:
grant all privileges on wp_mainsite to 'wbusr_mainsite'@'10.1.1.0/255.255.252' identified by 'Secret';
This achieves what you would like and any machine (or person) using those credentials from an IP on your 10.1.1.0/30 network will have access to the wp_mainsite database.
Don’t just blindly copy this code, you probably don’t want to give a typical web application all privileges on a database, so figure out what your specific needs are and work with that. For more information see the MySQL handbook for the syntax of the grant statement.
Leaked Bold 9000 OS 5.0.0.348 Torrent Found
November 15, 2009 By 2 Comments
A few days back crackberry.com announced that a leaked version of OS 5.0.0.348 for the Blackberry Bold 9000 had been found. Here is a torrent for the firmware file, and it seems to work, so if folks seed you should be able to get a descent copy.
9000M_PBr5.0.0_rel546_PL5.2.0.23_A5.0.0.348.exe.torrent
Disclaimer: remember, this is an untested and unsupported version of the firmware for the BlackBerry Bold 9000. If you have problems with this firmware, you are on your own. Not your wireless operator, RIM or I will be able to help you, so you are flashing your device entirely at your own risk. Also, if you have a company BlackBerry, you may be violating your IT Policy by installing this firmware, and this could get you fired!
Update: This version (5.0.0.348) has been reported by AT&T users to cause a reboot-loop. Check this post BlackBerry Bold 9000 OS 5.0.0.348 Does Not Work with AT&T. Either way, you probably want to take care using this if you are using AT&T in the USA on a Bold 9000
Bell selling the Blackberry® Bold™ 9700 for less than Rogers
November 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I am excited, having just speculated that Telus and Bell will soon also be selling the Bold™ 9700 on their shiny new HSPA networks, I discovered that Bell already are, and for about $70 less than Rogers ($229.95 vs $299.00) subject to 3–Year term.
Unlike Rogers – who incorrectly listed the Bold™ 9700 as the Curve™ 9700 on the detail page of their website – Bell have managed to get all the details correct.
Could this be the first sign of competition on the horizon in the Canadian market?
Rogers Selling Curve Bold 9700 online…
November 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Rogers have listed the Blackberry® Bold™ 9700 for sale online on their website.
The sharp eyed will notice that their advert (don’t know how long this link will work – as they seem to change their site linking regularly) says “Curve” and not “Bold”, but this is clearly a typo. Have to wonder why they would not take more care, particularly with such a much anticipated phone here in Canada, and with potentially killer competition from Bell and Telus, who both have new HSPA networks, and will no doubt be selling this same device within a couple of days here in Canada.
Other interesting things to note is that you have to enslave yourself to a full 3 years to qualify for the $299.99 subsidized price, and of course, this price is only available on a new service activation, and not on an upgrade. I am not much of a businessman, but I do know that it is much cheaper to retain a customer than to acquire a new one, so this strategy (which Telus and Bell both seem to use as well) has always amazed me.
The un-encumbered price is $599.99, which is interesting as the no-contract price for a Bold 9000 is $649.99 while the subsidized price with a new activation is only $99. This makes me think that Rogers seem to think that they will be selling more of these on the no-contract price than on the subsidized price. They may well be right, since I think a lot of Bold 9000 users with phones that are in fairly good shape will be listing them on eBay in the hopes of buying this one for around $300 extra.
A check on eBay reveals that 9000′s in good condition are selling for around $300 unlocked (and unlock will cost you about $30) so that means for the $300 subsidized price offered by Rogers and the $300 you sold your old phone for, gives you access to a brand new one, without a contract. Definitely a better deal, considering you are then free (presumably) to port to either Telus or Bell in the not too distant future if you can find a more friendly plan from them.
Update: Bell have already listed the 9700 for sale in their website and at $70 less than Rogers on a 3–year term
Blackberry Curve (8900) OS 5 (5.0.0.314) Torrent
October 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
And here is a torrent to 5.0.0.314 for the Blackberry Curve 8900 (go here if you are looking for 314 for the Bold)
Disclaimer: Bear in bind, this is unsupported beta software. Do not install unless you know what you are doing. If you load this, and your BlackBerry stops functioning, you have no one but yourself to blame. Not RIM, not your network operator nor I will be able to help you! Also, if you have a company Blackberry, loading this may violate your corporate IT policy and could get you fired!
Blackberry Bold (9000) OS 5.0.0.314 Leaked
October 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Blackberry Review received a smoking tip that 5.0.0.314 for both the Bold (9000) and the 8900 had been leaked. The RapidShare files soon disappeared, so here is a torrent file for the Bold:
9000M_PBr5.0.0_rel489_PL5.2.0.19_A5.0.0.314.exe.torrent
Should make for a better download to the operating system.
Disclaimer: Bear in bind, this is unsupported beta software. Do not install unless you know what you are doing. If you load this, and your BlackBerry stops functioning, you have no one but yourself to blame. Not RIM, not your network operator nor I will be able to help you! Also, if you have a company Blackberry, loading this may violate your corporate IT policy and could get you fired.
Update: If you are looking for one for the Curve 8900, go here.
Update: A new leaked torrent for the Bold 9000 for 5.0.0.348 here…
Blackberry Bold 9700 Officially Out
October 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Folks! The new BlackBerry Bold 9700 formerly known as Onyx has been released!
http://worldwide.blackberry.com/blackberrybold9700
Front of the 9700
Specifically this device has a screen resolution that is slightly higher than the already fantastic Bold 9000. The “pearl” is also gone and replaced with a new trackpad, and most importantly to me, the device is smaller than the Bold. I found that the Bold was just a little too bulky to use comfortable, and you definitly could not just drop it into your trouser pocket.
It is also shipping with the new OS5, you can read a little preview with a bunch of screenshots on 5.0.0.238, a relatively late leaked version for and idea of what it will look like on the 9700.
Now I need to get my hands on one of these, according to Mobile Tech World, we will be seeing it from several carriers in November!
Electric Pig have done a nice review on the 9700 focussing on its smaller form factor and also have a bunch more pictures if you are interested.
Anybody want to buy an unlocked 9000 in perfect condition?
BlackBerry OS 5 Another Look
October 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Research in Motion have been busy working on version 5 of the venerable BlackBerry operating system which seems to be ready to be released on the upcoming Storm 2 and the new Bold (9700).
A few weeks back BGR Reports did a “Hands on: OS 5.0 on the Bold” post. That post was based on 5.0.0.90, and early leaked version of the operating system. At the time I installed 5.0.0.90 on my own Bold, but since I use the phone day to day, I found it just too unstable to actually run on the phone. Also, many of my applications just did not work properly.
Well, OS5 has evolved a lot more since then, and RIM have officially released Messenger 5, the popular PIN messaging application for BlackBerry (and one of the reasons I believe BlackBerry is so popular), giving us a look at the cosmetic updates in OS5, so after discovering 5.0.0.238 leaked on the Internet, and assuming that the .238 meant that this was probably very close to a version that would be released to the carriers, I decided that I should try it out, and write an updated preview.
As BGR pointed out, this is more a refinement of the Interface than a radical overview.
Personally, I have been thinking for a long time that RIM probably need to start writing a completely new operating system for the BlackBerry as this one is probably very quickly reaching its sell-by date. On the other hand, the BlackBerry Interface is now completely familiar to users who have been through many iterations of devices. I remember that I used to only buy Nokia cell phones, simply because I was so used to the Nokia interface that I knew I would be totally at home on a new device the minute I turned it on. The few times I tried something else, I was crushingly frustrated by little things like having the key that places a period in a text message on the other end of the keypad.
Subtle Changes
Press the Blackberry key and you won’t notice much new, other than some minor stylistic changes to some icons that are displayed. The one that obviously stands out to me is the new icon for text messages, which now represents the new conversation based texting.
Familiar look
Threaded Text Messaging
Conversation based, or threaded text messaging, is my favorite feature in OS5 thus far.
Threaded Text Messages (Message List)
Text messages are grouped by conversation, pretty much the same as Gmail does with e-mail, or as you would see in BlackBerry messenger. Open a text message conversation, and it has the same familiar “speech bubble” look that BlackBerry Messenger 5 has. I did initially find the new text message icon that is displayed in the BlackBerry status bar to be confusing — it too closely resembles the BlackBerry messenger icon, but you quickly figure that out.
Threaded Text Message (Conversation Expanded)
Media Manager
The media manager has been replaced by something that I think is a lot more familiar. Gone is the older flashy media manager, and something that looks exactly like the rest of the Blackberry interface.
OS5 Media Manager…
The Memory Use function has been cleaned up and looks quite different to the one in the BGR review of 5.0.0.90, again the look is much more consistent with that of the OS5, nothing major just a refinement.
Memory Use Overview Screen
Something that I did notice is missing, is the program memory statistics. This does appear in the Memory Use screens on the BGR review, so perhaps this has been removed by RIM, as it appears in AppWorld?
Memory detail drill down has also been altered to resemble the rest of the operating system.
Memory USe Detail Drill-Down Screen
On the topic of internal memory. While the Bold has a nice generous 1GB of built in flash, it only has 128MB of program memory. This version of OS5 is around 113MB, so that does really not leave you with a lot of room to install applications in. I have just a few, and I have about 20MB program memory left.
Still on the topic of the media applications. Both the still camera and the video camera have been given nice overhauls. They look much more slick with translucent control overlays, and they also work – subjectively – much more slickly.
New Camera Interface
New Video Camera Interface
The video camera has had a major speed overhaul. I never used it a lot previously on OS 4.6, as anything over 10 seconds resulted in a long “saving file to memory” stage. With the new video camera application that wait is gone, and you can stop and start to record a new video right away. RIM have definitely put some much needed work into this application. Since Messenger 5 can now send files up to 2.8MB I believe, sending short video clips of your cat doing something silly has become practical and easy on the BlackBerry.
Browser and Google Gears
I cannot really notice major changes to the browser. It feels a tad faster — but then that is my whole experience with this version of OS5, the whole BlackBerry feels a lot snappier, from the moment you see the new boot screen till the time you start to click around in the device. After reading about support for Google Gears in the original BGR review, I decided to have a look see and hook it up to this blogs admin page, to see if it actually would work.
Google Gears with Permission Granted to coltoncat.com
Enabling the Turbo function in WordPress quickly cached the files locally (over a Wi-Fi® connection – but still).
WordPress Turbo Caching Files
Application Compatibility
I have tried all the applications that I routinely use on my BlackBerry and all work as one would expect on this build of OS5 — at least as far as I can tell from the briefly testing them. There has definitely been a maturing process from 5.0.0.90 that BGR previewed. Briefly, the following list of apps worked perfectly for me:
- Facebook 1.7.0.18 (By RIM)
- Windows Live Messenger 2.5.27 (By RIM)
- Google Talk 2.5.27 (By RIM)
- Oanda FXConverter 1.0.12
- Google Maps 3.0.2
- Google Mobile App 3.4.16
- Ka-Glom 1.3.0.0 (My current favorite Tetris App)
Would be interesting to find out the application compatibility from others who are using this version of OS5…
Final Thoughts
BlackBerry Home Screen
While you won’t notice wildly new features in this version of BB OS, it is definitely much faster on my Bold. Multimedia just seems to work better and slicker and I love that the video recording function in now actually useful on my Bold.
There is very little application incompatibilities that I have discovered thus far, and I would presume it would be even better in the version that will soon be released to the carriers.
I agree with BGR, the Browser is a little insubstantial and could do with some beefing up, and adding support for Google Gears kind of seems like the last thing that one would look at — heck, Google themselves did not add Gears support for FireFox 3.5 for a long time!
Update: If you are looking for some sources for this and other leaked unofficial versions of OS5, there are links in this post over at Blackberry Cool.
Disclaimer: This is leaked software, so bear in mind if you install this stuff on your BlackBerry and you have issues, you are on your own, so think twice about it if your livelihood depends on it. Also, you may be in violation of corporate IT policy at your place of employment if you mess with this…