RIM Announces its First BlackBerry Flip Phone

Research In Motion (RIM), has unveiled the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smartphone, the first BlackBerry phone to come in the flip form factor. The quad-band EDGE-based BlackBerry weighs 3.6 ounces and measures approximately 3.9 x 1.9 x 0.7-inch. Featuring two high-resolution, light-sensing color displays, the external LCD makes it easy to preview incoming emails, text messages and phone calls without opening the handset, while the large, 240 x 320 internal LCD displays messages, videos and web pages.

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone includes features like Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), support for MP3 ring tones, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing, call forwarding, voicemail attachment playback and enhanced background noise cancellation. It also features a speakerphone and Bluetooth 2.0 for use with hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals such as a GPS receiver.

It features a large SureType QWERTY keyboard, plus provides access to up to 10 supported personal and work email accounts. The DataViz Documents to Go software suite is also preloaded, allowing users to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip is supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, BlackBerry Unite!, BlackBerry Professional Software and BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which provides tight integration with corporate email systems and the security and IT policy controls that enterprise customers require to allow smartphones in their organization.

It features a 2 megapixel camera with flash, zoom and video recording, and includes BlackBerry Maps to deliver maps and step-by-step driving directions. An enhanced HTML browser displays web pages in either "Column View" or "Page View" and different emulation settings allow users to choose between desktop-style HTML content and the mobile version of web pages. The browser also supports RTSP for watching online streaming video from sites like m.youtube.com. 

In addition, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone features built-in Wi-fi (802.11 b/g) with support for UMA (unlicensed mobile access), extending wireless email and data coverage and supporting carrier enabled voice calls over home Wi-Fi networks, enterprise wireless deployments and Wi-Fi hotspots. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smartphone will be available from wireless carriers around the world beginning this fall. 
Specific availability and pricing details will be announced at a later date.

Sony Rolls Out New PS2 Offer

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has rolled out the new series of the PS2 in the Indian market to capture the sales opportunity during Diwali. 

The new PS2 comes in a dual-shade look and sleeker design with the AC Adapter in-built. The console is being introduced at a price point of Rs. 6,490 and with a festive season offer of one free game with every PS2 purchase. Atindriya Bose, Country Manager for PlayStation in India said, "We are excited to introduce the new PlayStation 2 at an attractive and accessible price point for the Indian gamers. For a country like India where there are many gamers just starting on consoles, PS2 indeed plays an important role as the best entry level gaming console."

Sony Ericsson Launches Their First DPF

Sony Ericsson has launched their very first digital photo frame - the IDP-100. 

Touting it as an ideal accessory to their Cyber-Shot mobile phones, Sony Ericsson maintains that photos can be transferred easily from regular cameras too via Bluetooth, USB flash memory, M2 card, micro SD, SD or MS Duo. Photos can be displayed and managed on the 7" frame with the touch sensitive control menu in it. Users have to just view the slideshow options and pick their personal preference. In addition, the Digital Image Correction (DIC), included with the IDP-100 automatically adjusts the images – this includes color correction, tone enhancement and edge enhancement.

"Memories are priceless and irreplaceable", said Jacob Sten, Head of the accessories division at Sony Ericsson. "The IDP-100 Digital Photo Frame is the perfect companion to your Cyber-shot phone and lets you display your favourite moments easily and in high quality for all to see. However, it’s not just mobile phone users that can benefit from the IDP-100. We are proud that the frame receives, stores and displays up to 500 still images through a variety of options. Once uploaded they are automatically rotated, enhanced and re-sized to fit the frame - so that you can enjoy your memories instantly."
The IDP-100 features auto-rotation, inbuilt Bluetooth, can store up to 500 images on the internal memory and has a World clock with three time zones. It is compatible with all phones featuring M2 card, micro SD, SD and MS Duo, USB interface or Bluetooth. Sony Ericsson's IDP-100 will be available in selected markets in Q4 in dark grey.