Triangle Trip

For the past couple of weeks, I have seen Apple’s iPhone ads touting the iPhone and the OS 3.0’s new features — which aren’t really new to the mobile world. Apple has been touting its new iPhone can do:

1.  cut and paste
2.  voice dialing
3.  video recording

These marketed features have been available to me since February 2007 when I got my first Blackberry Pearl. With my previous Blackberries, I have been able to cut and paste since 2005. With my Blackberry Pearl in 2007, I had voice dialing features. With a push of a button (left hand side by default on the Pearl), I could tell my Blackberry to “Call John Smith Mobile.” The voice recognition software was reliable.

As for multimedia recording and playback… With my Pearl and even older Blackberries (i.e., the 8800), you can record video, download MP3/MP4 and it has a removable mini SD slot. You can probably get a 4GB mini SD cards on sale for under $10. What is the size of the Apple iPhone’s hard drive?

Finally… I can even watch live TV via my Blackberry.  Something Apple nor AT&T could do today.

So… What the innovation behind the new iPhone and its new features?  I am still trying to figure that out. What’s so fast about it when its running on AT&T, its (lack of) service partner. Apple is getting too comfortable as a market leader and falling into the Microsoft trap. Instead of inventing new products, it is trying to market its way to profitability. Ironically this is the version 3 of Apple’s iPhone OS or is this Windows 3.0 🙂   Didn’t Apple management say something about Microsoft’s lack of innovation back in 1990?

Captain G is contemplating if he should write a letter the Steve Jobs and warn him about this issue. Alternatively, I could also write a letter to RIM’s Board of Directors blasting management’s lackluster marketing efforts in 2007. RIM has also been too comfortable with its corporate accounts and still does not have a real answer to the iPhone (the Storm is not quite there).

For everyone’s reference, here are three screenshots from my Blackberry Pearl:

I have been asked by many of my associates (fellow Crackberry addicts) on how they can dial a phone number when the recipient company only gave you letters as their phone number, i.e., 1-800-FLOWERS or 1-800-GO-FEDEX. With a traditional mobile (or your home) phone, there are letters that correspond to a number, i.e.,  the letters A, B, C is represented by the number 2 on the phone. So 1-800-GO-FEDEX would mean Fedex’s phone number is:  1-800-463-3339.

The Blackberry does not have a conventional phone dial pad. So how do you dial letters this on the Blackberry?

The answer is simple. Your Blackberry is SMART!!! It knows what you are trying to do when it comes to dialing phone numbers.

If you have a full keyboard Blackberry like a Curve, just hold down the ALT key (bottome left) when you need to type a letter. For 1-800-FLOWERS, go to the phone screen and type 1800 then hold down the “ALT” key and type in “FLOWERS.” The result can be seen below:

If you have a Pearl or an older Blackberry without a full QWERTY keyboard, use the same approach as the Curve (as if you are typing an email). The “ALT” key is also located at the bottom left of the keyboard (next to the SYM key). SureType is also automatically disabled as each key on the Pearl represents two letters.

There’s a part two to this question as well…

How do you “dial by name” when you are routed to the a company directory?  For example, you called a hotel and it has an integrated phone system to allow you to dial by guest by last name. The answer is also simple. Use the same method. Your Blackberry is SMART!!!