Look, we know how it is. Waiting, twiddling those thumbs for John Mayer's moment to become one that you too can experience. Thankfully, the Boy Genius has caved to requests to show off what exactly the Bold's browser can do, a point of interest for many, we're certain. There are even a few comparison shots to Mobile Safari just for reference. Overall, things don't look too bad from photographs alone, but hit up the read link to form your own opinion.

The thoroughly-discussed, briefly-available conduit betwixt the realms of RIM and Apple, BlackBerry Media Sync, is now available in a totally official capacity for your downloading pleasure. Owners of Pearls, Curves, and 8800s (and pretty much everything that's released out of Waterloo from here on out, we'd imagine, starting with the Bold) can now snag music and playlists right off iTunes, though DRM'd tracks are naturally off limits. Then again, aren't BlackBerry owners too busy having power lunches, signing contracts, picking out new suits, and generally being important to enjoy trivialities like music on the road?

[Via MobileSyrup]

The Bold is still stealing the overwhelming majority of RIM's spotlight at the moment for a handful of pretty good reasons: one, it's actually been announced; two, it's 3G; and three, it falls in line with the traditional (and loved) BlackBerry form factor. Lurking in the shadows, though, is the KickStart, RIM's very first flip phone, and a device that could end up making a huge splash if it actually manages to launch at the sub-$50 price point that's been making the rounds on the rumor circuit. CrackBerry got a way-early peek at the 8220 version of the device, which follows RIM's typical naming convention by packing WiFi while an 8210 will hold up the GPS side of things (seriously, RIM, how hard can it be to do both?), and overall it seems that the R&D team did its homework from the quick impressions. The SureType keyboard is huge and apparently quite easy to use without making the phone excessively large, though the trackball rests deeper in the shell making it a bit trickier to operate -- you win some, you lose some. The QVGA display is said to be just shy of Bold quality (which is a compliment, considering the killer screen on the Bold), and it's always hard to argue with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Come on, T-Mobile, let's make this happen.

Sorry, T-Mobile yanks, this one actually goes out to your German cousins; we still don't have a Bold commitment stateside from anyone other than AT&T. It's cool, you've got the WiFi Curve, remember? But yeah, back to T-Mobile Germany for a second -- those guys have become the first anywhere to slap a price tag on RIM's latest and greatest, charging €219.95 (about $348) on the carrier's Max S plan and going down from there if you want a heftier voice / data package. T-Mob claims that interested parties will see the Bold pop up in July, which should give you enough time to pick out a nice, rugged case.

[Via Mobile Bulgaria]

Update: Commenter AT points out that TIM already has the Bold pegged at €469 (about $740) -- but like the rest of the world, it's not available just yet.

Boy Genius has landed a BlackBerry Bold -- RIM's big, splashy push into the brave new world of HSDPA -- in production hardware trim, and it looks like the rougher users out there might need a quick lesson in fragile handling if they want to get in on the action when it launches around the world in the next few weeks. The screen is said to be absolutely beautiful (as it should be at 480 x 320), and there's a much improved browser to take advantage of that extra real estate; unfortunately, the whole package apparently scratches up with ridiculous ease, so it's anybody's guess just how long you'll be able to actually see the screen before it's awash in damage. Just remember: keys in one pocket, BlackBerry in the other. Interested parties would do themselves a favor by clicking through to the full review -- the cat knows his BlackBerrys, and he's really gone to town this time around.

If you're a BlackBerry fan feeling the need for relief from the throngs of iPhone lovers, the cats at CrackBerry may have uncovered a solution to your problem. The RIM aficionados have gotten their hands on the first ever live pictures of the phone-maker's touchscreen device -- the Thunder -- and it's looking pretty darn sweet. Feast your eyes on the above photo (featuring the much-discussed "tactile" keyboard), and hit the read link for another look.

Research In Motion's forthcoming BlackBerry Bold just got a little bit closer to reality. The device -- which is said to be making its appearance on shelves around August -- has shown up in the FCC's files, getting the sensuous, loving treatment only the Federal Communications Commission can provide. Want to get deep inside the Bold's situation? Hit the read link and begin your magical journey into SAR validation reports.

Just when we were finished telling you that the BlackBerry Thunder's haptic touch screen keyboard was the greatest thing evar, it turns out that things may be a bit of a mess over in RIM development land. According to one of Boy Genius' sources, the BlackBerry Thunder is lagging far behind on development time and is "in no way shape of form market-ready." And that awesome keyboard? Not so awesome. Reports are that it's annoying to type on and the screen ripples when the touchscreen is pressed. Meanwhile, UI response times are pretty bad, buttons don't click right, and RIM's new touch-and-drag method of selecting items isn't up to snuff. In short, says BGR's source, "Most of the people who have handled it thinks it's a joke." We haven't seen the thing ourselves lately, but if this report is true, it looks like you'll be waiting a while before you get your hands on a Thunder.

According to the folks over at CrackBerry (who, let's be honest, might be a little biased when it comes to a certain brand of cellphone), Research In Motion's upcoming touchscreen phone -- the infamous Thunder -- will feature a virtual keyboard so realistic you'll swear you're sitting in front of 1986 IBM Model M. CrackBerry says "reliable sources" have told them that the device's screen will utilize a number of advanced technologies to create such an effect, including localized haptic feedback, which allows the screen to be literally pushed in while rewarding you with a vibration and click sound, and the option of a full QWERTY or SureType layout (depending on the phone's orientation). We can't speculate too much until we handle the device ourselves, but we're expecting this thing to blow our minds out through the front of our heads. That's not asking too much, is it RIM?

If the old saying that you can't believe everything you read holds true, then it must be doubly so for images you see on the internet. Such is possibly the case in the latest batch of leaked pictures doing the rounds on the old information superhighway. Lately (i.e. today) shots of RIM's new touchscreen phone -- the Thunder -- have surfaced showing off what's supposed to be a new version of the BlackBerry OS (4.7) running its media player. Now we're not saying these pics aren't really real, but what we are saying is that these shots look an awful lot like renders to us, and since no one can verify them beyond an "anonymous source," we're just going to recommend a healthy dose of you-know-what, okay?

[Via MobileSyrup]

A full 25 months after we first heard that NTT DoCoMo was bringing BlackBerry to Japan, the carrier is just now getting around to announcing the launch of BlackBerry Internet Service. Of note, the provider still expects you folks over there to use that trusty (and rusty) 8707h to keep tabs with your corporate email, but at least you'll have bona fide BIS! Anywho, the service will run users ¥3,045 ($29) per month on top of the standard FOMA charges, and in case you're hungry for more, a BlackBerry Data Transmission Package will see the light in September and enable subscribers to "transmit up to 80,000 packets of data per month for a flat charge of ¥1,680 ($16). For those curious, extra data beyond that will run your bill up at the rate of ¥0.0525 ($.00049) per packet.

A pretty believable roadmap for upcoming BlackBerry devices on Rogers has surfaced, and by and large, we're looking at a whole bunch of good news here. First, let's start out with the best: the rumor that Canadians will be able to pick up their Bolds before the month of July is out is still holding strong, with this particular document suggesting that the 25th will see an official announcement followed by in-store availability on the 29th. Next, the KickStart -- RIM's first flip -- should make an appearance in the second half of September, and finally, the Javelin is targeted for the tail end of the year in late November or early December. Happily, this is one of those rare situations where it looks like we'll be getting the good stuff (read: the Bold) first, since the Javelin's rumored to keep 3G out of the equation.

We could tell by looking that RIM wouldn't think of charging too many hundies for its still unannounced BlackBerry KickStart, but $49.99? CrackBerry has it that said flip phone will be selling at T-Mobile for a penny under $50 on a two-year contract, which certainly seems smart given the competition. 'Course, we've nothing to substantiate this with just yet, but take one more look at that chubby side and tell us this thing deserves a triple digit price tag. That's right, you can't.

If you were concerned that you didn't look crazy enough screaming into your phone at business associates, family members, and the guy who does your landscaping, Google has added a feature to Maps for RIM devices which should confirm that yes: you're a total maniac. Available right now for a handful of BlackBerry phones (8110, 8120, US version of the 8130) you can grab Google Maps with voice search, which enables you to find what you're looking for by pressing the left-side button and speaking the name of a business (or location, we assume). Sure it sounds convenient, but think twice before searching for hookers or cocaine out loud -- stock brokers, you have been warned.

[Via Gear Diary]

Rumors persist that RIM has another BlackBerry planned for Nextel's iDEN network -- a network that's aging rapidly, no question, but it still has gobs of relevance in the business world where RIM just happens to keep its bread and butter. Last we'd heard there would be a WiFi-compatible Nextel BlackBerry by the end of the year, and it looks like that window is still basically on track -- though it may slip to early 2009 -- and when it does finally launch, it'll take the form of a Curve with model number 8350. Don't get us wrong, the Curve is a great device by 2007 and early 2008 standards, but if it really does launch early next year, it'll be staring down the barrel of at least one entirely new stablemate, the Bold, and possibly several others as well. 'Course, there are probably plenty of faithful push-to-talkers out there that are thankful just to have any reasonably recent BlackBerry in the pipeline, so three cheers for that, we suppose.