Hankerin' for some bona fide push email on your VZW handset, are you? If this is indeed the case, look no further than RemoSync, the latest Get It Now application that enables a handful of the carrier's handsets to get their Exchange-hosted email pushed directly to them. More specifically, those who purchase the app will be able to read, compose, reply, delete, forward, etc. emails, download Outlook contacts and view those immensely annoying calendar events. The pricing structure is quite curious, though. First off, it'll cost you $9.99 per month, and while a data plan isn't required per se, those without one will be charged $1.99 per megabyte (or "airtime") when using RemoSync. For a list of compatible mobiles, tap the read link and give that scroll wheel a few turns.

[Via PhoneScoop]

No sooner than JP Morgan squashes the iPhone nano rumor and gives legs to the 3G hunch, here we have more "Taiwanese sources" shooting off about future Apple and iPhone-related products. Granted, the vast majority of these propositions are bordering on laughable, but the suggestion of an "iPhone for business" isn't too far fetched -- especially considering that Apple has already hinted at appeasing the suits in due time. Additionally, these anonymous voices insinuated that Apple was working on a wireless audio system "that would allow music to be played directly from an iPod, iPhone, or range of Apple computers." We're not saying we believe any of it (yet), but feel free to affix your skepticism filter and hit the read link for the full report.

[Thanks, Steven]

In an aggressive move aimed at wooing the millions of smartphone users who would be interested in owning a BlackBerry -- just not all the time -- RIM will be releasing an innovative piece of software that allows its OS to run inside Windows Mobile 6. To many cellphone addicts this news is the equivalent of Parallels opening up Windows on Apple machines, as Pocket PC phones will not simply be skinned or loaded with BlackBerry Connect, but rather endowed with the full capabilities of a standalone BlackBerry -- including the ability to run third party programs. While so far the virtualization software -- slated for drop this fall, possibly free with subscription -- will only work on Crossbow, it's possible that the company could decide to support other platforms in the future, such as the Palm OS or its Linux-based successor, though no promises have been made. Bottom line is that this looks to be good news all around: RIM gets more unsuspecting users hooked on the Crackberry mentality, consumers can now have the best of both worlds when it comes to hardware / software combos, and even old Microsoft may come out on top, with the new members of the WinMo ecosystem potentially outweighing the flight from Exchange servers.

As we noted last night, BlackBerry email is experiencing a service interruption of massive proportions, with the entire Western hemisphere unable to do the push email thing since 8PM EST on Tuesday. Things were supposed to be patched up by midnight last night, but apparently RIM is still trying to reset the system, and expects the problem to last into the morning. Even once the system is good to go -- and we are starting to here reports of some people getting their email -- it'll still take a while for RIM to process through the backlog of email, and the word is they'll be taking it slow as to not esplode the system again, so for all you CrackBerry addicts out there: you might be in for a wait, our thoughts are with you and your idle thumbs.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: BBC is now reporting that RIM has "most" of its North American network back, and that it's "closely monitoring systems in order to maintain normal service levels." (What were they doing before, playing ping pong?) As mentioned before, some users will experience delays as RIM clears the backlog of unsent emails.

Read - CNNMoney.com
Read - PINStack forums

Alright Treo 650 owners, you can now (carefully) climb off your soap box, as the svelte Exchange ActiveSync Update is now available to treat your very own handset. While Palm had already shoved the update onto the 680 and 700p handhelds, it's now giving the faithful 650 users the ability to revel in Push Email technology too, which is sure to make hard-nosed managers grin from ear to ear. Aside from the newfound support, the update notes here haven't really changed, so if you're interested in having your Outlooked life beamed straight to your Treo 650, be sure to hit the read link and get your download on. Of course, you should probably have your credit card ready as well, as folks with VersaMail 3.5 will be asked to cough up $2.99, while users without the aforementioned software will pay out $12.98.

Just as Grundig is no stranger to the cellphone realm, Linux has seen its fair share of smartphones too, and the B700 marks yet another mobile in which an open-sourced OS is at the helm. Boasting a respectably thin ten-millimeter frame, this handset packs a two-megapixel CMOS camera, MP3 / AAC / video playback, 2.4-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, 2.5-hours of minimum talk time (150+ hours on standby), EDGE / GSM quad-band connectivity, USB, Bluetooth, built-in FM tuner, 100MB of internal storage, and a microSD slot for loading up any excess media. Aside from looking slightly like an antiquated calculator when powered down, the B700 manages to include a POP3 email push client, handsfree speaker, voice recorder, and animated wallpapers as well. Unfortunately, there's no word on future pricing nor availability, but we have our doubts about this thing ever flourishing here in the States.

[Via MobileWhack]

The folks over at O2 have been busy little beavers today, first releasing the HTC Tornado-based Xda IQ, and now posting the Windows Mobile 5.0 AKU update for Xda Atom owners to download. We're sure that we don't need to repeat the advantages of AKU2 again, but since our contracts stipulate that we rehash the deets ad infinitum, we'll remind you that this upgrade adds BlackBerry-like push email through the Messaging & Security Feature Pack (MSFP) along with an improved wireless connection manager, quicker screen orientation switches, and other minor enhancements. Atom owners also get a few device-specific bug fixes with the new firmware, most notably the elimination of the "heartbeat noise" that had apparently plagued some versions of the FM tuner app. For now you'll need your handset's serial number registered with O2 in order to access the download, but it'll probably be just a matter of time before it becomes available on one of the popular cellphone forums.

[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]

As of today, Brits have access to one of the hottest Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphones on the market, thanks to o2's much-anticipated release of the Xda IQ. Better known as the HTC Tornado (or the Cingular 2125 / T-Mobile SDA / Qtek 8310 / Orange SPV C600), this quad-band GSM worldphone sports both Bluetooth and WiFi, a 200MHz processor, 2.2-inch QVGA screen, 1.3 megapixel cam, miniSD slot, and EDGE data capabilities. The best part is that AKU2, with its sweet, sweet MSFP, will be available for download at launch, so customers can get their push email-on right away -- and even their A2DP, thanks to the godsend of a .cab assembled by the good folks over at the xda-developers forum. Even though this handset is already available, our best efforts have been for naught when it comes to finding a price -- a little help, UK readers?

Just as suddenly as it disappeared from the Palm website, the AKU2 update for Windows Mobile 5.0-powered Verizon Treo 700ws has reappeared for download, giving Palm customers access to the push email that they've been so eagerly awaiting. According to Brighthand, Palm pulled the original version of the firmware because of a "glitch" that made some users unable to update. Besides the Messaging and Security Feature Pack that enables synchronization with Exchange servers, the Treo 700w Updater 1.10 also includes some minor tweaks to the device's image and video application, and a new interface for the wireless connection manager.

As if there weren't already practically more push email options than capable phones out there, Alltel ("America's Largest Wireless Network," according to their own dubious claims) is throwing their very own "Office Sync" solution into the ring. The software runs on Palm and Windows Mobile devices, and costs $40 a month, which includes unlimited data. Based on the SEVEN push email platform, Office Sync has both a Personal Edition and Enterprise Server Edition, which cost the same, but offer different functionality and integration.

[Via MobileMag]

In a surprising turn of events, China has decided to create a cheap domestic rip off of a popular product. With RIM finally readying the BlackBerry for its Chinese release, after a couple of years of delays, China Unicom has launched a "RedBerry" service that will offer push email to current subscribers on their existing CDMA handsets. Never the type to shy away from copyright infringement, China Unicom issued a press release stating: "The RedBerry name extends the vivid name of BlackBerry that people are already familiar with, and it also combines the new red symbol of China Unicom." Good to know they're feeling chipper about it. So far there's no word from RIM, but if a lawsuit doesn't end this there could be some stiff competition in the low-end between the services since the RedBerry offering sounds to be considerably cheaper than RIM's.

[Thanks, Paul]

We got a chance to take a good, long look at Samsung's new T719, their SureType-equipped slim flipphone with BlackBerry connect. The 1.3 megapixel camera and slim design are all well and good, but the keyboard is obviously notable for a non-smartphone Samsung device. The BlackBerry integration was so seamless it was actually invisible (emails just showed up in the unified email / SMS / MMS messaging app); the rest of the interface was the usual Samsung UI we've come to know and tolerate like. The handset itself? It was surprisingly light, solid, and the keyboard was bright and tactile. Plus, how can we fault a phone that had "Engadget" in the dictionary (or at least was able to predictively guess our weirdo name)?