At the Lotusphere show in Orlando yesterday, BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion demonstrated several new software and services compatible with IBM Lotus Samtime's IM and collaboration package, and with Lotus Domino as well.

These are Convert to Call, Click to Map and Domino Discussion and Databases.

I know you won't want to start your day without knowing the basics of each, so come along now, would'ya?

Surfing the web tonight I came across another site that talks about an upcoming announcement of the BlackBerry 8800 soon.

It was the National Post from Canada. And what did they have to say?


Now I wondered at the mention of RIM launching the White Pearl in February as it is already available from T-Mobile. Maybe it will become available from other providers in February.

However this seems to confirm what we have already seen today, and doesn't need a translation. Those of us who are hooked on the full size BlackBerry may not have much longer to wait.

The website goes on to talk about RIM stock prices and how some people might not want to wait for an iPhone or may prefer the traditional full keypad over the touchscreen.

Google's translation engine ain't exactly perfect, but it seems to get at the edges of facts in a de internet.com article posted today that implies the BlackBerry 8800 will be unveiled February 12 and released sometime in March.

I just love the way Google translates this stuff. It has a rhythmic, almost high-tech pidgin English ring to it.

But you don't want me to talk about the translation. You want me to write about what the translation says.

OK, then, as linked from BlackBerryForums, it reads as such:

I checked RIM's BlackBerry Help website, mobile.blackberry.com, last night, even browsed over the tunes selection a little. I decided to check it out again this morning and noticed the main page changed.

Basically they updated the main page to warn everyone that due to the change in Daylight Savings Time this year if a patch is not applied to BlackBerry software and third party software, like Windows, the time might be off.

It send you to a page that is meant to be viewed on a PC.

The time is set to change in March instead of April.

Click the Read link for the details.

In the non-ignoble name of "greater ergonomic comfort," BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion has filed a U.S. patent application for a rotatable keyboard.

Unlike some more complicated RIM patents that require an engineering degree to understand, this one's fairly simple.

The Abstract for 20070008292, Mobile Device For Rotatable Keyboard, explains what's being proposed:

"A mobile device is provided having a rotatable keyboard. The keyboard is attached to the mobile device and is rotatable in a single plane with respect to the device's housing between a first and second position," the Abstract says. :A plurality of keys are provided having first indicia in a first orientation relating to key functions in the first position and second indicia in a second orientation relating to key functions in the second position.

"The indicia are properly oriented with respect to the user in the first and second positions to display a telephone keypad and an alternate keyboard," RIM says. "The arrangement provides greater ergonomic comfort to a user when entering text. The mobile device can assign functions to each key based on a determined keyboard position and can include a weighted end piece to protect the rotatable keyboard from potential damage due to impact."

Sounds good to me. Looks good to me as well.

But how 'bout you? Would you want a rotatable keyboard?

Dedicated BlackBerry user Paris Hilton, who I read somewhere is heiress to a hotel fortune, has her Blackberry in hand as her facial features bear the tracks of a night of hard partying.

Who'da thunk it?

Last September, I predicted that after the BlackBerry Pearl debuted on T-Mobile, that the carrier would drop their prices on legacy models with the same form factor.

If anything, I underestimated how much Tmo would do so.

There's one thing dropping prices on legacy models. Facilitating enough rebates so that purchasers will actually make money purchasing these devices is something else.

This comes to light in a current Amazon-T-Mobile promotion for the BlackBerry 7105t.

Buy one, sign up, and between the rebates you'll get instantly and the ones you'll get after several months of being nice and paying your bills on time, you'll be $74.99 richer.

Ascendo just announced over on Pinstack there is a new version of Ascendo Photos now available, version 2.6. It is available on Handango for $29.95.

There have been improvements to the thumbnail views, additional icons to associate with your galleries, and address integration when sending your pictures via email.

If that isn't enough when you buy Ascendo photos it now comes with Theme Pack for BlackBerry, a $9.95 when purchased separately.

Also included are three photos from Photo Pack by Scott Roush. The full 50 photo pack is $19.95.

As a side note Ascendo is offering a free copy of the program if you are a native speaker of French or Italian and translate their product description on a first come basis.

One of BlackBerry Cool's readers has just made an iPhone BlackBerry theme.

That's it at the top of this post.

What do you think?

Seido now has an extended battery complete with new back panel available for the BlackBerry Pearl.

The new battery is 2400mAh, which according to Seido provides about 170% more capacity than the batteries the Pearl comes with.

It increases the Pearl's thickness by about 6mm.

Right now the battery is $49.95 and set to be shipped around the 25th or 26th of January.

The price includes the new battery cover that includes cut outs for the speaker, camera, and self portrait mirror.

The website says the battery cover is black, which might be a problem for a white Pearl owner.

Remember my friend who was getting a Pearl? Well he got it Tuesday night.

Having been around me and my BlackBerry madness for a long time he actually drove about half an hour away after getting off work at 10pm to go and pick it up.

So Wednesday he brings it in. He had already downloaded Google Maps, set up profiles, and put pictures of his MyFaves on his Pearl from his PC.

He was asking me how to lock the keys and what memory card I thought he should get.

He is already an admitted BlackBerry addict and he hasn't even had the phone a week. Apparently I know how to pick friends. Or maybe RIM knows how to make an addicting phone.

Pinstacker miles_troope reports that he got to hold a BlackBerry 8800 in his hands. Apparently it is a test BlackBerry with his employer.

What did he have to say about it?

No camera.

It did have WiFi.

It was heavier than he expected, heavier than the 8700. He said it was also very slim.

He did report he was not able to connect it to any WiFi hot spots.

He did not have it around long enough to see how the battery held up under usage.

He commented that it is a larger 8100, the keys are compact, but it wasn't hard to type on. I personally was a little worried after holding an 8100 this week.

One last item of note, the poster is in the UK.

I had a giggle when I found this under What's New on Handango's website.

US Patent, Copyright, and Trademark Laws Quick Study Guide from MobileReference is now available. It is $9.99 regular price, $8.99 for Club Handango members.

You can search for words or phrases, add bookmarks, add text annotation and mark-ups.

The information automatically synchronizes with your PC, allowing you to read on the BlackBerry or PC and transfer your annotations between the two.

With all the various lawsuits involving RIM and other similar devices, maybe this is something they should all download on their BlackBerrys.

QuickPlayer for BlackBerry was announced as being available worldwide on Tuesday.

A new update is that QuickPlayer does work on the 8703e now and it did not before.

QuickPlayer is still free to download and try, but it is $7.95 a month to have the full service. It is billed to a credit card, not to your phone bill.

If you haven't checked it out yet, as most 8703e owners probably haven't, check it out. I certainly will be.

BoxWave posted their new Pearl Desktop Charger on Pinstack for everyone to see.

It supports the high speed USB 2.0 for data transfers. The cradle also comes with an AC adapter for another charging option. It also makes it useful when you don't have your PC or laptop with you.

The cradle without the spare battery charger is $32.95 with a $7.00 web special discount.

The cradle with the spare battery charger will set you back $52.95, also with a $7.00 web special savings.