Microsoft is being sued for patent infringement over motion-sensing technology used in its blockbuster gaming accessory, the Microsoft Kinect. Ohio-based Impulse Technology has filed a complaint alleging that Microsoft’s Kinect controller infringes on seven of its technology patents. One patent referenced in the lawsuit covers “wide variety of games where the movement of a player is tracked in three dimensions…and certain exercise games where the motion of the player is tracked to effect movement of a virtual avatar, and the exertion of the user is monitored, including where the tracking of the player is done by the use of a camera.” A separate patent describes an “education system challenging a subject’s physiologic and kinesthetic systems to synergistically enhance cognitive function.” Impulse Technology is seeking a permanent injunction to block the import and sale of Microsoft’s Kinect, and it is also suing Electronic Arts, Konami and Sega for developing Xbox 360 games that utilize Kinect and infringe on its patents. Impulse is seeking damages, treble damages, interest, and attorney fees from Microsoft as well. The Kinect motion-based video game controller has been a smash hit for Microsoft, having set numerous sales records since its launch. This past March, Microsoft announced that it had sold 10 million Kinect controllers since the device’s launch just before the holidays last year.

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That’s right folks, it’s finally time to sit back and watch as Nintendo unveils the console we’ve all been waiting to see: the next-generation Wii. Nintendo’s Wii has been an absolute blockbuster for the storied Japanese gaming giant. The company has sold nearly 90 million Wii consoles to date, but sales have slowed significantly over the past few years as the Wii began to show its age. With features like full HD gaming and controllers with built-in touchscreen displays, Nintendo’s next-gen Wii 2 will be an effort to recapture the early success of the Wii… but can Nintendo manage to appeal to casual gamers and hardcore gamers with a single console? Hit the break for our live coverage of Nintendo’s E3 keynote to find out!

11:43AM:Ok guys, we're making our way through the line to get into the keynote now... just passed through security.

11:47AM:Ok we're all seated here in the Nokia theater. Tons of folks in the house.

11:58AM:Music still playing, we're just hanging out here waiting for the show to get on the road. Nintendo's posting some trivia up on the display.

12:04PM:Thought the music died down a bit there but it was a false alarm. Hoping we get started in just a few minutes.

12:05PM:Lights are dimming down and lots of cheering!

12:12PM:We're watching a long video clip of Zelda 25th anniversary edition. Looked awesome!

12:12PM:Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Legend of Zelda is on stage.

12:13PM:Sorry guys, a little technical difficulties — they have an orchestra playing various jingles from the new Legend of Zelda game right now. It's pretty hilarious.

12:14PM:For Zelda's 25th anniversary, there will be a new game for each of Nintendo's consoles.

12:15PM:The legend of zelda links awakening is the first title in the gameboy color console lineup - can download it today around the world by the day's end

12:15PM:Starting next weekend the Legend of Zelda 3D for the Nintendo 3DS will launch around the world. The graphics have been revamped.

12:16PM:On DSi in September, Legend of Zelda Four Swords will become available as a free download.

12:17PM:In September, on Nintendo DSi, the four-player co-op Four Swords will be available as a free download.

12:18PM:Legend of Zelda Skyward sword will be available this holiday season. There will be Legend of Zelda Symphony concerts around the world.

12:19PM:There will be a legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time CD as well as a Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary concerts. That will be released along with Skyward Sword.

12:21PM:The Zelda team thanks all of its fans around the world and the symphony is playing.

12:21PM:Nintendo's global president Sotoru Iwata is on stage now.

12:23PM:We're about to hear about Nintendo's new home platform. "Deeper and wider." The new platform will provide deeper game experience in even what the most passionate gamer has realized before. They will also be wider, appealing to the complete range of gamers.

12:24PM:The full details will be coming later this morning (lots of laughter).

12:25PM:This year there are bold new experiences coming to Nintendo 3DS and other franchises. Other areas are moving into 3D as well.

12:26PM:We just saw a quick Starfox demo - what we're seeing looks awesome although it doesn't appear to be real gameplay. Instead, just renders.

12:27PM:lots of applause. Now Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo America is on stage.

12:28PM:"You want comfortable, and you want surprise." "Is it fair to ask, is it even possible to deliver, something for everyone?" This is what we are aiming for with Nintendo 3DS. That's coming in several ways.

12:28PM:We've got 5 key ones to show you this week. On the show floor you'll see these games in full 3D. On stage, we can only offer you 2D versions. First is Mario Kart - but now it's a tricked out version!

12:32PM:We just watched a great demo of the new Mario Kart 3D game (out before the holidays), and now he's introducing the new Star Fox game, which will launch this September.

12:32PM:Mario Kart for #DS looks awesome -- there was driving under water, crazy effects, big wheels, even a hanggliver attached to the kart. This is definitely a title I'm picking up ASAP. It will be available this Holiday season.

12:34PM:Nintendo is building Mario ground-up for the 3DS. It looks stellar and we'll be able to play it by the end of the year.

12:35PM:Kid Icarus: Uprising will also be landing on the system. I'm actually blown away by the quality of some of these renders. Nintendo 3DS launched with a so-so game offering and these titles should definitely bring gamers back for more.

12:37PM:Kid Icarus will use the augmented reality cards for conducting battles. It will be in retail later this year, and will also allow 3 v 3 multiplayer battles. Now w'e're seeing Louigi's Mansion 2.

12:38PM:Lots of applause after the Louigi Mansion 2 demo. "It's not a simple revision. It's an entirely new game making extraordinary use of 3D and features not just 1 but several new mansions."

12:40PM:"It's time to show you more of third party developer work." We're seeing Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Ace COmbat 3D, Tetris, Cave Story 3D (lots of cheers), Resident Evil: Revelations (more cheers), Driver Renegade, Pac-Mac and Galaga Dimensions, Tekken 3D, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D (cheering). Wow. We're impressed.

12:40PM:"The library of games coming to 3DS is unprecedented. Downloading the new eShop and browser will move you beyond anything Nintendo has offered digitally before."

12:41PM:This week's update will unlock 10 different 3D trailers and game demos will be available later this year.

12:41PM:We'll get classic titles from Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and older consoles throughe VIrutal Console. For a limited time we'll get 3D Excitebike. That game is 27 years old!

12:43PM:The biggest download news for 3DS concerns one of the biggest franchises in history: Pokemon. For the first time it will spring to life in 3D. Owners of Pokemon Black and White. When you start Pokedex on the 3DS you'll need to collect data via Spotpass, receiving from friends, or by scanning AR markers. Basically, your 3DS will become a Pokedex. Fans will love this.

12:44PM:You can assembles scenes of Pokemon together, save them on an SD card, and load them onto a PC to share with friends. It will be available exclusively through the eShop from Nintendo.

12:45PM:Perform the simple system update and you'll only need a couple of clicks to find the Pokedex. "It's our gift to you." "Nintendo 3DS means social, connection, it redefines interaction, and it delivers it all with a full 3D display."

12:45PM:"You might remember how the Wii name began to make perfect sense when you heard it as "We." It was clear how much fun "we" all had playing together. But in thinking about a new Nintendo system, we knew the prevailing thought would be this: yes the game will be right for all of us, but will it be a perfect fit for you? The answer is absolutely. We're so convinced of it, we put the pronoun in the name. SO today, welcome to the world, Wii U.

12:45PM:It's a system we will all enjoy together. It's tailor made for you.There's a brand new controller! Touchscreen. Looks like a tablet.

12:48PM:You can use the new controller for a ton of stuff -- working with Wii Fit in your hands, or even putting it on the ground and using it as a golf tee. It's amazing! Unlike anything we've ever seen before. Wow.

12:50PM:You can browse with it, share content to your television, draw on it. Control parts of games with it even (like attributes for a character in Zelda). Video chat. Wow.

12:50PM:The controller has a 6.2-inch touchscreen built-in.

12:52PM:All Wii games, controllers, and accessories can be used with it. With Wii Fit, it can display your weight. In gaming, you can access more controls. It will land in 2012. It has ZR, ZL, L, and R, buttons for standard gaming, but also a circle pad, and two control pads. It also has a gyroscope, an outward facing camera, and an accelerometer. "We created it so that the widest variety of games can be supported.

12:54PM:"It was not designed to be a portable gaming system" even though it shares some of the same characteristics. Data is wireless transmitted without latency issues. You can play with your HDTV in the traditional way, or you can place the controller by itself on a table and play smaller games without the need for a TV at all. Games can be structured to use two screens at the same time. We saw an example where people played baseball, golf, and others.

12:55PM:This can include web browsing using hte big screen to share photos and videos found online, or enjoying video chat while watching a TV program. "It's a new structure for home entertainment" The most important factor for gamers is how this structure can be implemented into gameplay.

12:56PM:It's up to developers to decide how they want to use the controller. Nintendo thinks there won't be a shortage of ideas. Our vision will include numerous ways to play.

12:58PM:Nintendo will be making Smash Brothers for Nintendo 3DS and WiiU to work together on both platforms. Wow that's amazing - lots of applause. Smash Brothers will be developed for both and will work together in some fashion. "This is a product for the future, but here in LA there's WiiU software to play this week."

12:58PM:This week we're providing tangible proof [this works]. In the convention center we'll find 8 different experiences. They aren't prototypes, just interactive demonstrations.

1:00PM:We're supposed to be seeing a demo of what it can do but it's basically just a video of a bird flying. Are we missing something here?

1:02PM:"Something that looks like Super Mario Brothers Wii is being called New Super Mario Brothers Mii. Your Mii plays right alongside Mario and you can watch the action on either screen." "There's a new "Chase Me" form of multiplayer. That world looks different if you have a Wii remote or another controller. If you have the new controller you have a birds-eye view of those chasing you." This seems odd to us, we'll have to see it live to see what Nintendo means here.

1:03PM:"These are prototypes not just actual games." "Nintendo will publish Lego City Stories" for the WiiU. Lego City Stories, a new open-world game packed with action, humor, and a whole city of Lego vehicles, is coming exclusively to WiiU and Nintendo 3DS. "Developers all over the world see a vast promise in WiiU."

1:05PM:Developers see it as a way to make games they were never really able to make before. Darksiders II will be on the console at launch, as will a version of Tekken. Batman Arham City will launch. Assassin's Creed is coming, too. Ghost Recon Online ( Tom Clancy's), too.

1:05PM:EA sports also coming to the new console.

1:06PM:Now we're seeing some demos of those games. The graphics look great, particularly in Ghost Recon Online.

1:08PM:Ninja Gaiden will also be making an appearance. Seriously we're blown away here, this looks like a totally new way to game.

1:09PM:"This is just the first pass. We've got a lot to look forward to when they arrive in final form." "It can satisfy all tastes." "We have invited Electronic Arts to join us on stage."

1:09PM:CEO of EA John Riccitiello is now on stage.

1:11PM:"We look forward to seeing great new EA content" on the new controller. "Imagine a shooter like Battlefield with Jaw-dropping graphics brought to you on a Nintendo system - that breakthrough controller." Imagine those games with an open online functionality" for downloading additional content.

1:11PM:"We're changing games from the thing that you buy to a place that you go. It's a better platform than we've ever been offered by Nintendo."

1:12PM:"We can't wait to see EA games on this new system."

1:14PM:There will be hands-on with 8 WiiU experiences at the convention center, which we'll definitely be checking out!

1:14PM:"I want to conclude this morning by asking you to consider four platforms. Nintendo DS, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U. Each is unique, but they share a common pedigree: it's called, innovation. The two screens and touchscreen of Nintendo 3DS changed gaming. The motion controller of Wii changed gaming. Last year in this theater you found out that glasses-free 3D could change gaming. And now, there's WiiU. This week you'll have a chance to hold WiiU's new controller in your hands and find out what happens when a second window opens to your world. Our presentation this morning is just the beginning. The experience begins right now, whether you're hear in the theater or at home."

1:15PM:"In short, at home, or onsite here in LA, you've got incredible new game worlds to explore this week. ON behalf of all of us, thanks for your attention today, and let the exploration begin. Enjoy the show."

1:18PM:That's it for us folks! Mad house rushing out of here to check out the new gear. Thanks for joining!

There is quite a bit of Internet showmanship that takes place every year on April 1st. Tech companies and blogs — present company excluded — try and swindle users and readers into believing, if only for a moment, that a new, slightly outlandish product or feature is on the way. Google is a frequent offender on April Fool’s Day, and last week the company’s homepage was waxing poetic about its Google Motion service. The faux feature was said to allow users to control Gmail using their computer’s built-in camera and body movements. One week later, University of Southern California scientists, aided by a Microsoft Kinect, have turned the prank into a reality. Leveraging movement tracking software already in the works, the school’s Institute for Creative Technologies demonstrates in a video exactly how Google Motion could work. It’s humorous, interesting, and funny, all at the same time. The video is awaiting your scrutiny after the break.

[Via Business Insider]

The milestones just keep on toppling… Microsoft on Wednesday announced that its popular Kinect motion controller for the Xbox 360 has sold 10 million units since its launch ahead of the 2010 holiday season. On top of accessory sales, Microsoft has also sold 10 million stand-alone Kinect games. The company announced its first Kinect sales milestone — 2.5 million units — just after Black Friday, and it sold over 8 million Kinect units in its first 60 days of availability. And now… the 10 million-unit milestone has been achieved. The numbers are beyond impressive, of course, but they’re also world records as it turns out. Guinness World Records has decreed that the Kinect now holds the title of “Fastest Selling Consumer Electronics Device.” Hit the break for the full press release.

Microsoft Announces 10 Million Kinect Sensors and more than 10 Million Kinect Games Sold to Date

LONDON –9 March 2011

Following one of the biggest launches in consumer electronics history, Kinect for Xbox 360 continued its momentum in 2011 reaching 10 million Kinect sensors sold worldwide to date. Not only were sensor sales an overwhelming success, but Kinect drove significant game sales with more than 10 million standalone Kinect games sold worldwide to date.

Guinness World Records: Kinect for Xbox 360 is Fastest Selling Consumer Electronics Device

In a nod to the recent sales success of Kinect, Guinness World Records has officially named Kinect for Xbox 360 the fastest selling consumer electronics device, which sold an average of 133,333 units per day for a total of 8 million units in its first 60 days between 4 November 2010 and 3 January 2011. The record confirmation comes just after the latest release of the Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer’s Edition, which features dedicated sections to Kinect.

“The sales figures here speak for themselves,” said Gaz Deaves, Gaming Editor for Guinness World Records. “According to independent research, no other consumer electronics device sold faster within a 60-day time span, which is an incredible achievement considering the strength of the sector.”

More transformative Kinect games and entertainment experiences to come

While the accolades continue to roll in for Kinect, there is still so much more controller-free entertainment to be enjoyed for the 50 million Xbox 360 owners worldwide. Beginning this spring, get ready to play more games, watch more movies and TV shows, and enjoy more social experiences with Kinect for Xbox 360 including:

· Avatar Kinect. Coming this year, Avatar Kinect is a new social entertainment experience on Xbox LIVE that brings your Avatar to life. Using the power of Kinect, control your Avatar’s movements and expressions – when you smile, frown, nod and speak – your Avatar will do the same. With Avatar Kinect, you can hang out with up to seven friends in a variety of creative themed environments and capture animated videos that you can share via Facebook. Whether friends getting together to socialise, social networkers looking for new ways to speak to their community or just fun reenacting your favourite movie lines, Avatar Kinect opens up a whole new world of creativity and social interactivity.

· “Body and Brain Connection” (NAMCO BANDAI Games). Developed under the supervision of renowned Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawahima, “Body and Brain Connection” challenges players of all ages to exercise both their minds and bodies with fun, fast-paced mini-games ranging from math, logic and memory to reflex and physical-orientation exercises using the full-motion capabilities of Kinect for Xbox 360. “Body and Brain Connection” is now available on Xbox 360.

· “Michael Jackson The Experience” (Ubisoft). Featuring songs from Michael Jackson’s extensive catalogue, as well as an array of his signature, awe-inspiring dance moves, “Michael Jackson The Experience” is the ultimate interactive game that enables players to be the star of the show, with no controllers or microphones required. “Michael Jackson The Experience” will be available on Xbox 360 beginning 15 April.

· “Child of Eden” (Q Entertainment/Ubisoft) – Winner of several E3 awards, “Child of Eden” is a multi-sensory shooter from the mind of renowned game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi that will send players diving into a kaleidoscopic matrix of synchronised music and mind-blowing visuals. Since “Child of Eden” was designed with Kinect for Xbox 360 in mind, only on Xbox 360 players will experience the controller-free magic that provides a new dimension of immersion when the game launches later this year.

· “The Gunstringer” (Twisted Pixel Games). From the developers that brought you award-winning hits like “Splosion Man” and “The Maw” comes an all-new Kinect-exclusive title, “The Gunstringer” for Xbox LIVE Arcade. Take control of an undead marionette in an epic Wild West stage production that requires your puppeteering and quick draw shooting skills to exact revenge on the Gunstringer’s enemies – all controller-free. “The Gunstringer” will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade this spring.

· “Kung Fu Panda® 2 video game” (THQ). Po the Panda is back and ready for another epic, action-packed adventure in the “Kung Fu Panda 2 video game.” The kung fu action is taken to a whole new level with the addition of Kinect as players pick up where the movie sequel leaves off, helping Po and the Furious Five use full-body kung fu moves to save kung fu forever. The “Kung Fu Panda 2 video game” will be available on Kinect for Xbox 360 this May in line with the theatrical release.

· “Carnival Games: Monkey See, Monkey Do” (2K Play). The “Carnival Games” series is back with exciting new ways to play! Available exclusively for Kinect for Xbox 360 on 15 April, this full-body experience features 20 new family-friendly games and attractions that bring the midway to life, including Alley Ball, Shark Tank and a Monkey Barker dance-off, as well as interactive prizes and surprises!

· “Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster” (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment). Available this autumn, kids and parents will embark on an uplifting and funny family adventure exclusively on Kinect for Xbox 360. Join Cookie Monster, Elmo and other Sesame Street characters as they explore a living storybook titled “Once Upon a Monster.” Meet zany new monster friends, help them solve their problems, forge friendships, and learn important life lessons along the way.

During Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show this evening, Microsoft confirmed some pretty outstanding sales figures for the Kinect sensor. The company’s initial projections at launch time set Kinect sales goals at 5 million units by the end of 2010. Today, Ballmer confirmed that Microsoft not only exceeded that projection — the company crushed it. Over the Kinect sensor’s first 60 days of availability, over 8 million units were sold. Xbox 360 users have spoken… Kinect is a smash hit.

Although it has been available in a beta version for the past several weeks, BlackBerry Desktop Manager 2.0 for Mac had yet to be given an official release date by maker Research In Motion… that is, until today. RIM has made version 2.0 of its desktop suite for Mac official. The update brings with it Wi-Fi music syncing, a new device switch wizard, and the ability to import and sync both photos and videos with iPhoto and iTunes. Desktop Manager 2.0 clocks in at just north of 40MB and is available as we type. Hit the read link to download the new goodies.

Read [Announcement] Read [Download]

Today, Research In Motion announced that it has “opened the BlackBerry App World vendor portal to begin accepting BlackBerry PlayBook apps from developers.” The company has yet to communicate a release date for the highly-anticipated tablet.

“Interest and momentum behind the BlackBerry PlayBook continues to build and we are thrilled with the positive response from both the developer community and our customers,” said Tyler Lessard, RIM’s VP of Global Alliances & Developer Relations. “We are very pleased to be working with developers in advance of the product launch and the opening of BlackBerry App World to accept BlackBerry PlayBook apps is an important next step.”

The press release also noted that developers who “submit a qualifying BlackBerry PlayBook app that is accepted into BlackBerry App World prior to the initial product launch in North America” will receive a free PlayBook for their efforts.

There you have it developers. Submit early, submit often, and stake your claim to a free PlayBook!

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Today, Research In Motion announced that the cryptographic kernel of its BlackBerry 6 mobile operating system has earned the FIPS 140-2 security certification. FIPS, or Federal Information Processing Standard, is a classification used by the U.S. — and others — to validate the security of a computer system’s cryptographic services. The certification officially green-lights the OS for use by government employees handing “sensitive but unclassified” information. Just another security feather for RIM’s proverbial cap.

[Via CIO]

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Following the biggest shopping weekend of the year, Microsoft announced Monday that it has sold over 2.5 million Kinect sensors in less than one month of availability. Shortly after launch, Microsoft announced that it had sold over 1 million units in under two weeks. Thanks to the Black Friday shopping weekend, Microsoft has increased its sales pace since then — the highly anticipated motion-based controller is now selling approximately 107,000 units per day, up from 90,900 per day during its first 11 days of availability. While the numbers are quite impressive so far, this does make us wonder if Microsoft’s goal of selling 5 million units by the end of the year is looking a bit lofty right now. With less than a month until Christmas and the biggest shopping weekend of the year behind us, Microsoft is only half way there. If the company can somehow manage to keep up its current sales pace, however, Microsoft will smash its projections along with even the most generous analyst estimates.

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We have played with Microsoft’s Kinect before, but now that we have it hooked up in our own living room, we dove a little deeper. Kinect launched today as we all know, and it’s destined to become one of the hottest buys this holiday season. The hype, to put it mildly, was absolutely off the charts leading up to today, so exceptions are sky high. Will Kinect rise to the challenge and deliver the revolutionary gaming experience we all expect, or is Microsoft going to have a millions of disgruntled gamers on their hands this holiday season? Read on, and see what we think after a day of action with Kinect.

The set up process wasn’t as involved or as intricate as we thought, and literally within 7 minutes from ripping open the cardboard-packed black glossy Kinect unit we were up and interacting with the gaming system. The Kinect is perched atop a motorized stand that automatically adjusts to your position as you move closer or further away from the unit. In addition to the main video camera in the middle of the device, there are sensors on either side (IR and depth) and four separate microphones to help with voice recognition and background noise elimination.

We tested three games over the course of the day, and all three were fun to play. The star of the show, without question, was Dance Central. It’s probably the best Kinect game out on the market on launch day. Think of it as Rock Band for dancing. It’s basically pretty simple, yet it’s a tremendous amount of fun — even if you just plain suck at dancing… not that we suck at dancing or anything.

Both the technology behind the physical attachment and the software that’s processing everything seem to be truly next-level — until you really start playing with it.

Interacting with Kinect for Xbox 360 was a great experience. However, as we move further and further from an actual controller, things start to get a little messy. With the Nintendo Wii, there might have been some issues with the Motion Bar not seeing the controllers properly, or possibly not detecting them perfectly; but with the Kinect, that physical controller layer has been removed completely. While the concept is novel, it also means that the Kinect system is going to misinterpret movements in a lot of cases. Because labs are forced to make controls very general rather than precise, they effectively have to dumb down most games in order to use this new motion-controlled interface. If players are throwing a ball, for example, they can’t really control what direction it’s throw in or even how hard since there isn’t an accurate means of judging velocity. Kinect just knows that the player made a throwing gesture.

Kinect is a big step for Microsoft, and a huge new product for the Xbox division and company as a whole. We’re pretty confident Microsoft will continue to improve and refine the Kinect product. The potential for greatness is definitely there, and once Microsoft makes some key improvements, Kinect will probably be the most exciting product in the gaming category. Right now it’s definitely not a replacement for a physical controller, but we sure as heck had a lot of fun playing.

As you can clearly see, no, we didn’t snag the royal purple BlackBerry Style, but Sprint and RIM were nice enough to hook us up with a steel grey (also known as black) unit, and we’re up and running. After a quick Enterprise Activation, the emails are flowing like wine. But there are no beautiful women instinctively flocking like the salmon of Capistrano — yet. Here are some of our first impressions on the device we exclusively showed the world way back in April:

• It’s not as big as we figured it would be. The BlackBerry Style is a little thick, but not overly hefty, and definitely manageable.
• The keyboard is… not as great as we hoped, and expected, it to be. It’s good, more than usable, but it feels a bit like the Torch’s keyboard — not enough travel tactility. Maybe we’re spoiled by our Bold 9780, but even though the keyboard isn’t as good, it’s most probably better than your current phone’s QWERTY keyboard, so that’s a plus.
• The screen is just what you’d expect; you don’t really notice the fact it’s a lower-than-optimal resolution due to the fact that the screen size is much smaller than on the BlackBerry Torch. Also without a touch layer, the display looks a little thinner and sleeker. Colors look good, crisp, and clear.
• The external display by default when closed is a clock, and when you receive messages, you can simply page through them without having to open the handset, just like on the Pearl Flip. Definitely a nice feature.
• Here is what we’re not in love with in our limited time with the Style… talking on the phone. With the device flipped open, the ear speaker doesn’t fit right against your ear and face. It’s on a diagonal angle because the phone’s hinge sits under the body of the phone. For example, instead of the hinge forming a straight V-shape, the flip part sits under the main part of the phone, and this recessed hinge design doesn’t offer the most comfortable phone talking experience. We’ll let you know if we get used to talking on it more in our review.
• The camera is pretty decent, seems as if it’s the same sensor as the one in the BlackBerry Torch and the BlackBerry Bold 9780.
• There is a non-button in place of the left convenience  key button and it’s kind of irritating. Not because there is anything wrong with it, but because it looks like a button would work there, and you’re left with only the right convenience key as a result. [Update: it's the cover for the microSD slot]

All in all, for a $99 (with contract) BlackBerry smartphone rocking 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, a 5 megapixel camera, BlackBerry OS 6, a QWERTY keyboard, and more, it does feel like an improvement over the Curve series in many ways. Especially for the younger, hipper demographic, the BlackBerry Style doesn’t feel too much out of place in that context. We just wish Sprint and RIM would have launched a slightly less expensive BlackBerry data plan (just email and BBM) with the Style — those high schoolers, and their parents, wouldn’t be able to resist the new 9670. It goes on sale October 31st on Sprint.

Click on over to our BlackBerry Style 9670 hands on gallery!

Back on the 14th of September, Verizon Wireless announced that the BlackBerry Curve 9330 would be available for purchase in the “coming weeks.” After almost a month, it looks like the time has finally come. Today, the Curve 9330 subtle appeared in the Verizon online store in a not-so-subtle fuchsia color. The device, which has 3G, Wi-Fi, and BlackBerry OS 5, will retail for $29.99 with a 2-year contract.

Thanks, Joe!

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Hey, what do we have here? One of our Verizon sources was kind enough to send us this piece of intel regarding Verizon Wireless and BlackBerry 6. It looks like the company plans of having an “interactive launch” of the BlackBerry 6 operating system on Thursday, October 14. The word interactive makes us think that the actual software bits may not be available, however, at minimum, this indicates a BB6 launch is right around the corner. We’ll keep digging and report what we find.

Today, AT&T announced that they will begin selling the BlackBerry Curve 3G and BlackBerry Pearl 3G in time for the holiday buying season. The Curve 3G (9300) will be available on an unspecified date — before December 25 — and will retail for $99.99 with a new 2-year contract (no mail in rebate required). The Pearl 3G (9100) will be available starting October 17 in stores and online and will retail for $149.99 on-contract (again, no rebate required). The devices will add to AT&T’s BlackBerry lineup which also includes the Bold 9700 and Torch 9800.

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Well, here is what we have confirmed: the keynote today, delivered by Mike Lazaridis, will focus on the next generation tablet OS platform. It won’t focus or really feature any hardware, unfortunately. Our source said it would be unlikely for RIM to announce the mysterious tablet device during a developer event. We agree. Is it possible there will be a shot of hardware on a slide during the presentation, or even a non-working device somewhere? It’s possible, but again, this will be about the platform, the developers, and software. Don’t count on a device announcement/availability.

Separately: we have heard the tablet OS is a pretty long way away from being completed. Also, the QNX-based OS that is rumored to extend to the traditional BlackBerry lineup is barely even started at this point; since internally it’s not confirmed that it will in fact power BlackBerry smartphones. We have also been told porting all of RIMs advancements like battery optimization, email compression, BES integration, etc. is a very tedious process.