BlackBerry: Google Talk & Local, plus Macs

By Geoff Duncan Published January 12, 2006

Canada’s Research In Motion (RIM) announced today that its wireless BlackBerry email devices will soon be able to send and receive instant messages via Google Talk, and can immediately start accessing maps, directions, and satellite photos via Google Local.

“Instant messaging and local content are two increasingly important areas of focus for mobile applications and we are very pleased to work with Google in extending these two popular Google services to BlackBerry users,” said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at Research In Motion.

Recommended Videos

Google Talk for BlackBerry should be available (for free) during the first quarter of 2006, and will enable BlackBerry users to send and receive instant messages from other Google Talk users. BlackBerry users will be able to create, delete, and rename contacts, be notified when a new message is being typed to them, see their friends’ online status, and save instant message exchanges in memory for future use. Google Talk for BlackBerry users will need a GMail account to access Google Talk

Google Local for mobile is available immediate for BlackBerry, and enables BlackBerry users to view draggable maps and satellite images, plot addresses and routes, obtain driving directions, and find local businesses (and phone them via a “click to call” feature). Google Local for mobile can store addresses users enter or use for directions for quick repeated access.

RIM also announced it will offer the complete version of Information Appliance Associates’ PocketMac for BlackBerry free of charge to Mac-using BlackBerry owners, enabling users to synch data between their mobile devices and Mac OS X Tiger’s core email, calendaring, and contact applications, as well as Microsoft Entourage. The software should be available via RIM’s blackberry.com site in February 2006.

“This licensing agreement will help expand the reach of BlackBerry to another important market segment,” said Mark Guibert, RIM’s Vice President of Corporate Marketing. “There is significant interest in BlackBerry from Mac users and we look forward to delivering PocketMac for BlackBerry to customers around the world.”

Former Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

Deepfake bosses are crashing video calls, and researchers are trying to expose them

Seeing your boss on video no longer proves they are real

Researchers at Fraunhofer SIT are fighting against deepfake meeting video calls

Entering into a meeting with your boss and several familiar coworkers inside a video conference is the next area vulnerable to cybercrimes, and it's all because of deepfake technology. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT are working on a real-time warning system designed to identify attempted fraud during corporate video conferences.

The report states that criminals are increasingly targeting video meetings for identity theft and financial scams, taking advantage of the trust people place in familiar faces and voices. The intention is to flag suspicious activity while the meeting is still taking place. This gives an employee a chance to stop before following an expensive instruction from an AI-generated executive.

Computing

Apple will finally stop making iPhone-to-Windows copy-paste such a chore

Your iPhone may finally copy and paste with a Windows PC like it should

Apple Universal Clipboard feature

Copying something on an iPhone and pasting it onto a Windows PC should be one of the least remarkable features imaginable. While this simple process seems effortless between an iPhone and Mac, Windows users are still left waiting.

Now, Microsoft is formally asking Apple to provide interoperable clipboard access through the company’s European Union interoperability process. The request, submitted on March 25, argues that iOS restrictions prevent third-party platforms from creating an experience comparable to Apple’s Universal Clipboard. Apple has now reached Phase III and committed to developing a solution.

Computing

Chrome wants more extension reviews, but good ratings won’t keep malware out

Google is testing built-in extension review prompts, but good ratings can still hide malware

malicious-google-chrome-extensions-on-web-store

Google is preparing to add extension review links directly inside Chrome, putting feedback closer to the menus people already use to manage their add-ons.

A Chromium change, first spotted by Windows Report, points to review options in the Extensions menu, the chrome://extensions management page, and extension context menus. Only eligible Chrome Web Store extensions in good standing would qualify, and the feature is still under development.