BlackBerry Magnum vs BlackBerry Onyx

The BlackBerry Magnum is the rumored next generation BlackBerry smartphone. It is said to feature a Blackberry Storm-like touchscreen as well as a full QWERTY physical keyboard like the BlackBerry Curve, and may be the United States version of the Storm.


The Magnum will be part of the 9000 series, specifically, the Blackberry Bold 9220.
It is unclear when the BlackBerry Magnum will be released. Unlike the Magnum, Blackberry Onyx does not have a touch screen, although some remains of an interesting Blackberry, because its technological specifications include the same optical trackpad for the first time used on BlackBerry Gemini.
BlackBerry Underground appeared on, the picture shows exactly BlackBerry Onyx 9020 and the Gemini in comparison. The smartphone will integrate 3G connectivity, GPS, Wi-Fi and a screen resolution of 480×360 pixels.
Rumors of the BlackBerry device model with the codename "Onyx" have been floating around for a while now and were proven legit when the first photos of it surfaced here at CrackBerry back on May 10th. It always seems that every new BlackBerry smartphone makes a compromise somewhere on its specifications and feature sheet - be it the Bold's camera, or the Curve 8900's lack of 3G, or the Tour 9630's lack of WiFi, or the Storm's lack of memory and snappy OS.
RIM has finally packed it ALL into one device with the Onyx -- 3G, WiFi, GPS, 3.2 megapixel camera - and they've done it in a tight form factor. If you put the Onyx side by side with the BlackBerry Bold and compare the specs, you realize the triumph in engineering RIM has accomplished here. So if you're relaxing this Memorial Day weekend, grab a bevvie, sit back and read on to see tons of photos, a video and some first impressions of the BlackBerry Onyx.

RIM to BlackBerry Admins: Beware New BES Security Flaw Read

BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) has issued a critical security advisory related to a flaw in its BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) software that could enable hackers to execute malicious code and hijack infrastructure. The vulnerability is currently ranked as both a 9.2 and 5.7 on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 representing the most critical flaws.

The vulnerability relates to the PDF distiller component in the BES BlackBerry Attachment Service, which controls the way PDF files are handled in a BES environment. The PDF distiller is a problem area for RIM and its BES software; a variety of security flaws have been identified within the component during the past years, and RIM has issued a number of similar advisories, most recently last July.

BlackBerry administrators running BES 4.1 service pack 3 (v4.1.3) or higher should visit RIM's server download page immediately to update their software and resolve the issue. BES 4.1.2 and earlier is not affected by the flaw, RIM says.

The new vulnerability is ranked as both a 9.2 and 5.7 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), because tools to help combat the issue are available from Microsoftfor Windows BES software, reducing the threat level in some cases.

Earlier this week, RIM released BES 5.0 SP1 for both Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino. BES 5.0 SP1 users should also visit RIM's server downloads page to install the required security update, according to RIM.

From the security advisory:

"Multiple security vulnerabilities exist in the PDF distiller of some released versions of the BlackBerry Attachment Service component of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. These vulnerabilities could enable a malicious individual to send an email message containing a specially crafted PDF file, which when opened for viewing on a BlackBerry smartphone that is associated with a user account on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, could cause memory corruption and possibly lead to a Denial of Service (DoS) condition or arbitrary code execution on the computer that hosts the BlackBerry Attachment Service component of that BlackBerry Enterprise Server."

RIM recommends updating affected BES software immediately, and admins may also choose to disable PDF processing in the BlackBerry Attachment Service. Specific instructions on how to do so are also available on RIM's site, along with general BlackBerry security information.

RIM also identified another less-severe bug in some versions of its new BES 5.0 SP1, which causes users' address book listings to disappear after the 5.0 SP1 upgrade. The BlackBerry-maker has not yet issued an official fix for this problem, but additional information and a workaround can be found on RIM's site.

Copyright (c) 2009, IDG News Service. All rights reserved. IDG News Service is a trademark of International Data Group, Inc.

BlackBerry Storm: How to Removing IT Policy

From Blackberry Insight

WARNING!
Follow these instructions only if you know what you are doing.
These instructions can actually downgrade certain BlackBerry’s abilities (i.e. permanent loss of support for Bluetooth keyboards) if your BlackBerry actually does not already have an IT policy installed. These instructions are meant as a last resort to regain BlackBerry capabilities, in the event your BlackBerry is encumbered by a restrictive leftover IT policy after removal from a BES. (i.e. eBay purchased BlackBerry)

Removing IT Policy.

This is a How-To for removing IT policy from your BB. In essence, what this does is apply a blank IT policy to the device. The blank IT policy does, unfortunatly, leave some IT policy firewalls in place, however. For instance “keystroke injection” is set by default to “deny” on most IT policies. This blank policy won’t give back “allow” for this feature. This becomes a problem if you desire to use a Bluetooth keyboard. You’ll be unable to use the keyboard. If a way is found to get this back then I’ll edit this post accordingly. A quick check to see if your BB is under IT policy can be done by going to Options/Security on your Device. If you see any references to IT Policy whatsoever, then you have a potentially restrictive IT Policy that can be removed.

The Disclaimer/Intended Use.

This guide is intended for use by people that own their own Blackberry, and for whatever reason, have inherited a company’s IT policy on their device. Really, there are two scenarios where this guide is useful. You bought a Blackberry on eBay and are unable to make changes to the settings or install Third Party Applications. You have a Blackberry that was previously connected to a company’s BES and, for whatever reason, you no longer intend to connect to that BES.
Important: If you’re still connected to a company BES, and simply want to install the latest and greatest third party application I would not recommend this approach. Talk to your BES administrators and ask them to grant you the appropriate rights. There are two problems in using this guide to bypass your company’s security policy. First, whenever you reconnect to the company server, your security settings will revert back to how they were. Second, and perhaps more importantly, you run the risk of getting fired.

Procedure:

1. Ensure the Blackberry Desktop Manager is installed using Blackberry Internet Service, and not Blackberry Enterprise Server. If you are unsure, it would probably be a good idea to uninstall the Desktop Manager and start again. If you don’t have the CD that came with your Blackberry, the Software can be downloaded here.
2. Download the file policy.bin and save it in your Blackberry installation directory (C:\Program Files\Research In Motion\BlackBerry).
3. Wipe your Blackberry, creating a backup if necessary. Select Options/Security/Wipe on the Device. If this option is unavailable, you may have to install the latest software on your Blackberry. You need to Download and install the latest OS for your device. Connect your device, open the Desktop Manager, select Application Loader, and follow the prompts.
4. Close the Desktop Manager if it is open.
5. Step 5
   

* From the Windows XP Start Menu select Run…, and at the prompt type regedit. In the tree on the left hand side, navigate to:
* HKEY_Current_Users\Software\Research In Motion\BlackBerry\PolicyManager
* Right-Click the Policy Manager Folder and select New/String Value. Name the value Path. Now, Double-Click the Path Subkey and set Value Data to:
* C:\Program Files\Research In Motion\BlackBerry\policy.bin
6. Open the Desktop Manager.
7. Connect the Device. Verification

Once complete, the Options/Security screen on your Blackberry should not contain references to an IT Policy, you should now be able to change all settings (including password prompts), and install Third Party Applications.

How To View your BlackBerry Storm Signal in Decibels

To view your BlackBerry Storm signal in decibels instead of bars using this secret code.
1. Flip the phone into Landscape Mode.
2. From the Home screen, press and hold the !?123 button to enable numlock.
3. Press Menu and select Show Keyboard.
4. Type ! , ” “
Your signal will now be displayed as a number in decibels. To switch it back to bars, simply repeat these steps