Pearl Flip Is First BlackBerry That Folds Up

Research in Motion Ltd., the maker of BlackBerry phones, revealed today a phone that folds in half, a departure from the slab-like design that has defined its products.

The long-rumored phone will be called the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, and will be available from T-Mobile USA and with overseas carriers later this year, at an undisclosed price.

The “flip” or “clamshell” design, where the display and keyboard are separated by a hinge, is a popular one for conventional cell phones, particularly in the U.S. Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive of RIM, said 70 percent of handsets in the country have this shape.

“Bringing this form factor to the smart phone category is, we think, very special,” Balsillie said.

“Smart” phones expand the features of a regular phone with applications like Web browsing and e-mail access, which is RIM’s forte.

The Flip is the successor to the BlackBerry Pearl, which launched two years ago. It has a standard “candybar” shape. Both models have 20 keys and double up some letters on each key, in contrast to the wider, more professionally oriented BlackBerries that have more keys, and assign only one letter to each key.

RIM has done very well with the Pearl, which was its first entry into the consumer smart phone market. It turned the BlackBerry from an accessory for corporate e-mail slaves into a hot item for consumers who wanted a bit more from their phones.

Figures from research firm IDC showed that RIM nabbed 53.6 percent of the U.S. market for smart phones in the second quarter, though that figure was likely inflated because buyers looking at getting an iPhone from Apple Inc. were holding off in the quarter, waiting for a new model to arrive.

The Flip will complement T-Mobile USA’s relatively slow data network with Wi-Fi capability, and will even be able to place calls over Wi-Fi, which can alleviate problems with poor network coverage in homes and offices.

Balsillie said T-Mobile USA will be the exclusive carrier for the phone in the U.S. at least through the end of the year. Usually, BlackBerry’s phones start on one carrier and are later picked up by the other national carriers.

Wes Anderson’s Special Edition DVD Of Bottle Rocket Due On November 25th

On November 25th 2008, Criterion will finally be releasing a Director-Approved Double-Disc Special Edition DVD of Wes Anderson’s first feature film Bottle Rocket. The official plot synopsis follows:

“Wes Anderson first illustrated his lovingly detailed, slightly surreal cinematic vision in this witty and warm portrait of three young middle-class misfits. Fresh out of a mental hospital, gentle Anthony (Luke Wilson) finds himself once again embroiled in the machinations of his best friend, elaborate schemer Dignan (Owen Wilson). With the aid of getaway driver Bob (Robert Musgrave), they develop a needlessly complex, mildly successful plan to rob a small bookstore—then go “on the lam.” Also featuring Lumi Cavazos as Inez, the South American housekeeper Anthony falls in love with, and James Caan as local thief extraordinaire Mr. Henry, Bottle Rocket is a charming, hilarious, affectionate look at the folly of dreamers. Shot against radiant southwestern backdrops, it’s the film that put Anderson and the Wilson brothers on the map.” The DVD retails for $39.95 and can be preordered HERE.

 

Wes Anderson to Write And Possibly Direct My Best Friend

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have set Wes Anderson to write My Best Friend, a remake of the 2006 Patrice Leconte-directed French comedy Mon meilleur ami. Variety says Anderson is also eyeing the project as a directing vehicle.Brian Grazer and Agnes Mentre will produce. Rosalie Swedlin will be executive producer.The French film starred Daniel Auteuil as a cranky antiques dealer who learns at a dinner with his closest acquaintances that none of them really like him because of his harsh manner and selfishness. When his business partner bets him a valuable vase that he can’t produce a best friend, the dealer tries to get an amiable cab driver to pose as his buddy.

Anderson just completed directing an animated adaptation of Roald Dahl novel The Fantastic Mr. Fox with 20th Century Fox Animation.

 

More X-Men Spin-Offs, Possible New Daredevil Film

In an article at Variety talking about Fox’s not-so-hot summer, the trade touches on some possible projects the studio is in talks about:Though Fox has no plans for a major overhaul, the studio has scheduled a strategy meeting to assess the status of its superheroes, a group sorely missed this summer. On the agenda, Fox will mull the possibility of more “X-Men” spinoffs, including a young-X-Men project as well as “Deadpool,” based on a character played by Ryan Reynolds in “Wolverine.” The studio is even considering reviving the “Daredevil” property.

New Quantum of Solace Trailer

Seeking revenge for the death of his love, secret agent James Bond sets out to stop an environmentalist from taking control of a country’s water supply. Out in theaters on November 14^th.