BlackBerry Web Signals Launches
23 comments
Filed in BlackBerry, Features, Handsets, RIM, Services
Good news push addicts, BlackBerry Web Signals has finally launched. First announced October 21 at the BlackBerry Developers Conference, Web Signals delivers customizable push content to BlackBerry handsets from a host of media outlets such as Accuweather, CBC News, FOX News, The New York Times and Reuters. Once signed up for a service, any relevant news is pushed to your device meaning you don’t have to go searching for the latest news thus saving not only time but precious, precious battery life as well.
To sign up for BlackBerry Web Signals visit mobile.blackberry.com on your BlackBerry.
Tags: Accuweater, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Developers Conference, CBC News, FOX News, New York Times, push, Reuters, Web Signals
I just checked it out. Odd that they don’t have a way to notify you when there are new apps.
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weather app works fine…icon shows up maybe 20 minutes later..more weather apps the better!
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Yo BG… You should start one of these. That way when a new post hits, Crackberry nation can be the first to know! Get em’!
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Now if they could get push email on the BIS, not this damn 15 minute delay, we’d be in business. Oh, and maybe some TRUE imap.
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@ user,
Umm… BIS does support push email. The problem is that the email account you are using doesn’t support push.
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I don’t get it, isn’t this just Browser Channels? As far as I can tell this is nothing new. They even show up in your browser under “Browser Channels”.
- Andrew
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Yeah I was going to say the same thing. BIS is very quick with e-mail. My blackberry picks up IMAP and push email from my accounts before the actual e-mail server on my computer even picks it up.
To me, that’s pretty quick!
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What do you mean BIS doesn’t support push email? My full inboxes beg to differ…
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All my yahoo, gmail, college email account are instant push on BIS/blackberry..GTFOH w/ dat crazy talk ‘User’.
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BEWARE these services! You download then once, and then it takes 20+ minutes for you to receive the icon. Furthermore, once the icons are in place you will be bombarded with BB requests to “update the service”. Even after selecting “opt out”, they still appear and apparently are undeletable! Be warned, this is a HUGE problem and so far I cant find a way to remove these services!
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Been trying for 48 hours now to get the Accuweather to install. Nada. Error 400: Bad Request.
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Tried to install Accuweather to test. Hours later, no icon, nothing. Plus my battery is draining like crazy. Nice. I don’t know now to delete the stupid thing (since it isn’t even there) or stop it. I may have to do a hard wipe. Nice. Stupid me for even trying this. Why do I ever early adopt anything?
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Found out how to get rid of them. From your BB, go to:
http://push.na.blackberry.com/mss/PM_subList
That lists what you’re subscribed to and lets you unsubscribe.
Finding that out was an hour of my life I can’t get back. Had to read the freakin developer guide (PDF only) to see how to do it. Not like BB could have a quick FAQ or link on their web site. UUGH.
These are TOTAL BETA…so, install at your own risk.
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Took a couple hours for the icons to show(accuweather and nytimes), works perfectly now.
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I registered for the service yesterday and I still have nothing. Weird.
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I still don’t see what’s new here? WeatherEye has done this for a LONG time…
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@John B
Thanks, a lot of us are grateful.
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I can’t register for the AccuWeather push, anytime I click accept, I get the message that I need to accept the T&C. Perhaps, this isn’t a bad thing?!
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Hans…you still should unsubscribe at the link I had above. I had the same problem, yet when I went there, it showed that I was subscribed. I’m still having battery drain issues. I turned off WAP browser push and that seems to have helped. Stupid BB.
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@user
Yes, actually it does, the problem is that RIM only pop3 your account every 15 minutes or so. That’s why it can take a while for the email to get there. A solution to this is to have your email server forward all emails to your blackberry email account. I get all my blackberry email within 30 seconds of when they’re sent.
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These are completely useless.
WTF..it puts an icon on your homescreen, and whenever news does get updated, it puts a star over the icon, but when you click on it, you have to wait for the webpage to open? That’s retarded.
At least if I sign up for email alerts from these sites that are listed (and those that are not, such as CNN or ESPN), an email comes to me with a preview of what the “breaking news” is and gives a short description of it, then i have the ability to click the link to visit the webpage.
Whoever came up with the idea for these in their current state (if this is all they really plan to do with the applications) needs to be fired and their position at RIM given to me.
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I can’t get AccuWeather push to work either…get the same accept the terms, which I did
I am on TMO 8320.
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I got the same must accept the terms mssg after I accepted the terms for accuweather. Also, the link from John B as of today returns an error mssg, “The content you have requested is not available. PM_sublist command is not currently in service!”
You can get around the not accepting when you accept terms by going to mobile.blackberry.com like bg says, but don’t click on the web signals link at the top. Go to applications>news and weather, and scroll to the bottom to the “weather push” link. It will let you “accept” correctly and give you a choice of accuweather, or the weather network, which then present the same identical screen for entering cities, states, and countries. The icon takes a couple of hours to appear. I don’t know if this is the same as web signals or not, but it is a push weather service, but just once or twice a day.
RIM/accuweather, when you do get this fixed, how about allowing zip codes, or recognizing Venice, CA. Or maybe at least not calling Los Angeles the Los Angeles Coast when I just enter Los Angeles.
Also, if you select archived archived news and weather applications, under the weather push link, you can get a 30 day free trial of WeatherBug, which is a neat app with live info but costs money after the trial.
BBWeather is still my current favorite.
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