RIM just announced OS 6, a new version of the OS that includes social media management, RSS feed incorporation, and a new Universal Search tool. It also includes a new WebKit browser and revamped UI. The OS will appear on the new Blackberry Torch and then be available for newer Blackberry phones.

RIM Press Release

Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today announced BlackBerry® 6, a new operating system for BlackBerry® smartphones that retains the trusted features that distinguish the BlackBerry brand while delivering a fresh, approachable and engaging experience that is both powerful and easy to use. BlackBerry 6 features a redesigned interface that seamlessly works with a touch screen and trackpad, expanded messaging capabilities that simplify managing social media and RSS feeds, an advanced multimedia experience that rivals the best in the industry, a convenient new Universal Search tool, and a new and efficient WebKit-based browser that renders web pages quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience.
“BlackBerry 6 is the outcome of RIM’s ongoing passion to deliver a powerful, simplified and optimized user experience for both touch screen and keyboard fans,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-ceo, Research In Motion. “Following extensive research and development to address consumer needs and wants, we are delivering a communications, browsing and multimedia experience that we think users will love, and we are thrilled to debut BlackBerry 6 on the amazing new BlackBerry Torch smartphone.”
Visual, Fluid Interface
BlackBerry 6 has been redesigned making it easier and more intuitive, with clean, sleek visuals and natural, fluid navigation. Designed to be both fresh and familiar, the new interface enables a productive, fun and highly satisfying user experience whether using a touch screen or trackpad and keyboard.
BlackBerry 6 offers multiple views that help users better organize their applications and content. Icons are arranged on the Home Screen in 5 customizable views (All, Favorites, Media, Downloads and Frequent) that are navigable with simple swipes. Users can organize where they want their icons to appear, and can add contacts or web page shortcuts directly to the Home Screen.
Also new to BlackBerry 6 are visually-rich, context-sensitive Action Menus. Within a given application, by clicking and holding the trackpad or through an extended touch of the display, users can bring the most common actions or tasks of an application to the surface. In addition, users can seamlessly multitask by holding down the Menu key, which pops up a visual grid of all the applications currently running, so users can instantly switch between applications.
A powerful Universal Search tool is also accessible from the Home Screen. By simply clicking or tapping the Universal Search icon, users can search for any content on their handset, the web or in the new BlackBerry App World™, which is also integral to BlackBerry 6.
Fast Rich Web Browsing
BlackBerry 6 integrates a new and efficient WebKit-based browser that renders web pages (as well as email) quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience. It features tabs for accessing multiple sites simultaneously, an auto-wrap text zoom feature that can intelligently wrap text in a column while maintaining the placement of a page’s key elements, and pinch to zoom.
Social Feeds and Text Messaging
The new Social Feeds application simplifies the management of social networking and RSS feeds and provides integrated access to the native BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), Facebook®, Twitter™, MySpace™, AOL® Instant Messenger™, Google Talk™, Windows Live™ Messenger and Yahoo!® Messenger applications for BlackBerry smartphones. Social Feeds streamlines the user experience, provides an integrated view of friends’ activities across multiple social networks, and lets users post updates across multiple networks simultaneously. Users can also easily add their favorite RSS Feeds from the Social Feeds application or directly from a website while browsing.
RIM’s new Text Messages application also adds exciting new features for users who communicate mostly via SMS and MMS, including the ability for users to now view a conversation in one threaded ‘chat’ as well as share photos, videos and other rich content.
Engaging Multimedia Experience
The multimedia experience in BlackBerry 6 is designed to give users a more engaging and streamlined experience with album art everywhere in the new music and video players. The new BlackBerry® Desktop Software 6 integrates media sync for easily syncing photos and videos as well as iTunes® and Windows Media® Player music with the smartphone*. It also includes Wi-Fi Music Sync, a unique feature that allows users to view their entire iTunes® or Windows Media® Player music libraries from their BlackBerry smartphone, create and edit playlists, as well as select music for download. When in range of their home Wi-Fi network (or via USB), the changes are synced with iTunes® or Windows Media® Player and the songs are automatically downloaded to the smartphone.
BlackBerry 6 also gives users access to a range of camera modes that can help them capture better images. Editing, organizing and sharing shots is amazingly simple, with intuitive options for grouping pictures.
The new Podcasts application makes it easy for users to find and manage audio and video podcasts. Users can view all the podcasts saved on their smartphone, browse a catalogue of podcasts available for download, subscribe to them, and wirelessly download the content directly onto their smartphone. There is also a dedicated YouTube® application, so viewing and sharing videos is easier than ever and users can also easily search for videos using the new Universal Search tool in BlackBerry 6.
Compatibility with Existing BlackBerry Smartphones
BlackBerry 6 will debut on the new BlackBerry® Torch™ smartphone (announced today) available from AT&T on August 12 and it is also designed to run on select BlackBerry smartphones already in market. Subject to carrier certifications in the months ahead, the new OS is expected to be available for the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700, BlackBerry® Bold™ 9650 and BlackBerry® Pearl™ 3G, as well as future BlackBerry smartphones.

A new mobile phone has been especially designed for people with hearing impairment, and features extra-loud ringtones and loudspeaker. 

The simply designed handset is also ideal for older people and the sight impaired, as it comes with large, clear buttons and a generally uncluttered design that will please all those who eschew overly-sophisticated handsets. 

The screen on the handset also displays text messages in extra large type. For the elderly there is an SOS button at the back to allow the user to call a relative in an emergency. 

Although the extra-loud ringtone is a useful feature for those with poor hearing, its ability to reach 100 decibels (the same volume as a pneumatic drill) could prove to be a nuisance for anyone else in the vicinity. 

In fact, the Amplicon M6000 can reach even higher levels, up to 110dB - the equivalent of a South African vuvuzela horn being blown next to the unfortunate victim's head, according to the Daily Mail. 

Amplicon's product manager David Youngs, who himself has hearing difficulties, said that often people don't like to wear their hearing aids when making calls. The same goes for watching movies and listening to music, so soundbars for hard-of-hearing individuals have been developed by audio companies as well.


Mr Youngs said: "I can make a call and even if I haven't got my hearing aid on, I can just push the volume up and hear the conversation perfectly." 

He added that the ring tone is so loud that users would probably get themselves thrown out of a restaurant! However, he said the simple design would be welcomed by all those who "want simplicity", and for whom "talk of megapixel cameras, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and music files is extremely offputting." 

Amazing Essentially on a pair of glasses that's equipped with a battery, LEDs, a microcomputer, and a magnetic direction sensor even though the system (unfortunately) needs more hardware to make it actually work.

All that users need to do is to input the destination on a portable mini computer (the user's current location is detected via GPS). The main bullet point is the magnetic detection sensor that can detect which way the user is facing. If the user starts walking in a certain direction, the LEDs attached to the glasses light up in green or red, indicating whether it's the right or wrong direction.

That way, users are guided to their destination without having to look at a display the whole time, which makes this PNS more convenient and less dangerous to use, according to the makers of the navigation system, the Nakajima Lab at the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo.

Here is the Video:

RIM's latest BlackBerry handset combines the firms two product lines into one device. The Torch has a 3.2-inch 480 by 360 touchscreen previously found only on the Storm handsets up front with a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out the bottom. Inside is a quad-band GSM radio along with 4GB of internal storage backed-up by a 4GB microSD card. But that’s only half the fun.

The Torch is the first handset to run the just-announced BlackBerry 6 OS, which is among other things is RIM’s answer to the Android explosion. It packs a new media sync along with revamped social media apps and over all look.

An event in New York will mark the launch of the upcoming Blackberry 9800 slider, a new phone from RIM that promises a large touchscreen, RIM OS6, and a slide-down keyboard. In short, it looks like a fatter Palm Pre and promises ATT 3G connectivity.

The phone has been the worst kept secret in RIM history and is essentially going up against Android sliders and – dare I say it – the iPhone.

They’ll announce the phone at 11am EDT/11am PDT so keep your ear here for more details.