RIM has launched a new update to Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones that adds features users have been asking for – including geotagging, which allows users to identify their location with their tweets; new language support; cleaner interfaces; new notifications and more.

New Twitter for BlackBerry v 1.1 features include:  

 • @mention Push Notifications – Users are now alerted with push notifications to the ribbon when they have @mentions, helping users quickly reply to @mentions    

• Direct Messages – Renamed “Messages,” direct messages are now threaded in the style of BBM conversations. Related messages are grouped together, making the direct message area less cluttered

   • #Topic Autocomplete – When users include a hashtag in their tweet, a dropdown list of key words will be presented based on previously used #topics

   • Social Feeds Integration – Deeper integration with Social Feeds allows users to perform Twitter actions right from Social Feeds, without launching the app

   • Retweet Updates – Retweets now appear in the Home timeline with a tag of “retweeted by you,” quickly alerting users that a retweet has been sent

   • New Gesture Support – BlackBerry smartphone users with a touch screen device can now refresh page content by simply dragging a finger down the device screen and releasing it

   • Additional language support – New languages supported include: Polish and Czech

Did you know?
Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones has been downloaded more than 10 million times!

Twitter for BlackBerry 1.1 runs on BlackBerry Device Software 4.5 or higher and requires a data plan.

Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones v1.1 is a beta download available through BlackBerry Beta Zone ( www.blackberry.com/beta ).

Nokia have announced Ovi Maps for mobile v3.06 beta, which makes it possible for users to download Street Maps directly to their phones without the use of a PC.

Improvements made to Ovi Maps in this release include:

• New! Download street maps directly to your device!  A new feature called “Update” on the main menu which allows you download Street Maps directly (via WiFi) to your phone without a PC!
• New! My Position and Search are now integrated (now called Map). When accessed, it will show your last map view
• New! Back button in Favourites
• New! Long tap functionality to delete & rename collections & routes
• New! Pop up for first time use – to inform user to download new map data (when upgrading 3.04 > 3.06 for the first time)
• New! Improved behaviours of transit lines settings in map toolbox (no more grey out)
• New! Compass calibration hint
• New! Refreshed place details information view
• Pinch to zoom interaction (Only available on Symbian^3 devices)
• Visually refreshed main menu and icons,
• New maps with public transport lines (as a new map layer) for subways, trams and trains in 80+ cities around the world. Just click the map toolbox icon and select Transit lines,
• Improved search experience - find places and addresses around you – or anywhere in the world – fast and easily. Browse places or enter a keyword in the search box. Now with suggestions and “did you mean?” functionality,
• New place pages with description, reviews, pictures and places nearby. Interact with places in a whole new way – you can check in, contact, navigate, save, rate, share, report or see place on the map,
• Share a place – send a place to your friends via SMS or Email. The SMS contains the address and a link to the place page with description, ratings, contact, URL and a mini map. The link opens up on the mobile browser (also on non-Nokia devices),
• Check in – keep your friends up-to-date with where you are and what you’re up to. Check in to places and share it with your friends on Facebook and many more social networks. See places you’ve been to in your check in history,
• New Drive assistance mode with live traffic flow – after clicking Drive, you’re instantly in drive assistance mode with live traffic flow and more. Once you start moving, get safety camera alerts and speed limit warnings,
• More folder with many rich content services relevant to your location. Personalise your Ovi Maps by selecting the services you’d like to keep on your main menu for instant access.
•  Traffic flow: In Drive mode, a number of improvements to the traffic flow colour scheme and layout.

With this, we see Nokia further pushing smartphone and phone capabilities through their Ovi services, such that mobile devices can be setup and function independent of a PC.

In addition, remember that you enjoy free Drive or Walk service here in Nigeria and 77 other countries worldwide with Ovi Maps. My review of Ovi Maps on the Nokia N8 is not yet ready. Now, I am excited about trying this new beta out. You can expect my impressions. Of course, while you wait, you can still check out my older review of Nokia Maps 3.0 on the Nokia E75 published way back in July 2009. A little flashback doesn’t hurt.

Don’t forget that this new release (v3.06) is still beta though. If you do want it on your device right away, have a go from Nokia Beta Labs.

Opera Mobile 10 has moved on to beta 3. Opera claims that the new version “is faster at rendering pages, zooming, panning and almost everything else you do with a browser. And pages load up to 50% faster than the previous version.”

The new version also now sports Flash Lite 3.1 on Windows Mobile (touchscreen devices only). This enables viewing of embedded videos. We haven’t verified this, but it sounds good.

There are a host of other features listed over at the Opera mobile website, but if you are really in a hurry, you can head over and download Opera Mobile 10 beta 3 to your PC, or m.opera.com/mobile using your phone’s default Web browser.

Please note that there are some differences in the improvements across the two different platforms, Symbian and Windows Mobile. Some features available for one platform are not available for the other.

Thanks to Windows Mobile Experts for the heads-up.

The excellent version 10 beta of Opera Mobile browser has now found its way to Windows Mobile devices. Initially released with a version for Symbian devices only, WinMo users can now browse to www.opera.com/mobile/ to download their copy.