Blackberry Curve 8310 Camera and Video Recording

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how much I loved my Blackberry Curve:

http://www.throughabceyes.com/2009/09/why-i-love-my-blackberryor-is-it.html

However, after Apple announced the 5th generation IPod Nano, I realized that I neglected to mention two other features of the Blackberry Curve that I use. The two features are the camera and the video recording.

Mostly everyone knows the Curve has a built-in 2 megapixel camera with a flash and zoom capabilities. While the Curve won't be replacing your digital camera anytime soon, it's a good alternative if you're in a pinch. While I haven't taken a lot of shots with the Curve, the camera works best when there is a lot of lighting. While the flash is nice, it doesn't seem to be strong enough to make up for areas that are dark.

One of the few features that people are going gaga for in the 5th generation Ipod Nano is the video recording function. What most people (Curve owners and non-Curve owners both) don't know is that the Research in Motion (RIM) implemented this feature in the Curve via a firmware upgrade several months ago. While this wasn't the reason why I upgraded the firmware, it was a nice bonus to have.

The video quality isn't great but like the camera, having good lighting helps immensely. You can record videos for as long as you want, depending on how much storage space you have on your Curve. Again, for your precious memories, you probably won't be using the Curve for your video recording. However, I have found the Curve for those spur of the moments that come up a lot in life.

One additional tidbit about video recording. One time, I was using my Curve to shoot a video of a co-worker doing an odd stunt. I wanted to share the video but had to use Bluetooth to transfer the video file from my Curve to my computer. I then uploaded the video to YouTube manually.

Another co-worker who was around while the stunt occurred introduced me to a site called QIK (http://www.qik.com)

QIK allows the Curve (and other mobile phones) to share their videos immediately without having to manually upload them. All you have to do is sign up for an account and download QIK software to your phone. Any videos you shoot will be automatically upload to the QIK website. The software also gives you the option to upload the videos to other sites such as YouTube.

I have used the QIK software and uploading capabilities a great deal. It allows me to capture and upload stuff easily (if not quickly since my Curve uses the old Edge network for Internet). It's a nice piece of software that seems to fill a niche that the phones themselves don't have. Plus the software seems to support all the major phones out there.

While the 5th generation Ipod Nano is a nice piece of hardware, I probably won't be going for one anytime soon. When I had the 2nd generation Ipod Nano, I found it cumbersome to carry around with my cell phone. When I accidentally lost the Nano, I chose not to get a new dedicated music player. I actually had an older one that I used for a short time.

However, my Blackberry Curve has filled all my needs. I can web browse, check email, instant message and listen to music. Throw in a camera and video recording functions and I have the all in one device I need.