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LINQ or Language Integrated Query allows you to write structures type safe-queries over local object collections and remote data sources. Introduced in .NET 3.5, it LINQ lets you query any collection implementing IEnumerable<>, whether an array, list, XML DOM, or remote data source.

LINQ offers the benefits of both compile-time type checking and dynamic query composition.Base units of LINQ are sequences and elements.

A sequence is any object that implements the IEnumerable<> interface.

Now the element is each item in the sequence.

Ex:

string[] names = { “Apples”, “Oranges”, “Grapes” };

Such a sequence is called a local sequence, because it represents a local collection of objects in memory.

A query operator is a method that transforms a sequence.

A query is an expression that transforms sequences with query operators.

For instance we can apply the ‘Where’ operator on a simple array to extract those whose length is at least 7 characters long.

Ex:

string[] names = { “Apples”, “Oranges”, “Grapes” };

IEnumerable filteredNames = System.Linq.Enumerable.Where names, n => n.length >= 7;

foreach string n in filteredNames {

Console.Write n + “|”;

}

Output: Oranges

The above data and examples are courtesy of LINQ Pocket Reference by Joseph Albahari and Ben Albahari @ O’Reilly ®More snippets to follow soon, along with working examples and links.

via LINQ Pocket Reference: Snippet 1 « JABS! Just Another Blog Site!.

Folks – This is insider news that the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 (Onyx) would be releasing on T-Mobile USA on Wednesday, Nov 4th 2009. Our prior predictions were Wednesday, Nov 11th 2009, but it seems its coming a week early. I have an insider who has confirmed. It seems with 2 year contract the price would be $199.99 and without contract it would cost around $499.99. I cannot assure or confirm the price, but that’s what we know!

New and old customers will be able to upgrade as early as November 4th, 2009. Here are the specs and details of the new BlackBerry 9700 Bold a.k.a Onyx as it’s so called.

Available Features

• Trackpad navigation
• Bright, hi-resolution screen
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• 3G technology
• Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® enabled
• 256MB flash memory
• 3.2 MP digital camera with
  video camera
• Multimedia player
• Wireless email
• Organizer
• Browser
• Phone
• SMS/MMS
• MicroSD card reader

Maps & GPS

• Includes BlackBerry Maps
• Integrated GPS with A-GPS

• Learn more about BlackBerry Maps and GPS

We have it on good authority that T-Mobile and AT&T both currently plan on announcing the Bold 2 — also known as the Onyx — on October 21. As a refresher, this would be the touchpad-driven piece with model number 9700 that’s been making the rounds on the leak circuit the past few months, a fitting successor to a device that virtually every celebrity this side of Merle Haggard has been photographed carrying at once point or another. What we don’t know is pricing or retail launch date, but at least this gives us a pretty hard target for when we can expect details — so start cleaning out that Bold trackball, because you’re going to have something to eBay here pretty shortly.

via BlackBerry Bold 2 to be announced October 21 for T-Mobile, AT&T.

BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 was officially released last night prompting practically everybody who found out to upgrade. It was first only found in the App World but shortly thereafter we found the direct download link at www.blackberry.com/blackberrymessenger. While many people may be happy with their current version of BlackBerry Messenger I thought I would highlight a few reasons why you should upgrade. The upgrade is a whopping 2.8 megabytes but it is well worth it. Sadly some of the coolest features are for OS 5.0+ only but hopefully we will all get that upgrade soon! The software also requires OS 4.5+ according to RIM so you need to upgrade if you are running anything older.

NOTE: PLEASE backup your phone using Desktop Manager before you upgrade! We have been hearing a few reports about people’s devices not upgrading correctly and would hate for you to lose your information.

bbm5_release Enhanced Group and group chat

* I am not sure if this is a replacement for the BlackBerry Groups app that has yet to be replaced but it is awesome! Groups is really a collaborative chat room for you and your BlackBerry buddies. You can view group members, share pictures with included voice notes, share task lists, and even have a group calendar. It works quite well but I have been hearing some reports that it might be a battery drain… Let us know!

Enhanced threaded SMS

* This cool new feature requires OS 5.0 but lets you have threaded chat like SMS conversations. There are quite a few restrictions on this that I am not too happy about but it is still really cool. As RIM details in this article: “SMS messages will only appear in BlackBerry Messenger if the user added to BlackBerry Messenger and the SMS conversation is started in BlackBerry Messenger”

Contact Backup and Restore

* This feature was a long time coming from RIM and did not work well on the leaked beta in my experience. It looks like RIM has truly revamped it allowing you to do both remote and local backups of your contact lists. The remote backup associates your contact list with your email address and stores it on RIM’s servers. The local backup stores it to local memory such as the SD card. No longer will we have to lose our contact lists!

Avatars & enhanced contact display

* With BBM 5.0 RIM has placed a focus on your identity. You will now be able to set an avatar and allow BBM to show your contacts Avatars and associate them with your phone book. This is a really cool way to get picture ID in your phone book. The Avatars are actually pretty high quality and you can zoom in on them.

Large Media File Transfer

* This is the other OS 5.0+ required feature that lets you send up to 6 megabytes of pictures, files, and audio at a time. Maybe we can turn BBM into a BlackBerry file sharing app… You can always send you favorite song for a friend to check out.

There are quite a few more hidden options like adding users via Barcode or even joining a group via barcode.

via BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 Features – Why You Should Upgrade! | BerryReview.com ».

BerryReview just let me know that he spotted BlackBerry Messenger in the BlackBerry App World at this link below:

Link in App World Web Store or www.blackberry.com/messenger

UPDATE 2: Looks like it is available outside of the App World at:

www.blackberry.com/messenger

Update 1: Just got the feature list from RIM

* Avatars can be easily set up and then populated from BlackBerry Contacts

* Group Functionality – allows groups of friends, family and personal contacts to stay connected & share experiences instantly on their BlackBerry smartphones:

o ongoing group chat

o sharing pictures

o organizing tasks and events with shared lists and calendars

* Bar-code identity – easily add/invite contacts to BlackBerry Messenger by displaying a 2-dimensional bar code that the invitees can capture with their BlackBerry camera

* Large Media File Transfer – up to 6MB

The download is a whopping 2.8 megabytes but it looks like it is worth it. I am still waiting for my device to reboot and heading to the bar but let us know what you find in the comments! I wonder how long it will take this one to take top place in the App World charts.

PS. App World says it supports all devices in all countries. Not sure how that works…

via UPDATE: BlackBerry Messenger 5.0.0.33 NOW Officially in App World!!! | BerryReview.com ».

We’ve all heard of the technology existing, but never actually took the time to look into it. As we were browsing through BBOS, we came across the interesting PowerMat and then were reminded of the new technology and decided to share it with you for those who haven’t had a glimpse on it just yet. The PowerMat is interesting gadget that goes well with BlackBerry and other devices as well such as digital cameras or even other cellular phones. So how does it charge wirelessly on the PowerMat? It’s not like you think it is. Before you read on and get slightly disappointed, be aware that you must clip a “mat” to the back of the BlackBerry or other chargeable device before having it sit on the PowerMat. The mat sticks right on the back of the BlackBerry, right over the battery door. After doing so, you can throw it right on the PowerMat, allowing the mat on the battery door to make contact. It’s not going to be a loose connection either between the PowerMat and your BlackBerry as it is a magnetic device (which most of you figured out by now) so it will firmly sit without sliding all over the place.

via Charge your BlackBerry wirelessly with PowerMat | PocketBerry.

While x.facebook.com has always been better than m.facebook.com, it’s always been lagging behind the capabilities of the full desktop website. The smartphone version of Facebook that’s x.facebook.com today received an update that closes some of the gap. The revised mobile site now lets you zoom in on images, comment on statuses, and even “like” posts.We should note that this is not the Facebook app that was previewed on the Pixi – this is an update to Facebook’s own mobile site. Anybody who goes to x.facebook.com on a supported device such as through the Facebook bookmark preloaded on the Pre can take advantage of these new features, though multitouch devices like the Pre and iPhone will be able to best do so.

via Facebook Mobile Site Gets a Revamp | PreCentral.net.

ToySoft let me know about their latest release iconManager. This app seems to be a combination of a few widgets that show up as homescreen icons. That is the best description I could come up with: Homescreen icon widgets. The idea is really cool but currently there are only 2 icons available but more will be coming as a free upgrade. Considering the features and the available icons the app is priced perfectly at 99 cents on sale until Oct 16th. Hopefully the next icon available will be creating your own website shortcuts.

From the description:

iconManager is a icon manager to mange AppIcons apps created by Toysoft. AppIcon is a application that updates the icon on the HomeScreen to give you the most current information about a subject. Currently included with iconManager are:

* iCalendar – an appIcon that displays the current day and optionally show the icon name in day of the week or month eg: Friday or October. The day is automatically update when it changes. You can change the Calendar icon and text color. Include are 5 different calendar icons. Support Themes with hidden items.

* iBattery – an appIcon that displays the current battery charge. It shows a graphical display of the actual battery percentage charged. optionally you can set the icon name to the charge percent eg: 90%

When you purchase iconManager you will get future new appIcons free.

Features:

* Includes iCalendar appIcon

* Support Themes with hidden items on OS 4.7 and higher

* Includes iBattery appIcon

* Select from 5 different calendar icon templates

* Change color for the icon

* No additional setup is required after initial install and configuration of each appIcon

* cool display of icons

* icons are updated automatically and on each system reset

* iCalendar supports localization eg: english, french, spanish etc…

via iconManager – Homescreen Icon Widgets | BerryReview.com »

Vonage the numero uno VoIP service has  announced Vonage Mobile for BlackBerry. For those who are unaware, Vonage is a VoIP (voice over IP) provider in North America. They are the first in the country to perform the service and til date have one of the most competitive low rates. Here are some key features from Vonage:

* Rates are better than traditional wireless and landline carrier rates

* Lets you make calls while on Wi-Fi or cellular networks, providing full mobility

* Uses your existing contact list – just click and dial – no extra steps

* Utilizes your existing cell phone number so the people you call will recognize who is calling

* Real-time balance updates and the ability to automatically replenish funds in your account

* No more trips to the store to buy calling cards, no 800 numbers or access codes, and no connection charges

To get the Vonage App for BlackBerry (and iPhone) click here. Continue reading to get the full press release.

HOLMDEL, NJ, October 5, 2009 – Today Vonage launched Vonage Mobile, its first mobile calling application for smartphones. Vonage Mobile is a free downloadable application (app) that provides seamless, low-cost international calling while on Wi-Fi or cellular networks*. Once downloaded, the service saves customers more than 50% on calls to dozens of countries versus the rates charged by wireless carriers while providing far more convenience than calling cards. Vonage Mobile will be available for download on the iPhone®, BlackBerry® and iPod touch® at www.vonage.com and the iTunes App Store later today.

With Vonage Mobile you can call around the world from home, a Wi-Fi hotspot, or while traveling around the country. Vonage Mobile is easy to use. There are no access numbers or new phone numbers to give to friends and family. Simply enter an international number or select a contact from the existing contacts on your iPhone or Blackberry and hit send. Vonage does the rest.

This app will give customers exceptional per-minute rates to any country they want to dial. In the fourth quarter 2009, we will enhance the app to include the popular Vonage World plan that was introduced for home service in August. This enhancement extends the ability to make unlimited calls to over 60 countries for one flat monthly fee to mobile users; giving customers the choice to pick the plan that fits them best.

“Our new mobile app is an important step in establishing Vonage as a software technology company that enables high-quality voice and messaging across any device in any location, providing great value over any broadband network,” said Marc Lefar, CEO of Vonage.

“When developing Vonage Mobile, we focused on creating a more convenient alternative for customers who use calling cards or Wi-Fi only applications,” said Mike Tempora, Senior Vice President of Product Management for Vonage. “Vonage Mobile is easy to get and use, and gives customers the best possible calling experience from a trusted provider.”

via Vonage Application for BlackBerry launches | PocketBerry.