There have been a lot of questions about the BlackBerry modem solution that claimed my bounty. I’ll try to answer them below. Please note, this information is current as of writing and may change before a public release of the solution, etc.

When will this be released?

As with all software, date estimates can get blown up by various things – but here are some guesses. A version should be available to the bounty contributors within 2 weeks or so. A general public release will happen this year, likely in about a month or so.

Can I still contribute to the bounty?

No, the bounty is closed. If you didn’t contribute to help create the solution, you can’t jump in now and reap the benefits along with those who did. You have to wait for the general release.

How do you connect the BlackBerry to the laptop?

The BlackBerry is connected to the laptop via Bluetooth (no USB cable). The solution creates a Bluetooth modem profile on the BlackBerry, which is present when you pair the laptop and the BlackBerry.

Will this work on Windows?

Yes, it works on Windows as well.

Will this work on Linux?

It should, it is basically a standard Bluetooth modem. Of course, Linux users know that Bluetooth can be a bit of a challenge at times so no promises there.

Does it give you a direct connection to the internet?

Like other mobile apps like Verichat, this will use a proxy server. The proxy server will be open source.

How fast is the connection?

There have not been any performance optimizations yet, so at the moment it isn’t as fast as it will be. The theoretical limit is 110k, which is what the Bluetooth connection speed is set to.

Will this be a commercial product?

Yes, this will be a commercial product.

Will there be a free trial?

Yes, there will be a time/number of uses limited free trial.

How much will it cost?

The pricing will be $50/license. A pre-order will be available for $25/license.

Can I run my own proxy server?

Yes, the license will include your own proxy server (that can run on a Linux server as a daemon).

Will there be a proxy server I can sign up for?

Yes. If you don’t want to set up your own proxy server, there will be a service you can sign up for. The cost for this will be around $4/month or $40/year. Corporate accounts will also be available.

Will BlackBerrys other than the 870* series be supported?

Yes, it is already being tested on the 7290 and other models will be supported as well. Sorry, no list of models at this time, but the goal is to work with all Bluetooth models.

UPDATE: There is now an updated version of this FAQ and Pre-order option on the Brain Murmurs web site.