It's one thing to bury something like developer mode -- a mode that the average Pre user will never need -- behind a cute-but-exhausting throwback Konami code, but it's quite another to hide useful stuff that way. A PreCentral tipster discovered that entering "RocknRollHax" on the keyboard (and yes, capitalization is important here) while in the email app enables the previously missing capability to use it in landscape mode; presumably Palm hid it from end users because they thought it was too buggy or weird for mainstream use, but it certainly works alright for us. Worst part is that the code needs to be re-entered each and every time the email app starts, so you'd better really want it -- but at least you don't have to root to get it.

We know you've been literally hanging on the edge of your seat waiting for this day to come, so it's our honor and privilege to announce that Lenovo and RIM's Constant Connect solution is now available. For those who managed to sleep right through February, the technology enables select ThinkPads to automatically pull down BlackBerry emails whenever it's within range, even if the laptop is completely off. There's no word on what it'll cost to have this added into your next corporate machine, but you can head past the break for a quick demonstration vid if you think you're interested.

Update: It's a $149 option from select business partners and through Lenovo.com.

We know Sprint's been eyeing the G1 and that it's getting Samsung's Android phone by June, but if mobile software vendor SEVEN has anything to do with it, we now know a bit more about the device's e-mail client as well. Sprint's already a fan of the company's other offerings, and we anticipate they had something to do with this new Android version. The app uses SEVEN's push tech to get your e-mail almost instantaneously -- something that offline-enabled mobile Gmail probably can't do. Planned support for calendars, social networking, and instant messaging make this all the more enticing. A rep from the outfit promises that we'll see partnerships on "more than just Sprint in 2009" and we definitely hope this thing trickles down to the Android Marketplace in due time. There're a bunch more shots over at the read link, so if you're interested be sure to check them out.

After two years in development, Lenovo Constant Connect is finally here. A groundbreaking new tie-up between Lenovo and RIM has led to the creation of a $150 54mm ExpressCard -- which slots into any ThinkPad from around Summer '08 onward -- and automatically pulls down any email sent to your BlackBerry via Bluetooth, even if the laptop is completely powered down. The idea here is to always have your most recent inbox available within eight seconds of opening your machine, and thanks to the card's dedicated Bluetooth radio and 500MB of inbuilt storage, it can pull down and send out emails so long as the card and your 'Berry are within 30 feet or so from one another. Aside from needing an ExpressCard slot, you'll also need a handset with OS 4.2 or higher. It's designed to work with Exchange, Outlook, POP and Gmail, with Lotus Notes support coming in 2H 2009; as for availability, the card will be available through Lenovo and its partners in early Q2 here in America, while those elsewhere in the world will have to wait until the latter half of the year. Full release and demo video is after the break.

Looking for a bit of BlackBerry love on your new (or old, as the case may be) HTC handset? Fret not -- so long as you're the proud owner of an HTC TyTN II, Touch Diamond, Touch Pro or Touch HD -- as your phone has just picked up BlackBerry Connect support. The read link directs you to a download where you can suck down the necessary bits and bytes and proceed to installation, but we'd make sure everything was backed up before forging ahead. Give it a go and report back, will ya?

[Via phonescoop]

Given its business-oriented roots, Nokia's Eseries took a pretty big hit to its credibility when it lost BlackBerry support with the release of the E66 and E71 last year -- support previous models had rocked out of the box. In a recent interview with Reuters, Tom Furlong, the company's head of messaging services (bet he gets a lot of texts) talked up its recent tie-ups with Microsoft and IBM for corporate email, saying the move precluded them from continuing support for BlackBerry as well -- though it's unclear if that's for contractual, political, or engineering manpower reasons. So the bad news is that BlackBerry support won't be coming from Espoo from here on out, but the great news is that RIM will apparently be picking up where Nokia left off. No timeline was given, but Furlong says its transatlantic buddy is "readying" support for S60, so who knows -- that sexy E71 might still be the ultimate mobile email machine after all.

[Via Symbian-Guru]

Our biggest gripe with the Peek email-only handheld has always been the incredibly annoying $19.95 per month data plan. If you jump in today, however, you can forget all about those recurring charges. It seems the suits at Peek have finally stumbled upon what could actually be a viable business model for this unique handset, as they're offering the unit up for $299.95 with data included for the life of the device. Unfortunately, the deal is a one-day only affair, but truthfully, we fully expect this option to become the norm in the not-too-distant future.

For Nokia handsets not quite fancy enough for Email, there's Mail on Ovi. The application, which was developed for low(er)-end S40 mobiles, is expected to give many individuals in developing nations their very first email address and internet identity. In theory, these people will use their phones to access email more than a PC, thus the newest public beta enables users to setup their accounts right on the handset with no PC required. There's a ridiculously long list of compatible handsets in the read link, so hop on down if you think you're interested.

After a several month-long beta, Nokia's souped-up email app -- appropriately called Email -- is getting booted out of Beta Labs and going gold as part of the Messaging suite. The company is touting that the final product includes tons of changes that came from feedback through the beta cycle, and it'll be going live first in Australia, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and Venezuela -- in other words, you good folks will now be paying for the opportunity to use it. The remainder of the world gets to keep using it for free until it's commercialized in their locale -- which, if you're in the US and Nokia Music is any indication, might be a long time off.

Peek's kinda-sorta email-only handheld is one of the more polarizing devices to hit this year. On one hand, anyone who cares that much about email in their pocket probably already owns an email-capable handset; on the other, those satisfied with their pay-as-you-go phone may seriously be interested in adding this to their arsenal. Regardless of your take on things, we figured you should know that it's available for "today only" at $49.95, clearly setting the bar for a Cyber Wednesday in years to come. 'Course, that $19.95 per month data requirement isn't going anywhere, but half a Benjamin might be worth it just to crack this sucker open and test your hacking skills.

Yesterday we sat down for an interview with Amol Sarva, CEO of the email-handheld startup Peek. We're in the midst of transcribing what was a fairly interesting conversation, but in the middle of our chat he proposed a pretty striking deal, and we wanted to put it out there (and to see the company put its money where its mouth is). Sarva and co. are pretty convinced that while the Peek may not be the perfect device for the hardcore gadget junkie, it is the perfect device for their moms or girlfriends (or boyfriends, we assume) -- in fact, they're so convinced that they're offering to pay a month of said junkie's iPhone or G1 bill (up to $150) if they buy a Peek for their mom... and girlfriend. According to Amol, if you buy two of the devices (which you can get for $79.95 right now) and activate them, the company will cover your November cellphone bill. Amol himself will be heading up this project, and as long as you place your order by December 1st, you can make the magic happen. Wildly, Amol says to just email him with the account info at: amol (at) getpeek (dot) com.

Although it's running a few days behind the European update, we suppose late always trumps never when it comes to refreshed firmware. As of now, Americans can suck down v110.07.127 for their E71-2 in order to take advantage of a smattering of bug fixes. Most notably, users should see Nokia Email updates as well as "a new update to Mail For Exchange and Nokia Maps, both of which are pre-installed." As always, we'd highly recommend backing everything up before doing the deed, but if you're feeling froggy, jump.

[Via Symbian-Guru]

There's hardly anything more embarrassing that admitting that your company still uses Lotus Notes, but for the millions upon millions (140 million, in fact) of licensed users who'd love the opportunity to check in via their S60-based handset, this one's for you. Starting next month, Lotus Notes support will be granted for Symbian S60 3rd Edition, meaning that anyone with a fresh S60 device can soon tap into Lotus Notes Traveler and access real-time email, calendar, address book, journal and to-do list data. On second thought, maybe you shouldn't be so enthusiastic -- leaving work at work is a blessing too many take for granted.

Well, would you have a gander at this spectacle. Some "Dan" character over at Peek has gone and stolen our thunder, completely dashing our hopes of hosting up a "How would you change" article on the outfit's e-mail only handheld. All (nonexistent) personal beef aside, we'd wager that this scenario is actually far more beneficial for end users, particularly since you know the company is all ears. Over at the Peek blog, the outfit pleads with users and spectators to chime in on how the handheld could be tweaked (in "minor" ways, mind you) in order to be superior. Additionally, it's looking to open up a set of APIs for the public in order to facilitate the hacking of Peek for its own betterment. We always said this thing would be way more appealing with Opera Mini loaded on there alongside a VoIP application, and lookie here, the price has stooped to $80 with no contracts attached. Consider our interest finally piqued. Ugh, that was awful.

[Thanks, Jacob]

Right about this time last year, Google updated its mobile Gmail client to be leaner, meaner and altogether more awesome. Now, we're looking at version 2.0 of the app for use with J2ME-supported and BlackBerry phones. The team behind it rethought how mobile users interacted with Gmail, and they attempted to provide solutions for each instance in which your connection may be spotty. Furthermore, the entire client was made to operate faster and be more reliable than ever, and there's even support for keypad shortcuts, multiple drafts, undo, 35 languages and background mail sending. Hop on past the break for a demo vid, or better yet, just point your handset to m.google.com/mail and have a look for yourself.