Verizon gets BlackBerry Curve 3G, too

Now that T-Mobile has had the BlackBerry Curve 3G for a week, it's time for Verizon to get in on it as well. The 3G version of the popular BlackBerry Curve (model 9330) will finally head to Verizon Wireless. It has a slightly tweaked design--a mirror-finish trim, soft-touch sides, and a textured back--but the full QWERTY keyboard remains largely the same. You also get the same media keys on the top. Features include 512MB of flash memory, a microSD card slot that can support up to 32GB cards, GPS with VZ Navigator support, Wi-Fi, camera with video recording, and support for BlackBerry App World.

Though the Curve 3G comes with BlackBerry OS 5, it is upgradable to OS 6. It will be available in business sales channels September 16, and online and in retail stores in the coming weeks for the low price of $29.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a new two-year service agreement. The phone requires an e-mail and Web feature plan.

Google snaps up user-generated video startup

Google's buying spree continued Monday with its purchase of Quicksee, a company blending home videos with geolocation services.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported the deal would cost Google around $10 million. Quicksee allows users to upload videos they have shot of buildings or public places and tag them on Quicksee's site so that others can watch a video walkthrough of the area shot on tap layered over a Google Maps implementation.

It's a natural fit for a number of Google projects, including Street View and business listings within Google Maps, and Quicksee's founders confirmed they will be joining Google's Geo team following the completion of the deal. The prospect of putting video inside Street View will undoubtedly raise eyebrows among privacy advocates, although allowing businesses, hotels, or real-estate agents to easily upload video of their private buildings could be a pretty easy win for Google's local-business listing services.

Google continues to purchase companies at a dizzying rate, although most of its purchases of late have focused on either social-media or search. Quicksee is the second company out of Israel that Google has purchased this year, following LabPixies in April, Haaretz said.