Thursday, March 18, 2010

Dipdive Mobile for BlackBerry Reviewed





Dipdive is a social network created by will.i.am that began as a place to host the video “Yes We Can” and has expanded to be somewhat like MySpace. The social network looks as though it has a ton of funding from RIM, as videos on the site constantly feature people talking and using BlackBerrys, and the homepage advertises the Black Eyed Peas concert sponsored by BlackBerry.

I thought I would give Dipdive a try as RIM seem to be investing a lot of money in both Dipdive and the Black Eyed Peas, and their BlackBerry app is available as a free download. It’s hard to review the application without reviewing the social network as well, but they’re intertwined and both relevant.







Dipdive is a social network centered around the Black Eyed Peas. It seems most of the members of the social network are die-hard BEP fans, who are there to talk about the group and their favorite songs. This seems to be where the site and its users derive all value. Users get a fan club of sorts and the band gets to plug their upcoming shows and music. This is also the biggest downside of the social network. If you’re not a BEP fan, you’ll be hard pressed to find a reason to join the site.

In order to bring in users who aren’t BEP fans, Dipdive uses video, blogs, pictures and original content. Personally, I think the content is really weak, and isn’t enough for me to want to spend any time on the site. Overall, it seems the site is on the decline. There doesn’t seem to be many users and Alexa gives it a very low ranking. Dipdive’s traffic has been taking a nose dive for some time now and probably spikes when the group release a new hit.




Okay, enough about the social network and on to the app. When it comes to uploading content to the site from the Dipdive app, there are a lot of great features. You can upload multiple pictures, and edit details such as the ability to post anonymously, write a description, tag with location and set privacy settings for each. The app allows you to upload a lot of different kinds of content such as pictures, video, blog posts, and audio. For someone who is an avid Dipdive user, this is probably the most useful feature of the app.




When it comes to navigation, I found the app a little jittery. It wasn’t always clear what menu was selected, and I found myself scrolling past where I intended to go quite often. I know I can change my trackball speed, but no other application I have loaded gives me this sort of trouble. There are also a few sections in the app where the UI could be improved, and even considered broken.




Almost immediately after loading the app, I got a friend request. It’s easy to accept and view friend requests from the app, but there are times when the app relies on the Dipdive mobile site. A well-designed BlackBerry app shouldn’t require you to jump to a website for information, and should contain everything in the app itself.




Overall, I would say this is a decent app for anyone who is really active in the Dipdive social network. With regards to RIM’s relationship with the Black Eyed Peas and will.i.am’s Dipdive, I’m honestly a little embarrassed. I think it was a mistake to align the BlackBerry brand, known as a high quality smartphone for professionals, with a failed social network and a band that, contrary to what Billboard will tell you, is widely regarded as talentless. I understand the need to align the BlackBerry brand with a cool, hip and young artist, given the latest shift in demographics, but RIM’s marketing team failed in choosing someone appropriate.

This app was reviewed on a BlackBerry Bold 9000 with the official OS 5.0.0.411.




© Kyle for BlackBerry Cool, 2010
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