Verizon has announced that the price of the BlackBerry Storm 9530 has been reduced to $49.99.  This move could be made in anticipation for the new Storm coming out soon.  The Storm 9530 was the first touchscreen BlackBerry.  This price is available assuming that you are willing to sign a 2 year contract with Verizon.

Some of the features of the phone include:
- SurePress touch screen
- 3.2 megapixel camera
- 8GB SanDisk microSD card pre-installed
- Global SIM card pre-installed
- Media player for music, videos, pictures, etc.
- Bluetooth stereo support
- TTY compatible
- Hearing aid compatibility
- VZ Navigator
- V CAST Music with Rhapsody

Looks like Vodafone customers will soon be able to get their hands on the BlackBerry Storm 9250.  Benezblog.de spotted an image of the Vodafone-powered BlackBerry made for Germany.  This smartphone will have WiFi, European-spec 3G, touchscreen with RIM’s ClickThrough system, and 3.2 megapixel camera.  The BlackBerry Storm 9250 is expected to Europe in October which will be around the same time it also arrives in the U.S. on Verizon.

[via SlashGear]

According to a source at SlashGear, Verizon has give the green light for RIM to put together the BlackBerry Storm 2. The Storm 2 is the follow-up to the original (pictured above) BlackBerry Storm.

SlashGear’s source also mentioned that the Storm 2 would have WiFi built-in and an improved touchscreen. This news arrives a few days after the BlackBerry App World launched to the public.

Vodafone and the Formula 1 team Mercedes McLaren have partnered to develop an application for the BlackBerry Storm that can actually drive a real race car.

Engineers Simon and Steve used an accelerometer/gyroscope application built for the Storm, powered Bluetooth to steer and accelerate an RC car initially. They put together a race track around their office and stuck that video on YouTube. After that succeeded, they were contacted by the Formula 1 team to try it out on a real race car. World champion Lewis Hamilton used the BlackBerry to control the McLaren Formula 1 car.

This is the type of video that makes you think, “ain’t technology somethin’?”