Halliburton will phase out thousands of Blackberrys in favor of the iPhone over the next two years. According to an internal newsletter obtained by AppleInsider, Halliburton conducted “significant research” and came to the conclusion that “the iOS platform offered the best capabilities, controls and security for application development.”

There’s been speculation that Microsoft Corp. might buy either RIM or Nokia to boost its profile in the smartphone game. In that light, it’s arguable that Apple should consider preemptively purchasing one or the other or both. Buying RIM would enhance Apple’s iPhone profile in the lucrative enterprise and institutional sectors, and secure the proprietary and popular BlackBerry messenger service (BBM) which offers a free alternative to texting (SMS), as well as preempting Microsoft (or KOrea’s Samsung) from acquiring the company.

It seems like everyone is suing everyone else, mostly over patents, and it can be hard to keep up with what’s been happening. Starting this month, Appletell will summarize all the twists and turns in the legal dramas so you’ll be informed with what’s been happening. This, month we take a quick look at Lodsys, Software Restore solutions, Openwave Systems, Motorola, Samsung and more.

Between the armageddon scenarios conjured up by the potential of no new hardware at WWDC, constant articles and opinion pieces on the pervasively disruptive nature of Google’s Android OS, and the politely tepid response to the BlackBerry Playbook’s recent discussion during RIM’s earnings call, it is getting hard to remember why mobile computing and apps are so exciting in the first place.

As if officially confirming Steve Jobs’ claim that Apple has overtaken RIM, IDC has just published their Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. True enough, amidst the growing mobile phone market, IDC’s figures show that Apple is now the no. 4 mobile phone vendor, with RIM following it closely at no. 5. Nokia continues to be at no. 1, followed by Samsung and LG. Apple’s 3Q shipment of iPhones is at 14.1 million, from 7.4 million in the same quarter in 2009. RIM, on the other hand, managed to sell 12.4 million units from last year’s 8.5 million.

It seems like everybody wants an iPhone; or if you’re the Palm Pre, you want to be an iPhone. But the Blackberry line from RIM has a legion of devoted followers (many of them business professionals) who’ve grown attached to the device—and its interface—over the years. What challenges do switchers face? Katherine Boehret asked several people switching from Blackberry to iPhone to record the advantages and annoyances.

Many bloggers have weighed in regarding Palm’s announcement that the Pre will be supported as though it were a native device in iTunes: “Palm media sync is a feature of webOS that synchronizes seamlessly with iTunes, giving you a simple and easy way to transfer DRM-free music, photos and videos to your Palm Pre.” Included in that statement are two key points: 1) The device somehow mimics an iPod (anybody think Apple is happy about that?), and 2) DRM-free. Let’s take a look at both of these, and see if they stand up…

New York based advertising company, Guava Ad Agency, thought they’d offer Blackberry a helping hand with their Storm handset. Guava made this video independent of Blackberry and to drive people towards their agency, and ultimately the Blackberry Storm. But what if this advert had been genuine? Take a look, if you haven’t already.

Is Microsoft setting its sights on Research in Motion? By Steve Ballmer’s own admission, the iPhone is as much a threat to Windows Mobile as Google is to Microsoft’s search efforts. Windows Mobile has seen its market share eroded by fresher, more nimble competitors like RIM and Symbian-based smartphones. Given the lack of excitement around any new Windows Mobile devices or versions, is buying RIM a cheaper alternative?

A few years ago, Microsoft had managed to capture almost a quarter of the smartphone market with Windows Mobile. But uninspiring versions of the operating system, and several lackluster devices from various partners, have cheapened the experience, causing Windows Mobile to lose almost half of its market share to competing devices. Microsoft, in the face of actual competition, never succeeds in dominating markets—Windows took control in the post-Apple era because there was a lack of any serious competing operating systems. It is not difficult to imagine Steve Ballmer sweating over the erosion of the Windows brand in all its forms—since the Microsoft/Yahoo merger never happened, RIM could plug a hole in the (somewhat) leaky SS Windows.

Would this buyout make sense?

If you just can’t deal with Windows as an OS, but won’t delve as far into Apple products as an iPhone, this is for you.

If rumors are correct, no longer do Mac-using fans of RIM and their Blackberry have to resort to a third-party app for their synching needs. This news comes after an anonymous source from within RIM said the company is working on porting their Blackberry Desktop Manager to the Mac operating system. This is a good thing for those users, as the only solution that RIM directly suggested was to use the Windows version using a virtual system, which can be a bit of a pain. Not only did the source note that the program would probably ship in early 2009, but he/she alluded to the fact that the company has been working the program since 2004.