Kicking off its three-day BlackBerry World event, running May 1-3 in Orlando, Research in Motion (RIM) debuted the new generation of BlackBerry Music Gateway, now NFC-enabled.

The new BlackBerry Music Gateway is a small music streamer with no battery, no screen, and no complicated settings, which makes it a really charming convenient device. All you have to do is plug it in, pair your phone, and start streaming music.

Works Great with NFC-Enabled BlackBerry & Nokia Smartphones

The original BlackBerry Music Gateway was Bluetooth-only, and had quite an outrageous price tag for such a simple device - $99.95. The main feature RIM added to this new version is NFC (near field communication) pairing, meaning that you can pair with any device that utilizes NFC connect protocol. According to RIM, it works great with NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones and Nokia smartphones, but other NFC-enabled devices are not that compatible. Still, there is always Bluetooth if your phone does not support NFC.

Connectivity, Control & Multitasking

If you don't have an NFC-enabled device, you can connect via Bluetooth to any Bluetooth-enabled device such as smartphones, laptops or tablets. You can wirelessly stream music from a BlackBerry smartphone, BlackBerry PlayBook, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device. The new Music Gateway can also connect to any existing home stereo equipment or car stereo via the RCA or 3.5mm cables that come with the device. In addition, your device can also serve as a remote to control playback, volume and tracks. Music will automatically pause when you receive a call, resuming when the call is ended, and you can even surf the Web or access other applications while streaming music.

Ease of Use

Besides the NFC connectivity and surprisingly small size, the new Music Gateway is also extremely easy to use. One tap activates the Gateway's connection, which will allow you to stream music from up to 30 feet, while a second tap to the Gateway will stop streaming your music. It only takes a second to connect and disconnect from the Gateway.

Half the Price

While the original Bluetooth-only BlackBerry Music Gateway cost a steep $99.95, the new version comes at half the price - $49.95. The lower price and NFC connectivity are a significant step forward from the previous Gateway version, and could be just the accessory many BlackBerry users were waiting for. The new Music gateway will start shipping in June, and will be available on www.shopblackberry.com.

(reported by Alexandra Burlacu, edited by Dave Clark)