Remember that fancy new BlackBerry Messenger v6.1.0.49 that we mentioned would be available later today? You can go ahead and grab it now from the link below. Of course, you’ll want to make sure to back up your BBM contacts and such before downloading, just to be on the safe side. Thanks to everyone that sent this in!
Some interesting new came about yesterday for all you Sirius XM radio fans out there. According to to some tips left on the OrbitCast website it looks like at some point in time this month we will be seeing a release of BlackBerry version of their mobile app. Currently, XM Radio offers a service through certain carriers which allows a carrier based subscription to bring 25 channels to the BlackBerry platform. However, the non-carrier solution will bring 120 channels in total and allows subscribers to just simply login and use their already existing account through Sirius XM to access their channels on the go. With this set up though we wouldn’t rule out the chance of a small additional fee added for the mobile option, much like the methods used on the iPhone app.
Supported devices are said to include Storm, Bold, BlackBerry Tour and finally, BlackBerry Curve (89xx, 85xx) series devices. Now in the past, Sirius XM has excluded Howard Stern from their mobile offerings and that is not likely to change. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Anyone gonna grab this up when it’s released?
As much as I would love to have all my music readily available on my BlackBerry devices, I really don’t want to have it take up a lot of space. Cloud Player is the answer to my prayers. Cloud Player is a free application that turns your BlackBerry into an MP3 player with unlimited storage. Once you’ve set up your account online (www.CloudPlayer.me) and uploaded your music, you’re ready to go. Your music will always be up to date with automatic syncing and available to access over your WiFi or carrier internet connection. With Cloud Player, you can search your music by artist or playlist and best of all, the app is FREE!
In an update coming soon, online users will have access to a “social” section with the option to view your friends’ music libraries (including stats like recently uploaded, recently played, most played, etc). The folks over at Cloud Player LLC are wanting to explore the same option with their BlackBerry app at a future date so keep your eyes peeled for that possible update.
Cloud Player is supported on pretty much every device (including the 9900 & 9930) as well as all countries and carriers. A PlayBook app should be released sometime around September/October. If you’re looking for a great way to have all your music at the tips of your figure without using up your device’s precious space, check out Cloud Player today.
Expense reports on the go couldn’t be easier with ProOnGo Expense with Receipt Reader. You can track your mileage via GPS, time via call logs, and regular expenses by taking pictures of your receipts, all right from your BlackBerry! When you take a picture of your receipt, the app automatically extracts the dollar amount, merchant name, and date which it then generates into an expense report. When it’s time to submit the report, ProOnGo has tons of options for that as well. Other features include currency conversion, integration with calendar and contacts, receipt image editor, reminders for recurring expenses, and more!
The newest feature that was just recently added gives you the ability to compute two different types of taxes on a single item. Users just enter in in a percentage and ProOnGo Expense will find the the tax amount and include it in your expense details.
ProOnGo Expense is free to download, and has a 30 day trial. To continue using the app after that you will have to choose a subscription package, which ranges from $.99 to $9.99 per month with discounts for pre-paying.
BlackBerry Protect now available (open beta) in North America and Latin America
by Kevin Michaluk on 5 Mar 2011 09:52 AM
RIM just let us know that the long talked about BlackBerry Protect app/service is now available to users. We took a detailed look at this wayyy back in July 2010, so check out our BlackBerry Protect Preview to get up to speed.
BlackBerry Protect is a free application that allows users to wirelessly backup, restore and locate their BlackBerry smartphone. In the event that their BlackBerry smartphone is misplaced, lost or stolen, BlackBerry Protect provides features like: remote device wipe, remote device lock, ‘Lost and Found’ screen, locate device on a map, remote activation of the BlackBerry smartphone loud ringer, and wireless device backup and restore.
Key features of BlackBerry Protect include:
Remote Device Management:
Remote wipe
Remote lock and ‘Lost and Found’ screen
Remote activate loud ringer
Cell Tower and GPS device tracking
Over the Air (OTA) Backup and Restore:
Contacts and Calendar
Memos and Tasks
Browser Bookmarks
Text Messages
Administration:
Based on BlackBerry ID system
Web-based End User portal
Operator Call Center access
If you want to give it a try, you can find the BlackBerry Protect app within the Test Center in BlackBerry App World (note for some users it may take up to 24 hours for it show up) and you can head to blackberry.com/protect to download, login to the web interface, and for more info.
The multimedia player application known as Mobiola xPlayer was recently updated to 2.0. xPlayer has been around for quite a while, in fact it was one of the first applications I’ve ever reviewed on CrackBerry. It originally, and continues to, offer multimedia management options above and your beyond what your BlackBerry currently can. Yes, that means going past shuffling songs, listening to podcasts and creating playlists. With this application you can also open the door to over 100 predefined radio stations. Both podcasts and radio stations can be accessed through WiFi, direct TCP, BIS or BES. Rather than focusing on flashy looks, it brings functionality and control. Check out what SHAPE Services brought to the table with version 2.0:
Full support for OS 6.0 devices
Dropbox integration: if you have a Dropbox account, you can log in to your Dropbox directly from xPlayer, add files to playlist from Dropbox, manage playlists with Dropbox files and playback mp3 files directly from Dropbox. You don’t need to download them. It’s recommended to use Unlimited data plan or WiFi connection to playback files from your remote Dropbox. To create a Dropbox account, go to www.dropbox.com.
SHAPE Services split xPlayer into xPlayer (LITE version with Ads) and xPlayer Pro (with 7 days trial)
SHAPE Services cut prices to xPlayer Pro to $9.99.
For those of you still lost when it comes to what Twitter client to use we have some great news of you’re a former UberTwitter user. Twitter has removed the suspension on the oh so popular Twitter client after the changes were submitted for it to be known as UberSocial. UberSocial has been re-enabled and as such can now be downloaded directly from the UberSocial website. Now that the mess has been cleaned up and things are right in the Twitter universe again, enjoy folks!
For those of you who shop at Best Buy and belong to their Reward Zone program, they recently released a version of their app for BlackBerry devices so members can access their account. If you’re not familiar with the program, it allows you to accumulate points on all in-store and online purchases which are then turned into gift certificates redeemable only at Best Buy.
The app lets users view members’ only special offers, see regular weekly deals with the option to buy or locate a store, and know when they’ve earned certificates. Members must first activate their online account at www.myrz.com in order to log into the app. You never know when they’ll show some BlackBerry love and offer some great deals when upgrading or buying a new device.
Features
See the latest offers and promotions
Review point totals and recent purchases
Search for products or stores
Save and share info on your favorite products
The Reward Zone Program App for BlackBerry is compatible with all touch and non touch devices. Download from the link below or text RZ to 95173 (msg & data rates may apply.
You are currently registered for Documents To Go Standard Edition (Word To Go/Sheet To Go/Slideshow To Go) that came with your BlackBerry smartphone. This is your last chance to purchase Docs To Go Premium Edition 2.0 for the introductory price of $19.99.
Premium Edition 2.0 contains an easy to use desktop app for syncing files with your BlackBerry via USB, a new file browser/explorer for your phone, additional features for Word To Go, Sheet To Go and Slideshow To Go as well as bonus ‘PDF To Go’ for high fidelity viewing of native Adobe PDF files on your BlackBerry.
Desktop app for file synchronization - Easily sync your files and any edits between your Windows computer and BlackBerry smartphone via USB cable
Advanced PDF To Go - New features include search/find and copy text, bookmarks and more
Create new Word, Excel and PowerPoint files
Use password-protected Office 2007 files - Now open and edit your secure Word and Excel 97-2007 files
File browser/explorer - our ‘Documents To Go Files’ app provides one centralized location where you can conveniently access and manage (delete, rename, copy and paste) your MS Office, PDF, and image files without having to navigate between programs
Spell checking and view tracked changes in Word files, charting and sorting in Excel files as well as other advanced formatting options for your files
Desktop Application for Roundtrip File Synchronization
Select individual files or entire folders to synchronize and all updates made on either the computer or the smartphone will be automatically transferred to the other location. This eliminates the need to manually manage files and ensures that documents are always up-to-date.
Throughout this process, all original file formatting will be maintained thanks to DataViz’s unique InTact Technology.
Henrik let me know that the best selling app BerryBuzz has just been updated to version 3.2. This version includes some minor fixes as well as some added app support. If you haven’t heard of BerryBuzz, it is a small app that lets you totally customize the LED color on your device. No longer will you need to rely on audible alerts for emails, SMS and phone calls. Let BerryBuzz show you the light and give you more control over your alerts. Updates include:
BerryBuzz settings can now be opened right from the homescreen icon
Added support for Visual Voice Mail
Added support for IM+ Lite
Added support for SBSH Calendar Pro
Storing license key in backup file and prefilling the activation screen after restore
Moved ‘My Contact LEDs’ and phone group to the top
Merged SMS/MMS into ‘Text Messages’ on OS 6.0
Fixed group expansion state not correctly persisted
Fixed support for multiple contact lists
Fixed support for contacts from AT&T address book on BlackBerry Torch 9800
Minor changes to settings screen
Fixed reboot (battery pull) needed after initial installation
Other minor bug fixes
Users of BerryBuzz3.x can grab the update for free, while new users can pick it up for just $5.99. Hit the link below to download.
xPlayer is one of my favorite new applications for the BlackBerry. The media player reminds me of Winamp and just gets the job done with a very user friendly interface that now also has theme options. As I mentioned before it also helps that the software is completely free when compared to the competition and has no limits and restrictions. Thankfully in the new version x-Berrysoft has provided both OTA and Desktop install links:
The new version of xPlayer brings a few fixes and new features to the application even though it is still in beta. They have introduced cool new features like combining playlists and scrolling page by page instead of line by line. I highly encourage everybody to provide the developer Rob with as much feedback as possible on what needs to be improved in the application.
Update notes since we last mentioned xPlayer
v.0.97 BETA 5
Supported video formats mp4, 3gp
Themes is supported, new themes are available on the x-berrysoft website
Load many playlists at one time (use SPACE to multi select)
Fixed issue with file extensions (upper case)
Fixed issue mute then select “next”
Page Scroll B-bottom, T-top
xFile: Optimized method for loading files (level 1)
xFile: Files multi selection is supported now (use SPACE to mark file selected)
xFile: Page Scroll (Up –LEFT, Right – DOWN)
xFile: Help is added
v.0.96 BETA 4
add option “Include subfolder” when open a folder with media files. You can now manage this parameter in application Settings (select Settings from main menu)
full screen video playback support
fix issue with shuffle. Now shuffle mode is applied to “Next” command
implement new navigation scheme. If cursor on the current played file, pause will be selected, if cursor on the other file playback of selected file will be selected
add option duplicate files in playlist. You can change this option in application Settings
shortcuts help is added
mute is supported now. Shortcut – ‘m’
Phone button goes application to background without pause (for audio files only)
The Gmail app for BlackBerry has been kicking around for quite a while now, yet many users won’t give it a second look. I can’t really blame them, since having a BlackBerry means having a BIS or BES, so who needs an app for email? Although my BIS email is for my main accounts, I do have some shared email addresses that I don’t want being pushed to my device, so this is where the Gmail app comes in handy (I’m sure there are some other good reasons to use it as well). While not totally perfect, its not terrible either. It does have some great features as well as some really bad ones. Hit the jump for a look at what its all about.
The login screen, plain and simple. Toss in your email address and password and you’re up and running. Once you login you’ll see your inbox. Read more… »
One of the things that annoy me is *ring* oh, hold on. I’m getting a call. Hello? Sorry wrong number. Where was I, oh yes, so what annoys me is when you *ring*, just a second. Yes hello? No. No sorry. No I don’t want a sign up. Put me on your do not call list. Sorry about that. As you can probably tell it’s those types of calls that get under my skin. I’m talking about the unknown/private numbers that make your BlackBerry ring. Every time one of those sneaky calls come in, you are unsure if you should answer or not. Is it important? Is it an emergency? Is it an ex? Is it a telemarketer? There are only two ways to find out; answer the call or wait for a voicemail message.
PrivacyStar takes the power from the unknown and places it back into your hands. Besides blocking the unknown/private numbers, you can also perform reverse lookups, block numbers from your call log and also report any numbers that do not adhere to Do Not Call lists. Let’s get into it before I get anoth *ring*…sigh…
About PrivacyStar
PrivacyStar was developed by First Orion Corporation and launched in December 2009. According to their website, the application is available for BlackBerrys running OS 4.5 or higher (both touch and non-touch). CrackBerry App Store says version 4.3 is also supported. The version that was reviewed was version 1.0.67, which has a file size of 1.1 MB. In order to use the PrivacyStar application, you will need to set up an account with them first. PrivacyStar is available on a subscription basis, costing users $2.99 per month. Read more… »
Unwanted SMS messages are annoying. It seems like every week I get a new one, promising I have won something, or that my debt can easily be erased. Sure it’s easy enough to just delete the message and forget about it, but what if you could eliminate it from ever hitting your device?
This is where Don’t Disturb Me! (DDM) from Mobile4Life comes in. This app is the ultimate firewall for your BlackBerry. With DDM you can block SMS messages by sender’s number or by keyword, so you don’t have to receive them. You also have options for being notified when a message has been blocked, and you can configure how the message is handled from there. This is great if you get a lot of spam or harassing SMS messages.
Features:
Block SMS by sender’s number or number prefix.
Block SMS by user defined keywords.
Use “safe sender” list to ensure your important sms will not be blocked.
Use password to protect DDM’s setting
Backup number/keyword/safe sender list to SD card or restore from SD card.
Display block indictor and number of sms blocked on top of screen.
Configurable sound/vibrate/led notification when blocked a SMS or totally key silent.
View detailed infomation of blocked SMS and reply it.
You can pick up Don’t Disturb Me in the CrackBerry store for $2.99 until September 30th when it returns to the normal price of $3.99. A free trial (50 blocked messages) is also available if you prefer to try before you buy.
Meebo, the web service that offers online instant messaging across multiple social networks has rolled out their BlackBerry client in beta form. Users looking for a better way to keep all their social network friends together can now download the free application to their devices to get started. The application, which uses a custom built UI allows you to access your Meebo account on the go. Since Meebo supports AIM, Yahoo, GTalk and more you shouldn’t have to really worry about not being able to stay in touch again. You can learn more about Meebo via their website and if you’re wanting to take the application for a spin, registration can be completed on your BlackBerry. Hit the link below to download and view more details about the Meebo for BlackBerry app
Coming off my 8330 I was more than excited to pick up a Tour 9630 the day it was released. I was one of a dozen or so people in line at my local Verizon store, and was in and out in a few minutes. I rushed home to get up and running on my new device. I fell in love with the higher resoution screen, keyboard and all around design. Thankfully I didn’t have the trackball issues like some, but my battery door did come loose at times. I was happy to finally have the latest device on Verion’s network (not such a big fan of AT&T or T-Mobile here in New Jersey).
Enter the Bold 9700. The feel of the device combined with the trackpad and overall “smoothness” just left me thinking “where is my CDMA version”? Rumors started flying, and sure enough talk of the Tour 2 popped up. Wifi and a trackpad on my Tour? Yes please. As with everyone else I was asking why Verizon didn’t do it right the first time with the release of the 9630, but hindsight is 20/20. Months down the road, doubled memory, a trackpad, Wifi and a bit of rebranding leaves us with the newly released Bold 9650. Read on for my review.
Straight up out of the box you just think “Tour”. The trackpad is the obvious difference, and aside from the Bold branding on the back it’s the same device … on the outside. On the inside we have juiced up memory to 512MB (in preparations for BlackBerry 6) and the addition of Wifi. The Bold 9650 feels great all around. Its a bit bigger than the Bold 9700 I’ve been using for the past few months, but nothing I won’t be able to get used to. Holding the device is a bit different as it takes up more “hand space”, but again I’ll get over it. I love the 9650 keyboard (as I did the Tour) and mostly that I can get back on Verizon since the service is sooooo much better than that of T-Mobile where I live. Having the Wifi on a CDMA device is kind of a first for me since I never used a Storm2 and only rocked out the 8530 for a week or so. I was never a big believer in it in the past, but after having the Bold 9700 I really can’t see myself without it. The back of the device has the large battery door, and thanfully it isn’t loose and wobbly like my old Tour 9630. The site buttons and convenience keys are in the same place, with the exception of the micro USB port having dropped down a bit for some unknown reason. The placement of the port still is a mystery to me since it gets in the way if you try to type with the device plugged in.
Features
Optical trackpad for easy and fluid navigation
Built-in Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g)
Push to Talk feature
VZ Navigator® version 6
VZ Navigator Global capabilities
Mobile e-mail and messaging capabilities
Large (2.45″) high-resolution display (480 x 360 resolution at 245 ppi)
3.2 megapixel camera with flash, variable zoom, image stabilization, autofocus and video recording
Advanced media player for videos, pictures and music; a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack; and support for the Bluetooth® Stereo Audio Profile (A2DP/AVCRP)
BlackBerry® Media Sync to easily sync music as well as photos
Easy mobile access to Facebook®, MySpace and Flickr® as well as popular instant messaging services, including BlackBerry® Messenger
Support for BlackBerry App World(TM), featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for lackBerry smartphones
512 MB Flash memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 16 GB microSD(TM) HC cards (a 2 GB card is pre-installed)
Full HTML Web browser, streaming audio and video via RTSP
Built-in GPS with support for location-based applications and services as well as geotagging
Premium phone features, including voice-activated dialing, speakerphone, and Bluetooth (2.1)
Support for high-speed EV-DO Rev. A networks in North America as well as single band UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz) and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks abroad
Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery for up to 5 hours of CDMA
talk time
Hardware
On the outside everything feels great. There is no wobbly battery door, and the side buttons/convenience keys feel solid. The keyboard is a welcome change from my 9700 and I like the feel of it a bit more, and the fact that it is a touch wider than that of my 9700. The LCD fits flush all around with no annoying gaps anywhere. The trackpad and send/end buttons flow right through to connect the keyboard and LCD. Overall nothing is loose or non-fitting and the Bold 9650 feels well constructed. At first glance the micro USB port seems to be in the same annoying place as the Tour 9630, but as we know now it was moved down a bit for some unknown reason. I still can’t stand the placement, and if I had to pick the biggest downside of the device this might just be it. If you try typing at all with the device plugged in, you have to create a whole new style just to work around the poor placement of the port. It is definitely much better suited at the top of the device on either side where it is out of the way should you need to use the device while charging.
Verizon Bold 9650 Keyboard
Verizon Bold 9650 Left Side View
Verizon Bold 9650 Right Side View
Verizon Bold 9650 Back View
All of the buttons feel solid. The convenience keys aren’t loose at all, and the top buttons flow well into the device and don’t stick out at all. I did find the trackpad a bit “clicky”. Yes I know its supposed to click .. but it just feels/sounds like it clicks a bit more than it should, almost like its not a fluid motion and it catches on something. I’m sure this will be fine over time and either go away or just not bother me. Another interesting thing I found was trying to type on the keyboard. I was actually thrown off by the red keys on the number pad. They kind of messed with my head since I’ve been using the Bold 9700 and the keys are all the same color. Odd I know, but it was interesting and actually slowed down my typing a bit until I readjusted. I do love the large keyboard though and find it easy to type on as I did with the Tour.
Software
On the inside the Bold 9650 is juiced up. 512MB (around 300MB free) means there is plenty of room to keep things running smooth. With the planned BlackBerry 6 right around the corner, this device will be ready to roll upon release. The Wifi is probably the best addition to the device (maybe its a tie with the optical trackpad) and I’m super excited to have it. Aside from those points things look pretty much the same. All the standard apps are here including BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry App World, calendar, tasks etc. The device also has icons (to download apps) for Twitter for BlackBerry, Skype, VZ Navigator, IM clients and a number of other apps.
From the start the Bold 9650 runs smooth. The boot time is quick (keep in mind its out of the box with no 3rd party apps, messages etc) and navigating around the OS is great. When first starting it feels as if the OS has to settle in before navigation is totally smooth. But overall once you get going there is no noticable lag time getting around, and it just feels like a solid OS. There is no saying what errors may pop up, and if/when Verizon will drop an OS update. Overall we can expect this OS (5.0.0.699) to hold up well for now, and hopefully won’t be a problem as was the original OS on the Tour 9630.
The battery life already seems better than that of the Tour 9630 as well. I barely made it through a day using the one battery on my 9630, and using an extended battery didn’t help all that much. The 9650 seems to last quite a while longer. I’m not sure yet if it fully compares to that of the Bold 9700, but it is definitely doing it’s part to get me through a day with avarage usage.
Hands-On
One of the first things I noticed about the Bold 9650 is how amazing the call quality is. I honestly don’t make many calls from my device, but in testing the other party sounded crisp and clear on a number of calls. The device fits well in the hand, but for some may be a bit of a stretch for one-handed use. It is a bit wide so depending on your habits it may be hard to hold for some. I do like the rubberized sides and back as they help for the grip when typing. The keyboard feels smooth and there is no snagging on the keys typing was extremely easy. The keyboard does look a bitte more “matte” than the glossy-ness (I made that up) on the Tour 9630. The trackpad feels good and there is no difference in height to the send/end buttons. The convenience keys were easy to use, although I noticed the right-side key didn’t have much movement so it was almost hard to tell if it was pressed or not. I do find the rubberized battery door to be annoying at times. It feels weird when holding the device, and kind of rubs my fingers the wrong way if I move around too much. I’m sure I can adjust to it, but I actually notice it quite a bit when typing. There are no large gaps or protruding parts on the Bold 9650. I did notice a bit of the rubberized side right over the headset jack sticks out a bit. Its nothing to worry about since it can easily be forgotten, but if I remember correctly my Tour was the same exact way. Nothing else sticks out where it shouldn’t, and everything feels very well put together. The device is solid and should stand up to a long life of use.
Verion Bold 9650 & Tour 9630 Side by Side
Verizon Bold 9650 & Tour 9630 Right Side View
Verizon Bold 9650 & Tour 9630 Left Side View
Verizon Bold 9650 & T-Mobile Bold 9700
Final Thoughts
Overall I feel that the Bold 9650 is a great device for CDMA users. We always seems to get left in the dust when it comes to the “latest and greatest” devices, so this device is a welcome relief (at least for now). Having Wifi, the optical trackpad, 512MB of memory and global options make this one of the best devices yet. Its a matter of opinion if it beats out the Bold 9700, but for CDMA users I think its the best offering thus far. I’ll play around a bit more and hopefully crank out a comparison between the two. As far as CDMA goes I think this guy will win out for sure. If you’re a touchscreen fan you will most likely want to hold out and see what lays down the line, but Curve 8300, 8830 and Tour users (pending upgrade) should definitely consider the Bold 9650. If you’re jumping from another device or a new BlakcBerry user, this will be a much welcomed upgrade and you will no doubt love it. I’m still not totally sold on switching back from my Bold 9700 however. The 9650 is a good bit larger and heavier than the 9700, so I think I’ll have to weigh out the pros and cons on both to see who ends up the final winner and “full-time” champ.
Do people call you several times a day asking “Where are you?” Ask them to follow you on twitter and keep tweeting your location using “Tweet My Location”!
Are you in a city that you don’t know much? You can tell your friends automatically, what place you are visiting right now. Traveling is fun with “Tweet My Location”. Amaze your friends with the frequency with which you can tweet about your current location.
Or are you simply addicted to twitter? Now you can post your current location to twitter automatically using your GPS or network location. Simply setup the app and let it do the rest! Your location will be calculated using your GPS and network coordinates and a human readable address will be posted onto twitter.
Here is a typical walk through of the app
• Run the application
• Give your Twitter User-name and Password
• Give an automatic time interval, for example 5 minutes
• Enable the service
Make sure you allow all permissions to this app right after installation. You can give permissions by going to Options—Applications—Tweet My Location – Edit Permissions and allow all the permissions in case your app isn’t working.
Now your phone will tweet your location after every five minutes.
Afraid of auto tweet? Don’t worry! You can disable the auto tweet feature and can manually tweet your location description whenever you feel like it. The application runs in the background and does not bother you while you use your phone.
Trillian has been quite a popular instant messaging application on many platforms. Mac, PC and Linux all have desktop versions. The only mobile implementation so far has been on the iPhone. That is, until now. Trillian has announced they are going to be bringing a full blown multi platform instant messaging client to BlackBerry. It’s not released as of yet but, you can sign up to be notified when it does indeed become available. Looks pretty impressive from the screenshots they have displayed. Shout out to dumb4ever for letting us know about it in the CrackBerry forums.
When we released our top BlackBerry apps list a few weeks ago, we named a number of applications that we haven’t gotten to featuring on the site. That’s going to happen with a list that prolific. One of those applications, Poynt, just got an upgrade, so it seems like as good a time as any to feature it. Poynt is an excellent tool for any BlackBerry user. It taps the power of location, using GPS or cell tower data to search local businesses, restaurants, and more. It takes this a few steps further, too.
You can use Poynt to search for information about any kind of local business. Looking for a store, an office site, a vendor? Just search through Poynt and you can find a phone number, their website, and even turn-by-turn directions.
If you’re looking to book a night out, Poynt can help with that, too. You can find local movie times and even buy tickets right through the application. You can also find restaurants and use the application to make a reservation. Adding to the social nature of the application, you can invite friends as well.
For your personal use, you can add business information to your address book, add events to your calendar, or broadcast listings using BlackBerry Messenger.
The best part about Poynt is that it’s free. You can get it at App World. It has been reviewed over 4,000 times, and comes away with a 4.5 star rating. That’s no small feat in such a large sampling.
Use Poynt to find people, businesses, movie theatres, retailers and restaurants near you. Poynt uses GPS or cell-site locations to pinpoint you and quickly deliver the information you need whenever and wherever you need it.
- Find phone numbers and connect with one click, browse websites and map directions
- Plan a night out – book movie tickets and dinner reservations, add it to your calendar and invite your friends
- Add listings to your BlackBerry® Address Book, add movie and restaurant events to your BlackBerry® Calendar, share listings using BlackBerry® Messages
- Poynt is free and available in Canada, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and now in France, Italy and Spain
Discover why Poynt won the 2008 BlackBerry Developer s Challenge Grand Prize and was recognized as the Most Innovative Consumer Application in GSMA s Mobile Innovation Grand Prix, EMEA Tournament
Let’s see, we’re nearly five months into this year. How are you doing with your resolutions? Particularly the one you made to start saving money. Have…
Let’s see, we’re nearly five months into this year. How are you doing with your resolutions? Particularly the one you made to start saving money. Have you been managing your finances more efficiently? Or have you been spending so much money that your debit or credit card is starting to melt? We all know it’s always best to make a budget, but it may be difficult to adhere to it. Your grocery budget may dwindle more quickly, as you find yourself dining out or hitting the drive thru more frequently. When a new BlackBerry comes out, will you have money set aside for it, or will you dip into your hydro bill budget? Well, at least you can use a flashlight app on your new BlackBerry to illuminate your place after your electricity gets cut off…until your battery runs out.
Do yourself a favour: put the hammer down and step away from your child’s piggy bank. I’m pretty sure that you would rather try and find alterative means to fix your financial follies, than to explain to your son or daughter why you’re taking their birthday money. Why not check out these applications plucked from a slew of money applications available for your BlackBerry.
There were so many applications to go through, so I tried to cover the basics that you should look out for. It takes money to make money, or in this case – save money as well. Keep this in mind when having a look at these applications – they may not be what you are looking for, or they may be the perfect fit. If you use anything that is not listed here, let everyone know and leave a comment.
Mobile Money Mover
Your money is easily carried and easily spent, but not necessarily easily made. Though not the greatest tool for a shopaholic to have, it would be convenient if you could manage your cash flow on your BlackBerry – regardless if it happens to be flowing in or out.
Two great options are the PayPal and Zoompass applications. Both of these applications allow you to send or receive money while on the go; you can even use Zoompass to request money (Mom? I need some gas money…). You can quickly and easily see your transactions, balance and more. You are also able to make payments to people already in your BlackBerry Address book. Both PayPal and Zoompass are free (Zoompass is only available in Canada).
The ATM Adventure
I don’t know how often this happens in this day of age, but I’m sure some people still have difficulty finding an ATM once in a while. You may find yourself in a strange place, where banks aren’t as abundant and stores do not have their own little ATM. Hey it could happen…
Enter the ATM Hunter. This application helps you locate the nearest ATMs to you. You can either make use of your GPS location, or enter in an address. You can then see ATMs and learn of where they are located, whether it is in a store, gas station or in a bank. Additionally, ATMs can be filtered out based on specifics, including; drive-thru locations and deposit capabilities. ATM Hunter is free.
Stock Talk
From the experienced to the down right clueless, everyone agrees that you need to keep on top of the stock market and other investing opportunities if you truly want to profit. Now I’m not talking about jumping down to the trading floor to slug it out, but rather bring pertinent information to you when you need it.
iStockManager is a fantastic trading application, regardless if you have a TD Ameritrade account or not. Equity trading, balances, positions, market data and more will be presented to you quite clearly. Your orders can be made right from the application as well. iStockManager is free.
Another option is the Stock Icons application, which provides stock information similar to the native stock app along with some other great tools. Imagine being alerted if a particular stock reaches your ideal price, or having a watch list updated for you or even colour coding to separate multiple stocks. Stock Icons costs $2.99.
Mortgage Madness
Just when you think you’ve finally purchased a house and have escaped paying rent ever again, the dreaded mortgage looms overhead. Ah well, at least one day you’ll finish paying it off and enjoy your home stress free, until you get moved into an old age home.
You can easily figure out your mortgage payments with Look Great – Mortgage Payment Calculator. It’s a quick way to work out payments, based on factors that include; interest rate, insurance, taxes and duration. Now you can see if you can afford your dream home AND the white picket fence to go around it. Looks Great – Mortgage Payment Calculator is available for $2.99.
Watching the Cash Flow
When the pay check arrives, doesn’t it seem as though it disappears just as quickly? Wouldn’t it be nice to see where it is actually going? It may be difficult to come up with some sort of budget, without having a look at the big picture. Of course you can check out your bank account online, but where’s the fun in that?
Mobile Checkbook is one of my favourites. With the ability to record and reconcile transactions when you want to, you’ll find yourself in control of your money. You can track what is being withdrawn, what’s being deposited and what’s being transferred, without breaking a sweat. The application also includes support for recurring transactions. You can also export your transaction lists for multiple accounts in an email as a QIF or XLS attachment. Mobile Checkbook is available for $7.99 until April 30th.
A heavy hitter, like Ascendo Money, is a robust way to gain full financial fortitude. At your fingertips you have access to various graphs, future account balance forecasts, budgets vs. actual balance views and account/statement reconciliation. For more features, there is an option to sync this mobile application with a desktop version. The Ascendo Money mobile and desktop bundle is available for $29.95.
I could go on and on (and on and on) blasting out financial applications, but I thought that these would be a great starting point. Are you using another cash controlling application? Put your money where your mouth is and let us know what you’re using and how it works for you.
The team at Bellshare let me know that BerryPopup has been updated to version 1.5. If you haven’t heard of it before, BerryPopup is a neat app that allows you to preview incoming email and SMS messages on your device without having to jump into the specific message. If you have a ton of emails coming in constantly (like most of us do) the app lets you preview the message without having to stop what your doing -be it browsing the web, playing a game or using another application. When the popup shows, you can quickly check it out and choose to reply, forward, mark as read or delete the message right in the preview box. One of the cool features about BerryPopup is that it reformats both Bellshare and CrackBerry forums emails for easier reading (as seen in the screencap above) in the preview. Other updates include:
Option to automatically delete forum notification e-mails
Added ‘No Buttons’ layout mode
Added backup/restore to memory card
E-Mails deleted by BerryMail will no longer show
Complete rework of settings user interface, now with tabbed user interface
Improved compatability with OS 5.0
Many bug fixes
BerryPopup is on sale in the CrackBerry App Store through Sunday for $4.99 and a free trial is available. Hit the link below for more info.
When on the go we all want to have an edge. FlightView is there to help for busy travelers who need to stay in the loop. The app lets you track flights in real-time, get information on upcoming and active flights and receive notifications for flight status. Knowing the status of your flight can be an invaluable tool, and having that information right on your device makes things that much easier. FlightView even integrates with your device calendar to help keep things organized. The current version only works for flights in North America or with one end point in North America. FlightView is available for $4.99 in the CrackBerry App Store.
I remember way back when I had one of my first PCs and I discovered Dragon Dictate. I was amazed that I could just speak and the PC would recognize (mostly) what I said and put it into text. Well I’ve been wowed again with the release of Dragon for Email. Never has it been easier to speak your emails to your BlackBerry. Just talk away and Dragon for Email will transcribe your speech into a text email on your device. The app integrates directly with the native email client, and you can speak names for the address line, subjects and email body. You can also reply and forward emails using the app. Dragon for Email is available in the US free for a limited time. You can download it directly from BlackBerry App World.
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