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Items by Alex

August 08, 2008
7:31
BlackBerry Edge is Moving to a New Home
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

For our visitors we are still going to have the same BlackBerry coverage as before but we are combining with coverage on a number of other developments in the world. You can get all your BlackBerry coverage at The North American Journal. Just go to the Technology section and click on BlackBerry. All of our previous posts have been transferred over. If you have anything that you would like to share with us you can send it to info@thenorthamericanjournal.com.
2:44
BBerryOne to Close
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

So after over 100,000 visitors we thinks its time that BBerryOne go the way of the unicorn. With more applications coming with built in mobile launchers and you know RIM has to be able to respond to the iPhone’s ability to create a launch icon on demand for any website that you visit, the need for BBerryOne has outlasted its usefulness. We will likely have it shut down by the end of the month. TIPMaster will be moved to somewhere on BlackBerry Edge for the timebeing. We’re also in the process of determining whether BlackBerryEdge will move as a repeat column in our new publication The North American Journal.
August 07, 2008
1:07
iPhone a Serious Consideration for the BlackBerry Depressed
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

I never thought it would happen but I have become bored with my BlackBerry, this time last year I was excited about the 8830 and the Curve making it onto the scene but with the expectation of the Bold and the Thunder coming out with the ever presence of the iPhone it is kind of like waiting for the new slingshot to come out while your friends are playing with a nuclear missile. So yes Mobile Me has encountered some difficulties well give it some time, I have the touch and I just can’t get past all the great peripheral software (for $0.99)that has come out to work on that big gorgeous screen. Comparing the screen of my 8830 to my touch is like comparing my tube TV to a plasma. On the touch, I have a program that calculates my fuel efficiency, I’m streaming music from Last FM, a couple of internet radio programs and don’t get me started on Wordpress. I always thought the touch screen would be the downfall for Apple versus BlackBerry but when I can pound out long post on Wordpress because Apple accurately checks misspelling of the words and corrects it, I think RIM has not only got to pull a rabbit out of the hat but a truck. I thought I would be the last to change and while I am not in a hurry to jump at the 3G, I’m also not in a hurry to go for the Bold. I think I will wait a year, see who gets what bugs out of what and unless RIM shows me why it will dominate over Apple I will likely make the switch and we will turn this place into Apple Edge.
July 24, 2008
5:25
Driinn Designed to Keep your BlackBerry off the Floor
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

I like it when people develop cool ideas, this information originally was posted over at BlackBerry Cool and the product is called the Driinn which is a holder for your electronics equipment while it is charging. Normally when I am at home and I have to charge my BlackBerry, I have this line running around the foot of my chair as my BlackBerry balances on the edge of the desk as it charges. I think this is a great idea and will definitely be getting one but basically you have a piece of plastic with a built in ledge that your electronics sit in. There is a whole up on top that the electrical plug goes through as it is plugged into the socket. This is a great simple idea that will work well with the BlackBerry, touch and other electronic devices.
5:14
Launch Icons Developed For You
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

The other day Berry Review had a great post that I wanted to share with you. A reader to Berry Review developed launch icons for some 15 applications so that you can launch the websites from the convenience of your BlackBerry desktop. Further based on the following pricing structure, he can create a launch icon for you:

Sibion is also now offering a custom homescreen shortcut creation service. His fees are reasonable:

Promotional Shortcuts with unlimited use and distribution @ $20 per shortcut
Intranet Shortcuts with unlimited site license @ $10 per shortcut
Personal Shortcuts with single use licenses @ $2 per shortcut

You can purchase one of the shortcut options at this link

To give you a price comparison, when we developed the original BBerryOne launch icon about two years ago, we paid close to $80.00 now you can get one for $20.00 and I am assuming you don’t have to purchase the special licensing from RIM which cost us well over $100.00. If you have a website and want to get a launch icon done, this is going to be the place to check out.
July 20, 2008
23:31
What is Britney Doing Right Now?
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Originally posted on The North American Journal

So I recently had someone send me an email and told me I needed to check out Twitter, the site has been around for awhile and I have seen its name circulating around the internet but I had yet to explore it. They operate on the simple question, What are you doing? To me my first impressions of my Twitter experience is a cross between The Truman Show with Jim Carrey and an ant colony.

This is anything but simple as I have often wondered what is everyone doing at this moment, what are my friends up to, family members, what is Britney Spears doing right now? The site allows you to post updates of what your doing in 140 characters or less and then pushes that information to all of your subscribers. So you will actually see, I now have a Twitter page with a fan base of 1. If you would like to subscribe to my Twitter page, you can click here.

With the popularity of twitter there has been the development of a number of applications to twit on the go. For our dedicated BlackBerry users, you can download TwitterBerry which will enable you to Twitter to your account while you are on the go, click here for the OTA access. If your an iPhone user/Touch user you can get a great program for free in the Applications store called Twiterriffic which offers a basic version for FREE and a premium version. I opted for the Basic until I determine if there is a need for the premium.

So if you want to stay connected with friends or family or your just interested in knowing when I am making toast, go give Twitter a try.
July 17, 2008
4:11
BlackBerry Bold May Beat iPhone 3G
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Gizmodo has posted a nice comparison done by The Boy Genius of the new iPhone 3G versus the BlackBerry Bold, definitely worth a read if your thinking about what to buy next. Sounds like the email superiority of the BlackBerry still holds true but time will tell.
July 14, 2008
4:42
Google Launch Button Available
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

One of our readers brought something to our attention that we thought was great. If you go to www.google.com/m on your BlackBerry browser and go to More up on top and then scroll down the list you will see one option which is Search (Download) which installs a Google shortcut on your BlackBerry desktop for quick access to mobile search. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.
July 10, 2008
18:08
Apple Application Store launches in the US
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Originally posted on The North American Journal

This morning Apple launched iTunes 7.7 in the United States, Canada your still on 7.6 but with the iPhone due to be released on Friday, there is still time for Canada to get the new iTunes. What is different about this version is the introduction of the Application store, where you can buy a host of new software to get the most out of your iPhone or coming soon your Touch.

Over at BlackBerry Edge we have talked about some of the strengths that the BlackBerry has over the iPhone however I think this will definitely be a strength that Apple will be able to exercise over RIM. Over the years, I’ve heard from different developers suggesting that software design for the BlackBerry wasn’t the easiest task and if the application store takes off, users are going to see this as being a leap forward for Apple over RIM.

I have both a touch and a BlackBerry, the touch’s media capabilities are pure Apple and are the finest on the market to date. The BlackBerry is an excellent communications tool and a dedicated keyboard versus a touch keyboard I think will keep the BlackBerry out in front for most corporate users but for the consumer market that is interested in watching movies on the go, listening to music or surfing the internet, the iPhone/Touch is going to be a tough mountain to overcome. BlackBerry is due to release an all touch BlackBerry called the Thunder in September but will it boasts the same media capabilities that Apple offers us, we will have to wait and see.
July 05, 2008
2:20
Futureshop Application Another step forward in Mobile Commerce
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Originally posted on our sister site ~ The North American Journal

First if your Canadian and you like electronics then you know who Futureshop is, essentially they were Canada’s Best Buy for the longest time and today they launched a BlackBerry friendly website via an application that enables you to search their site from your BlackBerry for the electronics that you love. To get the application you have to go on your PC to www.futureshop.ca/blackberry and with your BlackBerry connected to the computer download their application. We couldn’t find an Over-The-Air installation but the result is an easy to use portal for searching for all of your electronic needs.

From what we have read the new mobile site integrates in with the BlackBerry wallet that RIM made available a few weeks ago. So now you will be able to browse for your electronics, pay for your electronics via the BlackBerry wallet and have the goods shipped to you all by just using your BlackBerry. Other retailers should take a look at what Futureshop has done as this is definitely a step in the right direction.
June 30, 2008
6:43
Google Showing BlackBerry Love
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge
So it looks like Google has been thinking about the BlackBerry late at night with a few recent changes will make using Google on your BlackBerry alot easier. Features include:
- Improved comprehensiveness: Our mobile search now incorporates results from Product Search, Blog Search, News archives search, and more.
- Blended results: Instead of showing you web, image, local and news results in separate sections, we now combine them to improve relevance. We’ve also made it easier for you to focus your search on any one of these categories — notice how the links are now placed at the top of the results page.
- Longer snippets: Web results include longer snippets so that your answer may be right on the results page.
- Related searches: At the bottom of the search results page, you’ll find a list of related searches to help you refine a query.
To read the entire post click here. What Google still needs to come up with in my humble opinion is a launch icon for the BlackBerry desktop to make it easier for people to conduct a Google search.
6:35
BIS 2.5 Out in the US, no signs of a Canadian deployment
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

So a number of blogs this weekend are alive with news on the deployment of BIS 2.5 in the US market which adds a great feature like html email viewing so you don’t have to see those text links anymore. From what I have seen their does not appear to be a release date in Canada. Its unfortunate, one would think we would receive better support from a Canadian company but I am having to seriously think about throwing my BlackBerry in Lake Ontario and getting the iPhone when Rogers debuts it later this month. I suspect Apple will want to gain a hold of RIM stronghold and may offer better support for the Canadian market.

For those that have enjoyed the release of 2.5 in the United States this weekend we would love to hear what you think, we probably won’t see it here for a very, very, long time.
June 27, 2008
2:35
Calling for all new mobile content
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

We are currently working with our developers on the next installment for BBerryOne, to date more than 130,000 visitors have used our site BBerryOne.com to find mobile content for their BlackBerry. We are confident that if we can achieve the next installment for BBerryOne that we will double that in a very short period of time but we can use your help. If you’ve come across a BlackBerry mobile site that is not on BBerryOne drop us a line in the comments section and let us know what it is so we can check it out.
June 26, 2008
1:54
O’Bama a Fellow BlackBerry User
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Having spent a fair bit of time recently down in the United States, I logged more hours in the evening watching CNN and found myself getting more interested in the US Presidential race, even more than I was when we were last electing our own Prime Minister. There was a news bite this evening being reported on CNN that Senator McCain is not that tech savvy and has to rely on his wife for that expertise where Barack O’Bama relies heavily on his BlackBerry. Who could blame him, I rely heavily on mine but I thought it was odd as we move forward looking to advances in science and technology to help solve some of the worlds problems that one of the presidential hopefuls is not that computer savvy. I don’t expect the Senator from Arizona to be writing code but I would expect at least a layman’s knowledge of technology.

Senator O’Bama if by some chance you read our blog or visit BBerryOne we would love to hear from a fellow BlackBerry user. For anyone outside the United States interested in political gear, I would direct you to PoliticalShopping.com, that’s where this Canadian got his O’Bama shirt.
June 17, 2008
19:22
New RIM Theme a nice Surprise
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

I’ve never been much for themes, I never really found one that completely worked for me and have existed with my zen theme from my carrier and some interesting wallpaper. I was surprised this week when I found a great theme courtesy of a post on Pinstack that was coming from RIM called Surreal. You can download it through your mobile browser at mobile.blackberry.com and click on Fun and Games and then Themes.

It begins by putting your main zen type icons horizontally across the opening screen. The images are sharp and clear and provide a nice group of interesting icons to launch your applications with.

What was even nicer is that it seems like RIM is starting to listen to its customers and provide things that we can really use. I’ve harped alot on the BlackBerry lounge but this was a nice change in the right direction.
June 14, 2008
22:33
Social Compass, a definite need for the hip
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

It’s Saturday afternoon and your sitting around the house with nothing to do, wondering where your friends are and wondering what they are up to. Man, you wish you had a way to see where they are, well now you do with a Social Compass from Loopt.

To get Loopt for the BlackBerry, click here.

June 11, 2008
22:50
BBChecklist updated to version 1.1.0 and out of Beta
» ‎ BlackberryGTD.com

From your blackberry browser go to www.berrylogic.com/ota .

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

June 10, 2008
5:59
BlackBerry to become a Social Director
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

A new application is on the horizon that will allow you to see what is going on around you in your city and determine where you want to be. Say its Friday night and you want to know where everyone is, what’s the happening club tonight, enter CitySense from Sense Networks with the solution.

“Citysense shows the overall activity level of the city, top activity hotspots, and places with unexpectedly high activity, all in real-time. Then it links to Yelp and Google to show what venues are operating at those locations. “

“Citysense passively “senses” the most popular places based on actual real-time activity and displays a live heat map. The application intelligently leverages the inherent wisdom of crowds without any change in existing user behavior, in order to navigate people to the hottest spots in a city. And it’s not dependent on having a critical mass of users on the system. “

Currently only available for San Francisco however it is definitely a site to keep our eyes on. Click here to learn more.
June 07, 2008
20:09
Taking New WMLive Features for a Test Drive
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

So I had the pleasure of flying to Dallas this week so I was able to give WMLive and its recent additions a real try in the field. I travel extensively and have used the other features and currently I am a gold member for the extra money but I’m not sure whether I will renew. For the longest time I wasn’t able to export my travel itinerary from my travel provider into WMLive but that has been fixed sort of. I still find some of the information that I can download from my travel provider is more extensive then what will appear in WMLive. However the ability to transfer the information via the Outlook export feature is still a slick tool

For the new features, my calendar sync eventually started working and does a nice of job of transferring the details into the BlackBerry default calendar.

I tried the My Connections but didn’t work as I had hoped. I’m sure it works great and when every traveler with a BlackBerry starts using WMLive I think we will be there but until then I can’t see it taking off. Of the many BlackBerry users that I know only a few have WMLive and from near as I can tell My Connections only picks up those people. So here is my thought, of what I would like to see in a software deployment:

Software Title: How U Do’in or anything else you want to call it.

Have a piece of software that either via GPS or other means creates a chatroom whereby BlackBerry users get an alert of all BlackBerry users in the area, through pin id set ups. Which then enables you to go into an online chatroom BlackBerry style where you can talk about subjects maybe pass an electronic business card but something that you could use to connect to all BlackBerry users who are sitting around the airport staring at the ceiling waiting on their flights, anyways just food for thought.

Other features I would like to see, is something that will keep track of my airmiles for my air status, perhaps it can track how far I have to go to hit my elite status.

When I call up the details of the plane and I know where I am sitting perhaps it integrates in with SeatGuru so I can see the details of the plane and where I will be sitting and whether there are better seats available.

Hotel rewards tracking that links into the hotels so that I can monitor my status there.

WMLive is still one of my favorite programs but there is still a lot of opportunity to make it the best travel program available.
19:48
How has your Hour Glass been?
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

How has your hour glass been this week? For days my hour glass keeps spinning, prior to this week I rarely saw it but the old 8830 seems to be having difficulty getting email and picking up the network to make a call. I haven’t dropped it as of late so I don’t think that is the problem. Their is alot of talk on the internet of data outages by RIM, upgrades to their services, so I’m wondering if that has been the source of my frustration. If you’ve encountered any access problems this week, drop us a note.
June 02, 2008
3:21
We Need Your Help to spread the Buzz
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

So first this post has nothing to do with BlackBerry so for our followers we thought we should be clear upfront but we are asking for your help. A few weeks ago we launched our latest website called Student Sleuths (www.studentsleuths.com) and did our press release to the world, click here to check it out. Student Sleuths is completely free to all that will use it. The purpose of Student Sleuth’s is to connect students looking for jobs with employers looking for employees and we accomplish this in two ways. First students can complete an on-line profile, completely free which will enable employers to search our databases and connect with students that meet their criteria. Employers can search our database completely free, see a theme here. Lastly, employers can post job ads on Student Sleuths, once again, what’s that word, free and students can search those ads completely free.

So how do we need your help, well we can all use help. If you know a student looking for a summer job, tell them about Student Sleuths and encourage them to register. If you know someone that is looking for students or know someone in an human resources (HR) department, drop them a note and let them know about Student Sleuths. Student Sleuths is open to everyone on planet earth, were delaying the galactic launch until we find life on other planets.

If you know someone in an HR department but don’t want to tell them, send us their contact information. We will be doing a postcard launch to members of the Fortune 500 within the month and maybe showing up in student handbooks this fall. We’re kind of stuck in what came first the chicken or the egg and in our case, we need to get both sides familiar with Student Sleuths if we are going to make a connection.

On behalf of BlackBerry Edge and Student Sleuths, we thank you for your help.
May 31, 2008
22:07
World Mate Calendar Sync not in Sync
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

One of the reported new features of WorldMate Live is calendar-sync but for some reason mine doesn’t appear to work, does yours? As a frequent traveler my travel arranger uses Virtually There and one of the features that I have longed wish would come to WorldMate was the ability to capture all of the travel information from my travel arranger either in my calendar or in the WorldMate notes, items like miles traveled since my airmiles accumulate and mean something to me. Virtually There has a great option in which you click a button and it automatically adds all the information into my Outlook calendar, then a quick synchronization and all the data appears on my BlackBerry.

I find for alot of my friends that travel, this tends to be the reason why they have shied away from WorldMate and other travel programs as there was a requirement for a duplication of effort. That is why I was happy to learn of the new calendar synchronization feature but after loading my latest itinerary and checking all the options it would not show up in my calendar so back to Virtually There I went and now all the data for my next trip resides in my calendar.

If you have had some luck with the WorldMate Live Calendar synchronization, sends us an email, maybe we are doing something wrong.
7:11
WorldMate Live Helps you to Connect
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

One of my favorite pieces of software for the BlackBerry is WorldMate Live and that is because I travel alot and get complete use out of the features that it offers. WM Live has just added a new feature called Connections which will alert you when any of your friends or colleagues are in the area. It may prove an interesting tool the next time that you are having to sit by yourself in a busy airport.
6:46
My BlackBerry Craves Food and Love
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

So it looks like we missed the cupcakes. Some time at some point if you went into the owners lounge at BlackBerry.com you could get a gift certificate for a free dessert somewhere but like the Starbucks promotion they went fast. I don’t get it! What does a free cupcake have to do with my BlackBerry?

RIM here is what I want from the Owner’s Lounge. Give me things that make my BlackBerry more productive. Give me better software so that I can open my email in an html view. Give me something so I can do something with my attachments. Let me personalize my BlackBerry with some great ringtones, themes or wallpaper and have 100’s of them to choose from. Don’t waste our time on BlackBerry stories that smell like a sales pitch which if by the way, if we are in the owners lounge we probably already own a BlackBerry.

I did want to share my story where I was able to utilize my 8830 to warn NATO about a pending alien invasion that would have wiped out the human race but that’s classified, you know national security stuff. Why not just ask your customers what they want, maybe they will tell you. Keep the cupcakes give me something to feed my BlackBerry.
May 28, 2008
4:47
Marvel comics on the go
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Gizmodo is one of my favorite blogs, they had an interesting little post about Marvel comics who is looking at create a mobile portal so that you can read comics on the go.
May 27, 2008
3:22
Now Your BlackBerry can tell you when to leave
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge
One of the greatest inventions for the road warrior has to be the GPS but one of the items that I like that has been coming out lately is real time traffic information. Google started to show it in select US states and recently Rogers subscribers here in Canada could access a site to get current traffic information. Now comes ProxPro that uses your GPS position and traffic information to tell you which is the best way to go and alerts you to when is the best time to leave from your current location.

“The problem with in-car navigation devices is that, by the time you get to your car, you’re probably already late for your next meeting,” said Eric Elkins, PR and new media consultant at WideFoc.us. “I want a system that knows where I need to be, warns me in advance if there’s a problem along my route, and tells me when I need to hit the road in order to arrive on time”

The features found on ProxPro include:
- get “when to leave alerts” aware of real-time traffic
- see the optimum (fastest) route avoiding congestion
- confirm on-route you will arrive on-schedule
- store customized locations
- check daily commute for accidents and construction
- all automated on your blackberry® for the most convenient and accurate advanced traveler information solution ever.
To learn more about ProxPro visit their site by clicking here.
May 21, 2008
21:28
Should the BlackBerry Lounge be torn down?
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

After a little bit of banter the other day about the “ahem” Starbucks promotion in the BlackBerry Lounge I wanted to ask the question, what is the purpose of the lounge? By the way the Starbucks item is still there, kind of mocking all of us that couldn’t take advantage of us, sort of saying see what you missed.

I think if the lounge were a nightclub it would be dimly lit with two or three wooden stools in the middle, alot of dust on the floor and not a whole lot of occupants. So what is the purpose of the lounge?

It highlights some software that you can pay for, it has some ringtones that could get you laughed at by your friends if they heard it coming from your BlackBerry, it has some images that can be used as wallpaper, a mass library of 4 images and none of the one’s used in the promotional advertising pictures for any of the new BlackBerry’s, so what is the purpose of the lounge, its not to instill pride of ownership or help enhance your BlackBerry experience.

So if you have had a great BlackBerry Lounge experience we want to hear from you. If you haven’t and you think RIM should hire someone to spruce the place up, what would you like to see?
May 20, 2008
18:43
Bitter in the BlackBerry Lounge
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

I was reading over at BerryReview today that the BlackBerry Lounge was giving its members a $5.00 off coupon to Starbucks and I thought hey that’s cool, I’m a member so I will go check this out. This is what you see there now:

Take a well deserved break courtesy of the BlackBerry® Owners Lounge.
Thank you for your interest, however this limited-quantity offer is no longer available. Stay tuned for the next exciting promotion!

Apparently it was a limited quantity offer, what was the quantity, 10?If they hadn’t done the promotion I wouldn’t have cared, now I just feel ripped off and bitter. Hey RIM what gives? Your stock price is soaring, your market share is growing and you have a limited quantity? How about a Tim Horton’s coupon next time, you can give away a $2.00 coupon so we can each get a cup of coffee. Your a Canadian company, unless Waterloo has now become part of New York State, why not go with a Canadian company like Tim Horton’s, the coffee is cheaper and you can support more of your loyal customer base that buys every brand new BlackBerry to hit the market. I kind of wonder whether Steve would have done this to us, did I mention I’m pissed off and bitter.
May 19, 2008
17:38
Blog Directly from your BlackBerry
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge
BerryReview had this article a couple of days ago from a reader who spotted it on a Spanish blog, my how its a small world. It’s a BlackBerry application for people who use TypePad to blog. Now you can blog directly from your BlackBerry, the features of the new mobile portal are:
- Create content and post to your blog
- Save draft posts for editing or publishing later
- Take photos and upload them to your blog
We use WordPress in the development of BlackBerry Edge but I would love to be able to post directly to our blog on the go as opposed to having to get an internet connection in a hotel room. With more and more BlackBerry’s coming out with camera’s, the ability to document your thoughts on the go just got alot more exciting. To learn more about this item, click here.
17:24
$99.00 of Lifetime GPS
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

So recently Garmin, one of the big names in GPS announced something I thought was really exciting. For the total sum of $99.00 you can get a lifetime of GPS from them with no month to month fee. When I received my 8830 I had the option of subscribing to TeleNav like many other BlackBerry owners at a cost of $10.00 a month. Since I already owned a Garmin Co-Pilot which I think is great I didn’t see the point, however a handheld GPS would be something I could use when I find myself on foot in a strange city trying to locate a new restaurant. If you plan on using your GPS alot, $99.00 may prove to be a wise investment after 10 months of use the service will be free, so if you want to learn more click here to check it out.
May 18, 2008
20:48
BlackBerry Wallet Available for Download
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Now a new feature that I saw pop onto my BlackBerry Help screen earlier this week is a new piece of software called the BlackBerry Wallet. I’ve only started to play with it so I can’t give you much in the way of details but it looks like an all-purpose information package to support on-line purchases being made from your BlackBerry browser. There is a section to maintain credit card information, loyalty cards so that you can get your points in a transaction as well as the ability to maintain multiple shipping addresses. The idea is interesting but truth be told I have yet to purchase anything from my BlackBerry and instead do it all from my computer screen, I know how old school of me. Well if you have had a chance to test drive the new BlackBerry wallet, let us know what you think of it?
20:42
The Thunder due out in September.
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

This has been a great week for BlackBerry news, one of the more exciting items that I saw this week came from Gizmodo which may have originated with the Boy Genius. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the so called Apple Killer, the new all touch screen BlackBerry called the Thunder is due to be released this September. So if you have been itching for the iPhone but don’t want to go to far to the dark side, then you may want to wait and have a look at the Thunder.
1:37
Student Sleuths Unofficially Launches
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

This has been an interesting week for BlackBerry lovers with more pictures about the BlackBerry 9000 named the Bold coming out, pictures circulating about the release of the Thunder expected to launch in September which will be an all touch Blackberry to compete head on with the iPhone for those that like that sort of thing, we have alot of great new software to talk about and we will be playing catch-up starting some time tomorrow.

What we do we want to tell you about is our latest project that the developers put the finishing touches on last week that we have been tying up a few loose ends up on. This is not a BlackBerry site at least not yet but we are looking at future BlackBerry applications for it. The site is called Student Sleuths (www.studentsleuths.com) and it is a FREE on-line directory that connects student seeking part-time or summer employment with companies looking to fulfill employment vacancies. Students can register for free, submitting a detailed on-line employment profile that can be searched by employers based on skill sets acquired and previous employment experiences. Employers can also post job postings for students, free of charge enabling students to search for job postings by geographical location. Completely supported by advertising revenue, we are really excited in the global prospects of helping students find work.

If you know someone that is either a student looking for a job or you know a Human Resources person that may be able to use Student Sleuths, please let them know about the site and we will get back to talking about BlackBerry very shortly.
May 12, 2008
22:13
Your Favorite Baseball team on your BlackBerry
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Getting ready for baseball season, now if you want something more specific than the MLB launch icon on your BlackBerry desktop you can select one of your favorite teams and have all their relevant information at your fingertips along with their logo as the launch icon. Let’s play ball! To download MLB, go to MLB.com on your BlackBerry browser.
21:38
BlackBerry Bold Found on BlackBerry Website
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

This morning brought a bit of an eye opener when the BlackBerry website showed the new BlackBerry Bold in its line-up with its own section on the site to show you all the great features it comes with. To check out what BlackBerry has to offer, click here.
May 11, 2008
20:39
BlackBerry Bold Blazingly Beautiful
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

On May 10th, CrackBerry was the first to break the story that the much anticipated 9000 expected to debut by RIM tomorrow will be called the BlackBerry Bold. With a host of features combined into one handheld this looks like the one to own and the one all others will need to try and beat. The only disappointing thing I have seen as of late, is that the released photos seem to be bearing Rogers markings which is great if your a Rogers customer but for us Bell Mobility customers we can only hope the rumors are true of a 9100 on the horizon. Per CrackBerry the features of the Bold are:

Size - Length: 144mm, Width: 66mm, Thickness: 14mm

Weight (with battery) - 133g (same as the 88xx series. I can attest to it!)

Memory - 1GB on-board (storage) and 128 MB Flash (applications)

Battery - 1500mAhr lithium cell

Est. Battery Life - Standby: 13 days, Talk Time: 5 hours

Network Support - UMTS: 2100 / 1900 / 850MHz, GSM: 1900 / 1800 / 900 / 850 MHz, GPRS, EDGE and HDSPA networks

Wi-Fi - 803.11a/b/g enabled

Display - HVGA, 480 x 320 pixels, Transmissive TFT LCD, supports over 65k colors

Media Player, Video Support - DivX 4, Div X 5 & 6 are partially supported, XviD is partially supported, H.263, H.264 and WMV3

Media Player, Audio Support - .3gp, MP3, WMA9 (.wma/.asf), WMA9 Pro/WMA 10, MIDI, AMR-NB, Professional AAC/AAC+/eAAC+

Media Player, Audio - BlackBerry Media Sync allows you to transfer your desktop iTunes music to your BlackBerry!!!

Camera - 2.0MP, 5 x digital zoom (with flash of course)

GPS - internal GPS with extended ephemeris, BB Maps is standard

Bluetooth - Bluetooth v2.0, all the normal stuff and Bluetooth Stereo Audio via A2DP and AVCRP

USB Port - Enables charging and high-speed data synchronizations via USB “A” to mini-USB “B” cable (I can personally say moving files back and forth is now lightning quick!)

Browser - HTML browsing, View Movies/Clips from websites built for mobile streaming, RSS feed support.
May 09, 2008
21:48
BlackBerry Unite makes for Better Acquaintance’s
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

BerryReview had quite an interesting article the other day, I am still trying to play catchup this week as we put the final touches on our latest project aimed at every student on this planet but more about that in the weeks to come.

Research In Motion came out with a software solution called BlackBerry Unite which is on the Bell Canada network, which allows up to 5 BlackBerry users to share information on a PC. The details of the press release can be found below but for small groups of people this could be a very exciting idea.

Press release details:

BlackBerry Unite! software will allow groups of up to five BlackBerry
smartphone users to:

- Stay connected with wireless access to email - Enables easy, wireless
access to up to 10 supported email accounts (per user) with advanced
security.

- Share contacts - A centralized address book which integrates wirelessly
with BlackBerry smartphones provides each group member with ready
access to email addresses, phone numbers and other details for common
contacts.

- Coordinate schedules using a shared calendar - BlackBerry Unite!
includes a shared calendar feature that enables group members to
schedule or modify appointments, and send reminders.

- Remotely access content on a centralized desktop PC - Users can
remotely download content to their BlackBerry smartphone(*) from the
centralized desktop PC that is running BlackBerry Unite!, including
pictures, music, documents and other files.

- Share photos, documents and other files - BlackBerry Unite! group
members can share content from their BlackBerry smartphones with other
group members on the centralized desktop PC.

- Remotely secure smartphones - Simple, centralized controls enable
powerful security features, such as password protection enforcement, or
the ability to wirelessly erase content from a lost or stolen
smartphone.

- Manage smartphone use - Customizable settings allow for centralized
control of smartphone uses for each individual, such as the ability to
restrict long distance calls by area code, or prevent access to the
internet.

- Protect smartphone content - Documents, pictures and other content
stored on a MicroSD card in a BlackBerry smartphone can be backed up
automatically over the air (via the Bell Mobility network) to the
desktop PC.

- Set up quickly and easily - The software is quick to download and easy
to install on a office or home PC.

Click here to download the software or click here to see the full press release.
21:31
TV ads coming to a tube near you
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

This is a great sign of things to come, BlackBerry is finally launching a tv advertisement called Life on BlackBerry. Personally I like how the soccer ball becomes the BlackBerry trackball.

YouTube Direktvideo link

May 08, 2008
15:34
WES May 13th
» ‎ BlackberryGTD.com

Guys the countdown has begun .

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3:31
Can’t Find SameCell
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

I was out driving the other day and must have hit a whole group of cell towers that SameCell didn’t have because my $0.40 had grown to over $2.00 but now I can’t find SameCell on my BlackBerry. The capture utility program keeps telling me it is trying to find the server, anyone else experiencing difficulty with SameCell?
May 03, 2008
21:52
RIM and SAP Navigate new Business Mobile Frontier
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

On May 2nd Research In Motion (RIM) and SAP announced a partnership to expand on the growing mobile market by developing BlackBerry applications that connect to SAP Enterprise Applications. The first targets will be an integration with the SAP CRM module. Highlights from the press release include:

Expanded Reach of SAP® Business Suite Applications – Users rely on their BlackBerry smartphones for access to people and information on the go, so it becomes easier to introduce new enterprise applications with a far greater adoption rate.

Automated Data Synchronization – The new solution leverages the push-based architecture of BlackBerry® Enterprise Server to automate data synchronization between business systems and mobile applications. BlackBerry smartphone users have the flexibility to use the mobile enterprise application even in the absence of network coverage. Once back in coverage, all updates queued on the handset and back-end servers are automatically transferred without user action, similar to how e-mail on BlackBerry smartphones works today.

Easy Deployment – The mobile device management capabilities of BlackBerry Enterprise Server allow IT groups to centrally manage and wirelessly deploy mobile applications to BlackBerry smartphones.

Market-Leading Enterprise-Class Security – The proven capability and demonstrated track record from SAP in enterprise applications security, combined with the renowned wireless security of the BlackBerry platform, helps ensure enterprise-class security for the end-to-end solution.

Low Incremental Cost of Ownership – Businesses that have already deployed BlackBerry Enterprise Server and SAP applications can leverage their existing investments and keep deployment and maintenance costs at a minimum.

It looks like the business mobile market has just discovered a brand new world.

To read the complete, press release click here.

Feature photo by DanPerry
21:09
Kickstart, kickstarts my Heart
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

The other day we mentioned that the Boy Genius Report was talking about the latest product coming out of RIM called the Kickstart. BGR assured its readers that this was a real item and not some photshop mock up but the photo’s that they are currently posting are just amazing and from this person’s eye’s this looks like a solid product for anyone who wants the BlackBerry with a traditional flip design. I still want to know how he gets these cool items. To see more of these cool pictures, click here.

Thumbnail photo by The Alieness Gisela Giardino
21:00
Get Goofy about your BlackBerry
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

BerryReview had a couple of interesting posts the other day and thought I would share this one for anyone who is currently down in Florida visiting the Magic Kingdom or is planning a trip to Disney World sometime in the future. Visit PocketDisney (www.pocketdisney.com) on your mobile browser to get information of what is going on in the park that day. Per the PocketDisney website:

The wireless version of pocketDisney.com is designed for viewing Disney World park information using the browser on your cell phone. The site contains detailed information on park attractions, dining options, menus, photos, resort options and pricing, transportation within Disney World and much more… All of this accessible via wireless phone. When you navigate to pocketdisney.com on your cell phone, a site similar to the one shown in the demo below is shown.

Now I just wonder is Goofy am 8830 user or is he a Curve?

Thumbnail Photo by hyku
May 01, 2008
6:15
Kickstart shows RIM is getting ready to kick it up
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Well it looks like RIM is setting itself up to dominate the communications market, not just satisfied with the BlackBerry in present form, rumors are all around on an upcoming BlackBerry with all touch screen to compete with the iPhone, we now have a brand new product coming to market being reported on by The Boy Genius. Research In Motion apparently is getting ready to launch its first flip phone called the Kickstart. It has a sure type keypad with the familiar trackball. They have some great pics, so I would suggest stopping by their website to have a peek. Click here to see the pictures and get more details.

April 30, 2008
21:46
YWeather, a great weather app that uses the Yahoo API has just been released
» ‎ BlackberryGTD.com

Folks, head over to http://bbrtm.org/yweather So you can download a great app which I’m sure will quickly become a favorite, ny the way the icon looks great on any Zen themes, in my case the...

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19:04
Get Paid for using your BlackBerry after 5:00 PM
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Use of the BlackBerry continues to be an issue in the Canadian media. The other day, we wrote about an article the Ottawa Citizen published about the Public Service Alliance of Canada making use of the BlackBerry an issue in current negotiations. The Globe and Mail continues the coverage, writing:

“For some people, having a BlackBerry is like: We own you. You are our person, 24 hours, 7 days a week,” said Ed Cashman, Public Service Alliance of Canada’s regional executive vice-president for the National Capital Region, who says the union will insert the issue of BlackBerry use into its continuing contract negotiations.

“Our members are running into situations where they’re not compensated properly for having to do work at home.”

***

In the United States, legal experts are warning that a new wave of overtime litigation is on the horizon, in which employees will claim overtime for all the hours they’ve spent clicking away at their hand-held devices.

To read the entire article in the Globe and Mail, click here.

Thumbnail photo by Fred Camino
17:33
4.6 Operating System Tweaked with Enhancements
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Well the Boy Genius appears to have done it again, showing spec sheets for the upcoming 4.6 operating system for the BlackBerry on his website, click here to see the details. It looks like were looking at a couple of nice enhancements including a richer browser experience with JavaScript 1.5, Improved Picture Library, Automatic Play List Song Viewing and most interesting is Support for inline video streaming in the Browser.
April 29, 2008
23:21
iPhone to Move into BlackBerry’s Neighborhood
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Gizmodo reported this morning that the iPhone will becoming to Canada sometime this year. The information was made public by the head of Rogers Communications who will be carrying the iPhone. Since the iPhone will becoming into Canada, home of Research In Motion and the BlackBerry, we thought it was worth mentioning.
19:39
4.6 Operating System Tweaked with Enhancements
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Well the Boy Genius appears to have done it again, showing spec sheets for the upcoming 4.6 operating system for the BlackBerry on his website, click here to see the details. It looks like were looking at a couple of nice enhancements including a richer browser experience with JavaScript 1.5, Improved Picture Library, Automatic Play List Song Viewing and most interesting is Support for inline video streaming in the Browser.
3:28
9000 Finds it way on to eBay
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Who says you can’t find everything on eBay. How about picking up the BlackBerry 9000 prior to it being released to the public. Apparently two pre-production models went up on eBay and were grabbed up. Engadget has the details and some excellent pics if you want to see what you have been waiting for.
2:31
Will Sending Fudge Recipes Earn you Time and a Half
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

The Ottawa Citizen wrote today that the Public Service Alliance of Canada will insert the issue of BlackBerry use into contract negotiations. I got a notion why not turn it off or use the auto on/off feature. If the Public Service Alliance is successful there is going to be a calling for software to accurately calculate time consumed after normal business hours.

Let’s think about this. You should be able to enter your hourly rate of pay and the moment your BlackBerry works beyond 5:00 PM it will log the minutes in use. It should then multiply total minutes after hours times your pay rate at time and a half and email your employer the details, it should probably also keep track of the email addresses of the people you interact with since you shouldn’t get time and a half when emailing Aunt Betsy the fudge recipe. Isn’t this more about discipline, the BlackBerry is a tool much like an electric nailgun, if it helps you be more efficient building houses that’s great but how many carpenters are building houses at 2:00 AM? Maybe we should use the tool for what it was intended for and then put it away for the evening. Just a thought.
0:16
Health and Security Threats sent to your BlackBerry
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

We caught an interesting post this morning courtesy of BlackBerryCool about a company that provides emergency information to travelers going abroad via their BlackBerry. The website is called Nomadz and alerts you to potential health and security threats based on your location. Per their website:

“a unique personal emergency medical and security assistance service provided directly to the subscriber whenever, and wherever that subscriber may be, through a wireless Blackberry device. Nomadz delivers timely and accurate security and health data to a subscriber, specific to that subscriber’s current or forecasted location using GPS, a-GPS and itinerary-based functionality”

“Additional information regarding destinations is also provided to the traveler, and access to our emergency response centre to experience the best in emergency medical and travel assistance, as well as concierge services is just a call or a click away.”

If you are a frequent traveler to parts of the world that are prone to health or security threats then you may want to look more closely at the services provided by Nomadz.
April 27, 2008
18:21
RIM Hard at Work on the Apple Killer
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

An interesting article surfaced in the New York Times that talks about the upcoming release of a new line of BlackBerry’s code name Meteor that will offer die hard blackberry enthusiasts more to be happy about. The touchscreen that everyone was anticipating will be absent from this product, the CO CEO of RIM had this to say:

THERE’S a reason that R.I.M. is averse to the iPhone’s glass pad. “I couldn’t type on it and I still can’t type on it, and a lot of my friends can’t type on it,” says Mike Lazaridis, R.I.M.’s co-chief executive and technological visionary. “It’s hard to type on a piece of glass.”

I couldn’t agree more with this statement having played around with my iPod touch, I just can’t see getting the same lengthy emails that I can do on my BlackBerry out on the touch or any product similar however the article does point to comments made by two independent developers who are working on software for an upcoming BlackBerry that will be a touch screen and has the codename A.K. short for Apple Killer.

To read the complete article, click here.
April 26, 2008
16:06
Make Your Convenience Key More Convenient
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

When I purchased my 8830 World Edition one of the first problems that I encountered was that I kept setting off the Voice Dialing. Along the left hand side of your BlackBerry about half way down you will see a button, this is called the Convenience Key and when I would shift around in my seat or even go to pick up my BlackBerry the button would get pressed.

The convenience key comes from BlackBerry linked to the voice dialing feature but you can change this if you like. I have mine set to open my calendar when its pressed. To change the Convenience Key to open something more suitable for yourself, go to Options on your BlackBerry. The options key usually looks like a wrench depending on what theme you have installed on your BlackBerry. Scroll down to Screen/Keyboard and press your trackball to access. Scroll down on the page and you will see one line that reads Convenience Key Opens, click on the words Voice Dialing or if you have switched this to something else and forgotten how you did it, select whatever is listed. A list of your applications on your BlackBerry will appear, select the application that you now want to link with the Convenience Key, click your menu button (first button to the left of your trackball) and press Save.
5:00
Graphing Software for your BlackBerry
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

When RIM first introduced the BlackBerry, the corporate market was their first target, since then I see everyone with a BlackBerry including a number of students. If your in need of a graphing calculator why not get one for your BlackBerry. The developers at gWhiz are offering a free download of their graphing calculator as well as their flashcard and trivia application program. To download the software go to m.gWhizMobile.com in your BlackBerry browser. To learn more about their software, visit them at gWhiz.
3:42
BlackBerry Edge Now on Facebook
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

Friends on Facebook, so if you like what we post and want to meet others with the same interest in the BlackBerry come join us in our new Facebook group. Click here to access.
2:50
Pimping Out Your BBerry
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

I finally found a BlackBerry theme for me. I’ve had a BlackBerry for the past few years but when ever I tried a theme that I picked up off of the internet it never felt right and so I always ended up back to the default theme provided by my carrier. So for someone not familiar with a theme, a theme customizes the look of your BlackBerry, changing the background screen, the icons, the selector and the colours found on the BlackBerry to something that brings it all together.

An example would be a golf theme, that may be done with the colours green and yellow to represent grass and sand. A background picture of a golf course, icons that look like golf balls and golf clubs creates the overall impression of a golf theme. Well I happened onto Bplay this week and purchased a theme called Deep Blue Zen (see below) the Zen theme on the BlackBerry starts with a list of your first five icons often your most frequented icons in a short list with an icon at the bottom linking you to your remaining applications.

Alternatively some like the Today set-ups which show a snapshot of your upcoming day on the main screen. Bplay has an excellent selection of professional looking themes and I would encourage anyone thinking about a theme to start there. If you want to check out other theme sites, we would recommend you looking at BlackBerry Theme Central, CherriChiodo, Themes4BB and the forums Pinstack and BlackBerryForums.

A theme is a great way to express who you are and offers a little bit of customization for your BlackBerry. In honor of our new theme, we are adding a Theme section to BlackBerry Edge found under the Tips & Tricks section of BlackBerry Edge. For a complete list of BlackBerry related sites, click on the BB Blogroll found at the top of the page. If you have a theme that you created and want to share with our readers, post a link in the comments section.
2:09
BlackBerry Edge gets a New Logo
» ‎ BlackBerry Edge

BlackBerry Edge gets a new logo. After a much needed facelift to this blog, we have modified to the colours that we wanted and the rotating format on the features screen. Today we debut the new logo for BlackBerry Edge that you can find at the top of this page.
April 24, 2008
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