BlackBerry Says “Thank You”– Offers Free PlayBook Apps At BlackBerry App World

I captured a runaway 32 GB BlackBerry PlayBook a couple of days ago. As it dashed past, I reached out and grabbed the little speed demon by its price tag – $248 (down from $599) . Last PlayBook in the store – so, I had to throw a few elbows during my robust maneuvering. You’ll notice – no mention of Mace, or pepper spray.  

Now, before the trolls sharpen their pencils, and jump on the  “what, are you nuts!” bandwagon – it’s pretty simple – I buy hardware based on my knowledge. Sound arrogant? Maybe – but, I live in a “grain of salt” tech world.

After 30+ years at this game – skepticism has long been my conditioned response to “the latest”; “the greatest”; “game changing”; “overwhelms the competition”; “reinvents the technology” ………. hype.

Almost without exception, from where I sit in my arrogant chair, skepticism has been much more appropriate, than not. As, has been my response to – “the latest”; “the greatest”; “game changing”; descriptions bandied about and painted on upcoming entries into the tablet market – wariness, and an unwillingness to capitulate to the hype.

On the other hand – query a typical person on what a Tablet is, and almost without exception, you’ll find that person referring to an iPad. This, despite the fact that as of January 2011, 60+ manufacturers were already producing, or had under development, more than 100 Tablet variations.

Sort of takes me back to the old days, when it was commonly assumed that IBM was the sole manufacturer of the PC. In reality, other than for a short period of time, that was never the case.

I’ve not set out to write an in-depth review of the Playbook – 2/3 days usage is hardly sufficient time – but, I’m loving what I’m seeing. Nor, is this post intended to “savage” the iPad. Love to though – just to P.O. a few fanboys.  

Instead, this a simple, lazy, mid-Christmas season post, to inform those who made the choice to focus on the PlayBook, that BlackBerry is offering a number of freebie applications, including –

Shazam Encore

Vlingo

DriveSafe.ly Pro

DriveSafe.ly Enterprise

Bubble Bash 2

The Sims 3

Bejeweled

Nobex Radio Premium

N.O.V.A.

SimCity Deluxe

iSpeech Translator Pro

Texas Hold’Em Poker 2

as a “ Thank you”, for choosing and supporting BlackBerry.

This offer expires on December 31st, 2011 – so, now would be a good time to download these applications.

 Go to – 

 

You’ll notice on the site, there are considerably more freebies available than I’ve posted here.

Note: A couple of things struck me immediately, while running through some “let’s see what this baby can do” processes with the PlayBook –

Multi-tasking (true Multi-tasking, BTW), was only marginally less efficient than running the same set of applications on my quad core Desktop. Impressive.

The PlayBook is capable of recording 1080p HD video with both the front and rear cameras. Very impressive results.

Drop back here in a couple of weeks for a full PlayBook review. In the meantime – readers from India might consider going on the hunt. I hear from associates in India, that a 16 GB PlayBook can be had for the equivalent of $199 USD, or less.

If you found this article useful, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – May 22, 2010

CNET Free Security Starter Kit: Refined for 2010 – The Security Starter Kit will ensure that your sanity lasts way longer than your resolutions through a collection of must-have programs to protect your Windows computer. In our six categories this year, we offer the core essentials of Antivirus and Anti-spyware, as well as ancillary but important categories such as In-browser Security, Firewall, Encryption, and Parental Control.

IBM unleashes virus on AusCERT delegates – In an email this afternoon, IBM advised visitors to its AusCERT booth that its complimentary USB key was infected with a virus. An IBM spokesman and conference organizers confirmed the email was genuine.

Google TV is Real – As many predicted, Google unveiled its Google TV platform yesterday. The goal is to truly blend TV and the Web into one seamless experience. Google has its partners lined up and products coming this fall. This report pulls it all together.

How to Configure Internet Explorer to Stay Secure Online – With assistance from the United States Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT), this slideshow will walk you through the steps to configure Microsoft’s Internet Explorer to limit the damage from hacker attacks.

Fake joke worm wriggles through Facebook – Shifty sorts have created a new worm which spread rapidly on Facebook on Friday. The malware, for now at least, does nothing more malicious than posting a message on an infected user’s Facebook wall that point to a site called fbhole.com. Nonetheless, the speed of its spread on the social networking site has net security experts worried.

Perform Reverse Phone Number Lookups with Google Maps – Since we don’t store a lot of business numbers in our phones, it can be a pain to figure out which unnamed number in your log is the right one. You can use Google Maps, however, to do reverse phone number lookups.

How to Check if Your Gmail Account Has Been Hacked – If you’re worried about email security, here is a step by step guide to help you check and determine if your Gmail account has been hacked or compromised in any way.

Review: Google Docs 2010 – Let’s face it, Google Docs isn’t nearly as powerful as Microsoft office 2010. When you think about it, why should it be? Many people don’t need that kind of power. Instead, they need the ease of use and easy access found in Google’s still young suite of cloud-based productivity apps.

RouterPassView Recovers Lost Router Passwords – RouterPassView is a freeware application that taps into a router’s configuration file, allowing you to recover important data like router login information, wireless network keys, and more in the event any of that important information goes missing.

New Twitter Worm Abuses iPhone App – The attack abuses Twitter trending topics — a popular source of abuse — but with a twist: Rather than installing fake antivirus software like most similar attacks, it installs a new banking Trojan that steals online banking accounts, credit card PIN numbers, and online payment system passwords, according to Kaspersky Lab.

Off Topic (Sort of):

See the Porno E-mail That Got SF City Workers In Trouble – ​SF Weekly has obtained the hardcore e-mail sent around the city’s Planning Department that led to a scandal and the department’s chief moving to fire four veteran planners.

Google hit with class-action lawsuit over Wi-Fi snooping – Privacy violations could cost it $10,000 for each time it grabbed data from unprotected networks with its Google Street View vehicles.

Digging up chemical weapons in D.C. – After World War I, munitions including shells of poisonous liquid mustard were buried in a then-rural area. The cleanup has forced evacuations at American University and prompted concerns about illness. (submitted by Dar)

What ’synthetic life’ could mean for the energy industry – The idea of synthesizing an organism (in this case, bacteria) from four bottles of chemicals via a computerized DNA code recipe is pretty mind-blowing.

So where are the flying cars? The future’s not what it used to be – Okay, cars are getting a lot smarter, as just observed by my colleague Larry Dignan, but why aren’t they capable of flying yet? Where are the flying cars? Where are the jetpacks?

Today’s Quote:

“I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.”

–     Wilson Mizner

Today’s Free Downloads:

Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool – The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks Windows XP, Windows 2000,and Windows Server 2003 computers for and helps remove infections by specific, prevalent malicious software including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware – Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a surprisingly effective freeware antimalware tool. It’s a relatively speedy malware remover, with the quick scan taking about 8 minutes even with other high-resource programs running.

If you found this article useful, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Free License Giveaway – Download WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe 2.0

No, we’re not turning into a clone of Giveaway-of-the-Day, but I often get tip-offs from readers on software giveaways, and giveaways seem to be all the rage these days on the Internet.

The latest tip comes, once again, from regular reader Kingpin, who is an astute observer of the Internet. Kingpin has informed me, that the developers of the highly regarded WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe, a multi-functional video converter application, have gotten into the spirit. From March 1 – 7, you can download this application free (regularly $39.95), from the author’s site.

The giveaway currently being offered by Winx DVD is a little better than most, since there is no waiting involved in getting the free license; the license is offered directly on the giveaway page. (John, from Australia , who has had problems in the past getting licenses in a timely manner, will be happy to hear that).

I’ve run previous editions of this application, and found it easy to use the three step conversion process – add the video file – select the output format – click to complete the conversion. Simple.

Functions:

HD Video Converter
Convert HD videos between each other in only a few clicks. Convert HD videos to SD videos for further edition or smaller video size.

SD Video Converter
Convert among SD videos effortlessly. Convert SD videos to HD videos for better image quality.

Videos to Portable (HD) Devices Converter
Convert videos to portable devices. Enjoy videos on iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, PSP, PS3, Xbox, Blackberry, ZEN, Mobile Phones, etc.

Customize Video/Audio Parameters
Enables you to customize video & audio parameters to control video quality, such as resolution, frame rate, etc.

Fast facts:

Easy video splitting assists you to convert your favorite video clips as you want.

Support multi-core CPU, which maximizes PC performance and makes it much faster to convert videos.

Support conversion in both single & batch modes.

Support batch rename video clips with “Renaming Template” before converting.

Friendly interface helps both beginners and veterans complete the conversion as simple as 1-2-3.

Allows you to automatically shut down your computer after conversion completed.

System requirements: Windows 98, NT, 2000, 2003, XP, Vista (32 & 64 bit), Windows 7 (32 & 64 bit)

Download at: Winx DVD Giveaway

To get the full version for free, please download this program and register with this License Code: WINHCD-GIVE-AWAY-2010.

Note: This offer starts March 1, 2010 and will expire at 12:00AM GMT March 15, 2010. During this period, you can get the full version for free. Only valid on the applicable page.

If you have any questions regarding the giveaway version, please feel free to email WinxDVD.

If you found this article useful, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

How to use a Blackberry Smartphone with a cheap “Pay As You Go” mobile phone plan…

Rick Robinette gives you the 411 on getting the best from your Blackberry Smartphone in these uncertain economic times.

The object of the this story is to demonstrate how I maximized the usage  of a Blackberry Smartphone using one of the cheapest mobile phone plans out there. For the sake of this article, the model phone that I used for this project was the Blackberry Curve 8320 Smartphone.

If you do not know what a Blackberry is, I encourage to visit the Blackberry website [ CLICK HERE ] .

When it comes to mobile (cell) phones I cannot see myself conversing for a 1000 minutes (16.66 hours) a month. That is two workdays to me or time that I can allocate to other things where I can see results.

Please do not get me wrong, a mobile phone is very much needed in circumstances where your business or livelihood is dependent on quick communications. The plan which I currently use is a “pay as you go” plan (with T-Mobile). I have learned to discipline myself with the usage; PLUS I do not give my number out or use it for lengthy conversation.

I have always been fascinated with PDA’s, have owned quite a few, and was currently looking for something that would provide PDA capabilities, as well as, mobile phone capabilities. I did not want to pay a lot or get trapped into a lengthy service contract with a mobile phone provider just to own a computer in my pocket.

During a recent visit to the local mall I entered into my usual question and answer session with the sales rep at one of the T-Mobile kiosks.  I have done this in the past at other locations in an effort to educate myself about mobile phones.

One of my primary questions has been,  “What phones will my T-Mobile “pay-as-you-go” SIM card work in?”. You would be surprised at the answers I have received. I have always been told I would have to purchase another phone plan, if I wanted a Blackberry, etc…

Ultimately I always leave very confused about mobile phones. In this case, the sales rep proceeded to inform me that my SIM card in my cheapie phone would function in any of the phones they had. The sales rep proceeded to show me several phones including the Blackberry (all with heavy price tags if I were to buy the phone straight out).

As my “gadget luck” would have it, I was preparing to leave and the sales rep proceeds to tell me that he had an used Blackberry Curve 8320 for sale, minus the software for the phone.

Long story short, I get what I think is a good deal on this phone…  I buy the phone and with my cheap “pay as you go” plan, I challenge myself (as a project) to find workarounds to getting data to and from the Blackberry without the need to purchase a high priced data plan.

Reflected below is highlights of how my project turned out…  Some of the information alone may be helpful to other Blackberry owners and in some cases, depending on the phone (and provider), may not work at all. Some of the information reflected may be common information to mobile phone power users and may make me appear as if I don’t have a clue about mobile phones…

Well I don’t, but I am learning!  All I can tell you is, that I took a cheap phone plan (pay-as-you-go) and an expensive smartphone and customized it for my personal needs.

SIM Card

SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) is the card located in your phone that is a module that identifies to the mobile phone provider, who you are. It can also serve as storage media for your contacts, etc… The module can usually be removed and swapped to other phones (with the same provider).  In my case the SIM card worked with no problems and all my contacts were transferred to the Blackberry.  I now have voice communications with the Blackberry using my “pay as you go” plan.

Coverage

My phone coverage improved noticeably.  Locations where I could not get service, I now have service.  Proves to me that some mobile phones are better in transmission and reception than others.

Blackberry Desktop Manager Software

Since there was no software with the smartphone to manage the phone from my computer, I had to go find the software on the internet. I easily located and downloaded the software from “Blackberry” and installed it on my PC .

The Desktop Manager Software is an integral piece that you need to keep your phone software up to date; AND to provide file management, software management, and backup capabilities.

The installation was also bundled with a Roxio package to manage and convert audio, video and photo files.  After learning the Desktop Manager Software, I knew at that point this was my gateway for installing third party software onto Blackberry.

Calendar, Contact, and Task Management

In order to take full advantage of the calendar, contact and task management portion of the phone, I needed some type of syncing capabilities.

The Desktop Manager Software provides syncing capability to Microsoft Outlook and to Yahoo.  I exclusively configured my Yahoo internet mail account to manage my contacts, calendar, notes and tasks on my Blackberry.

When I connect my Blackberry to my computer, run the Desktop Manager Software, it automatically syncs with my Yahoo account on the internet. This also gives me the ability to pull up my information from any PC connected to the internet.

Wi-Fi

The Blackberry Curve 8320 has wi-fi (wireless) capability.  I configured the Blackberry to connect to the wireless router in my home, which provided me with (at first) limited access to the internet.  You will see below the workaround I utilized to gain full access.

Internet Browser

The browser on this particular phone was very, very limited (proprietary to T-Mobile) and did not provide complete internet access via my wireless access point. I initially did not think this was possible without a data plan, but after some careful thinking, I knew there had to be some way that I could bridge that gap.

I downloaded and installed Opera-Mini which is browser software designed for mobile phones. I now have full access to the internet via my wireless router or at any Wi-Fi access point that will let me in.  (Note: Opera-Mini is an awesome browser for this purpose).

MicroSD Card (with PC Adapter)

RadioShack had an 8 gig MicroSD memory card on sale ($20), which I installed into the Blackberry…  I now have storage capability; plus when  connecting the Blackberry to my computer it is recognized as a mass storage device.

I can now transport my files, portable apps, etc… This particular phone model has a camera (w/photo viewer), video camera (with video player) and voice recorder (w/audio player) built in.

With the added storage I successfully converted a full length movie to play on the Blackberry; added MP3 music files, photos, documents, etc…

Software

Now that I have learned to install software onto the Blackberry, I am currently exploring the internet for “freeware” software for the Blackberry.  Several sources that I have located are:

Blackberry Freeware

Blackberryfreaks.com

Blackberry Freeware Directory

In closing, I have been quite pleased with the outcome of this project and the Blackberry Curve Smartphone.  I welcome any comments or suggestions.

This is a guest post by Rick Robinette, who brings a background as a security/police officer professional, and as an information technology specialist to the Blogging world.

Why not pay a visit to Rick’s site at What’s On My PC.

How to use a Blackberry Smartphone with a cheap “Pay As You Go” mobile phone plan…

I love my gadgets, and when opportunity presents itself to try something different, I cannot resist.

The object of the this story is to demonstrate how I maximized the usage  of a Blackberry Smartphone using one of the cheapest mobile phone plans out there. For the sake of this article, the model phone that I used for this project was the Blackberry Curve 8320 Smartphone.

If you do not know what a Blackberry is, I encourage to visit the Blackberry website [ CLICK HERE ] .

When it comes to mobile (cell) phones I cannot see myself conversing for a 1000 minutes (16.66 hours) a month. That is two workdays to me or time that I can allocate to other things where I can see results.

Please do not get me wrong, a mobile phone is very much needed in circumstances where your business or livelihood is dependent on quick communications. The plan which I currently use is a “pay as you go” plan (with T-Mobile). I have learned to discipline myself with the usage; PLUS I do not give my number out or use it for lengthy conversation.

I have always been fascinated with PDA’s, have owned quite a few, and was currently looking for something that would provide PDA capabilities, as well as, mobile phone capabilities. I did not want to pay a lot or get trapped into a lengthy service contract with a mobile phone provider just to own a computer in my pocket.

During a recent visit to the local mall I entered into my usual question and answer session with the sales rep at one of the T-Mobile kiosks.  I have done this in the past at other locations in an effort to educate myself about mobile phones.

One of my primary questions has been,  “What phones will my T-Mobile “pay-as-you-go” SIM card work in?”. You would be surprised at the answers I have received. I have always been told I would have to purchase another phone plan, if I wanted a Blackberry, etc…

Ultimately I always leave very confused about mobile phones. In this case, the sales rep proceeded to inform me that my SIM card in my cheapie phone would function in any of the phones they had. The sales rep proceeded to show me several phones including the Blackberry (all with heavy price tags if I were to buy the phone straight out).

As my “gadget luck” would have it, I was preparing to leave and the sales rep proceeds to tell me that he had an used Blackberry Curve 8320 for sale, minus the software for the phone.

Long story short, I get what I think is a good deal on this phone…  I buy the phone and with my cheap “pay as you go” plan, I challenge myself (as a project) to find workarounds to getting data to and from the Blackberry without the need to purchase a high priced data plan.

Reflected below is highlights of how my project turned out…  Some of the information alone may be helpful to other Blackberry owners and in some cases, depending on the phone (and provider), may not work at all. Some of the information reflected may be common information to mobile phone power users and may make me appear as if I don’t have a clue about mobile phones…

Well I don’t, but I am learning!  All I can tell you is, that I took a cheap phone plan (pay-as-you-go) and an expensive smartphone and customized it for my personal needs.

SIM Card

SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) is the card located in your phone that is a module that identifies to the mobile phone provider, who you are. It can also serve as storage media for your contacts, etc… The module can usually be removed and swapped to other phones (with the same provider).  In my case the SIM card worked with no problems and all my contacts were transferred to the Blackberry.  I now have voice communications with the Blackberry using my “pay as you go” plan.

Coverage

My phone coverage improved noticeably.  Locations where I could not get service, I now have service.  Proves to me that some mobile phones are better in transmission and reception than others.

Blackberry Desktop Manager Software

Since there was no software with the smartphone to manage the phone from my computer, I had to go find the software on the internet. I easily located and downloaded the software from “Blackberry” and installed it on my PC .

The Desktop Manager Software is an integral piece that you need to keep your phone software up to date; AND to provide file management, software management, and backup capabilities.

The installation was also bundled with a Roxio package to manage and convert audio, video and photo files.  After learning the Desktop Manager Software, I knew at that point this was my gateway for installing third party software onto Blackberry.

Calendar, Contact, and Task Management

In order to take full advantage of the calendar, contact and task management portion of the phone, I needed some type of syncing capabilities.

The Desktop Manager Software provides syncing capability to Microsoft Outlook and to Yahoo.  I exclusively configured my Yahoo internet mail account to manage my contacts, calendar, notes and tasks on my Blackberry.

When I connect my Blackberry to my computer, run the Desktop Manager Software, it automatically syncs with my Yahoo account on the internet. This also gives me the ability to pull up my information from any PC connected to the internet.

Wi-Fi

The Blackberry Curve 8320 has wi-fi (wireless) capability.  I configured the Blackberry to connect to the wireless router in my home, which provided me with (at first) limited access to the internet.  You will see below the workaround I utilized to gain full access.

Internet Browser

The browser on this particular phone was very, very limited (proprietary to T-Mobile) and did not provide complete internet access via my wireless access point. I initially did not think this was possible without a data plan, but after some careful thinking, I knew there had to be some way that I could bridge that gap.

I downloaded and installed Opera-Mini which is browser software designed for mobile phones. I now have full access to the internet via my wireless router or at any Wi-Fi access point that will let me in.  (Note: Opera-Mini is an awesome browser for this purpose).

MicroSD Card (with PC Adapter)

RadioShack had an 8 gig MicroSD memory card on sale ($20), which I installed into the Blackberry…  I now have storage capability; plus when  connecting the Blackberry to my computer it is recognized as a mass storage device.

I can now transport my files, portable apps, etc… This particular phone model has a camera (w/photo viewer), video camera (with video player) and voice recorder (w/audio player) built in.

With the added storage I successfully converted a full length movie to play on the Blackberry; added MP3 music files, photos, documents, etc…

Software

Now that I have learned to install software onto the Blackberry, I am currently exploring the internet for “freeware” software for the Blackberry.  Several sources that I have located are:

Blackberry Freeware

Blackberryfreaks.com

Blackberry Freeware Directory

In closing, I have been quite pleased with the outcome of this project and the Blackberry Curve Smartphone.  I welcome any comments or suggestions.

This is a guest post by Rick Robinette, who brings a background as a security/police officer professional, and as an information technology specialist to the Blogging world.

Why not pay a visit to Rick’s site at What’s On My PC.

3Guppies’ FaceBook Widget – Send Photos to Your Cell Phone

The only things you need to send a FaceBook photo or video to any cell phone is 3Guppies FaceBook app and a working US or Canadian phone number. The application pulls up all the photos in your friends’ albums as well as your own. Grabbing the photo previews it in a mobile screen frame, though you needn’t worry too much about it fitting–3Guppies Mobile automatically scales photos on the destination phone.

You can crop, title, and tag the image and choose to store a copy in the 3Guppies locker for later reference. Once the photo has landed on the phone, it can be downloaded or sent on its way to sunnier pastures. 3Guppies has worked behind the scenes, striking compatibility deals with 28 carriers for 1,200 phones in North America.

MySpace users have a slightly different product, an embeddable photo album widget that’s then linked to your phone number. Once associated, photo, video, and text auto-uploads from your phone to the widget, essentially creating a mini multimedia blogging platform. You can also send MySpace photos to any phone.

Go to your FaceBook page and add the widget: that’s it.

Most phones will receive a text message with a link in it. To click on the link select Menus or Options and ‘GO TO’. Your photos should download automatically.

Home Surveillance on Your BlackBerry! – Try it for Free

From Mobiscope 

Description:

Turn your PC into a home surveillance system with Mobiscope software that runs on your BlackBerry handhelds.

No need to purchase any expensive equipment. All you need is a webcam on your computer to record everything that goes on when you are away. Mobiscope can monitor the area for motion and transfer the recording to your mobile phone.

Main Benefits:

• Monitor the security of your children or home. Open Mobiscope on your mobile to find out whether your children at home are in safety.
• Webcam-recorded video playback on your mobile. View webcam recorded videos right away on your mobile wherever you are
• Switch between several webcams. Use several webcams and switch between them on your mobile to see your home and office at the same time
• Customized scheduling for recording start/finish. Use different schedules to start or end the recordings according to your preferences. You can start recording always at 8 a.m. when you leave home, save your recordings and watch them later

Main Features:

• Let grandparents see their grandkids – safely and securely. Watch your kids remotely or let grandparents see their grandkids if they are far away.
• Be closer to friends and family by viewing webcam videos when away from home. Open Mobiscope and feel the family atmosphere when you are far from home
• Easily control your webcam from your BlackBerry using shortcuts. Start/finish recordings, zoom in, zoom out
• Secure and private access to your recordings All you need is your BlackBerry client, your PC number and the password.
• Data transfer encryption. Your recordings are safely encrypted when transferred to the Internet.    Try for free
  
  

More Free Blackberry Applications

GridMagic CEGridMagic Community Edition is spreadsheet software for the Blackberry. It is a member of the GridMagic product family that provides basic spreadsheet features and is free for non-commercial personal and educational use.

GridMagic is a full-fledge spreadsheet that includes the following features:

• Optimized and designed for Blackberry.
• Supports 65,536 rows and 256 columns (same as Excel 2003).
• Multiple sheets per workbook.
• Display formatted cell/text (alignment, borders and background colors).
• Row and column resizing.
• Find, go to, and End mode.
• Support Zoom factor.
• Workbook editing and cell/text reformatting (cut, copy, paste cell data, insert/delete cells/rows/columns)
• Auto cell formatting by entered example
• Auto switch to numeric mode based on cell format.
• Saving workbooks to smart phones (workbook categories for easy management)
• Real-time recalculation
• Features the most frequently used Microsoft Excel functions.
• Desktop Synchronization (compatible with Microsoft Excel)
• Blackberry attachment integration

There are different editions of GridMagic to suit different needs. For detailed comparison, refer to:

http://www.simprit.com/gridmagic/product_comparison.html

It is easy to install over-the-air and start using GridMagic:

Download: http://www.blackberrytoday.com/software.html

Unyverse Wikipedia 1.1

Imagine having the entire knowledge of the largest collaborative encyclopedia in the world at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere. Just type in any word on your mobile and instantly download the entire Wikipedia article specially formatted for your mobile device.

Features:

• Search: Type in a word and get the corresponding Wikipedia article with a table of contents and the full text of each section.
• My Articles: Star an article to save it and easily go back to all your starred articles.
• Web Account Synchronization of your Starred articles: All your starred articles are synchronized with your web account. You can manage and read them on your desktop as well.
• Hyperlinks: You can click on the links embedded in articles to download other articles.
• Bandwidth optimization: All article downloads are compressed in order to optimize your bandwidth usage
• Optimal reading experience: Choose between 3 different font sizes, and use page by page formatting for an optimal reading experience

Download: http://www.blackberrytoday.com/software/rim1/Unyve…

FREE 25 Language Phrasebook

Supported Languages: German, French, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Czech, Polish, Hungarian, Russian, Croatian, Turkish, Hebrew, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, Malay, and Thai. Navigate from Table of Contents or search for words or phrases.

Features:

• Multi-Platform device capability (PDA, smart phone, PC)
• No matter which device you use (Windows Mobile, Symbian OS, Pocket PC, Palm OS, Blackberry, or Desktop); you will NOT lose any functionality.
• Search function
• Navigate from Table of Contents or read page by page
• Add Bookmarks
• Text annotation and mark-up
• Access the phrasebook anytime, anywhere.

Download: http://www.download.com/Free-25-Language-Phrasebook/3000-2641_4-10763625.html

eFile 4.1.107

eFile is a FREE file manager and launcher for the Blackberry platform.

eFile provides a robust and flexible UI framework allowing users to manage their files of different type stored on their handheld and the corporate network.

Users can create folders, rename files and move them between directories.

File type associations allow immediate application launch from eFile. Applications can be added to cascading menu and to the launch bar.

Developers can use the free eFile API to make their applications eFile-enabled. Using this API developers introduce uniform UI components for file operations to their applications and enable their users to store everything in one place. Finally, application launch by simply selecting a file becomes possible for applications that register their file types with eFile through its API.

New Features:

Mouse Option

Use your trackball to direct the mouse pointer like on your PC – navigate through files, folders and documents with ease.

Comfortable adding of new programs <*b>

Better Usability

Download: http://www.blackberrytoday.com/software/rim1/eFile-for-Java-2003-11-27-rim-rim1.html

iotum Talk-Now 1.0

iotum Talk-Now lets you SHARE your availability without losing control, SEE who is available and who wants to talk with you, BE NOTIFIED when people you need to talk to become available.

iotum Talk-Now, the revolutionary New Presence application that lets you see at a glance who is available to talk, be notified when the people you need to speak with become available, and share your availability to talk with others.

iotum Talk-Now is an application running on your Blackberry that can:

1. Share your person-to-person availability to let people know when to reach you. This status will be shared when a user adds you to his Talk-Now list or when you notify a contact to return your call. Your availability to take a call from a specific contact is defined by iotum based on:

• What you are doing (calendar, presence on Blackberry)
• Your preferences: set up when you are available or not for a call; apply different priorities and preferences to different contacts or groups of contacts.
• Who is requesting the information

• 1. Show at a glance the personalized availability of your preferred contacts. Add contacts to the to-call list and see their availability for a call.

• 1. Notify you when a contact becomes available.

Requirements

• Blackberry OS 4.1 or greater
• This service will impact the usage of your data plan

Download: http://www.tucows.com/download.html?software_id=510652&t=2

Wireless18 – Golf Scorecard Software V2.3.4

The original, award winning, electronic scorecard. Automatically calculates all your round stats and provides an easy way to store your golfing memories for future enjoyment.

Includes features such as:

• Keeps score <= 4 players
• Keeps gross, net, par & points for all
• Keeps your playing statistics -putts, fairways hit, etc
• Keeps running totals for all -birdies, pars, etc
• Shows current hole details -par, si, dist, etc
• See one screen view of round
• See one screen view of side games –match play, nassau or skins
• Download details for any course in the world
• Download partner info for easy round setup
• Show course distances in meters or yards
• Easily store you practice sessions (range, practice greens)
• Adjust text size to your preference

Download: http://www.blackberrytoday.com/software/rim1/Wireless18-2004-3-2-rim-rim1.html

Blackberry Today Site Link: http://www.blackberrytoday.com/

For More Free BlackBerry Downloads on This Blog:  Click Here

Add Additional Applications to Your Blackberry or Smart Phone for Free

Adding additional applications like Google Maps for Mobile, to a Blackberry or smart phone, will help you and your business become more productive while on the move.

Below are a few more recommended applications that can help you, and your employees stay in touch, keep organized, and remain competitive out of the office, or just expand the functionality of your device.

Not all the software listed will apply to your specific model.

Google Maps for Mobile

This software brings the extensive power of Google Maps to some mobile devices, with a free download that taps into the same system of maps and satellite imagery, driving directions, and route-planning services as offered on PC based systems.

The interface is similar to the original Web-based Google Maps, with menu picks mapped to the phone’s buttons. What a great feature!

You can search for cities, streets, and buildings, as well as businesses. The service is bandwidth intensive but runs extremely well. The software works on color Blackberry devices and most Java phones offered by Cingular and Sprint. Other US-based telephone carriers or phones that use Palm or BREW are not supported.

Download: http://www.google.com/gmm/index.html

MediaCell Blackberry Video Converter

CNET Trusts

Infima Technologies
http://www.myinfima.com

McAfee has tested this site and found no significant problems.

More info…

Download SiteAdvisor Plus trial

var saBubble = new Class({ trigger: $E(‘.from-pub’), bubble: null, hiding: false, initialize: function(elem) { this.bubble = $(elem); this.bubble.setOpacity(0); this.bubble.setStyle(‘top’, this.trigger.offsetHeight+’px’); this.trigger.addEvent(‘mouseover’, function() { this.show(); }.bind(this)); this.trigger.addEvent(‘mouseout’, function() { this.hide(); }.bind(this)); }, show: function() { $clear(this.hiding); this.bubble.setStyle(‘display’,’block’); this.bubble.effect(‘opacity’, {duration: 200}).start(1); this.hidden=false; }, hide: function() { this.hiding = this.close.delay(150,this); }, close: function() { this.chain(function() { this.bubble.effect(‘opacity’, {duration: 200}).start(0).chain(function() {this.callChain();}.bind(this)); }.bind(this)); this.chain(function() { this.bubble.setStyle(‘display’,’none’); this.callChain(); }.bind(this)); this.callChain(); } }); saBubble.implement(new Chain); new saBubble(‘sab’); MediaCell Video Converter for Blackberry supports almost all popular video files (AVI, MPG, MPEG, ASF, MOV, RM, RMVB, 3GP, AMR, FLV, FLIC, and SW) and converts all these formats to Blackberry Video. The software has the “best of breed” video compression ratio and conversion speed. Very user-friendly interface without any complicated settings.

Download: http://www.media-cell.com/

EQO for Blackberry

Are you interested in making cheap international calls, sending cheap text messages and instant messages to anywhere in the world? CNET Trusts

EQO Communications
http://www.eqo.com

McAfee has tested this site and found no significant problems.

More info…

Download SiteAdvisor Plus trial

var saBubble = new Class({ trigger: $E(‘.from-pub’), bubble: null, hiding: false, initialize: function(elem) { this.bubble = $(elem); this.bubble.setOpacity(0); this.bubble.setStyle(‘top’, this.trigger.offsetHeight+’px’); this.trigger.addEvent(‘mouseover’, function() { this.show(); }.bind(this)); this.trigger.addEvent(‘mouseout’, function() { this.hide(); }.bind(this)); }, show: function() { $clear(this.hiding); this.bubble.setStyle(‘display’,’block’); this.bubble.effect(‘opacity’, {duration: 200}).start(1); this.hidden=false; }, hide: function() { this.hiding = this.close.delay(150,this); }, close: function() { this.chain(function() { this.bubble.effect(‘opacity’, {duration: 200}).start(0).chain(function() {this.callChain();}.bind(this)); }.bind(this)); this.chain(function() { this.bubble.setStyle(‘display’,’none’); this.callChain(); }.bind(this)); this.callChain(); } }); saBubble.implement(new Chain); new saBubble(‘sab’); EQO is a free, easy to use application for your existing mobile phone that lets you do just that. This application is easy to use and you don’t need a new contract, computer or calling card. It works just like your mobile’s phonebook – simply scroll through your contacts and click to call or send a message. EQO works with your existing phone plan (local minutes and a bit of data) to complete cheap calls and messages at some of the lowest rates in the world.

Download: http://www.eqo.com/

CNET Trusts

3jam
http://www.3jam.com

McAfee has tested this site and found no significant problems.

More info…

Download SiteAdvisor Plus trial

Free 15 Language phrase book: German, French, and Spanish

Never be caught with nothing to say again. Download this free 15 language phrase book application which can translate into German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Czech, Swedish, Norwegian, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian.

Some of the features of this application include; Multi-Platform device capability (PDA, smart phone, PC). No matter which device you use (Windows Mobile, Symbian OS, Pocket PC, Palm OS, Blackberry, or Desktop); you will not lose any functionality.

Search function, navigate from Table of Contents or read page by page, add Bookmarks, text annotation and mark-up, add free-hand drawings.

Download: http://www.MobileReference.com

DailyLit

Stuck at the airport? Nothing to read? Relax. DailyLit sends you books in installments via email and currently offers over 400 classic public domain titles that can be subscribed to and read in their entirety for free. Popular titles include, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

You can choose how often, and at what time you want the E-mails sent to you. Books on DailyLit can be read on any device on which you receive e-mail, including a PDA, Blackberry, or Trio.

Each installment can be read in less than 5 minutes, and when you have finished reading a particular installment, you can receive the next installment immediately in your email inbox.

Download: http://www.dailylit.com/

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