Handmark Pocket Express
If we have to recommend one application, Pocket Express is it. This is a
handy and reliable tool to get news and other important information such
as weather, sports updates, maps, and stocks. This application is one of the
best information aggregators out there. The user interface is intuitive. You
can even buy and install other applications from within Pocket Express. And
the best part is, it’s free. Well, not everything. They charge a fee for accessing
their premium channels. Download Pocket Express from your BlackBerry at
express.handmark.com.
BBWeather
BBWeather allows you to subscribe to weather updates for a specified
location. The data comes from weather.com, and you can set it up by using
locator identification. This is different from the weather forecast presented
in BBToday (see later in this chapter) because BBToday gives you a summarized
view whereas BBWeather gives you more detailed information, such as
UV index, wind speed, humidity, barometric pressure, dew point, visibility,
times for sunrise and sunset, and the phase of the moon. You can configure
the forecast screen for a number of days. The forecast screen includes the
usual weather information plus precipitation, wind speed, and humidity.
To download BBWeather from your PC, go to the following Web site:
sourceforge.net. This is another freebie, so there’s no reason
to not get it.
Beyond411
Another free program for your arsenal is Beyond411. This evolution of
Berry411 works the same as your local 411 information source, but you don’t
have to pay for the service. You get yellow pages as well as white pages. We
find this program useful for getting movie times for local theaters. It’s a
location-based application, so if you have GPS on your BlackBerry, thisworks great because it gives you local information based on your current
location. To download, go to thebogles.com from your BlackBerry.
Digby
For those online shoppers who need to shop all the time, Digby is the program
for you. You can download it for free to start browsing their growing selections.
What we don’t like is that you have to enter your personal information on the
BlackBerry instead of having the option to enter it on the PC first. To try it,
point your BlackBerry browser to www.digby.com/download.
Google Talk Mobile and Yahoo!Messenger Mobile
If you currently use Google Talk or Yahoo! Messenger on your PC, both
mobile versions are a must-download to keep up with your buddies no matter
where you are. To download, point your BlackBerry browser to
- Google Talk Mobile: www.blackberry.com/GoogleTalk
- Yahoo! Messenger Mobile: www.blackberry.com/YahooDownload
iSkoot Skype Client
If you are a big fan of Skype, now you don’t have to sit on your computer
to use the service. The folks at iSkoot make it possible for you to fully
utilize Skype functionality from your BlackBerry. Calling a Skype buddy?
No problem. Chatting with your Skype friends? That’s what this program
is for. Plus, it’s free! To download it from your PC, go to www.iskoot.com.
bbTV
TV on your BlackBerry? That’s right. The caveat is that at the time of this
writing, bbTV is available only in Canada through Rogers Wireless. A fee of $5
Canadian a month is added to your wireless bill if you use the service. To get
started, go to www.canada.com/bbtv/rogers.html.
AskMeNow
Stop scratching your head. When you have a pressing question, you don’t
need to look for answers anywhere other than your BlackBerry. After you
install AskMeNow, a guru is ready to answer that nagging question in your
head. If your query can possibly be answered by a human being, you can ask
it here. If you don’t know what to ask, AskMeNow has precanned questions
such as directions, weather, sports updates, and flight information. The
answer is sent to you through e-mail, usually within two minutes. For pricing,
visit their Web site at askmenow.com. To download the program from your
BlackBerry, go to askmenow.com/applications.aspx.
Stock Ticker
In the world of stocks, timing is everything. For those of you who are actively
trading — if you can’t enjoy your latté without worrying about what’s going
on with your stocks — Stock Ticker will help. You get the latest quotes and
stock information, even when you’re not looking at your three stock-monitor
terminals. It features a scrolling interface with minute-by-minute news and
commentaries. For about $25 for six months, you can download Stock Ticker
from your PC by going to www.handango.com.
Ascendo Money
Ascendo Money is one of the best-selling, best-rated, and most comprehensive
personal finance managers for BlackBerry. You can manage your checkbook,
track your expenses, sync with your PC, and integrate with popular finance PC
applications such as Quicken and MS Money. It costs $29.95 but there is also a
free trial. You can download Ascendo Money from your PC by going to
www.handango.com.
Ascendo Fitness
For the health conscious among us, here is award-winning software for your
BlackBerry. Ascendo Fitness tracks the calories you’re eating and the calories
you’re burning in exercise. It presents your progress by displaying easy-tounderstand
graphs. Based on your personal data, Ascendo has calculatorsthat provide your ideal weight, body mass index (BMI), maximum heart rate
based on age, and basal metabolism ratio (BMR). We have heard many good
comments from those who use this product. For $29.95, you can download
Ascendo Fitness from your PC by going to www.handango.com.
BBToday
If you’re experiencing information overload, you’re not alone. BBToday
helps you make sense of all this information without so much hair pulling.
In a nutshell, BBToday tries to give you a tear sheet on a daily basis. The
nice thing about BBToday is its capability to show up every time you unlock
or open your BlackBerry. It appears full screen with the following information
in a summarized format:
- Current date and time
- E-mail summary
- Remaining battery strength
- Signal strength
- Appointments scheduled for the day
- Tasks scheduled for the day
- Current weather information and five-day forecast
- Phone call summary
- Stock quotes
This is like having an assistant tell you what your day will be like, organizing
your PIM (personal information manager) information and presenting it in such
a way that you don’t have to spend time viewing each of your PIM applications.
You can configure the weather to point to your local area. You can also add the
stock ticker for the stock quotes section.
You can download BBToday for free from your BlackBerry by going to
blackberrytools.sourceforge.net.
Sudoku
What would a handheld device be nowadays without Sudoku? Yes, it’s the
Sudoku people love. Be it in a paper or digital format, folks are getting
addicted to this number puzzle. Many game publishers sell Sudoku games,
but you don’t have to spend a dime if you download one from RIM’s site at
mobile.blackberry.com. On the Fun & Games section, select Super
Games, and then select Free Games.
Bookworm
A warning: The Bookworm word game is addictive. It is part crossword puzzle
and part word jumble and part arcade puzzler. Your job is to make Lex, the
hungry bookworm, well fed with words. If you are up to the challenge, you
can buy it for $7.95 or download a free trial version. Point your BlackBerry
to bb.magmic.com/game?show=Bookworm.
Bass Assassin
Ever want to catch a 10-kilogram fish while on the subway? Well, now you can
with Bass Assassin from Magmic. To catch the big one, you need to master the
skill of casting the bait and reeling in the bass with just the right line tension.
After catching a few, you can view them all in the Trophy Room.
You can buy Bass Assassin for $5.95 or download a trial version. Use your
BlackBerry to go to bb.magmic.com/game?show=BassAssassin2.
Raging Rivers
With the Raging Rivers game, you travel around the world to conquer different
raging rivers in your kayak. Using the controls is easy, but the river is harder
to predict with each course you beat, so controlling your kayak isn’t easilymastered. Show off to your friends by posting your fastest time online right
from your BlackBerry.
You can buy Raging Rivers for $5.95 or download a trial version. Use your
BlackBerry to go to bb.magmic.com/game?show=RagingRivers.
Texas Hold ’em King
Crave a game of Texas Hold ’em while away from your buddies? Practice your
bluff with Texas Hold ’em King. We like this game because you can even play
an online tournament right from your BlackBerry. You can buy the game for
$7.95 or download a trial version. Point your BlackBerry to bb.magmic.com/
game?show=THK2.
Klondike
If you’re into card games, you’ve likely seen Klondike in other forms elsewhere.
Well, Magmic brings Klondike to your BlackBerry. You can buy Klondike for
$4.95 or download a trial version. From your BlackBerry, go to bb.magmic.
com/game?show=Klondike.
Spider Solitaire
You’ve probably played Spider Solitaire on your PC, and now you can do so
on your BlackBerry. Buy the game for $4.95 or download a trial version. From
your BlackBerry, go to bb.magmic.com/game?show=SpiderSolitaire.
Pro Golf Paradise
Can’t get enough golf on the weekend? Play a round on your way to work.
Just beware that the wait between holes is a bit longer than we like . . . kind
of like real-life golf. You can buy Pro Golf Paradise for $5.95 or download a
trial version. From your BlackBerry, go to http://bb.magmic.com/
game?show=Golf.
Blockazoid
Do you love a game of Tetris, but you’re tired of the same old thing every
time? How about Tetris with a twist — with Blockazoid. Not only do you have
to control falling blocks, you also have to combine blocks with like colors. You
get more scores with consecutive breaks, so be prepared to be Blockazoid-ed!
For about $6, you can download Blockazoid from your PC by going to www.
handango.com.
Brain Up
Exercise your brain. With Brain Up, you can sharpen your memory, refresh
your math skills, and tickle your brain in many different ways. You’ll find
doing all this fun. So, if your curiosity is piqued, you have two options. You
can either download a trial version or pay $7.95. Point your BlackBerry to
http://bb.magmic.com/game?show=BrainUp.
MyUtils 2.0
MyUtils 2.0 is a collection of utility tools, hence the name. You get MyClock,
which is a beautiful rendition of a clock that you can program as a timer or a
stopwatch. There’s also the Holidays 2007 edition, which gives you public
holidays from 39 countries and religious holidays from major religions.You also get MyUnits, which is an advanced unit converter. MyTips quickly
computes how much you have to tip after a meal, and conveniently splits the
bill for you. Other tools include making your BlackBerry a flashlight, a currency
converter, and an international dialing code finder. For about $15, you
can use your PC to download MyUtils 2.0 from www.handango.com. Future
upgrades are free.
WorldMate for BlackBerry
If you’re a frequent flier, WorldMate is the application for you. You can get
updated flight information on your BlackBerry for more than 800 airlines, so
if your flight is delayed, you’ll know in advance. You can also get local information
about your destination, but the features don’t stop there. WorldMate
also has up-to-date weather forecasts, a currency converter, and world time.
For about $75, you can buy WorldMate from Handango, and there is a trial
version in case you want to check it out first. Use your PC to download
WorldMate at www.handango.com.
BerryDialer
Nowadays, you have many options for lowering the cost of international
calling. You could use Skype or other VOIP providers. Sometimes phone
cards are cheaper for select countries and may also be convenient to use.
With BerryDialer, you can store up to 100 phone card numbers. It also integrates
with Address Book. When you want to call someone, BerryDialer gives
you a convenient option to dial any one of those phone card numbers first.
Check it out. For about $20, you can use your BlackBerry to download
BerryDialer at www.mobilesoftmarket.com.
Litefeeds
Litefeeds is an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader that keeps you up-todate
on the information you care about — and you can add as many RSS feeds
as you want. Think of RSS as a way to get many forms of information via a PC —or in this case, your BlackBerry. Getting to your RSS feed is easy; you can synchronize
with your online reader, post articles to your blog from your
BlackBerry, and e-mail articles to friends. Not only that, you can receive
e-mail alerts for important subscriptions, synchronize with Bloglines, view
secure feeds such as your Gmail or corporate feeds, and bookmark articles to
your del.icio.us account. You can read more about Litefeeds and how to
download the reader at www.litefeeds.com.
eOffice
Your BlackBerry can view Microsoft Office documents, but it doesn’t allow
you to edit them — until now. Having eOffice is like having Office on your
BlackBerry. Along with a full-size keyboard (see Chapter 20), your BlackBerry
can be your office when you’re away from the office. With eOffice, you can
compose and edit Word, Excel, and other Office-compatible documents right
from your BlackBerry. For about $200 (other pricing available), you can
download eOffice from DynoPlex at www.dynoplex.com.
VeriChat for Blackberry
If you have accounts with more than one instant messaging application, such
as AOL Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger, you can use VeriChat to log onto all
of your instant message accounts by using just one application. What’s even
better is that this application uses an Internet connection, not SMS, so you’re
covered if you have an unlimited data plan. For about $35, you can use your
PC to download VeriChat at www.handango.com.
bbSpell
BlackBerry Curve has a built-in spell checker, but if you own another
BlackBerry model, did you ever wish you could proofread your e-mails for
spelling errors? Well, with bbSpell you can. After installation, the spell
checker is built into the Messages application. For about $35 per year, you
can download bbSpell at www.somedevelopers.com/download.htm.
MidpSSH Mobile SSH Client
If you’re a programmer or a system administrator, MidpSSH Mobile SSH
Client will save you valuable time. You can log onto any Unix or Linux server
just as you would from a PC. Imagine, you can log onto your servers from
anywhere, without chugging along your laptop. This is an open source product,
so you can download it for free. Go to www.xk72.com/midpssh.
Idokorro Mobile Desktop
How valuable is it to you to have access to your PC anywhere? The folks
at Idokorro have an answer for you. With your handy BlackBerry, you can
remotely access your PC as long as it is connected to the Internet and running
Idokorro Mobile Desktop. When you buy the product, you install software
that runs on your PC and software that runs on your BlackBerry. For
$45, you can use your PC to download the product at www.idokorro.com.
TrafficEdge
With TrafficEdge, you can view traffic Web cam images right from your
BlackBerry. If you’re a road warrior, this is a must-have application to get
the edge on traffic conditions. For a one-time fee of $9.99, you can use your
BlackBerry to buy TrafficEdge. You can also download a 15-day free trial
version. Check it out at www.edgeq.com.
A microSD Card
Your new BlackBerry normally doesn’t come with external memory, or a
microSD card. And we bet that is the first thing you’ll be looking for after you
get your BlackBerry. Many electronic gadgets use microSD cards, so they’re
easy to find.
A normal price range at the time of this writing is $5 to $25 for a 1G capacity,
and $12 to $50 for a 2G capacity. A wide price range, right? Your best bet of finding a good deal is on the Internet. We found a 1G card for $6.14 on
Amazon and $5 at Buy.com. Special promotions come and go, but we noticed
that there’s always a good deal somewhere. So, instead of listing a specific
site to go to, our best advice is to just shop around. And for any purchase on
the Internet, take into consideration the shipping and handling costs plus the
return policy of the vendor. Any brand will do, as long as you make sure that
you are purchasing a microSD card
Stereo Headphones
Although your new BlackBerry is a stereo music player, it doesn’t come with
stereo headphones. You will definitely yearn for stereo sound the moment
you listen to or watch video clips on your BlackBerry. A quick search on the
Internet for your BlackBerry model and stereo headphones will yield many
results. The key is to make sure that the headphones support your BlackBerry
model and have good reviews. You could spend $30 to $200. Here are several
that we liked:
- BlackBerry Stereo Headset for the BlackBerry 8800 and Pearl
- Motorola HT820 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones for the BlackBerry 8300
- Seidio 2-in-1 Foldable Headphones for the BlackBerry 8800 and Pearl
- Motorola S805 Bluetooth DJ Headphones with A2DP and AVRCP for the
BlackBerry 8300
- Sony Ericsson HBH-DS970 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones for the
BlackBerry 8300
- Nokia BH-601 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones for the BlackBerry 8300
A Belt Clip
Regardless of which BlackBerry model you have, the belt clip that comes with
it does the job, even if lacks that personal touch. If you want a new case, you
have plenty to choose from, with looks ranging from sporty to professional.
These cases will set you back anywhere from $20 to $40, which isn’t too bad
for looking hip.
A Screen Protector
If the protector case described in the preceding section is a bit stressful
for your wallet, try Screenguardz, which costs about $10. Screenguardz
protects your screen from scratches. Go to the Screenguardz Web site, at
www.screenguardz.com.
An Extra Battery
An extra battery for your BlackBerry will come in handy if you are a
daily BlackBerry user. We recommend that you buy your battery only from
Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry, and not from some other
manufacturer because a faulty battery can damage your BlackBerry beyond
repair.
Make sure the battery you buy is for your BlackBerry model.
You’ll spend around $40 for the extra battery. You can buy one from the
following sites:
- www.blackberrysource.com
- www.blackberrystuff.com
- shopblackberry.com (RIM’s official store)
A Charger
If you watch video often on your BlackBerry, you know that the battery needs
to be charged every couple of days. And if you’re always on the go, you better
have a portable charger on hand. The charger included with your BlackBerry
is great to carry around town (and the world) because it has multiple adapters
for different countries’ electric plugs.If you are a road warrior, we recommend the BlackBerry car charger. It will
set you back around $30.
A Bluetooth Hands-Free Headset
If you’re a frequent phone user, we definitely recommend that you pick up
a Bluetooth hands-free headset. Even though a wired hands-free headset comes
with your BlackBerry, the convenience of a wireless Bluetooth hands-free headset
is hard to live without.
Plenty of Bluetooth headsets are on the market for you to choose from. Here
are some with good reviews from people who bought them:
- Aliph Jawbone Noise Shield
- BlackBerry HS-655
- Jabra BT5020
- Motorola H700
- Plantronics Discovery 655
- Plantronics Explorer 320
- Sony Ericsson HBH-IV835
You probably need to spend anywhere from $50 to $140 for a Bluetooth
hands-free headset. The best place to get one is good ol’ Amazon:
www.amazon.com
A Full Keyboard
If you compose long e-mails or draft long proposals on your BlackBerry, a fullsized
keyboard is perfect for you. You’ll save typing time, and also save your
thumbs from blistering.You have your choice of Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth connection options.
A Bluetooth keyboard is the most convenient option for the obvious reasons
that you don’t have to carry cables and your BlackBerry can be positioned
any way you want. For less than $100, you can own the cool Freedom
Universal Bluetooth Keyboard, available at www.bberry.com.
Or you can buy the ThinkOutside Stowaway Shasta Bluetooth Keyboard
for BlackBerry 7100, 8100, 8300, 8700, or 8800 series, available at
blackberrystuff.com for $124.95.
For a non-Bluetooth connection option, you connect the keyboard by using
the USB cable. Ranging from $130 to $240, you can get this type of keyboard
from Man & Machine at www.man-machine.com.
An External Speakerphone
BlackBerry comes with a speakerphone, but if the sound quality from a small
speaker just isn’t good enough for you to comprehend the phone conversation
while in a car, check out a wireless Bluetooth speakerphone:
- Blueant Blue Sonic Bluetooth for the BlackBerry 8300
- Com One Bluetooth Speakerphone for the BlackBerry 8300
For about $100, you can get either of them from blackberrysource.com.
A Car Mount
To complete your BlackBerry car experience, you need a place to mount
your BlackBerry in your car with the Auto PDA Holder Kit. For about $30,
your BlackBerry will be securely fastened to the Auto PDA Holder so that your
BlackBerry is in your sight at all times. You can get an Auto PDA Holder Kit
from blackberrysource.com.