Everything About BlackBerry

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.