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Your BlackBerry was the same as everyone else’s when you bought it. Out of the box, it’s a uniform design with uniform software. It’s what you do with it after you set it up that truly make it your BlackBerry. This includes ringtones, themes, and of course applications. I’ve got my Berry loaded, mostly with handy apps from the BBGeeks Store and from freeware sites like BlackBerryFreeware.com. Yet there are so many applications out there that us Berry enthusiasts just can’t access. They’re available on other mobile platforms, but not ours. So today we’ll look at five that I would really, really like on my BlackBerry.

You’ll notice — right from the start, even — that some of these applications have Web access which you can gain from your BlackBerry. That’s not what we’re looking for here. What we want is an application we can download to our devices and which can fully access our accounts and information. Think TwitterBerry. Yes, you can access Twitter from other venues, but this application gives you even better access.

1. Brightkite

Social networks are “in.” While they’re still in their early stages, they are still a great way to use the connectivity power of the Internet to stay in touch with old friends and meet new people. Social networks like Facebook and MySpace will only get better with time and better technology. Or perhaps new technology will bring on new competitors to dethrone the current King and Queen.

One recent trend relates to mobile. Not only are social networks migrating to the mobile platform — case in point, the BlackBerry Facebook application — but they’re using mobile tools to create better connected networks. Specifically, this means a phone’s GPS unit, which can add a whole new level to social networking.

Brightkite is one such network. It uses your current location as a backdrop for the service. Many people might think that’s kind of creepy, in a “oh my gosh, everyone will know where I am at all times” kind of way. Yet geo-social networking is so much more than that.

(Incidentally, the “where are your friends at” feature can be exceedingly convenient. Take my best friend for instance. He’s perpetually late. Ask him how far away he is, though, and you’ll get three stock answers: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour. Five minutes means closer to 20, 15 minutes means close to an hour, and an hour means don’t wait up for me. If we were connected by Brightkite I’d know his exact location and wouldn’t have to wait around for him.)

The location feature allows you to more accurately tag your photos. So when you’re looking for something — say a certain type of chocolate or a gift you’ve been dying to buy someone — you can find it on a network like Brightkite and instantly find out where it is. If the information isn’t specific enough, you can contact the uploader, which could spark a new relationship (yes, there’s still some stalker stigma there).

There’s just so much you can do with a geo-based social network. We just wish that iPhone users didn’t get to have all the fun. They’ve got a Brightkite application. We BlackBerry users do not. But man, do we ever wish we did.

2. Pandora

We’ve talked about about streaming Internet radio on your BlackBerry. While there are a ton of stations to choose from, perhaps none is more customizable than Pandora. For those who aren’t familiar with this service, it’s a free streaming music Website which analyzes your musical preferences and plays music the system thinks you’ll like. In other words, you’ll only hear the songs that fit your style.

Just how does Pandora figure out what music you like? By using research from the Music Genome Project. This breaks down tunes and captures “the essence of music at the fundamental level. Over 400 attributes define the music you enjoy, and the Human Genome Project aims to find commonalities in your listening habits and deliver you more of the same.

You start by choosing a band you like. Pandora will then stream music from that artist and similar ones. As songs play you can rate songs up or down. An up rating means the algorithm will update with your new preference in mind. A down rating will change the algorithm to avoid that type of song, as well as move on to the next track. Use it long enough and it won’t play any songs you don’t like. I find that after nearly a year of use, hardly any songs I don’t like get played.

Like Brightkite, Pandora is available on the iPhone but not for the BlackBerry. It’s also available on some AT&T and Sprint phones, but not for any BlackBerry devices. As soon as it becomes available, though, I’ll be right on that one.

3. CraigsMobileList

I remember back in the day, probably five or six years ago, when my buddy Clay used to talk about Craigslist. I guess I didn’t pay attention at first, but eventually the mentions became so frequent that I had to ask, “What the heck is Craigslist?” My assumption was that it was some dude named Craig who sold stuff on the Internet, since my friend mostly referred to it as a marketplace. Clearly, my assumption was wrong.

Craigslist is ubiquitous nowadays. You can go on there to find a job, an apartment, a used couch, or even a date for Friday night. I can’t tell you how many writing gigs I’ve found through there, and how many friends have found their full-time employment on the job boards. It might just be the most useful and functional site on the Web.

How does Craigslist make money? By companies wishing to reach their massive audience. Listings in the Jobs section are paid, while the rest of the site listings are free. It creates an environment where people can interact freely yet anonymously. It really is the first incarnation of a 21st Century marketplace. Craigslist is so effective, in fact, that they’ve aided in the downfall of newspapers by making their classified ads obsolete.

Craigslist is one of those cases where there’s Web access for BlackBerry users, but not an application. The iPhone has one of course, but I’ve yet to see the easy-browsing version of Craigslist for BlackBerry. So for now we’re stuck with the Web interface. I have faith, though, that we’ll see an easy-to-search mobile application for BlackBerry soon enough.

4. Android Scan

When I first heard about Android Scanner, my reaction was akin to Peter Griffin: No freakin’ way. Surely most of you have heard of this application, available on the Android platform. It’s a barcode scanner. What can you use that for, you might ask. Plenty. More than you think, for sure.

It works with your phone’s camera. You snap a photo of a barcode, and the application searches the Internet for relevant information. This means reviews from Amazon.com, track listings for CDs, and even local and online availability. This means you can get the best price on the product, whether it’s sold at your local Wal-Mart or on Amazon.com.

The best part is kind of hidden up there. You can play samples of music before you buy it. Anyone remember The Wall. No, not the Pink Floyd album, but the record store that apparently no longer exists. They used to open up CDs for you so you could preview before buying. This is along the same lines, except you don’t have to find a sales clerk to help you. Just use Android Scanner to find the CD and you’re on your way to listening to samples. For books you can even search local libraries for availability.

I honestly cannot wait for something like this to appear for BlackBerry. It will make shopping so much easier. No longer will I wonder, while at a store, if I can find an item cheaper online. With Android Scanner, you can find out right away.

5. AppSniper

I debated including this one, but it was too cool to pass up, especially since we’ll soon have an application center for the Storm. Even if there was something like this for our own BBGeeks Store, it would be awesome. It’s always an advantage to know when you’re getting a deal on an application.

In short, AppSniper lets you know about discounts on applications in the iPhone store (though obviously we don’t care about that — we just want it for Berry). For instance, if you missed an announcement of another Mobile Heist at our store, AppSniper cankeep you up to date with the latest pricing on applications.

In fact, it can send you notifications when certain software of your choosing is discounted. Many of these discounts don’t last long, so the notification serves as an “act now” message. If you want Application X, it’s now $1.99, but it’ll be back up to $4.99 after 5 p.m. Get it now!

Yes, this can lead to over-buying at times, but hey, if you want the application and can get it at a discount, AppSniper is the way to go. You’ll always know when an application is on sale or at full price, so you can make a better buying decision. Need it now? You might buy it at full price. Not a big deal? Wait for it to be marked down.

One has to hope that this will be an early addition to the BlackBerry App center.

So many more applications

This is the perfect topic for user-generated suggestions. So fire away. What applications do you want to see with BlackBerry connectivity?

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