When the kind folks from Bitstream emailed me the press release for the new version of the BOLT browser, I was a bit surprised. In it they mentioned that the update to version 1.7 comes exactly a year after its initial launch. It seems like longer than that. As part of their early beta, I tested the browser last January, and found it a bit frustrating. Since then they’ve completely overhauled the browser, which is probably why it seems like it’s been around for longer. While I’m fine with the default BlackBerry browser (OS 4.7) for most functions, BOLT is still my go-to app when I need a bit more power. They’ve made a few key additions to version 1.7.
Widgets highlight the list of new features. These are almost like browser plug-ins, in that users run them from the browser. They run a bit faster than web apps, which is the main advantage. BOLT has a gallery of widgets from which to choose, and the more the platform catches on, the faster I expect that library to grow.
For you Twitter hounds out there, you can now post tweets right from BOLT. This is more for light users, since more advanced users will want the features of a full client. Still, as a little add on it’s nice. Neat for impulsively saying something after you read or see something.
Finally, you can now zoom in and out with shortcut keys. Another small addition, sure, but a functionally welcome one as well. The more things I can do with keyboard shortcuts, the better.
As always, you can download the new version of BOLT from http://boltbrowser.com/download.html. You can also download the BOLT Launcher Plug-in, which makes BOLT the default browser on your BlackBerry.
