Industry coverage, news, original feature articles, how to guides, videos, podcasts and reviews of BlackBerry service providers, software, accessories, hosted exchange providers and more

The following is a lesson in why you should back up your BlackBerry as frequently as possible. At some point you’re going to run into a problem — and I’ve run into my share — where the only feasible option is to wipe the device and start over. If that happens you want to have a recent backup so that you don’t have to start over and send out text messages asking for people’s numbers and new BBM requests. Now that I’ve gotten the idea of backing up your Berry into your head, onto today’s issue. A reader wrote in yesterday to ask about an error message, Reload Software: 552.” This is a serious issue, one that could cost you all of your BlackBerry data. Hopefully you never see it, but if you do, here’s the recovery process.

Read the rest of What to do if your BlackBerry says Reload Software: 552…

One internet feature I’m surprised hasn’t caught on more widely is RSS. It’s a wonderful tool which brings you the stuff you want to read, without you ever going to fetch it. It allows for quick scanning of headlines to determine reading worthiness. It’s basically your own personal magazine. I know that some BlackBerry users use Viigo for their RSS feeds on the go, and, if you wish, you can import your Google Reader feeds into Viigo. For those that want the true Google Reader experience, though, we’re stuck with a simple web interface. Recently, however, Ronen at BerryReview demonstrated how to use the Android and iPhone optimized WebApp from your OS 4.6 and higher browser.

Read the rest of Getting more out of Google Reader on BlackBerry…

Take a look at our blogroll. Do a Google search for “BlackBerry blog.” You’ll notice tons and tons of them. Why so many blogs, then, devoted to one topic? Because we all approach it from different angles. This is nice for readers, who can pick the one that best fits their BlackBerry needs. Plus, since we tend to interlink, you can keep up with most others as well. It’s great for the bloggers, too. No one person can think of everything. I love reading the stable of BlackBerry blogs because it gives me ideas for BBGeeks posts, both directly and indirectly. Today’s is a direct influence, from Robb at RIMarkable, one of the good guys in the blogosphere. He has an excellent tip for quickly and easily sending contact information to any email address or BlackBerry user.

Read the rest of Send your BlackBerry contact information easily with vCards…

At one point, months ago in history, I didn’t use folders on my BlackBerry. After downloading an application, the icon would sit at the bottom of my app menu — or, if it were important it would move to the home screen. This continued on, with me deleting unused application to keep the clutter to a minimum. Then I got my BlackBerry Tour in November. At first I didn’t like the folders. They were just one more layer between me and my applications. But, after getting used to them, I don’t know how I managed without them. No longer do folders represent a layer between me and my stuff. Now they represent storage bins, in which I carefully place my icons so I can easily find them next time. I feel as accomplished as a kid who puts away his toys when he’s done.

Read the rest of Managing folders on your BlackBerry…

I sometimes feel like the BlackBerry Storm doesn’t get enough love around these parts. Maybe if RIM would send us one (wink wink, nudge nudge) we’d write more about it, but for the most part we have to rely on friends and family members for most of our Storm content. So, when someone posts a Storm tip, we’ll be quick to point their way. In the past we’ve gone over how to assign a speed dial key on your BlackBerry, as well as reassigning the A, W, and Q speed dial keys. That’s fine and good for the QWERTY models, but what about the Storm? Robb at RIMarkable has the tip.

Read the rest of Assigning speed dial keys on your BlackBerry Storm…

BlackBerry AutoText can make your typing life easier. You can turn uncommon text strings into useful, longer strings with just a few keystrokes. Thanks to a tip from BlackBerry Bold 9700 Made Simple, courtesy of BlackBerry Cool, we can also combine some AutoText features to create even longer strings. Your BlackBerry comes with a number of macros, triggered by the percentage sign (%). You can use AutoText to combine these, allowing you to replace two characters of text with strings like time stamps, your name, or even your PIN.

Read the rest of Use AutoText to combine BlackBerry macros…

One thing I noticed after getting my BlackBerry Tour is that there are three keys which you cannot assign a speed dial. Holding down the “A” key locks the system, holding down “W” goes to voice mail, and holding down “Q” puts you into quiet mode (vibrate only). These can be convenient, but for someone who had older operating systems and were used to having these keys available, it can be a slight nuisance. We at BBGeeks are dedicated to eradicating those nuisances so you can better focus on the big issues. So today, a quick way to assign speed dials to A, W, and Q.

Read the rest of Change your “A” , “W”, and “Q” speed dials…

Starting with the Curve 8520, RIM has started installing an optical trackpad on all new BlackBerry devices. The new technology should allow for easier browsing and scrolling. But for those of us who have older BlackBerry models, and plan to stick with them, we still face the issue of a trackball. Introduced in 2006 with the BlackBerry Pearl, the trackball made it onto every subsequent BlackBerry model. One thing we haven’t covered on BBGeeks is how to change the trackball sensitivity. So, just before it goes out of style, here it is.

Read the rest of Changing your BlackBerry trackball sensitivity…

Every once in a while, when you click on BlackBerry App World, you get a prompt to update the software. So, like the good BlackBerry owner you are, you waste no time in clicking OK to download and then install the update, despite not really knowing what it’s all about. And then you go through the hassle of rebooting your device. After all that, you go back to App World and start to browse through applications, only to see them listed in Euros rather than American dollars. That’s probably not what you expected. Thankfully, the fix is pretty easy.

Read the rest of Currency issue in latest BlackBerry App World update…

In yesterday’s bit on the worst of BlackBerry App World, I laid into tip calculators a bit. These applications cost from $3 (most common price) to $13 (for “advanced” features like dividing the check). Applications like this annoy me, because the function essentially already exists on your BlackBerry. Calculating a tip is easy, and you certainly don’t need to waste $3 on a separate application. Today’s quick tip is how to use your BlackBerry calculator to figure out the proper tip, saving you a few bucks on an app.

Read the rest of Your BlackBerry already has a tip calculator…