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With all the talk about the recent announcement of the 9000 series BlackBerry by RIM at this years Wireless Enterprise Symposium, some other great announcements are seemingly going unnoticed. It is for this reason that I would like to share with you readers one of the announcements that I found particularly interesting.

iTookThisOnMyPhone announced today, the release of version 2.0 of its’ popular mobile photo/video sharing application for the BlackBerry.
Read the rest of iTookThisOnMyPhone Announces and Upgrade to Version 2.0…

When Rae wrote about the TwitterBerry application for BlackBerry, she listed a number of features she’d like to see in an updated version. Well, there’s a new version out, so we can take a look to see what’s new.

Read the rest of Orangatame launches TwitterBerry 0.6…

DDH Software, makers of HanDBase mobile database software, is looking for people to utilize its powers in the creation of mobile applets for PDAs and smartphones. To this end, they’re holding a contest, which will reward two creators — one for Best Commercial Applet and the other for Best Personal Applet — who “demonstrate how easy it is for anyone to develop a mobile solution for either work or personal use.” The winners will get HanDBase Runtime licenses, which will allow them to put the applet on the market as a standalone entity. You can check out our HanDBase review, and then head over to the contest page to get further information.

Earlier this month, Yahoo! unveiled its new oneSearch, which includes voice-based search. Since this was an exclusive BlackBerry download, I decided to give it a test run. As I reported at the time, the feature worked well even in loud, crowded areas. For the most part, oneSearch was picking up my voice with accuracy, though there are clearly nuances in my speech that tripped it up. But as we were later told by Yahoo! execs, oneSearch will learn my style of speech over time. So I’m here to check back in 28 days later.

Read the rest of Yahoo! oneSearch: 28 days later…

We’re seeing a lot of voice-controlled applications hit the market for BlackBerry. While Yahoo! is making a bid with oneSearch, Microsoft wants a piece of the market, too. So they’ve launched their Tellme service for BlackBerry. So if you’re looking for a business location, traffic info, movie times, or just looking to get un-lost, you can talk to your device and have it spit out information. It even integrates with your GPS to give you location-specific results.

Read the rest of Microsoft launches Tellme application for BlackBerry…

Are you a “List Maker”? Whenever you have a series of tasks that you need to accomplish, do you break them down into logical lists that you can check off one by one? Have you ever made a list of all your lists just to keep them all organized?

If you have answered yes to any of the above questions and you happen to have a BlackBerry that you never leave home without, then this latest Geek Review will be right up you alley.

Put the pencil down and join me for a few minutes as I dig into the HanDBase application released by DDH Software
Read the rest of Geek Review: HanDbase Mobile Database Software…

We’ve been talking about GPS a bit lately here at BBGeeks, and I thought I’d further the conversation by talking about the applications used by GPS services. Clearly, not all map applications are created equally. Some are just basic applications, like Google Maps on your computer. However, some have value-added services, like turn-by-turn voice directions, or traffic information. I’m going to run down a few of these here. If you have any favorites of your own, send them along to me: jpawlikowski, that little “at” sign, bbgeeks.com. Or leave ‘em in the comments. Hopefully we can turn this into a comprehensive directory of map applications.

Read the rest of The best in BlackBerry map applications…

When I first got my BlackBerry, the first thing I did was install the Mobipocket e-book reader. It was to be my cheapie version of the Amazon Kindle, an ultra-portable e-book and RSS reader. However, to my dismay, there was one feature sorely lacking: Over the air downloads. And because I don’t normally sideload content onto my BlackBerry, I didn’t take advantage of the service. (Also, it won’t read the e-books I download from Project Gutenberg.) Now, though, Mobipocket has finally introduced over-the-air downloads. Looks like I might have found a new outlet for on-the-go reading.

Read the rest of Mobipocket adds over the air e-book downloads…

The BBGeeks crew dropped by the Symbian booth at CTIA, where Dave Zatz and Brian Jacquet were demoing Slingbox for all who are interested. I’ve talked about it a few times before, including last week’s BBGeekcast. Luckily for us, they had a BlackBerry on hand, which was running the Slingbox software. Dave was kind enough let us shoot a demo video of the service. It was running on EDGE, which it’s not intended to do, but it nevertheless looked pretty quality. I can only imagine what it will look like running on 3G, EVDO, and WiFi.

Ah, those kids at Boy Genius Report. They’ve always got the BlackBerry scoop (well, except this one). Up now: BlackBerry Desktop Manager 4.5. It’s expected to come out alongside the OS 4.5 upgrade…which hopefully means next month at WES. The biggest difference upon first look is, well, everything. The user interface has been completely overhauled, which should be good news for those who were unimpressed by BlackBerry Desktop Manager 4.3. Picture coming after the jump.
Read the rest of Sneak preview of BlackBerry Desktop Manager 4.5…

Not that I listen to the radio a lot, but I’ve been wondering why there’s been a lack of radio features for BlackBerry. Especially satellite radio. MobiTV has an XM option, but that doesn’t fly on the BlackBerry. This morning, though, I awoke to found an announcement of XM for your BlackBerry. QuickPlay’s OpenVideo offers 20 channels of XM, available through all major providers. The best part is that it’s $7.99 per month, which is a full dollar cheaper than MobiTV’s offering.
Read the rest of New XM satellite radio option for BlackBerry…

So Yahoo! just announced a series of upgrades to oneSearch, including a speech-based search feature. The application is only available on the BlackBerry at the moment, so after the announcement I went to their mobile site (m.yahoo.com/voice) to give it a whirl. First stop: the convention floor. There are thousands of people roaming about, so you can imagine the noise level. However, oneSearch was up to the task, searching out whatever my voice commanded.
Read the rest of Yahoo enhances oneSearch to include voice recognition…

I totally admit to being a Twitteraholic. Heck, even the BBGeeks site itself is on Twitter. So when I found TwitterBerry, you better believe the first thing I did was download and install it. Below you’ll find an overview/guide of the new Twitter application for the BlackBerry which was made by Orangatame Software.

As always, before you download the application, you can take a look at a video preview we made of the application so you can “try before you buy” without having to download it yourself (and as usual, the application is free, but you get what we mean):

Okays, so you might have the BlackBerry Facebook app, but can it tell you where you friends are? No! You’d have to ::gasp:: call or text them to find that out. Well, not anymore. BlackLine GPS has launched Blip, a geo-location social networking application. It’s free for anyone who has a compatible BlackBerry with active GPS. Once you add your BlackBerry’d friends, you can see where they are, so long as their device is armed. My favorite feature (in a very, very sarcastic manner): The ability to view the speed at which your friend is moving. If a train leaves California…
Read the rest of BlackLine GPS launches location-based social network…

Anyone familiar with Digital Rights Management? It’s the code added to MP3 files, usually associated with iTunes, which allows you to only copy it a certain number of times. This type of restriction, say the reactionary record companies, will prohibit the level of copyright infringement that’s supposedly tearing the industry apart. Thankfully, we’re seeing a trend towards distributing DRM-free music. This will help create a greater level of sharing — you know, like how you let your buddies borrow your Pearl Jam CDs back in the day. Canadian company Puretracks is right on board with DRM-free music, and is establishing a store for BlackBerry users.
Read the rest of BlackBerry to get DRM-free music store…

I was silently wondering when AAA would release a BlackBerry application. The company partnered with Verizon last year for an AAA Mobile program. This one is also pretty Verizon-centric, as it covers the 8830 and Pearl 8130 smartphones. You get a ton of features from the service, including turn-by-turn directions, points of interest, hotels and restaurants, and other location-centric services. There’s also a roadside assistance feature, which is an essential for anyone who does their traveling by car, whether rented or owned.
Read the rest of AAA Mobile now available on BlackBerry…

We’re seeing a real convergence here. The Apple iPhone was invented to be a neato-o device for the consumer market. But now it’s trying to enter the business realm with Exchange compatibility and push email. RIM’s BlackBerry was invented to be a useful device for the business market. But not only are we seeing more and more people adopting the BlackBerry for personal use, we’re seeing RIM try to develop that market. Some of this relates to the rumored 9000 series, but for right now, it relates mostly to social networking. And that’s where Will.i.am’s Dipdive comes in.
Read the rest of RIM taps Will.i.am to target consumer market…

Baseball season is right around the corner, which means my friends are prepared for seven months of talking little beyond hardball. Of my favorite team’s 162 games (I’ll leave that anonymous for the moment), I usually end up watching part or most of 155 of them, including the 20-plus I see in person. But there are times, especially on weekends, when I’m out and can’t see my team. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to follow in real time on my BlackBerry. But perhaps the best is the MLB.com widget, which not only gets me live updates, but looks pretty damn cool on my BB desktop.
Read the rest of Get the MLB.com widget for your BlackBerry…

Last week, I talked about various forms of BlackBerry messaging. Notably, I touted BlackBerry messenger as a superior service. At worst, it uses your data plan, so you’re not incurring any extra charges. You certainly won’t use up any text messages with it. The folks at CrackBerry are pumped about BlackBerry Messenger, too. They’ve released a Facebook application that allows you to exchange your PIN with your friends. So you can all text message to your heart’s content, without incurring a single additional fee.
Read the rest of CrackBerry launches Facebook PIN exchange…

SplashID, developed by Splash Data is an application for your BlackBerry which allows you to securely store your sensitive logins, passwords etc. so that you are never caught without them.

The SplashID application is made up of 2 components, the handheld software and a desktop component. You have the option of entering your data into either of these components. Once you perform a sync, your data will be identical on both platforms.

SplashID for BlackBerry carries a price tag of $29.95 but is available as a trial download.
Read the rest of SplashID for BlackBerry 4.07…

The Flipside BlackBerry MP3 player (Published by:Electric Pocket) is a lightweight easy to use MP3 player that stands head and shoulders above the default BlackBerry Media player. With the option to set playlists and view album artwork and detailed band information, there is lots to see and do.

The FlipSide BlackBerry MP3 player carries a price tag of $19.95 but is available for a free 3 day trial period at the BBGeeks Store.
Read the rest of FlipSide BlackBerry MP3 Player…

You might remember a couple of months back when Cooper and I reviewed Yahoo! Go 2.0. At the end of the last link, I listed the BlackBerry models which Go worked with. Notably absent from that list was the new Pearl 8130. A few days later, we noticed that complaints were popping up about the program not working with that device. We heard that compatibility was in the offing, but no set date was published. Well, now it’s ready to go.
Read the rest of Yahoo! Go hits the Pearl 8130…

What I’ve increasingly noticed on NYC subway commutes is people listening to music on their BlackBerrys. I’ve even thought about the notion myself. Why carry around two decently bulky devices — BlackBerry and an iPod — when you can get some of the latter’s service from the former? Plus, you don’t waste time flipping through a vast iPod library. Since BlackBerry supports up to 4 GB of microSD expansion, you’re kind of limited as to what you can carry. Meledeo, an online music and media company, is trying to make things even easier for you to listen to music on your BlackBerry. They’re launching a service called nyTsie, and it sounds rather enticing.
Read the rest of New music service to launch for BlackBerry…

You can’t tell me you’ve never lost your BlackBerry. Okay, maybe if you got it in the past month or so. But it’s inevitable. At one point or another, probably when you need it the most, your BlackBerry will go into hiding. You’ll check under the cushions, in the bathroom, in all of your dresser drawers, in the trunk of your car…and it will be nowhere. For this, we now have Berry Locator. It’s kind of like the handset finder from your cordless phone.
Read the rest of Berry Locator helps forgetful BlackBerry users…

Do you want to make FREE calls on your BlackBerry?

There are a number of Skype compatible applications which you can load onto your BlackBerry in an effort to contact others in a new and innovative way.

Are these applications worthy of your hard earned dollars, or even a free trial download?

Can our BlackBerry devices even handle the types of calls we are going to try and make?

Lets find out!
Read the rest of The truth behind Skype for the BlackBerry…

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a breeding ground for innovation. Companies tend to unveil some of their cornerstone technologies here. This is the case with Trimble, who announced the availability of three GPS applications for BlackBerry users. If you’ve got the 8830 or the 8130 with built-in GPS, you’ll be able to see what these programs can do for you.
Read the rest of New GPS applications hit BlackBerry…

CRM is customer-relationship management, and Alltel, though Interchange Solutions, is now offering this software for its BlackBerry devices. It’s called, appropriately, SalesNow, and will help small business users “manage their contacts, deals, activities, and e-mails, and also share information with sales teams.” It kind of sounds like this should be able to be done on a BlackBerry without the software, so long as the business is using a hosted BES solution.
Read the rest of Alltel launches CRM application for BlackBerry…

This seems like a nifty service, but I’m sure there are going to be plenty of questions about its security. Obopay has announced that their online banking application will be available to BlackBerry users later this month. In essence, Obopay is the PayPal of the mobile world. You set yourself up with an account and add funds to it via your linked checking account. You can then send and receive money from other Obopay users. So, in theory, you could send $5 to the dude sitting right next to you.
Read the rest of Obopay introduces money transfers for your BlackBerry…

Hopefully the rest of the nation catches onto this, but for now, you can get real time traffic updates for one of the most heavily traveled roads in America, the Long Island Expressway. Drivers with web-enabled phones — yes, that includes the BlackBerry — can get actual photos of what it looks like up ahead. That will allow for some changes of plans, perhaps a side route that takes longer with no traffic, but is a viable option when faced with a gridlock.
Read the rest of Real time traffic updates on your BlackBerry…

We’re always looking for ways to find more free content on BlackBerrys. So it was much to my delight this morning when I saw a press release for QuickPlay Media, a company that provides free streaming videos to BlackBerry users. Just point your BB browser to videostreamsmobile.com and download their application. You’ll be watching streaming videos within minutes.
Read the rest of Watch streaming videos for free on your BlackBerry…

The best feature of a BlackBerry, obviously, is its portability. You can take it anywhere you get cell reception and perform nearly any task imaginable. Problem is, sometimes because you’re out and about so much, you forget where you did something. Not that it’s always important. But sometimes it is, and as your mother told you, better safe than sorry. A new application from Flowfinity Wireless will take care of that issue for you. It uses your BlackBerry’s GPS to tag every action you perform on your phone with the location you were in when it took place.
Read the rest of Where was I when I made that call?…

We all herald the Internet connectivity of our BlackBerrys, but few of us take full advantage of its features. For example, I — for one — don’t know many people who use VoIP with their BlackBerry Internet to make International calls. Yeah, it’s more an ideal scenario with the Curve, which has on-board WiFi. But hey, the rest of them still connect to the Internet, so if you’re calling overseas, VoIP calls are still an option. Heck, we know a friend who does that all the time on his Palm Treo. And if Treo users can do it, BlackBerry users can, too!
Read the rest of International VoIP service catered to the BlackBerry…

Just as Sling Media announced the future availability of SlingBox on your BlackBerry, MobiTV has jumped in with another mobile television application. If you’ve got the Pearl 8130, you can have access to the MobiTV application, which allows users to view live TV and other video and music content, right from their BlackBerry.
Read the rest of MobiTV brings service to BlackBerry…

After we did our in-depth walk through of the Yahoo Go! application for mobile phones (including our beloved BlackBerry), we saw our comrades over at RIMarkable complaining that the application wasn’t working with the BlackBerry 8130:
Read the rest of Yahoo Go! for the BlackBerry Pearl 8130…

Unfortunately, the products themselves aren’t free. But the application is. Alltel is now offering its BlackBerry customers a free shopping application, using the new Digby service. This will provide access to stores like Barnes & Nobile, Best Buy, Godiva Chocolatier (hint hint, gentlemen), Vermont Teddy Bears, Fossil, and Wine.com, among many others. The best part about this service is that it’s one integrated storefront, so you can combine purchases from the retailers into one order.
Read the rest of Free mobile shopping from your BlackBerry…

Google, Google Google. If you keep repeating it, it will lose all meaning to you. But it won’t make them go away. It seems they’re launching something new every day. Well, late yesterday it was the syncing of your Google calendar and your BlackBerry. Yeah, and it also supports Google Apps, which is very beneficial on a mobile device. Hey, it’s another free spreadsheet program, so there’s little to complain about in this one.
Read the rest of Google Sync for BlackBerry…

We don’t know what we’d do if you couldn’t view spreadsheets in your BlackBerry. They arrive as attachments so often, and it’d be a major pain to have to transfer the file to a PC before viewing it. Editing, however, is still a problem, especially for cheap-os like us who don’t want to dish out $100 for eOffice. However, a new spreadsheet editing solution is here — and it’s free. Yes, Simprit is offering it’s community version of GridMagic for free. And while it’s not as functional as eOffice, it suffices for the cheapskate in all of us.
Read the rest of Edit spreadsheets for free on your BlackBerry…

We just stumbled upon this site via RIMarkable. It’s Videos4BlackBerry, and it is exactly what the name implies. You can search through thousands of TV show episodes, all playable on your BlackBerry. This site appears to be the real deal, as the site administrator adds content daily and takes regular requests from visitors on what to add.
Read the rest of Download free videos for your BlackBerry…

With more and more people using BlackBerries around the world, multi-language support is important for sending emails and accessing data. Many of the newer BlackBerries have it, but what happens if your model doesn’t? Research In Motion’s website has language specs for every model that they’ve made, but for users that travel a lot and communicate in different languages, the BlackBerry’s main specs don’t always cut it, especially when you need help fast. Thankfully, whether you need a dictionary or multi-language support for applications on your BlackBerry, there are software programs to support it. We’ve compiled a list of multi-language support applications that we liked:
Read the rest of Multi-Language Support for the BlackBerry…

One of our favorite aspects of the BlackBerry is the bevy of third party applications available. Programs are available to help perform nearly every task. Unfortunately, many of them cost money, oftentimes more than they’re worth to you. It would be wasteful, for example, to drop $24.95 on a stock tracking program if you’re not really active in the market. But it would be nice to have.

So for you we’ve compiled a list of the very best in free BlackBerry software. Take a gander. You’ll probably find something useful to you.
Read the rest of The best in free BlackBerry software…

House things seem to be a practice of the past, but that doesn’t mean that doctors aren’t traveling anymore. Many physicians nowadays have BlackBerrys, but many have to carry a separate device to access clinical information, such as a drug and formulatory reference guide. Thanks to Epocrates Rx, docs can now get this information right on their BlackBerry.
Read the rest of Physicians get a hand with new BlackBerry app…

If you haven’t heard of iQmetrix’s product ReailiQ, well, you’re missing out. It’s quite a nifty application, which feeds company data in real time through your enterprise. The application just got better, as the mobile version, PocketiQ, has been released. Now you’ll always be prepared for your next meeting, armed with the latest data.
Read the rest of PocketiQ provides company data to your BlackBerry…

We just love firms like BBProductivity, which specialize in nothing by BlackBerry application development. We like having these people on our side, because we know that there will always be streams of useful applications being made available. Their newest offering, BBTask PRO, helps enhance “productivity by synchronizing tasks with all major desktop task management applications including Outlook, Lotus Notes, GroupWise and BES.”
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Steve Johnson of the Chicago Tribune brings an interesting point to light on his blog. Isn’t your BlackBerry the perfect medium for eBooks? Yes, we know that people decry the medium, saying they won’t want to read an entire book in electronic format. We empathize with that. We long ago tried to read eBooks in Adobe Reader, and quickly tired of the experience. Who wants to sit in front of their computer reading, anyway? However, devices like Sony’s PRS-505 are making eBooks far more practical. If you don’t want to drop $300 on a device like the PRS-505, you can just use your BlackBerry to read eBooks.
Read the rest of Catch up on reading with your BlackBerry…

Personally, we’re fans of the text-only e-mails you get on your BlackBerry. It’s simple, it’s effective, and the load time is minimal. However, there is a new wave of non-business BlackBerry users, and we can understand their desire to want fancy-looking e-mails like they get on their computers. Mobylo understands this, too. That’s why they’ve released Empower, BlackBerry software that allows you to view your e-mails as HTML.
Read the rest of Sick of text-only e-mails?…