Yep. That’s a screenshot of the beauty. Click it for full size. Here are some of the included features:

• Sync your iTunes® playlists, calendars, contacts, notes and tasks

• Add/Remove applications
• Update your device when new software becomes available
• Backup and restore your device data with such features like automatically scheduled backups and optional encryption (security is #1 as always…)
• Manage multiple devices

The OS upgrades are probably the best part of this, at least from my standpoint. In the past it’s meant finding someone with a PC who’s willing to let me use it for the upgrade (not that it’s hard, just a pain).

You can head to BlackBerry.com to sign up for updates. Or you can just check back here, because this is something we’re going to cover from top to bottom. Just another two months…

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

RIM to finally release Desktop Manager for Mac users

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

RIM to finally release Desktop Manager for Mac users

Pair the devices

       

The first thing you’ll have to do is pair your BlackBerry’s Bluetooth function with your Mac. Go to Manage Connections, and then Set Up Bluetooth. A dialog box should be there to greet you, asking how you’d like to add your device. Click the option next to “Search for devices from here,” and hit OK. From there your BlackBerry will search for nearby Bluetooth transmitters — chances are, early on on in the process you’ll see “1 Found” in the status bar, which is more than likely your computer.

Once done, you’ll get another dialog box asking you to select the proper device. Select the one for your computer (if there is even more than one). Next up is a dialog box asking for the numeric passkey for the computer. What? Passkey? You don’t remember setting up no stinkin’ passkey! Chill. This is just to verify that you are in fact using both the BlackBerry and the computer. Enter in any old number. Any one you choose. Just make sure to remember it so you can enter it in on your computer. Once you click OK, a prompt will pop up on your computer asking you to repeat the passkey. Enter it, and the devices will pair.

Set up the transfer

To start a transfer go into the default Media application. From there, click in the Menu button, and then select Receive Using Bluetooth. A dialog box will pop up which says File Transfer, Waiting for connection. From there, head to your Mac, where you’ll want to open Bluetooth File Exchange. This can be found in Applications — Utilities. Open it and you should get browse file window, where you can select which one you want to send. Select it.

From there, another dialog box will pop up on your Mac asking you to select the Bluetooth device to which you want to transfer. It should find your BlackBerry device, though I’ve run into instances where I have to go through the pairing process all over again. In any case, click on the device, and then click Send. A transfer bar will pop up, which means you now have to go back and check your BlackBerry. A dialog box will appear asking if you want to accept the transfer. Click yes — you also have the ability to automatically accept transfers in the future.

The final step is to select the file destination on the BlackBerry. You can choose to save the file to your memory card, which is obviously recommended. If you’re transferring a ringtone, however, it would be advisable to click the file icon and transfer the file to ringtones folder in the device memory (Device Memory/home/user/ringtones).

I’m not sure what kind of speeds everyone else can get, but I was topping out at 27 KB/s, which seems pretty slow (and with good reason — it is). So this method isn’t optimal if you’re looking to transfer files quickly or are transferring a large number of files. When it does come in handy, I suppose, is when you don’t have a connection cord, or else don’t want a cord attached to your Mac.

Anyone else use Bluetooth transfer frequently and have a different reason? Leave ‘em in the comments.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

How to transfer files via Bluetooth from Mac to BlackBerry

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

How to transfer files via Bluetooth from Mac to BlackBerry

The main idea of Media Sync is so that you can transfer your non-DRM iTunes music right onto your BlackBerry. If you use another method to get your music to your BlackBerry, this probably doesn’t mean much to you. But for those who use iTunes as their main music application, Media Sync can make things a bit easier.

There’s a catch, though. There’s always a catch. While you have Media Sync installed on your Mac, you cannot use any other syncing program, including PocketMac and Missing Sync. Once you uninstall Media Sync, you can resume using other software.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Mac users: Get BlackBerry Media Sync

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Mac users: Get BlackBerry Media Sync

For username, phone number, and password information, head over to BlackBerry Forums. They’ve got a listing there.

Thanks to BBForums, as well as Dave Taylor, for giving me the building blocks for this process.

You can also check out our guide to using your BlackBerry as a modem for additional information.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Pair your Bluetooth and Mac to use BlackBerry as a modem

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Pair your Bluetooth and Mac to use BlackBerry as a modem

What sickens me, though, is the minority of Apple fanboys who think that the iPhone will dominate just because it’s the iPhone. It’s as if everyone will be carrying around an iPhone in due time, because there is no other option for a phone. It seems to not occur to them that some people actually love their BlackBerry, and that some people ::gasp:: might not want a touchscreen.

So what are the arguments in favor of the 3G iPhone?

First and foremost, the 3G iPhone will be quicker. And while RIM already has some delightfully fast BlackBerrys on the market, none are the iPhone.

Except that’s not entirely true. Let’s turn it over to Peter Misek, analyst at Canaccord Adams:

“The reality is that if you compare the new 3G iPhone download speeds to RIM’s Bold, the Bold will be able to download a website like Marketwatch.com in under five seconds, whereas the 3G iPhone will take 21 seconds.”

Looks like it’s clear which is quicker, right?

“With 3G, RIM is going to showcase just how its technology is so much better,” he said. “They [Apple] specifically avoided mentioning the BlackBerry Bold. … What [Mr. Jobs] has realized is that he hasn’t dented RIM at all.”

Yet, Apple fanboys will continue to argue that the iPhone is better, simply because it is the iPhone. (For evidence, check out the linked CNET blog. It’s full of “iPhone will win because BlackBerry is not the iPhone.”) Thankfully, most people understand that the BlackBerry and its slew of devices isn’t going anywhere.

“Apple will continue to penetrate the small and medium business market much more heavily and aggressively than it has been able to do so previously with this Exchange integration, but as far as larger enterprise, we still see RIM as the standard,” said Mike Abramsky, an analyst with RBC Dominion Securities.

And there you have it.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

You’re right, the BlackBerry is not the iPhone

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

You’re right, the BlackBerry is not the iPhone

But what about BlackBerry owners who are part of the “other camp?” You know, the ones who forgo the popular option and choose to use the Mac as their primary computer?

It wasn’t always easy or even possible. In fact, many Mac users spurned the BlackBerry because of this. Thankfully, this issue has been resolved. Mac users, rejoice! You can have your Mac and your BlackBerry, too.

Syncing your BlackBerry to a Mac

When syncing your BlackBerry to your Mac, you have two distinct options. The first is an application named PocketMac and the second is offered by Mark/Space, named Missing Sync. The PocketMac software can be downloaded for free, while Missing Sync costs $39.95.

Each of these programs makes it incredibly easy to sync all of your vital information between your BlackBerry and your Mac. However, it should be noted that Mac users running any version of Leopard prior to 10.5 should hold off on using the Missing Sync application until they have upgraded their OS.

For detailed information about the functionality of mark/Space Missing Sync application, click this link.

For detailed information about how PocketMac handles your sync requests, check out the Pocketmac website and knowledge base.

So we have covered both traditional BlackBerry syncing and options for fancy Mac syncing. Great, but what about the “super users” who have both a PC and a Mac (perhaps one at home and one at the office), and wish to sync their data across both machines and their BlackBerry all at once?

Is this even possible? Well, good news and bad news. Good news: It is. Bad news: It isn’t easy.

Syncing your BlackBerry with both a PC and a Mac

The trouble here is that data is handled differently on the three platforms. Additionally, entering data on either the Mac, PC or the BlackBerry on seperate occasions (between sync) will create a problematic syncing schedule. In order to keep all three machines up to date and displaying the correct data, you will need to be smart and organized. You will aslo have to put in a little work during the initial setup.

The following issues seem to be the most common when attempting to sync between multiple platforms.

Managing your Calendar items

In many office-related software packages on both the Mac and PC, you are given the option of separating your scheduled appointments into various descriptive categories. It is important to know that the BlackBerry does not support this type of designation, and will therefore not be able to sync these specific details. Nor will it be able to pass this information on to other computers in your sync chain.

This problem is addressed by the PocketMac software, which creates a unique calendar named “Pocketmac”. Your appointments will be placed in this calendar during the syncing process. In the PocketMac advanced preferences you can dictate a unique calendar name and identify specific calendar events which shuld be associated with it. An example might be storing all of your work appointments in a calendar named after your company, or simply “work”.

Additionally, the PocketMac software will be able to track and synchronize calendar events which were stored in the standard “PocketMac” calendar and subsequently moved to another calendar on your Mac. So even if you muff up the process a bit at first, you can still salvage your calendar.

Remember to limit your wireless syncing

Most BlackBerry owners are aware that they can sync their data between their handheld and their PC wirelessly. If you have enabled this functionality, you will have to be sure to disable it whenever syncing those databases to your Mac. Once you have completed the sync with you Mac, you can simply initiate the wireless syncing again.

In order to turn the BlackBerry wireless synching on and off, you need to do the following. First, navigate to your contacts section and click the menu button or thumbwheel. From the menu that is displayed, select Wireless Synchronization and then select “change option”. Yes will leave wireless sync active, while No will disable it.

Before you activate your wireless synchronization again after a Mac sync, always double check to ensure all desired data was transfered according to your preferences. If it is not correct, re-sync with the Mac until everything is completed correctly. Once you are confident that all data has been transfered, go ahead and re-activate the wireless sync.

Avoid Duplicate Data Sets

Duplicate data is the most important problem you will face when attempting to sync your BlackBerry with more than one computer, let alone a Mac and PC. The problem occurs when you have manually made entries in more than one device between sync sessions. Another problem is the negative consequence of having information entered on more than one device which is formatted in a slightly differnet manner.

An example would be an instance where you entered John Doe — 555.555.5555 into your BlackBerry and John Doe (555) 555-5555 into your Mac contact list. Upon sync, these would be treated as two unique data sets and result in a duplicate entry.

This is where the prep work and carefull planning comes into play. Before you begin the syncing process, think about which device you use the most. Think of this device as your master device. Now, follow these steps exactly to get a nice clean synchronization between all three devices.

Step 1
Sync your BlackBerry with your master device.

Step 2
Sync your BlackBerry with your secondary device.

Step 3
Sync once again with your master device (now all the data from all three devices is housed in the BlackBerry.)

Step 4
Clean up any duplicate or incomplete records on your master device.

Step 5
Sync your BlackBerry with the master device once again. (You will now have a clean data set on both your BlackBerry and master device.)

Step 6
Sync your BlackBerry with your secondary device. (All three devices should now contain a clean and complete data set.)

Step 7
Sync your BlackBerry one last time with both your Mac and PC to ensure that all three devices have the same data set with no variances.

Whew! That was a lot of work, but well worth it. To avoid having to complete this process again in the future, attempt to restrict yourself when entering new data sets. Attempt to enter new data sets only into your master device or your BlackBerry. This ensures that you won’t have duplicate data sets, and will allow you to cut out most of the seven steps above.

Now you are up to speed with some of the more important issues you will face when attempting to sync your BlackBerry with multiple computers and multiple operating systems. I hope this article helps you become more productive and less frustrated throughout your daily grind.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Syncing your BlackBerry with both a Mac and PC

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Syncing your BlackBerry with both a Mac and PC