Backing up your BlackBerry smartphone

Quick guide on how to backup your BlackBerry Smartphone from NHCBBA!

One of the things we can never stress enough is the importance of backing up your BlackBerry. There is so much data on your device including emails, SMS, phone call logs, passwords and memos that if something were to happen to the information or the device itself, having a solid backup could be a life saver. When it comes down to just how to backup your BlackBerry there are some really easy solutions. In the past it was kind of a pain to backup a device since the only real way to get it done was through BlackBerry Desktop Manager, but with the addition of BlackBerry Protect and other 3rd party apps, you can backup your device daily without even thinking about it.

BlackBerry ID Update: Fixes made and more improvements on the way!

 

Last week I wrote a bit of a rant on the BlackBerry ID Registration process, based on separate less-than-stellar experiences I encountered the week previous while setting two new Bold 9900 owners up with their BBID. I was *hoping* whoever at RIM was in charge of BlackBerry ID would see the article and do something about the issues I experienced, and the great news here is that’s exactly what happened.

Top 10 New BlackBerry 7 Features Ranging From Awesome To Helpful

 

The new BlackBerry 7 devices are out in the wild and being tested and there are reviews starting to pop up today as RIM’s review embargo is lifted. What really makes these devices is a combination of hardware and software and while the hardware review will be up shortly, here is a glimpse at some features that you’ll appreciate from the software side of things. There were a few features that we’ve left out of this Top 10 list because they were hardware dependent. Features such as HD video recording are really awesome, but it may be more hardware than software at work.

5 Must-Add Custom Search Engines for BlackBerry 7

One of the great things about the new web browser in BlackBerry 7 is the ability to add custom search engines. The problem is that it can be a little frustrating defining the URL needed to make those custom search engines work. We’ve put together a list of 5 URLs that you should definitely have on your custom search engine list.

How to change the default search engine in BlackBerry 7

If you just picked up a new BlackBerry Bold 9930, you may be upset when you see that Verizon has made Bing the default search engine once again. Well don’t fret — unlike previous OS versions you can now easily make any search you want the default in the BlackBerry browser. To do so, follow these few simple steps.

1. In the Browser, press the Menu key then choose Options
2. Select Manage Search Engines
3. Select New Search Engine
4. In the Name field enter Google (or your search name of choice)
5. In the Address field enter http://www.google.com/m/search?q=%s
6. Save

Now click the new search to set it as the default and you’re done. When you enter a search term in the navigation bar it will use Google (or whatever search you specified as the default) and you’re all set! Thanks to everyone that sent this in!

 

via:cb

Got App World questions? Visit the App World Support Q&A next week and get them answered

Are you a BlackBerry newbie, still learning the ins and outs of your new smartphone? A great place to find information about your new BlackBerry is right here on NHC Blackberry Alliance, no doubt about that, but occasionally RIM hosts some neat webcasts and other events to give you a real in-depth look into certain topics. The next event is the Community Insider Event: App World Support Q&A which will be held July 27th and 28th, where RIM’s Senior Product Manager and App World Pro, Alex Kinsella, will be available to answer questions from 9am-9pm EST.
You can ask Alex any of your BlackBerry App World questions, including topics such as:

• Logging into App World
• Downloading Apps
• App World payment options
• Upgrading to a new version of App World
• Upgrading specific Apps
• Locating app icons on the home screen
• Deleting apps
• App World on the BlackBerry PlayBook

Alex is a Product Manager for BlackBerry App World, and has been with RIM since 2008. If you want more information on the Community Insider Event, head on over to the Community Corner at the link below.

More information on the upcoming App World Support Q&A

via: cb

RIM Explains How to Debug WebWorks Apps Using Web Inspector & Other Tools

We broke the news of Web Inspector coming preloaded on the BlackBerry PlayBook before its launch back in mid April. I absolutely love this feature and can’t wait for when BlackBerry OS 7 brings it to BlackBerry devices too.

Until now RIM has been sort of quiet about how to use Web Inspector especially when it comes to using it to debug BlackBerry WebWorks applications on the PlayBook. Until then many developers were using Firebug Lite which works but does not offer as broad of a feature set. Now RIM shows us how to compile BlackBerry WebWorks apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook with Web Inspector enabled.

 

They also feature three other tools that can be used to help with debugging including:

• Weinre – Weinre (Web Inspector Remote)
• Firebug Lite – Firebug Lite is a JavaScript framework that is designed to be used to add debugging & profiling capabilities to web applications
• Jsconsole.com – JSConsole.com is a remote service created by Remy Sharp that can be used to configure your BlackBerry WebWorks content to load a remote JavaScript file that shares output from console.log().

If you develop WebWorks apps for the PlayBook or plan on it I highly recommend checking out Adam Stanley’s guide on the RIM developer blog.

via:bbr

A closer look at BlackBerry Protect

 

We’ve discussed BlackBerry Protect quite a few times here on the blogs. It’s a free service available from Research In Motion for its BIS customers. Generally if you purchase your phone from a carrier, you’re on a BIS. BlackBerry Protect allows you find your phone when it’s missing and destroy your data should all become lost.

But what actually happens when your smartphone goes missing? If you’re a BB Protect user (and if you’re not, did I mention that this is all free?), you’ve probably played around with the lesser features of the service. I, for one, use the Loud Ring function quite often. I’m not so good at keeping up with my phone; BlackBerry Protect is. Locking the phone; sending it a message; and locating your BlackBerry on a map using its GPS coordinates is fun, if not a little creepy. But what about that last feature, Wipe Device?

This is why you come to CrackBerry.com: to learn from our bonehead entirely-understandable-considering-the-circumstances mistakes. To begin, BlackBerry Protect doesn’t back up everything. The app is very up-front and clear about what it can back up remotely; future versions of the app will recover more data, but it’s still less data than you’d get with a Desktop Software backup. Second, a security wipe from BlackBerry Protect destroys everything except the OS. I’ve done a few security wipes in my time, so I have only myself to blame.

 

I knew that the wipe would delete my emails, remove all of my installed apps, and destroy any personal information on my phone. But I should have paid more attention to that last bit. You see, my 4 and 16 GB memory cards are included in “personal information.”

Before the wipe, I had carefully gone though all of my third-party apps, saving to the memory card any and all settings that I could. After the wipe, I was left with nearly 20 GB of blank space; my pictures, movies, and music were gone. In a word, “D’oh!”

In addition, BlackBerry Protect only grabs a small portion of the data on the phone when doing an OTA backup. You’ll get contacts, calendars, and tasks back, but not much else. Sure, if that’s all you can get, that’s great; it’s better than nothing. This just goes to show that BlackBerry Protect is not a substitute for regular backups using BlackBerry Desktop Software.

So please, let this be a warning. BlackBerry Protect is an exceptional free product, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. Keep regular backups using BlackBerry Desktop Software, and don’t play around with that Wipe Device option. When they say, “Wipe Device,” they really do mean it.

Blackberry OS 101: How-To Re-Install OS when computer wont recognize device

1. -Disconnect the BlackBerry device from the computer.
2. -In BlackBerry Desktop Manager, open Application Loader and click Next.
3. -Perform a hard reset on the BlackBerry device. (Battery Pull)
4. -Reconnect the BlackBerry device to the computer before the BlackBerry device finishes resetting, and complete one of the following steps:
5. -For BlackBerry devices with a USB connection, wait until the drop-down list on the Communication Port Selection window changes to USB PIN and click Next.
6. -For BlackBerry devices with a serial connection, click Next on the Communication Port Selection window.
7. -If the Handheld Password Required dialog box appears, type your password. The Application Loader will detect the BlackBerry device.

Note: If these steps do not complete successfully the first time, the BlackBerry device might have finished resetting before the Application Loader could connect to the BlackBerry device.

Blackberry OS 101: How to Wipe / Load OS Using BBSAK

How to Wipe / Load OS Using BBSAK

 

Requirements to run BBSAK (click to Download):

 

1.BBSAK program
2. Net Framework 2.0 or higher
3. Desktop Manager

Step-by-step Guide

1. Always backup your phone. Backup your phone using Desktop Manager.
2. You can backup your 3rd party apps too if you want but I usually don’t. I will do a fresh download of those apps to be on the safe side.
3. Plug in the cable to your phone and run BBSAK.
4. You will see a box to enter the password. If you don’t have a password, leave it blank and press OK. If you have a password, key in the password and press OK.
5. You will be able to see your BlackBerry PIN at the PIN box if the phone is connected correctly to BBSAK.
6. Search for the option to Wipe Device and it will prompt you if you are sure to wipe. If you have not backup your phone (or forgotten to), this is a good time to exit and backup first.
7. Press Wipe Device and wait until the box appear saying Wipe Complete.
8. The phone will reboot and you will then proceed to a white screen. It will prompt you 07. Do not panic and follow the next step and don’t unplug the cable.
9. If you have the desired OS installed in your computer, select the option for Load OS.
10. From here, everything is straight forward and just follow the instructions.

Other notes:

• BBSAK is much simpler as it auto delete the Vendor file for you since the older version didn’t do it
  

Reminders before backup:

1. Download and install the latest BBSAK and OS you desired.
2. Backup the contents of your choice.

Okay, here’s another guide of mine about using Loader.exe instead of BBSAK. Enjoy!


 

I hope this helps and feel free to give your comment