Oftentimes, when we discuss BlackBerry applications for our daily post, we’re featuring premium applications. There are some free applications mixed in there, but typically the free applications don’t get as much airtime. We’re going to overcompensate for this by listing a ton of free apps. How many? To be honest, I never counted. I just compiled a list and put them in some discernible order. If you’re ever on the hunt for BlackBerry applications, or know someone looking to fill her Berry with freebies, make sure to check out what follows.
Tag Archives: google maps
The Big Package UPS and FedEx Tracking for the PlayBook
I searched through BlackBerry App Word for quite a while for a package tracking app and finally found one. The application is simple to use but packs quite a few features. You can track packages from both FedEx and UPS. One of the cool features of this application is the ability to track and map the route using google maps. The app also allows you to save multiple tracking numbers and retrieve it any time you want to look at the progress. Another feature is the details window that gives you a detail list of information of the package you are tracking.
To download go to this Link[qrcode pix=150]http://http//appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/22448?lang=en&curr=GBP[/qrcode]
Also I wanted to say I wrote this post entirely from a PlayBook, it was a lot easier than expected. The BlackBerry PlayBook handled WordPress quite well.
via:bbr
Google Mobile App Updated to Version 3.9.7
It’s been a while since Google updated their mobile app so after updating Google Maps a few days back they are spreading the love to their other apps and so it is here we have version 3.9.7 of the Google Mobile App. There was no changelog for this release, so no news about what is included in the update but our guess is probably not much apart from bug fixes. You can download this app from the link below, and be sure to let us know what you find! Download Google Mobile App version 3.9.7 >> [qrcode pix=120]http://m.google.com/search[/qrcode] via:n4bbGoogle Maps for BlackBerry Updated to Version 4.5.3
It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen this get an update! Google Maps was updated to version 4.5.3 today with no changelog to let usk now what’s new, so I’m guessing bug fixes and minor updates, but it’s always good to update to the latest version. Check out this release and let us know in the comment section below if you find anything new!
Download Google Maps version 4.5.3 >>
via: n4bb
Beejive IM beta updated to 2.1.2 build 8
BeejiveIM. Instant messaging anywhere. has been updated to beta version 2.1.2 build 8. We are still waiting on the change log at this time. If you have downloaded the update and see something different please feel free to let us know.BeejiveIM keeps you in touch with your friends on AIM/MobileMe, MSN/Windows Live, Yahoo!, GoogleTalk, MySpace, ICQ and Jabber… all at the same time, all on your BlackBerry. You can get a 30 Day Free Trial. www.beejive.com/blackberry
We are pleased to announce the release of BeejiveIM beta 2.1.2 build 8 for Blackberry. With this release we have fixed Facebook login issues (for OS 5.0 and above), fixed a buddy list display bug for non-vga devices, and have added improvements for chat scrolling. If you are still experiencing issues, please leave a comment in this forum with the problem along with your device modle, OS, and carrier. Thanks! This is beta software and not a production release, bugs and defects are to be expected. Please report any defects in this forum including your OS, BB model, and carrier.
BeejiveIM Key Features:
- BeejiveIM uses your existing data plan: no per-message charges.
- Reliable and efficient networking: be connected 24/7, and it s gentle on your battery.
- Works with multiple IM networks, multiple accounts per network: AIM®/iChat, MSN®, Yahoo!®, Facebook Chat, GoogleTalk®, ICQ®, Jabber, and MySpace IM.
- Send and receive files with all IM services.
- Instantly record and send voice messages to your IM contacts.
- Send your current GPS location with a link to Google Maps, taking advantage of your BlackBerry’s location features and adding a new location-aware element to your chats.
- Customize your chat styles and colors and set different backgrounds and wallpapers.
- Show icons for all contacts in your buddy list.
- Click on real hyperlinks in chats, allowing you to browse, call, tweet, email, text, or PIN message directly from a chat screen.
- View your chat history, and email yourself logs of your past chats.
- Desktop-like instant messaging with all of your IM buddies from a single intuitive user interface.
Over the Air OTA
http://www.beejive.com/otabeta6.0 6.0 OS
http://www.beejive.com/otabeta5.0 5.0 OS
http://www.beejive.com/otabeta4.7 4.7 OS
http://www.beejive.com/otabeta4.6 4.6 OS
http://www.beejive.com/otabeta4.3 4.3 & 4.5 OS
Desktop Install
http://www.beejive.com/beta6.0 6.0 OS
http://www.beejive.com/beta5.0 5.0 OS
http://www.beejive.com/beta4.6 4.6 OS
http://www.beejive.com/beta4.7 4.7 OS
http://www.beejive.com/beta4.3 4.3 & 4.5 OS
Google Maps for BlackBerry updated to v4.5.2 and newer
One of my personal favorite and most used apps for BlackBerry, Google Maps, just got an update to v4.5.2. We aren’t seeing a changelog posted so our guess is that this is just a bug squishing release. The previous version was 4.5.1 which we saw released back in October of last year. If you notice any significant changes drop a comment below, or discuss your findings in the forums! To download the update head over to m.google.com/maps on your BlackBerry. Thanks to everyone that sent this in!
BlackBerry 101 – Application permissions
Just about every time you install a new application on your BlackBerry, you’re asked to set permissions. Long ago, Research In Motion decided that only the BlackBerry end user would be able to decide how apps would interact with the smartphone. Unlike some other device creators, there are no code signing or other workarounds to granting the permissions. Only the user or the BES administrator can choose to allow permissions.
Without certain permissions, your new app will not run on your BlackBerry. But what permissions should be granted? Should you give Trusted Application status to your newly installed program? Should I give it access to my personal data? These are important questions to ask.
NORAD Tracks Santa for Christmas
NORAD Tracks Santa for Christmas By Courtesy of 21st Space Wing Public Affairs 
Officials from the North American Aerospace Defense Command have begun tracking Santa Claus’ via their web site that went live Dec. 3, 2010.
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Carlin Leslie
PETERSON AFB , Colo., Dec. 6, 2010 – For the 55th consecutive year, the men and women of the North American Aerospace Defense Command are preparing to track Santa. The NORAD Tracks Santa web site,www.noradsanta.org , went live Dec. 3 and features holiday games and activities that change daily.
The web site is available in seven languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and Chinese. The web site will stream videos, captured by NORAD “Santa Cams,” from cities along Santa’s journey Dec. 24.
This year, children are able to track Santa through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and TroopTube. To follow NORAD on these Santa-tracking tools, type in “@noradsanta” into the search engine to start your tracking.
Also, beginning at midnight MST Dec. 24, visitors to the website can watch Santa as he prepares his sleigh, checks his list, and goes through all of his preparations to ensure he has a successful journey.
As soon as Santa takes off from the North Pole, children can also track him with up-to-the-minute updates on Google Maps and Google Earth through the NORAD Tracks Santa web site.
Santa trackers will begin answering phones and replying to e-mail at 2 a.m. MST (4 a.m. EST) on Dec. 24 and will continue until 3:00 a.m. MST (5 a.m. EST) Dec. 25. Children of all ages can then call the NTS toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or send an e-mail to noradtrackssanta@gmail.com.
The NORAD Tracks Santa program began in 1955 after a phone call was made to the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The call was from a local youngster who dialed a misprinted telephone number in a local newspaper advertisement. The commander on duty who answered the phone that night gave the youngster the information requested — the whereabouts of Santa. This began the tradition of tracking Santa, a tradition that was carried on by NORAD when it was formed in 1958.
The NORAD Tracks Santa program has grown immensely since first presented on the Internet in 1998. The web site receives millions of visitors from hundreds of countries and territories around the world. In addition, a live operations center is occupied for 25 hours with more than 1,200 volunteers each year who receive hundreds of thousands of phone calls and e-mails from families around the world.
Officials from the North American Aerospace Defense Command have begun tracking Santa Claus’ via their web site that went live Dec. 3, 2010. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Carlin Leslie Download high res image
Google Maps for BlackBerry v4.5.1 released
Google Maps is one of my favorite, free BlackBerry applications and I’m guessing a lot of you all out there use it as well. Google, notorious for not offering any change logs has now updated Google Maps to version 4.5.1. Current users can grab the download from Google Maps mobile link and get upgraded today. If you spot any changes within the app be sure to let us know in the comments. The only thing I noticed in a brief check was that it seemed to lock onto location faster but, that could just have been my area as well.
BlackBerry Torch 9800 review from the perspective of a Power Traveler
BlackBerry Torch 9800 Review – Power Traveler
The BlackBerry 9800 Torch has been touted as the “best BlackBerry that RIM has produced.” While many have mixed feelings about RIM’s newest sizzling hot device (aka. The Torch), I was given the task of reviewing this device from the prospective of a person who travels/vacations a lot.
While OS6 boast some significant changes, I believe that OS6 was released prematurely. OS6 is still a bit too buggy to have been released on the Torch…even if the 9800 is true to its tagline: “Less than an evolutionary leap, more like a triple axle.”
Operation
My user experience was less than I had hoped for and/or expected. Which is bitter sweet for me. Sweet…that OS6’s “current limitations” made this review short and sweet. However, the downside is that this device/OS has just been released and “currently” has very little to no support (BlackBerry/RIM excluded).
I experienced problems with the Torch right out of the box. Upon unboxing the BlackBerry 9800 and picking it up, it is quite noticeable that this BlackBerry is significantly heavier. Some would say, even a bit Droid-ish in weight. While it takes some getting used to, the weight soon becomes less and less noticeable.
The first OS issue I encountered, was that my Torch was missing BlackBerry’s signature BBM. While on vacation (esp. when out of the country) I am a big…NO…HUGE…BBM user. I was disappointed when I powered up the Torch only to find that BBM was not preloaded. What??? Yep, it’s true, even the Torch’s powerful Universal Search could not locate BBM (refer to image below). To make things worse, an OS6 bug prevented me from downloading BBM from RIM (Error 907). Had I been out-of-state or even worse out-of-the-country, this would have been a disaster.
The disappointment continued when the 9800 sported the infamous “white screen” on 5 different occasions; requiring multiple battery pulls in only a week’s time.
The most noticeable changes FOR ME as a traveler involved the following:
Universal Search☺: When I’m in a new city, I don’t have time to dilly dally. I need answers, directions, and contacts NOW! Universal Search keeps this device “in the flow.” It is truly one of the things that keep OS6 afloat. Universal Search helps the end user navigate through the chaos of swiping threw 2 or 3 various screens/pages just to find what you’re looking for. The Universal Search feature can be accessed straight from the home page by simply sliding your Torch open and typing. Whether it be an app, contact, photo, email, text, web search, etc. This beautiful feature can save valuable time and effort. It is the proverbial finder of the “needle in the hay stack” for the 9800.
Keyboard☺: I absolutely love the fact that the Torch has both a physical keyboard as well as a virtual one. RIM made a great decision in making this device a “real touch” and replacing the “surepress.” I can’t begin to tell you how irritating that surepress sound can be on 3 hour road trip from LA to Las Vegas; even worse on a 5-6 hour flight (airplane mode of course). Some of these business guys (not you Dave…lol) just don’t know how to keep their CrackBerry addiction in check. The virtual keyboard now offers a quieter BlackBerry experience.
Battery☹: The battery life of the BlackBerry Torch is not one of a typical BlackBerry. The battery life is more like something Apple would put out. After less than 16 hours of “regular use,” this 9800 Torch had to be “re-kindled” via a mandatory battery recharge. Whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure, I tend to be on-the-go from early morning til late in the evening. Having to recharge my device became a bit of a nuisance.
Touch Screen☹: The UI touch interface needs to be optimized. BlackBerry’s current touch screen is a huge leap in the right direction, however, (and I hate to do this…but) compared to an iPhone, the BlackBerry’s touch screen experience is lagging (pun intended…lol). However, it’s at these times that the ever present track pad picks up the slack. The 9800’s track pad allows the user to utilize the cursor for more accurate/deliberate screen actions.
When traveling, I tend to use the following apps pretty religiously:
Tether
OpenTable
Google Maps
Twitter for BlackBerry (as soon as fully supported & out of beta…Social Scope)
BBM (Was not preloaded/bug prevented proper download)
TXTLater (Unsupported/Not available on device)
World Mate (Unsupported/Not available on device)
Tether, OpenTable, Google Maps, & Twitter worked flawlessly with my new BlackBerry 9800 Torch.
I was a little disappointed to hear that WorldMate & TXTLater was/is not yet supported and is not available on the 9800. WorldMate has been keeping my itineraries straight for a couple of years now. Absolutely love it! As for BBM, I had to do a device “wipe and reinstall.”
Recommendations:
How I use/benefit from the Torch and would I recommend it? Hmmm, very tough question…and maybe, too early in the game to make that type of assessment. Like most smartphones, BlackBerry’s devices are becoming more and more reliant on apps, themes, etc. While OS6 has major improvements, it still is a bit buggy. At times, this OS can seem chaotic and has “too much going on” for my taste; which can be very frustrating from the end user’s perspective. While I like the direction RIM is going in with the whole “rethink possible” slogan. I believe it’s a little too early in the game to predict how the Torch/OS6 consumer will benefit. As of date, there appears to be little to no tech support on the app end for this OS6 platform.
I can’t really say I’d give the Torch a “thumbs up or thumbs down,” being that the 9800/OS6 was just released.
I believe that (AT THIS TIME), the Torch has certainly fell short of a “triple axle.” OS6 is still too buggy and down right frustrating. Typically, I just want to pick up my BlackBerry and get down to business. Perhaps I’m just a BlackBerry traditionalist/purist…I want my BlackBerry to make my life easier not busier.
Pros/Cons:
Pros:
- Universal Search
- True touch screen finally replaces surepress
- Camera 5.0 (takes great pics)
- Faster reset
- Customizable folders
- Sleek Configuration
- QWERTY
Cons:
- Is still a bit buggy
- UI Touch interface needs to be optimized
- BBM not preinstalled
- Hardly any app support for OS6 (thus far…)
- Battery life (1 day tops)
- Daily battery pull required due to device freezing up
- OS6 can seem a bit “helter/skelter”
- No support for Apps (soon to be resolved)
- Limited accessories (soon to be resolved)
While weighing the current shortcomings of this device/OS against the “potential” of this device/OS, I’ll have to give the Torch Aloha Joe’s 3 out of 5 surfboards. (with a possibility of upgrading to 4 out of 5 as OS6 support rolls out).
Via: CB
Night Hawk Computers Blackberry Alliance 