Selasa, 05 April 2011

BerryReview.com Giving Back to the BlackBerry Community

BerryReview.com Giving Back to the BlackBerry Community

BlackBerry Touch (Monaco) Offers Up More Extracted Video Tutorials

Posted: 05 Apr 2011 01:05 AM PDT


Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link

The first batch of tutorial videos gave us a bit of insight into BlackBerry OS 6.1. Now we have a fresh batch from the BlackBerry Touch Monaco device courtesy of CrackBerry. Once again we don't have anything ground breaking here but still fun to check out! I am still waiting for the mind blowing part but I hear that is coming in a more "sex-ification" of the BlackBerry OS using OpenGl in 6.1. Still waiting to confirm that…


Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link


Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link


Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link


Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link

Let us know if you spot anything good!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 5, 2011, 4:05 am. | BlackBerry Touch (Monaco) Offers Up More Extracted Video Tutorials | Leave a comment |


Giveaway: Small Banner 6.1 by SCrApps 30 Copies!!!

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 08:01 PM PDT

sb1Small Banner 6.1 is custom version of the stock theme that comes with OS6.  SCrid2000 has been able to make the top banner a lot smaller, and maintain all of the functionality.  He has also added OS6.1 icons.  SCrid2000 has also incorporated transparent pop ups/menus, a colorful battery with percentage and colorful WiFi signal meter, that changes from green to yellow to red. Also the alarm icon is red, so that it stands out to ensure that you know it is set.  It has the stock trays, but with 6.1 icons, and you can set it to none,1, or 2.  One of the quirky things SCrid2000 has also done, is incorporated a spinning earth instead of the hourglass that sometimes comes up, his reason.."I like that hourglass because it feels like it takes days to end"

sb2

SCrid2000 was nice enough to allow us to GIVEAWAY 30 COPIES using the coupon SCrAppssb61free in the BerryReview store, you can find it here.  It is normally $0.99 in the store, and a free copy has been released on Crackberry forums, but the main advantage of buying it or getting the free copy from the BerryReview store is that you will get free updates on this theme as SCrid2000 keeps making improvements. Please note that this theme is only currently supported on the 9650, 9700 and 9780.

Here are some more screenshots:

sb3

sb4

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Fubaz for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 11:01 pm. | Giveaway: Small Banner 6.1 by SCrApps 30 Copies!!! | 8 comments |


Typical Users of ______ Devices

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 02:57 PM PDT

We see them every few months – a new  “study” that finds iPhone Users have more sex;  or shows how BlackBerry users are typically professional types.  Every time, a ripple goes through the smartphone communities.  Across different phone enthusiast sites (‘Berry, Android, Nokia, Apple) we collectively say “that’s stupid, most people I know are nothing like that”. We talk back and forth about how ridiculous the study is, and we then agree that the methodology must be flawed.

Then we turn around and engage in a variation of the same stereotyping ourselves, in the discussions we participate in every day.  Some examples:

  • iSheep only buy iPhones because they’re brainwashed.
  • People only use BlackBerry because they’re required to by work.
  • Fandroids are all geeks who only care about specs.
  • And universally:  you’re such a fanboy/girl. (Many variants of this are seen in response to a comment about why someone likes a feature.)

But I’ve noticed a pattern across different enthusiast sites.  People will hotly repudiate these characterizations of themselves.  Yet even as they do this, they continue to characterize the “opponent” enthusiasts in the same negative light that they don’t want cast on themselves.

You can see it at any mobile enthusiast site: BGR, Crackberry, BerryReview, AndroidCentral, TiPb and many more.

Consider:

  • Very few people reading these enthusiast sites are “typical device users” – because typical device users seldom find themselves at enthusiast sites.   Let’s face it – if we’re here regularly, we’re at least a little obsessed with the subject matter.   To us, our phone is NOT just a tool for getting things done – it’s a personal relationship, no matter which type of phone you prefer.
  • The people who comment on enthusiast sites are even further from the typical device user — just by virtue of the fact that they’re commenting on an enthusiast site.
  • With very rare exception, these devices are not marketed to the enthusiast.  We buy on loyalty (our conviction that our platform is better),  features, and specs.  The target consumer buys based price, appearance, perceived functionality [appearance part 2], what their friends have [app. part 3],   and user experience [app. part 4].

If you look at Apple, do you honestly believe that millions and millions of customers buy their devices because Steve Jobs appeared to them in a dream  – with turtleneck and halo — and told them to drink the Kool-Aid?

Or that all the millions of Android purchasers really don’t care about anything but hardware specs? Based on at least on my own experience observing people in stores, I’m comfortable in saying that most of them aren’t even *aware* of the hardware specs.

If you do believe that (or some slightly less obvious version of the same), why?  Do you only like your BlackBerry because you’re required to have it for work?

To most people, a smartphone is a smartphone.  It’s a tool for making calls, playing games, sending messages.  They don’t use but a fraction of what it’s  capable of.  And the phone that does that best (as determined by perceptions based on marketing and friends) is the one that they pick.

Even though many stereotypes have a kernel of truth, the majority of stereotypes don’t apply to the majority of people they’re used to label.  If you find that a stereotype doesn’t apply to you, there’s a fair chance that its counterpart doesn’t apply to the guy you’re arguing with.

When people start identifying themselves not just with, but as their phones (eg: I’m an Android, I’m a BlackBerry, I’m an iPhone) it may be time to take a step back for a fresh breath of perspective.  Paradoxically, the behavior of these individuals often reinforces the stereotypes that they hate having applied to them.

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Posted by marc.paradise for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 5:57 pm. | Typical Users of ______ Devices | 5 comments |


BlackBerry Desktop Manager 6.1. Is it Different than Version 6.0?

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 02:24 PM PDT

BlackBerry-Desktop-Manager-6-1110328113110

Luis posted about the leaked Desktop Software version 6.1 a few days ago. At the time, we didn't know what had changed.

I was looking forward to the upgrade since we have been told that the BlackBerry OS software change from 6.0 to 6.1 will be a "major upgrade."  I falsely assumed that the Desktop Software would somehow be completely overhauled to match up with the (alleged) big time OS upgrade.

Although the changes were not readily noticeable, Stefany from N4BB put together a changelog for us:

  • Improved organizer sync
  • 64bit MS Outlook 2010 and MS Exchange 2010 supported
  • Individual picture sync
  • Sync videos without converting it
  • If using wifi music sync you can stream music and download at same time
  • Can download music over SSL connections

Thanks Stefany!

If you haven't upgraded to 6.1 and want to try it out (at your own risk), you can find links here.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by jforce for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 5:24 pm. | BlackBerry Desktop Manager 6.1. Is it Different than Version 6.0? | 5 comments |


How To: Custom Icons in BerryWeather (BeWeather)

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:40 PM PDT

BeWeather logo
As I am constantly changing my homescreen wallpapers, one thing I do to compliment the change is use custom BerryWeather icon sets. It is a very simple way to create a little flare on your homescreen if you use a theme with a Weather slot or on your BerryWeather screen.

There are a few forum threads (on other sites) that have a good compilation of icons, but one site I use as a main go to is Themes In Motion. All you have to do it go through and find the image set that you want, and click on the corresponding link. From there BerryWeather will recognize it and load it in to BerryWeather’s icon list. After it says that it has been loaded (A BettyWeather Screen will appear), and ask you to return to BerryWeather. Then, hit the BB Button and head down Settings then Display Settings, scroll down to Icons . There you will see Icon Set , scroll to default and select it, a drop down menu will appear and all the icon sets you have loaded will be there. There is also a option to download more icon sets at the bottom of the Display Settings menu, and that also has a very good variety available.

If you choose to load the .BWI icon sets manually from a PC/MAC please place them in the \BlackBerry\ directory on your media card.

Come on, who doesn’t love  Mario Bros. weather!

Please note that you will need the FULL version of BerryWeather 2.5 or higher and it can be found at the BerryReview Store

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Fubaz for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 3:40 pm. | How To: Custom Icons in BerryWeather (BeWeather) | One comment |


Review and Giveaway: iFrogz Timbre and Ozone Earbuds With Mic

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 11:32 AM PDT

EP-WB-MIC-LIGHT EP-OZONE-RS-05

Looking to replace your BlackBerry earbuds but don't want to lose the functionality of the attached mic and music control? iFrogz just might have what you're looking for.

Custom earbuds from iFrogz are offered in an assortment of colors and styles, and include an in-line microphone for in-depth acoustic tuning so you can talk, listen and multi-task away. Simply click the microphone to pause and play music and mute or unmute phone calls. Super comfortable and a perfect fit, the earbuds feature superior sound quality without sacrificing any style elements.

I've been testing 2 pairs of iFrogz earbuds with built-in microphones for the past few days: Timbre and Ozone. iFrogz has kindly agreed to give a pair of these supercool earbuds to 2 of our lucky readers (One reader will win the Timbre earbuds and another will win the Ozone earbuds). Keep reading to find out how to win!

I have compared them to each other and to my official BlackBerry earbuds that came with my 8900. Here's a summary of what I found.

Ozone with mic ($24.99):

EP-OZONE-OW-02

The Ozone earbuds are a great option for those looking to add some character to their ear candy for a reasonable price. They are available in 6 color combinations.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Comfortable (3 sizes of bud tops included)
  • Mic is clear and clicks to play/pause (music) and mute/unmute (calls)
  • Better sound quality than BB earbuds
  • Better bass than BB earbuds

Cons

  • Not as loud as BB earbuds
  • Not made of wood (see Timbre below) Smile

Timbre with mic ($49.99):

EP-WB-MIC_ep-wb-mic-walnut

I can't describe these ones better than the iFrogz website does: "Treehugger? Good. Now, you can have the sweet, smooth feel of wood in your ears, as well as in your arms. The speaker chamber is made entirely of wood, allowing rich sound and deep bass." The Timbre earbuds are available in light and walnut colors. Walnut is shown above and Light is shown at the top of the post. Pretty cool right? I thought so. I'm not sure if its the wood, but the sound quality is superb and the bass is surprisingly deep. Of course its not going to shake your head till you vomit, but it packs a punch considering the small size. If you're looking for crazy bass, check out these iFrogz DJ Style Headphones.

Pros

  • Excellent sound quality (speaker chamber made of wood)
  • Deep bass (speaker chamber made of wood)
  • Great look (made of wood)
  • Comfortable (3 sizes of bud tops included)
  • Mic is clear and clicks to play/pause (music) and mute/unmute (calls)
  • Did I mention they're made of wood?

Cons

  • A little pricey
  • Made of wood…save the trees!

GIVEAWAY: For your chance to win a pair of Timbre or Ozone earbuds leave a comment on this post telling us why you need/deserve a pair. HINT: Your chances might be increased if you also like iFrogz on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Please only one comment per person. CONTEST closes Saturday April 9th and 11:59 EDT. Good luck!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by jforce for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 2:32 pm. | Review and Giveaway: iFrogz Timbre and Ozone Earbuds With Mic | 22 comments |


Beta Zone BlackBerry Traffic 2.0 With “Next Maneuver” Turn Guidance

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:05 AM PDT

bbtraffic2 bbtraffic3 bbtraffic5

I am really hoping that RIM finally steps up sometime this year and turns BlackBerry Traffic into a full fledged GPS app. Until then DavidB pointed out to us that RIM has added a feature in the latest versions of BlackBerry Traffic 2.0 available in the Beta Zone which makes it worth trying out the beta. This new version adds what RIM calls "Next Maneuver" guidance which essentially shows you on screen what you need to do next compared to the nothing shown in v1.3. It sadly does not show you this on a map while tracking your location but hopefully that is coming in Version 3.0?

bbtraffic4 bbtraffic

I am not sure if RIM is going to gloss over this feature because they don't want carriers to think they are encroaching on their very profitable navigation business. Personally I think RIM really needs to do what Google did with Android and make a full fledged GPS app preloaded on the BlackBerry. At the very least they could simply combine BlackBerry Maps and BlackBerry Traffic. The latter already needs the former installed to work!

As we said before you can pick up this latest BlackBerry Traffic v2.0.0.1735 in the Beta Zone if you are eligible. Let us know if you spot anything else!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 12:05 pm. | Beta Zone BlackBerry Traffic 2.0 With “Next Maneuver” Turn Guidance | 5 comments |


nPower Peg Stores Kinetic Entergy to Charge your Smartphone

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 08:05 AM PDT

nPowerPeg

While reading one of my favorite magazines (The Week) this weekend I ran across an interesting tech toy called the nPower Peg. This device is currently backordered but you can preorder the next batch for $159.99. The idea of this expensive toy is that it stores the kinetic energy from you walking and running and translates that into power by charging its internal 1000mAh battery. It then uses any of the popular iGo charging adapter tips to charge your device. Seems kind of futuristic and green friendly right? The only problem is in the math. Here is the examples they give for kinetic energy generation:

  • 1 minute of walking provides approximately 1 minute of listening time on an iPod Nano
  • 11 minutes of walking provides approximately 1 minute of talk time on a 2G phone call (iPhone 3G)
  • 26 minutes of walking provides approximately 1 minute of talk time on a 3G phone call (iPhone 3G)

If we compare for example the BlackBerry Torch 9800 which has 5.5 hours of talk time on 2G and 5.8 on 3G that is quite a bit of walking. We are talking 60.5 hours of walking to get the equivalent of a full charge. Keep in mind that is nowhere near exact math but still we are talking more than a full day of walking…

Either way if you are feeling green check out the nPower Peg at www.npowerpeg.com

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 11:05 am. | nPower Peg Stores Kinetic Entergy to Charge your Smartphone | 4 comments |


Video of the BlackBerry PlayBook Boot Up Screen

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 06:30 AM PDT

The guys over at CB got their hands on a video of the BlackBerry PlayBook boot up screen. Other than the boot up screen there isn't much else to see on this new video. But if you can't get enough of the PlayBook check out the video below.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 9:30 am. | Video of the BlackBerry PlayBook Boot Up Screen | 10 comments |


BlackBerry Bold 9780 OS 6.0.0.526 Found Online

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 06:27 AM PDT

imageLast but not least in this mornings OS leaks is OS 6.0.0.526 for the BlackBerry Bold 9780 thanks to BBH-Plus. Its nice to see the device getting progressive OS 6.0 updates though I know 9700 users want some love too. Let us know how the OS is in the comments if you install it!

Download the Bold 9780 OS 6.0.0.526 @ MultiUpload

Warning: This OS will not install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above and is not an official release.If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry OS please start by reading this step by step guide.Don't forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in c:program files>common files>research in motion>apploader to install it on a different carriers device. Don't forget our usual warnings: do not download and install these updates if you don't know what you're doing. Incorrect procedure or just bad luck could render your BlackBerry inoperative or unstable

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 9:27 am. | BlackBerry Bold 9780 OS 6.0.0.526 Found Online | One comment |


BlackBerry Curve 9300 OS 6.0.0.526 Found Online

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 06:23 AM PDT

imageFollowing the leak for the 9330 variant we now have OS 6.0.0.526 for the BlackBerry Curve 9300 thanks to BBH-Plus. I am not sure how popular the 9300 is but we aren't seeing as many OS 6.0 leaks as usual for a new device. Let us know how the OS is in the comments if you install it!

Download the BlackBerry Curve 9300 OS 6.0.0.526 @ MultiUpload

Warning: This OS will not install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above and is not an official release.If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry OS please start by reading this step by step guide.Don't forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in c:program files>common files>research in motion>apploader to install it on a different carriers device. Don't forget our usual warnings: do not download and install these updates if you don't know what you're doing. Incorrect procedure or just bad luck could render your BlackBerry inoperative or unstable

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 9:23 am. | BlackBerry Curve 9300 OS 6.0.0.526 Found Online | Leave a comment |


Found online: OS 6.0.0.524 for the Curve 3G 9330

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 06:02 AM PDT

Some of our eagle-eyed friends just detected this brand new leaked OS update in the wild, more specifically at BBH-PLUS: the leaked 6.0.0.524 OS for the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 series.

If you’re really too much in a hurry, you can get the download right HERE.

Here is hoping that your beloved 9330 gets even better with this latest and greatest. Or not. In either case, post comments describing your experience with it.

Warning: This OS will not install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above and is not an official release. If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry, OS please start by reading this step by step guide. Don't forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in “c:\program files\common files\research in motion\apploader” to install it on a different carrier’s device. Don’t forget our usual warnings: do not download and install these updates if you don’t know what you’re doing. Incorrect procedure or just bad luck could render your BlackBerry inoperative or unstable.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 9:02 am. | Found online: OS 6.0.0.524 for the Curve 3G 9330 | One comment |


Stocks+ updated to 1.2 With Portolio Customization

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 05:55 AM PDT

stocks_banner_02

BerryBlow has just upgraded their Stocks+ app to 1.2.  One of the highlighted features of this release is the addition of Portfolio customization, which really makes managing your stocks easy.  If you are unfamiliar with Stocks+, it is a very powerful simple app that lets you monitor stock markets from around the world, create your own portfolio within the application, and also set alerts from user inputted variables, such as a set sell price.

BerryBlow's Stocks+ also lets you display your portfolio on your homescreen with a customizable display, and it also will only update during the market hours you have set via the settings menu.  Another nice feature of this app is that it uses Yahoo Finance as its information backbone so stocks from around the world are supported.  And if you don’t fully remember the symbol name, it has real time search as you’re inputting the stock symbol showing related matches.

Key Features of Stocks+

  • Easy to use user interface. Just start the application and you will see a base set of stock quotes.
  • Live Home Screen with stock quotes list. You can set in settings to display the list of stock on your Home Screen as wallpaper. Depends on your preferences you can customize widget position, width, height and transparency.
  • Stocks automatically updated in background. You can set an update interval with 1, 3, 10, 30 minutes and 1 hour. You don't need to run application all day. Stocks+ engine runs as a system hidden application that efficiently use a CPU time.
  • Add your stocks. Easy to add a new stocks. Use a stock lookup feature or add it directly.
  • Get advanced stock information: "Last Trade, Day's Range, Day's High, Day's Low, Trade Time, 52 week Range, Previous Close, Volume, Open, Market Cap, Bid, P/E (ttm), Ask, 1y Target".
  • Support all connection types. Application supports connection via BES, BIS, TCP and Wi-Fi.

Highlighted features of the 1.2 update:

- Portfolio.
Portfolio: simplifies and improves your ability to manage your investment portfolio

- Updated UI.
New user interface theme, usability improvements etc.

- New version notifications
Application displays popup alerts if new version is available for download.

BerryBlow has done a really nice job this past year with this app, and keep adding great features, a 10 day free trial is available as well as the full version for $4.99 in the BerryReview Store.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Fubaz for ©BerryReview, April 4, 2011, 8:55 am. | Stocks+ updated to 1.2 With Portolio Customization | One comment |


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