Slide Show Maker puts your images to music. Warning: tender moments may occur

When looking at images on your BlackBerry, you may have noticed the View Slide Show option. Your images you have stored are panned through with style. That’s…pretty much it. Oh, wait, sorry. From the options menu you can only change the interval from 4 to 8 seconds between images.

What slideshow maker does is give you more options to manage the slideshow experience. First off, you can choose each and every image to be included in the slideshow. Another slide you can manage is the title slide; in which you can customise the text and colours. Once that is done Slide Show Maker takes you to a screen where you can choose 5 sound clips to accompany your slideshow. Unfortunately, you cannot choose any music files of your own. After you select the sound clip the slideshow is then uploaded to the Cloud (yes, I also said “to the Cloud”, as well). It only takes a few seconds for the upload process to complete. At this point, you can then share your slideshows by email or on Facebook. I can’t view any created slideshows on my BlackBerry at all – I can only share. If I could somehow add my own sounds, change the interval between images and view slideshows whenever I wanted, I could be a happy man. Slide Show Maker is available for $2.99 from the CrackBerry AppStore.

More information/download Slide Show Maker

Mobile Nations Podcast: Episode Zero

Mobile Nations is our brand new podcast, bringing together the heads of state from Android Central, CrackBerry.com, PreCentral.net, TiPb.com and WPCentral for full on round-table action. This week Phil, Kevin, and Rene discuss new Gingerbread phones, iOS 5 and iCloud, Playbook updates, and Apple stealing back. This is Mobile Nations!

An indepth look at the features of BlackBerry Messenger vs. iMessage

Yesterday, we gave you all a head to-head look at BlackBerry Messenger vs. iMessage. Where it was meant to be a quick look at things we never really got to show off some of the additional settings and user customizable options for each of the messaging applications instead, we concentrated on just the general functionality of each. Today, we're going to break it down a little bit more and do a comparison of sorts and let you all decide on which you'd rather use.

 Key Features of BlackBerry Messenger:

 Key features of iMessage:

After checking out the video highlights and list of features above, go ahead and sound off in the comments about your thoughts and let us know which you would prefer to use more on a daily basis -- BlackBerry Messenger with it's long list of additional features, so long in fact
you can't fit them all into one video or is iMessage winning your hearts with its minimal design, easy layout and straight forward approach to getting the message out?

Adobe AIR SDK for BlackBerry PlayBook updated to v1.0.2 bringing minor fixes and additions

It's been a couple of months since we saw the last update to the Adobe AIR SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook, but it seems that RIM slipped out an update (bringing us to v1.0.2) at the end of May without us noticing. It doesn't appear that there are any dramatic changes or additions, which is likely why RIM didn't send this one out with a bunch of fanfare, but an update is an update nonetheless, and at least we get a change log with it. Read on after the break for a list of additions and fixes, and to download the update, hit the link below. 

For more information/download the Adobe AIR SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook

 

Command line tool improvements

 

Installer improvements
Various improvements have been made to the installer. The installer now:

 

Fixed Issues

Thanks to everyone that sent this in!

PaperPlane for BlackBerry PlayBook updated with all new levels!

PaperPlane by BBThemes is one of the best selling games for the BlackBerry PlayBook to date, and for good reason. The simple concept combined with smooth gameplay and awesome graphics pave the way for hours of entertainment as you try to best your score with every throw. As Kevin let you know back in May, BBThemes was working on plans to expand the game with the addition of more levels. I'm happy to report that three brand spanking new levels are now available for PaperPlane.

To download these levels absolutely FREE, simply open up the app on your BlackBerry PlayBook. On the lower left corner you will see icons for each level, and all you need to do is tap them each to download. Now you can play the classic office level, or expand your throws to the graffiti covered city streets, an urban rooftop at night, or take your chances on a winter day on the slopes. From the video sneak peek we were given back at the end of April, it looks like there is at least one more level in the works. If you don't already own PaperPlane, you can pick it up for just $.99 in BlackBerry App World.

For more information/screenshots and to purchase PaperPlane

Comb Over Charlie - fun for your BlackBerry PlayBook

 

At first, Comb Over Charlie appears to be less than it actually is. The graphics, though beautifully rendered, are simple; looking like they were drawn by Napoleon Dynamite or Demitri Martin. Comb Over Charlie has two controls: float and fire. Sound effects are minimal and perhaps a bit cheesey. The "ouch" sound made by the giant at the end of each level is a good example. Imagine a giant fish making a tiny ouch sound.

It is precisely all of this "cheesiness" - the graphics, the sound effects, and even the music - that make Comb Over Charlie so much fun to play. Comb Over Charlie is not your typical hero. Charlie...well, he has a bit of a hair loss problem and tries to make up for it by sporting a rad combover. The other fish have always made fun of him for it. Now the tables are turned, Charlie is taking matters into his own fins.

The game has only two controls: float and fire. Floating in just the right space is actually rather challenging. As Charlie swims along, you'll need to touch the right side of the screen to make him float. Releasing your finger, Charlie will fall. Using a combination of floating and falling, Charlie must aim and fire his bubbles at the other fish. It's harder than it sounds.

 

 

As you play, Charlie can pick up a few power-ups making his bubble-shots double or triple and even a rocket pack for maximum speed. More fun, Charlie's bubbles bounce off of enemies and hit more enemies. Once you've gotten some sweet justice from all those name-calling, dishonoring sea creatures, you'll come across the level bosses. From the three I've managed to reach, they've actually been a bit difficult to beat.

Comb Over Charlie is fun. It's easy enough to play if you need to kill a few minutes' time and challenging enough to make you pick it up even when you don't. My one and only suggestion is the option to turn off the game's music so I can listen to my music or a podcast while I play. That small complaint aside, Comb Over Charlie is an amusing and challenging game. Its eight levels are sure to keep me entertained for quite a while to come.

More information / download Comb Over Charlie

Will.I.Am pulls out his BlackBerry Torch on stage for a little help with some lyrics

No stranger to the CrackBerry blogs, Will.I.Am. is a well known BlackBerry user and RIM spokesperson. He's performed at WES (now called BlackBerry World Conference), appeared at various product launches, and even had a BlackBerry PlayBook in a Black Eyed Peas music video before it was available for purchase.

The Black Eyed Peas were in France this week, and appeared on French TV show Taratata, performing a mash-up on stage with Belgian artist Stromae. During the song, you can see Will.I.Am pull his BlackBerry Torch out of his pocket, referring to the screen for a good portion of the song. There was speculation about what exactly Will.I.Am was doing, but in an interview following the song it's all made clear. It was their first time performing the song, and as such he didn't know the lyrics well. With so many songs floating around in his head, how can you blame him? And seriously, how awesome is it that he pulls out his BlackBerry to read those lyrics? You can check out the interview after the break. The interviewer asks about him pulling out his phone starting around the 9:40 mark in the video, and Will.I.Am discusses a bit about technology and how it plays into his life and their songwriting.

Giveaway: Win One of Two Stylish 9700/9780 BlackBerry Cases From DICOTA

Back at BlackBerry World we ran into this new cases from DICOTA we fell in love with the designs. We reached out to them and they send over a few cases to share with you. If you never heard of DICATA before check out their website, they have some cool looking designs for smartpohones, tablets, and carryon luggage designed to snuggly fit your electronic devices. They recently became members of the built for BlackBerry program. So to celebrate our 4yr anniversary giveaway that will go on through the month of June they send us some cool stuff that is not even available to purchase in some parts of the world .  Today we will be giving a way two 9700/9780 cases.

First Case: Purple HardCover (Available in Black/Grey and Purple with patterns)

Features:

This second case is really cool the PullTab Case:

PullTab Case: This one features a magnet build in that puts the BlackBerry to sleep

Features include:

This case will also be available soon at this link.

Giveaway: We have two cases to giveaway simply leave a comment telling us which one you like the most. Good luck and make sure you leave your comments before Monday June 13th.

More on BerryReview

RIM Quietly Updated PlayBook AIR SDK to v1.0.2 With Small Fixes

 

RIM last updated the AIR SDK and WebWorks SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook back on the 19th of April. Since then we have not seen much new but from what I am hearing a larger update is coming soon. Until then @Renaun noticed that RIM posted a quick update the the Adobe AIR SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook bringing it to v1.0.2. I have not noticed anything new in terms of API’s or anything like that but RIM has kindly put up a change log.

Here is what is new in this 1.0.2 release which was updated quietly on May 31st:

Feature	Description
Command line tool improvements	The blackberry-airpackager command line tool now has a -debugToken option to populate the author and author id fields of the .bar file manifest for debugging.
Installer improvements	Various improvements have been made to the installer. The installer now: Supports console install mode Supports Adobe® Flash Builder® 4.5.1. Only asks for the AIR SDK when integrating with Flash Builder 4.0.1. Does not copy the Adobe® Flex® SDK when integrating with Flash Builder 4.5.0 or 4.5.1. Supports integration with Eclipse when integrating with Flash Builder 4.5.0 or 4.5.1.

Feature

Description

Command line tool improvements

Installer improvements

Various improvements have been made to the installer. The installer now:

You can pick up this relatively minor update to the BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet OS AIR SDK at this link.

More on BerryReview

LiveChat Releases BlackBerry Client for Their Website Chat Service

LiveChat is a very popular chat service for business and consumer websites to be able to communicate with their customers directly on the site. They just released a BlackBerry client for their service which is pretty nice and runs in the background. It is currently in beta and has some limitations but it looks like they plan on adding features. You have the ability to have multiple chat sessions, speak to other chat operators, and see what customers are doing. They have more details on their forums.

If you or your company uses LiveChat’s service you can pick up their BlackBerry beta client here OTA or from App World.

More on BerryReview

BlackBerry PlayBook spotted on CBC News The National

Peter Mansbridge of The National (the flagship nightly news and current affairs program from Canada's public broadcaster, CBC) uses a BlackBerry PlayBook during the show. He has it propped up in what looks like the convertible case, and it looks like he has his email open, maybe in preparation for breaking news or story updates?

I love my BlackBerry PlayBook, and find more ways to use it everyday to make life more convenient, and more enjoyable. It's awesome to see other people doing the same. I know some of you must be doing some fun stuff with your PlayBooks, or using them in some unique way no one else has thought of, so go ahead and share in the comments ways you use your PlayBook that others may not.

Why I’ve had such a hard time mastering the BlackBerry PlayBook’s keyboard

It's the Torch's fault. Well, I suppose it's originally the Storm's fault, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I've had some difficulty in actually using the PlayBook's keyboard. I can see all the keys without problem; it's pressing them in the right order that's the trouble. When I type with a full computer keyboard, I don't really think about the individual letters I'm using to craft these words. I taught myself to type when I was 8 (Mavis Beacon rules!); I've been typing without looking for years.

Even typing on the BlackBerry smartphone's keyboard, I can just about type by touch alone. I, like many of you, have trained myself on using the BlackBerry's keyboard very quickly. The keyboard and the operating system work hand-in-hand to make this as easy as possible. Auto-text and word substitution on your BlackBerry can become your best friend. Youre becomes you're without a thought. Double-space after a word to insert a period and automatically capitalize the next letter. In fact, that one typing shortcut is probably the most used on your smartphone. How many of you have double-spaced on your home computer and were then momentarily confused when the period didn‘t show up?

Then there's the virtual keyboard on the Torch which is ultimately the descendant of the keyboard on the Storm devices. Apparently, I am an oddity in the BlackBerry world; I use and like the virtual keyboard on the Torch. Though many people don't seem to believe me, the secret is to trust the keyboard. I don't have to touch all the right keys to type what I want; in fact, frequently I don‘t. The operating system is clever enough to guess at what I meant to type; the OS knows I wanted to type "CrackBerry" when my thumbs actually spell "Ctsclberrh."

That brings us to the virtual keyboard on the BlackBerry PlayBook.

 

 

The PlayBook's keyboard features none of these enhancements. Considering just how important the keyboard is to life on a BlackBerry, the virtual one on the PlayBook leaves something to be desired. BlackBerry users have a difficult time with the Caps and Numbers/Symbols on the PlayBook's keyboard because the two keys are reversed on the smartphone keyboard. We have trained ourselves that Caps is down and numbers to the side. Not true on the PlayBook.

It all comes down to this. I have a BlackBerry Torch and a BlackBerry PlayBook. Depending on whether I use the physical or virtual keyboard on the Torch or the keyboard on the PlayBook, I have to adapt how I type on the three different keyboards. Where my typing on the Torch is automatically corrected for me and I can type without thinking, I have a great deal of trouble typing precisely on the PlayBook. I have to consider which virtual keyboard I'm using: sometimes caps lock is down, other times it's to the side.  

 

We're pretty sure at least a couple people at Research In Motion read our little blog (Hi, Douglas!), so please consider this a bit of friendly constructive criticism. Arguably, the keyboard is the most important part of a BlackBerry. Through it, a mobile internet device becomes a mobile communications hub. Countless hours of design and contemplation have gone in to the BlackBerry keyboard. Mike Lazaridis' white paper "Success Lies in Paradox" explored the efficient use of tiny keyboards, ultimately leading to the very first BlackBerry devices. Auto-text and word substitution on BlackBerry smartphones are best in class. You'll never see a website devoted to correction failures on a BlackBerry.

All I'm saying is that it's time for the PlayBook's keyboard to feel some of that love, devotion, and attention.

Now Available for FREE: Download The CB App for the BlackBerry PlayBook!!

OK BlackBerry PlayBook owners, it's time to fire up your tablet and head to App World to download The CB App! Our friends at ShaoSoft put this one together for us, and it's a CrackBerry must-have. The CB App takes the best of CrackBerry.com and puts it into a nice dashboard app that gives you the latest news, forum and video content and gets you to where you want to go quickly.

Features of The CB App include:

It's off to a great start and is only going to get better as we add deeper integration and rollout some additional new features. For the whopping cost of FREE OF CHARGE, this one is a no brainer - EVERY PLAYBOOK OWNER SHOULD DOWNLOAD THIS APP. Follow the link below or just head to App World and search for crackberry or cb. One of these days I'd sure love to see RIM just let us put the CrackBerry name in App World... but in the meantime, remember, it's THE CB APP. Now go download it and be sure to give it a 5 star rating and positive review!

Download The CB App for the BlackBerry PlayBook for Free

Need for Speed: Undercover hits v2.0 for the BlackBerry PlayBook

Having been on-board for the launch of the BlackBerry PlayBook, EA's Need for Speed: Undercover is certainly one showing of just how well the BlackBerry PlayBook can handle gaming when developers make use of native SDK. Today, EA has gone ahead and pushed the latest version out to BlackBerry PlayBook owners bumping the release version up to 2.0 status. We don't have a change log for what was updated in this release but folks are downloading it and sharing their finding in the forums. Hit the link below to share what you may find new in this release.

Discuss more in the CrackBerry Forums

Site News: Google 1 Button added on CrackBerry!

Buttons on blogs. You either use them or you ignore them. At the bottom of each CrackBerry article we have been rocking Facebook's Like and Twitter's Tweet buttons for a while now, and last week we added the newest one to hit the scene, Google's +1 Button.

If you're not familiar with the +1 Button, the video above will quickly walk you through what it's about. Basically the +1 button is your way of publicly saying to Google and anybody you're connected with via Google that you like this content. Later, when you're searching Google for info, you'll see that search results are accompanied with the +1 count, and if anybody you know has +1'd a page you'll see that person in the search results too. Google puts value on the number of +1's a page and website has received (the more the better of course!), so if you like an article or page here on CrackBerry and see a +1 button, be sure to click it!! Right now the +1 is just on the blogs, but we'll be rolling it out in more places on CrackBerry where it makes sense, so keep your eyes on the lookout for it.

Want some practice? Be sure to hit the +1 button at the top of this post. That'll say you love CrackBerry!!

Head to Head Video: BlackBerry Messenger vs. Apple iMessage!

During this week's Apple iOS 5 announcement, Steve Jobs fired a shot at Research In Motion when he announced Apple's version of BlackBerry Messenger, iMessage. While not as feature rich as good 'ole BBM, it does offer send and read indicators which give it that much-treasured BBM feeling. Rather than delivering the experience in a separate iMessaging application, it's actually baked into the text messaging app, which makes it pretty seamless (if you don't have an iOS device you just get a text message and not an iMessage). 

With some help from Bla1ze on the other end, in the video above me and Rene from TiPb.com compare iMessenger and BlackBerry Messenger in a bit of a head to head shootout. Check it out as we see how the two stack up, both in terms of features and in terms of SPEED. 

Now that Apple has it's own alternative to BlackBerry Messenger, I wonder if this is enough to make RIM go ahead and put out that cross-platform version of BBM that so many of us have been longing for? Sound off in the comments! 

BlackBerry PlayBook Launching in 16 Additional Markets Over Next 30 Days!

Research In Motion announced via a press release today that it plans to launch the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in an additional 16 markets around the world over the next 30 days.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is scheduled to launch in the following countries:

This is definitely great news for those you of living outside of North America who have waiting to get your hands on RIM's first tablet. The wait is almost over!

Use the red phone key to power down your BlackBerry

Wait, wait; hang on. We put a lot of effort into our CrackBerry Tips, and we've specifically crafted them to appeal to users of all levels. Even though the subject may be simple, we try to delve just a little bit deeper to find some nugget of wisdom that many people can find useful and helpful.

Today, we look at that red phone key. I'll get the really basic stuff out of the way first. To turn "off" your phone, hold the Red phone key. I say, "off" because a modern wireless phone is never "off" unless you pull the battery. Carrier updates and some other functions still work when the phone is off. But why would you ever want turn off your BlackBerry?

The answer: to get some piece and quiet. Your BlackBerry is an always-on, always-connected device; messages and other communiqués arrive at all hours of the day, mere instants after they were sent. When you're trying to get some sleep, those message notifications can get pretty darn annoying. Sure you can turn notifications off, and I've even got a special sound profile to keep things quiet while charging. Sometimes, though, I forget to change those profiles and get woken in the middle of the night.

There is another way. In Today's CrackBerry Tip, we look at setting your phone to automatically power off and then back on at whatever time you desire.

 

Your BlackBerry comes equipped with an auto-on/auto-off function. Again, the strain of the always-on, always-connected device can become great. While the BlackBerry is an excellent communications device, its curse is that people know they can always call or send a message to your BlackBerry. Sometimes, its good to take yourself off the grid. You don't work 24 hours each day, why should your BlackBerry?

If you've ever turned off your BlackBerry by holding down the Red Phone Key, you may have noticed something. If you're like me, you have your BlackBerry set to alarm when it's time to wake up. Unless you have Auto On/Off enabled, your smartphone will automatically power on when its time for the alarm to sound. You'll get a message telling you when the phone will automatically turn on.

You can also set your phone to automatically power down for the night and then wake at a certain time. You even have the option of setting different times for the weekend, Saturday and Sunday.

OS6: Open Options -> Device -> Auto On/Off
OS5: Open Options -> Auto On/Off

Here, you simply check the box or select Enabled from the drop-down list to activate that setting. Remember that the Weekday setting is for Monday-Friday, while the weekend settings are for Saturday and Sunday. Get yourself a nice peaceful night's sleep with the Auto On/Off settings of your BlackBerry.

InstaPhoto for the BlackBerry PlayBook now available

InstaPhoto for the BlackBerry PlayBook is a sweet app that allows you to choose from a library of 25 preset effects you can apply to your photos for all kinds of camera happy fun.
Along with standard effects, InstaPhoto also has plenty of special filters including periscope and retro poster. The app is super easy to use so you'll have no problems getting up and running, and anything you create you can share with your friends via Facebook, Twitter and more. Features include:

InstaPhoto is available now for $2.99 in BlackBerry App World. Grab it from the link below. Keep reading for more screens and full list of photo effects.

More information/download of InstaPhoto

 

Effect Features:

Word Substitution: possibly the best feature on a BlackBerry

For me I'm asked one question almost every day "Why do you use a BlackBerry?"  I'm asked it by friends, family members, clients and in radio interviews. Unlike many people I can't give the easy answer "It's what my company gave me" no, I need a real answer.  I fully understand the question from those who don't know how cool a BlackBerry really is.  I have strayed over to other devices over the years but my BlackBerry has always been near by.  Last summer I wrote an article that was well received about my unexplainable love affair with BlackBerry Messenger.

Side-by-Side to many an iPhone looks shinier and more sexy but there are still a few things that other platforms just don't have.  This week Apple rolled out iMessage and other enhancements to iOS at their 'iClone' event in San Francisco, but in my opinion still fell a little short.  Kevin did a head to head video with Rene from TiPb and speed wise BBM and iMessage pretty much tied, but BBM stayed out front with a more feature rich experience that comes from BBM being a mature platform.

For my money, the real killer app in the BlackBerry is AutoText, now called Word Substitution.

Back in 1998 I got my first RIM handheld called the Interactive Messenger which was quickly replaced with the BlackBerry 950.  Even back than my Interactive Messenger and BlackBerry had AutoText and what's really incredible is the number of people that own BlackBerry devices and don't know what it is.

         

Even if you're not clear on what Word Substitution is, you've used it.  My pal Joseph scratched the surface on a recent rant about his BlackBerry PlayBook typing skills; press the space bar twice and the BlackBerry inserts the period and auto-capitalizes the first letter of the next sentence for you.  It will also complete your contractions for you - cant becomes can't.  Or my favorite is when someone asks for my PIN to add me to BBM, reply to their message with mypin and press space and pin:1a2a3a4a appears as if by pure magic.

You can create your own personal Word Substitutions as well.  Think "bb" becomes "BlackBerry" or "pb" becomes "PlayBook".  The sky is the limit, you can create as many as you like and they can be as long as you like.  For example say I was telling someone about a new OS leak available on CrackBerry.com and I wanted them to remember the 'leaked OS disclaimer' and I'll be damned if I'm going to type all the out.  I create a Word Substitution called "osdisclaim" and simply type osdisclaim plus the space key and voila!

        

So how do you create this BlackBerry Magic?  It's actually quite simple and can be quickly explained.

OS 6 - using Universal Search type "Word Sub" and tap on the wrench "options" and tap "Word Substitution
OS 5 and lower - from the Home Screen scroll to and select the wrench "options" and in the options list select "AutoText"

From here press the BlackBerry Menu button and select "New" and you should see something that looks like this:

Now in the "Replace" field enter what you're going to be typing in the message screen to trigger the Word Substitution.  For example "bb" or "osdisclaim" or "pb" - again you can put anything here.

In the "With" field this the the text you want.  Again for example "BlackBerry" or "PlayBook", I've never typed an entire novel here but have never been constrained by the number of characters here.  I've had 9 paragraph canned messages here before.  Perhaps I'll attempt paste Kevin's PlayBook review in my device one day to test worst case scenario.

The last option here of note is the "Using", you have two options "SmartCase" or Specified Case".  The difference being how you want the BlackBerry to deal with capital letters.  If you select "SmartCase" if the Word Substitution occurs at the beginning of a sentence it will capitalize the first letter and if it is in the middle of a sentence than it will leave it not capitalized.  For Word Substitutions using product names like say BlackBerry, the case is specific regardless of where it finds itself in a paragraph, so you would want to select "Specified Case".

OK! So that's Word Substition/AutoText (one of my most favorite BlackBerry features) in a nutshell.  Look for Steve Jobs to 'invent' this feature at a future WWDC event :-)

Leaked OS 6.0.0.600 for the BlackBerry Bold 9700

Happy Friday Bold 9700 users. Here we have a fresh leak in the form of OS 6.0.0.600. It's hot off the presses, so if you're big on leaks then fire this one up and report back. You can drop a comment here and let us know whats new and good or if we should steer clear. As always, use caution when installing any leaked os.

*OS Disclaimer - Please Read: Keep in mind this is NOT an official release and as such is not supported by RIM or your Carrier. If you choose to install, do so at your own risk and only if you're comfortable in the process of upgrading and downgrading your device software. It is quite normal during operating system development for certain features to be crippled or disabled while others are tested, and these beta builds often reflect that. They are not always better. Depending on your BlackBerry comfort level, it may be best for you to wait for community feedback on a build before deciding to download and install for yourself or simply wait for the next official release. If you require support, you will find it in our CrackBerry forums via our extremely knowledgeable community base - do not contact your carrier or RIM for Beta OS technical support (their first course of action will be to advise you to downgrade to a supported OS). *

Download leaked OS 6.0.0.600 for the Bold 9700
Discuss more in the forums

Leaked OS 6.0.0.600 for the BlackBerry Curve 9300

Looks like the BlackBerry Curve 9300 users get some Friday lovin' as well. We have leaked OS 6.0.0.600 ready for the taking. Again, hot off the presses so be sure to drop a comment if you do install. Let us know the good, bad and ugly for this guy. Pop out those USB cables and get on it!

*OS Disclaimer - Please Read: Keep in mind this is NOT an official release and as such is not supported by RIM or your Carrier. If you choose to install, do so at your own risk and only if you're comfortable in the process of upgrading and downgrading your device software. It is quite normal during operating system development for certain features to be crippled or disabled while others are tested, and these beta builds often reflect that. They are not always better. Depending on your BlackBerry comfort level, it may be best for you to wait for community feedback on a build before deciding to download and install for yourself or simply wait for the next official release. If you require support, you will find it in our CrackBerry forums via our extremely knowledgeable community base - do not contact your carrier or RIM for Beta OS technical support (their first course of action will be to advise you to downgrade to a supported OS). *

Download OS 6.0.0.600 for the BlackBerry Curve 9300
Discuss more in the forums

Organize your files with File Browser for the BlackBerry PlayBook

As a commuter I need to keep the train and bus schedules handy. When the bus broke down last week though I was all out. So I whipped out my PlayBook, fired up Wi-Fi, and went to the site. Thing is the schedule could only be downloaded not viewed. I quickly realized that there's just one teeny, tiny thing wrong with this scenario: no file explorer. Rather than risk dropping my precious tablet trying to bridge I picked up File Browser by Aftab. It's chock full of features to help you navigate through all the files and folders on your PlayBook and your BlackBerry's SD Card. Click on the jump for more information and screenshots.

In a nutshell this is an incredible fully functioning file manager. You can move, drop, rename, create, and zip files and folders on your PlayBook and BlackBerry. The interface is easy to use and lets users to toggle between thumbnail (tile) view and the more colorful and easier to read list view with file information details.

What's cool about File Browser is that it shows you the file tree/path for better navigation through the system. Each one can be clicked on to move backwards or you can tap the side arrows if you delved too deep within a directory. Otherwise just tap the home icon to return to the main directory. The only thing it can't do is modify the existing directories on your PlayBook as they are locked. New folders must be created as subfolders of existing ones.

In terms of functionality, files can be launched with their associated programs directly from the app itself. Browsing is flawless so you can open a word file and then with a few taps open a music file. It's smooth, fast, and gets the job done. It even includes FTP integration to download and upload files. 

With full access to your SD card files can be opened and manipulated as well when bridged. I found its best to use selection mode to copy and paste music and video files from your device to the PlayBook for optimal performance. Although I must warn you the connection can sometimes be slow when accessing the SD card.  Lag aside, I've experienced no issues when transferring items between the two devices.

In my opinion File Browser is a great application to enhance the native QNX system. The less time spent bridging and plugging into a PC only helps me work faster and happier. It has a lot of potential and future updates will bring search, password protection, and the ability to hide files. At only $0.99 you can't go wrong.

More information / purchase File Browser from BlackBerry App World

 

 

A quick look at BlackBerry News

 

I love it! That's it; BlackBerry News is awesome. End of story; enjoy the rest of your day.

I suppose I should go into a little more detail. Just yesterday, Research In Motion released BlackBerry News for the PlayBook. If you don't know, BlackBerry News is a Really Simply Syndication (RSS) feed reader. Most RSS readers, like BlackBerry News Feeds for the BlackBerry smartphone, give you lists; lots of lists. Usually your feeds are in a list; opening a feed (like the one for CrackBerry.com) brings up a list of the most recent articles.

BlackBerry News is like no RSS reader I know. Forget lists, how about reading your articles like in a newspaper? I know that header image up there spoils a bit of the surprise, but BlackBerry News lays out articles from your feed in a format that's very easy on the eyes. Along with the headline and sometimes an image (depending on the article), you'll get a sampling of the news item; letting you quickly decide if that news is worth your time

 

 

 

Not being content with that, Research In Motion took BlackBerry News a few steps further. First, the layout of the articles differs from page to page. Sometimes you'll have four articles in a page; sometimes you'll have more. Amazingly, BlackBerry News even crops and moves images around to give you an engaging look at your articles. Secondly, BlackBerry News syncs with BlackBerry News Feeds if you have it installed on your smartphone. The first time I started the PlayBook app, I was pleasantly surprised to find all my feeds from BBNF pulled into BlackBerry News.

With any brand-new product, there are bound to be some tiny glitches. Frequently when touching the read more links in articles, the web browser crashes before loading the full article. Better way: swipe down from the top to open the options menu and touch the Browser button. Secondly, syncing with BlackBerry News Feeds seems to only happen the first time the app loads. I was hoping the two apps would sync back and forth as I added feeds to both, but no luck as of yet.

I am impressed at the amount of effort and forethought that went in to making this app. It is visually appealing, plays videos right inside the app, and - most importantly - is highly usable. BlackBerry News is without a doubt the best RSS reader for the BlackBerry PlayBook.

More information / download BlackBerry News for the PlayBook
More information / download BlackBerry News Feeds for the BlackBerry Smartphone

Weekly Accessory Roundup - Win a BlackBerry Charging Pod for your device!

When I think of accessories for BlackBerry, I always come back to the BlackBerry Charging Pod. By far one of my favorite and most used accessories, it has definitely got the most use out of all my other BlackBerry goodies. Use Bedside Mode on your nightstand to view your clock and disable alerts at night, or simply have your device ready for access on your desk during the day. This accessory is one that can't be beat. Pick up one (or more!) for all your devices at ShopCrackBerry.com

See all BlackBerry Charging Pods

 

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To enter to win a BlackBerry Charging Pod for your device, simply leave a comment to this blog post. Contest ends this Sunday night at Midnight PST. Please, just one entry per person.

 

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New PlayBook Accessories

 

New BlackBerry Cases

 

New BlackBerry Batteries

 

New Bluetooth Accessories

 

 

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Until Next Time...

That's it for this week's roundup! We hope you enjoyed it! If you come across accessories you'd like to see featured in an upcoming roundup, please send us an email to blackberryaccessories @ crackberry.com.

Contest: Win a free copy of FokClear by Dohzen - 30 free copies up for grabs!

Minimal themes and BB7 icons are high in demand these days, and I found an awesome one for you guys to check out. FokClear by Dohzen is a fantastic new theme with a very open layout that will showcase your favorite wallpapers to their fullest extent. The top left corner holds your signal meter, network, bluetooth, etc. The top right is a weather slot. The bottom of the home screen has a spot for new message indicators on the left and the right has your date, time, and battery meter. Both meters on the home screen are circles that disappear as battery and signal levels drop. The app screen is very classy with a plain black background, making the icons stand out nicely. You'll notice that the meters here are also skinned for a nice overall look. FokClear is available for just $1.49 and is compatible with the BlackBerry Torch and 480x360 devices on OS5/6.

For more information and to purchase FokClear for the Torch
For more information and to purchase FokClear for 480x360, OS 5
For more information and to purchase FokClear for 480x360, BB6

Contest: We have 30 copies of FokClear to give away, courtesy of Dohzen. If you'd like to enter to win a free copy, leave a comment below! One entry per person, contest ends this Sunday at midnight PST. Good luck!

BlackBerry PlayBook Launching In 16 Additional Markets Over Next 30 Days!

Here’s a bit of news that’s sure to excite the international BlackBerry community. RIM just let me know they’re planning on launching the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in 16 additional markets (aka countries) over the next 30 days. Before I go on to list the countries I’d like to pose a rhetorical question…why would they launch the PlayBook in 16 additional countries if it’s supposedly not doing well where it’s already available? The answer is simple: It’s doing very well! Just saying. Here are the markets it will be launching in:

Soon more will be able to partake in the awesomeness that is PlayBook . Anyone from these countries planning to get one when it’s made available?

Leaked OS 6.0.0.600 For The BlackBerry Bold 9700

Please report any feedback/findings in the comments.

DISCLAIMER: Install at your own risk. This is Leaked/Beta software that is not guaranteed to be stable, and therefore will not be supported by RIM or your wireless carrier should you run into some problems. As a precaution, if you decide to upgrade, it is highly recommended that you make a backup before using this software. If you are not comfortable using Leaked/Beta software you should probably wait for the next official release. *

Leaked OS 6.0.0.600 For The BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300

Please report any feedback/findings in the comments.

DISCLAIMER: Install at your own risk. This is Leaked/Beta software that is not guaranteed to be stable, and therefore will not be supported by RIM or your wireless carrier should you run into some problems. As a precaution, if you decide to upgrade, it is highly recommended that you make a backup before using this software. If you are not comfortable using Leaked/Beta software you should probably wait for the next official release. *

¡¡BlackBerry PlayBook en España el 13 de junio!!

Pues llegó la hora de que la BlackBerry PlayBook llegara a España, tras el anuncio de la última actualización de Sistema Operativo que incorporaba entre otros el idioma castellano, era de preveer que el mismo estaba al caer. Hoy hemos asistido a la presentación para la prensa de su llegada, en nuestra cuenta de Twitter he ido subiendo fotos y comentando el mismo.

Se desvela también el tema de precios (los mismos con IVA incluido):

Os recordamos sus Especificaciones técnicas del BlackBerry PlayBook

Os adjunto el resto de la nota de prensa recibida:

BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK LLEGA A ESPAÑA

· Estará disponible en el mercado español el día 13 de junio a partir de 499€

· Es la primera tableta del mercado con navegación en Internet de verdad, multitarea real y experiencia multimedia en alta definición

Madrid, 9 de junio de 2011.- Research In Motion, (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM), ha presentado esta mañana BlackBerry PlayBook en España, la primera tableta desarrollada por la compañía, y que estará disponible en nuestro país el próximo 13 de junio a un precio a partir de 499 EUR. El nuevo dispositivo destaca por ser la única tableta del mercado con navegación en Internet de verdad, multitarea real y experiencia multimedia en alta definición.

BlackBerry PlayBook es la primera tableta lanzada por RIM que presenta un diseño de extrema movilidad y ofrece unas prestaciones punteras en el mercado, lo que posibilita contar con una navegación Web totalmente funcional gracias a la compatibilidad con Adobe® Flash® Player, un entorno plenamente multitarea, reproducción multimedia en HD, funciones avanzadas de seguridad, compatibilidad directa con todo tipo de soluciones empresariales y un sólido entorno de desarrollo.

Aspectos destacados

BlackBerry PlayBook tiene un grosor de menos de 10 milímetros, un peso de menos de 400g, y una pantalla de 7”, con marco activo, lo que la convierte en el dispositivo perfecto tanto en el ámbito personal como en el laboral.

Multitarea real: el potente sistema operativo BlackBerry Tablet está construido sobre la arquitectura de QNX® Neutrino®, una de las arquitecturas más fiables, seguras y robustas del mundo, impulsado por un procesador de doble núcleo de 1 Ghz y un multiprocesamiento verdaderamente simétrico, lo que proporciona un trabajo multitarea real y una experiencia de pantalla táctil altamente sensible y fluida para aplicaciones y servicios de contenido.

Navegación web de verdad – Te permite acceder al Internet real, gracias a la compatibilidad con Adobe® Flash® Player y HTML-5, BlackBerry PlayBook proporciona la mejor experiencia web posible de alta fidelidad y ofrece la capacidad de disfrutar de todas las páginas, juegos y medios en Internet.

Experiencia multimedia en alta definición: La nueva tableta incluye dos cámaras HD para capturar vídeo y comunicarse por videochat, una salida HDMI para proyectar en pantallas externas el contenido de audio y video en HD. Todo ello se traduce en una reproducción de contenido de alto rendimiento.

Conectividad: El BlackBerry PlayBook ofrece la mejor experiencia en contenido de alta definición en streaming con sólo conectividad WiFi ancho de banda y ofrece conexión a Internet vía BlueTooth con cualquier móvil para conectarse en movilidad

BlackBerry Bridge: el BlackBerry PlayBook es compatible con BlackBerry® Enterprise Server y BlackBerry® Internet Service, a través del emparejamiento de Bluetooth securizado. Cuando está conectado a través de Bluetooth, el contenido del smartphone se visualiza en la pantalla del tablet para ver correos, calendario, tareas, documentos y cualquier otro contenido que está dentro de su smartphone (o que se accede a través del mismo) de una manera fluida y segura.

TeleCable y RIM lanzan la solución BlackBerry en España

Y otro operador se suma a ofrecer servicios BlackBerry en España, esta vez se trata de TeleCable. Os adjunto la nota de prensa recibida hace un par de días:

Asturias, España y Waterloo, ON – TeleCable anuncia hoy la solución BlackBerry® para sus clientes en España. La solución BlackBerry engloba smartphones, software y servicios que permiten un acceso inalámbrico sencillo a email, teléfono, organizador, web, multimedia además de aplicaciones de negocios y ocio. Los clientes de Telecable podrán ahora disfrutar de los beneficios de la libertad y productividad que aporta el uso de un smartphone BlackBerry®, para estar conectado a personas e información en movilidad.

Telecable ofrecerá BlackBerry® Enterprise Server para clientes corporativos y BlackBerry® Internet Service para pequeñas empresas y usuarios finales.

BlackBerry Entreprise Server es la solución en movilidad para empresa líder en la industria. Permite una gestión segura y centralizada del enlace entre los smartphones BlackBerry y los sistemas, aplicaciones, entornos telefónicos corporativos de la empresa (con BlackBerry® Mobile Voice System) y redes inalámbricas. Ofrece una integración total con IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange® y Novell® GroupWise® para proveer un acceso altamente seguro al correo electrónico, organizador, mensajería instantánea, voz (vía BlackBerry MVS), navegador web y otras aplicaciones para la empresa.

BlackBerry Internet Service es una solución fácil de usar, práctica y low-cost que provee a los individuos y a pequeñas o medianas empresas con acceso a Internet y acceso a través del smartphone BlackBerry a 10 cuentas de correo corporativas y personales. También ofrece acceso a un amplio catálogo de aplicaciones en BlackBerry App World™.

Telecable ofrece los smartphones BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520, BlackBerry® Bold™ 9780, BlackBerry® Torch™, que estará disponible a partir de 0 euros en un plan mensual para smartphones BlackBerry desde 22,60 euros para BlackBerry Internet Service y 25 euros para BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

El smartphone BlackBerry Curve 8520 cuenta con un diseño muy compacto con un teclado fácil de usar para escribir y un innovador trackpad óptico que hace que el scroll y la selección sea suave y sencilla que se traduce en una gran experiencia de usuario. Para personas a las que les gusta estar conectados, ofrece las soluciones de correo y mensajería (BBM™, IM, SMS, MMS) líderes en el mercado, así como un acceso sencillo a redes sociales (including Facebook® MySpace™ and Twitter™).

El elegante y estiloso smartphone BlackBerry Bold 9780 cuenta con un diseño premium con un teclado de fácil uso y trackpad óptico, y equipa opciones de comunicación y multimedia avanzadas. Soporta conexión a redes 3G en todo el mundo, incluye WiFi® y GPS para aplicaciones de geoposicionamiento y geo-tagging. Integra una cámara de 5 MP complementada con funcionalidades de alta calidad. Viene con el nuevo BlackBerry® 6, un sistema operativo que mantiene las populares características que distinguen a la marca BlackBerry® al mismo tiempo que ofrece una experiencia atractiva y accesible potente y fácil de usar. Funcionalidades adicionales de BlackBerry 6 incluyen capacidades de mensajería ampliadas con características intuitivas para simplificar la gestión de las redes sociales y seguimienro de los RSS (Social Feeds), y acceso integrado a BBM (BlackBerry® Messenger), Facebook®, Twitter™, MySpace™ y varias aplicaciones de mensajería instantánea.

El smartphone BlackBerry Torch sorprende al ofrecer una combinación de una gran pantalla táctil, trackpad óptico y un teclado BlackBerry deslizable. Soporta redes de alta velocidad 3G (UMTS/HSDPA) en todo el mundo, incluye la última generación en conectividad Wi-Fi (b/g/n) e integra GPS para aplicaciones de geoposicionamiento y geo-tagging. Su cámara de 5 MP saca excepcionales fotografías, y permite además la grabación de vídeo. Cuenta también con el sistema operativo BlackBerry 6.

Sobre TeleCable

Como operador integrado de telecomunicaciones y tecnología de la información, TeleCable está presente en Asturias con una amplia cobertura y cuota de mercado gracias al despliegue de su propia red de banda ancha y ha iniciado la construcción de una red de fibra óptica hasta el hogar (FTTH) en Extremadura, en colaboración con destacadas empresas de la región. En la actualidad, atiende a cerca de 60.000 líneas de telefonía móvil y presta más de 400.000 servicios de televisión por cable, telefonía fija e Internet de banda ancha, fija, móvil y por satélite, así como servicios avanzados de telecomunicaciones para empresas.

SugarSync For BlackBerry 2.0 Update Has an Improved UI and New Features

SugarSync makes life easier when you have more than one computer, and mobile devices. Their service is super easy to use and if you want to try it out they give you 5GB free of online storage/Syncing across multiple devices.  Their BlackBerry app works great and has more features than the competition. It had been a while since their last update but this new update adds a few features. We mentioned the app a few days back but were not sure what new features were added. Robb reached out to us and let us know they posted the changes on their blog. Sugarsync suppors mutliple mobile devices also if you own different platforms including android and iOS.

Their new update has completely redesigned the UI, and it looks really cool.

Some of the new features include:

you can now copy a public link for any file and paste it into any application such as Facebook or Twitter. Or, bypass those clunky email attachements by using SugarSync to post the link to any file directly into your email. In all cases, the recipient just needs to click the link to instantly download the file.

To copy a link, just select the file you want to share, bring up the context menu and select Copy Link. This copies the link to your clipboard and you can paste it anywhere you like.

If you already have a SugarSync account you can download their latest update from app world at this link, if not headover to sugarsync.com to get yourself an account.

More on BerryReview

Wal-Mart Has the 16 GB PlayBook In Stores

Today while at my local Wal-Mart I had some time to kill so like any tech loving person I went over to the electronics department. A friend who I had showed my PlayBook to a few weeks earlier told me to go look at what they had received a few days back. It turns out they had a shipment of the 16 GB BlackBerry PlayBook.  We had heard that they would carry the PlayBook but we weren’t sure when they would start selling in stores. They have been selling them since launch date through their website. It is not surprising that they are going to sell the device in-stores since they already have all the e-book readers, the Xoom, as well as the iPad. The only device that the store had was the 16 GB but they didn’t know if they would get the 32 or 64 GB. They had not placed it on display yet but I asked them to ring one up to check on the price and it is not lower in price than any other place, it will sell for $499. Now if you do have a Wal-Mart discount then you could probably save some money that way. Let us know if your local Wal-Mart will be selling it as well.

More on BerryReview

BlackBerry PlayBook to Launch in 16 New Markets in Next 30 Days

Well that goes and confirms we are definitely seeing another BlackBerry PlayBook OS update in the next 30 days. RIM put out a press release today stating that the BlackBerry PlayBook would be available in another 16 markets in the next 30 days. While the last PlayBook update included some new languages it did not include Arabic so you know RIM has to push out an update for that. The last update only included French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch and UK English.

Here are the additional 16 markets:

More on BerryReview

RIM VP Confirms QNX Phones but Cannot Confirm Timing

RIM’s Mike Lazaridis practically confirmed that BlackBerry PlayBook’s new QNX based operating system was coming to phones awhile back. Now according to TechRadar we have Carlo Chiarello, VP of GSM/UMTS @RIM, confirming the same with some more adjectives. Lazaridis said that QNX would come to the top of the line BlackBerry phones once they have multi-core processors available and Chiarello confirms that.

According to Chiarello RIM already has working prototype models of the QNX based phones which makes me wonder what processor they are packing. Here is what he had to say about these devices:

"That [QNX] experience is going to start to come in to our high tier products. I can’t tell you when; I’m not allowed to. But it’s absolutely part and parcel of what we’re working on now.

"I can tell you that it’s going to come in to the higher tier value propositions first. It’ll probably come into an all-touch first, more than likely… but I can’t tell you timings specifically. But it looks marvelous!".

"That [QNX] experience is going to start to come in to our high tier products. I can’t tell you when; I’m not allowed to. But it’s absolutely part and parcel of what we’re working on now.

"I can tell you that it’s going to come in to the higher tier value propositions first. It’ll probably come into an all-touch first, more than likely… but I can’t tell you timings specifically. But it looks marvelous!".

Thanks to Ashley for pointing this out in the forums. I am assuming that QNX phones are not coming before 2012 but I am not sure about TechRadars assumption/guess of 18 months. It could be but I doubt RIM can wait that long. Especially once they have native email and calendaring along with BES policies on the PlayBook they should be able to port that to a phone at a faster pace.

More on BerryReview

InstaPhoto Mimics InstaGram for the BlackBerry PlayBook

Smarter Apps let us know about their latest BlackBerry PlayBook app called InstaPhoto. InstaPhoto lets you take pictures with your PlayBook and then apply filters to modify the image. You can then save and share the image on Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr. The app has 25 preset effects you can apply to images that are quite fun. You can see all of the effects at the end of this article. They range from the popular borders and tilt shift to radiant rays and mugshots.

Features include:

• Easy to get started, simply choose a preexisting photo or snap one right away. Camera integration runs directly within app, allowing you to take a photo and start instantly!
• Images save to a custom gallery folder, and are featured when you load the app, or you can opt to view the latest uploads on Twitter from your friends!
• Large preview images allow you to see an effect clearly before making a selection.
• Simple controls with stunning pre-set effects, it’s easy for anyone to use with just a tap of the finger!
• Quick rending, no long loading times for an effect.
• Unique effects creating interesting themes for your photos; periscope, mugshots, HUDs and many more!

You can pick up InstaPhoto in App World for $2.99 at this link

Effect Features:
Tilt Shift
1962 – Simulate the effect of an old, black and white film strip.
Aquarius – Cool green-blue with just a small dash of orange.
Aries – Reds and orange converge for a warm effect.
Black & White
Bohemian – Release your inner flower-child with a decorative border and warm colors.
Burnout – Brightens the center of your image with burnt edges.
Cool Breeze – Light and breezy with cyan tones.
Dusk – Dulls your images colors and adds a touch of grit.
Gothic -  Subtle orange and purple splash your image with a night feeling.
HUD – See your image through a heads-up-display in the sky.
Midnight – Intensifies a splash of orange with dark, burnt purple edges.
Mug Shot – Frame yourself, your friends, or your pets!
Noir – Intense blacks in a black and white image.
Number 6 – A playful combination of turquoise and orange with subtle texture.
Periscope – Creates the effect of peering up through a periscope in the night.
Polaroid – Create the look of a polaroid with a slight purple tone.
Ravage – Rough your images up with this effect.
Retro Poster – Grunge edges and rays radiate from your featured image.
Sepia
SLR – View your image as though in the view finder of a SLR camera.
Spotlight – Burns a corner of your image with bright light.
Sunset Swirl – Bath your image in warm color, and adorned with a swirling border.
Taped – Tape up those corners and show off that image!
Torn – Torn and folded, with its colors fading away like an old poster.
Vintage Postcard – Snap a shot on holiday and send off your own vintage postcard! Post is included!

More on BerryReview

OS 6.0.0.600 For the 9700 and 9300 Found Online

For those of you that can’t wait a full year for carriers to decide to released OS updates here is a new round of OS for the 9300 and 9700. The new OS version is 6.0.0.600.  As usual we have no ideas of what has been changed on this version. To download simply head over to the links provided below.

9700 OS links:

 

9300 OS links:

 

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.

Source: N4BB

More on BerryReview

Giveaway: Win One of Two Stylish 9700/9780 BlackBerry Case From DICOTA

Back at BlackBerry World we ran into this new cases from DICOTA we fell in love with the designs. We reached out to them and they send over a few cases to share with you. If you never heard of DICATA before check out their website, they have some cool looking designs for smartpohones, tablets, and carryon luggage designed to snuggly fit your electronic devices. They recently became members of the built for BlackBerry program. So to celebrate our 4yr anniversary giveaway that will go on through the month of June they send us some cool stuff that is not even available to purchase in some parts of the world .  Today we will be giving a way two 9700/9780 cases.

First Case: Purple HardCover (Available in Black/Grey and Purple with patterns)

Features:

This second case is really cool the PullTab Case:

PullTab Case: This one features a magnet build in that puts the BlackBerry to sleep

Features include:

This case will also be available soon at this link.

Giveaway: We have two cases to giveaway simply leave a comment telling us which one you like the most. Good luck and make sure you leave your comments before Monday June 13th.

More on BerryReview

Addressing the BlackBerry PlayBook screen time-out issue

As you all know, the BlackBerry PlayBook was issued an update not that long ago. It brought about some nice changes and included an updated version of Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook but it left out of simple thing -- that for some folks is a rather large issue. No, not native email and BBM but rather the screen time-out issue when viewing things in the browser. You see, if you are doing something within the BackBerry browser such as watching a video for example -- the maximum time allotted before the screen will time out and go black is 5-minutes.

This timing out of the screen causes whatever it is you are doing in the browser to come to a dead stop. Watching a video? It'll stop playing. Listening to music? It'll stop playing. Even if you are say reading one of Kevin's long winded reviews, if you don't touch the screen in 5-minutes it'll go black and you'll need to force a "waking" up of your PlayBook. The rather odd thing is that it doesn't time out on all things. Some videos keep it awake while others it will time out on. Some audio it will shut down, while other audio will keep on running through the browser.

There are workarounds for this issue in the meantime, such as downloading certain apps from BlackBerry App World  (more info on this in the forum links below) that keep the screen active, but really we shouldn't have to make use of a workaround for this particular problem. Ideally, it would be built into the OS that when the browser is open and active it wouldn't disable and go into standby mode. But as it stands now, this isn't the case. So, sound off in the comments if you're concerned about this and want it fixed -- hopefully RIM will take notice and correct it in a later update.

Discuss more in the CrackBerry Forums - here and here

CrackBerry Podcast 69 1 = I want my BlackBerry Bold 9900!!

We had so much fun recording our last podcast -- episode SIXTY NINE -- that for our 70th show we decided to do the math and call it 69 + 1. We hope you enjoy it.

While we cover a lot of topics in this show, including the latest PlayBook OS update and Apple's iOS 5 news this week, the theme that kept coming up among Adam, Bla1ze, Craig and myself was how much we want our BlackBerry Bold 9900s already (Joseph is waiting on the Torch 2). Seriously. We just can't wait any longer. We need it NOW!!

Take a listen and be sure to leave us a comment.  We'll back soon with epsidoe 69 + 2 :-)

SugarSync gets updated to v2.0

If you're unfamiliar with SugarSync, it is a file back & sharing service similar to that of DropBox.  I say similar because I have come to be a true believer that SugarSync is superior to DropBox.  We've written about it in the past and like many I glazed over and thought "Oh whatever, DropBox is better" and did so without really looking at what SugarSync offered.  At CES2011 I met with Robb from SugarSync and bluntly asked "Why do you think SugarSync is better than DropBox?"  To my surprise I was given an answer I wasn't prepared for from Robb, "DropBox is GREAT!  We'll even back that folder up for you!"  With that bizarre answer, he had my attention and I looked further.

My biggest frustration with DropBox was that all your folders must be underneath the almighty DropBox folder, and I am a little particular with my file structure and that always ate away at me but I dealt with it.  Looking further into SugarSync I found that I could select ANY folder on my computer for backup, I didn't have to live inside their file structure.  Next stop was the fact that DropBox's free account was 2GB and SugarSync's is 5GB.

Where I lost some love for SugarSync was the BlackBerry app.  Compared to that of the iOS and Android application , the BlackBerry was absolutely the 'black sheep twice removed' in the mobile app family.  Until today....

In addition to investing heavily in performance and reliability, they have completely revamped the interface to bring it on par with the iPhone and Android apps and we've added several new features for extra measure. Here's a rundown from the SugarSync blog:

Faster Performance & Reliability

Nothing is more important to us than getting the basics right. We doubled-down in making the app snappier and more stable than ever. The list of bugs fixed and improvements made is too long to list here, but the app should feel and function much better than ever.

Intuitive Interface For Faster Access

The first thing you'll notice when you open the app is a much sleeker interface, from the log in page all the way to Settings. Making it fast wasn't good enough; we also wanted to make it beautiful.

As part of the new interface, you'll also notice tabs at the top of each page. We've split the functionality of the app across multiple tabs. The Files tab has a new layout and makes it easier to browse your computers and folders. The Photos tab shows your recent mobile photos as well as the most recently added photo albums on the main page so you can quickly find photos.

Sharing Simplified

We've also invested in making sharing dead simple. For starters, SugarSync now uses your native email app for file and folder sharing, enabling you to select contacts in your address book for sharing.

In addition, you can now copy a public link for any file and paste it into any application such as Facebook or Twitter. Or, bypass those clunky email attachements by using SugarSync to post the link to any file directly into your email. In all cases, the recipient just needs to click the link to instantly download the file.

To copy a link, just select the file you want to share, bring up the context menu and select Copy Link. This copies the link to your clipboard and you can paste it anywhere you like.

Other Improvements

You'll find small improvements across the application. We've added a Help button on the Settings tab that will show you a list of frequently asked questions. And since we love to give away bonus storage, we've made it easier to refer your friends from within the app - just press the Earn Free Storage button on the Settings tab and refer away!

Download SugarSync in BlackBerry App World
If not a SugarSync user click here to signup and receive a 500MB bonus