TinyController: Control Your BlackBerry from Your PC or Mac via USB, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth

by Ronen Halevy on November 17th, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Posted in Desktop Utilities Featured News Utilities

 

Over the years there have been quite a few apps that let you control your BlackBerry from your PC. The latest to come to my attention (thanks Jaybo!) is TinyController by CompactByte. TinyController simply gives you no frills control of your BlackBerry smartphone from your PC or Mac through a USB, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth connection between the devices. The app is also focused on speed instead of features which is a different spin.

The best part is that TinyController offers up a 14 day free trial for you to give it a spin. This is because not all apps can work over such an app like BBM Groups so you should definitely try it out before you make the plunge. You can read more about it at www.tinycontroller.com or pick it up in App World for $9.99.

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Jabra Supreme Bluetooth Headset Review

by Mendy on November 11th, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Posted in Accessories Reviews

Review: Jabra Supreme Bluetooth Headset
Rating:
Price: ~$99.99 at Amazon.com

The Jabra Supreme is the latest and greatest Bluetooth headset available for hands-free dialing and voice activation. This headset is extremely easy to use. Powering on the headset consists of simply flipping open the microphone. Upon doing this for the first time after the initial charge, voice commands instantly guide you through the pairing to your phone. Subsequent powering-on of the headset results in a greeting of “Power On…Connected”.

Receiving Calls: Upon receiving a call, the headset announces “Call from …” and announced the caller’s name if in your address book, or the number calling. You may use the Answer/End button or wait for the tone, and speak “Answer” or “Decline”. This is great for driving.

Placing Calls: Voice commands allow you to speak the name of the caller. As always, I had difficulty with the proper contact being identified while using voice commands, and found myself tending to stick to the more standard method of dialing from the phone.

Overall Thoughts: The sound quality is pretty good on both ends. Callers did not realize I was on a headset, and I was able to hear them quite clearly. The headset is quite comfortable with the foam cover over the speaker sits flush against your ear. The voice instructions, and simple flipping open/closed to turn on/off prove quite useful, especially for those used to staring at the blinking lights on their headset attempting to determine what it’s doing.

The only con I found was the ear loop. While the speaker and foam cover sit flush against your ear while being worn, I felt the ear loop was insufficient to keep the headset from moving around while you moved. This caused me to try moving less while wearing my headset, something which I shouldn’t have to pay attention to. At no point did it actually fall off or even come loose, but it was something that bothered me while using. Then again, I find this an issue for all headsets with similar loops, so it appears to be a personal issue.

Conclusion: If you want a simple, easy to use headset, this headset is for you. With it’s flip open/closed to turn on/off, and voice commands, all the guesswork is removed when using this headset. Once again, this Jabra headset has great sound quality and a good look.

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InPulse Smartwatch Gets BlackBerry 7 Support & More in Latest Firmware Beta

Well the InPulse Bluetooth Smartwatch for BlackBerry just got another breath of life. The watch received a nice firmware update this week to bring a load of new features including OS 7 support. They have now tested it with the Bold 9900 and Torch 9810 so it should work. The release notes for this v3.9.4 firmware include:

• Finally, working support for OS 7! Tested on BB 9900 and 9810. Our recommendation: Use your old OS5 or 6 Blackberry to load the latest firmware (3.9.4) onto your watch, then you can begin using inPulse with OS 7
• Introducing the ability to download free watchapps right to your watch! Browse the inPulse app to see what is available
• Be sure to update the firmware on your watch after downloading. Download Apps -> Default Notification App -> Load
• If you happen to get your watch into a non-working state, you can always revert to factory firmware mode by holding the button down until the display says ‘loading…’

You can read more about the update or download it at www.getinpulse.com/beta/

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Plantronics Improves on Perfection with Voyager Pro HD Bluetooth Headset

When I got my first Plantronics Voyager Pro I few years back I fell in love. It was a super comfy Bluetooth headset that simply worked and the battery lasted forever. Plantronics then gave it a marginal update with the Voyager Pro+ with A2DP and a voice controls. Now they have tuned the mix just a little bit more with the Voyager Pro HD.

The Voyager Pro HD adds a slick Smart Sensor technology that recognizes when you place it on your ear. It will automatically answer calls or transfer calls back and forth between your phone and headset based on this sensor. They also have their Vocalyst voice and text service on command and a few other tricks.

The Voyager Pro HD is available now on Amazon for $99 and you can read more on the Plantronics website.

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Review: Scosche freeKEY Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard

Recently Scosche released a bluetooth wireless keyboard that only requires a device with a bluetooth pairing mode to work. It is designed with mobility in mind targeting tablet devices. They sent us one to review and luckily all though not official supported the keyboard works on the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Package: The package it came in is simple, folded into a small box, with an instruction manual and a retractable mini USB cable for charging the keyboard.

Getting started: First thing is to charge the keyboard if is not fully charge yet. You do not need to install any special software or app on the PlayBook. Once it is paired the Key board you can turn it on and off as needed and the PlayBook automatically connects to it.

Pairing: To pair the keyboard you need to turn on they keyboard by pushing the connect button once, a red star will light up o the right side next to it. Once you see it lit, go to the bluetooth options on the PlayBook and make sure the device is set to discoverable. Then click add new device. When the PlayBook lists the scosche keyboard click on it to pair and it will give you a number; that number you will type it on the keyboard and hit enter when you are done. The keyboard should be paired, you can test this by typing something using the keyboard.

Specifications and Features:

Usability: The keyboard feels soft and a bit different since is the first time using one like this one. The keyboard is big enough to type like you would on a regular keyboard. The size is good enough where the user does not feel as if they were typing on a miniature keyboard. It has good enough space between the keys that you can type fast enough using both hands. The more you use it the more you get use to typing on it.

I found that the keyboard works great when testing it with other devices including an android device, the BlackBerry but I did noticed that in earlier builds of the PlayBook OS the PlayBook would lose the connection.  It is not the keyboard but it seems the PlayBook can only handle so many Bluetooth connections at once.  The latest OS updates seem to handle the connection much better without unexpectedly dropping the connection.

Using the keyboard at first feels weird because it is fairly soft compare to regular computer keyboards. After a while I got used to it and it feels comfortable typing on it. To put it to good use I decided to finishing this review using it with the PlayBook. When theuser types the keys give feedback you feel the keys click. It is more comfortable typing on it than a netbook keyboard.  One of the best part is that you can easily fold the keyboard and take with you anywhere. Combine these keyboard with a portable Bluetooth mouse, and you are set on the go. I use it to edit documents, and sometimes to type articles when I am away from home. RIM has improved the OS to support these devices recently because I noticed that when I am using a mouse it has an indicator showing what a right mouse click will do.

The other cool part of this keyboard is that you can easily charge from anywhere you can plug it to a USB connection. The battery last quite a bit so if you use it for periods of time it can last a while.  The design, and the functionality of the keyboard definitely make it a top choice if you are looking for one to use with your mobile device, be it BlackBerry PlayBook, or the competitors.

 

You can purchase the Keyboard from www.scosche.com for $59.99 or Amazon where you can usually get it at a lower price.

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Jabra SPORT Bluetooth Stereo Headphones Coming This Month

I am always on the hunt for better Bluetooth stereo headphones for my BlackBerry. The current top headphones I have found are the Plantronics Backbeat with no competitors coming close though it is nowhere near perfect. Jabra is trying to throw their hat into the ring again with the Jabra SPORT Bluetooth sport headphones that look very similar to the Backbeats though sadly they are accented with yellow and have yellow cords. Otherwise I really like the design.

Key features of the SPORT include:

It also ships with a free download of Endomondo Sports Tracker to track your fitness activities. The Jabra SPORT will be available at Apple, Sprint and T-Mobile stores and will also be available on Amazon.com in September.

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Sony Aftermarket Car Stereo Controls Pandora on Your BlackBerry

Normally we would not mention aftermarket car stereos but Sony’s DSX-S310BTX is pretty slick. One of our readers let us know that this new car stereo connects to your BlackBerry or an Android device and lets you control the Pandora app running on the device while streaming audio to the stereo. It works over Bluetooth and gives you Play, Pause, and Skip along with the ability to thumb up or down a song. You can view your Pandora radio station list and the name of the currently playing song. The device also gives you access to the memory card on the BlackBerry and acts as a speakerphone over Bluetooth.

All in all a very cool device that will retail for $280 when it launches this fall. Check out more details at CNet.

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Motorola MOTOROKR T505 - Wireless phone integration for your car

If you've caught any of my other Bluetooth device reviews (even back to my very first CrackBerry Idol review), you know that I have a certain... dislike of wires. They tangle. They limit and tether your device. Any technological thingamajig that can take the place of those wires is a good one in my book, and the MOTOROKR T505 is a welcome addition to my car.

Motorola MOTOROKR T505 is, for whatever reason, difficult for me to say, the words don't trip lightly from the tongue. The device itself though couldn't be easier to use. After a simple and standard pairing with my BlackBerry, music; podcasts; and phone calls come over the speakers of my car.

Like many newer cars, I can now stream music from my phone - even web services like Pandora - over the speakers in my car, free from the tyranny of wires.

 

 

The T505 works like any standard Bluetooth speaker phone. The device connects to your phone via Bluetooth and indeed has a speaker within the unit. It's not a great speaker, but it does the job. That speaker is really not meant to be used that often. After all, the T505 has a much better feature up its sleeve.

Connecting the device to your car's stereo is done by using the device's short-range FM transmitter. The transmitter uses a good bit of power to function, so it's turned off by default. A quick press of the button in the back changes that, and the device announces the FM radio station it will use.

The T505 is sometimes good at picking a good radio station to use, and sometimes it is not. You need a frequency that doesn't already have a radio station using it. Even weak signals can cause static and hissing in your speakers as two transmitters (one nearby and the other far away) battle for the frequency. A touch of the button on the back of the T505 changes the frequency in use. Longer car rides will require more frequent adjustment.  I wonder if the unit would be better suited with a more powerful transmitter, but I imagine that the relatively weaker signal makes for better battery life.

 

 

Like all of my favorite Bluetooth devices, this one supports A2DP. This Bluetooth profile allows the T505 to control media functions on your smartphone. Using the controls of the device clipped to your sun visor, you can play; pause, and skip tracks forward and back. The buttons are large enough and well placed to be used in the dark and without taking your eyes from the road.

Phone features are, of course, a big part of what the device can do. A simple press of the large button on the left starts the phone's voice commands (and answers incoming calls). Voice commands have been a part of BlackBerry smartphones for a long while now; chances are, your phone supports it. Through the built in voice recognition in your phone, you can make any number of calls completely hands free.

Incoming audio from your call is piped through the car's speakers, letting you hear your caller in exquisite detail. The audio pickup for your voice is through a tiny port at the top of the T505's enclosure. Listening to the audio of a test call, the microphone seems to pick up audio from a limited area, acting like a condensing microphone. This is a very good thing in the noisy environment of a car.

 

What was once possible only through expensive receiver units and professional installation, I can now achieve with this small box, the Motorola MOTOROKR T505, clipped to my sun visor. With the press of a few buttons on the device, I get streaming stereo sound beamed out from my BlackBerry to the T505 which then plays it on my car's audio system. Phone calls are routed to the car's audio as well. All in all, the T505 allows your phone to integrate with your car. All without a single wire in sight.

Contest: Want to get one of these for free from ShopCrackBerry.com? Just leave a comment to this review and tell us how you would use the MOTOROKR T505 in your life. Contest ends this Sunday at midnight PST. Please only leave a single comment. One lucky winner will have this device shipped directly from ShopCrackBerry.com. 

More information / puchase MOTOROKR T505 

¿Es posible conectar la BlackBerry PlayBook con otro dispositivo NO BlackBerry? SI es posible

A la respuesta de que si es necesario tener un dispositivo Smartphone BlackBerry si tenemos un BlackBerry PlayBook para acceder a la red, la respuesta es: NO. Es decir que SI es posible conectar un BlackBerry PlayBook con otro dispositivo NO BlackBerry.

Con BlackBerry PlayBook no se necesita de un dispositivo Smartphone BlackBerry para acceder a la red, tan solo un dispositivo que tenga el perfil compatible con BlackBerry PlayBook y poder enlazarlo vía Bluetooth. Los perfiles bluetooth compatibles con BlackBerry PlayBook son:

El primer perfil que aparece, DUN o Acceso telefónico a redes, es el que permite conectarse mediante bluetooth a otro dispositivo, sea Smartphone o no, enlazar con BlackBerry PlayBook y poder compartir su conexión de datos. Y el último que tenemos es SPP junto con la aplicación BlackBerry Bridge es el que nos permite poder tener todo nuestro email, calendario, notas, tareas y navegador de nuestro SmartPhone BlackBerry como imagen en nuestro BlackBerry PlayBook y compartiendo nuestra tarifa de servicio BlackBerry. Y digo imagen y no sincronización porque realmente no se sincroniza nada, lo que hace Bridge es que cualquier cambio en el dispositivo se hace al mismo tiempo en el BlackBerry PlayBook y a la inversa, y cuando desconectamos el bluetooth esos datos ya no están disponibles en BlackBerry PlayBook por temas de seguridad. Si la funcionalidad de BlackBerry Bridge le añadís funcionalidades de BES (ya sea Exchange, MDaemon,…) o si tenéis la sincronización de calendario o contactos con Gmail o hotmail que nos permite BIS, lo que obtenemos es todo sincronizado al mismo tiempo inalámbricamente y al instante, sin cable alguno. Con BlackBerry Bridge si que es necesario tener un smartphone BlackBerry, pero para acceder a la red NO.

Así que lo dicho ayer lo probamos e hicimos una prueba rápida de conectar un dispositivo no BlackBerry con BlackBerry PlayBook y acceder a la red mediante el plan de datos del dispositivo. El dispositivo con el que enlazamos BlackBerry PlayBook fue con un Samsung Galaxy S. Con un par de imágenes veréis dicho emparejamiento y como se BlackBerry PlayBook tenía acceso su conexión de internet:

Una vez enlazados los dispositivo ya pudimos navegar con el Browser de BlackBerry PlayBook, navegar por BlackBerry App World, etc…

Espero que dicha entrada solvente alguna que otra duda y algún que otro comentario que he oído o leído que BlackBerry PlayBook necesita forzosamente una dispositivo Smartphone BlackBerry para acceder a la red.

Jabra Halo Bluetooth Headphones $35.99 Today Only @Amazon

While I personally prefer my Plantronics BackBeat 905 Bluetooth headphones the Jabra Halo competition is pretty impressive. David reviewed the Jabra Halo a year and a half ago and gave it a great rating when it cost $130. Now we just learned that Amazon has the Jabra Halo as its Gold Box deal today for $35.99 which is $18 off the current regular price. Not a bad deal if you are looking for a decent set of Bluetooth stereo headphones.

You can pick them up here on Amazon’s Gold Box page or directly here

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