BlackBerry Bold 9700 Review Roundup
Posted in Software Reviews on 05 Nov 2009 12:15 by Kevin Michaluk | 24 comments

The interwebs have been filling up with review coverage of the BlackBerry Bold 9700, which is now beginning to roll out to carriers around the globe (you'll need to check to see if your carrier has it yet). With so much content out there, and even CrackBerry.com doing up multiple reviews, I figured a little roundup of some links would be useful. And for those who have bought one already, how do you do like it? Sound off in the comments!

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ActionPad for BlackBerry
Posted in Software Reviews on 03 Nov 2009 09:57 by Ryan Blundell | 16 comments

actionpad

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to rely on my BlackBerrys memo pad application. Well maybe I could, but that’s beside the point. It’s always there to help you jot quick, yet important, information down and offers easy accessibility. It sure beats scrounging for scraps of paper, or even an actual memo pad to write on. I also pity the person who has to decipher my handwriting (I’m sure my signature has been mistaken for a prescription on many occasions). Despite it’s usefulness for capturing info on the go, its functionality is somewhat limited. As much as we love our BlackBerrys, we may find ourselves saying “Wouldn’t it be great if *insert application name* could do…” at times.

ActionPad is a beefier, meatier version of your native MemoPad. In other words, it serves up the functionality of MemoPad, with a side dish of features. These features include: hot keys, categories, desktop synchronization and memo encryption. Let’s see you do that with a pad of yellow sticky paper. Read on for more.

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GPSed: Map your impressions
Posted in Software Reviews on 27 Oct 2009 14:16 by Ryan Blundell | 11 comments

GPSed

Oh look, another postcard. It’s a cheesy, yet thoughtful way to share your global adventure with your friends or family. I don’t see them that often anymore, but they are fun to receive, aren’t they? There’s always a friend or relative out there, exploring the globe and discovering new places. These postcards are a window into their world, but they don’t truly capture it. The picture rarely gives a personal vision of their adventure. It’s one thing to read their stories and imagine. It’s another thing to see it. Perhaps you want to follow in their foot steps. Perhaps you want to strike out on your own voyage. Whether it be across the ocean or across town, why not blaze a trail for everyone to see?

Though it’s been out for a while, I turned to GPSed to mark my path. GPSed helps you record and archive your potentially world spanning treks with your BlackBerry smartphone. Along the way, you can capture and share images you’ve taken to enhance your tales of travel (I told you the fish was that big!). You’ll spend less time picking and filling out postcards and more time making tracks. Is GPSed your next travel companion? Read on to decide.

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CrackBerry Mobile App Store Client A to Z
Posted in Software Reviews on 23 Oct 2009 17:40 by Adam Zeis | 7 comments

With the last A to Z we checked out BlackBerry App World, and in the comments to that post it was requested that I also do an A to Z of the CB app store client. So now, by popular demand, it's time to see how the CrackBerry App Store gets the job done. This one is a bit longer (since there was more to pack in) but covers all the aspects of CrackBerry's app store client. There are many compelling reasons as to why you should keep a copy of the CrackBerry App Store on your BlackBerry. Watch the video above to find out why or jump over to crackberry.com/appstore to learn more and download. Don't forget, in addition to the to the on-device client, there is also the mobile-optimized webstore (crackberryappstore.com) and our full-out computer-optimized app store (click on App Store on our main menu). You can learn more about them at second link below.

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buzzd, a social city guide on your BlackBerry
Posted in Software Reviews on 21 Oct 2009 14:24 by Ryan Blundell | 13 comments

buzzd

Ah, Friday night…okay so it’s not actually Friday night, but work with me. You’ve had a tiring week, you’ve put in long hours and your diligence has paid off. You leave work quickly before you’re dragged back in. The city is hustling and bustling with newly freed life, desperate to get home. You finally flop on your couch and put your feet up, when your BlackBerry rings. Your best friend is calling, wanting to shake off the week with you; they ask the all important question you’ve been waiting to hear: “What do you want to do?” The elation from your face quickly disappears, as your puzzled sounding response is delivered.

“I dunno, what do you want to do?”

It’s funny that, with all of the numerous bars, restaurants and other events happening around you, you seem to draw a blank. In the midst of the erupting city life, you wonder if you actually do have a life. As buzzd promises to be your social city guide, I thought it was worth a look at. If your new in town, newly on the scene or just looking for something new to do, check out the buzzd mobile app. Your City. Real Time.

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ScanLife: the 2D Barcode Reader
Posted in Software Reviews on 13 Oct 2009 10:22 by Ryan Blundell | 28 comments

ScanLife

On October 7th, 1952, the first patent for a “Classifying Apparatus and Method” was issued. This eventually developed into the barcodes we know today. I mostly associated barcodes with the UPC barcodes found typically on price tags. I never thought too much about what was beyond those boops and beeps. I was surprised to learn the large number of Linear and 2D barcodes that are used for various reasons. Beyond sales, inventory tracking and shipping/receiving, you can utilize codes to encode URLs, characters, images, emails and more.

A few weeks ago, while reading the Metro News (yes I still read actual newspapers), I came across the 2D barcode called EZcode, found within one of their sections. The EZcode links readers to their mobile site and updated editorials. This review isn’t about them, it’s about the free barcode reader I picked up from the BlackBerry App World. It’s about ScanLife. This application is able to read an EZcode, QR Code and Datamatrix / Semacode. ScanLife may not be the life you want to live, so have a read and see if it’s for you.

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A to Z with BlackBerry App World
Posted in Software Reviews on 09 Oct 2009 11:48 by Adam Zeis | 30 comments


BlackBerry App World is a few months old and seems to be getting better as the weeks go by. The selection of apps is good, but still no themes to be found. There is a good listing of both Top Free and Top Paid apps, as well as categories to browse through. If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a shot. Check out the video for a run-through of all the features. If you missed it previously, you can also read this article on Getting Apps on your BlackBerry which gives an overview of different app store alternatives for BlackBerry along with some of the pros/cons to each. 

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DUB, your mobile business card (for BlackBerry)
Posted in Software Reviews on 06 Oct 2009 12:39 by Ryan Blundell | 38 comments

It may be an exaggeration, but sometimes it feels like my wallet won’t stay folded. It’s not only because of membership, credit and debit cards; it’s all of the business cards I seem to accumulate. I’m not sure how they all get there. Maybe it’s a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. In this case, the hand is nabbing every card in sight. I also know that I’ve lost access to some extremely important contacts, all because of a misplaced card. Besides your wallet, your corkboard or cubicle wall could contain enough business cards to make it look like a shingled roof. A cleaner, greener approach is to use your address book (duh!), but this can be time consuming. For some, vCards could also be an issue. “Here’s your card?” Here’s MY card, compliments of DUB.

By using DUB, you can easily send and receive detailed contact information right from your BlackBerry smartphone. Your risk of outdated contact information is greatly reduced thanks to DUB’s ability to automatically maintain an up to date contact list. So, leave your George Constanza sized wallet at the door and check out DUB.

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BBScanner for BlackBerry Smartphones - Video Review
Posted in Software Reviews on 02 Oct 2009 11:45 by Kevin Michaluk | 25 comments


Forums moderator yester18 took the time to do up this review of BBScanner for us. He goes over the multiple features, feeds, settings and more. If you don't want to shell out over $100 for a full-featured police scanner, this is a great app that lets you listen to a ton of police, fire & EMS radios. BBScanner is available for just $2.99 from BBScanner.com.

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BugMe! for BlackBerry
Posted in Software Reviews on 29 Sep 2009 13:06 by Ryan Blundell | 26 comments

DulyNoted

Oh precious notepad, what would I ever do without you? Well, I’d probably forget a substantial amount more than I already do. Some people are blessed with a sponge for a brain; they’re able to absorb and retain information quickly and easily. Then there are others like myself, who wish they could wring out those gifted sponges in order to mop up the knowledge and keep it in a bucket for future reference. This method is not only inefficient, but it’s also gruesome. Your BlackBerry smartphone, as you already know, has a note pad and task application under its hood. Keeping this in mind, there are also a number of applications you can download to help keep you on top of important dates, projects or whatever you struggle with. One of these applications you can turn to is BugMe!

BugMe! is part notepad, part task manager, part alarm and part nag. Together, these many parts make up an application that allows you to create reminder notes in a cinch. With BugMe!, you will find that you will be creating note and reminders more quickly and easily. Now instead of making a note to check out the review, why not just read it now?

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Yahoo! Fantasy Football '09 A to Z
Posted in Software Reviews on 29 Sep 2009 10:21 by Adam Zeis | 32 comments


We're a few weeks into the football season, and many of you have Yahoo! fantasy teams to track. Why not get the most out of your BlackBerry and use the Y! Fantasy Football '09 app to keep your team going strong. Take a look at the video above for the scoop on the app, and for more information check out Y! Fantasy Football '09 in BlackBerry App World.

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A to Z with BerryBuzz
Posted in Software Reviews on 25 Sep 2009 10:18 by Adam Zeis | 19 comments


** BerryBuzz is today's CrackBerry Deal of the Day - if you like it, you can grab it at half price! **

This is the first in what I hope will be a great resource for the CrackBerry readers. Each week I plan to take an application from A to Z and give a brief and hopefully useful overview/review. Sure you can look at pictures and read reviews all day long, but wouldn't you rather see it in action? I know when I go to pick up an app, I sometimes have specific questions about functions, options etc. and I want to see it live. So I hope to give you a broader look at some of the most popular and newest BlackBerry Apps through the power of video (and a fantastic narrative) as we go from A to Z. 

This week we will start off with what is one of my favorite apps for BlackBerry - BerryBuzz. I won't get into the details here and I'll let the video do the talking. 

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DulyNoted Pro for BlackBerry
Posted in Software Reviews on 22 Sep 2009 08:43 by Ryan Blundell | 71 comments

DulyNoted

How often do you make notes throughout the day? Quite a bit, I would imagine. There’s always something that catches our eyes, even for a second or two. Those that are note-worthy, must be written down before you forget. I know I would. Can you count how many times you said “Where did we find those…” or “What was the name of that place again?” My BlackBerry's note pad has dozens upon dozens of notes that I’ve quickly typed out. I would typically capture the name and basic details, sometimes leaving out location and such. This isn’t a big deal for places you’re familiar with, but what about that small exotic restaurant or boutique you happened to stumble across? Sometimes you drive by a sign that grabs your attention. Even though you try to remember to check it out, you forget where it was…or what it was.

By jogging your memory, DulyNoted will be a string on your finger. Well, a string as in an application…and finger as in your BlackBerry. With DulyNoted, you can create notes that are geotagged. Now you can see where you were when an important note/reminder was made. Travel back there with certainty! Let’s have a closer gander at DulyNoted.

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Sensobi a better address book for your BlackBerry
Posted in Software Reviews on 15 Sep 2009 08:53 by Ryan Blundell | 29 comments


Sensobi

Have you ever actually sat down and looked at your Address Book on your BlackBerry smartphone? I mean “really” sort through it. I bet that there are a good number of contacts that you don’t even need. When was the last time that you talked to so – and – so? You may have some of those contacts; the type that you quickly throw into your address book. They are saved, but forgotten for many reasons; it may be because you think you may need to reach them at some point in time, or you make brief contact and want to talk at a more convenient time. Whatever the reason is, these lost souls occupy your address book and continue to grow. At this point you either keep them or delete them. I try to keep my address book trimmed down, but I always find a stray contact or two that have snuck in.

A while ago, Bla1ze turned my attention to an impressive Address Book alternative that helps you to see who you have talked to, what you’ve said, how often you want to talk and more. This application is called Sensobi Contacts. Rather than trying to remember when you’ve talked to this person last, let Sensobi Contacts fill you in. Lets see Sensobi Contacts in action!

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txtForward: SMS to Email Forwarding
Posted in Software Reviews on 08 Sep 2009 07:57 by Ryan Blundell | 29 comments

txtForward

This may not be the case for everybody but for me, I used to rarely use SMS to communicate. There has only been a slight increase of SMS activity on my BlackBerry smartphone. What’s the reason? There isn’t actually any real reason that I can think of. Most of my wireless communication typically happens via email, phone calls, BlackBerry Messenger or through third party apps. After thinking about it, I may not use SMS that often due to the fact that once it’s deleted, it’s gone. Unless I choose to delete an email from my mailbox and handheld, I will still have the message backed up somewhere. If I’m at work, I’m usually managing my email and such from my desktop. Some departments in my company are actually banning cellphones, due to SMS abuse. Tsk tsk fellow employees - even without your BlackBerry on your desks, you can still use txtForward.

Actually, txtForward, if used with good intentions, could be very beneficial. The application lets you forward received and/or sent messages to an email address of your choice. With txtForward on my BlackBerry, I should text those who may have thought I died a long time ago. If you’re still curious what this application could do for you, read on.

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