With a title like that I'm sure some of you out there are asking why would I want to clear my address book? Well, let's face it even though BlackBerry does a good job of contacts synchronization through Outlook and various other methods, unless you are on a BES it has a tendency to wreak havoc on occassion.

Duplicate entries, missing email addresses or just general chaos can happen. This is a quick and easy guide to show you how to remove your whole contact database without removing wanted items such as calendar entries or needing to wipe your whole OS. 

Way back when (nearly two years ago) we posted a BlackBerry 101 article on creating and editing sound profiles on your BlackBerry. Well as the OS has progressed, so have the profile options and we figured it was time to take another look at just how to get your profiles setup. Seasoned BlackBerry vets will most likely already know all about using profiles, but new users still constantly have questions on just how to get all their notifications and alerts up and running. Take a look at the video above to get yourself on the right track.

For older OS versions (which vary slightly), you can still check out our original article on Creating and Editing Profiles and Notifications. If you're a Tour or Storm user on OS 4.7, you will be missing some of the newer options, but can take a look at this post to see how to get the most out of your profile settings.

• Creating and Editing Profiles and Notifications (for older devices/OS versions >>
• Customize Sound Profiles on the BlackBerry Tour and Storm Running OS 4.7 >>
  
• How to Download and Install Ringtones on Your BlackBerry >> 

One of the most forgotten features in the BlackBerry OS has to be Bedside Mode. This feature was first introduced on the BlackBerry Bold 9000 and is on all devices featuring version 4.6 > software. Many users swear by it, while others don't even know it exists. There really isn't much to setting it up, but it can come in handy if you're like me and use your device as an alarm clock or don't turn it off when you go to sleep (but let's be honest, what BlackBerry addict does?). Bedside Mode is a great way to tweak your device with some quick settings that will activate when the device is charging. You can choose to disable the LED, turn off radio, dim the screen and more. The device will automatically enter Bedside Mode when a charger is attached, and if you're at your desk or in a car or anywhere you don't want to activate the feature, you can easily exit simply by pressing the back button. Check out the video above for a quick look at setting up and using Bedside Mode on your BlackBerry Smartphone.

When groups first popped up with the release of BlackBerry Messenger 5.0, there was no documention about them at all, and everyone pretty much had to figure it out on their own. Over time, those that chose to use groups got a pretty good handle on everything. I for one love the functionality of the BlackBerry Messenger Groups (although I didn't at first) and use them every day. The ability to easily share photos, calendars and lists makes some of my daily tasks as well as communicating with family and friends much easier. Take a look at thie video above to get a better idea of what groups can do, and see if you've been missing out on any of the cool integration.

If you haven't had the opportunity to restore the OS on your BlackBerry, you're lucky. Seeing a blank screen with "App Error 523" or something similar is not a pretty sight. Granted, it's a much less common sight these days then it was a few years back (how many of you reading can remember installing a OS 4.2 theme on a 8700 running 4.0? oops!) and it's really not that bad of a thing - you can always get up and running again if you know what to do. You can think of the process of reloading your BlackBerry's operating system as a CrackBerry right of passage.

With OS leaks still popping up on an almost daily basis, we thought maybe it was time we update our original  How to Reload the OS on a Nuked or Bricked BlackBerry tutorial with a video of the process that would make things even easier to understand should you encounter the need to fix your BB from scratch. Since everyone complained about how crappy the quality on some of my previous A to Z videos were, I busted out my new HD camcorder and did up this walktrough. So if you have no place to turn and just can't get your device up and running, check out this quick video and get back on your feet. Hopefully you won't need to do this, but if you do, this should help.

This 101 comes courtesy of probigeorge11 and michaelwpg. 

Alright children, settle down, class is now in session. As of the update to version 5.0.1, we now have the ability to configure our BlackBerry as an IP Modem for tethering. Today's lesson will be based around how to set up your BlackBerry as an IP Modem, using the new version of Desktop Manager, referred to as DM for the purposes of this lesson.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: *Tethering is a service offered by your carrier. Tethering without a tethering plan can incur large costs. Make sure you consult with your carrier before using your BlackBerry as a modem*

We will attempt to make this as simple and straightforward as possible, walking through step by step.

Having trouble upgrading the new OS leak that you just downloaded for your device? Many users are beginning to see the error that states "Only active BlackBerry subscribers are entitled to install this upgrade". If you are killing yourself trying to install the OS and can't seem to be able to get past this stage, well we have a fix for you. Check out this quick walkthrough and you'll be up and running in no time.

BlackBerry Messenger has come a long way over the years. The latest version of BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 has tons of great features to make BlackBerry to BlackBerry messaging easier and more productive. Things like barcodes, groups, recent updates and avatars all add to the BBM flair and step up the game. Here we will take a cruise through all the aspects of BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 (keep in mind that some screens may vary, as this 101 is described using OS 5.0)

Today we are looking a procedure that most of us will do at one time or another while owning a BlackBerry which is unlocking. Keep in mind, this will only work on GSM devices, or "World Phones" like the 8830WE, Storm or Tour. If you are like me, you will sometimes want a BlackBerry from another carrier to run on your own carrier. Or maybe you want to sell it and increase resale value while opening yourself up to more potential buyers. All you need to do is get an unlock code and follow our quick session and your on your way!

[ Note from Kevin: We know a lot of you were excited to see the Facebook note and tweet from @BlackBerry today that Desktop Manager for Mac was now available. While that didn't pan out and it's not officially available yet, we figured we'd bring you a little DM for Mac fix via a BlackBerry 101 article. Our pal Gary Mazo, VP and Partner of Made Simple Learning put this one together, which will actually be a chapter in their future BlackBerry books. But you're getting it here first for free! Thanks Gary!! ]

For years, Windows users have enjoyed the seamless Synchronoization of their contacts, calendar, notes and tasks with their PC via the BlackBerry® Desktop Manager Software. Now, for the first time, this "piece of mind" that comes with knowing your data is fully "backed up" is available to the Mac® user.

If you are a Windows user, this will seem familiar, yet very much streamlined for the Mac. If you have never used BlackBerry Desktop Manager, you will now be able to not only synchronize your data, but you will be able to backup, restore, Sync your iTunes® playlists and more.

Brought to you by James Sanders of SLRJAM.COM - SLRJAM - is Photography in Action!

So you have this great idea to take some pictures and decided today is the day to get it right!

Ok what do I want to take a picture of and will it work? Hmmm - you have to decide on the topic and if its a moving object, person, animal, landscape etc. Why? Because the light is different with all of these topics and its important to qualify your subject.

And you have to decide on your weapon of choice. So lets see Blackberry 8300x series, 8900, 9000, Storm, Tour all have camera's and your hand dandy Pearl. For the most part you are going to be operating on a 2 mega-pixel base line here which will take a pretty great shot despite what all the camera manufacturers will tell you.

Now, lets make sure you have an SD Card inserted or enough room on your phone to get the job done (4GB card should do the trick, but there are bigger ones out now, like 8GB and 16GB) 

Ok Great! Now get out your BlackBerry and let's take some pictures!

Recently, UberTwitter launched their latest Beta which included the capability to upload videos taken on your BlackBerry Smartphone to a video hosting service called TwitVid. Now while I was rather glad to see the inclusion of such a service, the service is not really ready for full on BlackBerry usage in the fact the videos you upload and tweet to your Twitter account--are not even viewable on your BlackBerry. I'm sure you can see the problem here.

So in my venture to find a service which would indeed be compatible for both uploading--and viewing said uploaded videos on your BlackBerry, I was lead to MobyPicture. MobyPicture is a video, audio, image hosting service which is ever growing in popularity due to the fact it meshes with so many social networks and micro blogging systems it will make your head spin. Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Wordpress, Flickr, Youtube--really, I could go on but you get the point.

Your new BlackBerry Smartphone (maybe a Tour?!) is in your hand and you're ready to go. You want to check the weather, hop on Twitter, listen to streaming radio and play some games. Once you're initiated, getting apps onto your BlackBerry is an easy process, but if you're new to BlackBerry it's not quite as readily intuitive as it could be. Just how do you get all those apps installed and running? There are few good options out there for browsing, purchasing and installing applications. Two of our favorite one-stop browse/shop solutions are BlackBerry App World and the CrackBerry App Stores, and to stay on top of what's new and what's offered at the best price you'll want to have both installed on your device. Another option you'll often run into in the world of apps is downloading directly from independent developer sites. Below we'll take a quick run through these three options so you can start filing up your homescreen and folders with apps, apps, apps!

School is in session once again ladies and gents!  Today's lesson will be on "How to Setup your BlackBerry to Sync with Outlook."  I see this question come up quite a few times and I also see that this could have saved a lot of people from having to start from scratch with their contacts, notes, calendars and tasks.  I'm using a Bold on 5.0, but this shouldn't matter for all those with 4.2 or better.  For the desktop manager, I'm using 4.6.  The desktop manager may be slightly different depending on your version, but once you have 4.5 or better you shouldn't see too much variation.  What you'll need to get started: Your BlackBerry device, BlackBerry Desktop Manager and a USB cable.

Hello Class, today we're going to learn one of the most important procedures concerning your BlackBerry, but also one of the easiest. As CrackBerry Nation knows, RIM is constantly developing and testing new software for all of its devices. So as true CrackBerry addicts, we like to keep up with the latest and greatest. Today's lesson is another step-by-step guide on upgrading your device's Operating System(OS) using the Application Loader method. We already have a BlackBerry 101 that guides you through the upgrade process using RIM's BlackBerry Desktop Manager software, but for many new to BlackBerry owners the AppLoader method is a bit simpler with less chance for error. Let the lesson begin!