We've been hearing about this for a while now and while it can still go under the rumors section considering no announcement has been made about it. Despite it not being official just yet, it's been something that has been in the pipe forever anyways as the details of BIS 2.5 and 2.6 already gave way to what exactly RIM's plans are for upcoming BIS iterations. The rumors at this point are that BIS 3.0 is coming in 2010 and shortly following the 3.0 launch, BIS 3.1 will be rolled out to consumers with a whole slew of new features.

BIS 3.0 (March 2010):

• Improved the Gmail plugin
• Synchronization deleted messages, read / unread and sent between the box and your own Gmail (so far worked only in the opposite direction)
• The ability to add and remove labels from your device 

BIS 3.1 (Soon after): 

• Synchronize Google Calendar
• Synchronize your address book from Hotmail account
• Synchronize your address book from Yahoo
• Yahoo mailbox will cause an automatic download of Yahoo messenger on the device
  

All these features would be welcomed changes for sure but I'm positive these are not the only great changes we will see. New BIS features should include a lot more that what has been listed here but until an official statement comes out from Research In Motion we'll just have to sit back and wait.

[ BBNews.pl /BerryReview ]

In the short time it has been out Wordpress for BlackBerry has seen some significant changes happen to the beta. Updates have remained and consistent and bug fixes have been put into effect almost instantly. Having updated the application to version 0.9.0.169 Wordpress claims they are almost out of beta now and the application sure is testament to that claim. New in 0.9.0.169:

• Based on all the great feedback, we reworked much of the UI layout for the main view, blog view, and media view
• Ability to upload videos from your media library
• New option to set media file properties (filename, caption, title, and position)
• Created a new file browser that resembles the native BlackBerry file browser
• Big improvements in the speed at which you can view and manage comments
• Lots of optimizations for uploading photos and videos using base64 encoding
• Indonesian language support updated thanks to Kate of Pixel Insert
• Improved French language support thanks to Yann Nave of blog.onbebop.net

The inclusion of video updating alone is a huge jump for Automattic but with all the other improvements I'm sure many people are looking forward to version 1.0's release.

• Download And Intall Wordpress For BlackBerry Today>>

At the 2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference it was made clear on more than one occasion that to build better BlackBerry apps and maximize your app's awareness (and downloads/sales) you need to embrace all delivery channels (App World, Mobihand, etc.) and especially engage BlackBerry enthusiast sites such as CrackBerry.com.

During one DevCon session in particular, mention was made of a free service we offer here at CrackBerry that not all developers were aware of but encouraged to take advantage of, and that is getting your own dedicated forum within our CrackBerry forums. The BlackBerry Software and Service Companies forum is the place for developers to maintain a presence and reach out to our enthusiast community. Read on for more details!

Is there such thing as a bad excuse for a party? Birthday, Anniversary, a new BlackBerry Smartphone launched; these are all good reasons to throw a shindig. Though get togethers happen all year ‘round, it seems as though they are bigger and more elaborate around this particular time. Though they are an absolutely fantastic source of fun, family and friends, they can add stress to the slowly increasing hustle and bustle.

Your BlackBerry is to the rescue and it’s bringing a legion of applications to support you. Spend less time stressing and more time creating a party that will be talked about for years to come. Have a look at the list of applications after the jump and see if they will help you sharpen your planning prowess.

Howdy folks! Hope everyone out there in CrackBerry Nation had a solid week. No fussin' about this week as I'm getting right down to business. Covered this week in the roundup are the following titles:

In Case You Missed It: eBay Mobile for BlackBerry Coming Soon, ZBook OTA Phonebook Backup, Urbanspoon for BlackBerry, Craigslist App for BlackBerry Coming Soon

New This Week: clap'nSeek, BeDroid Theme, Memo Mosaic, MemoryFlash

Apps on Sale: Empower SMS Viewer, Ace Email Viewer, IM+ All-in-One Messenger, Mobile Auction Manager for eBay, NetworkAcc Mobile Network Accelerator

Cool at BlackBerry App World: Tetris

Freebie of the Week: UberTwitter

This one is for all you vlingo lovin' BlackBerry Storm2 users out there. You'll be glad to know that vlingo has updated their great application to be compatible with your device. All Storm 5.0 OS users can grab the update from the vlingo site direct as we wait for it to be loaded into BlackBerry App World and if you are a premium vlingo user, you'll be glad to know it keeps all your settings intact. No need to reconfigure the application upon installation. If you are new to vlingo, give it shot it's a great application you just may find useful.

• More Information And Downloads Available Via The vlingo Website >>

Elecite has got another piece of mind blowing theme available for everyone, even for Storm OS 5.0 users which is bug-free now that theme builder 5.0 has been launched. From the description on Stasis:

It’s safe to say that few themes leave an impression the way Stasis does. The attention to detail is astonishing – every piece masterfully crafted to create an almost organic look. In the middle you’ll find a hatch that opens to reveal 6 customizable icons as well as 5 quick access icons depending on your knob choice. The theme is animated to show how the hatch contents switch and rotate the vents and chambers. Can your iPhone do that?

For those of you concerned with OS compatibility, Stasis comes in 2 versions for the Storm, one build specifically for OS 4.7, and another for 5.0 so you won’t have to worry about seeing any weird issues. Go get this killer theme and blow everyone away!

Stasis is currently available for the BlackBerry 8350, 8500, 8900, 9000, 9500 (OS 4.7 or 5.0), 9600 & 9700 series devices for only $6.99.

• Head On Over To Elecite For Downloads And More Screenshots Of Stasis In Action >>

With the launch of the new BlackBerry Theme Builder 5.0 and all its new options implemented, it should come as no surprise that Research In Motion is putting a lot of attention on its release. We have been hearing for months now that Theme Builder (formerly known as Plazmic Content Developers Kit) was being brought "in house" in an effort to get it up to par where users thought it should be.

The 5.0 release has brought us that much closer and while it's still not perfect, I cannot really think of any software that is. Perfection in the software industry is a myth. But at least some of the major bugs have been addressed, such as the Storm theme bug. With the new efforts in regards to Theme Builder 5.0 now in full force the Inside BlackBerry Blogs have started up a series of posts to assist users with learning just how to use it to the full potential. While it's just the first of many I'm sure we will see, it's well worth a look as a lot of effort has been put into it. If you have any interest in making your own themes I highly suggest reading up on it - the Inside BlackBerry team did a great job on it.

• Read The Full Article On The Inside BlackBerry Blogs >>
• Check Out Theme Builder Tutorial Video Available >>
• Sign Up For The BlackBerry DeveloperZone For Free >>

The NBA season is in full swing, and what better to way to keep up than to follow along on your BlackBerry. With the NBA Game Time app from NBA Digital (built by those xtreme labs guys again - check out the Dev Con video above), you never have to miss a beat. The biggest feature is live scores, stats and standings for the entire league, but add in live radio broadcasts and you've got it all. Video clips, schedules, player cards and more. It's all packed in and ready to keep you up to date all season long. The app works on all devices and is available in BlackBerry App World for $9.99. There is also a slimmed-down free version available.

• More information on NBA Game Time 2009-2010 >>

The Schlage LiNK system is one of the coolest BlackBerry accessories around, and they have been honored with the CES 2010 Design and Engineering Award. The award recognizes achievements in product design and is judged by a panel of independent judges in a variety of categories. The system features a wireless lock and deadbolt, wireless cameras and lighting and temperature controls that can all be used from anywhere via your BlackBerry. For more information on the Schlage LiNK system, check out our original review. The Schlage team will again be at CES in January to demonstrate the system, and we can only hope they add on more cool components. Read the full press release below.

And another HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Schlage for being a prize sponsor in our I Love My BlackBerry Video Contest. They're hooking up our grand prize winner Matt Galo with the LiNK system (still more iluvmybb video shoutouts to come, and if you participated in the contest we'll be emailing you next week re: prizes).

It looks like some of you original BlackBerry Storm owners that are looking to upgrade to a new Storm2 may be in luck. It seems that Verizon is sending out emails to some customers letting them know that they can upgrade early at no extra cost to a shiny new Storm2 to or a even a DROID (if you want to defect to the dark side). No major details on the promo or who exactly can upgrade, but good news regardless. The new device will be subject to a 2-year contract and come with a $100 mail-in rebate. Thanks to everyone that sent this in.

Someone’s in a giving mood! Sam from Fonware contacted me to let me know that their ShortcutMe application has been updated. To recap, ShortcutMe is an application that allows you to create multiple shortcuts on each convenience key. So click once for one app, click twice for another, click three times…you get the idea. If you want more info you can check out our full ShortCutMe Review here. Here’s what you can find in version 3.6.8.1:

• Support for Storm 2, Bold 9700 and generally OS 5.0
• New Bluetooth toggling feature that is faster and doesn’t require parameter settings
• Toggle Bedside Mode using shortcuts. Set "BedsideModeToggle" to one of your multiple click shortcuts (i.e. click left conv. key 3 times before you sleep to save battery and stop messages from waking you up. Click conv. key 3 times again when you wake up), or set it as one of your main shortcuts (launch by for example clicking conv key + T B)
• Toggle application using shortcuts. Set "ApplicationToggle" to one of your multiple click shortcuts (i..e. double click left conv key to toggle between last 2 apps you have been using), or set it as one of your main shortcuts
• Faster response time

CONTEST: We have 10 free copies as well as 40 50% off copies to give away. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. Contest ends this Sunday at Midnight PST. Please only leave one comment - multiple submissions won't count.

ShortCutMe sells for $4.99. You can learn more about ShortCutMe and purchase it here.

Vayyoo has been hard at work with getting the latest version of vPost ready for launch. While still in beta right now, the folks from Vayyoo have decided to take it to public beta and make it available for everyone. Lots of new features are to be found in the latest release including a lot more social media integration and support for OS 5.0 devices. Check out the full list of changes below:

• Address book integration: 1)ability to add contacts into vPost; if a picture is present it will be the icon in vPost 2) Ability to vPost a contact from the contact listing.
• Renaming of captured media is simple.
• No size limitations.
• Setup wizard to make getting started easy.
• Inclusion of social networking destinations for one-click sharing.
• Ability to create groups to make sharing amongst family and friends a click away.
• A character counter in the note field.
• New Background.
• 4.5+OS supported (including 5.0 and storms).
• Social Network support for TwitVid, TwitPic, Posterous and many more.

With the new subset of features and upgraded OS support vPost is a great application to capture the moments that are most important to you and share with others. The public beta includes a free 30 day trial account and any updates that come along during the beta, will re-trigger that 30 days until the full release is available.

• Download The Public Beta Of vPost For Your BlackBerry Today>>

ShakeItUp is a brand new application just released by mblware, makers of such apps as BlackBook, mblVault, and mblStats. After install simply shake your Storm or Storm 2 to bring up the ShakeItUp main menu. From here you can choose to create a SMS, email or play a random song from your sd card. While the song is playing you can go ahead and use your device as normal and shake again at anytime to shuffle your songs. I really like this app but want to see better customization with your shake options. Having the ability to select your own apps to add to the shake list would be great, or at least add other messaging apps and the browser. ShakeItUp is compatible with OS 4.7 and 5.0 and is available for $3.99 via the CrackBerry App Store.

Contest: We have 100 free copies to give away. Just leave a comment on this post to enter. Contest ends this Sunday at Midnight PST. Please only leave one comment, multiple entries won't count.

• More information and download of ShakeItUp>>