CrackBerry's guide to the best free apps for your BlackBerry smartphone.

Looking for the best free BlackBerry apps? You've come to the right place. There are loads of great free apps for your BlackBerry that are just a few clicks away. There are great media apps like Slacker Radio and Pandora, utilities like BeBuzz and Dropbox, social networking apps like Twitter, Facebook and foursquare, and many more. While your device has some great stuff out of the box, you'll surely want to load up some more apps before long. Keep reading and we'll check out some of the best free BlackBerry apps to get you started.

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It's here it's here! Today is opening day for the Major League Baseball season and fans everywhere are getting ready for a great season (hopefully). The team shirts are washed and the gloves are ready as we get set for another great year of baseball. And while you may be geared up, is your BlackBerry ready to go along for the ride? Keep reading to make sure you have all the best baseball apps to carry you through the season.

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I’ve always been fascinated with certain languages, more so no that I’m older. Learning in school was boring and trying learn as an adult is a bit challenging, though I don’t think it needs to be. In the past I’ve picked up some of those books with CDs, those can be quite fun as takes you away from the boring, mundane business of learning grammar rules that you get taught in schools. Looking back at how I learned to understand and speak my parents native language (tagalog), I never had to write things down or learn grammar rules. Simply by listening to them have conversations or even speak to me, I would slowly pick up what certain words meant. At the beginning I didn’t necessarily know what the whole sentence meant word for word but I did understand what they were telling me. And I eventually learnt how to answer them back in tagalog as opposed to english. That takes me to the Learn series from S4BB. A few months ago I took a look at Learn French, this time I’ve been learning Chinese. Keep reading to take a closer look at the app.

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The Natwest Mobile Banking app is one of my most used apps on my BlackBerry phone. I use it everyday, making sure my balance is in check and not being used frivorously. It has only been about a month since we last saw an update but today, I am happy to announce that it has recently been updated to v1.3 and it brings a feature a lot of people have been wanting since it was first released. The update now allows you to make payments from the app. However, you can only make payments to accounts already set up through online banking. So if you haven't yet set any up then you'll have to get those set up first before they will show up in the app.

It certainly is a welcome update and if you're a Natwest customer and haven't downloaded this app yet, get to it now. It is available for BlackBerry smartphones with OS 5.0 and above.

More information and to download the Natwest Mobile Banking app for BlackBerry

One of the most addicting games I have on my BlackBerry device is Xploding Boxes by Ebscer, so addicting that I also got it for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Ebscer have now released a new game that is just as addicting -- Runaway Trains for the PlayBook. It’s a simple concept but you can find yourself getting carried away and losing ‘track’ of time.

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"This app is very easy, I use it all the time. Photo Editor Extreme is one of the best photo apps out there for BB. Love it!" - Johaira1379 App World Review

I use my BlackBerry often to snap pictures day to day. I wouldn't call myself a photographer but I like to snap photos of my cats and anything interesting that catches my eye. I also like to try out photo editing apps. Whlie there are many to be found within App World, only a few stay on my device. One photo editing app I have found to be a favourite of mine is the popular photo editing app from Pepper.pk. The Photo Editor app has updated recently and has been improved to given a new name too. The update brings us to version 3 and is now called Photo Editor Extreme. It brings with it a few new features including Doodle and BBM integration.

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Barclays have release a mobile banking app called Pingit for BlackBerry smartphones. While a lot banks have been releasing apps where you can view your bank balance as well as transfer money, you could only do this between your own accounts. The Barclays Pingit app goes a step further and allows you to send money to other Barclay customers as well as non-Barclay customers. Better yet transfering money is as easy as sending a text.

To be able to use the app you must register your bank details as well as your UK mobile number and then you can start sending money to your phone contacts simply by sending a text. If you will be sending to a non-Barclays customers they must also register in order to receive payments via text.

App Features: 

• It's free to download and use - and sending money is secure, done in seconds and shown on your Barclays bank statement
• You'll need a BlackBerry smartphone with internet access
• You need to be a UK resident, have a UK-registered mobile number and be aged 18 or over
• Non-Barclays customers with a current account can only receive payments - but soon they'll be able to send money too
• When you receive a payment through Barclays Pingit, your full registered name will be made visible to the sender of the payment 

So, after a long hiatus, I'm back!! I've been away for wayyyy too long, but after the announcement last week I have had a lot of emails come my way and one that was quite popular is frustrations over the BlackBerry Podcast app. 

One reader writes:

I know this may be a question for the forums, and I apologize for the length of this email but I feel like I need a place to vent while finding help in the process so please hear me out. My BlackBerry Podcast app has been used daily and worked flawlessly up until about 2 weeks ago. Now every download fails. EVERY DOWNLOAD FAILS! FRUSTRATING! In trying to find support, I sent an email to the address listed in app world which has done nothing, I've searched every forum I could find which seems to lead only to dead ends and empty threads, and I've tried using Twitter and talking to BlackBerryHelp, which only asked what my error message was and then the help went cold. The only method I have not used yet is the support phone number from RIM because I don't want to be charged a $50 incident fee. It got me thinking: why is it so difficult to get a hold of RIM for support for their own apps? Is there a method out there that I'm not aware of for support for programs created by RIM itself that won't require me to give a credit card number up front? Third party developers have been fantastic at help when I have questions or problems but it's near impossible to get a tenth of the help for a smartphone issue that is RIM specific and not carrier related. It's a shame, because when I had an issue with my PlayBook support couldn't have been better.

Thanks for the help and for letting me vent, hopefully this leads to some help for anyone in a similar situation.

- John 

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When you're not on an unlimited data or calling plan and you like to keep an eye on your usage to make sure you don't go over your allowance, there isn't always a simple way to do. Not with some UK networks anyway. I don't really want to have to call a number to check my balance or data allowance or have to login on the website from my phone. I would prefer be able to check it from my BlackBerry via an app. Today Vodafone released their My Vodafone app which is available for UK customers. The app allows you to:

• See how much inclusive allowance you've used if you're a pay monthly customer
• See how much credit you have remaining if you're a pay as you go customer
• See your price plan information
• Get answers to the most frequently asked questions
• Locate BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots 
• See how many megabytes or messages you've used in the current period

A few things to note though. It is not available to business customers as of yet and new customers will need to wait until after their first bill to see account information. Also, the allowance shown is not given in real time. As with most networks it is normally the allowance from the last 48 hours -- make sure you keep this in mind. 

The My Vodafone app is available for BlackBerry devices with OS 4.0 and above. 

More information / Download My Vodafone app from App World 

The time of year has come where I am once again commuting regularly. So with hour long journeys I need to find something to do during that time. There's a whole of list of things I could do - read a book, watch a show/movie on my BlackBerry, listening to music, sleep ... I could go on but I shant instead I'll tell you what I do first, I check out the news. Instead of picking up the free papers from the station and get my hands stained with ink, I take out my BlackBerry and open up the Sky News app. It's a great way to catch up with the news throughout the day too.

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When popular titles from other platforms make their way onto BlackBerry we tend to get rather excited, and for me that was definitely the case when Backbreaker 2 Vengeance arrived in BlackBerry AppWorld for the BlackBerry PlayBook. For those unfamiliar with this title it is a football game but with its very own style, you aren't playing team verse team but instead it is a 1 on 1 style game play.  You can chose whether to take an offensive stance in which you need to avoid getting tackled and make it through some obstacles to score a touchdown or you can go for the defensive approach and prevent the computer from being able to score on you. 

The game utilizes both on screen controlls as well as the gyroscope of the device so you will have to tilt the device from side to side to control where your player goes. With the on screen controls you can juke left and right as well as spins in each direction, and if you are feeling really good about passing the defenders you can showboat a little as well for some extra points.

What I like most about the game is that you aren't playing a four quarter full length game here, but instead quick little matches so if you want to pick it up for a few minutes and then put it back down you are able to do so. For only $2.99 you can have yourself a game with amazing graphics, interactive game play and hours of fun. Hit the link below for full details and to grab a copy for yourself.

More information / purchase of Backbreaker 2 Vengeance 

After struggling with previous versions of the Dingleberry jailbreak, I'm happy to say that version 3 works like a freakin' charm. It bundles a downgrader, so you can get your PlayBook into a prime jailbreaking state, and Dingleberry handles all of the backing up and restoring on its own. So, what can you do with root access on a BlackBerry PlayBook? Well, there's some neat stuff going on with USB host capabilities, but the most obvious application right now is direct access to the Android Market. Sure, you can sideload the apps if you acquire them through less-than-savory means, but Android Market access means you can easily download anything you've already paid - provided it works. 

There's a teeny, tiny caveat, though. PlayBook 2.0 is still very much beta, and seeing as RIM isn't even intending on providing access to the Android Market, opting instead to get developers to repackage their creations for App World. Notifications actually work well in the few apps that manage to load, but for the most part, anytyhing downloaded through Google's mobile software portal perform inconsistently at best. Generally, anything you get will simply force close as soon as you open it, but there are a few gems tucked away that perform admirably. That said, here are the best Android Market apps I've been able to run on a jailbroken BlackBerry PlayBook. 

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Did you get a new BlackBerry for the holidays? Not sure just where to start? Not to worry, we're here to help.

The Holidays have been very nice for us here at the CrackBerry team. Based on what I've seen on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, it's been a nice Holiday season for many of you, too. We've seen lots of updates and Tweets about people receiving both BlackBerry Smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBooks. Now that you've got your brand-new BlackBerry device, you're going to want to learn how to use it. As our Fearless Leader Kevin said on our last CrackBerry Podcast, BlackBerry is for smart people. Smart people read CrackBerry, and we've got you covered.

At CrackBerry.com, we keep you up-to-date with the latest in applications, devices, accessories, and how-to guides about our favorite smartphone. This year, BlackBerry released its 7" tablet; in February, the PlayBook is scheduled to become more awesomer with the addition of on-device email, calendar, and other enhancements.

You're already familiar with BlackBerry's unsurpassed ability to communicate - Research In Motion mastered mobile email and security a decade ago - but what else can your BlackBerry do for you? We've put together our best app recommendations, how-to guides and all around BlackBerry goodness for your viewing pleasure.

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We're on the final stretch to Christmas and no doubt you'll be taking lots of pictures of your parties and events using your BlackBerry smartphone. You will also proabably end up sharing and sending to friends and family. Before you do, why not give those photos a quick edit using Photo Studio, a great photo editing studio app for you BlackBerry for avid photographers. You can add frames and effects to your photos, as well as change the brightness, hue, saturation etc.

Photo Studio has recently been updated and new features include: 

• BBM Connected, now you can share your photo directly from Photo Studio.
• New 55 frames in Christmas Pack 1 and Christmas Pack 2.
• New effects in Effects Pack (Sharpen and 6 Lens effects).
• New output formats: normal and large, save photos with better quality.
• Crop improvements with several selection modes.
• UI improvements, bug-fix and more. 

There is a whole selection of effects that you can choose from Vintage to Sketch to Blur. To fit the occassion there are also Christmas frames to choose from. You also have the ability to crop and rotate your photos. There is a free version and a PRO version. The free version includes a basic effects pack and simple frames. Add-ons can be downloaded and purchased to give you more options. The PRO version includes ‘Effects Pack 1', ‘Frames Pack 1', 'Christmas Frames 1' and 'Christmas Frames 2'.

Contest: The developer of Photo Studio, Kvad Group, would like to give 30 free copies of Photo Studio PRO to CrackBerry readers. All you have to do is leave a comment below. The contest ends Sunday midnight PST. Good luck! 

More information / Purchase Photo Studio PRO 

 

If you're looking for a game to keep you busy over the Christmas holiday season then why not try the fruit slicing and dicing game, Fruit Ninja Bash by Pepper.pk. The game premise is that you're a Ninja off to on a quest to slicing all the fruit across China that have been poisoned by the evil spirit Orochi. You must restore all the fruit gardens back to their former glory. So, let's get those finger sharpened and get swiping slicing some fruit.

There's Story Mode where you are a Ninja on the quest. Beware the bombs that get thrown into the mix. Slice three bombs and it's game over. You are also given five lives. If you fail to slice a fruit then that's a life gone. You can also rack up combos by slicing three or more fruit in one swipe. You will also find a pepper thrown in the mix that will give you 100 points if you can get it.

A recent update of the game brought about Arcade mode where you just enjoy playing the game with no quest. You still have to avoid the bombs and you still have five lives. 

Fruit Ninja Bash is currently on sale through App World for $0.99. So, hurry while the price cut is still available.

More information / Purchase Fruit Ninja Bash 

Contest: The developer of Fruit Ninja Bash, Pepper.pk, has sent us 50 free copies to pass on to you guys! To enter, leave a comment below. The contest ends Sunday at midnight PST. Good luck!