Our year-end CrackBerry Podcast is coming up soon (we'll be recording that the week after xmas and before new year's), but in the meantime we have a special surprise for all our loyal listeners out there... a bonus podcast with some special guests! Craig, Adam and myself are NOT on this show, but we do have Bla1ze holding down the reigns with three of our former CrackBerry Idol contestants who are now contributors to CrackBerry - Joseph, Alicia and Kerri! 

Take a listen as the four talk on the BlackBerry news of the week and tackle some reader emails. Keep in mind this one was recorded on Friday (had some technical issues in getting it up but it's all good now). Enjoy the show!

Congrats Dave!!! Welcome to the Team! Let's kick things off with a look back at your CrackBerry Idol Audition Video!

After three months of CrackBerry Idol craziness here on the blogs, the competition is now officially over. The winner of the final community vote is none other than the CrackBerry-addicted Dave Peckens. The voting was close, but in the end Dave emerged the winner capturing 29.8% of the popular vote, in front of Kerri (23.18%), Brittany (22.95%), Joseph (12.79%) and Aloha Joe (11.29%). As winner of CrackBerry Idol 2010, Dave will be accompanying Adam, Bla1ze, Isaac and myself to the BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco at the end of the month and you'll start seeing some posts from him here on the CrackBerry blogs in the near future. In his CrackBerry Q & A, Dave said if he won CrackBerry Idol he'd help us update and get our BlackBerry 101 section in tip top shape, which I'm definitely looking forward to (and going to hold him to that!).

Also, keep in mind that while Dave was voted CrackBerry Idol by the community, I've been watching all of the contestants throughout the competition and taking notes as to who else I'd like to start see contributing here on CrackBerry. We have some gaps to fill and things I'd like to see us do better. In the next few days I'll be reaching out to these contestants and I'm hoping they'll be interested in posting on CrackBerry too. We'll officially welcome them to the blogs when they make their first posts as CrackBerry writers. Exciting Stuff!

I hope everyone enjoyed CrackBerry Idol 2010. Yep, it was a long event, but over a quiet summer of BlackBerry news it gave us a lot of great content and introduced us to a lot of amazing people. I want to personally thank everybody who entered the competition -- I know how much time and effort goes into writing and doing video for these kinds of posts -- so really do appreciate it. That's it for CrackBerry Idol 2010! 

If you've been following CrackBerry Idol you know THIS IS IT. The final vote. Your chance to decide who CrackBerry.com's next blogger will be. The final five are Joseph, Brittany, Dave, Kerri and Aloha Joe. You've seen their videos and reviews up on the site for nearly three months now. You've read the CrackBerry Idol finalist Q & A. You know who your favorite is. So now it's time to vote. The poll is below (comments disabled for the final vote - if you want to root for your favorite do it on the Q & A thread). Voting ends this Thursday night at midnight PST. We'll announce the CrackBerry Idol 2010 winner on the blogs on Friday. That's it. VOTE NOW!!!!!

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Joseph	Brittany	Dave	Kerri	Aloha Joe

When we announced CrackBerry Idol back on June 3rd, we knew it would be an event that would take a while to complete. In a summer that was fairly quiet for BlackBerry news, the regular CrackBerry Idol posts definitely helped keep the blogs full. Now September is here, everybody is back to school, and it's time for us to crown the CrackBerry Idol 2010 winner and put them to work on the blogs.

Your chance to vote for your favorite contestant is coming up in just a few minutes, but before you cast your vote we wanted to give you all a chance to get to know the finalists a little bit better. Keep reading for some CrackBerry Idol Q & A and stay tuned for the final vote!

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BlackBerry Torch 9800 Review - Power Traveler

The BlackBerry 9800 Torch has been touted as the "best BlackBerry that RIM has produced." While many have mixed feelings about RIM's newest sizzling hot device (aka. The Torch), I was given the task of reviewing this device from the prospective of a person who travels/vacations a lot.

While OS6 boast some significant changes, I believe that OS6 was released prematurely. OS6 is still a bit too buggy to have been released on the Torch...even if the 9800 is true to its tagline: "Less than an evolutionary leap, more like a triple axle."

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BlackBerry Torch 9800 Review - Power Socializer

Coming from a BlackBerry that I loved, I wasn't very excited to switch to a device I wasn't used too. The Torch is completely different from any BlackBerry that I have used and to be honest, it is the best. Being a full time student and working a part time job I need a phone that is reliable, has a million features, and can withstand the wear and tear of teenage girl.

As we all know, we wouldn't be on crackberry.com if we didn't, that BlackBerrys are perfect devices for any type of person. Whether you are a business man who needs to stay updated on the stock market or emails, or just a leisure user who loves being able to tether on the beach, BlackBerry is the way to go. I have loved having a reliable device no matter what I need done, whether to send an email, check the latest updates on the coolest social networking sites, and to call, text, and of course BBM all my peeps. Using the Torch makes every single one of these easier.

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BlackBerry Torch 9800 Review - BlackBerry Newbie

If you're considering upgrading to a smartphone, you've undoubtedly come across the plethora of news articles and reviews for the iPhone and Android phones. What those news articles tend to gloss over is the fact that Research in Motion - BlackBerry's manufacturer - absolutely dominates the smartphone market. Nearly half of all smartphones sold are BlackBerrys. Combine that with a decade in the business; countless government, security, and business contracts; and a history of solid operating systems - you'd think RIM would get a little more love.

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BlackBerry Torch 9800 Review - Power Mom

I am a BUSY person and by that statement I don't just mean the normal kind of busy. I'm talking about the I'm so insanely swamped with things to do or places to go that I actually repeat things I've said or doing things I've already done. As a military spouse, mother of three, consultant, assistant at an in-home daycare, association board member, neighborhood watch coordinator, welcome committee coordinator & CrackBerry Idol contestant you can imagine what my daily schedule looks like. Between work, meetings, playdates and my older children's activities, I barely have a moment to breathe. Now that I have the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and OS 6, my daily routine runs smoother.

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BlackBerry Torch 9800 Review - Power Businessman Perspective

So you’re on the go and want to stay connected to your business information and communications. Well what better choice for both security and ease of use than the new BlackBerry Torch? It’s a touch screen world phone featuring the new BlackBerry 6 operating system, minus SurePress, plus a slide-out qwerty keyboard.

Whoa, that sure was a mouthful.

In this review, I am looking at the Torch as an experienced business user might. I will be tapping a more corporate perspective and covering not only my first impressions, but also how the Torch holds up with messaging, phone use, and other industry applications all in the name of greater productivity. Or so we shall see ...

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Joseph	Brittany	Dave	Kerri	Aloha Joe

When we first launched CrackBerry Idol 2010 competition we knew the event would carry on for the better part of the summer - a competition like this takes time. What we didn't know though was just how talented and fierce the competition would be! After literally months, we're down to the nitty gritty... the final five in the final round of CrackBerry Idol. In the end, the community will vote for ONE winner, but first we'll get to see a lot of great reviews hit the blogs this week.

Final Round - the Device Review: The final round of CrackBerry Idol is the BlackBerry device review. To keep the content interesting for our readers and fair yet challenging for our competitors, each finalist received a BlackBerry Torch 9800 (that they'll get to keep) and has been assigned a particular usage profile from which to review the device (business user, new to BB, social user, etc.). I've already done the full-out CrackBerry BlackBerry Torch Review, so these will be follow-up reviews that assess the Torch's performance based on how a person would use the device given a particular set of needs. It's going to be good! The first review will go live later tonight. Stay tuned. And good luck to our competitors!

Joseph	Brittany	Dave	Kerri	Aloha Joe

The Round 2 voting is done and we're one step closer to crowning our CrackBerry Idol 2010 winner. Moving on to the final round (in no particular order) are Joseph, Brittany, Dave, Kerri and Aloha Joe. Big congrats go to the final five! The voting was tight on this on this, so Tim, Josh, Alicia, Dan and Shankeith can all walk away with their heads held high. To the winners, we'll be following up soon with final round instructions. To those not moving on, we'll be in touch soon too with some awesome parting gifts.

What's to come in the Final Round: The final round of CrackBerry Idol is the oh so important BlackBerry device review. To keep the content interesting for our readers and fair yet challenging for our competitors, here's what we're planning to do. Each finalist is going to receive a brand new BlackBerry Torch 9800 (that they'll get to keep) and will be assigned a particular usage profile from which to review the device. I've already done the full-out CrackBerry BlackBerry Torch Review, so these will be follow-up reviews that assess the Torch's performance based on how a person would use the device given a particular set of needs. For example, we'll see the BlackBerry Torch 9800 reviewed from the perspective of a business professional, a first time smartphone owner, a social user, etc. We'll put a word cap on the reviews (1500 words) so it'll be a big challenge to pack a lot of punch into not a lot of space. If all goes according to plan, you'll be able to see the the first review hit CrackBerry starting August 30th. Stay tuned for the finals!!

**** VOTE NOW!!!! ****

It's time folks! Over the last two weeks you've witnessed ten in-depth BlackBerry accessory reviews from our ten Round 2 competitors in CrackBerry Idol. The judges gave their feedback on each review and now it is in YOUR HANDS to decide which FIVE competitors will continue on to the FINAL round. Below you will find the links to each of the accessory reviews, as well as the CrackBerry Idol voting poll where you can vote for which competitors (up to a max of five) you want to see advance. We'll leave the poll running on this post right up until midnight PST, this Sunday August 15th. Voting is below. Think hard before you vote. Now go vote!

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BlackBerry Presenter Review

Why carry that heavy laptop and projector to your next presentation, when you could confidently waltz in with minimal baggage? Imagine the BlackBerry as a vessel for your PowerPoint slideshow, projected wirelessly via Bluetooth, with you at the helm, steering a dynamic presentation. You're nimbly traveling from city to city, lugging minimal gear, staking your claim as the road warrior king/queen and continually wowing board rooms with your style. Let's face it, your pageant is powerful, lightweight, and can practically run itself, allowing you to focus on your audience.

Sounds heavenly, right? That's the picture painted by RIM and its accessory, the BlackBerry Presenter. You simply plug it into a projector or monitor, and present Microsoft PowerPoint files wirelessly, leaving you free to roam the stage or room, using your BlackBerry smartphone as the presentation controller.

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Motorola EQ5 Wireless Travel Stereo Speaker

When it comes to Bluetooth accessories for mobile phones, there are certainly lots of headsets and visor-mounted speakerphones to choose from. Various models, ranging from low-quality, budget-friendly to somewhat expensive, high-end products are available from several manufactures in many different outlets, from Best Buy to ShopCrackBerry.com, Wal-Mart and even convenience stores at gas stations. Considering the wave of local legislation banning cell phone usage while driving, this is definitely good for everyone.

However, as smartphone sales have skyrocketed in recent years and companies like Apple and Google have forced the likes of RIM and Palm to shift focus from enterprise to consumer space, there still aren't a lot of entertainment-driven Bluetooth accessories for mobile phones. What about those of us who love to listen to music or watch movies and YouTube videos on our phones but don't feel the equipped external speaker is adequate? As mentioned, there are the visor-mounted speakerphones for cars but when placed on a table they don't stand up easily, making it difficult to control the direction of the sound. If you should leave it in the house and forget to take it with you when you travel, you are without your speakerphone and-in the jurisdiction of some cities and states-without communication, thus negating its entire purpose. Headsets are certainly more portable and the direction of sound is obviously controllable, as it goes directly into your ear. But if you lose power in a storm and you want to watch a movie with your wife or roommate, or if you just want to listen to music while you read, without having something attached to your head, headsets or even headphones will not give you the perfect blend of sound quality and liberation that you desire.

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BlackBerry Headset Throwdown - Battle of the big three

Wires or Bluetooth? Headphones or earbud? Normally having a multitude of options is a good thing but when it comes to choosing a hands-free device where does one even begin? You read the reviews and most don't answer the questions consumers really want to know. Examples of those would be; "Will my glasses knock the headset off my ear?", "Is it comfortable enough to be worn for long periods of time?" or "Since I'm paying so much for it, can I use it with my MP3 player as well?". I really wanted to see the difference between some of the top sellers from each area (earbud headset, headphones & wired headset) and really put them to the test of the "average" consumer. I judged each of these on a 1.0 to 5.0 scale, 5.0 being the highest. I also tried to explain why I gave each device a certain score because some would say the wired device doesn't even compare to the other two. Everyone's preference is different so I wanted to make sure all styles of headsets were represented.

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