Download the script here. Right click (control click on a Mc) and Choose ‘Save As’.
Copy the script into /Library/Modem Scripts.
If you’ve already paired your Pearl with your Mac, open Bluetooth Preferences. Select your Pearl from the list of devices and press ‘Configure…’. (If you haven’t, choose ‘Set up Bluetooth Device’ - the following dialogs will be shown after you’ve paired your phone with your Mac.)
Make sure ‘Access the Internet with your phone’s data connection’ is checked. Also, make sure ‘Use a direct, higher speed connection’ is selected. Click Continue.
In the Modem Script pulldown on the following screen, Select ‘BlackBerry 8100’. Use the following settings for the other fields, then click Continue:
* Username, Password: leave blank
* GPRS CID: *99***1#
Open the Internet Connect application. Select the Bluetooth icon at the top. Under Phone Number, put your APN (for T-Mobile and the BlackBerry Unlimited plan, I use wap.voicestream.com, for Cingular it’s “wap.cingular”). Type a username and password (I use guest/guest, for Cingular you’ll use “WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM” as the username and “CINGULAR1” as the password) in the appropriate fields.
Special thanks to Ross Barkman, Tim Hatch and then Grant Goodale for the hacks!!!
How to Install 3rd Party Applications on Your BlackBerry
Posted by ToNbeRRy / Category: Blackberry GuideFor all groups of BlackBerry users, there are countless third party applications available that can help modify the BlackBerrys’ functionality to meet their individual needs. Whether they are casual, pick up and play BlackBerry games, social networking tools, or hard core database management software, they are out there and waiting for the right user to download them and put them to good use.
The more savvy BlackBerry user will no doubt be very comfortable downloading and installing third party applications onto their device. For the ever growing group of novice BlackBerry users, there may be some confusion between the various file types involved and which methods are to be used to get that sweet new game/app into the palm of their hands. For this group of people, we have decided to produce a “How To” guide that will show you the ins and outs of downloading and installing third party software onto your BlackBerry.
The Various File Types You Will Encounter
.JAD files: An application descriptor that stores information about the application itself and the location of .COD files
.JAR files: a JAR file (or Java ARchive) is used for aggregating many files into one. It is generally used to distribute Java classes and associated metadata.
.COD files: A COD file is a proprietary file format developed by RIM that contains compiled and packaged application code.
.ALX files: Similar to the .JAD file, in that it holds information about where the installation files for the application are located
Installing Third Party Software OTA (Over The Air)
Performing the OTA download and installation of a third party application is usually the easiest option. Most application developers will provide direct links to the .jad or .jar files required for internal installation on your BlackBerry. There is usually a second option for download to your desktop and installation via the BlackBerry Desktop Manager. The Desktop Manager installation process is described in the next section.
Downloading OTA is super easy. Simply navigate to the download page for the application you wish to install and find the direct (OTA) download link. From within the BlackBerry browser menu, select “Get Link” and then click OK for each step of the installation. Here are the steps you must perform in order to download a third party application OTA to your BlackBerry:
Navigate with the BlackBerry Browser to the desired application download page.
Example: Google Maps Mobile
Often you will be presented with a link to the download, or the option to enter your cellular phone number and have the link sent to your device via SMS.
Follow the supplied link (either direct or SMS) from within your BlackBerry Browser and follow all the instructions that appear on your screen.
The new application will be unpacked and installed by your BlackBerry Browser and your new software will be now be available in your applications list.
NOTE: If you are using your BlackBerry in a BES configuration which is overseen by your IT department, you may not have the ability to install your own third party applications to your device. If this is the case, you will have to contact your IT professional and request that they add the software and deploy it to your device. This may be against the policy that your employer has dictated so it is best to get approval before any such request.
Installing Third Party Software Via BlackBerry Desktop Manager
Most of the time when you find a third party application that you wish to install on your BlackBerry they will be available in multiple formats. The OTA download is usually the easiest and most convenient way to install software; however, for those who face technical issues or for those without an adequate data plan, there is a more desirable solution.
Installing third party software on your BlackBerry via the BlackBerry Desktop Manager is a simple process. In only a few steps you will have all the applications you like installed on your device and ready to go.
The first step you need to take is to ensure that you have the latest version of the BlackBerry desktop Manager installed on your computer. For instructions on how to accomplish this task, head over to our guide to installing BlackBerry Desktop Software.
Once you have downloaded and installed your BlackBerry Desktop Manager, you are ready to try out your first third party software installation. In order to complete the installation, simply follow the steps outlined below:
Navigate to a download link for any piece of third party software you like and download the required installation files to your desktop.
Example: BBSmart Email Viewer (use the free trial as a test and choose the full download option)
Once you have downloaded the desired application to your desktop, you may have to unzip/extract the contents to a new folder. Inside your newly created folder you will find a file that ends in .alx
Connect your BlackBerry via USB to your computer and launch the BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
In the menu you will see an option for “Application Loader”. click this and you will see a screen appear that displays all the applications currently loaded on your BlackBerry.
Above the list of currently installed BlackBerry applications you will see a button that says “Add”. Click on this button to bring up the add application dialog box.
Navigate to the folder that you have saved on your desktop in the previous step and locate the .alx file contained within. Choose OK and this application will appear in the list with all of your other installed software.
If you have downloaded multiple pieces of software to install, you can go ahead and click the add button again and navigate to the next .alx file and click OK. Repeat this process for each additional third party application you wish to install.
Once all desired applications have been introduced into the application loader, verify that they each have a check mark next to them and click the button labeled “Next” which appears below the list of applications.
You will see the BlackBerry Desktop Manager run through a process and your BlackBerry may restart.
Upon reboot of your BlackBerry you will see all of your newly installed applications on the applications screen of your device.
HOW TO: Install Blackberry Plazmic Theme Builder
Posted by ToNbeRRy / Category: Blackberry Tips and TricksUPDATE: 16Nov08 I have no idea what happened to the original links here, as I did not host them. Everything you need to install Plazmic 4.6 should be available here: Plazmic or HERE. The install process is the same. I installed 4.6 over 4.5 and it worked fine without changing anything else.
Big props goes out to those that helped compile this information, but especially to orangetx for hosting the required files on his site.
So, you want to build a theme, eh? Tried to download the Plazmic Theme Creator but found yourself baffled by the install instructions? Well look no further! The following instructions spell out the process and even give links to download the proper versions of the required files. Follow these instructions and you'll be cranking out themes in no time! The files must be installed in order for the Plazmic install to work.
Let's begin. The download links contain several versions of the software. You only need to install the EXACT version called for by the Installer, which in some cases is not the most current version. Install the ones listed here and you will be fine. These files are labeled in red.
1. jdk-1_5_0_15-nb-6_1-windows.exe
Download the jdk from here
This file is 90.6mb and contains the following:
jdk-1_5_0_15-nb-6_1-windows
GenuineCheck
GenuineCheck-1
2. BlackBerry_JDE_4.2.0.exe
Download the JDE from here
This file is 80.3mb.
3. BlackBerry_Email_MDS_4.1.0-4.exe
Download the Email MDS from here
This file is 79.8mb and contains:
BlackBerry_Email_MDS_4.1.0-4
BlackBerry_Email_MDS_4.1.4
4a. Plazmic_CDK_v4_2_2.exe for OS 4.2+
Download the Plazmic Installer 4.2 from here
This file is 122mb and contains:
Plazmic_CDK_v4_1
Plazmic_CDK_v4_2_2
or
4b. Plazmic CDK v4.5 for OS 4.5+
Download the new Plazmic Theme Builder 4.5 here!
Themes built using CDK 4.2 will work on all OS's from OS 4.2 up. Themes built using CDK 4.5 will not work on OS's prior to OS 4.5 unless you follow the instructions below.
Again, thank you to everyone that contributed and hopefully this will help many aspiring theme builders get their feet on the ground. As always, any issues/problems with this guide, please point them out so that we can get them corrected ASAP. All information and links taken from this original thread: Struggling with Plazmic
Thanks to StevenInSTL, here is Modify Plazmic ThemeBuilder 4.5 to Export Custom Themes in OS 4.2.2
you need to edit some files..but its REAL easy. Do it at your OWN RISK….
1) make sure Themebuilder is CLOSED
2) locate the Plazmic CDK 4.5 directory in Program files.
3) go to the directory RESOURCES
4) select the file THEMES
5) look for 2 folders. 1 is dimension240×260, the other dimension 320×240.
6) within the dimension 240×260 there is a file called 8100Custom. Open with Wordpad or Notepad.
7) Edit the following lines to look like this:
The files are located in the Resource/Theme directories, then the 240×260 directory (will have the 8100 files) the 320×240 (will have the 8300, 8800 files) I’d suggest not changing the 7100 or 8700 (is there an os 4.5 for 8700?) files:
these are the lines you edit:
theme.supportedHandheldOs = 4.2.2,4.5
theme.preferredHandheldOs = 4.5
theme.importOs = 4.2.2,4.3.1
Go to the dimension320×240 file and do the same for the 8300Custom, 8800Custom.
I don’t think you will find it necessary to edit the 7100 or the 8700 (are the 8700’s going to be using OS 4.5?)
ENJOY!
When your device fails to start, it show one of these symptoms:
1. Totally dead.
2. Trying to restart, LED activity only.
3. Failed to start, a white screen with an error message.
__________________________________________________ ________
1. Physical damage, water is the worst enemy of delicate electronic device. Try drying it with a desiccant and replacing the battery. If there is no activity, you can still try the last ditch technique, nothing to loose anyway.
2. Your device is not able to start, something has gone wrong and the OS is corrupt.
Failed Upgrade suggestions.
Link failed, Post #384 of this thread.
3. Geeks call this an "Uncaught exception error". That is a polite way of saying, the last thread has terminated, the OS has halted because it is corrupt.
In many cases, the Application Loader can be used from Desktop Manager or Windows, see Ref #1 for the CrackBerry 101 discussion.
If that fails to connect, there is one final solution. Go Old Skool ...
__________________________________________________ ________
The good news, starting from scratch, you will be back in service in a couple of hours.
Note: Windows 7 beta is not compatible with these instructions.
1. In order to restore the device, you need to have BlackBerry Desktop Manager installed. The original, as supplied on the BlackBerry CD is adaquite. Tip: If you choose to download the newest v4.3, you can save a lot of time by choosing custom install and disabling Roxio Media Manager. At start-up, it really slows things down until it has built up it index of media. Ref #2 links to BlackBerry's download site.
2. After it is installed, you need to install a BlackBerry OS file that is specific to your device. The original version, as supplied by the carrier, is the safe choice, but you can use any model specific version. This is not supplied on your BlackBerry CD, Ref: 3 links to BlackBerry's download pages.
3. Once the OS has been installed, you have to prepare it for the device.
Select Start / Computer and select the Drive C: Icon.
Open Program Files / Common Files / Research in Motion / AppLoader.
Navigate to the bottom and delete the file Vendor.XML file.
4. You are now ready to restore your device. Verify that BlackBerry Desktop Manager is NOT running. Plug the device directly into the computer's USB port.
We are about to venture into the bowls of the beast. Windows is not suitable for this job, we are going to invoke the Command line interface with an option switch. This was the way all 'puters worked prior to Mcintosh and Windows.
Windows XP: Start / Run... / Command
Windows Vista: Start / Command (type this into 'start search')
You will see a black window similar to this. I have used UPPERCASE to highlight the typed commands.
Windows Vista
CD \
CD PROGRAM FILES
CD COMMON FILES
CD RESEARCH IN MOTION
CD APPLOADER
LOADER /NOJVM
Windows XP
CD \
CD PROGRA~1
CD COMMON~1
CD RESEAR~1
CD APPLOA~1
LOADER /NOJVM
When using Vista 64 bit operating systems the command should look like this...
CD \
CD PROGRAM FILES (x86)
CD COMMON FILES
CD RESEARCH IN MOTION
CD APPLOADER
LOADER /NOJVM
When you hit enter at the last command a forced rebuild will start. No data or setting will be saved, however, they can be recovered from a previous backup.
5. Wait for it to finish.Thirty minutes is typical, do not interrupt it.
Once it has recovered, you can use Desktop Manager's Application Loader to customize it and restore from your backup files, if you have saved them previously.
Ref:
BlackBerry 101: How to Reload the Operating System on a Nuked BlackBerry | CrackBerry.com
BlackBerry Desk Top Manager
BlackBerry OS Source list
Version 1.1 Corrected EXE file name.
Version 1.2 Expanded troubleshooting and installation instructions.
Version 1.3 Detail command line instructions.
Version 1.4 XP specific command line.
Version 1.5 Vista 64 command line.
Thanks to acnst @ BlackBerry Forums
Credit to cmedeir for the XP command line.
Credit to Afterfreeze for the Vista 64 command line.
Last edited by Reed McLay : 01-30-2009 at 01:39 PM.
BlackBerry Storm Usability Tip: Disable Compatibility Mode
Posted by ToNbeRRy / Category: Blackberry Tips and TricksOften times when you are running an older BlackBerry application on your BlackBerry Storm you may notice a blue border around the main application window and the SureType virtual keyboard won’t go away no matter what you do. This is because your application is running with compatability mode enabled. The blue boarder and the keyboard significantly decrease the size of the application window and it makes navigating and selecting fields or buttons very difficult.
Fortunately, you can disable compatibility mode by going to options >> advanced options >> highlight the application that you want to disable compatibility mode on >> hit the menu button (the one with logo) >> select disable compatibility mode. Once you disable compatibility mode, restart your application. the blue border and the persistent virtual SureType keyboard should be gone. You may be able to use the application in landscape mode as well.
Why RIM choose not to have compatibilty mode disabled as the default is beyond me. I have yet to see an application react adversely when compatibility mode is turned off. Developers can, using the latest development tools, chose to have this feature turned off automatically when their applications install, but, that does nothing for all the apps that have already been developed.
5 Useful Blackberry Tips and Tricks to Boost Your Productivity
Posted by ToNbeRRy / Category: Blackberry Tips and TricksDid you know, there are several time-saving features built in, and several tricks you can do to make your Blackberry even more useful? Here are 5 of my favorites…
#1: Master the Keyboard Shortcuts
Just like on a computer, the keyboard on a Blackberry is full of time-saving shortcuts. Here are my favorites:
“I” - Hit the letter “I” when looking at email in your “inbox view,” or when reading an actual email to file it. If you’re already using my plan for getting control of your email, then you know the importance of filing email to achieving an empty inbox.
“0″ - Hold down the “0″ (i.e. zero) button and then use the thumbwheel to select multiple emails when in your “inbox view.”
“Del” - Use this to delete email you don’t need after highlighting it in “inbox view” - to speed this up even more, you can also remove the delete confirmation.
“C” - Hit the letter “C” when looking at your email in your “inbox view” to compose a new message.
Be sure to check out my “6 Blackberry Tips for Reading Emails” post with additional keyboard shortcuts too!
#2: Setup Your Blackberry to Work Well with Voicemail
In my 10 Tips to Improve Your Voicemails post, I discussed setting up speed dial hot keys (Tip #6), making logging into voicemail easier (Tip #7) and forwarding your voicemail (Tip #8) to one voicemail box.
If you use your Blackberry as a phone, be sure to put all of these to work for you!
#3: Get Google Maps for Mobile
One of the most useful apps you can download for your Blackberry is Google Maps.
With a simple search (i.e. “breweries in Duluth, MN”), you will get results on a map, turn-by-turn directions, and one-click to call the business you looked up.
If you do any business travel at all, it’s an absolute must. I’m sure it will quickly become one of your favorite apps!
#4 Reorder Your Apps in Order of Most Popular
If you hold down the “Alt” key (below “a”) when clicking on an app, a pulldown menu will appear where you can select “Move Application.”
Then, you can order the apps in any way you want! I put my most used apps right next to each other to minimize scrolling.
#5: Update Your Blackberry Email Signature
Your email signature is a valuable “one stop shop” of contact info so people can get a hold of you.
Make sure you always use the same signature on your Blackberry that you do in your main email (usually MS Outlook).
That way, readers of your email are less likely to pre-judge your message (”Oh, she’s stuck in an airport and dumping ideas again!”), and they are less likely to know where/how you sent it.
It’s also a great idea to remove all “Sorry if this is misspelled, I’m on a Blackberry” messages. That’s like a website having an “under construction” page - it’s just not necessary. Plus, it makes you look like you can’t spell.
I hope these tips and tricks prove useful for you. If you’re reading this and thinking, “but he didn’t mention…” then please, leave a comment!
Remember, a Blackberry is only one part of your “productivity system.” Be sure to check out my Personal Productivity section for more tips and tricks!
If you have a Blackberry, chances are you picked it up, and started emailing right away. If you have a personal email management system, your Blackberry can be a real asset to your productivity.
Did you know, there are several time-saving features built in, and several tricks you can do to make your Blackberry even more useful? Here are 5 of my favorites…
#1: Master the Keyboard Shortcuts
Just like on a computer, the keyboard on a Blackberry is full of time-saving shortcuts. Here are my favorites:
“I” - Hit the letter “I” when looking at email in your “inbox view,” or when reading an actual email to file it. If you’re already using my plan for getting control of your email, then you know the importance of filing email to achieving an empty inbox.
“0″ - Hold down the “0″ (i.e. zero) button and then use the thumbwheel to select multiple emails when in your “inbox view.”
“Del” - Use this to delete email you don’t need after highlighting it in “inbox view” - to speed this up even more, you can also remove the delete confirmation.
“C” - Hit the letter “C” when looking at your email in your “inbox view” to compose a new message.
Be sure to check out my “6 Blackberry Tips for Reading Emails” post with additional keyboard shortcuts too!
#2: Setup Your Blackberry to Work Well with Voicemail
In my 10 Tips to Improve Your Voicemails post, I discussed setting up speed dial hot keys (Tip #6), making logging into voicemail easier (Tip #7) and forwarding your voicemail (Tip #8) to one voicemail box.
If you use your Blackberry as a phone, be sure to put all of these to work for you!
#3: Get Google Maps for Mobile
One of the most useful apps you can download for your Blackberry is Google Maps.
With a simple search (i.e. “breweries in Duluth, MN”), you will get results on a map, turn-by-turn directions, and one-click to call the business you looked up.
If you do any business travel at all, it’s an absolute must. I’m sure it will quickly become one of your favorite apps!
#4 Reorder Your Apps in Order of Most Popular
If you hold down the “Alt” key (below “a”) when clicking on an app, a pulldown menu will appear where you can select “Move Application.”
Then, you can order the apps in any way you want! I put my most used apps right next to each other to minimize scrolling.
#5: Update Your Blackberry Email Signature
Your email signature is a valuable “one stop shop” of contact info so people can get a hold of you.
Make sure you always use the same signature on your Blackberry that you do in your main email (usually MS Outlook).
That way, readers of your email are less likely to pre-judge your message (”Oh, she’s stuck in an airport and dumping ideas again!”), and they are less likely to know where/how you sent it.
It’s also a great idea to remove all “Sorry if this is misspelled, I’m on a Blackberry” messages. That’s like a website having an “under construction” page - it’s just not necessary. Plus, it makes you look like you can’t spell.
I hope these tips and tricks prove useful for you. If you’re reading this and thinking, “but he didn’t mention…” then please, leave a comment!
Remember, a Blackberry is only one part of your “productivity system.” Be sure to check out my Personal Productivity section for more tips and tricks!
Recently a customer came into my friend’s cell phone store complaining about how much time it takes him to delete messages. He said he wished there were some way to delete more than one message at a time on his Blackberry.
This poor customer honestly did not know how to do a simple global delete, and instead was spending a tremendous amount of time deleting messages individually.
That got me to thinking that a list of tips and tricks for Blackberry owners might be a good idea. So here goes…
1. You need a good email viewer
Unfortunately, for all the wonderful things a Blackberry can do, it simply does not render emails in a manner where a citizen from Earth can easily read them. There are many simple ways to fix this and they all come down to buying an email viewer.
I use a product called BBSmart, which has a one-time cost of $19.99 and is worth every penny. BBSmart, and the others, all automatically convert your emails into easily readable text. Just as important, they provide you with many customization options. You can change the text font and size, the background color, the amount of information displayed in the header, whether or not you want to view pictures, and many other options.
An email viewer will greatly enhance your Blackberry experience, and you can find a good selection and reasonable pricing at Crackberry.com.
2. Get the latest news at your fingertips
As a busy, important person, you want news you can use and you want it at your fingertips.Am I right? The answer is a product called Viigo, which is a super easy and fun RSS reader that you can access with a single click once it’s installed on your device. Viigo starts you off with plenty of feeds, but you can change and delete them at will. Go to Viigo to get yours today.
3. Speed up your text and email input
A great way to create texts and emails quickly is to use a terrific new voice recognition program called Vlingo. With Vlingo, you can creat a text message, an email, conduct an internet search, all by just speaking into your phone. Vlingo is easy and accurate, unlike many voice recognition programs, and will save you a ton of time. And it is free. Go to Vlingo to download your copy today.
4. Unfreeze a frozen BlackBerry
Sometimes Blackberries can lock up on you. You might think your phone is broken, but more times than not it’s simply frozen. A simple fix is to power down your device, take the battery out for about ten seconds, and then pop it back in. The device will go through a reboot process and will work just fine.
5. Create folders for icons you don’t use every day
Instead of leaving all the icons on your main screen, clean it up by clicking on your menu button, select ‘new folder’, then ‘move’ all the icons you either don’t use or don’t use often into that new folder. Whola! you free up space for other cool icons.
6. Navigate more quickly
When reading texts and emails, the “2″ and “8″ buttons allow you to move up or down one line at a time without messing with the trackball. There are many ways to navigate more quickly and you should investigate further when you have time.
7. Maximize battery life
To maximize your Blackberry’s battery life, take a moment to go into “options” and select “screen/keyboard”. Scroll through and you will find various settings you can change by simply pressing the trackball and then scrolling to the option you want. Settings like ‘Backlight Brightness’, ‘Backlight Timeout’ and others will affect your battery, so play around to find what works best for you.
That’s it for now. Till next time, Blackberries are way cooler than Blueberries!
Blackberry Tips Boost Your BlackBerry’s Battery
Posted by ToNbeRRy / Category: Blackberry Tips and TricksBoost Your BlackBerry’s Battery
Battery-boosting strategies are always handy, whether your battery indicator is running on empty or you discover you left your charger at home and need your BlackBerry to last all week. Follow these simple
Lower the Backlight Timeout setting to conserve power.
tips to keep your BlackBerry running when you need it most.
Lower the Backlight Timeout setting to conserve power.
Tweak The Backlight
One of the best ways to improve battery life is to adjust your BlackBerry’s screen and keyboard backlight. From the Home screen, scroll to and select Settings, select Screen/Keyboard, select Backlight Brightness, and then press the trackball to reduce the setting to 10. If you can still read the screen, then your battery will thank you. You can change the Backlight Timeout setting here, as well. Highlight the setting, press the trackball, and select 10 Sec. This adjustment turns the backlight off after you leave your BlackBerry idle for 10 seconds. If you’re not willing to work with a dimmer BlackBerry, you can press the power button once to turn on the backlight at the current setting (with the BlackBerry idle), press it again to momentarily increase the backlight to 100, and then press the power button a third time to turn off the backlight. When enabled, the Auto Backlight feature senses the current ambient light conditions to dim the backlight in lower-light situations and brighten it in sunnier conditions. Use this feature if you like using a brighter backlight setting, but disable it if you’re using the lower backlight settings. Finally, press the Escape key, save the changes, and then press the Escape key again to get back to the Home screen.
Your BlackBerry needs some serious juice to power all that functionality.
Basic Battery Care
To make sure you get the most out of your battery, you can practice some basic battery maintenance tips. The Li-Ion battery in your BlackBerry is best recharged often and typically before it is fully discharged. Letting the battery deplete completely on a regular basis can permanently damage it. If you can’t be without your BlackBerry for even a moment, consider buying a spare battery. If you’re not using a battery for a prolonged period, charge it to about 40 to 60% of its maximum charge and then store it in a cool place, such as a refrigerator. Do not freeze your battery.
Use Auto On/Off
BlackBerry’s Auto On/Off feature lets you turn the phone on and off at designated times of the day. For instance, if you know you will only get calls during a given time period or don’t want to be interrupted at night, set Auto On/Off and give your battery a break. From the Home screen select Settings, Options, and Auto On/Off; enable both Weekday and Weekend options; and then select the times you want your device to turn off and on. Press the Escape key, select Save, and press the Escape key twice more to return to the Home screen.
Wireless can spell death for a low battery, so consider turning off some or all connections.
Go Offline
Much of the BlackBerry’s core functionality depends on its wireless capabilities, but those radios can quickly suck a battery dry. You can really improve battery life if you can live without Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and cellular service. Scroll to and select Manage Connections from the Home screen to access the wireless connections screen. You can pick and choose the wireless radios you want to disable by scrolling to and selecting the appropriate checkboxes. To turn off all connections, select the Turn All Connections Off option at the top of the screen. To resume wireless connectivity, access Manage Connections again and then click Restore Connections from the top of the screen. Press Escape to return to the Home screen.
The default five-bar network signal indicator gives you a rough idea of your current network connectivity, but there’s a way to get a more accurate picture of your coverage. Press and hold ALT and then type NMLL to change the bar-style signal strength indicator to a numeric value measured in decibels relative to 1 milliwatt (dBm). A good signal will fall in the range of -40 to -90 (roughly equivalent to four and five bars), and anything lower than -90 (approximately one or two bars) indicates that your BlackBerry is struggling to maintain a connection. If this is the case, turn off the Mobile Network radio. When coverage is spotty, your BlackBerry will boost output to maintain a connection and retransmit dropped packets repeatedly, which is detrimental to the BlackBerry’s battery life. To change the coverage indicator back to the bars, simply press and hold ALT and type NMLL again.
Delete Original Messages After Replying
The BlackBerry knowledgebase recommends deleting original messages after you’ve replied as another way to extend battery life. Select Messages from the Home screen, scroll to any messages you’ve replied to, press the Menu key, select Delete, and then select On Mailbox & Handheld or On Handheld. Press Escape to return to the Home screen.
Compose One Message For Multiple Contacts
Rather than send out multiple messages to different contacts, you can ease the demand on your BlackBerry by composing a generic email and using the Add To, Add Cc, or Add Bcc commands to send the message to multiple contacts. From the Home screen, select the Messages utility, press the Menu key, select Compose Email, input one or more email address in the To: field, and then compose the message. At any point you can press the Menu key and select Add To, Add Cc, or Add Bcc to include more people on the message. When you’re finished, press the Menu key, select Send, and then press the Escape key to return to the Home screen.
Change Your Profile
Ringtones, vibration, and even the LED can all prematurely deplete an already low battery. If you’re looking to get more mileage from your BlackBerry battery, limit the use of these indicators. To turn off all indicators, select Profiles from the Home screen and scroll to and select Off. The Quiet profile displays the LED indicator only, which can improve battery life if you plan to keep the BlackBerry within view at all times. You can also tweak the notifications for all applications, such as Calendar appointments, emails, Push-to-Talk messages, SMS texts, and tasks, by pressing the Menu key from the Profiles selection screen and then selecting New Profile. Continue down the list, selecting applications to access the notification settings.
by Andrew Leibman
BlackBerry Help Site Gets An Update
What a difference a month makes. In last month’s “BlackBerry Tips” article, we recommended BlackBerry Answers to get instant access to solutions for your BlackBerry inquiries. After our January issue went to press, RIM relaunched its mobile.blackberry.com Web site, the home of BlackBerry Answers, and made finding the content you’re looking for much easier. To check out the improvements, launch the Browser, press the Menu key, select Go To, type mobile.blackberry.com, and press the trackball to navigate to the site.
By in large, BlackBerry users love their handheld for its fast, seamless E-mail and comfortable form factor. But using the rest of its many capabilities doesn't have to be a futile exercise in thumb wheel fiddling. I've put together a list of the most important shortcuts for BlackBerry 8700 series, which includes devices like the T-Mobile 8700g and the new Sprint 8703e and Verizon 8703e models. I've also provided tips for everything from working with the smart phone's calendar to browsing the Web, plus several pointers on using E-mail, the Blackberry's raison d'être. Follow these tips to get the most out of your BlackBerry addiction:
• Navigate quickly around calendar views by pressing D for Day, W for Week, M for Month, and A for Agenda. For this to work, you'll need to set Enable Quick Entry field to No under Calendar Options.
• Deleting older messages is easy; simply click a date field and choose Delete Prior.
• Find any contact in your address book by typing out the contact's name or initials, separated by a space.
• When browsing the Web, make quick work of visiting favorite sites by pressing K to open your bookmarks. To add a new bookmark at any time, press A.
• Press and hold any letter in order to capitalize it. Often it's faster to do this than to set a mode or press another key first. To turn on CAP-Lock, press Alt + Right Shift (CAP).
• To move down a page while reading a message, press the Spacebar. This works on other screens, too. Moving back up a page is just as easy; press Shift plus the Spacebar at any time.
• Dial a phone number with letters (such as 1-800-WIN-CASH) by pressing Alt and typing each letter with the QWERTY keyboard.
• Use the Symbol (Sym) and Currency ($) keys to enter special characters not visible on the keyboard.
• To activate the backlighting at any time, press (but don't hold) the Power button.
• The Space key lets you enter in an @ symbol when typing an E-mail message. Press the Space bar twice to insert a period. The next letter will automatically be capitalized.
• Selecting special characters is simple; press and hold the letter key in question. Then adjust the thumb wheel up and down to move through the available choices.
• The Escape button is useful for exiting any screen, or to stop any Web page from loading.
Special thanks to MeeJin Annan-Brady, spokesperson for Research In Motion, for her contributions to this article.
Editors' Note - 11/13/06: This article was amended to correct an error regarding the "phone number with letters" tip.
What Type Of BlackBerry Enterprise Server Management Tools Do You Use?
Posted by ToNbeRRy / Category: About BlackberryWhat type of BES management tools do you use to make sure that your corporate BlackBerry users email addictions can be feed without interruption?
Email in just about every organization is considered a mission critical application and for those companies that have standardized on the BlackBerry to feed their users appetite for the ability to receive email at any and all times, BES deployments are just as mission critical.
If you are a BlackBerry Administrator responsible for managing your companies BlackBerry Enterprise Server implementation, let us know via the comments what management tools, tips, and tricks you use to keep your BES servers up and running.
BlackBerry Adminstrator, BES, BlackBerry Enterprise Server
To open the phone, press the Phone button or press the Space key.
To dial a number from the Home screen, type the number. To disable dialing from the Home screen, in the phone options, click General Options. Set the Dial from Home Screen field to No.
To assign a speed dial letter to a phone number, on the Home screen or in the phone, press and hold an unassigned letter key.
To call a speed dial number, hold the assigned letter key.
To call your voice mail access number, hold 1.
To type letters in phone numbers, hold the Alt key and type letters.
To type an extension, press the Alt key + the 8 key. Type the extension number.
To mute a call, press the Phone button. To turn mute off, press the Phone button again. If you are using a headset, press the headset button to mute a phone call. Press the headset button again to turn mute off.
To change the volume during a call, roll the trackwheel.
To end a call, hold the Escape button.
These tips do not apply to the 7100 series
Why Do I have Blackberry Different Browsers?..ie WAP,Internet,WiFi
Posted by ToNbeRRy / Category: Blackberry Tips and Tricks5 browser names and their various aliases:
BlackBerry Browser (”Corporate MDS”, “MDS”, “Enterprise”)
Internet Browser (”Public MDS”, “BIS-B”)
WAP Browser
Hotspot Browser (”Wi-Fi Browser”)
Unite Browser
1. BlackBerry Browser
Only available if device is connected to a BES at your company
All traffic goes through the MDS-CS component of your company’s BES server
Can access resources inside your company’s firewall, such as intranets and desktop PCs
However, it’s also restricted by that same same firewall, just like the PC at your desk
All of the other browsers are outside the firewall
2. Internet Browser
Virtually every device has this browser; no corporate BES connection or email setup required
All traffic goes through one of a few MDS-CS servers hosted by RIM
Sometimes requires that an APN be setup in order to work (on GSM networks)
3. WAP Browser
All traffic goes through the WAP gateway hosted by the carrier
This is the only route where no RIM-owned servers or RIM-produced software are used during communication
WAP gateways vary from carrier to carrier, making problems often difficult to resolve
No MDS-CS present to perform content optimization; entire web page is sent to the device
4. Hotspot Browser
Uses Wi-Fi network to route traffic
Sometimes goes through the BES’s MDS-CS and sometimes just on the local network
Device setup makes this route somewhat unpredictable
Generally very fast throughput, making pages load more quickly than all other browsers
5. Unite Browser
All traffic goes through the MDS-CS server running on the Unite server on your home computer
Common Problems When Using the Incorrect Browser
The web page won’t load
web site is inside the firewall and you’re not using the BlackBerry Browser
web site is blocked by your company’s firewall and you are using the BlackBerry Browser
web site is carrier-specific and you’re not using the WAP Browser
web site is hosted on your home PC and you’re not using the Unite browser
Far more data than required may be downloaded
when data flows through MDS-CS it is optimized for the device, including reducing image sizes, compressing text, and optimizing the HTML DOM tree
using the WAP Browser the entire web page must be downloaded, even if images are 30x the size of the screen
Slow page rendering
data flowing through MDS-CS also undergoes optimization, such as pre-compiling JavaScript and modifying the HTML layout for a smaller screen size, increasing layout speeds
using WAP Browser forces the device to do this work, which takes longer
Larger financial cost
since more data is transmitted when using WAP, plans that pay per megabyte will be more expensive
Wi-Fi is generally free, so using it instead of cellular network saves money as well
Introduction :
There are countless advantages to having the added benefit of WiFi on your BlackBerry. WiFi has the potential to change your BlackBerry and really add a lot of functionality. The ability to browse the web over WiFi and make calls over WiFi using UMA are a couple of the main advantages.
In order to utilize your Berry's WiFi to its full capacity, there are a number of things to consider.
In this How-To guide, I will detail the steps needed to get the most out of your WiFi.
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Prerequisites :
To make sure your BlackBerry will behave well when using WiFi, verify that your router is configured in a way that will work well with your device.
NOTE : Wireless N Routers are not yet fully supported by BlackBerries and are known to cause issues
If you are using a Wireless N router, take the time to set it to use Wireless G mode only...
or else you will run into serious problems and will not be able to use WiFi. If you are running
any version of OS 4.5, this is not an issue and Wireless N should work without problems.
(As user SebasC noted : Any device running OS 4.2.2.184 or above should work on Wireless N networks!!)
For most other routers, your standard wireless configuration should be adequate. You may have to tweak settings if you run into problems later in this process.
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Step 1 : Configuring your Berry (Setting Up WiFi)
The simplest and most straight forward way to get your device connected to your WiFi connection is to run the 'Setting Up WiFi' wizard (The Wireless Router Icon on your Home Screen).
(NOTE: This Wizard can also be run from Home Screen > Manage Connections > Set Up Wi-Fi Network)
Once you start the wizard, you will be presented with a few options. If it is your first time running the wizard,
then a small 'Read-Me' will appear, giving you the option to hide the next time you use the wizard.
From there, you have these THREE options; Scan for Networks, Manually Add Network or Get Security Key
Scan for Networks : Used to scan and automatically find available networks. Once complete, you can
select the desired network to connect to
Manually Add Network : Used to enter in the network name manually (if known) and configure your
connection without scanning for all available networks
Get Security Key : This option is used in conjuction with the T-Mobile branded routers and automates
the connection and security process
The majority of users will continue by selecting the first option, so that will be the first option covered!
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Step 1(a) : Scan for Networks
Select 'Scan for Networks' and your device will begin to scan for all available WiFi connections within range. If your WiFi is not enabled on your device, then it will prompt you to power on the WiFi before continuing... so select 'Turn WiFi On'.
Your Berry will then begin the scan for available WiFi networks and say "Searching for available Wi-Fi networks..." on the screen. Depending on the site survey, this could take from 10 to 45 seconds (the fewer the available networks, the less time it takes).
Once it is done scanning, a list of available networks is compiled and displayed. Now, select the network you desire to connect to. A couple of things can happen at this point...
If the wireless network is unsecured, then your Berry will automatically connect to the open network.
If the wireless network is secured, then you will be prompted to enter the security key associated with that network.
Remember, the passphrase for the security key is case-sensitive.
We will discuss the benefits of wireless security along with other 'advanced' router settings later in this guide.
(NOTE : The networks list provides a quick overview of the available networks and displays the signal strength, security and SSID of each network. To get more detailed info from the network list, highlight the desired network, press Menu > Network Details)
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Step 1(b) : Manually Add Network
Similar to scanning for available networks, manually adding networks will connect to the network you specify. This is recommended only if you know the exact SSID and security of the router. If either of these is unknown, then the addition of the network will result in failure.
If you do know the required information and prefer to manually add your network, then follow the prompts on your device. Input the network name, type of security and the security key... your Berry will then attempt to find the network and connect.
NOTE: Manually adding networks is not recommended unless you know all of the network information!
This can also be used as a backup plan if connecting through step 1(A) results in a failure!
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Step 1(c) : Get Security Key
The third option works on T-Mobile supplied routers ONLY!! If you are using a personal router, not supplied by T-Mobile for HotSpot@Home, then this option does not apply!
Many people will never have the need to explore this menu, even if they do have a T-Mobile router.
(since many people will choose to tweak the TMo router settings manually)
If you do use one of the standard TMo routers with the default settings. Then when you select the option to Get Security Key you will be prompted through a series of steps to connect 'automatically' and 'securely' to your TMo router.
In a nutshell, this is done by pressing the 'KEY' button on your router, receiving a security key, and then connecting to the WiFi! Refer to your TMo router's "quick-start" guide for more help. The WiFi connection wizard on your Berry also walks through this process for you.