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If Garmin can’t sell you one of their GPS devices, they could still try to sell you the service that’s supposed to come with it. That is, the navigation service that’s really the core of their business. This comes in the sweet, sweet form of a $99.99 one-time-purchase plan that gives BlackBerry device owners a so-called “Lifetime of Navigation.”

But you know, as in prison, when they say lifetime, it doesn’t really last until the day that you die. The lifetime Garmin is referring to is actually the lifetime of your BlackBerry device. Not you, unfortunately.

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Howto Install Opera Mini

• 1. Point your BlackBerry Browser to http://mini.opera.com/download
• 2. Scroll Down and Select Download Opera Mini.
• 3. On the Appllication Install Page Choose Download. Done!

Note - Make sure to “Allow all connections” for Opera Mini when the Firewall Prompt comes up. Its a good idea to choose “Dont ask for this again”.

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All of us can now breathe a sigh of relief, as of today the latest in RIM’s ever so popular BlackBerry Handheld Devices was officially announced! The BlackBerry Bold is indeed the official name for the BlackBerry 9000 device and it should be available starting “this summer.” AT&T is the first carrier to launch (my predictions were right), but there is also a 1700MHz model coming which will support T-Mobile’s 3G data network.

Here are several highlights:

• 1GB on-board memory with encryption.
• Additional 128 MB Flash Memory.
• External Expandable MicroSD Card Slot.
• Tri-band HSDPA.
• Pricing in the $300-$500 range with a carrier.
• Launching on AT&T “this summer.”
• Interchangable color back plates.
• 5 hours of talk time, 13 days of standby time.
• 624-MHz Marvell Tavor PXA930 processor.
• Video Recording Capabilities.
• Edit Office Files.
• Streaming video Support (RTSP).
• Taller and wider than the Curve.

For customers seeking a smartphone that makes a bold statement, Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today introduced the admirable BlackBerry Bold smartphone. Crafted from premium materials, inside and out, that radiate elegance with a dramatic presence, the BlackBerry Bold is designed to give business professionals and power users unprecedented functionality and performance in an intuitive BlackBerry smartphone. It is the first BlackBerry smartphone to support tri-band HSDPA high-speed networks around the world and comes with integrated GPS and Wi-Fi, as well as a rich set of multimedia capabilities. From its lustrous black exterior, satin chrome finished frame and stylish leather-like backplate, to its stunning display, sophisticated user interface and newly designed full-QWERTY(i) keyboard, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone is a symbol of accomplishment and aspiration.

“The new BlackBerry Bold represents a tremendous step forward in business-grade smartphones and lives up to its name with incredible speed, power and functionality, all wrapped in a beautiful and confident design,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion.

SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone’s support for tri-band HSDPA and enterprise-grade Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g) networks and its next-generation 624 MHz mobile processor make short work of downloading email attachments, streaming video or rendering web pages. The BlackBerry Bold also includes 128 MB Flash memory plus 1 GB on-board storage memory, as well as a microSD/SDHC memory card slot(ii) that is conveniently accessible from a side door. It comes with the renowned BlackBerry productivity applications, including phone, email, messaging, organizer and browser, and works with thousands of mobile business and lifestyle applications, making it easier than ever to stay connected, productive and entertained. With this powerful new smartphone, users can even talk on the phone while sending and receiving email or accessing the web, and download Word, Excel or PowerPoint files and edit them directly on the handset using the preloaded DataViz Documents to Go suite.

STUNNING DISPLAY

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone comes with the most vivid and bold display ever introduced on a BlackBerry smartphone. Its half-VGA (480×320 resolution) color LCD is fused to the undersurface of the lens, making images leap out with stunning definition and clarity. Pictures are vibrant and razor sharp, while videos play smoothly and web pages, documents, presentations and messages snap with exceptional quality and contrast.

DESKTOP-STYLE WEB PAGES

With its newly enhanced, high performance browser and high-resolution, ultra-bright display, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone gives users an on-the-go web browsing experience with desktop-style depiction. The trackball mimics a mouse, making it easy to navigate sites in “Page View” or “Column View” or to zoom in on specific parts of a web page, while various emulation settings allow users to choose between the full desktop-style HTML content and layout or the mobile version. Attachments can also now be downloaded from within the browser and there is support for watching streaming videos (RTSP - real-time streaming protocol).

RICH MULTIMEDIA

While it is designed to meet the extensive requirements of the business professional during the day, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone also caters to the business person’s consumer side during evenings and weekends. It features a 2 megapixel camera with video recording capability, built-in flash and 5x digital zoom. The enhanced media player can display pictures and slideshows quickly, play movies smoothly in full screen mode, and manage an entire music collection. Audio can be played over the handset’s dual speakers in rich, stereo sound, and when using wired headphones or external speakers, the media player gives the user an equalizer with 11 preset filters - like “Lounge”, “Jazz” and “Hip Hop” - that boost or soften audio ranges to create the perfect ambiance.

For managing music and video, the BlackBerry Desktop Manager software includes Roxio Media Manager for BlackBerry as well as Roxio Photosuite 9 LE, which makes it easy to enhance pictures and create photo albums on the computer. For users that manage their collection with iTunes, the new BlackBerry Media Sync application provides a simple way to sync iTunes digital music collections with the smartphone(iii). Support for High Speed USB 2.0 allows all files to be transferred quickly from a desktop computer to the BlackBerry Bold smartphone.

POWERFUL WI-FI & GPS

For even broader high-speed network coverage, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone supports the 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi standards, ideal for use in enterprise or campus wireless LAN deployments, over Wi-Fi hotspots and on wireless home networks. A new “Push Button Setup” is included, making it faster for users to connect to protected wireless networks that require a sign on process.

Through its integrated GPS, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone can pinpoint its exact location, supporting applications like BlackBerry Maps and other location-based applications or services. With its improved rendering capabilities, faster download speeds and ability to support simultaneous voice and data, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone even allows users to navigate while on a call.

FIRST CLASS PHONE

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone features a new acoustic design that increases the size of the phone’s audio sweet spot, improving listening quality and clarity. It also comes with numerous premium phone features including Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), Bluetooth 2.0, with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits (including car kits that adhere to the Bluetooth Remote SIM Access Profile) and other Bluetooth peripherals. It is a quad-band EDGE and tri-band HSDPA handset that supports global roaming(iiii) and features dedicated ’send’, ‘end’, and ‘mute’ keys, smart dialing, speed dialing, conference calling and call forwarding. It also features noise cancellation technology that offsets background noise, a powerful speaker phone and support for polyphonic, mp3 and MIDI ring tones.

ROBUST EMAIL & MESSAGING

Like all BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry Bold gives users the industry’s leading mobile messaging solution. It works with BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which enables advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments, as well as BlackBerry Professional Software for small businesses. It also works with BlackBerry Internet Service, which gives users access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), and the BlackBerry Unite! software for SOHO and home users.

CONVENIENT ACCESSORIES

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone comes with a variety of convenient accessories including a stereo headset, travel charger, carrying case or sleeve and USB cable. Users will also be able to personalize their BlackBerry Bold smartphone by purchasing replaceable leather-like backplates that come in a range of colors. The removable / rechargeable 1500 mAhr battery provides multi-hour usage with a target talk time of approximately 5 hours and 13 days standby time.

Accessories for BlackBerry smartphones, including leather holsters and totes, charging pods, premium earphones, the BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway and Bluetooth headsets, are available through retail outlets or online at: www.shopblackberry.com.

AVAILABILITY

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone (model number: 9000) is scheduled to be available from wireless carriers around the world beginning this summer.

For more information please visit: www.BlackBerryBold.com.

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Heres to another Weather Must Have App. This time around its simply a website that you visit, no installation required!

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/paw/ is a website you can view from your Blackberry browser that allows you to view current weather from all over the place in real-time animated view. To quote the site’s own description:

“PAW is a PDA friendly weather web site that contains real-time images, graphics and text formated for display on PDA devices equiped with high resolution color displays. Content, including composite weather radar and satellite images with graphical overlay of observed and predicted data, can be viewed and controlled using web micro-browsers standard on these units. Users select from predefined geographical regions and control data type, animation, zoom and roam. National Weather Service Zone Forecast Products and Model Output Statistics are available for selected cities.”

So if you’re the kind of person that likes to keep an eye on the weather, (and I mean really keep an eye on it) even when you’re out and about, this website is for you.

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Contrary to what you might assume after reading this site, not everyone loves the BlackBerry. Real estate agents, for example, benefit from the Palm Treo and its eKey application, which allows them access to for-sale homes. We have a friend over in Microsoft, and he insist’s on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Operating System being the best. And I can’t count the number of complaints I’ve heard about the BlackBerry’s memory issues. Yet, many people consider BlackBerry’s brand of push email to be the best in the business. RIM has a compromise: BlackBerry Connect. This allows business users to connect to BIS and BES from the compatible device of their choosing.

Many IT departments prefer the BlackBerry platform. This means the business is likely to adopt BlackBerry handsets. But, as I mentioned, not everyone prefers this.

The benefits are security for IT departments and choice for users. The BlackBerry Connect program is especially helpful for Enterprises or small businesses already using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. This allows them to integrate different devices without having to completely overhaul their servers.

Compatible devices

Of course, not every PDA or smartphone is compatible with BlackBerry Connect. But if you prefer HTC, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, or Samsung devices, you might be in luck. However, the most limiting factor is the carrier availability. Currently, most BlackBerry Connect compatible devices are available on AT&T. They include the following:

Palm: Treo 650 or 680
HTC: Tilt
Motorola: Q Global
Nokia: 9300 and E62

T-Mobile has one compatible device, the Samsung T719. The Nokia E62 is available in Canada through Rogers and Fido, while the Motorola Q is available through Bell.

Installation

After you set up your chosen device with a BlackBerry data plan and have installed sync software on your computer, you can download the BlackBerry Connect software from your service provider’s website. Once you install it, set up your BES or BIS, and you’re set to go.

Of course, if you’re working with a business, you’re going to want to talk with your IT department before making such an installation.