BlackBerry AppWorld Icon

Well its time for a different kind of post. This hopefully will interest everybody that visits.

I figured I’d look around RIM’s site specific for the coding and administration of the BlackBerry devices (consumer & corporate; respectively). There is a lot more power to the BlackBerry handheld that what most realize ~ and still benefit them.

This is for the website administrators out there.
What are the different browsers and how do they impact your web page?

These include:
Blackberry Browser
Internet Browser
WAP Browser (hardly common these days)
Hotspot Browser
Check out the video link above on you Mac/PC browser or the DiVX format here.

And for you Dev hats out there … this following link should have a plethora of videos ~ basic in nature but helpful if your curious about developing for 36million consumers worldwide and growing! Yeah their all addicts!

Developer Video Library (check the tabs at top of site)

Introduction:
- Introduction to BlackBerry Java Development
- Introduction to the BlackBerry Push API
- Introduction to the BlackBerry Development with SAP Netweaver
- Overview on Using Touch and Accelerometer API’s on the BlackBerry Storm

(there is also a vid on a team that worked with McLaren Mercedes & Lewis Hamilton to modify their code for BT remote controlling a toy for an actual F1 car … VERY COOL indeed! iPhone eat your heart out!

- How to create Client/Server Connections
- Compatibility Mode with BlackBerry Storm Smartphone
- How to Create a Theme using the Plazmic Theme Builder

BES Administration:
- Introduction to the BB Administration APIs
- Setting up your Eclipse/Java Enviro for using BB Admin APIs
- BlackBerry Administation APIs Setting up MS.Net Environment
- Web Development & Java Development Environment videos
- Mobilizing Oracle Applications on BlackBerry Smartphones.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

To all my visitors, my family and friends, and to those that are out in the cold suffering, I hope you find a warm place & a warm meal along with good times & comfort.

Spread joy and share what you can.

Here are some wallpapers for you Bold 9700, 9000, and 8520/30 Curve.

BB_Bold Wallpaper - Christmas_1

BB_Bold Wallpaper - Christmas_2

BB_Bold Wallpaper - Christmas_3

Now, get out there and drink up! Don’t forget to plan your ride home with a designated driver, friend that doesn’t drink, or just simply LEAVE your keys home and bring extra $50 for a cab ride home! Don’t be stingy and tip them should they make sure you get in the door safely.

Ladies, remember the buddy system!

You got to understand that I’m a music lover! Also I’m a pedestrian, usually walking & taking the subway to & from work, going to friends place, and shopping.

Bold 9700 Multimedia Playback

Ever since I’ve owned the Sony Ericsson W810i, I’ve been looking for a phone that has quality headsets, preferably from the same manufacturer as the phone (better quality and/or compatibility). I think only 1 phone I’ve ever owned in the past 4yrs didn’t have quality stereo headphones (E71). Also I used to be an A2DP faithful, again due to SonyEricsson, but finding the specific model A2DP headphones locally or even online from reputable retailers I gave up on those.

BlackBerry Premium Multimedia Headset

Enter the BlackBerry Premium Multimedia Headset & 9700. In a word …. POW! I’m no audiophile but I take specific pride in the tracks I truely love (Classic House, Jazz, R&B, Hip-Hop, and Progressive House). After previously using the iPhone/iPod I was pleasantly surprised by the frequency response, and the BASS that these offer. I’m ecstatic over the deep lows, mids, and High’s that I have NOT heard before in the same tracks I listen to daily for the past 4mths!!

Complete Case & switchable earings

Playback, FWD, RWD, Volume adjustment … its ALL there when connected to my BlackBerry 9700. I used to own the BlackBerry 8100 and I tried a 3rd party headset for those and was put off using it as a music player due to the headset automatically trying to voice call without any input from me on a windy day, Arrgh! This new OS 5.0.x.xxx along with the stereo headphones reproduce sound and playback controls VERY well.

RIM BB Bold 9700 - Germany Official Presentation

Unfortunately, these don’t accept calls, or make calls  ~ or the odd time I get it to work its not well. Also I keep getting an odd feedback like static, not often and very rare but I think its due to the headset plug being pulled/bent slightly. The issue with making/receiving calls may have to do with the angled sides of the 9700, the headset plug does not seat fully flushed in the 9700’s jack.

I’m beginning to wonder if the Premium Multimedia Headset is specifically for the Storm model (RIM has 9700 & other listed as compatible). Unless others have different experiences than I do with making/receiving calls then I’m thinking of keeping these until I get a similar version from RIM.

RIM BB Bold 9700

I’d like to highlight another wordpress bloggist for their work on what I think is THE most amazing theme I’ve seen on the internet for the BB Bold 9000/9700 on OS 4.6/5.

BerryLove is created by Emarsha. The following theme “BerryStacked Professional” is taken & linked to BerryLove site.

BerryLove BerryStacked Theme

The themes are originally, wholly, and hosted by Emarsha. They are free, but I’d like you all to respect Emersha’s hard work & uniqueness that if you host them directly on your site, link back to her blog. Although she may be busy, you can contact her directly for custom themes. From what I’ve seen, I think ALL 9700 owners should contact her for custom themes because their are innovative & CLEAN so they will look professional and slick. You’ll be proud to be seen using them in the workplace.

BerryStacked 2 is what I recommend for first installation via OTA. 8900 users, I believe themes are available on Berry Love as well. Either way you should check it out.

The screen shot is BerryStacked 2 Square with a Wallpaper of my own (sized for the Bold resolution, assisted by a fellow member on HowardForums).

9700 BerryStacked Pro Theme Audi S4 Engine

Dadda’s got a brand new Bag!

A bag of style, funk, and sick moves. That’s right the Bold 9700 is a winner. Should you choose it for Calls, Emails, PIM, or multimedia its a serious top notch for personal or corporate/business use.

Live To Be Bold

Calls:
Many phones on the market still perform horribly in what their primary purpose is … calls & call management! Call quality on the Bold 9700 is, well I’d say in the top 5 devices currently. There is no need to shoot off fancy technology innovations for each release/device (Motorola). Just offer outstanding call quality; no robot sounds, pure normal voice tones/reproduction so your voice sounds the same to those on the other end. And theirs are normal to you. I want Clarity and the only manufacturer besides RIM to do this consistently is SonyEricsson!

Call Log

Call History

View Call Log

Call Management. Best in class, best on the market. Should you receive, miss, or make incoming/outgoing calls you would want a tidy yet informative record of it, n’est-pas? Of course. You would want to know who (name & number), time of the call (time & date), and possibly the duration which helps when you NEED to debate the rate of charges. These calls, the people you vocally communicate with are managed (linked) to your Address Book within the BlackBerry, and if you’ve already done so with the contact it’ll reflect in BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) as well.

NOTE: Here in Canada, providers have setup their networks to be a little tricky. Should you have the unlimited evenings & weekends for local calling feature on your cellular line, you NEED to be careful when the Call begins (no matter if you Received/Initiated the call)! Let’s say your Unlimited Evenings local calling starts at 6PM your local time. All phones will update to match the network time (if not get RID of that phone NOW). Now if you Receive/Make a call at 5:59PM local time (it does NOT matter if the incoming call is Long Distance/Local to YOUR line or not) and you talk for say 60minutes. Those 60minutes (currently 6:59PM) is coming out of your daytime minute allotment for the month, and if you’re over its more $$ out of your pocket! Now you know WHY you need to know the duration of the call.

Blackberry defines Call Management in a number of ways: Status, History, Call Notes; and if you view a particular Contacts History, you can select “Open” to View Call Log. There is one oddity that is obvious & overlooked by RIM. BlackBerry Messenger identifies people by Email, or by PIN (PIN to PIN messaging is unique to BlackBerry’s). Why does the Address Book not have a predefined field for “PIN”?! Odd, no?

Emails:
Well for ANY emails to work on Blackberry you’ll need to have a specified BIS (for personal emails) or BES (corporate emails) to work. Personally I don’t have either currently since my 9700 is being starved on a Pay As You Go line, until I switch my line over.

Emails are pushed/pulled (by gmail/hotmail/yahoo mail, and by RIM NOC respectively) to RIM’s NOC, then PUSHED to your wireless network and then to your device. This is VERY basically explained and I’m not going to get deeper into this. Its the industry standard that made push emails just about instant; BES accounts is immediately, while BIS accounts CAN take up to 15mins when emails to your POP/IMAP stop for a while and then receive an email.

Lets just say RIM has always had this covered and nobody else (personal IMAP/POP3, OWA/Exchange, Domino, or Novell Groupwise) has matched this. Power goes to Microsoft’s WinMo devices as their personal setup for Outlook OWA ActiveSync works best; but when it comes to corporate BES vs MS ActiveSync … there is NO comparison! Should you use Seven/GoodLink then your using THE SAME technology that RIM is using; licensed by NTP!

At another date I’ll get into whats possible on a corporate BES implementation, in increments.

Note: some of you using older BlackBerry’s from OS 4.2, and possibly 4.6 or prior, have BlackBerry Redirector installed from the Desktop Manager on your office desktop (and running all the time). Take special care that you do NOT upgrade that Blackberry Desktop Manager (BBDM) software on your work PC since newer versions of BBDM no longer support Redirector! You may NEED to upgrade BBDM if you need it to work with your Bold (9700).

PIM:

Oh brother, its not just about the places you’ll go, but what you’ve done, will do, and how you handle your bigznizz! That’s right, people remember your smile, how you handle your-delf, but most importantly over time they remember you for the things you do, not the things you say (calls, emails, etc). An eloquent Hip-Hop lyricist once said “It’s not about what you know but what you can do!”

Plan your Day, week, Month or Year; not like its your birthday. Setup your meetings, accept/deny/reschedule them (BES, I’m unsure if BIS supports this now) as well as participants, and enter your shift hours. Many 3rd party applications have access to the calendar to import/export data from/to it via API’s. What I love is that you can enter a Task (separate core PIM) with an alarm but also enter a number so that when the reminder sounds off, and you accept it, a call can be made immediately!

I’m not sure about the lot of you, but I have a TON of Outlook Notes that I rely on & sync to my BlackBerry (as I’ve done to other smartphones). I love how I can set a category to organize them further. Categories for Notes or Address Book can be set to “Business”, “Personal” or custom defined by you. Links can be entered, unfortunately not hyper-linked (hopefully soon).

Just think of how all the recent smartphones are trying to add The Social with online synchronization of Contact information (local with FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, and other Web2.0 accounts). Although these are welcome, they do poorly with linking this information to other local core PIM functionality. I’d say Palm’s WebOS and SonyEricsson’s MediaScape is onto something without causing much clutter with the fluff. Personally BBM messenger once you’ve tried it with BBMaps, file/contacts/bookmark or links transfer, most people get hooked. I’m not, since I’ve barely found a personal or business need/want for it, just yet.

Has anyone noticed I’ve used the word NEED quite often in this blog post yet?! There are just so many of them that was overlooked when I used the iPhone, and when not working paying for apps that deliver what the core PIM should do, is just asinine.

Multimedia:

Well there is just so much quality in the pictures & video that the 9700’s 3.2MP camera offers and proven on various reviews of the 8900 I just will save you all that. This processor is VERY capable for simultaneous tasks.

In closing using this BlackBerry for the past 5 days ~ beyond supporting it ~ without a Data Plan is like being happily married and on a dinner & club date with Mariah Carey & Eva Mendes! You’re biting & kicking yourself fighting the urge to jump into the naughty & yet simultaneously confused as to whom to start with or where to begin. I guess that’s why my wonderful wife calls my smartphone “the mistress” ~ “Oh you bad girl” from the eBay baby comes to mind.

Shameless Plug: Should a few of you out there in Canada still deciding what to upgrade to for the coming year do it NOW! Best Buy Mobile has Telus Bold 9700 for $199 on 3yrs with $150 Best Buy Gift Card. Telus online has the same with $50 Gift card, Futureshop the same with $75 Gift Card. Tis the season to be both greedy and giving (that gift card can seriously help out)!

Last week was the time I needed a change.

Although, the NEED for the change of my smartphone was for my current job (started Wednesday), I was pretty happy with the personal use of my iPhone to some extent.

The iPhone 3GS is a decent multimedia and web tablet performer that handles calls pretty intuitively for the average non-technically inclined user. Its never been advertised as a “smartphone” by Apple ~ even if the power is there ~ and this is part of its huge success around the globe as a new entrant. Unfortunately for me, the iPhone lacks horribly for true or proper PIM entry and organization.

Since I’m returning to my roots regarding HH support, and the need to refresh those skills, I decided on getting a BlackBerry.

Once again I’m back but this time I’m going to LIVE to be Bold! I purchased the 9700 outright for a cool $500! Many thanks to Joseph for taking time out of chilling with friends waiting for his girl to sell to me his Telus 9700.

I’ve used quite a few smartphones in my day, with minimal experience with UIQ/Windows Mobile, and I can say with full confidence that the BlackBerry platform is by far THE most powerful PIM organization in the business ~ better than what the Palm OS was hailed to be back in the day some 14yrs ago.

There are some changes I need to get used to, and the lack of a current data plan is KILLING me and the abilities that this bad bwoy can do, but its still up to PIM tasks & wlan browsing.

Fortunately, for the underperforming Browser on BB OS (a proprietary mix of J2ME/CLDC with some J2EE security imbedded), its MUCH better than on OS 4.6 or previous that I experienced on my 8100 years ago.

Soon RIM is going to release a new Browser with full support for Flash 10.1 (or newer) and most likely with HTML5. Since the current version in OS 5.0 supports GoogleGears, which incidentally is legacy supported by Google,the common sense move it to support HTML5. Google has already begun to use the early draft of HTML5 for GoogleWave and a few of their other cloud products. HTML5 will soon move into the infamous GMAIL app as well.

I’ll mention more of the Bold 9700 tonight or tomorrow after work. Tah Tah for now.

A few weeks ago this circled the blogospher (too many to mention), and all manner of mobile sites focusing on news for mobile phones/apps/accessories.

To be honest I see this as An excuse for new horizons!

I see this as an excuse for the developer to explore new horizons. Was it not the same “middleman process” when he first submitted the FaceBook app?? I’m sure it was; however maybe the recent changes are slowing final development to fruition & consumption.

Still the web still has a LONG way to go to become so called “best mobile app” because not all data should be sourced in real time or pulled/pushed when needed by the user. Many places where wireless provider data is STILL not truely unlimited & thus restricted (Canadian providers ALL the incumbents STILL charge & cap a specific ceiling of 1-2GB monthly with few % on the offered/pulled 6gb of data; along with tethering restrictions/allowances and so called “fair use” policies).

There are many applications that serve just as well or better with a single burst of data for 1 time & initial requests. Only specific changes in data which wold affect users are required and incremental.

Some applications, like stock data for trading applications, world news events/reports – need and require a continuous stream of data. Issue is web based cloud “apps” (more like interfaces) change not only the data presented to the end user, but many times augmenting the GUI layout which most of the times is not needed; this lacks in efficient data streaming, and more data bucket usuage & costs to the end user.

There is a HUGE reason why WML/WAP1.1 failed, and why WAP2.0 is in a static state of developmental evolution and suits feature phones, and not smartphones.

Yes I’m aware of HTML5 and what GoogleWave presents – but it proves that the GUI layout consistently changes due to new data streams and provides great event notifications – but its NOT suited for a battery packing handheld smartphone/feature phone device. To put it simply developers that code specifically to the web think of Desktops/Laptops (and recently MIDS) First & Foremost; mobile is thought up of only after mass consumption of their work is taken noticed. THAT is the issue.

Smartphones are THE MOST PERSONAL and trusted computing platform and thus heavily guarded by the end user. As such there NEEDS to be some kind of regulation, to what extent can be argued and never resolved for the next 10yrs – but it cannot nor should NOT be left to the end user!

At one point in the future, a smartphones evolution as a mobile device to a lifestyle personal companion should be as easy, as free, and as care free to use as our voices, words and hands (in any language, context & intent) and evolve as such. The only limitations are common sense, experience, and specific laws & moral aptitude for their uses.

Wow, that is thinking different. I think I’m high!!

I just read this thread from one of my favorite online forums: Why I hate social network websites. . I just couldn’t help myself to pontificate briefly and reply with another 1 of my diatribes.

The original post goes like this …

I hate social networking websites because it seems that these websites have replaced good old E-Mail for communication. Something about it just bugs me how we are reliant on a website to handle essential communication., and the communication can’t be controlled by the other party, unlike an email service.

Wasn’t there a company that did technical support via Facebook?

What really gets on my nerves about this is now, people seem overly dependent on MySpace, Facebook and more. If the site goes down, so would your contacts unless you have their number, etc.

by (EDITED OUT)

Now before reading on this is NOT to call out this fellow member of another forum ~ and I probably shouldn’t directly name him/her without permission (thus the omission). Please note that I do respect this member & felt it would be polite not to contact them directly about my blog entry as to not arouse resentment or cause frustration. Without doing so may cause this as well, but I take comfort that I’m posting my reply directly here as I did in the original thread location.

read on.

Hmm. I think you’ve finally reached the point of generation separation. No offense. I say this because essentially, using Facebook or MySpace for txt communication is simply no different than SMS/MMS on your cellphone – which pre-dates effective wireless email (EVEN BlackBerry’s NOC; SMS does, maybe not MMS).

We have to be VERY careful on 2 simplistic thoughts regarding communication.
1> What is thought of as essential communication – forms or the message carried, and what medium used is appropriate.
2> Which form (medium) of communication is BEST to communicate a particular message.

Let’s think about this and relate this to time for a moment. I’ll tackle #2 first: Form or medium is BEST considered to communicate a particular message.

Body Language. This by ANY other culture pre-dates ALL forms of communication. From Animals to higher form primates to human beings – this is used EVEN today (in/out of the office, your spouse, your lover/girlfriend, your colleagues, friends, enemies/adversary’s). Depending on the message needed to be conveyed ~ this can be the most effective in specific situations. You don’t walk around a horse to its rear without your hand going along side its body do you? You don’t show you grill & flex your eyebrows or muscles when some thug has a gun pointed to your head trying to rob you do you? You don’t wink/grin/lick your lips at another woman if your wife is around do you?

Hand gestures/communication. This in its lowest form (gestures) or highest form (sign-language) also pre-dates Vocal communication. I cannot recall which dog does this to alert its master of prey, but I’ve personally seen it myself as a child and was freaked out and laughed my head off when this dog pointed in a hilly open field. Sign launguage is used by the deaf to communicate. Today, the hearing-impaired use teletype phones to use txt to the recipient or even more efficiently, video operator can quickly translate sign-language visually to you over the phone where a video call on your end cannot be used ~ let alone interpreted by most citizens in any nation. Also ie hostage situation where extraction/seperation of hostiles vs hostages – the police force and more so the military use hand-gestures.

Vocal Communication. This is also a very old form of communication and considered to be the BEST form of communication amongst us all ~ at least until 2001. We all can communicate information, emotion, and possibly intent (without actually saying it) to another party. However we also know the basics of the Tower of Babel that many various forms of language makes Vocal ineffective or inefficient if the other party cannot understand or communicate back in a common language with us. The internet age makes translation (basic if not rudimentally yet flawed to an extent) more effective. So Text (sms, email, written) is more effective. However, you also need to think about basic information/data …. 70 years ago the newspaper was the hallmark of communicating information across a nation efficiently and effectively (along with snail mail). If anyone made stock trades based on the mornings newspaper – you’d be broke! It’s yesterdays news that is printed for tomorrow (with the exception of articles). The internet (mobile or connected) is the BEST form to communicate time sensitive data.

Text. For the past few years Email has become so important, synonymous with efficiency, and over-bearing that it’s become a multi-billion dollar industry to corporations, end users are left paying the cost. I’ve worked at so many companies in the past 10yrs as a contractor in many sectors actually have courses/training on email etticut. When NOT to send an email reply and not to send the reply to all party’s if its not necessary to their jobs, responsibilities. Just 1 email sent out by an upper echelon employee can generate over 5 useless reply’s and its not only creating in-efficient workers, but also lots of frustration. Yes I’m a culprit as well . Although we can communicate data, emotion, and intent this way, its not always perceived effeciently or correctly. SMS is considered dead in North America due to its 160 character limit; however many youth have adapted incredibly efficient form of txt to deal with this. Facebook, or MySpace allows not just text but also multimedia. Many business’ can use this medium to effectively target market potential consumers right where they feel comfortable the most and communicate on their level & on their terms (for the most part). Don’t kid yourself into thinking that boards, posts, or user profiles cannot be managed any bit less on FaceBook/Twitter/MySpace than RIM’s BlackBerry’s & NOC. It all takes the right pressure to create the exact momentum/inertia to get the right form of security enabled.

Unified Communications in the office is comming to a serious convergence in the next 12mths [both MS Office 2010, Lotus Notes, and VOIP/Video Conferencing will become unified and efficiently managed]

Language or communication is ever more powerful and obvious in today’s world than it ever has been. Not being able to adjust can leave you in the dust. Over communicating can result in your words falling on “deaf ears” ~ which undoubtedly is what I’ve done here.

Cheers.

Now this fellow member does have point ~ relying on social networking sites is not a good way to use as our main source of communication, nor is it going to last forever (my personal opinion), but I feel it will evolve over time just like other forms of human communication has. FaceBook is banking on my opinion being 100% wrong and you can rest assured be able to bank on them as well. I’m sure they’ll be just about 1/2 as powerful as Google will.

PS: I posted a few weeks ago on another thread in this same forum I’m mentioning and I just may post that here as well.

YES, good show Ericsson!

Of all the glum news occurring lately about companies laying off employees along with uncertain economic times of employment – including mine – is awesome to see this news. Especially since Ericsson’s mobile partnership with Sony; Sony Ericsson laying off employees and closing offices in 3 United States.

Being a successful bidder in the auction of Nortel’s North American GSM/GSM-R business gives Ericsson contracts with AT&T & T-Mobile USA. This means not only will T-Mobile USA get to expidite their 3G deployment, or AT&T finally getting proper 3G/HSPA deployment and better bandwidth for a horribly congested network, but adding 350 employees!

Not too long ago many pensioners from Nortel faced off against Parlament here in Toronto, Ontario. I’m unsure of the outcome considering the following but it may shift a hand in these pensioners coming closure to a better retirement.

Nortel cries “poverty” this company has $2.6 billion in cash and up to $6 billion in cash after all its business sales

Canadian Labour Congress

Newswire

But that’s for another topic – not on this blog.

This deal means greater chances of LTE coming to North America at competitive prices for networks, meaning better monthly rates for users (I pray, but not always the case). The residual side affect of this deal – if approval from regulatory bodies allows – means possible SonyEricsson handsets being able to use decent mobile chipsets from Ericsson, not to mention many of the competition.

Ericsson Press

Along with our recent acquisition of Nortel’s CDMA and LTE assets, the transaction emphasizes Ericsson’s commitment to the North American market and strengthens our position as a leading provider of telecommunications technology and services in the United States and Canada” said Hans Vestberg, incoming President and CEO of Ericsson. “Our Ericsson family will be once again enriched by the addition of the valuable Nortel employees.”

The agreement includes the transfer of important GSM business with North American operators such as AT&T and T-Mobile. Under the agreement Ericsson will offer employment to approximately 350 employees from Nortel. Nortel’s North American GSM operations generated approximately USD 400 million in 2008.

(yeah I can’t sleep).