We talk about different twitter apps a lot here and it’s mainly because every single twitter client app seems to fall short in one regard or the other. We wait patiently for an in-house twitter app made directly from RIM (BlackBerry). The people (person?) at YATCA are in the same boat. The only difference is they made their own twitter client app to use until BlackBerry makes one.

Yatca is one of my favorite twitter client apps simple because it’s simple. One of the cooler features is that it can integrate into the message box. New tweets come in like they’re new mail. It has a notification icon whenever you get a new one too. It’s simple so it has a small footprint; use it to tweet, reply, read other tweets and see people that reply to you.. that’s it.

Because it does integrate into your message box, I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who follows a lot of people because your inbox will be overflowed with tweets.

This new update seems to run a little smoother.

You can download the version for you at http://yatca.wordpress.com.

Here’s another scratch on my rose-colored BlackBerry glasses.

I woke up this morning, getting two tweets from BlackBerry. One said “Happy Holidays” and the other said they have a free song for me to download. The song is “all you need is love” which I’m assuming is the song on the new BlackBerry commercials that are just God-awful.

This commercial seems to be geared toward one demographic… and it’s not me. How about a commercial with a whole bunch of celebrities standing next to each other handing each other the phone.. or maybe one of just the phone and someone is talking and pushing buttons on it… I miss the original BlackBerry Storm commercials with John Krasinski.

So… I try to open the free song tweet, and I get this….

That’s right, a broken link. Thanks again, BlackBerry. For saying you have something for me and making me feel foolish for believing it. For another gift, how about you hire a new PR department; your current one isn’t working for you.

Hey, I’m available to blog.

Update

They fixed the link… which I knew they would eventually do.. It only took them 4 hours to do it. And yes, it’s the song you hear in the commercials. I’m listening to it right now on my Storm. Go here to download it. There’s just something about this song I don’t like…

Did you get the message?

Around 12 today, my BlackBerry Storm made a weird alien-like ring and there in my message box was a red message from the mothership, BlackBerry Network Administrator, telling us to phone home… well to download the new BBM .57.

I’m assuming the message was sent to everyone that has bbm .55 or .56 (the versions that messed up BlackBerry smartphones for the Americas yesterday). The .50’s series of BBM fixes the slow or sometimes impossible transfer of pictures between BBM’s.

If you haven’t downloaded it yet, you can find it at http://mobile.blackberry.com/ using your BlackBerry Browser.

I got to play around with the newest unfinished version of tweeteev today. Tweeteev is another yet another twitter client application (this, btw, is the name of another twitter client called YATCA). When tweeteev came about, the makers stated …

…the interface, features and experience that Tweeteev provides will totally change the way you use Twitter on your mobile phone. Stay tuned, coming soon on a mobile device near you.

So I’ve been waiting for a while now.

The first version that was leaked earlier this year was buggier than a South American rain forest but it did show some promise.

This new version that came out is even better. Yah, it’s slower then a snail on a salty desert, but I can definitely see it being my twitter client of choice once they speed up the app (if they can speed up the app). Much easier said than done.

You can try it out by going here.

Last night marked the third time and it pains me to say this that RIM (Research in Motion – BlackBerry) has failed me in the last week. This last bbm/internet outage lasted almost the whole night. It was long enough for my girlfriend to kind of start freaking out about it and my sister to call me to be befuddled about it. Apparently the issue stemmed from a bad update to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM).

RIM’s apology

Last night a service interruption occurred that affected BlackBerry customers in the Americas and it appears that the issue stemmed from a flaw in two recently released versions of BlackBerry Messenger (versions 5.0.0.55 and 5.0.0.56) that caused an unanticipated database issue within the BlackBerry infrastructure. RIM apologizes to its customers for any inconvenience and has taken corrective action to restore service.

A new version of BlackBerry Messenger (version 5.0.0.57) is available and we particularly encourage anyone who downloaded or upgraded BlackBerry Messenger since December 14th to upgrade to this latest version which resolves an issue that exists in the two previous versions (5.0.0.55 and 5.0.0.56). To download the most current version of BlackBerry Messenger software, please visit www.blackberry.com/blackberrymessenger and follow the on-screen instructions…

I think it’s funny that he link RIM provided for the fix does work when using a BlackBerry Browser and wasn’t working on my computer until just a few moments ago. I’m also a little perturbed that I pay 30 bucks a month for a service that has stopped working three times this month. Last night realized what it feels like to be on AT&T… (please don’t sue me)

All seems to back to normal in the BlackBerry world now, though, if patterns foretell the future, we should be expecting another outage in a few days…

If you’re still running BBM 5.0.0.55 or 56, download the newest non-server crashing version at http://mobile.blackberry.com using your BlackBerry browser.

Last night reminds me how utterly dependent we as a society I’m getting on technologies. But that’s enough of that.

MTS Mobility released an official version of OS 5.0.0.419 for the BlackBerry Storm 9530. Our cousin, the Storm 9500, got their above .400 OS update more than a few weeks ago, so it’s nice to finally get ours. I really haven’t liked .328… it seems to have a memory issue. I’m downloading it now. I’ll update on how I like it.

Download

Download it at here for MTS Mobility. If your 9530 isn’t a MTS Mobility BlackBerry Storm, like for example, a Verizon Storm, after installing the new OS onto the computer, before putting it on the phone, delete the file called vendor.xml. It can be found in c:\program files\common files\research in motion\apploader.

A few quick features

• Popup keys are back
  
• I started with 45.2 mb of Application Memory on this OS after I shrunk it.
• When typing the blue glow that surrounds the keys when touched is a lot bigger.

I’ve been waiting for this update pretty much since I got my BlackBerry Storm. Youversion has come out with a free version of the Bible for the BlackBerry Storm. Until now, I’ve been using the Bold version on my phone, but the incompatibility made pushing the buttons nearly impossible.

This update, however, runs near perfect on the BlackBerry Storm. Navigation is intuitive. You can choose between a countless number of different versions of the Bible. I think I counted 16 different versions (most of them of which I’ve never heard of before). There’s a daily read reference for those who are looking for something like that. Another nice feature is that it seems every verse has a user-submitted commentary about it available for download. One last feature is a “live” button that displays events that are happening in your area, but apparently, there isn’t much in my area.

I guess the one con of this program is that it requires an internet connection at all times to read which makes loading pages a little slower and impossible to use in areas without reception. (Are there still areas like that? Maybe on a plane?).

Screenshots

Download
to download, go to http://youversion.com/bb using your BlackBerry Storm Brower.

I’ve been working on a theme this past week.

When it comes to BlackBerry Storm themes, my favorite tends to be the default one that it comes with except I wanted one with a hidden today. But every version I’ve come across that’s supposed to be the default Precision Zen with hidden today hasn’t exactly been exactly right.

I decided to make one myself and I see why all the themes haven’t been exactly right. It took some time but I think I got it pretty close.

Here are the differences

• An extra slot was added for a weather app perhaps or another any other
• Icon notification was moved from the left the under the date.
• A hidden quicklaunch button was added because it’s hard for me to hit convenience keys with the incipio case.
• No dialpad cut-off
• No white bars

I’m pretty much done with it. Just gotta get it hosted.

Is something wrong with me? Or is it just that I’m dissatisfied with SocialScope.

no… that can’t be it.

There’s something new in the horizon though

Well, not new, but updated. A new version of the popular client UberTwitter is available but it’s only a beta version. I like where the developers are going with it. It’s pretty and it’s loaded and I mean LOADED with features. This version is still pretty buggy though. Can’t wait to see the final product.

Beta version download -

http://www.ubertwitter.com/bb/rogue/download.php
use the BlackBerry browser

Here’s a relatively simple way to fix a hard-to-click-the-corners problem on the BlackBerry Storm.

Step-by-Step

1. Open up the battery case and pull out the battery.
   
2. Insert a piece of paper where the battery should be
   
3. Re-insert the battery and put on the battery door.
   

And voila, the whole screen should now be slightly higher. If it’s too high, try thinner paper. If it’s too hard to click the corners, use a thicker paper. For this example, I used the remnants of my California license plate sticker.

Originally I used a Disneyland Fastpass line card cut in half. A business card cut in half seems to be the perfect thickness.

warning – don’t use something too thick (something that makes putting in the battery really difficult) because it may break something.

When you touch (but not press down) on a key, a blue box shows up saying what letter button you’re currently on. It’s helpful for those that have trouble hitting the right keys.

The feature was on 5.0.0.230 and .238 for the 9530.

The feature has returned for 9500 Storms with the new .400’s OS.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MD5AQYUT

This feature was available for BlackBerry Storm OS’s prior to 5.0.0.323. The symbol was changed back to 1xEV for OS 5.0.0.323 and above.

You can find all their themes here and use the code HDBDay90OFF when you buy them.

My favorite theme and the theme I currently use is the black and white simple theme in black. Even if you don’t like the themes, you’d be losing only 70 cents.

——————

GMT is greenwich mean time.. which is about.. 8 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.. so I guess, from when this was posted, there’s only 11 more hours to take advantage of this deal.

Storm users always had access to changing/viewing their team using the online site, m.yahoo.com/fantasy, but this app makes it so much easier.

It features the ability to -

• Access your team
• Check your stats
• Check Standings
• See your matchups
• See other teams
• Add/Drop Players

It doesn’t feature the ability to -

• post on the league message board
• view/offer/accept trades
• view league transactions

Download

You can download the app by going to http://m.yahoo.com/w/dlmanager using your BlackBerry Storm browser.

Other posts of Interest

• Yahoo Fantasy Football on the Storm (website)
• MyFantasy Team – Yahoo Fantasy App

Dear tweetgenius,

I have a secret I have to tell you.

I have a big crush on you. Just the mention of your name gets me feeling all excited.

I think you’re beautiful… more so than any other I’ve seen. Yah, when you’re around, I can’t help but look at you over and over again. You’ve got all your buttons in the right places. You’ve got what I want.

But, you’re bad for me. You make me leak my memory like crazy.

Yah, I know, you say you don’t. But we both know, you do.

Even after you said you changed, it’s not enough.

I’m leaving you, once again.. for SocialScope.

Don’t forget me though; I won’t forget you.

Hope to see you again soon,

-BlackBerry ILT

The Good-

• The display works in both landscape and portrait views on the Storm
• I love the look of the app. It’s honestly my favorite to look at. This includes the icon and the notifications of new tweets.

The Bad-

• Scrolling is really terrible. It’s slow and sometimes unresponsive.
• The app costs 8 dollars. (I originally bought it for 5).
• When opening a list, the app doesn’t go to the most recent tweet sometimes. I find this very annoying.
• Search looks messed up
• There isn’t a tweets-that-are-around-me feature (which I’ve grown to enjoy reading).

The Ugly

• TweetGenius hemorrhages application memory. What I mean is it leaks memory like crazy. When I run it, within a few hours, my application memory has dropped 10 mb or more. App memory is precious on my Storm!

Screen Shots

Conclusion

I like the direction TweetGenius is going, but once again, it’s going to be deleted off my phone. Fix the scrolling and, more importantly, fix the memory leak and I’ll gladly use it as my primary twitter client. Of course, both these issues seem like they’d be hard fixes so we’ll see how long it’ll take to for them to update the app.

Moments after I wrote this post, I just got an update from tweetGenius saying they’re testing a new Storm Build… maybe an update is coming sooner than I expect!

Other posts of interest

• List of twitter apps
• First TweetGenius Review (pre-update)

 

You can follow the rumor here.

1. dim screen
2. disable LED
3. disable Radio

5.0 adds two new features.

1. Ability to restrict to certain hours – this makes your phone only go into bedside mode while it’s been charged between certain hours of the day. I have mine between 11 pm to 8 am. (The times I’m generally asleep).
2. Change Sound Profile – A new option to set is the ability to change the phone’s sound profile automatically while in bedside mode. I set my phone to change to a custom sound profile called sleep. Now my phone only makes sound when I get a call or a bbm message when I sleep. No more emails waking me up at night.

Where is it?

Bedside mode is an option located in the clock’s options. Start up the clock, menu, options and the settings will look like the screenshots above.

A bug in the new Official OS for the BlackBerry Storm, 5.0.0.328, shows up when using some 3rd-party theme. A 3rd-party theme that isn’t the default one that comes with the phone. What happens is when the phone is switched to Landscape mode, the background picture doesn’t cover up the whole screen. White rectangular boxes show up on the sides of the screen.

Although there currently isn’t a fix for the problem, there is a work-around.

The Work-around

1. From the home screen, click the option button (the button with the BlackBerry sign) to go to the menu.

2. Click on Options.

3. Change the Wallpaper.

4. Change the layout from 2 rows to anything else.
5. Save.
6. Change the layout back to 2 rows.
7. Save.

8. The screen on Landscape Mode should look like it should now.

The Problem

The problem with this solution is that it needs to be repeated after each phone reboot. (Changing the background image can be skipped if the background is already changed).

Until theme makers start making their themes differently, this will be how to make the 3rd-party themes to work properly. The process itself takes only a few moments, but it IS a slight annoyance to have to do.

• BBTweet
  - OTA
  - website
  Simple twitter client that integrates into the mailbox. No extra’s really. The app just the ability to update your status and view tweets. Great for anyone that wants something very simple.
• BlackBird
  - OTA
  - website
• Seesmic
  - website
  - OTA
• SocialScope
  - website
  Invite only twitter client in beta stages. Go to their site to sign up to use it. It took me a few months to get an invite and I know more than a couple people who have waited much longer than that and still haven’t gotten it. It’s definitely worth it though.
• TinyTwitter
  - OTA
  - Website
• TweetCaster
  - website
  This twitter client, to be able to download, you have to tweet a phrase on twitter. The makers of the app will detect it and send you a link. I’ve done it and the process was pretty quick. Didn’t use the app for long though. It feels kind of like Twixtreme but not as good.
• Tweeteev
  - website
  rumored to be released soon, but that was ages ago. A beta version of the app was accidentally released and showed promise but a lot of bugs as well.
• TweetGenius
  - website
  Paid twitter client that recently partnered with BeeJive. They’ve created a new version of the app that should be available for the general public soon. One of my favorites to use.
• Twibble
  - OTA
  - website
• TwitterBerry
  - OTA
  - website
  One of the original twitter clients. Average twitter client. It doesn’t go over the top with extra options, so at times, it feels like the client is lacking.
• Twixtreme
  - OTA for 4.6 and up
  - OTA for 4.2.1 to 4.5
  - Website
  Billed as the sweetest twitter client. A lot of features. During loads, it has a cute little bouncing bird. I’d probably use it if it didn’t have such a terrible time with changing between landscape and portrait (and back) on the Storm.
• UberTwitter
  - OTA
  - website
  Probably the King of twitter clients for BlackBerry at the moment because it’s so option rich. Probably everything you wanted a twitter client to do, this probably can do. The free version just introduced advertisements, however, and that’s sure to bother more than some. A one year non-ad version can be purchased for 5 dollars at their site.
• Yatca
  - OTA
  - website
  Very simple. Integrates into the mailbox. Great for users that don’t get a lot of tweets and want something basic with a little more, like picture uploading.

Which app is right for me?

I know this is a cop out answer, but because each app offers different features and each has their problems special quirks, there’s really no one perfect to use.

If you want something loaded with features but don’t mind advertisements, go with UberTwitter. If you want something simple, go with Yatca. If you’re willing to pay, go with TweetGenius. If you want something visually cute, go with Twixtreme*. If you’re lucky, go with SocialScope.

When I first started tweeting, I used twitterberry. Then I moved to UberTwitter. Then I used UT with Yatca. I currently use SocialScope, partially because of other reasons though. I have tried most of the other apps just because I never seem to be completely satisfied.

Try one out and if you don’t like it, try another. Once you do choose one, follow this blog @blackberryilt.

This article will help you install the QuickPull for OS 5 Technical Preview (Beta).

REQUIREMENTS

You must meet the following requirements to use QuickPull on OS 5:

• A BlackBerry device running OS 5.0.0.252+. No lower version will work. To check your OS version, go to Options > About menu on your device. Confirmed builds: OS 5.0.0.252, OS 5.0.0.314, OS 5.0.0.323.
• No association with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server or other IT Policy.

INSTALL

To install QuickPull Beta for OS 5, browse to one of the following links from your BlackBerry device:

http://tinyurl.com/ykebhod (QuickPull Pro)
http://tinyurl.com/ykwgnkk (QuickPull Free)

PERMISSIONS

QuickPull will request certain permissions on first run. To grant these permissions, simply click Menu > Save. If you have an OS 5 build where enhanced security is forced on, you must set additional permissions in order to use QuickPull. You can determine if you have enhanced security forced on if you receive notifications to grant QuickPull “Trusted Application Status” or access to the Internet even though your Firewall is turned off under Options > Security Options > Firewall. Perform the following steps in order to correct this problem:

1. Go to Options > Applications
2. Press Menu > “Edit Default Permissions”
3. Set all three categories to “Allow”
4. Menu > Save
5. Do a real battery pull.

Download

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OC5OM3VF

The process is easy. Connect your phones to your computers (with your usb), start up BlackBerry Desktop Mananger and it should automatically detect there’s a new OS update. Just click to continue and the rest of the process will be done for you. The whole process took only about half an hour for me.

Some new features to play with

• flick scrolling
• threaded SMS
• A new restart screen
• A bedside mode that automatically switches your sound profile
• Automatic theme download detection

Some not-so-good features

• Some Third-party themes have a bug that causes white bars when in landscape mode
• Some apps that are compatible with 4.7 aren’t compatible with 5.0 yet. (though each day more and more apps are getting updated to work)
• Tabbed Browsing which was available for an earlier version of 5.0 isn’t on any recent versions.
• The overall OS, except the fact that it runs a little smoother, quicker, isn’t much different from the latest versions of 4.7. In some cases, I prefer 4.7.

BlackBerry Desktop Manager

If you don’t have Desktop Manager (though it should have come in the CD that came with your phone), you can find it at here for mac or here for the pc.

Bordapapa from CrackBerry uploaded a compatible version of Google Maps 3.2 for anyone running a BlackBerry Storm with OS 5.0.

Open http://bordapapa.extra.hu/maps.jad in your BlackBerry Browser.

This new version of Google Maps includes layers which lets you add/remove more information on the map. For example, the wikipedia layer adds little icons around the map that when clicked on tell more information about that particular area. I find it pretty cool because I can read up on some significant landmarks around my house that I really didn’t notice before.

It’s good practice to wipe a phone in between installing different OS’s just to remove anything that could cause conflicts. It’s not necessary (though it makes downgrading an OS easier).

Download

JL_Cmder v1.9.1.zip

I don’t quite remember where I got this program from… it’s been awhile

Requirements

Does your computer detect your BlackBerry as a BlackBerry when you connect it via USB, then it will most likely work.

 
 
 
 
Installation.

• Download the JL_Cmder.
• Unzip the one file.
• Double click the .exe file and confirm installation onto the computer.
  The program installs in “(x):\program files\JL_Cmder”.
  (x) being your root directory

 
 
 
The Process

• Connect your BlackBerry to your computer.
• In the program folder, open JL_Cmder.cmd.



• press any key to continue



• if you have a password, press (y), if not press (n)



• There’s a few things you can do with this little app, but what we’re interested in is wiping our BlackBerry.
  Press (4) to begin wipe.



• Press (y) to continue



• type blackberry and enter



• The software on your phone gets deleted.

If all goes well, your phone should boot to look like this screen.

Congratulations, your BlackBerry is now inoperable. Now, go install that new OS!

I received BerryWeather as a no-reason surprise from my girlfriend about a week ago. To be honest, I was originally taken aback by the price, 10 dollars! But after installing it, I gotta say I really love it.

BerryWeather is made by BellShare who also makes BerryBuzz, another product I like for my BlackBerry Storm.

When it comes to weather apps, after accurate weather forecasting, there’s really nothing one app can do better than other except look nicer and run quicker. BerryWeather accomplishes this feat.

One thing I love about this app is that I can set my background to whatever picture I want. It gives it that extra personal touch. Scrolling between cities is a snap (or rather a flick of the finger). And changing between hourly/daily/etc forecast is by screen click. I set my app to update every hour but there is an option to change it to pretty much any time.

I don’t use the gps option to get the weather of where I am exactly, but the option is there. I worry it would drain my battery. That being said, without using the gps option, the battery usage for this app seems to be very minute.

An issue that I have with the app is that it doesn’t display the hourly forecast for my city. It does work for the more major cities that are located near me, but not specifically my city. This may be an issue for some people, but it doesn’t really bother me.

The radar map can be set to be static or “move” up to a 10 frame animation… oh I see, clouds over Los Angeles. Maybe, that’s why it’s chilly. Occasionally, the app tells me of a weather report alert or Amber alerts as well.

The homescreen icons look great. They don’t look pixelated like some weather apps.

Conclusion

Overall, this is the best weather app I’ve had for my BlackBerry Storm. It does, however, come with a hefty premium. I really can’t tell you it would be worth your hard-earned money. There is a few day trial version of the app and I recommend trying it just to see if you’d like the app or if you’re willing to shell 10 dollars for it. Every-so-often, I find the app to be on sale for about 5 bucks which makes it much more worth the price.

Download

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8GGZ23B8

My Thoughts

I was getting pretty comfortable with .151 for it stability and compatibility with 3rd part apps…. but I had to try this. To quote my girlfriend,

you will eventually (try it) because you’re too curious.

The startup for this OS has really been terrible. I had to wipe/load the OS twice. My first time had a hanging reboot issue. I also had an issue installing quicklaunch, kept getting a java error. I had an issue with installing viigo, but I fixed it be deleting then reinstalling it. After that, it’s been so far so good.

The OS is pretty nice. Transitions work really well. Flick Scrolling is very responsive, but these were all in OS .230.

What I haven’t noticed is the white rectangular box that showed up after unlocks on .230. This leak may be a keeper on my BlackBerry Storm.

Quickpull still doesn’t work. Pandora doesn’t work so well. Google Maps is not compatible (although there is a work around).

Boot Time

I’ve been keeping track of average boot times for each OS since the original OS. In these trials, I’d remove the battery then put it back in and time how long it would take to restart the phone. After leak .113, the OS leaks average boot time plateaued at 2 minutes and 10 seconds, until now.

This new OS .323 averaged to my surprise, about 10 seconds faster. I’m sure this is pretty trivial, and when the user adds more apps, the boot time increases, but it IS interesting to me that BlackBerry some how improved on this…

theme issue

This OS does have an issue with 3rd party themes. When using them, the landscape view background is messed up. Solid color bars are on the left and right.

Conclusion

We’ll see how long this OS stays on my phone. I think I’m going to miss quickpull. (yes, there’s work arounds, but I’m starting to hate work arounds)

like…

- A lot of third-party apps were compatible but had quirks that didn’t exist in 4.7… having to use work around for a lot of the apps just became tedious.

- Homescreen icons didn’t update. (as in, like, for weather, the icon wouldn’t change). A app just came out that solves this issue… but again, another work around.

- Occasionally, (and this is why I switched back) a white rectangle blocked 1/4 of the bottom of the screen when I came back from lock. It was easy to get rid of it… just rotate the Storm back and forth. But it just became too irritating.

I’ll gladly go back to 5.0 once RIM fixes the white box issue and the 3rd party apps I use get up to 5.0 speed.

A few changes I noticed…

• The news feed page has tabs to show just pictures, or links, or status updates.
• Feeds load faster
• The app is about 1.0 mb now. I think it was a little more before.
• you can now “like” posts like you can on the desktop version

I downloaded it at the mobile blackberry site using my BlackBerry Browser.

I’m writing this post using the newly updated Wordpress app. This app (obviously) let’s you access your wordpress blogs. Using it, I’m able to make or edit posts or moderate comments.

The user interface (UI) is pretty nice and the overall speed of the app is relatively quick as well. Setup was a breeze. I don’t really see myself using this much (although there was a week during the summer where I did all my posts from my car) because, well, when would I ever need to? I guess it is convenient for those that use comment moderation.

You can pick up the app at wordpress. (I was typing the link, the app automatically detected I was writing one and there was a popup that made the process easier). The apps blog can be found here. Make sure you type org not .com. The .com leads to a weird website not blackberry related.

This post was easy enough to do. (adding pictures was a little laborious)

Research In Motion (BlackBerry) released a new BlackBerry Messenger, version 5.0.0.33.

Download-

You can download it by searching for it in BlackBerry App World. If you don’t have App World, you can download it by going to http://mobile.blackberry.com and downloading it directly from there.

Few new features-

• You can now create groups. This can be an awesome feature if you have, let’s say, a lot/most of your friends with BlackBerry smartphones or if your work uses BlackBerry. Groups make sharing pictures and calendars or chat in group chat or list things that need to be done really easy. The group shows up as a homescreen icon for quick access.
• If someone chats in the group, a notification icon of the groups icon shows up.
• there’s an ability to backup and restore the Contact List… just in case you’re afraid to lose your contacts.
• I mentioned this before but it works on BlackBerry OS 5.0.
• I did a mini-review of the other features, but they’re about the leaked version. This version of BBM 5.0 is a little different, but it talks about the Bar Code Scan.

I’m still playing around with it so I don’t know all the cool little things it can do. To quote my girlfriend, though, she says…

This rocks. It’s messenger on steroids.

One issue I have found is that while I’m in the group, it won’t notify me with an audible sound when something new has occurred in the group (like new chat). Hopefully RIM will fix this in the next version.

So far, though, I’m loving the new BBM. It’s pretty darn awesome.

Truth be told I was a little sketchy before I tried this but it works… Sometimes your phone needs resetting and if you’re like me and have a case, it’s a hassle to remove the case, then battery door, then battery and then put everything back together. I haven’t been able to get QuickPull to work on my OS 5.0 BlackBerry. But this trick works just as well.

• First, this requires a phone on the Verizon network. Sorry.

• Dial “##00000″. That’s 2 pound signs and 6 zeros. A “CDMA Service Edit Screen” should come up.


• Look for a spot that says “SIP Password:”. It’s close to the bottom.

• Write “VWZ” as the password.

• Hit your BlackBerry Button (Option Button) and click Save.

• Your phone should reset.

It’s simple enough.

This is what threaded SMS is and what it looks like. Instead of individual boxes that kind of look like individual emails, text message conversations look like instant messenger conversations. It makes the conversations a lot more fluid, but a little dangerous for a guy like me that doesn’t have unlimited text messaging. A simple “what-are-you-up-to” conversation took up 9 of my 250 allotted texts a month.

I prefer using BlackBerry Messenger. BBM is free and looks similar. Of course, the problem with that is that I can only BBM people with BlackBerry’s.

So you updated BlackBerry App World to the newest version .19. But now all the prices are in Euro. The fix is easy; all it requires is a paypal account.

Click any application that costs something (not free) and pretend you’re going to buy it. When it comes time to buy it, App World asks to log into your paypal account. When you do, the app detects that it should be in a different currency and automatically changes to it. Afterwards, just cancel the order and the prices should be changed to what they should be.

Before I installed the “new” OS I did a wipe (delete everything on the phone) and also backed up all my information (using Desktop Manager).

the differences

So far though, I haven’t really seen much of a difference between the hybrid and actual versions except while installing there was an application i never noticed before called CityID.

This service app (free to try for 15 days, 2 dollars a month afterwards) displays the city of the origin of the incoming call. It’s not where they’re calling from but where the number is located.. like where the phone number is billed. I suppose it’s a nice little app except it runs all the time. Also, Poynt already has a reverse call number option which makes CityID even more useless.

A technical difference is that this version of the OS contains all .230 files where the hybrid one had some files from .191 and from thr tour.

Download

The download for the new leak can be found at http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WUUK4TB0.

If you’re a Yahoo Fantasy Football junkie like me, you can access your fantasy team on your BlackBerry Storm by going to the mobile site m.yahoo.com/fantasy. It’s not as cool as the app that the Storm’s ugly brothers, Bold, Curve 8900 and Tour have, but it works, and works relatively well.

From the site you can:

- access your team
- view your matchup
- pick up players
- check your league standings

Because yahoo is offering stattracker (following your players stats) for free this year, all the stats are available on the mobile site as well.

One thing that seems to be missing is the league’s message board. I guess I have to go on my desktop to smack talk.

After skimming over more than a few pages, I wondered if the writers of this book had even picked up a BlackBerry Storm. Most of the information could be either found in the manual that came with the phone or were simply features that didn’t exist for the phone.

Putting the book back on its shelf, I found it a little funny that even the BlackBerry Storm on the cover of the book was displaying an app that doesn’t come with the phone.

I feel sorry for the poor souls who spent money on it.

Last week, OS 5.0.0.230 came out and I almost immediately uploaded it onto my phone. I hadn’t blogged about it yet because I wanted to make sure it was something I was going to keep.

So far, I love it.

Features:

• A working camera – both the camera and the video recorder work and work extremely well. The lag when snapping pictures is significantly shorter. (There still is a little lag though, and taking motion pictures seems almost impossible without getting blur)
• 3rd Party Themes work – previous OS 5.0’s had an issue with running themes that weren’t the default theme. When an email was received, there would be no notification sound.
• Flick Scrolling – like every OS 5.0 after .141, flick scrolling is available on all apps, pages and sidebars. This means, kind of like the results page of Poynt (if you ever used it), if you flick the screen, the page will scroll up and down as if you, flicked a paper. Pretty cool to see.
• Vibrate and Ring – There’s a setting to both vibrate and ring at the same time when the phone gets a call.
• Tabbed Browsing is gone – not sure why but they got rid of this feature that was available for .141

Few other things…

More than a few certain apps still don’t work or have issues with 5.0 (like tweetgenius, yatca, twitterberry) and a few more do work but need certain workarounds (like good maps and opera mini), but in the last week, a lot of RIM apps came out with updates that work with 5.0 (like FaceBook, App World).

The only app I feel I miss is BBM 5.0 which a fix hasn’t been found for.

Download

I downloaded .230 from the above link. The installation process is a little different for this one than it has been for other leaks. For this one, the user has to copy these files into the 5.0.0.191 installation folder. (The folder can probably be found in C:\program files\common files\research in motion\shared\loader files\…)

A new version of the leak came out that doesn’t involve having to copy the files in the .191 folder. I talk about it here

Of course, before doing any changes to my phone, I backed up all the data using Desktop Manager.

I also wiped my phone before I installed.

The process took a few more steps but so far, it’s been well worth it.

While you’re there, you can download the newest version of BlackBerry App World; it works on 5.0 as well. Yes, I’ve tried it.

Hurray! Now all I want for this phone is BBM 5.0 compatibility.

…in no particular order…

95xx 3G Storm Theme by RedZapper

Features:

Hidden Today – meaning if you click on the Calendar icon, a list of upcoming events comes up on the background.
A whole bunch of other hidden buttons – clicking on the date brings up the calendar, clicking on the time brings up the clock, etc..
QuickLaunch Button – there’s a button on the wallpaper to click to bring up QuickLaunch (if you have the app)

Click Here for the OTA
or you can type http://tinyurl.com/kkuttd into the BlackBerry Storm browser.

The forum for the theme is here.

I loved how this theme just looked and felt. The theme overall is aesthetically pleasing. The reason I stop using this though is, I don’t know if it’s mental, but i feel like it has a memory leak in it causing my phone to progressively lose memory throughout the day. A daily reboot would fix this though.

BlackBerry Pro v3 Series by Natemz

This theme was the first I truly loved for my Storm. And by all means, I’d recommend it or it’s very close cousin, the Blak Series. What’s great about this theme is that there’s so many different variations of it. It comes in red, orange, green, blue, pink, black/white and in sets of 4 or 8 home icons.

The black/white edition comes with two extra slots to put things apps like weatherbug and your other favorite app. This theme, like the 3G Storm Theme, has a hidden today.

You can find all the variations here.

Hybrid by Zachriel

This theme also feature tons of different variations. They vary from 0 to 16 icons on the home screen to adding a MeterBerry Button to having a hidden today. I think stylistically this theme is just beautiful. It’s the theme I’m currently running at the moment.

All the OTA links can be found here.

installing the theme

Installing a theme is easy. After downloading the theme from the OTA link, go to the BlackBerry’s options, then Theme, and find the name of the theme and select it. Some themes work better if the phone is reset before use. It’s not always necessary but it’s somewhat good practice to do it.
 
 
 

from BBOS
from diprip from CB
megaupload

mini-review list from blackberryos.com

Pros:
threaded sms
quicker faster interface
flick scrolling througout
new fonts
Fixed notifications in custom themes, and can now delete without opening first.
Sound notification works with custom icons (after running for 36 hours)

Cons:
Can’t find media icon, have to use file finder to play music off SD card, music sounds muddled
Charging meter is not visible, but still charges, no bolt
Camera & Video causes resets
Themes work well but some will have to be changed due to new layout of applications menu.
Some applications still do not work. *weatherbug icon does not work

Not sure if this is a con or not: In emails with many CC’s like most of mine are, the message loads to the beginning then srolls up to the name of who sent it. I wish it just stayed on the message.

**** Do Not Us this Build if you want the camera & video to work….does not work with camera cods from this build or any other build…I tried all the way back to .75 without success. Also, .190 bold camera .cod does not work either. Camera will reboot phone.

I do not see color banding in the two themes that I run: HeroBerry and BeBerry.

Blackberry Messenger 5.0 to 4.7 downgrade instructions
When you load the software you must select the Messenger at the top of the OS loader page and uncheck the Blackberry Messenger near the bottom. This will put the correct version on when you first load the OS. Tried and trued….I had to load the OS a few times as a tester.

*************

OS 5.0 versions come with extra software that install onto the computer. You need to delete them before you install the OS onto the phone. They’re called RIM internal apps. You can find them in your application list of your computer. If you don’t delete them, you’ll keep sending emails to BlackBerry saying you’re using the OS.

*************

The file vendor.xml may also need to be deleted. To do this, you have to find the file in the place you installed the OS and delete it from there.

*************

For me, the lack of camera may be a dealbreaker. I’m actually quite content running .140. But I do want to try flick scrolling.. though it seems to be just a gimmick. Sigh… what to do..

Download it here if you dare…
provided by theieplorers.com

And for those that are wondering. Yes, our BlackBerry Desktop Manager works perfectly fine with Windows 7. I haven’t had any issues with it whatsoever.

Then came along 5.0

Let me first preface this by saying, 5.0 is buggy as it should be because it’s not an official release. Although I haven’t had reboot issues, most people that use it do. Maybe I’ve just been lucky. But when it runs well, it runs really well.

5.0 Pros

- everything runs very snappy
opening apps, switching from landscape to portrait and vice versa.. all very fast

- tabbed browsing on the browser.
I don’t use this much but when I’m looking at a site on my browser and I want to check something else, I can’t just open a new tab and search from there.

- the default theme has a today version
The portrait homepage displays today things (like calendar, tasks, recent emails). The theme itself is kind of ugly.

- Applications List changed
I think it’s really pretty now

- Some applications work
viigo, poynt, socialscope and most other twitter apps, crackberry app store just to name a few.

5.0 other changes

- The reboot screen is now black instead of white
I like this a lot because I always thought the white screen was the reason for the battery drain

- Media apps are now seperate
Pictures, Videos, Ringtones, etc.. they all have their own icon to click instead of being in one icon.

- Shortcuts in the default theme
Clicking on the clock brings up the clock. Clicking on the reception bar brings up the manage connections

- Upside Down Portrait
When exiting an application and the phone is upside down, the screen itself goes upside down. Annoying as hell when I’m using my phone while in bed.

5.0 Cons

- Random Reboots
This has only happened to me, twice in the last few weeks?

- Some applications don’t work
App World doesn’t work so I can’t access any apps from there. FaceBook, MySpace, regular BBM (Although a 5.0 Version can be downloaded) and countless other apps don’t work.

- Browser Search doesn’t work
The bar under the address bar in the goto page doesn’t work.

- Third party application ringtones reset
I’m not sure if this is a problem with all of them but I had an issue with SocialScope.

- 3rd Party Theme’s don’t work
Well, they do… visually, but they remove the sound alerts.

I originally switched back to 4.7 from 5.0 when I realized FaceBook didn’t work, but after getting a SocialScope invite and realizing it provides for my FaceBook needs I switched back and I really couldn’t be happier.