Posts Tagged ‘Blackberry Curve’

Life with Google — on your BlackBerry

Monday, March 1st, 2010

I’m one of those people who can’t imagine life without Google. I communicate with all my friends and family using Gmail and Google Talk. I do all my web searches on Google Search. I look up all my directions on Google Maps. And I keep up on all my news via Google Reader.

That’s why the first app I installed on my BlackBerry Curve was the free Google Mobile App. It has all the amazing features of Google – but it comes with me in my pocket. Here’s a few tips for maximizing your life on the go with the Google Mobile App for BlackBerry:

  • Voice search: Say you’re having a conversation with a friend and trying to figure out when the first day of spring is. It’s easy: just launch your Google Mobile app, hold down the green call button, and say “first day of spring” into it. The voice recognition software will translate what you say into a Google Search query—and return the results that the first day of spring this year is March 20.
  • Maps: Did a friend just call and offer to meet you at a restaurant you’ve never heard of in an hour? No need to get directions, just plug the restaurant name into your Google Maps app. Whether you’re walking, driving, or taking public transit, the Google Maps app will draw your route for you, and give you estimated time it’ll take to get there (and how much it’ll cost, if it’s via public transit). Or are you lost? Just call it up and wait for the blue dot to tell you where you are. I’ve used this more times than I’d like to admit when I’ve been turned around in unfamiliar neighborhoods. And it’s especially valuable to have if you’re navigating someone from the passenger seat; “turn right in two blocks” is a lot better than “turn right on Main Street, which is coming up at some point…oops, there it was…”
  • Reader: This app is by far my favorite. As a CREDO Action campaign manager, I live and breathe the news, and Google Reader is my go-to way of catching up on the latest. I use RSS feeds from all my favorite newspapers, magazines, and blogs. Rather than having to visit each publication’s site, I pull their stories into my Reader account through RSS. The Mobile Reader app pulls in the headline of the newest 10 (depending on your settings) articles. You can easily scan to see the latest news, or click through to read the full articles of the ones that pique your interest the most.
  • News: Don’t use Google Reader? You can also use the News app, which pulls in the latest from the Google News homepage.

All of these and more are available with the free Google Mobile App for BlackBerry. Just point your browser to m.google.com or visit their website to have a link texted to your phone.

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Posted in News, Political, Travel and Maps, Utilities | 1 Comment »

Zagat To Go on BlackBerry

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Restaurant week is occurring in many cities so I thought this was the ideal time to try out Zagat to Go 7.0 for Blackberry. Zagat to Go provides up-to-date Zagat Survey ratings and reviews for over 40,000 restaurants, nightspots, hotels and golf courses in hundreds of cities worldwide.

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Features of the mobile version include:

Ratings: Just like the Zagat Survey books, Zagat to Go rates each restaurant on Food, Décor, Service and Cost using a 30 point scale.

Search: In the app you can search for a restaurant by name or browse by cuisine, neighborhood, or one of the numerous features like child friendly and power scene. I often also take advantage of a variety of lists of top rated restaurants by category. When traveling, it’s especially valuable to use the GPS search to find a nearby location.

Usability: The app is easy to use and navigate. It allows you to quickly make a reservation using the click-to-call button or map it using a full color downloadable map and directions. You can even add a reservation to your calendar or establishment to your address book.

Coverage: People typically either love or hate this application and it primarily boils down to the coverage in your area. I recommend the 14-day trial to ensure you’re satisfied with the results before you invest in this app. Zagat covers restaurants in the following regions: New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Washington DC/ Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Miami /Ft Lauderdale, Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas Ft. Worth, Sacramento, Las Vegas, New Orleans, San Diego, Hawaii, New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas, Westchester NY/Hudson Valley, Long Island, Montreal, Toronto, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and the top restaurants and hotels in other major cities and regions.

Download 14-day trial: Go to http://mobile.zagat.com/blackberry.htm. You can download the 14-day trial by entering your phone number to receive installation instructions via text message or use the BlackBerry Desktop Manager (Note: Only supports Windows based operating systems) to download directly from this page.

Purchase Zagat to Go:

  1. Go to Handmark’s site. www.handmark.com
  2. On the site – select your handset model and type “Zagat to Go” into the search box.
  3. In order to download the application you’ll need to set up an account. Handmark charges downloads to a credit card, debit card, or paypal account that you provide. Handmark is a partner that CREDO recommends to our customers for Smartphone content. In addition to the BlackBerry, Handmark offers content and applications for many other phones including almost all smartphones and some standard phones including the Motorola Razor.
  4. You have the option of selecting an annual membership to Zagat to Go for $19.99 or a monthly subscription for $3.99/month. Once you’ve made a selection, you’ll receive a text message with a link to download the application. You’ll need to have a phone with a data service plan in order to access the mobile web link and download the application.
  5. After you have successfully downloaded you’ll find the application’s Icon on your phone’s main menu/icon list.

BTW wondering when restaurant week is in your area? Check out: http://www.eatdrinkdeals.com/2010/01/restaurant-week-across-usa-2/

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Posted in Entertainment, Productivity, Reference, Travel and Maps | 1 Comment »

My journey from quasi-luddite to BlackBerry fan

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

It’s been about six months since I got my BlackBerry Curve (I upgraded from a Sanyo Katana) — and so with the coming of the new year I decided to look back and consider whether or not it’s really made my life any better. In short, I’ve got to say, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

The biggest advantage I’ve found is that with my email in my pocket, I no longer need to stay in front of a computer to stay in touch with what’s going on at work. If I need to be away from my desk for an hour or so to run some errands, I’m still easily reachable by email — and lots of times, my colleagues don’t even know I’m gone.

(I’ve also fired off a few not-so-coherent, late-night messages using my personal email account…but I’m always sure to check the recipient list repeatedly to make sure only my closest friends will be getting my harangues. No sense fulfilling any urban dictionary stereotypes or anything.)

Another great advantage is the better web browsing experience that a smartphone offers. As I detailed in a previous post, my BlackBerry plus the Weather Underground’s animated weather radar images helped turn what could have been a disastrous day at the zoo into a decently fun excursion.

Oddly enough, my parents are huge fans of my new smartphone as well. The reason? Every few days they get a short video emailed to them featuring their one and only granddaughter, who’s growing up fast these days. Point, click, save the file, send as email…and California grandparents can hear firsthand all the big new words their granddaughter is learning in Ohio.

The only drawback I can see is, of course, the price tag — smartphones on CREDO Mobile (as with just about every other network I’m aware of) require a data plan along with your voice plan. CREDO’s unlimited BlackBerry data plan is only $29.99 per month, though — which, looking back, seems a pretty small price to pay for some of the ways I’m now better connected to the world around me.

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Posted in Productivity, Video | 1 Comment »

Food Network Everyday Chef for BlackBerry Curve

Friday, December 4th, 2009

I often browse to mobile.foodnetwork.com on my phone when I’m in the grocery store in need of inspiration. The site works well on my BlackBerry and allows me to quickly type in an ingredient or the name of a specific dish in order to see ingredients needed for the various recipes offered. Recently, I found another service offered by the Food Network in the form of a downloadable BlackBerry Application.

everyday-chef1

The Food Network Everyday Chef app is available from the Handmark store online for $9.99. It has more than 1,000 recipes to search from and offers advanced features such as the ability to set personal dietary preferences and create a meal planner up to two weeks in advance.

Key Features:

  • Set Preferences: Allows you to set food preferences (i.e. vegetarian, vegan or don’t eat pork/beef) and food allergies so you only see recipes that work for your diet.

  • Recipe Search: Decide what to fix based on ingredients, category or keyword search. You can even get recipe suggestions based on other recipes you like.

  • Grocery List: The Quick Shop feature instantly generates a grocery list based on the recipe you selected. If you’ve planned ahead there is even a feature that will collect all the ingredients needed based on selected recipes and put them into a single grocery list organized by grocery store department so it is easy to shop. You can manually add additional grocery items as needed to this list.

  • Planner: Plan up to three meals daily for two weeks in advanced.

  • Favorites: Once you’ve found a successful recipe, you can bookmark it to use again later.

    • If you haven’t yet experienced the difference between a downloaded application and the mobile internet perhaps this is a good application to try out in order to see which you prefer.

    Download Instructions:

    1. Go to Handmark’s site. www.handmark.com

    2. On the site – select your handset model and type “Everyday Chef” into the search box.

    3. In order to download the application you’ll need to set up an account. Handmark charges downloads to a credit card, debit card, or paypal account that you provide. Handmark is a partner that CREDO recommends to our customers for Smartphone content. In addition to the BlackBerry, Handmark offers content and applications for many other phones including almost all smartphones and some standard phones including the Motorola Razor.

    4. Once you purchase a piece of content, you’ll receive a text message with a link to download the application. You’ll need to have a phone with a data service plan in order to access the mobile web link and download the application.

    5. After you have successfully downloaded you’ll find the application’s Icon on your phone’s main menu/icon list.

      6. I hope that either the website or the application inspire you to cook up something fabulous!

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    Off the Beaten (News) Path – Staying Informed On My Commute, Thanks to My BlackBerry

    Friday, November 13th, 2009

    I like to use my morning and evening SF MUNI commute as time to read – books, newspapers, magazines…sometimes even over the shoulder of my fellow streetcar riders if I’ve forgotten my own reading material (oops!). Since getting my CREDO BlackBerry Curve about six months ago, I have been opting to read the news on my smartphone – something easily enabled by the growing availability of BlackBerry RSS feed apps, mobile sites for the New York Times and BlackBerry shortcuts for NPR.org right on the homescreen of my phone. However it’s important for me to continue to seek news from less mainstream sources (no offense to the NYT) and I’m pleased that so many “alternative” press organizations have websites that are enabled for mobile phone access. Colorlines, an incredible newsmagazine about race and politics, recently launched a mobile version of their site with blog posts and articles about racial justice that I’ve since bookmarked and read regularly on my BlackBerry. Indymedia.org is a network of “collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth” whose site I have bookmarked on my home computer. While their website isn’t specifically built for mobile phone access, its structure is such that I can browse headlines or read articles easily from my phone.

    In lieu of an “official” RSS feed or app, I typically use Twitter from my BlackBerry to stay on top of progressive issues and breaking independent news. Twitter is a useful one stop shop for my favorite independent news outlets, magazines and blogs like Treehugger, The Nation, Feministing, Democracy Now!, VegNews, WEND and other news sources who might not have mobile phone enabled websites or BlackBerry apps. From these groups’ Twitter feeds I can click through to both breaking news stories and in-depth features. In case you were wondering, the latest CREDO Actions are also available on the CREDO Mobile Twitter feed, twitter.com/credomobile.

    Of course, staying informed on progressive issues shouldn’t be limited solely to commute times – I just happen to be able to take advantage of my 30 min train commute to stay on top of independent news from my phone.

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    DriveSafely. Just say no to TWD.

    Friday, November 6th, 2009

    In a recent AAA survey, 21% of respondents admitted to texting while driving (TWD). Even California’s first lady can’t resist the urge to use her mobile phone while driving. It’s also tempting to read your emails and texts while at the wheel. To reduce my chances of an unfortunate incident, I installed DriveSafe.ly from BlackBerry App World on my BlackBerry Curve.

    drivesafely

    DriveSafe.ly automatically reads your messages to you as they arrive. You just turn it on when you get in the car or even when you are about to go for a long bike ride and you’re good to go.

    DriveSafe.ly will automatically respond to your messages for you, but you can turn this feature off easily by clicking on Advanced Setting. Then you can respond personally when you arrive safely at your destination. The free version will read up to 25 words of each message and DriveSafe.ly Pro will read a maximum of 500 words plus give you a choice of speakers.

    If you’re one of the tempted, download DriveSafe.ly today. Keep your eyes on the road. Your fellow drivers will thank you.

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    Posted in Green, Messaging, Productivity, Reference, Travel and Maps | No Comments »

    Top 5 features of the new BlackBerry Messenger

    Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

    The most inconvenient thing about using BlackBerry Messenger was that every time I switched devices, I had to invite all of my friends again so that they can get my new device PIN. No more. The newest version of BlackBerry Messenger version 5.0, released last month includes this and other new features that make it a much more fun and interesting IM tool.

    Here are my Top 5 favorites.

    1. You can backup all of your BBM contacts to a remote location via email. If you ever lose or replace your phone, your contacts can be restored without having to send all those friend invites again.
    2. You can add friends by taking a picture of their unique BBM barcode and you get your own barcode too! If typing in an email address or PIN was too much, and you happen to be meeting in person, adding them as a contact is just a camera click away.
    3. You can set a profile picture. Now you’ll be able to tell between the 5 Kellys that may be in your contact list.
    4. Emoticons- a whole variety of them including the must have beer and coffee.
    5. See what song you’re friends are listening to.
       If they are sharing by clicking on the “Show what I’m listening to” box in their profiles setting.

      What are you listening to?

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    WhipCast for BlackBerry? *Empty*

    Monday, November 2nd, 2009

    whip-cast1

    Republican representatives Eric Cantor of Virginia and Kevin McCarthy of California, aiming to compete with the Democrats’ technical edge, have released a new BlackBerry app. WhipCast is designed to be “a pocket card for the 21st century,” and to allow users to check talking points and bill facts, follow votes, plan floor action and supposedly even check out the latest jabs from the Daily Show.

    “Today’s launch of the WhipCast BlackBerry app is the latest demonstration of our commitment to modernize the way we communicate with Americans from coast-to-coast,” Cantor said.

    “I think it’ll go viral,” said McCarthy, the minority’s chief deputy whip, who is also the app’s chief evangelist.

    But Kristie Greco, communications director for House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, wasn’t impressed. “They can roll out as many applications and technologies as they want, but their [approval] numbers are still at historic lows,” Greco said. “I don’t see how this helps them.”

    Curious to check out the “Friday Funny,” I downloaded WhipCast.

    Aside from an intro video with a retro spy-movie soundtrack, there was no content.

    Every category turned up empty. No Talking Points, no Bill Facts, just *Empty*, *Empty*, *Empty*.

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    Words of the Day: Galumph & Genial

    Monday, October 26th, 2009

    galumph [guh-LUHM(P)F] – intransitive verb

    1. To move in a clumsy manner or with a heavy tread.

    While I think today is the first time I’ve ever read the word “galumph”, I can certainly say that I’ve embodied the definition – generally it’s before I’ve had my first cup of coffee in the morning. Thankfully I can now aptly describe my pre-caffeinated state and expand my vocabulary regularly, due largely to the free Dictionary.com app I just downloaded onto my CREDO BlackBerry. Featured in BlackBerry’s App World, this application offers access to Dictionary.com’s reference content – which includes more than half a million words, definitions and synonyms. In case you’re not sure how to say words like “onomatopoeia” after looking them up to make sure you’re spelling them correctly, the Dictionary.com app offers audio to provide pronunciation assistance. The thesaurus tool is also useful – you probably could have guessed that “advanced”, “broad-minded”, “modern” and “forward looking” are all synonyms for the word “progressive” but now you know for sure.

    You can download the app from your CREDO Mobile BlackBerry via BlackBerry App World or online from the BlackBerry App World website.

    Dictionary.com App for BlackBerry

    Dictionary.com App for BlackBerry

    My favorite feature of this app is the “Word of the Day” – which I credit for adding “galumph” to my vocabulary. A Spanish version of “Word of the Day” is also available – today’s word is “genial”, which means “brilliant, awesome.” “Se me ha ocurrido una idea genial” is the example sentence provided by Dictionary.com – meaning “I’ve had a brilliant idea.” Looks like my brilliant idea today was downloading this app to my phone. Or having coffee.

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    Green (Carbon) Calculator for BlackBerry Curve

    Friday, October 9th, 2009

    thumbgreencalculatorWhen browsing the Handmark mobile content store I recently found a Green Calculator and decided to try it out. The Green Calculator is a mobile application designed to make you more aware about how to lower your impact on the environment and save on energy costs. It calculates your personal CO2 emission footprint based on your lifestyle choices, specifically from activities such as flying, driving and using daily household appliances.

    The main screen offers a few choices: calculate CO2 emissions based on lifestyle (i.e. # bedrooms in house, # people, AC/Heating usage) or by event (i.e. driving or flying) or review of Tips and Tricks. I started by entering info about my lifestyle. As more data is entered it shows the amount of CO2 generated. If I select energy efficient light bulbs it goes down. Check that I leave the heat on up to 6 months a year and it goes up. The application also compares use to the world’s average.

    Moving on, I checked out the MyEvents category. Here I calculated the impact of a possible 120 mile road trip. The Tips and Tricks section gives tips on AC/heating, driving, home electronics, appliances, water heaters and more. Unfortunately, there are not numerous tips here, but some are useful.

    While this application isn’t going to impact major change, it’s a fun way to spend a little bit of time educating yourself or others about energy use. I purchased my Green Calculator for $4.99 from Handmark and it runs on my CREDO Mobile BlackBerry Curve. Handmark offers the Green Calculator for a selection of other phones to.

    Here’s how to download it:

    1. Go to Handmark’s site.
    2. On the site – select your handset model and type “Green Calculator” into the search box.
    3. In order to download the application you’ll need to set up an account. Handmark charges downloads to a credit card, debit card, or paypal account that you provide. Handmark is a partner that CREDO recommends to our customers for Smartphone content. In addition to the BlackBerry, Handmark offers content and applications for many other phones including almost all smartphones and some standard phones including the Motorola Razor. Handmark also provides content across all operators so you can download the Green Calculator application even if you do not have a CREDO Mobile phone.
    4. Once you purchase a piece of content, you’ll receive a text message with a link to download the application. You’ll need to have a phone with a data service plan in order to access the mobile web link and download the calculator or any other application you’ve purchased.
    5. After you have successfully downloaded the application you’ll find the application’s Icon on your phone’s main menu/icon list.

    If you find other green mobile applications I’d love to hear about them.

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    Posted in Entertainment, Green | 11 Comments »

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