S4BB Limited is currently having a sale on their NextAction! Standard Edition productivity application for BlackBerry where you can save 50% today only! Here are the features:

• One click context (category) change
  You do not have to configure Filter anymore!
• 100% compatible with internal Blackberry Task Application
  You can use “NextAction for Blackberry” and the internal application simultaniuosly if you want
• Synchronizes with your standard desktop- and corporate environments
  Works with Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, ACT!, Novell Groupwise, etc. (any software which synchronizes your tasks will work).
• Quick add “next actions”
  “NextAction for Blackberry” uses the clean and simple approach to GTD: no priorisation, only one context per action, easy and quick input
• Hide categories that are not task/next action related
  You can select categories that should not appear in NextAction!, e.g. the categories of your Contacts, Notes, Calendar
• Contexts are sorted alphabetically
  Contexts beginning with “@” appear on top of the list
• Projects
  Project support allows an additional dimension in categorization
• Someday / Maybe
  Someday / Maybe list support provides the possibility to set up low priority actions
• Customizable user interface
  Additional list info line for contexts or projects

NextAction! Standard Edition is normally $49.99 but for today only (until 12AM CST) you can pick it up  at half-price for $24.99. This app will work on all BlackBerry devices running Os 4.2 and higher. A trial is available but if you decide you want to purchase NextAction! make sure you do so before the end of the day!

Check out the video above for a slideshow demonstration of the app.

I first told you about Best Buy Mobile’s new and free mIQ wireless syncing service a few weeks ago but totally forgot to follow up with the official launch on October 12th!

mIQ is an awesome app/service that I’m sure many of you will appreciate since you can do so much while on the run. About mIQ:

Mobile technology is pretty amazing, but getting the most out of it can sometimes be challenging. mIQ was created to make it easy for users to unleash the potential of their mobile phone.

mIQ from Best Buy Mobile helps users sync their contacts, text messages, calendar events, calls, photos, videos, and internet favorites from their mobile phones to their private web-based mIQ account. Once in sync, the user can backup and interact with their information, share their experiences with friends and social sites, discover the top solutions available for their phones, and restore their content when moving from one phone to the next.

The mIQ service keeps the phone and the web constantly connected, so that the stuff done on one automatically shows up on the other in just a few seconds, helping users access and share their stuff whether they’re on the go or in front of their computers – no cables or effort required!

For more info and to sign up head to miqlive.com from your desktop browser or m.miqlive.com from your BlackBerry Browser to download the app OTA.

Thanks George!

Vodafone and RIM have made the BlackBerry Storm2 official!

The second generation of RIM’s innovative and award-winning touch-screen smartphone, the BlackBerry Storm2 significantly improves the BlackBerry® touch-screen platform with new technology and new features to let customers stay easily connected to the people, places and things that matter most.

In the busy holiday gift buying period, customers in the UK and Ireland will be able to get the new smartphone first through Vodafone, and it will be offered exclusively by Vodafone in Germany, Netherlands and Spain. It will also be made available in France, Italy and South Africa in time for Christmas.

The BlackBerry Storm2 with BlackBerry OS 5 evolves the BlackBerry touch-screen platform with hundreds of hardware and software enhancements.

Pricing will be announced by the individual in-country operating companies and so far Vodafone UK will be offering the Storm2 free from £35 per month on a 24-month contract. Since Vodafone has officially announced the Storm2, according to earlier rumors, Verizon should be announcing it within the next week or so.

For more info (including hardware and software features) check out the press release after the jump or head to blackberry.com/storm!

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UPDATE To download BBM 5.0 directly to your BlackBerry without BB App World visit blackberry.com/messenger from your BlackBerry Browser! *

RIM  has finally released BlackBerry Messenger 5.0.0.33 in the BlackBerry App World!!!

• Enhanced SMS
  • Allows for a conversational chat-like user experience with a single contact list for the most personal mobile-to-mobile communications
  • Note: BlackBerry® Device Software 5.0 and later is required for the SMS functionality.
• Avatars
  • Users can choose a picture from the BlackBerry smartphone gallery and save it as their personal avatar, which will be seen by their contacts. They can also view other avatars in the contact list and zoom in on the avatars of contacts participating in a conversation by selecting “View participants.”
• Large Media File Transfer
  • Users can send/receive large file transfers up to 6 megabytes for pictures, files and audio.
  • Note: BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 is required to receive large media files.
• Enhanced Group Functionality
  • Allows for the ability to update, share & communicate with a subset community
• Bar-code Identity
  • A user can add a contact to the BlackBerry Messenger contact list by displaying a 2-dimensional bar code that invitees can capture with their device cameras.
• Reliable Contact Backup and Restore
  • Contacts are backed-up on a server and do not require the need for BlackBerry® Desktop Manager.

Some helpful Knowledge Base Articles:

• Bar code feature of BlackBerry Messenger 5.0
• How to integrate SMS conversations with BlackBerry Messenger 5.0
• How to navigate groups within BlackBerry Messenger 5.0
• Email confirmation message of BlackBerry Messenger 5.0

Your BlackBerry must be running at least OS 4.5 before installing BBM 5.0! You can find all the latest OS versions here. For more info and to download the new BlackBerry Messenger check it out in the BlackBerry App World.  Let me know how you like the new version in the comments!

Elecite let me know that they have just released an awesome new HTC Sense UI Hero theme for BlackBerry!

Features:

• 5-6 customizable icons
• Profiles/manage connections buttons
• Today page with hidden today items for phone log, messages and calendar icons
• Media page with quick access buttons to music, media and pictures, and finally
• Dedicated menu for quick access to your options, contacts and more

For the majority of the past few months I’ve been using Elecite’s Noble theme but I think I’ve found a replacement .

The Hero theme is available for $6.99 at Elecite.com and will work on the BlackBerry Curve 8900, Bold, Storm and Tour. I’ve included a video that shows the Hero theme in action after the jump.

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This one definitely caught me by surprise. According to a tip sent to CrackBerry Kevin the new BlackBerry Messenger will be released globally on October 7th, less than two days away!

BlackBerry® Messenger 5.0

Launch Date: Global – October 7, 2009

BlackBerry® Messenger is an instant messaging application that allows BlackBerry Smartphone users to send and receive instant messages with other BlackBerry Smartphone users.

BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 is the latest release.

Features:

• Enhanced SMS -Allows for a conversational chat-like user experience with a single contact list for the most personal mobile-to-mobile communications
  • Note: BlackBerry® Device Software 5.0 and later is required for the SMS functionality.
• Avatars - Users can choose a picture from the BlackBerry Smartphone gallery and save it as their personal avatar, which will be seen by their contacts. They can also view other avatars in the contact list and zoom in on the avatars of contacts participating in a conversation by selecting “View participants.”
• Large Media File Transfer - Users can send/receive large file transfers up to 6 megabytes for pictures, files and audio.
  • Note: BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 is required to receive large media files.
• Enhanced Group Functionality - Allows for the ability to update, share & communicate with a subset community.
• Bar-code Identity - A user can add a contact to the BlackBerry Messenger contact list by displaying a 2-dimensional bar code that invitees can capture with their device cameras.
• Reliable Contact Backup and Restore - Contacts are backed-up on a server and do not require the need for BlackBerry® Desktop Manager.

Many of us have been using the leaked version of BBM 5.0 but it’s not perfect and is most likely an early release compared to what is internally available today. According to the leaked tip the “Enhanced SMS” feature of BBM 5.0 is only available to BlackBerry users who are running OS 5.0 or later. I wonder if this means an OS 5.0 launch is also around the corner? That would definitely be a nice surprise!

Best Buy Mobile let me know about a new service they are launching on October 12th called mIQ. This service allows you to access, share and manage mobile data through a secure and personal Web portal, all done over the air!

Key Features

• Data backup & management: Upgrading to a new phone used to be a hassle. With mIQ, all content that lives on the mobile device — contacts, text messages, calendar events, calls, photos, videos, and voicemail messages — is automatically uploaded and safely backed-up on a personal Web-based mIQ account making it easy to sync, search, interact with, share it or transfer it from one phone to another. Since the mobile phone is constantly connected to the Web, mIQ automatically syncs any changes from the Web to the mobile device and vice-versa, instantly.
• Contacts: mIQ helps users easily manage and track the communication with all their contacts. Contacts from Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, and other sources can be imported into the mIQ account and synchronized with the mobile phone. Users can then add, edit, or delete contacts from the personal mIQ account – the changes will be instantly pushed to the mobile phone and backed up on the web. Additionally, mIQ enables users to easily view text messages and calls associated with each contact.
• Enhanced text messaging: The mIQ Web platform provides an instant message-like experience by organizing SMS text messages into a conversational format. mIQ automatically uploads text messages to an inbox in the personal mIQ account where they can be read, forwarded, or responded to from any computer. Unlike other Web messaging solutions that deliver texts from random phone numbers, mIQ sends the text messages through the user’s mobile phone, ensuring that the recipient will always know who the message is from.
• Calendar: Instant access to appointments and events is important whether sitting in front of a computer or on the go. mIQ automatically uploads appointments and events from the phone calendar to the Web. Users can then add, edit, or delete calendar entries from either the mobile phone or the mIQ account and changes are automatically synched between the two platforms.
• Photos and videos: mIQ enables users to do more with the memories captured with their smartphones. mIQ automatically uploads photos and videos from the mobile phone to the personal mIQ account – as soon as they are taken – making it easy to organize them by adding titles and descriptions, share them through email and text messages and post them to social networking sites.
• Social media connectivity: Social networking on mobile devices has taken connectivity to a whole new level. Updating friends on the latest happenings no longer requires a trip to the computer. mIQ features instant connectivity to popular social sites like Facebook, Flickr, FriendFeed and Twitter, helping users share their mobile experiences – status, photos and videos – directly from their smartphone, wherever they may be.

Pretty awesome and best of all…it’s FREE!

Right now you can sign up for an invite and take a tour of this service at miqlive.com. For more info check out the press release after the jump. Once the service launches don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments!

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Earlier this morning RIM rolled out BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) version 2.8 to all North American carriers. This update includes some features and enhancements that many of us have been waiting for:

• Two-way wireless synchronization [every four hours] with Google Mail Contacts and the Address Book on the BlackBerry smart phone:
  • Synchronize Google Mail contacts quickly and easily to the BlackBerry smart phone
  • Add or edit Contacts and the Contacts are automatically updated, whether they are updated on the computer or BlackBerry smart phone
  • Note: Two-way wireless Contact synchronization with Google Mail Contacts requires BlackBerry® Device Software 5.0 and configuration through email settings on the BlackBerry smart phone.  Additional requirements and constraints may be found within the BlackBerry Internet Service 2.8 Documentation Kit. This feature is not supported on BlackBerry smart phones with BlackBerry® Connect™ software.
• Enhancements to email setup and settings:
  • Automatic Login now supports most billing identifiers, which allows new subscribers with wireless service providers that use PIN, IMEI, or ESN as a billing identifier to create BlackBerry Internet Service accounts from the BlackBerry smart phone, without having to create a login user name and password
  • Note: This feature will be available approximately one week after the BlackBerry Internet Service upgrade.
• Windows Live Hotmail revalidation:
  • With BlackBerry Internet Service 2.8, new Windows Live Hotmail mail integrations will be defaulted to a protocol that is designed so as not to require 90 day reauthorization.
  • Note: Existing BlackBerry smart phone users accessing Windows Live Hotmail using Microsoft MSP will still be required to revalidate their Windows Live Hotmail account every 90 days.

The roll out seems to have gone smoothly for the most part. Did you experience an outage in your area or had to re-add/validate your email accounts after the update? How about the features, are you satisfied with them or would you like to see some more enhancements in the future? Let me know in the comments!

via BGR

A few days ago I posted about the Laterdude Pro Beta and it looks like you guys did a good job of helping because it didn’t take long for Fabian Heuwieser to push out the new version.

Just a reminder of what LaterDude Pro is about:

LaterDude Pro is an application that reminds you to call, SMS or email someone. The efficiency of it is that it interacts with the system and creates a new event into the internal calendar or task application.

Version 2.2.51 adds the following features:

• English, Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish, Romanian and French Translation
• Application has an icon (found in the Downloads folder) for easier access to the Options
• Option if the Menu should be displayed in the whole system or only in the specific apps
• Free Trial available
• Select if you want to save the new event as Calendar, Task or be prompted
• Option to set as what you want to preselect the new entry (Call, Contact, Meet, SMS or eMail)
• Time and Date can be set from the pre-set buttons and also manually
• Free upgrade for previous users
• Many bugs fixed

LaterDude Pro is available in the store for $2.22 until tomorrow at 12AM ET, after that it goes up to $2.95. This application will work on devices running OS 4.5 and higher (including 5.0).

Mobile by Citysearch has been updated to include access to over 15M business listings and trusted Citysearch editorial recommendations which list more than 75,000 US neighborhoods, along with the following key features:

• Instantly submit user reviews from a BlackBerry smartphone
• Search and sort in the following ways:
  • Auto-identify your location through GPS-driven search
  • Search by keyword or category and narrow results within a city or neighborhood
  • Browse nearby destinations to eat, drink, shop, and relax
  • Sort results by key listing attributes including distance, cost and Citysearch rating
• Browse Citysearch editorial picks to help your weekdays and weekends
• View editorial, user reviews and advice from business owners and bookmark your favorite listings
• Calendar Integration: Send immediate Outlook calendar invites to multiple friends and coordinate party planning, meals, or impromptu get-togethers from your BlackBerry Contacts list
• Twitter: Post to your followers by tweeting reviews, tips, and more to friends, directly from any listing page
• Share: Use Text, Email, or BlackBerry PIN-to-PIN messaging to share business listings from anywhere
• Tip Calculator and Split the Bill: Avoid awkward calculations by determining your ideal tip and easily splitting the bill among friends when dining

For those that don’t know, Citysearch is a leading online lifestyle guide with up to date info on businesses, from restaurants and spas, to hotels and retail.

For more info and to download this app visit mobile.iac.com/Citysearch, or check out the full press release after the jump.

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