@FabianMH is having a sale on his LaterDude Pro BlackBerry application where you can get 50% off today only!

For those who aren’t familiar with LaterDude Pro, here is the app’s description:

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.

LaterDude Pro is available in the store for $1.47 until 12AM CST tonight, after that it goes up to $2.95. This app will work on devices running OS 4.5 and higher including OS 5.0. Let me know if you get a copy and if it increased your day-to-day productivity in the comments!

Last week I told you about Blurts no longer being in beta and getting released as a free and premium version. To celebrate the success of the launch with BBRocks! readers, MLH Software has given me 50 free copies of Blurts Pro to give away!

Recap on the Blurts Pro features:

• Display Caller ID Alert
• Display Email Alerts for all email accounts
• Bluetooth auto connect
• Display SMS/Text Alert
• Send SMS/Text from your computer
• Answer call from your computer
• Ignore call from your computer
• Activate Speaker phone from your computer
• Control call volume from your computer
• Place/Dial call from your computer
• Disconnect call from your computer
• Blurts will auto start on device reset
• Options to control alerts

Blurts Pro is currently on sale for $4.99 until November 15th and will work on all Bluetooth-enabled BlackBerry devices running OS 4.2.1 and higher.

CONTEST: For a chance to win 1 of 50 free copies of Blurts Pro leave a comment on this post using a valid email address before 11:59PM EST on Tuesday, November 17th. Only leave one comment, duplicates will be ignored and will not increase your chances of winning. *

Back in September I told you about the Blurts Beta application which allows you to send alerts from your BlackBerry to your PC over a Bluetooth connection. MLH Software let me know that Blurts is out of beta and available as a free and premium version.

• Blurts Features:
  • Display Caller ID Alert
  • Display Email Alert
  • Bluetooth auto connect
• Upgrade to Blurts Pro for even more features:
  • Display Caller ID Alert
  • Display Email Alerts for all email accounts
  • Bluetooth auto connect
  • Display SMS/Text Alert
  • Send SMS/Text from your computer
  • Answer call from your computer
  • Ignore call from your computer
  • Activate Speaker phone from your computer
  • Control call volume from your computer
  • Place/Dial call from your computer
  • Disconnect call from your computer
  • Blurts will auto start on device reset
  • Options to control alerts

Blurts and Blurts Pro will work on any BlackBerry running OS 4.2.1 and higher with Bluetooth support. Blurts is available as a free download and Blurts Pro is available for $4.99 until November 15th, after that it goes up to $5.99. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments!

Blackboard is something I use on a day-to-day basis as a university student so I was excited to find out that they are rolling out support for BlackBerry devices with Blackboard Mobile.

The online Blackboard Academic Suite allows university faculty and students to connect and share course schedules, assignments, links, videos, contact information, grades, rosters, university updates and more. According to Blackboard’s press release, the BlackBerry client will offer similar functions:

The BlackBerry smartphone application enables many more users to enjoy an enhanced experience while navigating course catalogs and campus maps, e-mailing professors and classmates and receiving real time updates on course schedules, campus events, news and sports with Mobile Central (formerly MobilEdu((TM))), Blackboard Mobile’s flagship suite of applications.

…

With Mobile Central, users have access to course catalogs, directories and maps, they can identify exact campus locations with GPS and they can check campus news, schedules, and real-time scores for athletic teams. In addition, open APIs for Blackboard Mobile enable institutions to extend the platform’s offerings to fully customize and personalize the school’s iPhone, BlackBerry and mobile Web interfaces.

There is no public download and according to a rep I spoke with the Blackboard Mobile client will be made available through individual service providers. I checked the T-Mobile mobile website for the client and could not find it there (or anywhere) so if anyone happens to find it please let me know in the comments. Chances are the client will be made available through individual Blackboard sites if there is no public download.

For more info about Blackboard Mobile visit blackboard.com/mobile or check out the press release after the jump.

CONTINUE READING »

A little late in the game but better late than never, US Cellular now has the BlackBerry Tour 9630 available for purchase.

Pricing with 2 year service agreement:

• Price Before Mail-In Rebate:
  • $499.95 – Original Price
  • $269.95 – Best Price (With $230.00 discount for 2 year agreement)
• Price After Mail-In Rebate:
  • $269.95 – Before Rebate
  • $199,95 – After $70 Mail-in Rebate

The Tour 9630 from US Cellular is not available on prepaid plans. The $70 rebate is only available if you sign up for a 2-year service agreement on a calling plan at $39.99 or higher with a BlackBerry E-Mail & Web plan at $24.95.

For more info visit US Cellular.

SmrtGuard has updated their BlackBerry application to version 2.01 with a bunch of new features, most notably a new “Where I’ve Been” feature. Here’s whats new in v2.01:

• Added New ‘Where I’ve Been’ Feature on BlackBerry
• Personal Guardian Updated! Now using Left Convenience Key with configurable trigger time.
• SIM Guardian now can configure Email and SMS Alert Receipients
• New and Improved Your Data Count Screen
• SmrtGuard Web Dashboard improved sorting and export to CSV

In addition to this update, SmrtGuard and Indonesian service provider Indosat have partnered up and released i-Guard, a white-label version of SmrtGuard.

For those that aren’t familiar with it, SmrtGuard is a premium app/service that allows you to secure your BlackBerry and data with OTA backup/restore, remote tracking, remote data wiping and more. If you’re looking for a way to protect your BlackBerry and data  from loss or theft this is definitely an option you should look into.

SmrtGuard will work on BlackBerry devices running OS 4.2 or higher and is available in the store as three subscription services:  monthly, yearly and semi-annual. Check it out and let me know how secure you feel in the comments!

Today’s deal of the day is for RDM+ Remote Desktop for Mobiles by SHAPE Services. RDM+ allows you to remotely access your desktop or laptop computer right from your BlackBerry allowing you to send and receive emails, surf web, edit documents in word processor, copy, cut, paste files or folders and much more.

Features:

• All connection types are supported: BES, BIS, TCP/IP, Wi-Fi and HTTP connection are supported.
• Blackberry joystick and keyboard navigation.
• New Feature for Storm! Enlarging Glass:Touch and enlarge any fragment of the Desktop.
• User interface is available in two languages: English and German.
• Quick commands.You can use quick commands for starting/stopping system services and processes, viewing the list of desktop windows, checking system performance, displaying system information and rebooting or shutting down your computer.
• One-time fee. All further updates are free.
• All data, screen images, mouse movement and keys are encrypted for security reasons.
• You can create a password when starting up application. Without this password no one can access your client address book.
• Executing any console commands (like ping, netstat, ipconfig) is available.
• History feature allows to find and re-send stored commands.
• Full-screen view and zooming. In full-screen mode you can see the remote screen on the entire screen of your device. Zoomed mode lets you see enlarged fragment of the desktop in more detail. In zoomed mode you can also scroll the desktop up/down, right/left.
• Switch between different modes using the predefined and your own hotkeys and create device-specific keys for mouse click and open desktop menu.
• Navigational mini-map of your desktop which appears in the right upper corner while you scroll. Wi-Fi detection on your device.

RDM+ is normally $39.95 but until 12AM CST tonight you can get it at 50% off for $19.97. This app is compatible with all BlackBerry devices running OS 4.2 or higher and comes with a 7-day free trial, but if you want to get it at 50% off make sure you do so before 12AM CST tonight!

Electric Pocket let me know that they have just released a new BlackBerry application called MailTones. For those of you that don’t know, Electric Pocket are the developers of best-selling BlackBerry apps like txtForward, FlipSide MP3 Player and PhoneFace Photo Speed Dialer.

With MailTones you can set different tones for all your emails, a group of contacts, each contact or subjects. It comes pre-loaded with a set of professional and attention-grabbing tones, use your own tones or “download sounds” from the web. MailTones also adds a menu item so you can select a message from your inbox and quickly set a “Mail Tone” for it. For those times that you want a break from your email messages you can turn on the “Do Not Disturb” option to not be interrupted during certain periods.

MailTones is available in the store for $2.99 with a free trial available and will work with all BlackBerry devices running OS 4.2.1 or higher. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments!

Throughout this week (until Nov 4th) there are going to be some awesome DOTDs in the store that you’ll definitely want to take advantage of. Today’s deal of the day is for Bellshare GmbH’s email and SMS preview application BerryPopup.

When you get a message BerryPopup will show you a preview of it with a “preview window” allowing you to reply, forward, mark as read or delete it without having to switch to the messaging application.

Features:

• Preview incoming e-mails/alerts
• Open inbox, reply, forward, mark as read and delete e-mails right from the popup
• Open inbox, reply and forward SMS right from the popup
• Disable popups until backlight dims or for a certain time right from the popup
• Customize order of messages (Oldest first, Newest first)
• Only show popups for messages from contacts you have in your phonebook
• Customize positioning of the popup (”System Default”, “Bottom of screen” or “Stretch to the borders of the screen”)
• Customize position of the button bar (left, right, top, bottom)
• Automatically turn on backlight when a message comes in
• Auto-dismiss popup after specified time
• Disable popups while in the messaging application
• Disable while device is locked so you will not be flooded with popups after unlocking
• Disable popups while backlight is on
• Show contact photo and customize its size
• Customize font sizes
• Integrates with SmartAlerts for absolute control which messages trigger popups and which don’t

Until 12AM CST tonight you can get BerryPopup for only $3.47, after today it will go back up to $6.95. This app will work with all BlackBerry devices running OS 4.2.1 and higher.

Many people have sent me messages and tweets about not being able to see their contacts’ avatar in the new BlackBerry Messenger 5.0. I would usually recommend the standard battery pull, having that contact re-load their photo, re-download BBM 5.0 or re-add the contact. In some cases these methods would work but in others they would not, and at the time I would usually recommend re-adding via PIN.

RIM has published a knowledge base article with a workaround to this issue since there is no resolution (right now).

This is a previously reported issue that has been escalated internally to our development team. No resolution time frame is currently available.

Here’s the workaround provided by RIM:

1. On the Home screen or in the Instant Messaging folder, click the BlackBerry Messenger icon.
2. Highlight the affected user.
3. On the contact list screen, press the Menu key.
4. Select Delete Contact.
5. To add the contact again, invite them by using scan a barcode or by email.

Once you re-invite the contact they will need to re-accept. Once the contact accepts you should both be able to see each others’ avatars. Keep in mind that both parties must be running BBM 5.0. You can download it OTA from blackberry.com/messenger.

If you’ve had issues where you can’t see your contacts’ avatars be sure to try this workaround and let me know how it works for you in the comments!