Daniel Garcia is a web developer/software architect by day, rebellious tech-punk twenty-something by night. He is a contributing writer to BlackBerry Rocks! who reviews applications for BlackBerry devices, as well as shares the occasional tip for fellow Rockers. He has a BlackBerry Storm 9530, soon to be 9550. If you would like to know more about him, you can follow his Twitter account: @buzzedword.

Earlier this month, Verizon pushed out Bing for Mobile to all Storm handsets, as well as preloaded the software onto all new Storm 2 units. If you haven’t already heard, Bing is the new kid on the block to the search market, going toe to toe with the big dog: Google. Why should you be using Bing, instead of Google? Can’t say. I’m here to rock the BlackBerry, not worry about petty search wars.

Read the full review after the break.

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Google Maps for BlackBerry has been updated to version 3.2.1.

No official changelog from Google but you can bet that there are some bug fixes and other tweaks. I played around with this new version for a while but did not notice any differences so if you find any changes be sure to let me know in the comments.

For more info or to download Google Maps visit m.google.com/maps from your BlackBerry Browser.

Google Maps for BlackBerry has been updated to version 3.2 with some new features including “layers” integration, an awesome feature  that allows you to get the most out of mapping and navigating the area you’re in.

Layers make it easy to view various types of information on your map and are especially helpful in situations when you’re traveling somewhere new. For example, you can turn on the Wikipedia layer to read entries about nearby places, then use the transit lines layer to help map out a route. Or you can use the My Maps feature of Google Maps to create a collection of places you’re planning to visit on your trip and then use Google Maps for mobile to access it from the road. You can also turn on the Google Latitude layer to see your friends’ locations.

To download the new version OTA visit m.google.com/maps from your BlackBerry Browser, or visit the same link from your desktop browser for more info.

via Google Mobile Blog

DubMeNow let me know that they have updated their free BlackBerry application with some awesome new features!

DUB is a must have app for anyone looking for a quick, easy and smart way to network. What makes DUB great is that it automatically syncs contacts between your DUB account and your BlackBerry’s address book, in addition to automatically updating your contacts whenever someone changes their info. Here’s what’s new:

• Locate
  Swap contact info with a single click! When two people meet and click the new “Locate” button, DUB finds and prompts both to exchange info. No more typing emails or mobile numbers to send your card.
• Groups
  Similar to Facebook or LinkedIn; you can create, join and see all the other Group members from your phone. Groups gives you an easy way to connect and find people you want to reach in your networking group, social club, company, personal friends and more from your phone.
• LinkedIn Invitations
  DUB is the only app where you can send a LinkedIn invitation with your contact information with a single click – from your mobile phone.
• Where We Met (Google Maps)
  DUB captures the date when you met someone and displays the location and their address on Google Maps.
• Smart Business Card
  Add a photo, your social networks, a link to your blog, Twitter handle, instant messenger and more to your card so your contacts can connect with you wherever you are online.
• DUB ID
  Your DUB ID can be your name, business name, your nick name – or just a short, easy-to-enter word of your choosing. Give anyone you meet your DUB ID, and they can exchange contact information just as they would with your email address or phone number.
• Twitter Announcements
  Instantly announce the new cards you send and receive, and their updates on Twitter!
• CRM Integrations
  DUB provides a seamless, easy way to keep your organization’s CRM data up-to-date. Your DUB connections can be synced directly with your CRM system (e.g., Salesforce, Siebel On-Demand) from your mobile phone.

To download DUB visit m.dubmenow.com from your BlackBerry Browser or head to DubMeNow.com for more info. Full press release after the jump.

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Made Simple Learning let me know that they have just launched their BlackBerry Tour 9600 Series Training Center.

If you have a brand new BlackBerry Tour and are looking for a way to maximize your experience with it, using the Made Simple Learning Training Centeris definitely a good way to go.

• Dozens of hidden or little-known time-saving tips and tricks.
• Save hundreds of dollars using our International Travel checklist.
• Using the GPS Features of the Tour™ 9630
• Using the new “BlackBerry App World.”
• Synchronizing your BlackBerry with your Windows™ or Mac™ computer.
• How to squeeze every ounce of power from the Address Book, Calendar, Tasks and MemoPad.
• How to become “Master of Your BlackBerry Email”
• How to use Google Sync for true “Wireless Sync” without an Enterprise Server
• Support for both BlackBerry Internet Service and Corporate BlackBerry Enterprise Server users.
• Tips and tricks to unlock the rich Media Features of the BlackBerry Tour™.
• How to turn your 9630  into something that could replace a video and audio “iPod™”
• How to use your 9630 for Mapping (including Google Maps.)
• Learn how to go Online as well as update your Facebook and Myspace pages – right from your BlackBerry

The Complete Training Center is available for $29.99.  The Videos can be purchased separately for $19.99 and the EBook can also be purchased separately for $20.

In the store, Made Simple Learning offers Ebooks and training for various BlackBerry devices on sending email and typing basics, learning about your BlackBerry’s camera, tips for watching videos and much more.

Visit the Made Simple Learning BlackBerry Tour 9600 Series Training Center for more info, or check out the full press release after the jump.

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Made Simple Learning let me know that they have just launched their BlackBerry Curve 8350i Training Center!

If you have a Curve 8350i (or any BlackBerry for that matter) and have been looking for a way to learn all there is about it, Made Simple Learning is the way to go.

Here are some highlights of what the Made Simple Learning Training Center offers for the Curve 8350i:

• Dozens of hidden or little-known time-saving tips and tricks.
• Using the Wi-Fi and GPS Features of the Curve ™ 8350i
• Using “Direct Connect” or “MIKE” walkie-talkie feature
• Synchronizing your BlackBerry with your Windows™ or Mac™ computer.
• How to squeeze every ounce of power from the Address Book, Calendar, Tasks and MemoPad.
• How to become “Master of Your BlackBerry Email”
• How to use Google Sync for true “Wireless Sync” without an Enterprise Server
• Support for both BlackBerry Internet Service and Corporate BlackBerry Enterprise Server users.
• Tips and tricks to unlock the rich Media Features of the BlackBerry 8350i.
• How to  turn your 8350i  into something that could replace a video and audio “iPod™”
• How to use your 8350i for Mapping (including Google Maps.)
• Learn how to go Online as well as update your Facebook and Myspace pages – right from your BlackBerry

The Complete Training Center is available for $29.95.  The Videos can be purchased separately for $19.95 and the EBook can also be purchased separately for $14.95 until July 30th, after that it goes up to $20.99.

In the store, Made Simple Learning offers Ebooks and training for various BlackBerry devices on sending email and typing basics, learning about your BlackBerry’s camera, tips for watching videos and much more. Ebooks and training from Made Simple Learning will soon be available for the Tour 9630.

Visit the Made Simple Learning BlackBerry Curve 8350i Training Center for more info, or check out the full press release after the jump.

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PinPoints let me know that they have just released their free BlackBerry application.

PinPoints lets you find and transmit a location, address or business to your BlackBerry as an instant landmark . It uses Google Maps as the focal point for the web search. There is also a desktop browser plugin for PinPoints that allows you to search and send addresses right from your email client or web browser.

Features:

• Store PinPoints
• Organize PinPoints
• Works with Google Maps & BlackBerry Maps
• Geotag yourself
• Send your buddies saved PinPoints or your location

The PinPoints BlackBerry client works on the Pearl, Curve, Bold and Storm, to name a few.

Register for PinPoints at yourpinpoints.com and download the BlackBerry app. Once downloaded all you have to do is select an address and press ‘Send as PinPoint’.

Don’t forget to let me know how this works for you in the comments!

See some examples of how the desktop browser plugin works after the jump.

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Some highlights from the press release:

• Zenprise, Inc., a leader in automating mobile management, today released Zenprise Device Manager, a new module for Zenprise MobileManager that enables organizations to remotely support BlackBerry® smartphones.
• Zenprise Device Manager installs a micro agent over the air (OTA), eliminating the need for the user to physically bring their BlackBerry smartphone to IT to enable functionality. Once installed, a help desk operator or BlackBerry Enterprise Solution administrator can make a secure connection with the agent on the smartphone to view real-time information.
• BlackBerry smartphones continue to replace laptops in the field as tools for accessing business applications and confidential data.
• Key features of Zenprise Device Manager include a:
  • Device Locator: The Device Locator feature proactively finds lost or stolen GPS-enabled BlackBerry smartphones by pinpointing the exact location of the handset on a Google map. Access to this capability can be restricted and controlled based on an organization’s security and privacy policies. This capability is critical to the retrieval of missing handsets, which can save organizations millions in lost hardware and corporate data.
  • Device Task Manager: Within Zenprise Device Manager, Zenprise provides real-time information on device and application performance. The Device Task Manager feature enables IT to drill down and diagnose potential issues such as battery temperature, signal strength, available and allocated memory, and key service book configurations on a BlackBerry smartphone. The ability to find and fix issues remotely significantly lowers costs for enterprise IT and improves service levels.
  • Device Auditor: In addition to remotely identifying all third party applications installed on a BlackBerry smartphone, the Device Auditor feature details which applications are currently running. As a result, an IT department could determine if an employee’s favorite game is consuming too much memory and triggering an issue. By understanding which applications are installed and running, Device Manager enables enterprise IT to avoid potential security and compliance risks.
• Zenprise Device Manager currently supports BlackBerry smartphones running OS version 4.2 or greater and is available as an option of Zenprise MobileManager. Pricing begins at $20 per user. To learn more about Device Manager for BlackBerry Enterprise Solution environments, go to www.zenprise.com/products.

Read the full press release after the jump.

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By CNN:

Google’s ambitious plan to offer a 3-D street level view of communities across three continents hit a snag when angry residents of a UK village blocked the search engine’s camera car from photographing their homes.

Fearing the appearance of their well appointed properties on the Web site would attract criminals scouting for burglary targets, villagers in Broughton, north of London, summoned the police after spotting the car.

“I was upstairs when I spotted the camera car driving down the lane,” resident Paul Jacobs told The Times of London.

“My immediate reaction was anger: How dare anyone take a photograph of my home without my consent? I ran outside to flag the car down and told the driver he was not only invading our privacy but also facilitating crime.

“This is an affluent area. We’ve already had three burglaries locally in the past six weeks. If our houses are plastered all over Google it’s an invitation for more criminals to strike. I was determined to make a stand, so I called the police.”

What do you all think about that? Would you agree or disagree with the angry village?

Read more @ Cnn.com

Some highlights from the press release:

• Absolute(R) Software Corporation (”Absolute” or the “Company”) (TSX: ABT), the leading provider of firmware-based, patented, computer theft recovery, data protection and IT asset management solutions, today announced that it launched Computrace(R) Mobile for the BlackBerry(R) platform. The new solution delivers asset management, data protection and geolocation tracking for the popular BlackBerry line of smartphones.
• The launch follows a successful beta program that allowed select Absolute customers to test Computrace Mobile for BlackBerry smartphones within their live IT operations.
• After Computrace Mobile is installed and activated on smartphones, it reports asset and location information every 30 minutes. IT administrators can detect hardware and software changes on the smartphone, as well as run daily reports to see its locations using Google Maps(TM) within the secure Absolute Customer Center.
• Computrace Mobile is currently available for BlackBerry OS versions 4.2.1 and later, including consumer models and all future models, as well as all Windows Mobile(R) 5 and 6 handheld devices such as the MOTO Q(TM), Palm(R) Treo(TM) and Samsung(R) BlackJack(TM). Computrace Mobile is available for purchase with an MSRP of $13.95 for a 1-year subscription through Absolute Software at 1-800-220-0733, or go to www.absolute.com for more information.

Read the whole press release after the jump.

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