Top Blackberry NewsKeeping you up to date with all the latest Blackberry News!

One of the CrackBerry nations favorite streaming radio applications got a nice update yesterday. Slacker is now sitting at version 2.0.2 and has included many bug fixes in the latest version the major changes outlined below.

The major enhancement of the application update is that we have optimized the application to perform faster and remove many of the "Gaps" when skipping or transitioning songs. When a song first starts, there's alot of activity going on, but after 10-15 seconds you should get near instant skips (Depending on your connection speed).

To upgrade to the new version, please start by uninstalling the current version by going to Options > Advanced Options > Applications on your BlackBerry phone. Then find the Slacker Application, highlight it and press the BB Menu button and choose Delete. Once completed restart your device and grab the latest version from Slacker.

Head On Over To The Slacker Website For More Info And Downloads>>>

CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. New Slacker Application version 2.0.2!

Long goes my battle to find the perfect BlackBerry Storm theme and luckily I was able to get my hands on the above hotness from WJD Designs. Vivid looks great at that lovely Storm display and while the included background is amazing, any other background you wish to use looks great as well due to the icons used as they are not really "invasive" of the overall look of the theme.

With 2 hidden homescreen buttons that allows you to hide your icons when not in use and the "must have" spots that support quick launch and your favorite weather application Vivid is a nice addition to my Storms theme selection, but really me describing the theme does not do this one justice. In order to get a feel for the speed in this theme checking out the video is a must, that way you can see for yourself lag is not an issue here. Vivid is on sale for $5 right now till the 31st.

Grab Vivid For Your Storm From The Shop CrackBerry Store>>>

CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Vivid Premium Storm Theme!

Hey Everyone! We're back again with another exciting Click's Picks. Be sure to click through on the image above to see my favorite BlackBerry wallpapers, ringtones and video picks for the week past.

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CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Click's Picks! BlackBerry Media Roundup 036

 

*UPDATE* -Update services are now live, go and get your .148 on if you haven't already.

After hearing that OS 4.7.0.141 failed Verizon testing, and seeing yesterdays MR2 info sheet, everyone has been getting a bit anxious waiting for something from Big Red.  Well we just officially got word that Verizon will release OS 4.7.0.148 for the BlackBerry Storm 9530 this Sunday, May 31st at 3pm EST. 

Customers will be able to get the update via the Web at www.blackberry.com/update beginning Sunday, May 31 from 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Verizon Wireless will also be rolling this update out to customers through an over-the-air download beginning Sunday night (10 p.m. Eastern Time). To get the download over the air, go to Options> Advanced Options > Wireless Updates.  

It's about time right?  Hopefully this update will have some good fixes. Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

 

CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBerry Storm 9530 OS 4.7.0.148 Available This Sunday!!

The browser on my BlackBerry has been a disappointment in the last few years. It works decently but it chokes on even old technologies like JavaScript. RIM has been trying to slowly update the browser to support new standards like SQLite, Gears, CSS, AJAX, and more but it still lags light years behind newer mobile browsers based on WebKit.

There is a reason the iPhone, Android, Symbian S60, and Palm Pre all use WebKit as the basis for their web browser. It kicks the pants off the BlackBerry browser every time it is pitted against it. Opera and Skyfire are interesting alternatives but they do not integrate tightly with the OS and both are proprietary and are hard to develop specifically for them.

The crazy part is that RIM is already using another companies technology in their browser. Parts of their browser come from 4thpass which does not even exist anymore since it was bought out by Motorola. They also seem just fine with using Java which is another OpenSource standard/technology. So why not WebKit???

Personally I think this is because RIM is stuck in a cycle of throwing good money after bad. The browser was great back in 2000 compared to regular WAP browsers but it has barely inched along since then. It still chokes so badly on JavaScript that it is disabled by default on many OS builds. This is the same JavaScript standard that powers AJAX which RIM is pushing as a solution for browser based applications!

I think that RIM has quite a bit invested in the browser with backend optimization, security, & intranet access. On the other hand they are struggling so far behind the competition in this regard that they really need to shape up if they want to compete in the future. The web is slowly becoming an expected feature on smartphones and the pitiful updates that RIM has added in OS 5.0 are just not going to cut it! Maybe at least offer a alternative browser for browsing the web that can be integrated with the OS to do things as simple as open links? I just hate being embarrassed by how far behind RIM has fallen from the competition when it comes to web browsing. The only company it is still beating is Windows Mobile and that is just because Microsoft is stuck with IE.

So what do you think? Is the BlackBerry browser a lost cause? Or do you think it is salvageable?

This is a basic tip that I forgot about until CoryR reminded me about it. That little LED/Flash on the back of your newer BlackBerry can easily be used as a flashlight if you just know how to pull it off. You need OS 4.3+ as far as I remember since it requires the video recording application for the option. This trick just involves enabling the flash option in the video recorder. This gives you a bright light (much brighter than simply illuminating the screen).  You don’t need to do any actual recording, just launch the app when you need the light.

Instructions:

1. Open the BlackBerry Video Camera application
2. Hit the menu button and select Options
3. The first option should be Video Light
4. Highlight that option and hit the spacebar to change it to On
5. You will get a warning saying that this will drain your battery but select yes

Now every time you fire up the Video Camera application the LED/Flash will automatically turn on. You do not need to record anything for it to work. For even simpler access just set the Video Camera to open using one of your side convenience keys.

DavidB reminded me that back in November of last year I wished that Newegg would mobilize their website. It turns out that since then Newegg has actually released a mobile version of their website at m.newegg.com. This is awesome for me since I can now compare prices on Amazon and Newegg before I pick something up in the store.

The mobile version seems to have access to all the same products but is not meant for browsing. You have 10 categories but they just take you to the top 10 deals in each category which sucks. The search feature works but there is no drill down like you have on the main site. You can view only the first image of the product and the specifications. What really annoyed me is that you can see the rating of the product but you cannot read the reviews!!! You do have access to login and check your order status along with your wish list.

As I said in the title the mobile site is useful for searching for a product but Newegg really limited the features to the point where most people will just wait until they get to a computer.

SmrtGuard is a really cool application for your BlackBerry that offers you three really useful features:

• Remotely tracking your BlackBerry even without GPS
• Remotely wiping your BlackBerry if stolen or such
• Scheduled wireless backup & restore of sensitive information like Contacts, Memos, Tasks, Calendar, Call Logs, & Email

I think that last feature is what really makes SmrtGuard stick out of the crowd. It essentially gives you the peace of mind of a BES solution at a lower price. On top of that the remote security features are very useful. The only downside is that SmrtGuard is a subscription based service so it is not a one time fee. You can buy a plan for them for $3.99/month, $22.99/semi-annually, or $44.99/year. You can find the plans available at this link. You should be able to get a hold of their 10 day free trial at this link OTA.

For those of your out there who like having the funny applications for your BlackBerry Storm, I’ve got one for you! It’s called Fingerprint Scanner by Computer Time, CO. Basically it acts like a finger print scanner when you place you finger on the display. It’s great to entertain friends for a few seconds. Please [...]

This post originated at BlackBerry Sync. To see the full post visit please visit BlackBerrySync.com

He’s Baaaaack!

That’s right, after a mini hiatus, theme designer extraordinaire Hedone is back in action with his latest release, BussFast. A stylish, yet no-nonsense design, BussFast has a total of 9 user customizable icons; 6 at the top bar and 3 on the left bar. Time, date and message indicators are all neatly stored at the top while you’re other information sits nicely at the bottom. Menus and fonts are crisp and clean and the whole theme works like a charm on my Bold. One thing to note is that BussFast was designed to be wallpaper friendly, and in fact, it looks really awesome with a variety of wallpapers. Just be sure to choose a background dark enough to stand against the white today screen calendar entries. As is stands, this theme is very attractive and functional and like all of Hedone’s works without a glitch (at least for me).

BussFast is available for the 8300, 8700, 8800 (Os 4.5), 8900, 9000 & 9500 for $7.00 at Hedone Design but the first 20 buyers who use coupon code bussfastBR at checkout get 20% off! (Screen shots for each device can also be viewed via the link above.)