There are quite a few appilcations to view PDF files on your BlackBerry. Although you get basic PDF support included with the native Blackberry applications, you might need a program with better support for image-rich PDFs and other special features. This should give you an overview about third party PDF viewers:

• DocHawk Platinum
  This is the bestselling Handango application to view file attachments inlcuding Adobe PDF, Word, WordPerfect, XLS, PPT, eFax.
  
• RepliGo
  Document viewer for PDF, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, WordPerfect, faxes & photos which supports almost every feature of a desktop viewer-application
• eOffice
  eOffice is not only a document viewer but a whole office suite for your BlackBerry. Besides the PDF support you can view Power Point presentations and create/edit word & exel documents.

The MobileMag just published an article on using Skype on mobile devices. This includes BlackBerry devices!

As of the fact that the most BlackBerry users have a data flatrate this might be a good oportunity to make cheap calls with the commonly known good quality of Skype connections. There is a free version with basic features and a commercial one ($3.95 / month) with more advanced features like 4 – way call conferencing and an higher amount of contacts.

Download the client for your BlackBerry here.

I would be not surprised if there is someday a BlackBerry client available which comes with video chat / conferencing features.

References:

• MobileMag
• MobileMag – Article
• Skype
• BlackBerry and Multimedia / Camera Support
• WebMessanger Mobile For Skype
• WebMessanger Mobile For Skype – Download

After 2 months I got bored of the default 7290 vodafone wallpaper and wanted to change something. Some nice beaches or my favorite sports team might be a good a idea but it was some kind of hard to figure out how to get this updated. However, I wanted to change something, to change the feeling while using my BlackBerry and to get a bit more unique. So a new wallpaper would be a good start, I thought.

But if you are not in the mood to create your own wallpapers you might invest $2 to $4 into some device-ready wallpapers.

Below are listed some nice topic grouped wallpaper packs optimized for the BlackBerry 71xx, 72xx, 77xx, 75xx and 87xx.

1. Beach Dream Wallpaper Pack
2. Dallas Mavericks 2006 Wallpaper Pack
3. Beer Wallpaper Pack
4. Worldcup 2006 Wallpaper Pack for Blackberry

These “10 Hi-Tech Tips To Increase Productivity” from bytestart.co.uk will definitely help you to increase your productivity.

However, I am quite sure they did not read BlackBerryInsight’s article “Implementing Getting Things Done with your Blackberry”. Why am I sure about that? Because they did not mention any task optimizing programs like NextAction! or the famous Outlook GTD Plugin.

There is a big advantage in using such programs which work well together and organize your tasks to get your things done.

The Leader-Post reports that

For thousands of BlackBerry customers in Canada, an unidentified construction worker did Wednesday what a celebrated U.S. patent suit failed to do earlier this year.

in Toronto.

Read the full article here.

It is now possible to make credit card payments using your beloved BlackBerry! United Pressi International just published a short announcement of the system made by Alltel.

Elisabeth Owen (president of wireless business solutions, Alltel) said: “sales professionals the freedom to take secure, real-time payments outside of the office,”

She also said: “MobileCharge [ed. the name of the service] is a great tool for companies whose salesforces routinely meet clients in the field. Working on Alltel’s wireless network, it improves cash flow by enabling immediate payment and saves money by reducing back-office expenses.”

I also encountered that the system runs only on the BlackBerry 7250 and 7130e. I don’t know what’s the limitation on the other devices but may they just mentioned these 2 popular models.

Source: UPI Article.

The market of BlackBerry games is growing. More and more games especially designed for the BlackBerry or ported from other platforms are released. Obviously many BlackBerry users like games on their BlackBerry (of course their are only playing in their spare time ). But what leads me to this assumption? The BlackBerry software sales yardstick from Handango for the year 2005.

It is amazing if you are looking for games in the “Best Sellers List”. The Top 5 Games for 2005 were:

1. Aces Texas Hold’em – No Limit (poker game)
2. Sol Mania (solitaire games)
3. MyGames Mega Pack (suite of games)
4. Card Games: Pack One (suite of games)
5. Pro Golf Paradise (golf game)

If you currently take a look to the best performing games for the BlackBerry 7290 you will it changed a little in the past 6 months:

1. Aces Texas Hold’em – No Limit (poker game)
2. Sudoku (puzzle)
3. Sol Mania (solitaire games)
4. MyGames Mega Pack (suite of games)
5. NEXT by Mobigloo (puzzle)
6. Sudoku Master (puzzle)

Sudoku took a big rebound in the scene and grabbed place 2 and place 6! I just added the 6th place for showing the influence of Sudoku. So it seems there is a huge amount of puzzling enthusiastics out there. I am one of them who likes to puzzle some minutes to get a break from whatever I did the moment before.

But there’s not only Handango who sells good games. Actually I am not a big fan of the Sudoku games principle but I like other ones like tetris for example. My current BlackBerry Games Top 5 is:

1. BBtris (tetris clone) ($8.99)
2. Next (puzzle) ($9.95)
3. Chess ($15.99)

Some pictures of my favorites:

Resources:

• Handango Yardstick – BlackBerry 2005
• Handango
• MobileSoftMarket

Last but not least:
I would like to know your top list of BlackBerry games. So if you want to share yours feel free to use the comment function!

In need of an Internet Connection while traveling? If you have one of the following BlackBerry models and the most recent BlackBerry software installed, you can use your BlackBerry as a Modem on your Laptop.

• 710X
• 7130e
  
• 7510/7520
• 7230/7250/7280/7290
• 7730/7780
  
• 8700

There is a very complete and detailed Howto from Mark Rejhon at Blackberryforums: BlackBerry As Modem For Laptop

Welcome to the second part of “BlackBerry Outdoor Compatibility”. If you have not yet read the first part please start at “BlackBerry Outdoor Compatibility #1” before reading this one!

As mentioned at the end of #1 we will today handle the following aspects

• Unicode
• Realtime Input method change
• Multitasking

I will start with the last point: Multitasking. Since many phones support the switching between different programs for years, this features is really good implemented in the BlackBerry (remember: I used the 7290 – a quite old model). Comparison: I have encountered some months ago when I checked out the Siemens SXG75, that there are still many phones out there which do not support multiple instances of Java programs. So they do still not support multitasking. But that feature is really useful when you are outside on a track, using a positioning / orientation software and don’t want to exit if anything else happens. Let’s say you get a phone call, want to read an incoming message or email or you just want to make notes. E.g. I used the notes application (a.k.a. MemoPad) quite often during this hardcore outdoor test to make some notes I want to write about.

The problem in this case is: Keep all programs running without occurring any error. That is especially essential if you are running a program which is connected to a Bluetooth device (like the Bluetooth GPS in this case). It would be really annoying if the connections will be interrupted every time you change from one application to the other. That’s not what the user wants and that is what the BlackBerry provides: Stability!

To open the task / application switching screen press ALT + ESCAPE and you will see all current running programs. Another good solved issue in this case is the position the cursor starts at. The last used program is always selected first so you just need to pres ALT+ESCAPE, release the keys and you will be brought back to the last application you used before this one. If you want to switch to another one, just select the corresponding icon by using the trackwheel. (Hint: Using this task switcher also enables you to access the BlackBerry browser even if it does not appear on you desktop)

I used this procedure to switch the input method in realtime. Formerly I updated the installed Vodafone BlackBerry OS 4.0 to the Hong Kong CSL BlackBerry OS 4.1 to get Chinese Input Method support. (Hint: How to upgrade your BlackBerry OS was documented in the How to upgrade your BlackBerry to OS 4.1 article.) Back to the topic. Changing the current running input method you need to do the following steps (assuming you are currently running Spot or any other application):

1. Press ALT+ESCAPE
2. Go to the BlackBerry Desktop
3. Select Options
4. Select Languages
5. Do your changes
6. Press Save
7. Select the Spot icon on the desktop or in the task switcher to reenter the program

From now on you use the input method of your choice from within the program without a restart. It just works and is very practicable if you want to keep programs running while doing your changes. You can of course change it as often as you want.

As mentioned before I changed to the chinese input method to be able to enter waypoints in the right format and the right language. This is done in Unicode which supports a huge amount of worldwide used encodings. The Hong Kong CSL’s BlackBerry OS version comes with a quite good chinese input method that offers a Pinyin input method (write as you’d speak). Because the BlackBerry is built on Java, is running Java programs and Java supports from childhood Unicode support the BlackBerry also supports unicode characters. For foreign countries this a very useful feature. Just some examples of countries where you might need extra characters than the “english (United States)” onces (like my BlackBerry was configured to): France, Germany, Spain, Baltics, Russia, People’s Republic of China, Republic of China (a.k.a. Taiwan), Thailand, Japan and so on.

The following pictures show the unicode representation on the map and routing screen (sorry for the bad quality):

Upcoming in #3:

• More outdoor pictures
• Bottom Line

Synchronizing your Mac with your BlackBerry is now quite easy as RIM has licensed “PocketMac” which you can get for free!

Get PocketMac for free here.

PcketMac is a full fledged synchronization suite but has one major drawback: Up to now it is not possible to install software on your Blackberry via the desktop. There are a few workarounds however:

1. If you have an Intel based Mac you can use e.g. BootCamp to boot to a minimal windows installation and use the Windows BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
2. Ask the software seller to provide an OTR link. This will allow you to download and install the software directly from your BlackBerry browser. (this may not work on large software packages due to operating system restrictions)
3. Install it using your windows-based work PC/Laptop.

There are however rumors that a future version of PocketMac will support third party software installation.