BlackBerryInsight

S4BB Ltd. has just released the new BlackBerry Ringtone Generator which allows us to easily create our own BlackBerry ringtones from a MP3 file.

It is really easy going. Just install the program and click the icon on your Windows desktop. A fancy windows will appear an give you the possibility to select a MP3 audio file. It is even possible to select just a part of the MP3 file you want to be a ringtone. An in realtime updated field always shows the size of the resulting ringtone file. It is highly recommended to have a file size below 512 kB as some BlackBerry models might have problems with playing bigger ones. You can always listen to a preview of the selected MP3 fragment you want to be the ringtone.

And now comes the trick! How do we get our new ringtone to our BlackBerry? Well, the BlackBerry Pearl, 8800 and 8300 do all have filesystem access and a SD-Card slot. So you will have a drive on your Windows machine and you can just save the ringtone at :\blackberry\ringtones\ (right image below). Now your BlackBerry finds your new ringtone in every place a ringtone can be set up. But if you have a 7100, 7130 or 8700 series BlackBerry you do not have the possiblity to save the ringtone directly on your BlackBerry. Therefor, S4BB Ltd. provides a free service within the BlackBerry Ringtone Generator. The program can automatically upload your ringtone to their web server and provides a download link for you (left image below). Now you can just enter this download link in your BlackBerry browser to download and install the new ringtone directly on your BlackBerry.

That’s it! Really easy going, isn’t it?

If you want to check out the quality before you can take a look to their free demo ringtones.

Below now some facts of the BlackBerry Ringtone Generator:
Supported BlackBerry Series:

• » 7100 / 7130 Series
• » 8100 Series
• » 8700 / 8703 / 8707 Series
• » 8300 / 8320 Series
• » 8800 / 8830 Series

Features:

• » BlackBerry Ringtone Generation from a MP3 File.
• » BlackBerry Optimized.
• » Fragment Selection.
• » Preview Fragment.
• » File Size Approximation.
• » Upload ringtone to an Internet server^* for download to your BlackBerry.
• » Directly save a ringtone on your BlackBerry^**.
• » Easy Installation.
• » Easy Usage via GUI.

* Free service provided by S4BB Limited.
** Only BlackBerry 8100, 8300 and 8800 series.

The BlackBerry Ringtone Generator is now available at several mobile content stores like:

• MobileSoftMarket for $14.49
• Handango for $16.99
• MobiReach / MobiHand for $16.99

Related links:
7130 mp3 Ringtones Made Easy!

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I read may be a dozen felt like millions articles about BlackBerry Internet access in China and all suggested to get a BlackBerry data plan in Hong Kong SAR and use the free roaming to get Internet access in China mainland. This guide does not need such a plan. You just need a GPRS enabled SIM card for your BlackBerry.

Finally I figured out how to get access to the Internet on my BlackBerry without a data plan. This howto is based on the following configuration:

• Device: BlackBerry Pearl (T-Mobile UK branded)
• BlackBerry OS: 4.2.0.67
• Provider: China Mobile

The problem with the BlackBerry is that you always have a browser available. Even though this browser might not be accessible directly (no icon on your BlackBerry’s desktop) you can get to it by using the “task switcher”. So press “Alt+Esc” and a window appears that might be some kind of familiar when you are a Windows desktop user. By pressing “Esc” again while still holding “Alt” you can switch between applications. One of them should be the so called “BlackBerry Browser”. If I switch to that browser I get the following message:

Your device does not currently have any Browser Configuration Service Book Entries.

Please contact your service provider to enable the Browser on your device.

So it is not possible to use this browser. But who cares? I downloaded the Opera Mini to my PC and installed it on my BlackBerry. The installation is really really easy going! When the installation was finished I could see the red “O” on my BlackBerry’s desktop.

By pressing this “O” Opera Mini starts and tries several ways to establish a connection to the Internet. The first attempt failed like expected. But there came up an error message referring me to an help site of Opera Mini which I should visit using my desktop browser. So I did and found the provider search of them. Just some seconds later I got the results for China Mobile:

China Mobile: Manual Setup*
Address cmnet
Proxy Address 10.0.0.172
Port 80

Now I added cmnet to my BlackBerry’s “Options » Adv. Options » TCP » APN”. Proxy addess and port cannot be entered at my BlackBerry. But that is not so important I thought and went back to the Opera “O”, clicked on it and it tried to establish a connection to the Internet again. And finally, it worked! I couldn’t believe that! It’s not that I didn’t try that before but I never tried another browser than the BlackBerry’s. Well, I tried Minuet Browser (BlackBerry Edition) some months ago but it didn’t work.

I hope this helps a bit folks. Suggestions and additional information are highly appreciated, of course.

Opera Mini
Opera Mini Download Page
Opera Mini Provider Search

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A new product just hit the mobile software market! It is called CIA World Factbook for BlackBerry and brings data for more than 270 countries and territories to your BlackBerry. The data has been gathered by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The data is up to date (2007) and brings nearly every information about every country you can imagine.

The following categories of information are covered for over 270 countries:

• Flag Graphic
• Map Image
• Background
• Geography
• People
• Government
• Economy
• Communications
• Transportation
• Military
• Transnational Issues

Easy installation via the free mobipocket.com Reader!

Install MobiPocket:

• Via BlackBerry Desktop Manager
• Via OTA (use link in your BlackBerry browser)

You can get the CIA World Factbook for BlackBerry at MobileSoftMarkt for only $19.95

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I am pretty sure most of you already know. But for those who doesn’t know how to create your own theme for your BlackBerry you can take a look to the article Just theme it! from the guys at RIM

What can you do with Theme Builder? Some of its main features allow you to:

• Customize the BlackBerry application icons
• Change the Home screen banner image and icon/indicator colors
• Create your own buttons
• Customize the look of dialog and pop up screens
• Customize an idle screen
• Customize the look of menus and lists
• Customize the phone application screens
• Customize fonts used on the BlackBerry device

And the result may look like this:

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Welcome back Mr. Free Download!

Some time ago I asked about wishes of free downloads you would like to have. Well, the feedback was different. Some wanted some wallpapers, some wanted some videos and some even wanted to get NextAction!. To be honest, NextAction! is not affordable yet. Even though the “BlackBerryInsight Free Download” is provided in cooperation with MobileSoftMarket we still have to pay for the licenses we are providing. Anyway, we have some new candies for you! Cars, Motorbikes and Porsches! Not real ones, of course (as you might not be able to download them ;)) but great wallpaper images for your BlackBerry. All of those wallpaper packs support all current BlackBerry models. Even the BlackBerry 8800’s resolution is supported (well, it’s the same one like the 8700 series has). So scroll down and check out your free download! You may download all of them if you want.

All wallpapers are included in 4 resolutions:

• - Optimized for 8700 and 8800 models
• - Optimized for 7700 models
• - Optimized for 71xx and 81xx models
• - Optimized for 72xx and 75xx models

Cars Wallpaper Pack for Blackberry

20 high quality wallpapers in the optimum resolution for your Blackberry.

Examples:

Motorbikes Wallpaper Pack for
Blackberry

20 high quality wallpapers in the optimum resolution for your Blackberry.

Porsche Wallpaper Pack for Blackberry

20 high quality wallpapers in the optimum resolution for your Blackberry.

Previous Free Downloads:
» Free Download: BlackBerry EBook - The Science of Getting Rich
» Free Download: BlackBerry Wallpaper Generator (Only 5 hours online)
» Free Download: The Art of War (EBook & EBook Reader) for BlackBerry
» Luck & Fortune Wallpaper Pack for Blackberry
» BBWallpapers - Liftetime Wallpaper Access
» BBCalls - VoIP/Jajah client for the BlackBerry

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About 4 months ago the last update on NextAction! has been published. It brought a wide range with new features, more stability and a better workflow. Especially the workflow is very important for programs like NextAction! who aim to be a direct implementation of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” (GTD).

I have read some rumors about the new NextAction! 2.0 coming. Even a silent beta test seems to be started already.

For those of you who have not tried NextAction! yet, I can just suggest to try it out! It works great for me - even the current version! There are several possibilities where you can get a license of it. Anyway, the best choose is to purchase one at MSM as you will get free updates there and even pay 20% less compared to all other sources.

I am not sure what new features will come but I am pretty sure it will be more advanced and more integrative. The best thing is: I will get a free update to the new version…

P.S.: You can even find it on Google Base.

Some related links:
NextAction! International Site
NextAction! German Site
NextAction! - The GTD Implementation - Suggestions?
NextAction! on your BlackBerry syncs with your Apple iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iBook, PowerBook …
Implementing Getting Things Done with your Blackberry
NextAction! 1.6.1

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Well, this is short task but sometimes you might need it. Some programs out there like the free VoIP application BBCalls, BerryDialer or the vCardMaster still need a reboot after installation. Why? Because they are plugging functionality into the BlackBerry OS. You can for example set up the BerryDialer for using calling cards by entering your calling card numbers. Then you just go to your address book because you want to call somebody. In the address book’s menu you can find a command that directly calls your contact using the calling card. So getting this command shown you need to reboot your BlackBerry.

But how to reboot the BlackBerry?

There are currently two ways I know of:

1. Press on your BlackBerry and a so called “soft reboot” will be initiated. I saw this key combination not working on my Pearl but on all other BlackBerry devices I tried.
2. Remove and replace the battery of your BlackBerry and the BlackBerry will reboot. Removing the BlackBerry for just a second is absolutely enough. This does also work on the Pearl, of course.

Some newer BlackBerry OS might not need that reboot anymore. However, if the described functionality of a program does not appear, a reboot might fix that.

I hope this HowTo helped a bit. You can find more in our HowTo section.

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Just got of my Feedreader and found the BlackBerry EBook MegaPack!

96 EBooks in one pack for your BlackBerry! That’s awesome! If you take the price of those ebooks at handango each of them costs $4.99 which would be about $479 for 96! So you can save up to $400 with that pack.

You can get this EBook MegaPack at MobileSoftMarket for ($59.99), MobiHand ($79.99 $59.99 Special Promotion) and Handango ($79.99).

I hope they don’t kill me for copying their content

You can get this EBook MegaPack at MobileSoftMarket for ($59.99), MobiHand ($79.99 $59.99 Special Promotion) and Handango ($79.99).

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Once more a BlackBerryInsight reader has sent us a tip. This one covers how to create ringtones for your own. You can also look for some cool music here.

Leech audacity
(http://www.streammusik.de/infos/software/audacity_103_beta.htm)

Maybe somebody’s wanna know and too lazy to search his through the internet

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Ever wanted to know how to enable “Return Reciepts” and automatic deletion of E-Mails? One of our readers sent us this tip:

Return & Delete on Delivery [a.k.a ping BB]

….but in the end, it’s for me as BES admin the most useful hack out of
the book.

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