Posted on May 7, 2009, at 7:59 AM .
Photo courtesy of Nan Palmero.
Here at WES 2009 there is a lot of talk about App World. While it is an evolutionary step for RIM and BlackBerry, third parties have been providing content to early adopter BlackBerry users for years. To understand how RIM can improve App World, we can look to existing portals for tips. Handango, Mobihand and Handmark are some major portals, while companies like Bplay are offering BlackBerry content as well.
One of the first things you’ll notice about App World, and we’ve been hearing a lot of complaints about this, is the marriage to PayPal. Third party app vendors offer a wide range of payment methods and RIM should do the same. Ideally, we would see carrier billing, but more on that later.
Continue reading about improvements App World could make
Posted on May 7, 2009, at 7:57 AM .
TopoExplorer Touch is a free GPS app for the BlackBerry Storm that allows you to discover your surroundings on topographic maps even in remote areas. The touch version of TopoExplorer includes full rotation capabilities which adds to the user mapping experience.
Features:
Free of charge: TopoExplorer is available for free – download.
Moving map navigation: Easy map navigation with sophisticated trackball control.
GPS location on map: The device’s current GPS location is shown on the map and can be visualized in three coordinate formats for professional usage.
Automatical map selection: The best map for your location is selected automatically.
On-Device maps: Map packs are stored on the device’s memory card only. No internet connection / data plan is required.
Download TopoExplorer for the BlackBerry Storm.
Posted on May 7, 2009, at 7:12 AM .
I got tipped off by a friend at WES about a cool app called R-Vintage by REGARD that is perfect for wine enthusiasts. This free app will allow mobile wine lovers to do a quick vintage ratings look-up by country, region and varietal increasing the chances of picking a winner from the wine list.
This free version provides static lookup back to the year 2000. In addition to numeric ratings, you receive a Drink/Hold recommendation vintage by vintage. A premium version will be released soon to provide dynamic lookup and other must-have features for wine lovers.
Download R-Vintage Lookup for BlackBerry (OS 4.2 and above).
Posted on May 6, 2009, at 5:26 PM .
Xobni has partnerships with Facebook, LinkedIn and a host of other social networks to complement your Outlook experience. Click an email and watch all the personal data for this individual come alive. You can also get statistics such as when and how often this individual emails you.
The app will make you BlackBerry device’s address book even better. Xobni users will soon be able to have access to many of the relationship management features they already love on their desktop from their BlackBerry as well.
Go here to get notified when the BlackBerry client has launched.
Download a free copy of Xobni for Outlook.
Remember to follow our Best of WES 2009 Posterous account where will be voting on who stole the show.
Posted on May 6, 2009, at 4:40 PM .
Beyond160 allows users on CDMA networks to go beyond the 160 character limit when composing a text message. It’s been a very sought-after feature.
BlackBerry users on carrier networks such as Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, Telus, and Bell are only able to type 160 characters when composing a text message. With Beyond160, users can type as much as they want, and when they send, it will automatically split the message into multiple parts (each 160 characters) and send them in sequence. And best of all, Beyond160 messages get routed through the normal SMS Outbox with Delivery Confirmation just like the built-in app. It also works in harmony with my QuickText app if both are installed.
Purchase Beyond160 for your BlackBerry for the BBCool special introductory price of $4.99.
Use the promo code BBCBEYOND160LAUNCH for the discount, valid until Sunday, May 10th.
Posted on May 6, 2009, at 4:22 PM .
gwabbit is a cool BlackBerry app being demo’d here at WES 2009. gwabbit for BlackBerry automatically searches and identifies signatures embedded in emails and adds or updates that information to your Blackberry address book, in a single click. For those users syncing their contacts to Outlook, gwabbit’s automated capture keeps contacts updated globally.
gwabbit for Blackberry will be available at the end of May for an annual subscription of $9.95. Whether you are a sales person, real estate agent, lawyer, addicted networker, or tech savvy traveler, gwabbit brings together simple, automated contact management.
Get your 14 day free trial of gwabbit for BlackBerry.
gwabbit for Outlook is available for a single, one-time fee of $19.95.
Remember to check out the Best of WES where we’ll be voting on companies here at WES 2009.
