Posted on November 22, 2007, at 4:01 PM .
We’ve got another round of questions from stumped readers for our resident BlackBerry expert, Jeff Bacon. Topics this time include the security of BlackBerry as a tethered modem, viewing the contents of backups, and how to buy a few extra precious rings before voicemail viciously snaps up your call. As ever, feel free to send us your BlackBerry questions at info at blackberrycool dot com.
Q: I get emails on my BlackBerry for two different email addresses which are mine for two companies where I work. I need to be able to reply to each email with the correct email address of the company the inquiry is directed. How do I do this or what do I need to do to make this work?
A: The BlackBerry will intelligently choose which email address to use on your replies based on which email address the email was sent to. For example, if the email address you received the email on is joe@here.com but you also get joe@there.com email on your BlackBerry, when you click ‘Reply’, the BlackBerry will use joe@here.com as the reply address. You can see this by scrolling all the way up to the top of the screen in a reply and it will say the account being used to send a reply. When creating a new email, if you scroll to the top you can change which email address of yours the recipient will see as the ‘From’ address.
Q: I have installed the Desktop Manager. Is there any way I can view, on my desktop, the contents of the desktop backup file? Do I need a program to read its contents. Or perhaps this is a meaningless question derived from a misunderstanding of the role of back up files.
A: You can’t see the data inside the backup file but you can see what type of data is stored in the backup file. If you go to ‘Backup and Restore’ in the Desktop Manager, select ‘Advanced’ then choose File>Open, you can open up a backup file and see which databases (mail, address book, etc.) are saved in it.
Posted on November 16, 2007, at 12:02 PM .
It sounds like Rogers is trying to put up a fight against Bell and Telus’ impending BlackBerry 8130 sales by offering a cheap e-mail plan for their tragically outdated 8100. For $15/month you get unlimited e-mail across up to 10 accounts on your Pearl and unlimited BlackBerry Messenger use, but that doesn’t count any data or voice usage. A good start for making BlackBerry-using a bit more affordable up north, but we’ve got a ways to go. For more details on usage, check over here.
Posted on November 15, 2007, at 3:12 PM .
If you’re an admin and aren’t attending the BlackBerry Technical Seminar, for shame. Just kidding, you’re not missing much. All of the new BES stuff was already covered at WES, like rich e-mail support, remote e-mail lookup, native attachment downloading, free/busy lookup, and the Mobile Voice System. The kicker is that most of these features will require OS 4.3.1, meaning anyone packing something older than an 8700 will be out of luck. Beyond that, the recently-announced BlackBerry Professional Service will be available in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish localizations, but it will also phase out the existing BES Small Business Edition.
Check a shot of the new e-mail capabilities behind the jump…
Posted on November 15, 2007, at 12:23 PM .
If you haven’t heard, GoDaddy is the biggest name in web hosting service, and now if you happen to be one of their bazillions of customers, you’ll be able to check your e-mail hosted with them on your BlackBerry. BIS customers just have to set up the address like they would any other, complete with address and password, and you should be set. As an added bonus, anything sent from your handheld will be saved on the usual web-access e-mail interface too.
Posted on November 13, 2007, at 9:19 AM .
Ronen has spotted a nifty little event managing service called DialedIn. The software lets you make a quick web page either from your desktop or BlackBerry with all the pertinent attachments (video, documents, pictures, etc.), send out a mass SMS or e-mail to invitees who can then RSVP, and post comments or media themselves. Even if you’re meeting somewhere your guests have never been to, the invitations also include directions through Google Maps. Interested? You can download the client over the air at http://dialedin.com/blackberry/index.html.
Posted on November 8, 2007, at 3:00 PM .
The sharp-eyed Ronen has picked up on a knowledgebase article which outlines all the big changes in OS 4.3. For anyone not lucky enough to have picked up a new BlackBerry 8130, this should give you all the info you need.
Some of the big changes we’ve heard of before now, but here’s the round-up: enhanced SureType; wireless software updates; sending voice note by e-mail, PIN and IM; phone bass and treble adjustment; security options for locking long-distance and specific phone numbers; local search and route saving on BlackBerry Maps; video MMS support; streaming media; Media Player playlists; video recording; Bookmarks and History viewable on Browser launch; and finally, syncing address books and calendars with integrated e-mail, such as Yahoo! and (presumably) Gmail if you’re on BIS 2.4. Pretty awesome stuff!
