REVIEW: BES Mailbox By Empower

One of the biggest complaints that is continually heard from end users on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, is the fact that all of their emails, both corporate and personal, redirect into the messages folder, sometimes making it difficult for important emails to be found quickly.

Empower has made an excellent solution to that, with the creation of BES Mailbox.

From the Empower Site: Empower BES MailBox provides a dedicated access to your work emails. Just click on it and you are shown only BES messages! No more searching for that important corporate email from among your 300 unread emails.

What's more, you can also set Folder-based alerts to receive sound notification when an important email arrives!

Clutter-free work emails are now just a click away.

*Fully On-device. No Setup required.

*Seamless Integration with native Email.

*Folder-based Alerts: Receive sound notification when important emails arrive in designated folders.

This application is one of THE MOST OVERDUE applications for BlackBerry and BES users EVER.

We have tested this and have no complaints with it what-so-ever. There is a free trial for those of you who wish to try this out for yourselves, and the best thing is that BlackBerryGuy and Empower have partnered up so BlackBerryGuy Newsletter members can receive a discount when they purchase this!

Contact us at info@blackberryguy.com for your code, and organize your email inboxes today!

Google Maps 2.0 Uses Triangulation For Non-GPS Berrys

Yesterday, Google updated their ever popular Google Maps Mobile for BlackBerrys, by rolling out v2.0.

While there are just a few differences, the main one with this go-around is the addition of triangulation for non-gps devices.

FAST FACT: Triangulation is a process by which the location of a radio transmitter can be determined by measuring either the radial distance, or the direction, of the received signal from two or three different points. Triangulation is sometimes used in cellular communications to pinpoint the geographic position of a user.

While using this method isn't the best option for finding your current location, it does work for the most part.

As you can see in our test however, the location that is reported and your actual location can vary by sometimes over a half a mile.

So bottom line: It's a nice attempt and it will be useful for times when you are in a new area and want to search for restaurants and businesses, however, don't expect it to work well-enough for you to give detailed instructions to 911 where you are located.

*In the above graphics, blue represents reported location from triangulation, red represents correct location.

REVIEW: BerryBuddy

Yesterday we received a nice little package in the mail and the ability to demo what is being called the BerryBuddy, by innov8systems out of the UK.

The idea is simple: It's a cradle/charging solution for your BlackBerry Pearl (more on that in a minute) so that it can charge and sync simply by being plugged in.

While there are several different desktop holders on the market, this is one that from others we have seen, should deserve to be towards the top of the group.

It is simple, yet actually looks good (And looks like its supposed to be on your desk).

The design isn't anything spectacular, however, it does set the Pearl at a good angle allowing you to have a clear view of the screen.

You will notice there is a blue light and a green light on it, and on the back, there are ports for both charging and synching.

The green light is on when the power is plugged in, and the blue light when the synch cable is connected to the computer.

Obviously, it can charge via the USB slot, which may leave some scratching their head as to why there is even an option for the wall charger slot, however, just as with other things, it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Plus, our guess is some people would prefer to use this on a night stand, where they won't be synching with a computer.

One thing that we would caution, is that the USB connection fits fairly snug, so you want to make sure to connect and disconnect it with caution. Also, the plastic "holding area" seems to be of firm plastic, so we will have to see if it causes any wear on the back of the device after numerous uses.

Unfortunately, this is only available for the 8100 series Pearls. Note, this does NOT include the 8130 series Pearls yet, as there is a slight build difference.

Innov8Systems is working on producing the same type of solution for both the 83XX and 88XX devices.

Here is their website: www.innov8systems.com

It is only available through select outlets right now, which you can find on their site by going to "BUY".

Also, if you would be interested in this, feel free to email us at info@blackberryguy.com and we will see if we can't get some type of bulk discount or whatnot.

There may be more things that pop up, so we will update this thread accordingly.

PIN Messaging Explained

While everyone is familiar with the email capabilities of their BlackBerry device, many people aren’t aware of another type of communication on the BlackBerry devices which is called PIN messaging.

From corporate users to emergency personnel, PIN messaging has become the newest way for instant and backup communication in the event of emergency or natural disaster.

Every cellphone and smartphone are equipped with what is called an ESN or IMEI number, which is an "electronic serial number" for that device. However, every BlackBerry device is also equipped with what is called a PIN number (Personal Identification Number). This can be found on your device by going to Options-Status.

Where PIN messaging can benefit users in a corporate enviorment is instant communication in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.

For clients that use an Exchange Server and BlackBerry Enterprise Server, their email is 100% dependant on those working. In the event that power is lost or a natural disaster (IE: tornado, hurricane, etc) disable those servers, PIN messaging is an excellent backup, as it relies strictly on the wireless data network to transmit messages, and not a BES connection. This means that PIN messaging will still work fine, even if your Exchange and BES are not functioning.

While PIN messaging is not a complete solution to disaster recovery in the event that your servers are rendered inoperable, it does allow you to still have instant access to all the employees/co-workers in your company.

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Another option is now being pre-installed on all newer BlackBerrys, called BlackBerry Messenger. BlackBerry Messenger allows “real time chat” between BlackBerry devices, similar to Instant Messaging applications such as AIM, Yahoo Chat, etc.

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One of the major benefits of BlackBerry Messenger, is the ability to have numerous users logged into the same conversation at once. Therefore in the event that you need to communicate a message to many users at once, you all can read and respond within the same conversation.

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Another benefit of BlackBerry Messenger comes into play with the newer camera enabled devices. While many corporations do not allow devices with cameras (for obvious security reasons), many rescue personnel, first responders and police departments are now using BlackBerry messenger to instantly take a picture of a situation and with 2 clicks, be able to send that picture to their commanding officer or headquarters, enabling them to get “real time” pictures to view and assess a scene.

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While PIN messaging and BlackBerry Messenger aren't the best solutions for your disaster recovery, they are a valuable, and very often unknown resource that is already included on your device.

If you would like additional information or would like BlackBerryGuy to consult you on getting a PIN disaster recovery program in place, please contact us at info@blackberryguy.com or at 877-MY-BERRY.

IMPORTANT NOTE: PIN to PIN messages are NOT encrypted and are transmitted in PLAIN TEXT. This means anyone who intercepts them has the ability to read them. While this is a remote possibility, you should keep it in mind and not send ANY sensitive information via a PIN to PIN message.

SPECIAL ALERT: BlackBerry Outage Scheduled For Sunday 11/25/2007

We have heard of a potential outage for the Americas and Asia-Pacific on the 25th of November (Sunday) for 20 minutes sometime between 12:00 AM EST and 3:00 AM EST due to a firmware update.

Effected Areas Of Service:
* BlackBerry Enterprise Servers (BES) may be unable to connect to the BlackBerry Infrastructure during the maintenance. I recommend that nobody even log on to any of the 4 BES servers during this time as you may experience issues relating to the maintenance.
* Users may be unable to send or receive any email messages during the maintenance.
* Users may also be unable to register their device, roam in another location, or use other services such as Internet browsing or Blackberry Messenger.
* Devices may not receive new service books during the maintenance.
* Enterprise Activations may not work during this maintenance.
* PIN to PIN messaging may not work during this maintenance.

DELETE MESSAGES ON YOUR BLACKBERRY AND INBOX

One of the biggest support questions we get asked here at BlackBerryGuy, is "How can I make messages delete on both my BlackBerry and my e-mail In-Box?", so here is the step-by-step tutorial on how to get this accomplished.

BES USERS:

1. From your homescreen, go into your Messages folder.
2. Once in your messages, folder, bring up your menu
3. Scroll down to and choose "Options".
4. Scroll down to and select "Email Reconciliation".
5. In the "Email Reconciliation" menu, make sure "Delete On" is set to "Mailbox & Handheld".
6. Confirm that Wireless Reconcile is set to "On"
7. Confirm that "On Conflicts" your "Mailbox Wins"
8. Save your changes.
9. Exit back out to your messages folder, and once again bring up the menu.
10. Scroll down to "Reconcile Now" to force a reconciliation between your handheld and In-Box.
11. Your messages should now synchronize between your BlackBerry and In-Box.

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BIS USERS:

-First you need to determine whether your Email ISP provider has the ability to synchronize your emails between your BlackBerry and inbox, to see if it can, do the following:

1. Log into your BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) site.
2. On the right-hand side, choose "Edit".
3. At the bottom, if you see a box that states "Synchronize deleted items between this mailbox and my device.", then you are able to do two say sync.

2/3/4
4. Check the box to the the left.
5. Save your changes.
6. Follow the steps 1-8 for BES users listed above at this point.
7. Your messages should now delete between your BlackBerry and In-Box.5

1. If you are still facing challenges with 2-way sync, contact your BES Administrator.
2. BIS sync will ONLY allow deleting of messages, not marking them read or unread.
3. Not all ISP providers are capable of 2-way sync on BIS accounts at this time.
4. username@carrier.blackberry.net email addresses do not have the ability to 2-way sync an email with a forwarding address attached to it.
5. BIS sync is in the begining stages. You may find it unsuccessful. This issue is being addressed with no resolution time frame.

Desktop Manager: Which To Use With What

There are numerous versions of Desktop Manager floating around, so we are going to give a quick break down on which to use and when.

*Any 4.2 and 4.3 Operating System devices MUST use Desktop Manager 4.2 and above. The easy way to determine this is: If you have a trackball instead of a trackwheel, you need to use Desktop Manager 4.2 or above.

*4.2 is currently the only Desktop Manager bundle that includes Roxio Media Manager. When you are at the download site and choose the version of Desktop Manager 4.2 you want, scroll down and you will have the option to install with the Media Bundle or without.

*OUTLOOK 2007 MUST BE USED with 4.2 or 4.3 Desktop Manager, regardless of the OS on the BlackBerry. If you don't have a trackball device, download Desktop Manager WITHOUT the Media Bundle.

4.3: Has the same functionality of previous versions, just with a different interface, however, there is no "Hide When Minimized" option. 4.3 will work with both Windows XP and Windows Vista. NOTE: In order to get Roxio Media Manager, you will have to install a version of Desktop Manager 4.2, install it and Roxio, and then upgrade to 4.3. As of press time, there is no 4.3 Desktop Manager download that includes Roxio.

4.2, Service Pack 2: The same as the other 4.2 DM verisons, however, this version is the ONLY VERSION that is proven to be compatible with Windows Vista. You MUST download this version if you have Windows Vista!

4.2/4.2 Service Pack 1: Initially the same thing, however Service Pack 1 includes the USB Modem Drivers. It is recommended to download to by-pass 4.2 and 4.2 SP1 unless you have issues with 4.2 SP2. Works on Windows XP, will NOT WORK on Windows Vista.

4.1: Also known as the original. Works on all Windows based operating systems. Mainly used for devices running the 4.1 or 4.0 Operating Systems. These devices should be able to use DM 4.2, however if you experience problems connecting any 4.0/4.1 Operating System devices to 4.2, then downgrade to 4.1

4.0 and Under: If you are using a BlackBerry with Desktop Manager

4.0 and under, then you need to contact us to upgrade to a newer BlackBerry.

CLICK HERE FOR THE DOWNLOAD LINK FOR DESKTOP MANAGERS

BBG Presents...The iPhroze

So one of our BlackBerry techs here has a personal iPhone that he has been using to see what all the hype is about.

Last night, it froze up on him...Here is the status of the iPhone (AKA: The iPhroze) right now...