New Site and Address

Hi,
Head on over to the new site at http://berryota.com.

See you there!

RV PileUp - From Columbia Pictures for new movie

From Blackberry Cool:

Columbia Pictures is offering a free game playable on Research in Motion’s iconic device as part of the promotion for “RV,” the Robin Williams vehicle pulling into theaters April 28.

The idea for “RV Pile-Up” came out of discussions about Williams’ character, Bob Munro, who obsesses about staying connected to work even while he has persuaded his family to give up their Hawaiian vacation in favor of motoring cross-country. As events unfold, he discovers the greater importance of staying connected with his loved ones.

“We looked at what this movie was about, what the themes in the movie were, at the audience we were targeting and at the available digital devices,” said Dwight Caines, executive VP worldwide digital marketing at Columbia TriStar Marketing Group. “We wanted to carry those concepts through our digital marketing campaign, so we thought of a BlackBerry game — and then we looked at how to make it happen.”

“RV Pile-Up” was developed by Regard Solutions Corp. and requires players to guide their RV through various levels, avoiding obstacles and collecting traffic signs. It is available on RV-PileUp.com or via the movie’s official Web site for BlackBerry 7200 Series, 7500 Series, 7700 Series, 7100 Series and 8700 Series in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese.

Desktop Link
BlackBerry OTA Link

Sudoku Spot - Free

OK. I hate to be on the seemingly Sudoku kick recently, but I came across a very nice little application that really has a nice interface. Sudoku Spot is a free app that can be downloaded over the air, with no real hassles. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a BlackBerry-ready icon in the file, so you get the generic "C-prompt" looking icon.

As for gameplay, it uses either the scroll wheel or the number keys. There are multiple themes and backgrounds built into the program, and you can switch levels from very easy to damn near impossible. The program is very user-customizable for easy changes.

We tested this on an 8700c with little to no problems.

Desktop Link
BlackBerry OTA Link and enter code 3203

eMSN - Free for Blackberry

From BlackBerry Cool:

eMSN is a free MSN client from FunRunGames for your Blackberry, it is simple to use and gives you direct access to the MSN messenger network. FunRunGames is able to offer eMSN for free by showing advertisments in the program. Advertisments are not too annoying especially when you do consider that the program is offered free. Only a small delay is shown each time you open a chat session with a contact on your list. Other features include, ability to directly email clients in eMSN, emoticons, add/remove contacts, and group chats.

Although not as robust or efficient as other commercial offering, it is a good alternative for people who just need to send a message here or there. We don’t recommend eMSN for extensive messaging through MSN because the program runs a bit slow, does not have message notification, and will log you off if you’re not active.

Desktop Link
BlackBerry OTA Link and enter code 703

Sudoku Mobile

BlackBerry OTA Review
So, pencil and paper it ain't, but it is a pretty good alternative. This is one of those examples where it would probably have better gameplay on a cell phone or Treo, since the scrollwheel makes things a tad more difficult. Up, down, left and, uh, oh, right are made slightly more difficult since the wheel can, at last count, only scroll two ways.

To get around this, you simply press the ALT key as you scroll to change direction. Pretty easy.

Now, it is only fair to warn you, I am not a huge Sudoku fan to begin with. I base my trends on planes (the ones in the air, not the ones that make really smooth wood.) First, "The Di Vinci Code" was required reading, then white iPod headphones as you got on a plane, then it was the sudoku books. That's when I figured I better get to know sudoku.

So, we are back at Cellufun's Sodoku, which is just like the original version, sans the many painful pencil injuries. ("Ow, my eye. The doctor said I'm not supposed to get pencils in it!")

One of the nice things is that you can download an infinite stream of new puzzles, which is frankly a feature I will never use, since I have never actually finished one, so to speak. (I do fill in numbers to make people I sit next to on the plane think I'm smart.)

One little note...on my 8700c, there was just a "C:/" icon, rather than the actual Sudoku icon. This seems to be a bug with my BlackBerry, as it has worked on other devices I have tried.

Desktop Link
BlackBerra OTA Link

Texas Hold'em King 2 Free from BlackBerry

UPDATE: Added review.

BlackBerry OTA REVIEW
BlackBerry has released a Texas Hold'em King 2 for free. It is part of the free programs and themes available at mobile.blackberry.com. The program loaded perfectly with one click.

After arriving in Vegas, you head to the casino. You start as single player and go to the Casino Floor and start with $500 cash. There are World Series ring games, but you can't start there until you build your bankroll to 10 Large.

As you can see from the screenshot, you play against some shady characters. (I swear one of those is Chairman Mao himself!) The gameplay is really easy and seemless. There are different stakes tables at which to play. There are 7 different card designs to choose from (including one of your Benz and one of your G4 Jet!)

I am tempted to buy the multiplayer addition to play against some of my BB wielding friends and family. There are also several other casino games from Magmic, including slots and blackjack.

From Blackberry Cool:

Our favorite Blackberry game developer Magmic is now offering their popular Hold'em game for free on mobile.blackberry.com. Texas Hold’em King 2 allows you to compete in ring games just like you were in a real World Series of Poker tournament. The one thing missing in this version is multiplayer mode, so if you want to play realtime against your coworkers you will need to buy the version located on magmic.com

Desktop Link (none)
BlackBerry OTA Link

BBToday

Remember the Today screen on a Pocket PC? This app will override the ribbon on startup of your BB. You can always put it in the background with ESC or exit completely using the menu. Currently it has 5 plugins showing the following info: date/time, email summary, battery/signal info, next appt today, next task due today.

From Blackberry Cool:

Pocket PC users familiar with the Today Screen program would instantly recognize BBToday. BBToday is a program that overrides your home screen and displays some of the more important information. Currently BBToday can list your 5-day forecast, new and total emails, tasks, appointments, plus battery and signal strength all on one screen. The best thing is that the program is completely open source and free.

The program does override your home screen so you will need to press the ESC button to exit to your regular home screen. The BBToday screen is not as pretty as your normal home screen but provides a lot more functionality. It would be nice if there was an option to not have the program over ride the original home screen.

Download Link
BlackBerry OTA Link

Opera Mini Web Browser

From Opera:

Opera Mini™ is a fast and easy alternative to Opera's mobile browser, allowing users to access the Web on mobile phones that would normally be incapable of running a Web browser. This includes the vast majority of today's WAP-enabled phones.

Instead of requiring the phone to process Web pages, it uses a remote server to pre-process the page before sending it to the phone. This makes Opera Mini™ perfect for phones with very low resources, or low bandwidth connections.

Opera Mini™ offers the same speed and usability as the renowned Opera mobile browser, and uses Opera's Small Screen Rendering™ technology to provide access to the Web. It has all the features expected of a browser, and more, such as bookmarks, browsing history, and ability to split large pages into smaller sections for faster browsing.

Desktop Link
BlackBerry OTA Link

JiveSlide - online photo synchronization

This is some cool stuff, here. JiveSlide is a free download that lets you access several of the most popular online photo storage/sharing sites out there, such as Yahoo! Photos and Flickr.

From JiveSlide:

Access your photos from the Internet easily and wirelessly using JiveSlide.

Store your photos on Yahoo Photos or Flickr, link your online albums to your JiveSlide account, and sit back as your photos appear instantly on your BlackBerry handheld. No more cables, file format problems, or wasting valuable handheld memory. Our proprietary JiveSlide server technology automatically resizes, rotates, and adjusts the image for optimum viewing on your model BlackBerry before transmitting it securely right to your screen. It's never been easier to take your pictures with you, wherever you go.

Desktop Link
BlackBerry OTA Link

MINO Wireless - Make cheap international calls from BlackBerry

MINO Wireless is a service not unlike Vonage, but for your BlackBerry. It allows Voice-over-IP (VOIP) calls that initiate from the internet browser of your BlackBerry. You can call over 40 countries for $0.02/minute, and you don't pay your mobile provider for the call.

You simply register at www.minowireless.com from a desktop computer, and then go to getmino.com on your BlackBerry to start using the service. You get some time for free when you register. You can add money to your account with any credit card at either the website or from your handheld directly.

From MINO:

MINO™ has developed new technology to use mobile phone's Internet (data) connection to make international calls. With MINO™ you can call from any phone to any phone worldwide. This service combines the convenience of mobile phones and the lowest rates from any country to any phone worldwide without calling local access numbers, or having to dial PIN numbers. MINO™ offers 2 cents per minute to over 40 countries worldwide!

While this isn't strictly an over-the-air download, you can use it from the BlackBerry Internet Browser.

Desktop Link (must register here first)
BlackBerry OTA Link

MiniSafe for BlackBerry

From Simprit Software:

MiniSafe is a mobile application that provides secure and easy access to your security sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, etc. You are able to access your information wherever you go and yet the security of your information will never be compromised.

Besides strong security features, MiniSafe is designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind. You may use MiniSafe to organize and categorize your information, and access your information with ease with our Advanced filtering feature.

MiniSafe's intuitive user interface is specially designed for BlackBerry handheld. It is optimized for small and portable handheld. You are required to have only 64K of application memory to install the software.

Desktop Link
BlackBerry OTA Link

AOL Launches Mobile Online Browsing Service

From Blackberry Cool:

AOL has announced a new mobile browsing service that reformats websites to appear better on mobile devices including the Blackberry device. This is similar to a service from Google and a handful of independent sites. These types of services have caught some flack with critics because they can strip out advertisements without consent from the publisher.

When searching through AOL.com via a mobile device, the site automatically adapts and returns links that go through the new browsing service.

In related news, AOL and Sprint Nextel furthered their partnership to bring a new mobilized AOL.com portal to Sprint subscribers.

Yahoo! Messenger for Blackberry

If you are a Nextel customer in the US or a Rogers customer in Canada, you can now download Yahoo! Messenger for free.

Since I'm a Cingular customer, no Yahoo for me (I'm a Google guy anyway!) but I understand that it works pretty much like Yahoo! Messenger for your desktop.

If anyone has used it, please drop us a note.

Desktop Link
Blackberry OTA Link

Carbon Fiber Theme - 8700

Here's another BlackBerry theme that is available for free and can be downloaded over-the-air.

You can download either over-the-air or for use with desktop software. Make sure you have the Plazmic Theme Reader Application (OTA) installed before you download. For the 8700 series.

Desktop Link
BlackBerry OTA Link

Brushed Metal Theme

Here's another theme that is available for free and can be downloaded over-the-air.

You can download either over-the-air or for use with desktop software. Make sure you have the Plazmic Theme Reader Application (OTA) installed before you download. For the 8700 series.

Desktop Link
BlackBerry OTA Link

MacBerry Theme

Here is a cool theme that gives your BlackBerry that familiar Apple Mac feel.

You can download either over-the-air or for use with desktop software. Make sure you have the Plazmic Theme Reader Application (OTA) installed before you download.

Desktop Link
BlackBerry OTA Link

New Free Plazmic BlackBerry Theme

There is a new Plazmic theme available for download for free. Simply go to mobile.blackberry.com on your BlackBerry Browser to partake.

The theme is called "Smoothie" and is pretty nice. Since it is more...well...smooth, third party application icons tend to clash. (I'm sure there will be a new reality home design show "BlackBerry Makeover" or something like that who will care.)

Just look at the left and tell me this theme doesn't make you want to say "mmm...soothing." It's nifty!

Blackberry OTA Link

Google Talk for Blackberry

The bar for BlackBerry Instant Messenger programs has been set.
This is on my list of "Must Have" Blackberry apps -- and it is totally free.

Google Talk for Blackberry is a free download that was made in a partnership between Google and Blackberry themselves, and it shows. It is a mobile version of Google's industry-leading Google Talk, and works seamlessly with both your Blackberry and Google Account.

Once installed, you enter your Google Username or GMail address. It then syncs your mobile Google Talk with your GMail account or Google Talk address book. Pretty cool stuff.

You might notice some functionality-similarities between Google Talk for Blackberry and Blackberry Messenger. They both, for example, alert you when you receive a new message. they both, as well, let you stay online constantly.

Once again, Blackberry.com makes you have Internet Explorer 5.0+ to access the download page. Otherwise, you can vist www.blackberry.com/googletalk from your Blackberry Browser for the over-the-air download.

Desktop Link
Blackberry OTA Link

Blackberry Messenger

Blackberry Messenger is a PIN-based instant messenger program that sends a message to other Blackberry users through their PIN number. It is based on the popular instant messenger format, and is very easy to use. It is indeed a great tool, especially if many people you work with have a Blackberry also.

One nice feature is the ability to chat as a closed group, such as a team at work. You can simply create a group list, and chat away.

In testing, the messages go through fairly quickly, and will alert you via a vibration when you receive a new message.

One note: you must have Internet Explorer 5.0+ to visit the website on a desktop. Otherwise, you can download it over-the-air (using Blackberry Browser).

Desktop Link
Blackberry OTA Link

Berry411

There has been a 3.0 update to the old standard, Berry411. The new update adds integration with your address book. I have not yet tried it out.

If you are not familiar with Berry 411, it is a free app that lets you search various types of information, primarily directory info, such as yellow and white pages, Google, Froogle, movie times, or answers.com.

It is great, though I admit I used it more before I started with Google Local for Mobile and Google.com. It is still, however, the third most popular third party application on Rimroad's Popular Application list.

One of the nice features is that you can add various information sources to search, such as movies, baseball information or shopping via Froogle.

Desktop Link
Blackberry OTA Link