Hi friends! I have exciting news today – BlackBerry® Media Sync for PC will now be included in BlackBerry® Desktop Software v6.0 (make sure to check out Andrey’s BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0 post). This integration provides a consistent and unified experience between BlackBerry Media Sync and all the other great BlackBerry Desktop Software functionality. BlackBerry Desktop Software is now more lightweight, but packs a bigger punch!

Those of you familiar with BlackBerry Media Sync know that you can benefit from syncing your iTunes® or Windows® Media Player music stored on your computer with your BlackBerry® smartphone. On top of the new music sync options in BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0, users can also sync by selecting individual artists or genres in addition to playlists. There are a bunch of great new options for syncing different types of media. Let’s check them out!

Wi-Fi® music sync – anytime access to your entire desktop music library

This option is available on BlackBerry smartphones running the new BlackBerry® 6, and it’s totally cool. Have you ever sat in an airport lounge and wondered “now why didn’t I sync that song? I’ve got to remember to do this the next time I’m in front of my computer”…But the next time you are in front of your computer, you forget to do this again. If this has happened to you, you’ll appreciate the addition of Wi-Fi® music sync.

With Wi-Fi music sync, you get anytime access to your entire desktop music library even when offline (no Internet connection required). Not only can you view what music is on your BlackBerry smartphone, but you can now also see all your music not yet synced to your device that’s available on your computer (“Home Music”)! This means that you can select items for sync as well as create and edit playlists that will sync back with your computer next time you connect. Simply add music to the “Wi-Fi Music Sync” queue, and items in the queue will automatically get downloaded to your BlackBerry smartphone on the next Home Wi-Fi (or USB) connection to Media Sync.

I’ve been really having fun with this feature. For example, while sitting on the train last week, I decided to create a party playlist. I added a mix of music – some from my device as well as some from my home computer. The minute I got back home and walked through the door within my home Wi-Fi connection, my Party Mix automatically synced from my computer to my BlackBerry smartphone. I promptly hit play and enjoyed my new mix.

How is this possible? It’s simple – periodically, the metadata (album name, artist name & genre info) for your entire Home music library gets synced with the BlackBerry smartphone. These songs and playlists from your computer are then integrated in the Music application on your device. The songs not present on your BlackBerry smartphone can easily be identified as they appear dimmed (or ghosted) compared to the rest of your music. Within the Music application on your smartphone, your Wi-Fi Music Sync list displays the status of your songs and playlists, such as pending or downloaded, as well as the status of your connection with the BlackBerry Desktop Software.

It is easy to enable the Wi-Fi music sync feature. Simply click on Wi-Fi music sync from the Tools menu or Enable Wi-Fi music sync from Device Options -> Media. It is important to note though that this feature works only on the same Wi-Fi network as your computer running BlackBerry Desktop Software.

2-Way Video Sync

Similar to the addition of 2-way photo sync with the previous release, you can now sync your videos back and forth between your computer and your BlackBerry smartphone. Here’s how it works:

• Computer to BlackBerry smartphone – Transfer videos saved on your computer to your BlackBerry smartphone. Videos are optimized for playback on your device, allowing for storage of more videos on your BlackBerry smartphone without sacrificing quality and better viewing experience based on screen and file size.
• BlackBerry smartphone to computer – Transfer videos taken with and saved on your BlackBerry smartphone to your computer. This is a great way to back up your device videos for safe keeping and/or editing.

Users can also continue to enjoy 2-Way Photos Sync. Here’s how that works:

• Computer to BlackBerry smartphone – You can transfer photo albums that you have edited, organized, and saved on your computer to your BlackBerry smartphone. You can store a lot of pictures on your BlackBerry smartphone, as Smart Memory Management is designed to optimize your photos by reducing them to up to ~2% of the original size.
• BlackBerry smartphone to computer – Import photos taken with and saved onto your BlackBerry smartphone to your computer. This is also a great way to backup your photos for safekeeping or editing with your favorite photo management software.

I still love this feature, as I take a lot of photos with my BlackBerry smartphone and it’s great to know that I can sync these back with my computer quickly and easily. I also love taking photos that I have edited on my computer and syncing them to my BlackBerry smartphone to use as my device wallpaper.

BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0 is available starting today, so existing BlackBerry Desktop Software users should start auto-update notifications later today. The rest of you can visit www.blackberry.com/desktopsoftware. Don’t forget to also check out www.blackberry.com/mediasync as well for specific BlackBerry Media Sync information.

Like many people, I really enjoy listening to podcasts during my downtime, and I’ve often used my BlackBerry® smartphone to listen or view them. So I’m pleased to be able to tell everyone that BlackBerry® Podcasts is now available!

BlackBerry Podcasts gives users access to video and audio content, plus it makes the downloading process incredibly simple. One of my favorite things about this app is that it is completely mobile. I can search the catalog and grab the podcasts I want with just one click – no PC required.

Access a growing catalog of free audio and video feeds

The catalog has some great feeds and is growing every day. Get podcast favorites like The Onion or feeds from your favorite networks and shows.

It’s easy to find what you’re looking for

Go to ‘Explore Podcasts’ and scroll through the feature carousel to view top downloads, search via categories like news, arts, business, TV & film and more. You can even conduct a key word search if there’s something specific you want to find. What’s great about this feature is that as you browse the BlackBerry Podcasts catalog, your device will highlight which ones you already subscribe to. Once subscribed, podcasts are delivered automatically along with a notification to your BlackBerry smartphone so you can access them effortlessly.

Other reasons to love this new app

Apart from access to entertainment and the mobilized experience that allows me to enjoy nearly “anywhere, anytime” access (like the time I was stuck waiting over an hour and a half for an oil change – thank you, podcasts, for keeping me entertained!), there are a lot of reasons to love this service:

• Download episodes to be enjoyed offline or during downtime: Your favorite episodes are downloaded to your media card, you do not need to be within coverage to view your feeds
• Leverages push technology: You can benefit from push notification, and of course, it’s more battery-friendly
• Access BlackBerry “how to” videos: You can learn how to use your device directly from your device, covering a variety of common questions like how to use BlackBerry® Media Sync, how to manage Bluetooth® or how to mobile browse
• Opt to get the BlackBerry Connection®newsletter as a video podcast: Catch up on what’s new and popular with BlackBerry smartphones!

Control your download preferences

BlackBerry Podcasts was conceived with users in mind. In designing this service, it was important to consider that not all users have unlimited data packages and that the size of media cards vary. Therefore, the following download preferences are included in the ‘Options’ pull down menu:

• Choose delivery over WiFi or OTA or both – Manage your data charges by selecting download preference. Opt to download via WiFi only (the default), or WiFi and mobile network.
• Choose the number of episodes to retain – Manage your storage by choosing whether you only want to keep non-played episodes, the last 1-5 or 10 episodes, or choose to keep them all.
• Choose what and when to download – Choose to download either the most recent or all available episodes, or choose only to download episodes when you are charging your device.

BlackBerry Podcasts is available in US and Canada on BlackBerry App World™ and comes preloaded on all devices running BlackBerry 6. It is supported on the BlackBerry® Bold™ and BlackBerry® Storm™ series of smartphone devices; a microSD card is required for use with the BlackBerry® Pearl™, BlackBerry® Curve™ and BlackBerry® Tour™ series of smartphone devices. There’s more information available at www.blackberry.com/podcasts.

Give it a try and let us know what your favorite podcasts are!



Earlier this week we released BlackBerry® Desktop Software v6.0 for PC! Several new features have been added with this release, such as BlackBerry® Media Sync and support for Microsoft® Outlook® 2010
With this new version now available for download, I’m here to walk you through the installation and initial configuration.

The first thing we’ll want to do when installing any software is to ensure that the computer we plan on using meets the minimum requirements of BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0. To identify these requirements, we will need to reference the BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0 release notes. After reviewing the release notes and confirming your system meets the minimum requirements, proceed to download BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0 for PC users by visiting http://www.blackberry.com/desktopsoftware.

Here’s an overview of the steps you will need to take:

1. Double click on the downloaded file to start the installation.

2. The installation wizard will now appear. Click Next to start the installation of BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0.

3. You will then see a prompt to specify the installation folder. Let’s use the default, which is C:\Program Files\Research in Motion\BlackBerry Desktop – then click Next.

4. The next screen that appears is a prompt asking us if we want to add an icon to the Windows® desktop for BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0. Let’s keep the default option again, which is to create this icon, and select Next to start the installation process. At this point, the installation will start as illustrated below.

5. Once the installation process has completed, a screen will appear asking us if we want to start BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0 after we close the installation wizard. Let’s keep the default again, and click Finish to complete the installation and launch BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0. At this point, you may receive a prompt to restart your computer; if prompted, select Yes.

6. BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0 is now installed and ready for use! If you had to restart during step 5, launch BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0 by clicking the icon that was placed on your Windows desktop during installation.

At this point, all that’s left is do is connect your BlackBerry® smartphone to your PC. So grab your trusty USB cable and let’s get started!

Since this is a new installation of BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0 – and thus the first time a BlackBerry smartphone is connected with this new installation – the “Add a New BlackBerry Device” wizard will appear automatically as illustrated in the screenshot below.

To use the wizard, simply click on Get started with this device to configure your BlackBerry smartphone and the following screen will appear. (If you just bought a new device and you want to copy all the data and settings from your old one, you’ll have the option to do so here. If you do not have access to a BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, select Don’t add the account at this dialog.)

The last screen in the Add a New BlackBerry Device wizard will prompt you to configure the various settings offered by BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0. Specify your desired options and click Finish to complete the “Add a New BlackBerry Device” wizard.

Congratulations! We have successfully installed BlackBerry Desktop Software 6.0 and configured our BlackBerry smartphone for use with it!

You can review the BlackBerry Desktop Software 6.0 User Guide to learn more about the included features and capabilities. This document will help you learn more about configuring organizer and media synchronization options.

Please let me know if you have any questions or feedback regarding your installation experience with BlackBerry Desktop Software v6.0 by leaving a comment on this post! Also, be sure to follow @BlackBerryHelp on Twitter for all your pressing inquiries.

(Source: blogs.blackberry.com)



Security is probably the best reason to choose a BlackBerry handset nowadays. Even more so now, that RIM announced their new BlackBerry Protect feature. Allowing remote access to your lost or stolen BlackBerry, BlackBerry Protect gives you all the functionality you might need to act adequately on such unfortunate occasions.

With BlackBerry protect you can remotely wipe and lock your lost Berry, but it doesn’t end there. You can also wirelessly backup your data and later restore it to another handset in case the first one is never recovered. Contacts, Calendar; Memos and Tasks; Browser Bookmarks and Text Messages can all be protected this way.

Locating your device is the next option that BlackBerry Protect gives you. Even if your device doesn’t have a built-in GPS receiver, it can use the cell tower ID to report its whereabouts.

Next, thanks to BlackBerry Protect, you will be able to send contact info to the homescreen of a previously locked BlackBerry so it can be easily returned if found.

Finally, BlackBerry Protect adds a feature that would help you locate your phone within your own home if you happen to have misplaced it. Activating a loud ringer for one minute it would help your search greatly. Of course you could argue that calling your mobile from your home phone is just as effective but if you have it on silent, BlackBerry Protect is your only option.

BlackBerry Protect is still in the early stages of its development, but it will be available in a limited beta release later this week, before it eventually reaches the open public later this year. If you want to be among the first to have it, you should sign up for a BlackkBerry Beta Zone account and hope that you will be one of lucky members to receive an early invitation.

BlackBerry latest touch mobile OS version 6.0 was made official a couple of months back and while we haven’t seen a real product out on the market running it, here comes a second demo video of the new UI. It surely looks nice, but whether it’s something to look up to, it would largely depend on the hardware they slap it on.

There’s still no detailed changelog, but what’s known so far is that the new version should deliver a new homescreen, pop-up context menus, fluid graphical transitions, a new WebKit-based HTML5-capable web browser, re-skinned media interface, multi-touch support (pinch-zooming) and all-in-all better thumbability. Universal search feature and heavy social networking integration to messaging are also available as seen from the following new video:

The new BlackBerry 6 OS should be out some time in Q3 this year and some older devices will be capable of upgrade. Still there is no info on the supported devices. Come on, RIM, spill the beans already.

Wondershare BlackBerry Video Converter is the easy-to-use Video to BlackBerry Converter. It can convert any video formats to BlackBerry supported video formats with flexible settings and high conversion speed.

Supports all BlackBerry model

This Blackberry Storm Video Converter and Blackberry Bold Video Converter completely supports the latest BlackBerry Strom 2, BlackBerry Bold 9700, Blackberry Storm 9530, BlackBerry Storm 9500, BlackBerry Tour 9630, BlackBerry 8800, 8830, 8820, BlackBerry Pearl 8100, BlackBerry Curve 8300 and more other Blackberry serials.

With this Blackberry Video Converter, you can convert multiple video files at a time, trim your video files to capture your favorite video clips, crop movie video, and set movie effects and so on. Enjoy putting your videos on BlackBerry to the fullest with Wondershare BlackBerry Video Converter.

Key Features:
Support all serials of BlackBerry

Convert various video formats to BlackBerry video formats including AVI, 3GP, H.264, H.263, MP4 and WMV for BlackBerry Strom 2, BlackBerry Bold 9700, BlackBerry Tour 9630, Blackberry Storm 9530, 9500,BlackBerry Bold 9000, BlackBerry 8800, 8830, 8820, BlackBerry Curve 8300, BlackBerry Pearl 8100 and all other BlackBerry serials.

Fast video and audio converter for BlackBerry

Quickly convert all popular videos and audios for enjoying on your BlackBerry

Convert Video to BlackBerry video formats
Convert video to BlackBerry Video format including MOV, WMV, MP4, 3GP, RM, MPEG, MPG, FLV and ASF.

Extract audio to BlackBerry audio
Extract and convert audios from video files to MP3, WMA and AAC for Blackberry.

Batch conversion
Let you convert multiple files at a time.
Support Dual-core and Multi-core processors.

Great editing tools to make tailor-made videos

To cut, crop, adjust your video, add a watermark and plug-in subtitle to create your ideal video

Trim Movie and Crop Video
Allow you to trim your video files to capture your favorite clips and easily to crop video to create your ideal video with different screen size.

Add watermark
Mark your movies by adding picture or text watermark and adjusting its position, transparence and size.

Add subtitle
Allow you to plug-in subtitle file (.srt, .ssa and .ass) to any video.

Capture Pictures
Capture any pictures from your video files and save them on your computer as jpeg and bmp format.

Preview and compare
Two real time preview windows let you compare and get the best video effects out of your video.

Easy operation and free technical support

Easy to use
Convert video to BlackBerry with only a few clicks.

Free technical support
On-line 7X24 hours e-mail technical support.

Free upgrade
A life time free upgrade after you buy the product.

Auto-check for update ensures you own all the latest functions and better iPod video conversion experience.

Specifications

All the formats, devices and codec supported:

Input File Format Support

Audio
WAV
APE
FLAC
M4A

WMA
AAC
AC3
MKA

OGG
AIFF
RA, RAM
MP3, MP2, MPA

Video
AVI
MP4
DAT
MPG, MPEG

NUT
H.264
NSV
VOB

MOV
FLV
MKV
TS, M2TS, TP, TRP

DV
RM, RMVB
WMV, ASF
3GP, 3G2

Output File Format Support

Audio
MP3
M4A
AAC
WMA

Video
MP4
3GP
AVI
WMV

Image
BMP
GIF
JPEG
PNG

Output Device Support

BlackBerry
BlackBerry Storm
BlackBerry

Bold
BlackBerry Curve
BlackBerry Tour, Pearl and all other BlackBerry serials

System Requirement:

Supported OS
Windows NT4/2000/2003/XP/Vista and Windows 7

Processor
>750MHz Intel or AMD CPU

Free hard disk space
100 MB or more

RAM
256 MB or above

Tungle has been in beta for a while now but today, has finally released. The free scheduling application is now available for download direct from the Tungle website. Having used the application before, I can say it’s great for sharing calendar information between users. The full list of features below:

* Schedule meetings -Propose times, overlay calendars of sharing contacts, send invites, check pending meetings – everything you need to make meetings happen.
* Share calendars – Send sharing requests, choose between free/busy or details, see schedules of people you share with – it’s the world’s first mobile exchange server.
* Reply to invites – Receive and reply to invitations from other Tungle users or through your Tungle.me link.

While many other options exist, Tungle makes it rather easy to organize and schedule meetings. All of which is wrapped up in a nice, functional UI. We’ll be putting Tungle to a full on test at WES this year, in the meantime grab your free copy from their website tungle.com.