You may find your BlackBerry running slowly and often times this can be resolved with a few simple steps. I’ve taken the time to write out these tips that should get your BlackBerry back up to speed. Remember, your BlackBerry is more like a computer than a phone, and it needs similar best practices for memory management and performance.

Clear Out the Event Log

Your BlackBerry tracks absolutely everything it does in order to help with debugging and troubleshooting in what is called an “Event Log.” It helps your BlackBerry run smoother and faster if you periodically clear out this log.

From your Home Screen of icons, press and hold the ALT key and type “LGLG” (Do not press the SHIFT key at the same time) to bring up the Event Log screen as shown. Press the MENU key and select “Clear Log”. Then select “Delete” when it asks you to confirm and finally press the ESCAPE key to get back to your Home Screen.

Close Unused Applications

Want to see what apps you’re running? Hold the menu key or press “alt” + ESC. If you find some apps in this list that you aren’t using, open them and close the app. Remember, an app is still running unless you open the app, press menu and select “close” or “exit”.

Web Browser Running Slowly? Clear out the Cache

You can make a dramatic increase in the speed of your Web Browser by clearing out the cache. Start your browser by clicking on the icon. Inside the Browser, click the MENU key and select “Options”. Select Cache Operations. Click “Clear History,” then click all the “Clear” buttons below. Answer “Yes” when it asked about clearing ‘pushed content.’ When done, press the Escape key a few times to return to the Browser. This will usually speed up your browsing speed significantly.

Automatic Memory Cleaning – Keep It Running Smoothly

One thing that may help keep your BlackBerry running smoothly is to utilize the automatic “Memory Cleaning” feature. Although your BlackBerry has lots of built in memory, all Smartphones are prone to “Memory Leaks” which can cause the device to really slow down, programs to hang or not work properly.

Start your Options icon and click on “Security Options.” Glide down and click on “Memory Cleaning” Change the “Status” to “Enabled.” Once enabled, you will see more options. I recommend leaving the first two as “Yes” and adjusting the Idle Timeout down from 5 minutes to 1 or 2 minutes. Finally, if you want, you can “Show Icon on Home Screen.” Save your changes.

If you selected to show your Icon, you will see it in the Applications folder as shown. When you click the Memory Cleaner icon, you will see the cleaning happen.

Looking for more basic BB tips? Made Simple Learning have some good BlackBerry guides worth checking out.

BlogBabel Tags: BlackBerry Slow? Basic Tips to Make Your BlackBerry Run Faster

If you want to remove that “Say a Command!” voice dialing application from your BlackBerry smartphone there is a easy and simple way to remove the Voice Activated Dialing from your BlackBerry,VAD (Voice Activated Dialing) – usually activated by pressing the default assigned left convenience key. Just follow these steps. OTA Download

BlogBabel Tags: How to remove Voice Activated Dialing from your BlackBerry?

MaxMem for BlackBerry is a free app that allows you to free up to 5MB of memory. MaxMem cleans up your BlackBerry from unused applications, themes, and files that come preinstalled. Enjoy more memory and slightly faster speed. OTA Download

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BlackBerry Master Control Program 0.9.3.0 Beta 4 Now Available

If you’ve ever modified your BlackBerry OS a little as a moderate to advanced user of BlackBerry smartphones you might be familiar with BlackBerry Master Control Program. If not, it’s a great app for your computer that can help get at some of the inner workings of your BlackBerry OS to modify some stuff other apps simply cannot get at.

After having used the app myself for a while now, I’ve got to see it go through some growing stages and this time Darren, has released version 0.9.3.0 Beta 4 to the masses. The change log for BlackBerry Master Control is one that is always extensive, so hit up the site for downloads and more information on it’s release. And remember folks, be careful with this app if you have no idea what it does, probably best left alone.

• Click Here For Downloads And More Info On BlackBerry Master Control Program>>

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google_apps

Recently, I shut down my Rackspace service and switched the company to Google Apps. While some users have complained that BIS email is slow, I’ve noticed a very manageable difference in delivery times for BIS versus BES. Also, whatever features I have lost in terms of contact sync and email delivery, I have definitely made up for in savings. Sure, there are some setbacks with Google Apps in terms of user experience, and I no longer have FANATICAL support, but with savings of $150-$200 per month, I’m happy with my choice. Here is a guide for anyone looking to migrate over to Google Apps.

The first thing you’re going to do is head over to the Google Apps site and register your domain. To do this, go to Google.com/a and it should direct you to the Google Apps for business homepage. Personally, I started my company on the “standard” version, because I want to test it out before upgrading to a Premier account. On the right hand column, you’ll see:

Other Google Apps editions:
Standard
Education
Non-profits
Government

Once you’ve clicked through to the Standard version, click on Get Started. Follow the registration steps, which allows you to buy a domain as well as verify your domain ownership.

To verify domain ownership, I used CNAME Records. You can also upload an HTML file, but since you have to go into your DNS settings and add an MX Record anyways, you may as well add the CNAME while you’re there. When adding a CNAME record, refer to this Google support article:

Creating CNAME records

Once you have verified domain ownership, you’re going to add MX Records. MX Records tell Google to handle all mail transport calls by their server. This is where you get the added benefits of Google’s spam filters, which has changed my life for the better. You’ll need to refer to this support article for questions about configuring your MX records:

Configuring Your MX Records: Other domain hosts

You will want to now configure users on your Google Apps account:

From your control panel/dashboard, click “create new users” and fill in the details. Google will then create a temporary password for these users and they can register themselves with the domain.

For more help, see this Google support page:

Create a new user

I know many companies out there use domain aliases as well, so it could be worthwhile to set these up with your Google Apps account as well.

Here is a useful support article on the subject of domain aliases:

Domain aliases

Now that you have your Google Apps registered, and your mail is getting filtered through Google’s awesome spam filters, you’re going to want to get it on your BlackBerry. This is very simple: just go into your email settings, located in the setup folder.

blackberry_email_settings

Once there, you should find yourself in the “Email Accounts” section. It is the first screen so if you’re not there just go back. From there, click “Add” and go through the steps of adding a Gmail account.

blackberry_email_setup_add_gmail

Repeat this process for as many Gmail accounts as you’d like. I personally have 4, and with OS 5 (possibly older OS versions as well), receiving and replying with the correct addresses is handled very well. I would also recommend making a folder, or hiding the original mail icons as you can rely on the master mail folder to handle everything.

In order to set up your Google Apps account on your desktop, you’re going to want to enable and configure it as an IMAP account because it’s the closest thing to Exchange that you’re going to get at this price (free).

To enable IMAP in Gmail:

1. Sign in to Gmail.
2. Click Settings at the top of any Gmail page.
3. Click Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
4. Select Enable IMAP.

To configure your mail client, simply follow the instructions provided by Google. They have a support page that lists all the major mail clients with instructions on how to setup each one. You can find it here:

Supported IMAP client list

Congratulations! You’re now fully connected with Google Apps. I’ll post some impressions about the user experience soon as it has some setbacks, but more on that later.

Have any questions? Feel free to treat the comment thread like a forum, and hopefully I or someone else will help you out.

BlogBabel Tags: How To Setup Google Apps for Your Company and BlackBerry

Bold-9700-TV

With specs similar to that of a year 2000 era PC, the BlackBerry is an impressive little mobile computer. With screen resolution getting bigger with every year, I’m finding that video is all the more watchable on your device. So for those of you with a long bus, train, or chopper commute, here’s how to convert video for your BlackBerry.

PC users should watch this demonstration on how to use the Roxio Media Manager for Blackberry. The Media Manager is easy to use and works well, if you don’t have it yet, download it here.

Mac users don’t benefit from a supported video conversion suite but not to worry: the process is not that much harder to do. All you have to do is choose a file type you would like to convert to, choose the settings appropriate to your device, then drop the completed file into iTunes and sync using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac.

Choose a file type

BlackBerrys can play a number of video formats. I find that 3GP, MP4 and WMV perform well on the BlackBerry, and can be used on other mobile devices you may want to play back on too.

3GP is a file type made with mobile phones in mind and is based on the MPEG-4 video compression. Choose this file type if you also wish to load the video on to a non-smartphone too.

MP4 is a flexible codec that can perform well on everything from a small iPod or mobile phone, to a 1080p Blu-ray. Choose this file type if you wish to also sync with a video-enabled iPod.

WMV or Windows Media Video is a proprietary video codec developed by Microsoft. Originally designed as a streaming RealVideo competitor, WMV now stands on it’s own as a bona fide codec for Windows Mobile devices, Xbox 360, and Blu-ray. If there are a lot of static images in your video, WMV is perfect for reducing file sizes.

You can also convert to .AVI and .MOV if you like. Make sure you use H.263, H.264, or MPEG 4 settings if you plan to make a .MOV file.

Convert your video

Your videos will look their best if they are converted for your exact BlackBerry screen size, with the most frames per second, and with the highest data rate that your device can handle. Here is a slimmed-down list of the video-enabled BlackBerrys. If you need a detailed chart go to RIM’s detailed video codec device page.

Here are a few free video conversion programs for Mac. With these you can rip DVDs, or convert nearly any video file to a format suitable for BlackBerry.

Redux Encoder
Handbrake
Prism Video Converter

Sync with your BlackBerry

Before loading anything on to your BlackBerry it’s a safe practice to back it up first. Once you have your converted video file, drag it into iTunes and then sync your media to your device using the media tab of the BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac.

BlogBabel Tags: How to Convert Videos for Your BlackBerry Using a Mac or a PC

When using the Internet on your Blackberry, you may from time to time receive a message on your screen asking you if you want to install ActiveX controls on the device. Web developers sometimes create Web pages with ActiveX technology, which essentially allows the webpage to upload information onto your Blackberry so that the media on webpages load more quickly. There is nothing you need to do to use ActiveX other than install it onto your Blackberry when you receive a request.

Instructions

Step 1: Click on the “Internet Explorer” icon on your Blackberry to open the Internet. Internet Explorer is the only Web browser that uses ActiveX controls. Type in the URL of a webpage that uses ActiveX technology into the address bar at the top of the screen and wait for the page to begin loading.

Step 2: Notice a yellow bar that appears at the top of the screen as the page begins to load. Within the yellow bar, the following text appears: “Internet Explorer stopped this site from installing ActiveX control.” Move your cursor over the yellow bar and click the trackball. This will open a menu.

Step 3: Select the first line of the menu that opens by scrolling your cursor to the entry that reads “Install This Add-on for All Users of This Computer.” Click on the trackball. Internet Explorer will now open a “User Account Control” window which includes a “Continue” and a “Cancel” button. Select “Continue” to to install ActiveX on the Blackberry.

Step 4: Load the webpage you are visiting as normal. The ActiveX controls have now been installed and will be used whenever pages using ActiveX content are accessed on your Blackberry. There is nothing else you need to do.

BlogBabel Tags: How to Use ActiveX on a Blackberry

Software For BlackBerry® Curve (TM) 8330 smartphone
BlackBerry Handheld Software v5.0.0.724 (Multilanguage)

Package Version: 5.0.0.724
Consisting of:

• Applications: 5.0.0.438
• Software Platform: 3.5.0.44
• File name: 8330AMEA_PBr5.0.0_rel724_PL3.5.0.44_A5.0.0.438_Boost_Mobile.exe
• File size: 90.38MB

Note: The Software Platform and Applications version numbers can be found under Options-About screen on the handheld.

• Download: OS 5.0.0.438 for the BlackBerry Curve 8330 from Boost Mobile

Please report any feedback/findings in the comments.

REMEMBER: It is recommended that you make a backup before attempting to upgrade your BlackBerry just in case something goes wrong during the upgrade process. *

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Software For BlackBerry® Bold (TM) 9700 smartphone
BlackBerry Handheld Software v5.0.0.726 (Multilanguage)

Package Version: 5.0.0.726
Consisting of:

• Applications: 5.0.0.442
• Software Platform: 5.1.0.121
• MTC Touch
  • File name: 9700M_PBr5.0.0_rel726_PL5.1.0.121_A5.0.0.442_MTC_Touch.exe
  • File size: 130.98MB
• Zain Jordan
  • File name: 9700M_PBr5.0.0_rel726_PL5.1.0 . 121_A5.0.0.442_Zain_Jordan.exe
  • File size: 130.98MB

Note: The Software Platform and Applications version numbers can be found under Options-About screen on the handheld.

• Download:
  • OS 5.0.0.442 for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 from MTC Touch
  • OS 5.0.0.442 for the BlackBerry Bold 9700

Please report any feedback/findings in the comments.

REMEMBER: It is recommended that you make a backup before attempting to upgrade your BlackBerry just in case something goes wrong during the upgrade process. *

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