TuneIn Radio is a handy music application for Blackberry that lets you tune into various internet radio stations over GPRS/HSDPA or WiFi. In the present day, using this app, you can listen to over 50,000 radio stations from across the world, including your local FM/AM stations and programs and podcasts. Blackberry TuneIn Radio application can be downloaded free of cost from Blackberry App World.

The Application Features

Downloading and installing TuneIn Radio Blackberry app is a pretty straightforward process. Once you set it all up, you’ll be taken to the home screen, which is quite well laid out and easy to navigate around.

You can search the stations you wish to listen to from the search box at the top (for example, search for Los Angles, pin code). Alternatively, you can rely on Blackberry’s GPS to find the stations near your locale even though it is found to be not so reliable an option few times. Under the ‘Local Radio’ option, you could find the local radio stations. On the other hand, if you are away from your ‘home’ stations at any given moment, you can use the ‘search by location’ feature wherein you narrow your search down from continent, country, state etc. before arriving at the radio station of your choice.

Further, you can narrow down a search based on music genre, talk radio, sports, and even by “Podcasts.” In TuneIn Radio, it is even possible to screen radio stations based on language. Regarding performance of TuneIn Radio app for Blackberry, there is nothing to be alarmed about. The sound quality is pretty good provided you remain in cell range. Another notable aspect of the app is that it is ad-free. It comes as a welcome change for those who are tired of such ads in apps such as Pandora.

On the downside, the TuneIn Radio app is a bit power hungry. Playing for long durations drains your Blackberry battery fast. Also, there are minor issues with title updates of songs. As it is seen, the application takes a while to update the title/artist when a new song starts playing.

Conclusion

Radio buffs will certainly love TuneIn Radio. Not only it provides multiple options and access to tons of internet radio stations from across the globe, but also offers a good listening experience all the time. True, the app drains your battery quickly; but then who uses their Blackberry’s as a substitute for their music devices. It should not hurt occasional listeners. And finally, the TuneIn Radio app for Blackberry is free. Isn’t it just the right combination you expect from a radio application?

Technically, tethering lets you access internet on your laptop or PC, wherever there is cellular coverage, through your smartphone. Tether app for Blackberry lets you do that in the context of your Blackberry. As long as you have subscribed to data service on your Blackberry device, you can make use of this app’s features to access internet on your laptop, no matter whether you are waiting at the airport without a WiFi, or waiting for your kids in your car while they get out of the school, or simply relaxing at a coffee shop, with your laptop for company. Blackberry Tether app comes with a hefty price tag of $49.99 USD.

The App

The installation process must be over within couple of minutes. Note that you also need to install a relevant software version of Tether in the PC/laptop you wish to tether with. Tether software creates a virtual network card during the process, and don’t get alarmed if you a find a new one in your PC!

Once installation is complete, simply activate Tether app for Blackberry, and the software in your PC or laptop, choose the mode of communication (whether USB or Bluetooth), and you are ready to go. You can set the Blackberry Tether application to run in the background so that you can use the Blackberry for messaging or making calls even when the device is tethering with your laptop/PC behind scene.

Another big advantage of Tether app for Blackberry is that it provides the same data speeds offered by the air card from your cellular data provider. And you can make full advantage of the app if you have an unlimited data plan. Those with limited data plans can check their data usage in the Tether software in the PC. On the downside, you can only tether your Blackberry with one PC/laptop at a time.

Final Thoughts

If you hate not having internet in your laptop while on the move, or often get frustrated about the price of various internet plans, perhaps Tether app for Blackberry could offer you a one-stop solution for your woes. It provides decent data speeds at just about anywhere you go. Even though it is priced a bit high, in combination with an unlimited data plan, it should significantly solve your connectivity problems while on the move. Verdict: A handy utility app that guarantees internet connection wherever you go with your Blackberry.

PatternLock Lite app is tailor made for the touch screen Blackberry. With the app, you first define your locking pattern, and in order to unlock the screen or any application next time, you got to trace your finger in the pattern you drew before. A wrong pattern will not unlock the device. The full version of PatternLock Lite application for Blackberry comes with a price tag of $2.99.

The Application

The lock screen of Blackberry PatternLock Lite app comprises of a 3×3 grid, on which you are supposed to draw the pattern. As you drag your finger on the screen, the app will highlight the path you are taking. Once you done with the dragging, and lift your finger, the screen will unlock if the pattern you’ve drawn is correct, while an incorrect pattern will change the color of the pattern path. If you’ve gone wrong with the pattern, the app may or may not request you to repeat the procedure depending upon the settings.

Through the Blackberry app’s options and settings, you can change the theme, background images, the icons to represent the various dots, or even the color of dots and the way they visually respond to touch. That is, you can set colors to represent the path you trace, correct/incorrect dots, rings, dock trays etc. Another feature of the app is that you can set the app to lock/unlock other apps. The apps are classified into three categories: currently running apps, built-in apps, third party apps. There is also an option wherein you can customize the ‘lock message’ that is displayed when you/someone gets the lock pattern wrong. Also, you can either opt to activate the lock manually or set it to auto-lock after a fixed time interval.

Another noteworthy feature of PatternLock Lite app for Blackberry is its location based lock feature. That is, you can set the app to lock your Blackberry when you’re in the office, and leave it open for anyone to use at home. It is also worth mentioning that the app is compatible with Bellshare’s BerryWeather application.

Conclusion

PatternLock Lite app for Blackberry is all about drawing certain patterns to unlock your touch screen Blackberry screen/app. But in order to preempt anyone from cracking the pattern by trial and error, you can set the maximum number of tries and the time duration of lockout period before they can try again. For the complete set of features, go for PatternLock Lite’s full version that comes with a price tag of $2.99.

Judging the veracity of BlackBerry applications, especially ones that are paid, is difficult to do. Even people with experience reviewing hundreds of different applications don’t know all of the options and that means that there is always going to be some element of uncertainty in the relative rating systems. That is why the most honest reviews are about the absolute value of any given application and Nogago Outdoor GPS app for BlackBerry definitely scores high on that list.

Offline navigation

One of the most valuable features that you will find on Nogago Outdoor GPS BlackBerry app is the ability for offline navigation to work into the system. You can download maps for just about any place on the planet you could visit from their site and then use those maps to help yourself navigate around the area without having to rely on your data or your internet connection to do so. This may not seem like such a big deal now when you have ample network coverage, but when you are in some of the more remote areas of the world, network coverage is hard to come by and that means that you are going to end up paying a lot of money in order to get what you want because of data roaming fees. Nogago Outdoor GPS app for BlackBerry allows you to go around that problem and still get the benefits of GPS in the process.

Focused on people

Another important aspect of BlackBerry Nogago Outdoor GPS app is the fact that it is focused on people. It is an online app that will give you the chance to track, collect waypoints and create paths based on your movement, but it is also an online app that will allow you to do these things accurately without borrowing from the car-based GPS modelling that is intended for a wholly different purpose. Many free apps simply rip off car codes and this is not good for the average hiker or tracker. You don’t have to worry about these things with Nogago Outdoor GPS BlackBerry application.

Final Score

Nogago Outdoor GPS app for BlackBerry is reliable, fast, accurate and safe to use. The final price tag of $7.99 that is applied to this app might cause some people to pause a bit, but the fact of the matter is that Nogago Outdoor GPS BlackBerry app will give you the chance to really appreciate everything that GPS has to offer. Our final score for this paid BlackBerry application is 10 out of 10.

If there is one problem out there that everyone with a smart phone has to face on a regular basis, it would have to be the problem of duplicate contacts. No matter how much you try to keep on top of things, a person using their phone for everything from e-mail to IM conversations is a person that will have duplicate contacts. Contact Cleaner app for BlackBerry is a paid app that claims to be able to help you merge those contacts on a regular basis.

Resolve duplicates

Although there have been some claims made that Contact Cleaner BlackBerry app does not address contacts that have been synced wirelessly, it seems to be a hit-or-miss proposition. Some users have claimed to be able to do this while others have not. With all of your other contacts however, it appears as though this app is beyond reproach. It will show you the criteria upon which the duplicate identification has been made and then based on that criteria you can go ahead and resolve duplicates by merging them together.

Logical cleaning progression

Contact Cleaner app for BlackBerry has a very logical cleaning progression that you can use to get everything that you want out of this particular mobile application. You can get it to look through your entire database of contacts and once it does that you can get it to find duplicates and then query you as to whether or not those duplicates should be merged. You can even configure which attributes are used to perform the search so that you make absolutely sure that the contacts you are deleting are in fact duplicate contacts that should be merged with each other.

Final Score

Contact Cleaner app for BlackBerry costs $1.99, but in return for the money that you pay you will definitely get a lot of enhanced functionality from your BlackBerry smart phone device. You will be able to quickly and efficiently merge your duplicate records together and that is something that in the final calculation will really help you maintain a reasonable level of completion and neatness when it comes to your BlackBerry device. There may or may not be other apps out there that can do a better job with wireless syncing that cost more, but dollar-for-dollar this is probably one of the best apps out there for the BlackBerry given its specific purpose. Our final score for BlackBerry Contact Cleaner app is 8 out of 10.

If you are a globe hopper, perhaps this app will be just a handy addition to your collection of Blackberry apps. World Clock helps you to be on time in 1500 different cities worldwide. Further, the app lets you convert any time/date between different locations across the globe. The World Clock application can be downloaded from Blackberry App World for a price tag of $1.99 per license.

The Application

World Clock app for Blackberry ensures that you’re never left behind in time, on any place on earth. Through its very user friendly interface, you can set your current time zone with a single click. Further, the application adds the ‘daylight savings time’ automatically to concerned time zones. You can opt to view the clock in a beautiful analog clock form or in the digital format, with location and date. The app has eye catchy graphics backed by intelligent design. For example, the clock face changes from light to dark as per the time of the day (i.e. from AM to PM).

Further, Blackberry World Clock application lets you search specific locations, add a location if it is not available by default (simply type in the new location and its time zone), and configure your current time zones with a single click. There is no need to remember the time zones or change it manually. The app does it all by itself. Further, World Clock has an inbuilt time converter feature that lets you convert any time/date between any numbers of locations.

The app also comes with a meeting planner, wherein you can plan meetings that is supposed to be attended by people from different time zones, and have the prepared schedule added to your Blackberry calendar with a single click. Since the app takes care of various time zones, you can make sure that you don’t wake someone up in the wrong time for the meeting.

Finally, you can add up to six locations – the ones you deal with often – on the main screen. The user interface is well laid out and quite easy to navigate. Performance wise, the app is robust and responsive for most parts. The app also supports multiple themes.

Conclusion

World Clock Blackberry app literally brings the time zones of over 1500 cities into your palm. If you are a traveling executive, this is one app that you just can’t afford not to have into your Blackberry.

If you are a fan of visual indicators, probably you’ll like BeBuzz app for Blackberry. Blackberry usually flashes under two conditions: you’ll see a red flashing LED, if there is a new message/alert and a pale green LED flash if the device is low on battery. With BeBuzz app, you can customize LED colors so that you can have a different color flashing for different events, thereby giving you sufficient hint as to what is incoming, without having to turn on the screen. Blackberry BeBuzz app comes at a price tag of $5.99 USD.

The Application

BeBuzz app for Blackberry let you customize LED colors, and you can have unlimited number of custom LED colors. This can be for SMS, tasks, email messages, Blackberry messenger and other third party chat applications such as AOL, Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger, or even messages from specific contacts in the address book. Further, you can set the LED flashes to be single color flash or a series of flashes.

Further, BeBuzz Blackberry application lets you set continuous audio reminders for incoming messages and notifications, which goes on until you check the said message/notification. This feature is especially useful if you are often away from your Blackberry. Other features that BeBuzz brings to the table include on-screen reminders and the feature wherein the phone vibrate and ring simultaneously, rather than alternating. The BeBuzz application has been optimized for minimal battery consumption and memory usage. So even if the application runs in the background all the time, you won’t feel it while using your Blackberry.

Finally, the user interface is quite user friendly, and easy to navigate. Setting up the LED color(s) for various events is also pretty straightforward a process that even a first timer won’t find it difficult. Download and installation is easy, even though a battery pull may be necessary post installation.

Conclusion

BeBuzz app for Blackberry lets you customize LED colors to indicate different events, such as an incoming message/email, contacts in the address book, tasks or even a calendar event, in your Blackberry so that you’ll know what is happening even without looking at the screen. From usability perspective, the app is easy to use, reliable, and quite soft on battery. But its price tag of USD 5.99 seems a bit high. Verdict: Useful addition to your repository of Blackberry apps, the only downside being its higher price tag.

MiniPaint is an imaging editing app for Blackberry. Similar to Windows Paint, the app is suitable to make non-professional image editing that does not require any high end image editing software. Using the app, you can crop/resize photos, add filters, or add text/clipart to the images. Blackberry MiniPaint app comes at a price tag of $1.99, and it is compatible with OS 4.5 or higher (OS 4.7 or higher for touch screen BB).

The Application

MiniPaint Blackberry app comes as a handy photo editing tool for your smartphone. In order to open a photo/image in MiniPaint, simply select an image from the photo gallery, press the Blackberry button and choose ‘open with MiniPaint’. The image opens in the MiniPaint window, and like in Windows Paint, you can edit, crop, rotate, or add effects to the image before saving it or sharing it via SNS such as Twitter (Facebook is not supported by the app at the moment). Since the MiniPaint application presents a copy of the image to you for editing, the originals saved in your Blackberry folder won’t get damaged anytime unless you save the edited file back to the same location, with the same file name.

Navigating through the MiniPaint application interface is a breeze. As you move the mouse over every button, a hover-over text shows the function/name of the said button. Further, every bit of photo editing done by you must be confirmed by ‘Apply’ before the change made ultimately takes effect. So if you did not like any particular effect that you’ve tried, you can just go back and try it again differently.

Further, when you try out filters, the app divides the image into half so that you can see how the image would look like with the filter applied. Keep in mind that applying filters to bigger images will take time as it will take time to load. Hence the app recommends smaller images for optimal results.

Finally, MiniPaint is compatible with PNJ and JPG files.

Final Thoughts

MiniPaint app for Blackberry comes with all bells and whistles that you might need to touch up a photo in your Blackberry before sharing it with others. The app provides reasonable performance with smaller file sizes, even though it lags a bit while attempting to edit bigger sized photos. Lack of support for Facebook is a big drawback of note. Otherwise, there are not many photo edit apps in BB that comes with as much features as MiniPaint does. Verdict: If you love touching up your images you took with your Blackberry before sharing it/saving it, MiniPaint app is the one for you.

It is important that your personal information remain secure in your Blackberry device. However, the security measures that comes with Blackberry follows an ’all or nothing’ approach. That is, either you block access to your Blackberry entirely, or let it open to the whole world to see. iLock 2.1 app attempts to tread the middle path by bringing in the concept of personalized security, wherein you can set to block access to select folders/files/module/application in your Blackberry, rather than blanket-blocking everything in your handset. iLock 2.1 app comes with a price tag of $0.99 per license.

The Application

After downloading and installing iLock 2.1 Blackberry app, the user is required to create and verify new password. Once you get to the main menu, you’ll find three different lists to choose from: Third Party, Core, and Own. Third Party covers all the applications that you’ve downloaded into your Blackberry. The list refreshes itself every time you open iLock 2.1. All the core functions are found in Core, under lock and key, while you can add your own items to lock from the system, SD card or store.

Setting an item to block is a cake walk. That is, items can be checked to mark secured, while clicking on them again will undo the block. You can even set to block your SIM card using this application. Manually added items can be wiped from the list, even though the same is not possible for items found under Core and Third Party. If someone attempts to open a secured item, the handset will vibrate, alerting them (also you if you’re nearby) of an incorrect password entry. Other notable features of iLock 2.1 Blackberry application include search feature, auto lock, and the option to add shortcuts. As it has been observed, iLock 2.1 is responsive, loads faster, easy to navigate, and quite handy to use.

Conclusion

iLock 2.1 app for Blackberry adds a new dimension to personal security altogether, by letting users selectively block access to certain folders/files/applications of their choice, in their Blackberries. Since you password protect each of the items you wish to protect in your Blackberry, third party access is next to impossible. The app runs silently on the background all the time, but it won’t drain the battery or take up additional memory either. Verdict: iLock 2.1 Blackberry app is a must have app to have in your Blackberry if you wish to impose selective accessibility to your files/folders.

Imagine about a power failure in your house during a thunderstorm, or a situation wherein your car had skidded off the road, and you desperately need a light/flashlight to signal for help. If you own a Blackberry, the One Touch Flashlight application could come to your rescue during such exigencies. The One Touch Flashlight app activates your Blackberry handset’s video light (and not the dim screen light) to provide you with bright light when and where you need it. Blackberry One Touch Flashlight application can be downloaded from the Blackberry App World for a modest USD 0.99 per license.

Features of the Application

One Touch Flashlight app for Blackberry provides bright light out of your smart phone, and this could be one of the reasons why the app finds a place amongst the top five Blackberry apps downloaded by users worldwide. Once activated, the video light will remain turned ON until you switch it off manually. Unlike other torch apps, this one does not come with a time out feature, wherein the light gets turns off after a fixed time interval since it was turned on. In a way, it is a quite handy feature of One Touch Flashlight since no longer you need to worry about the light going off, while you’re still in the dark. Another advantage of the app is that the light comes in a single color, and not in fancy multitude of colors.

The One Touch Flashlight app lets you switch on/off the Blackberry video light by a single tap on the icon. Also, using this app, the flash light can be turned on with a convenience key.
One Touch Flashlight app works in such a way that the power consumption will be minimal. The app switches on the video light without activating the camera, while the LCD screen dims automatically so as to save power, as the display screen in full flourish could eat up the battery significantly.

Final Words

When trying to find your way in the dark, One Touch Flashlight app for Blackberry will certainly lead the way. Unlike other torch applications, here, the light won’t get turned off unless you turn it off yourself. Given its power optimized operation, the app won’t drain the Blackberry’s battery in a big way either. Even though the One Touch Flashlight app comes with a price tag of USD 0.99, given its utility quotient, it is worth the money spent. Verdict: A very handy flashlight app to have in your Blackberry.