Back in May I posted about an impending change from the TSA to allow some laptops to be screened without having to remove them from their bags, like the rest of the modern world does it.  Well, today’s the day. 

The TSA even offers some “helpful” comments about the new policy, including this gem:

Given TSA’s use of random screening protocols, TSA reserves the right to re-screen any bag or laptop regardless of the design of the bag.

If you’re shopping for a new bag anytime soon I’d definitely consider a model that meets these specifications, but I still haven’t seen one that is actually nice and meets the requirements. 

Hold on to your hats folks, Nokia are at it again. Now, apparently, after several generations of happy functionality Nokia have decided that Blackberry is the Root of All Evil. More after the break.  Read More…

Boingo has a great wireless network for Wi-Fi access around the world.  If you’re on the road they seem to be a pretty good alternative to paying on a site-by-site basis, and it is even a decent price often just for a daily.  Well, it seems that they are pretty keen on getting more subscribers on their monthly plan rather than holding out for the daily subscribers, so they’ve cut their subscription pricing drastically, from $21.95/month to $9.95 for folks joining up now.

The key is to use promo code UNL01090USD0 when you are signing up.

Originally noted here.  Thanks!

UPDATE: Three caveats about this offer.  First is that it expires July 31st. Second is that the “unlimited monthly usage” is actually 3,000 minutes/month.  So don’t leave it logged on overnight at the hotel and you should be fine.  Third is that it is only good in North America; global roaming will cost you per minute.

Blackberry owners, pay attention! If you want to make your device look a little more exciting, then check out the free themes over at Blackberrythemes.co.uk.

These premium themes used to be available for purchase only, but because of an upcoming new release of the theme maker software, he’s giving away all his theme packages for free! There are some pretty decent looking themes available, but you’ll need an 88XX or 83XX Blackberry to install them. Once downloaded, unzip the theme, then simply point your desktop manager to the directory where you unzipped the files.

You’ll then be able to select the theme from the “themes” menu option in your setup screen.

Source: Blackberrythemes.co.uk (via Berryreview)

Gizmodo posted a trollish article this afternoon where chief Apple fan Jesus Diaz claims the newest and greatest from Apple will “kill the Blackberry”.

First of all, I don’t usually take anything from them that serious, they are after all pretty rabid Apple fans. But looking at things from a technical perspective, I still can’t find any logic in the post.

According to Diaz:

Until now, the only thing that separated the BlackBerry from the iPhone-apart from the iPhone’s better, faster and more powerful operating system-was the push email on the BlackBerry

Wow, that’s just silly in so many ways. Lets look at a couple of reasons why I think he’s incorrect:

Read More…

Let me open by saying I’m not always the easiest  to please when it comes to technology. I’ll often start out impressed with something, but after 2 or 3 hours I’ll start to find things that annoy me, and end up hating it.

But I’ve been Blackberry Unite! for several weeks now, and I’m still loving it!

Blackberry Unite! combines the following features:

• Shared calendar and contacts
• Private email server
• Remote file access

The entire server runs on your home PC, and unlike their enterprise server, you do not need Exchange to run it. The heart of Unite! is the Blackberry MDS (Mobile Data Service Connection Service).

Installation

Installing Blackberry Unite! is as simple as running the setup program, and letting it do its job. Once installed, you configure the server through your web browser (IE only, Firefox did NOT work for me).

The first step in adding Blackberry Unite! to your own Blackberry is plugging your device into your desktop. Once the server detects your Blackberry you can register it.

Once registered, your Blackberry will receive several new service books which support the various Blackberry Unite! features. This registration also ensures no other Blackberry device can remotely access your information, the PIN level authentication is extremely reliable.

Once the Blackberry has been added, you can add an email account. Blackberry Unite! can retrieve email from POP and IMAP accounts, and forward it on to your device.

I’m not entirely sure what the advantage is of having Unite! do this for you when most people will already have Blackberry email service from their operator, but I guess that the ability to host your own Blackberry service might be interesting for people who do not trust their mobile operator, or who prefer to have a backup email provider. The Unite! email service can operate together with your current email setup, so there is no need to stop forwarding messages to your current email account.

Read More…

Mmmmmm…. These photos are the first (hopefully real) ones showing the interface on the upcoming Blackberry Thunder; the first full touchscreen Blackberry.

The interface looks fantastic. It is supposed to launch on the US CDMA networks first (Verizon and Sprint), and could be the first real competition for the iPhone.

Hopefully we’ll see some more shots soon, especially if they show the email and text entry interface.

Source: BlackBerry Sync

If you plan to bring your technology abroad this summer, be sure to check these 5 quick tips:

1) The voltage

Before you even think of plugging your electronic device into a foreign outlet, you need to check the voltage in that country, and the voltage compatibility on your device. I’ve posted about this in the past so I suggest reading that and checking your power supplies.

2) Mobile phone roaming enabled and possible at your destination?

Most mobile operators do not turn international roaming on by default. If I had a nickel for every time someone emailed me complaining that their mobile phone "could not get a signal" at their destination, I’d have a couple of bucks.

There are 2 things to check before taking your phone with you:

Read More…

If you are in the market for a Blackberry plan, then Sprint has what I consider to be one of the best offers out there. The new Sprint "simply everything" plans really do include everything; including Blackberry Internet Service!

For $69.99 you get 450 minutes, unlimited mobile to mobile, unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited data (on 3G EVDO), unlimited Sprint TV and Navigation, unlimited text, picture and video messages and even the Blackberry service. If you need more minutes, then the plans become even more attractive: 900 minutes for $89 or unlimited minutes for $99. Other operators have $99 unlimited voice plans, but none of them include every service the operator has to offer.

A similar plan from T-mobile (just 300 minutes, unlimited weekend minutes, unlimited messages and Blackberry service)  is $65 a month. But since T-mobile data is still stuck in the middle ages, you’ll understand why I consider the Sprint deal to be the best out there.

Of course, if you plan to take your Sprint phone abroad, you’ll need to make sure you order a "World Edition" Blackberry with GSM support (Sprint will supply you with a SIM card).

Sprint Plans

Clearly not wanting to be outdone by Microsoft, Google have now added voice search commands to Google Maps Mobile. It is currently only available on 3 Blackberry devices; the 8110, 8120, 8130. If you have one of those phones, and want to take it for a spin, point your mobile browser to m.google.com/maps.

Google maps voice search page