Useful BlackBerry Bold applications

I've had a BlackBerry Bold (9000) since it was released on the Rogers wireless network in August 2008. Here are some tips, tricks and general hints about the applications that I've found useful on it:

1. WeatherEye Mobile for BlackBerry: The Weather Network's free (ad-supported) app can sit on the home screen to show the current temperature and conditions for your selected city when you glide over its icon! In the app, you can see short-term and long-term (through tomorrow) and long-term (5-day) forecasts.


2. BeejiveIM: this is my preferred Instant Messaging (IM) client since it's multi-protocol and not dependent on a web service. I also have many single-service free IM clients installed, but it's worth paying $20 for BeejiveIM to get the Jabber/XMPP support and the consolidated buddy list across services. The other clients are generally only available as Over-The-Air (OTA) downloads from your BlackBerry's mobile browser so that the carrier's service books can be checked:
   • Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger for BlackBerry (OTA)
   • AOL's AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) for BlackBerry (OTA)
   • AOL's ICQ for BlackBerry (OTA)
   • Yahoo! Messenger for BlackBerry (OTA)
   • Google Talk (OTA)


3. Social Networking:
   • Facebook - it's handy to be able to see a few recent friends' updates as well as update my own status. But the photo upload resizes your pics, so I recommend using e-mail to mobile@facebook.com (with PIN code confirmation by SMS) for better quality. In version 1.5, you can update your contact records with their profile photos!
   • TwitterBerry (OTA) - it's a quick way to tweet without using SMS (there are other clients out there but this met my needs)
   • MySpace (OTA) - I don't really use this, but I had to try it.
   • Flickr (OTA) - yes I have an account but rarely use it.


4. Google Mobile for BlackBerry: a whole suite of mobile apps and optimized web sites, such as Maps (see below), News, Docs, Reader, Sync, Mail, Picasa, etc. (lots more)


5. Maps and driving directions (with both aGPS and true GPS support):
   • Google Maps (this is practically a killer app, especially with Latitude so that you can share your location and see your friends' locations who are sharing with you)
   • MapQuest for Mobile has a friendly interface and accurate maps in my experience but is still in beta so isn't as fast (OTA)


6. Newsreaders (RSS feed clients):
   • CrackBerry.com edition of Viigo (OTA):
     • News: added my favourite RSS feeds (CBC BC, PGIMF, TechVibes, Engadget, The Business Insider, etc. plus some great built-in ones like Paul Kedrosky's Infectious Greed, dealnews, etc.
     • Local Interest: search for key phrases in Craigslist Vancouver
   • WSJ Mobile Reader: The Wall Street Journal is making the full text of subscriber content available free for a "limited time" so enjoy it while you can!
   
   
7. Streaming radio:
   • FlyCast for BlackBerry has a good list of channels to listen to
   • Nobex Radio Companion has a better selection of Canadian stations.


8. RepliGo Reader: after the 10-day trial period, this native PDF file viewer (not just online attachment preview) costs $20, so I haven't decided if I'll use it enough to buy it -- but the couple of files I tried it on worked very well.


9. Games: BBTetris (free falling bricks game)

Now you can browse and download a wide variety of free and paid applications from the BlackBerry App World on your phone.

Great keyboard for using both Windows and Mac OS X at the same time

Ever since I started running Windows as a virtual machine on my Mac, I'd been frustrated that the Apple keyboard was missing Windows-specific keys such as "print screen" and the Windows key (for the Start menu). On the other hand, using a typical PC keyboard in Mac OS X meant not having an Option key, having to remember that the Alt key was the Command key, and not having volume keys. I found the generic-sounding USB 2.0 keyboard but discovered that the black one is actually a very innovative keyboard with many great features:

• includes the useful 'Windows' key and 'print screen' key but not the 'application key' (right-click key) that I've never used.
  
• caps lock is tucked away in the bottom instead of to the left of the letter-a (where it would otherwise be too easy to hit)
  
• dedicated volume keys (mute, quieter, louder) are slightly recessed
  
• the 'num lock' key is tucked away in the bottom row instead of being in the upper-left of the numeric keypad. That spot is now used by an extra tab key, which helps us accountants with rapid data entry!
  

I suppose that the USB 2.0 dock on the top of the keyboard is convenient for things like thumb drives, but since you have to plug in both of the keyboard's two USB connectors to your computer to get that port enabled, it's just a one-for-one extension and not a USB 2.0 hub. The two-port USB hub on the back of the keyboard is just USB 1.1, so those ports are only useful for your mouse and other simple devices.

Installation tip: if they keys don't seem to be acting the way they are labeled in your operating system, check the manual for your key mapping instructions (e.g. Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger has an extra set of steps compared to 10.5 Leopard). In Parallels 4.0, I had to use the Preferences to re-map the 'Alt' key to the 'Win' key and the 'Cmd' to the 'Alt' key, and deactivate the Mac's Command-tab so that Alt-tab would work in the PC -- then all the keys worked as they they indicated!

The Matias Corporation is a Canadian company, and they sell the USB 2.0 keyboard both directly from their web site and through a long list of resellers worldwide. I got the keyboard for USD $35, but you can get a discount online.

Another nice keyboard that I'm using now is the Logitech Internet Navigator Keyboard (Part Number: 967233-0403). It's been discontinued but still available online from 3rd-party sites. It's a PC keyboard but the 'Start' key also has "alt" and "option" labels on it, and the "Alt" key also has "Apple" and "Command" labels on it. The volume and mute buttons work with the Mac sound settings! It doesn't have a USB 1.1 hub built-in though.

Make your Windows desktop look like a Mac (at first glance)

As a fan of the Mac "look-and-feel" I decided to make my Windows XP desktop look more like Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard). Here is how I set up my PC to make this screenshot:

1. Search the net for a Mac-inspired high-resolution wallpaper image using terms such as: mac leopard aurora wallpaper. Be sure to get a JPEG with a resolution at least as large as your monitor so that it doesn't have to be scaled up.
   


2. Get the free RocketDock -- a smoothly animated application launcher. You can right-click on it's trashcan icon to work with the Recycle Bin.
   


3. Install the 'Tweak UI' part of Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP then use it to hide the Recycle Bin from your desktop. You can hide the other icons from your desktop (like 'My Documents', 'My Computer' and 'Network Places', by using the 'Customize Desktop' dialog in your display properties.
   


4. Set your taskbar to "Auto-hide" (there are aggressive hacks that can get rid of it completely, but I like the comfort factor of being able to get back to it if necessary).
   


5. Change your Windows desktop display settings appearance to the color scheme "Silver" so that at least the remaining slice of your hidden taskbar isn't bright blue anymore.
   


6. Download the Mac OS X Leopard Skin for RocketDock by AnthoNYC. This provides the translucent slanted shelf of the dock. Install it into "C:\Program Files\RocketDock\Skins".
   


7. Download the iLeopard Icon Pack SE and install it into "C:\Program Files\RocketDock\Icons"
   
   
8. Install a Dashboard-like application for Windows XP such as Yahoo Widgets or Google Desktop Gadgets. Microsoft Vista users already have Windows Sidebar. Drag the application to your RocketDock and change the 'Icon Settings' to use the Dashboard icon from the icon pack. Set up a few widgets, such as a clock and local weather.
   


9. Download the Stacks Docklet, install it into "C:\Program Files\RocketDock\Docklets" and configure it to point at your preferred downloads folder. This gives you the 'fan effect' view of files & folders in that directory just like Leopard.
   


10. Download Safely Remove Hardware v2 and install it into "C:\Program Files\RocketDock\Docklets" since you'll want an easy way to disconnect your USB devices cleanly without fishing around for the taskbar status icon.
    


11. Add the "iCal" docklet (included) which shows the current date. You can configure it to launch your favourite Personal Information Manager (PIM) or calendar program (but I didn't).
    


12. Download iShut to have an easy dialog box for Restart, Sleep and Shutdown.
    


13. Go nuts with dragging shortcuts or programs onto your RocketDock and change each icon to match the Mac equivalent:
    
    
    
    • My Computer = Finder icon
    • Cygwin = Terminal icon
    • wupdmgr.exe (Windows Update) = Software Update icon
    • My Network Places = Network icon
    • Control Panel = System Preferences icon
    • Picasa 3 = iPhoto icon
    • PDF XChange viewer = Preview app icon
    
    

I could have gone even further and "skinned" the whole Windows theme using Stardock WindowBlinds but I decided not to go that far (yet).

Migrate Outlook Express and Windows Address Book to Apple Mail and Address Book using Mozilla Thunderbird

Last week I helped an uncle switch from using Windows XP on an old PC to a new 20" iMac with MacOS 10.5 (Leopard). I volunteered to help him move his e-mail from Outlook Express to Apple Mail and move his address book from Windows to the Mac's built-in Address Book application. Here are the steps that worked successfully:

1. Back up the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\{USERNAME}\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{PROFILE-SPECIFIC KEY}\Microsoft\Outlook Express" in which you'll find the *.dbx files (mail folder database files).


2. Back up the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\{USERNAME}\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book" in which you'll find your {USERNAME}.wab file.


3. Import the Outlook Express e-mail and Microsoft Address Book into Mozilla Thunderbird for WINDOWS (note: the Mac version doesn't have the ability to do this). If the old PC is too clunky to do this efficiently, use a separate profile on a different PC with the backups you took in Steps 1 & 2 (e.g. I used my own laptop).


4. Export the Thunderbird contacts to an LDIF file (Lightweight Directory Interchange Format). Save it in your Thunderbird profile folder for convenience (this is simpler than exporting to vCard files).


5. Copy the Thunderbird profile folder (e.g. in "C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\" on Windows XP) to your Mac. You don't need to actually install Thunderbird for Mac, just put the folder on your desktop.


6. In Apple Mail, you can import the mail from the Thunderbird profile backup that you copied from the PC to the Mac. Many others have done this successfully, such as FineWine on MacTalk.


7. In Apple Address book, you can import the LDIF file that you copied from your PC to your Mac.

Happy Mac!

iDefrag your Mac

There is an urban myth that Macs don't need to be defragged because OS X "takes care of it for you" -- well, that's true for FILE fragmentation but not for FREE SPACE fragmentation. I have an iMac G5 (PowerPC) with a 160GB hard drive that I've filled up then freed up some space on several times over the years, so I figured it must be rather fragmented. So I bought iDefrag from Coriolis Systems (on faith and good reviews alone) and sure enough it consolidated my 37,000 fragments of free space into just 4 -- one of which was 48GB of contiguous free space at the end of the drive plus 3 other tiny ones near the front (not sure why).

Here are the BEFORE and AFTER screen shots (literally pictures of the screen taken with my Blackberry, since iDefrag only offer full optimization functionality when run from another drive or their boot disc -- which is what I used):


This process took several hours (I should have timed it), including a little break where iDefrag gives the hard drive a chance to cool down since it monitors the drive's temperature sensor. I also should have timed my boot time before and after but I forgot to do that. I'll see whether it saves me any time on my whole-disk backup (using SuperDuper!) too.

Remote control and screen sharing

When you need to see what's happening on a another computer's screen, it can be hard to decide which technology to use. Here are some recommended software and services to consider.

NOTE: Logos are the trademarks of the respective companies mentioned below.

Working with a computer that you own or control (e.g. your server or desktop)

1. Within an internal network (inside the firewall including on a VPN):
   
   
   1. to control a Windows computer, use RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) on port 3389 (or 4125 for Windows Small Business Server 2003): Microsoft's Terminal Services works with the client software known as Remote Assistance or Remote Desktop Connection -- the server is built into Windows XP Professional, Media Center Edition and Windows Server 2003/2008. Client software includes:
      
      
      1. Windows XP Home, Pro, Media Center Edition; Windows Vista Business/Enterprise/Ultimate - included (under the 'Accessories' menu). If missing, get from install CD or re-download Terminal Services Client 6.0 from Microsoft.
         
      2. Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000 download from Microsoft
         
      3. Remote Desktop Connection for Mac download from Microsoft. Sometimes I also use Cocoa Remote Desktop (CoRD).
         
      4. UNIX/Linux (rdesktop) using the X Window system.
         
      
      
   2. to control a Mac computer, use Screen Sharing (a.k.a. Remote Management in Mac OS 10.5 Leopard) or Apple Remote Desktop (in Mac OS 10.4 Tiger) by configuring the VNC (Virtual Network Computing) feature on a port in the range of 5900-5906. Or you can run the free 3rd party Vine Server (formerly known as OSXvnc) from Redstone Software. Client software includes:
      
      
      1. Vine Viewer - commercial
         
      2. Chicken of the VNC - freeware
         
      3. many other providers of VNC software, some commercial, some with encryption, so you may find other combinations that work for your situations (e.g. UltraVNC, RealVNC, etc.).
      
      
   
   NOTE: Do not "poke holes" in your firewall to expose your computers to the Internet just because you find it convenient to use a free software-based remote management solution. There are numerous well-documented security vulnerabilities in many RDP and VNC implementations. Don't find out the hard way by exposing such a powerful service to the legions of hackers out there! You have been warned!
   
   
2. Over the Internet (using a 3rd party service provider to get through the firewall):
   
   
   1. LogMeIn Free (for both Windows and Mac computers) allows you to control all of your computers at no cost! If you want the advanced features (like sound, remote printing, drag & drop, etc.) you can subscribe to their LogMeIn Pro service.
      
      
   2. GoToMyPC from Citrix Online may be the market leader, but it isn't free after the trial period ends.
      
   
   NOTE: Some companies have policies against using 3rd party services to remotely control your work computers. If your firm has an IT Department, check with them first, since they may require you to use a VPN and then allow the use of an RDP or encrypted VNC solution.
   

   Sharing your screen with one other person (e.g. collaborating, coaching)

   1. For individual one-on-one collaboration on Windows, AIM Pro is free with no banner ads because it's branded by WebEx as a way to promote their paid online meeting services. Once you start chatting, either of you can initiate voice and/or screen sharing. It's only for Windows and it doesn't do group meetings, but it's free and convenient for doing remote work with one person at a time who already has an AOL screen name.
      
      
   2. On the Mac, apparently iChat on OS X 10.5 Leopard has a screen sharing feature -- I haven't upgraded yet to be able to try that. iChat interoperates with AIM at least for text chat and with the right firewall settings for video/audio too, but I haven't tried connecting AIM Pro to iChat on Leopard yet for screen sharing. Any comments?
      
      
   3. I haven't tried GoToAssist or LogMeIn IT Reach yet but if I had more clients I would probably consider one of those solutions.
      
   
   

Squarified treemaps show what's taking up so much space on your hard drive

I've found it very helpful to use "squarified treemaps" to get a quick visual sense of what the big space-wasting files are on my hard drive. Even large groups of small files stand out in highlighted boxes (e.g. the yellow frame in this screenshot is around my 7.3GB C:\WINDOWS directory). Thanks go to Edward Ianuzi for suggesting this helpful utility!

• In Windows I first tried SequoiaView 1.3 but now I use WinDirStat (a Windows port of KDirStat).


• On the Mac I first tried GrandPerspective but now I use Disk Inventory X which is a Mac-native adaptation of KDirStat.


• For X11 (UNIX/Linux, etc.) there is KDirStat which has a 3-pane display of summarized/browsable folder sizes, summary by file types, and the squarified treemap.