Category: Accessories

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Seidio Desktop Cradle for BlackBerry Storm – Now Shipping!

By James on Apr 28, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Sync Store, Storm 9500 Series.

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If anyone out there was waiting to get their hands on Seidio’s new BlackBerry Storm Desktop Cradle its now available in the BlackBerry Sync Store. This cradle allows you to both sync and charge your Storm with an easy drop in design like RIM’s OEM one. The best news is this cradle is compatible with Seidio’s extended battery as well most BlackBerry skins. You can purchase the Seidio Desktop Cradle for only $24.95 today (regularly $34.95) at the BBSync Store.

Check out the Seidio Desktop Cradle for BlackBerry Storm >

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OtterBox introduces BlackBerry Curve 8300 Series Impact Case!

By James on Apr 25, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Sync Store, Curve 8300 Series.

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Even though the BlackBerry Curve is an “older model” for say it’s still highly used around the World. OtterBox has just introduced the new slim Impact Case for the BlackBerry Curve 8300 series. The new impact case for the BlackBerry Curve fits all of the 8300 series including 8300, 8310, 8320 and 8330. Think of this case of as heavy duty silicon skin featuring an ergonomic design and separate screen protector. You can purchase the Curve Impact Case for only $19.95 from OtterBox.com and soon in the BBSync Store.

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Review: Smart Skin Case from Case-Mate, Smart and Savvy

By Susan C on Apr 22, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, Reviews.

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My review is on the Smart Skin from Case-Mate, priced at $19.95 in red, black, purple, and silver. Case Mate has been around for a while, the company has been online with their products since 2005. They have some excellent cases with reasonable prices, and a few designer cases designed to appeal to those with a taste for unique and expensive. I was really excited to review this product for a few reasons. The look, the feel, and the price.

When the case first arrived, I opened the box to find the case with a screen protector included, a cloth, and a squeegy. I cleaned my screen carefully, and carefully took off the backing of the protector and applied it slowly. After going over with the squeegy to avoid bubbles and wrinkles, I wiped over it to remove any fingerprints. I then installed it on the phone by slipping my phone into the case. For the review I chose red and I really liked it. It’s a bright Dairy Queen Dilly Bar red and the lights show up through the special material of the smart skin.

I like that all the openings that count are left opened (such as speakers and ports), including access to the trackball and lens, I love how the keyboard is covered and dust and dirt free. The side buttons are covered but raised and textured as the buttons they cover. If anyone touches my phone and keyboard I don’t wince since my keys are protected and clean.

What makes the case unique is that it does have the world’s first case with a laser cut keyboard cover. The light of the keyboard shines through, making it even easier to see your keys if you haven’t memorized them already. The unique carbon fiber pattern makes it nice to hold with the silicone material…it feels right to grip and especially nice on the sticky pad I keep on my dashboard. I’m able to take those turns without my phone flying.

The Cons of this product are that for Verizon users, the LED light is covered, but it still shines through. There is no holster for the phone. For me, this was not an issue since I leave my phone in my hand or my purse and I pamper my phone.

The Pros of course are the grip design, so if your hands are sweating you can grip it better, and it sticks to other surfaces quite well. It protects against dirt and dust. It covers the keyboard which most skins do not. It has an easy to see keyboard cover. The sound is not compromised by being covered. The screen protector is an added bonus I liked. The case does not add a lot of bulk to the phone, just enough to “cushion”.

As a rating, I give it five stars for appearance, five stars for ease of installation, and four and a half stars for the reflection of the pros and cons.

Rating: ★★★★½

This phone is perfect if you through it in your pocket or purse, and want a great coversation starter. I highly recommend the Smart Skin for daily use, for style that isn’t compromised by protection, for home and office, and the bright colors are hard to miss if you are always forgetting where you laid your phone at.   The Smart Skin can be found here.

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Preparing For Earth Day: SAVE THE BLACKBERRY!

By Susan C on Apr 21, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Sync Store, Random Thoughts.

Blackberry Pain

The Purchase

So you purchased your BlackBerry smart phone, and you have taken it home, but what have you purchased to protect your investment? The BlackBerry deserves to be protected in every way possible, so I am going to go through the various ways of protection and what is in your best interest. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to your investment or best friend, which is what our BlackBerry smart phones feel like to us. The most important asset to your phone will be insurance before you even leave the store. It’s like Murphy’s Law, what can go wrong will. And while the BlackBerry phones are built tough, they are not unbreakable or dog proof. So insurance is something you should never leave without. Now for the sake of argument, I have a Curve 8330, but the site does allow you to change the BlackBerry to the current model you have.

Memory

The first item I’ll start with is the microsd card. These are great for many reasons, such as extra memory for the phone so you don’t take space on the phone for pictures, movies, music and ringtones. So this is one I would highly recommend you begin with. You can find them in all sizes from 1GB to 16GB. You can find them here

View To Appeal

The next item you will need is a screen protector, such as Mobi Products Screen Protector (3 pk for $14.95 found here). They’re nice in that you can avoid scratches on your screen and keep it clean and dust free. You can also find privacy screens, such as Case-Mate Large Privacy Screen Pro ($14.95 found here) which are really nice to keep prying eyes off the information you are viewing.

I’ll Never Let You Go

For keeping the phone safe, another great asset is the case. Yes, there are all sorts of cases designed for BlackBerry smart phones these days, but my recommendation is either a soft case like the BlackBerry holster cases ($19.95 found here), one that keeps it clean and free from dust like the Smart Skin from Case-Mate ($19.95 found here), or the exceptional OtterBox cases ($49.95 found here ). Now the BlackBerry holster case is leather, soft interior which keeps the lens and screen protected and it also has a magnet that helps save battery life. I like the Smart Skin because it has a unique feel to it, it’s easy to grip, covers everything except the lens and screen (it does have a screen protector included) and the trackball of course, and with keys being covered it keeps your phone nice and clean. The OtterBox is great for those who are hard on their phone. It protects the screen and lens of the camera, has a hard plastic casing that raises above the lens and screen, and also has a rubber outter covering that fits over the plastic casing which keeps it safe from falls, and has a holster it locks into. I love this because you now have a phone that is liquid resistant, dust proofed, and protected from falls.

BlackBerry Come Back

There are a few programs as well to protect your BlackBerry and should be kept in mind. Anti theft programs such as BAK2u PhoneBak BB ($29.90 found here ). What this program can do is allow you to take your stolen phone and track it, or even wipe the phone from where you are.

The List Goes On

While there are several other ways to protect your phone, these are the accessories and software I would recommend to start. There are several options for the car (various items here), such as holders, sticky pads, and BlueTooth devices, and a car charger is nice to have so you don’t have a dead phone on a trip ($9.95 and up, Smartphone Experts here) but these are the ones you want to make sure you have from the start. If you have any favorite accessories or some stories to share, please share with us.

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Preparing for Earth Day: SAVE THE BATTERY

By Susan C on Apr 19, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, Random Thoughts, Tips n' Tricks.

BlackBerry Battery

It’s the middle of the day, and suddenly the yellow light starts to blink and then the all too familiar sound of the beep notifying you that your BlackBerry is about to go to sleep because of a dying battery, and your realize you need to charge it fast! Earth Day is officially April 22nd, and in light of this day, I thought contributing with tips on how to save the battery of our most precious companion would be just what we need. I know many of us use our BlackBerry phones to full capacity, resulting in a few charges throughout the day. So I’m going to focus on how to prolong the life of the battery during the day, and some accessories that are a lifesaver when juice is low.

CATNAPS FOR YOUR PHONE:

 The first thing to know is that turning your phone off once every twenty four hours is very important for your phone. Using Auto off/on is a great way to do that. If you set your BlackBerry alarm for a certain time when you go to sleep, have the phone turn off at bedtime, then the phone will turn on to wake you up. You can set it up in Options, Auto On/Off. I recommend turning the phone off at least once a day, or using a software application called Quick Pull to reset the phone.

SAVING THE POWERS THAT AREN’T:

Connections are another area where we can save battery life. Turning off connections that are not being used are very beneficial to your battery. If you’re in an area where you have no reception and are unable to make or receive calls, turning off the radio will stop the battery drain of the phone searching for reception not available. And if you’re not using Wi-Fi and BlueTooth, turn those off as well. These two can drain your battery very quickly. You can find these in Manage Connections, and just uncheck what you don’t want running.

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE, NOT YOUR PHONE:

Backlight is another factor to our battery. There are two settings you can reduce. The first being the brightness of the backlight and the second being how long it stays on. The brighter the screen and the longer it stays on, the more energy this will take from your battery. To change these, go to Options, Screen/Keyboard and set the Backlight Brightness to the lowest setting you can tolerate and for Backlight Timeout, set it for the lowest time you can accept. Also while you’re in there, make sure you use the setting Holter Smartphone to turn off the LCD, set your Audible Roll to mute, and turn the keytone off.  Placing your phone when not in use in a holster, especially the magnetic ones for BlackBerry will keep the backlight off.

DON’T RUN AND HIDE:

Applications can run in the background as well, using power resources. So the best thing to do for this is to use the options button and end out of each application such as Viigo, Facebook, Twitter, etc. You can also close with the ESC key. Log out of programs you’re not using as well such as your messengers.  That way applications aren’t constantly running and updating, this will also conserve on the memory.

SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN:

Sounds also can be a battery hog. Changing it in Profiles, Advanced, and then to the profile you have it set on, you can change each sound to whatever tone you would like. Setting the audible notification to off and turning off the coverage LED will help too. I recommend using tone instead of vibrate as vibrate depletes battery life. Setting each sound to tone, and the holster the same, and vibrate to one, and using silent instead of vibrate will help your BlackBerry phone’s battery last longer. Another great way concerning sounds to save battery is to set your media by reducing volume and using your headphones. Using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager to load your videos, pictures, music and all to your phone to will avoid resizing and optimize videos and music. Turn off the equalizer settings in Media, Options.

PICTURE THIS:

Camera settings can be changed as well. Turning off the flash, setting the size of the picture to small, the Picture Quality to normal, and the Color Effect to Normal will help battery. You can change these features of course, if you are wanting better pics, but change them back afterwards to keep you battery going strong.

ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR BATTERY:

I already mentioned the cases and holsters($19.95) for your BlackBerry. Also a spare battery($19.95) is always a great idea, or even better is an extended life battery($49.95). The home charger should always be the preferred method of charging. There are “power pod” chargers available that will give a quick charge, and there are charging cradles that are fantastic to have on hand. You can find many of our accessories available for your BlackBerry smart phone here in our BlackBerry Sync Store: [via: here]

Sources: [via: blackberry.com] [via: bbgeeks.com] [via: blackberryproductivity.com]

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BlackBerry Curve 8900 OtterBox Defender Case – Coming Soon!

By James on Apr 15, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, Curve 8900 Series, Rumors.

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I was browsing OtterBox’s website last night only to discover that they have listed the Defender Case for Curve 8900 as coming soon. If you don’t know about OtterBox cases they are a highly durable, great impact case. OtterBox cases feature three layers of protection and a classic but durable plastic holster. Pricing is expected to be around $49.95 with a launch coming very soon. The 8900 Defender case should be available on both OtterBox.com and the BlackBerry Sync Store soon.

For now go and register at OtterBox.com to be notified upon their release.

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Replacement Trackballs for BlackBerry now shipping!

By James on Mar 30, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Sync Store.

blackberry-trackball

Have your worn out your BlackBerry trackball yet? Well good news! Our store is now shipping trackballs for only $9.99. These trackballs are BlackBerry universal meaning they fit all BlackBerry Pearl 8100 series, Curve 8300 series and 8800 series devices. You can pick them up starting today for $9.99 + shipping at The BlackBerry Sync Store.

Compatible Models:

  • - Blackberry Pearl 8100, 8110, 8120, 8130
  • – Blackberry Curve 8300, 8310, 8320, 8330
  • – Blackberry 8800, 8820, 8830

Purchase at BlackBerry Sync Store

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Simon’s Joe EveryPimp Guide to BlackBerry Customization

By James on Mar 12, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, Random News.

blackberry-pimp

My buddy Simon at IntoMobile has posted what he calls “Joe Everypimp’s Guide to BlackBerry Customization” it shows neat customizations you can do to your BlackBerry. The guide features everything from colored trackballs to coveroos to replacement housings. He covers most BlackBerry models including the Bold, Curve, Pearl, Pearl Flip and Storm. If your thinking about tricking out your BlackBerry I suggest you check out Simon’s guide here.  I’m also a huge fan of his BlackBerry Pimp image :)

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Red, Yellow & Purple BlackBerry Trackballs!! only $7.99.. kinda cool

By James on Mar 03, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, Hot Deals.

Have you ever wanted to a colored BlackBerry trackball? Previously we have seen black trackballs and now CNN.cn have released red trackballs as well. You can purchase the red trackballs from CNN.cn for only $7.99. The trackballs are compatible with pretty much all BlackBerry models including BlackBerry 88xx, Bold 9000, Curve 83xx, Pearl 81xx, Pearl Flip 82xx series. Anyone here going to get one of these red trackballs?? If so let us know how it goes…

Update: Seems CNN.cn also added Yellow and Purple colored trackballs to their store as well. Head on over to CNN.cn for details.

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[via BerryReview]

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Review: OtterBox Defender Case for BlackBerry Storm

By James on Feb 26, 2009 in Accessories, BlackBerry, Reviews, Storm 9500 Series.

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OtterBox has always been a favorite case of mine. I tell anyone who owns electronics and drops them frequently that they should own an OtterBox. In the past I’ve had an OtterBox for pretty much all of my BlackBerrys and now I have received the OtterBox Defender case for the BlackBerry Storm. OtterBox cases may not be the cheapest solution on the market, but they offer the best for protection! I recommend them to nearly anyone who works in tough environments or is just clumsy.

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First thing I noticed when opening up the packaging is that the new Defender case for the Storm features a screen protector which is built right into the case instead of being a separate piece like previous models. The second layer of the case is the Hi-Impact Polycarbonate shell which fits together like a glove to ensure your device is protected. The silicon skin which goes over is considered the third layer of the case because it absorbs most of the impact or shock of the odd drop or bump. All OtterBox Defender cases include the old school BlackBerry style holsters (think 8700) only its way more durable. Right out of the box you will notice if you’ve ever purchased an OtterBox before is that the Storm now comes in a smaller more compact packaging, which is great for our Environment!

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Here’s a breakdown of the three layers included in every OtterBox:

  • Layer 1: Thermal formed protective clear membrane to safeguard screen and keyboard against scratching as well as dust and dirt* (layer optional depending on the level of ruggedization desired).
  • Layer 2: Hi-impact polycarbonate shell.
  • Layer 3: Silicone skin absorbs bump and shock (silicone includes innovative retaining features to hold it in place).

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With the OtterBox Defender case on your BlackBerry Storm you will feel a lot more secure. The case seals in the display with the formed protective plastic-like material. This will prevent dirt, dust, and light water droplets from getting into the display causing liquid damage. All of the Storm’s input jacks including the stereo headphone jack, micro USB port, earpiece, microphone and audio speakers are covered and sealed by a protective plastic.

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Only real compliant about this case I had is that I found it was a little harder to put together (see picture above). When assembling the case you have to ensure that the case lines up perfectly with each other to get that glove fit. I can’t really explain how to do it but its a little odd. Once the case is together all you have to do is simply wrap the third silicone skin layer over the polycarbonate shell and your good to go. To ensure the silicone skin doesn’t slip off off they have put little plugs in the shell to connect the case with.

Overall: As always I’m impressed with the level of quality OtterBox has provided in their product. At first I wasn’t sure how OtterBox was going to work around RIM’s Surepress clicking screen, however they defiantly found a way to make it work! You can use the Storm’s touchscreen with barely any issues. When trying to use the buttons along the bottom of the display you may find them hard to press. This is become of the rounded edges of the case. You will notice the case feels a little rough because the silicone skin doesn’t wrap compeltly around the edges. My only recommendation to OtterBox would be to find a way to still provide maxium protection but round the edges around the display on the sides and bottom. Regardless If you have never had an OtterBox before I recommend you give it a try!

Pros: Super durable, lots of protection, display is sealed off, includes Holster, new packaging is much more compact!

Cons: Price may be a little higher than wanted, skin doesn’t cover as well on sides/bottom

Rating: ★★★★½

Purchase the BlackBerry Storm OtterBox case from OtterBox.com >

See other BlackBerry OtterBox cases for Bold, Curve, and Pearl in the BlackBerry Sync Store >


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