RobLock by Xim Technologies, LLC, has released it’s next version, and it’s only available to Verizon US handsets. I’ve done a review on RobLock before, as it’s a security app that is reasonably priced and keeps your BlackBerry safe. It is theft recovery software complete with data backup solution.

Now here’s what the absolute 2.0 features:

GPS and cell based device tracking, using Google Maps; the ability to communicate with your lost or stolen phone by SMS, email, or web interface; be alerted by sms or email if the SIM card is changed; the ability to recover your contacts from a lost phone; remote wipe the ENTIRE device AND media card; remote lock and alarm; remote call back; remote popup text messages; does not require BIS/BES for complete wipe.

Now here’s where 3.0 is different. It has a unique backup system. It has remote backup and restore; view and export backup online; schedule automatic backups; restore to a new device; and secure data handling on top of the RobLock Theft and Recovery System. For recovery, we’re talking calendar, tasks, memo, up to fifty emails, and your contacts.

As I have the absolute v2.0 of RobLock, they notified me about their newest version, so I had to try this out. I have to admit, it’s impressive. While v2.0 is only $9.95, the newer v3.0 for Verizon has three tiers of pricing. $2.95 per month, $15.95 bi-annually, or $27.95 per year. Not bad when you think about the backup system and the security it provides.

I downloaded this version on my Tour 9630, and it went very smooth. I was able to download it with no issues whatsoever. Upon installation, it’s red button icon. You have to set an acct online and on the phone. After setting up the account, the icon will open with your password to reveal the Roblock Theft Recovery System and the Roblockup Data Backup Solution. You have backup and restore. In the Theft Recovery System, you can even have an email contact to email for your phone.

Now should you lose your phone or if it gets lost, you are given different options. You can lock the phone with or without a siren, wipe it, even have the phone silently call you in hopes that you may be able to figure out who has your phone, or where it is by it’s surroundings. Even better, how bout tracking it GPS?  You can change the device, you have the power on your phone. And you have options to back up information. It’s a great solution for on hand backup, for protecting your mobile information, and knowing it’s safe.

Using the Control Panel, I couldn’t wait to put it to the test. After registering and activating the account, you open it up and you have the Overview. This is general information such as the email, the phone, Connection, Profile, Subscription, and change device.

Next is your Commands. First is Where. You can see the coordinates of your phone, first by tower information and then by GPS information. Next is Lock Phone and you have the choices of with or without alarm. Now even if it’s on vibrate or mute, you can be sure the alarm will still sound and it will be loud! The police siren is a nice finishing touch. Next is Unlock. This allows the previous command to be taken off. Next is Remote Wipe, and thankfully you have to confirm before you do, so just checking out the control panel won’t erase your phone. Next is call back and this is where you have your phone call another phone. It’s silent so if it’s stolen, the thief has no idea. Display Text, this one is really fun. You can display what you want the person to read and the text will appear in the front of the phone. Of course all these commands show you as they are being directed to the handset, and also if they are successful. I successfully tested each one, except to wipe my handset. It was really impressive how fast it works. Tracking my BlackBerry was fun, and it was neat to see tower information.

Last is Backup. You can view backup you have already created. There is BackUp Now so you can decide what you are going to back up: Memo, Calendar, Contacts, Call Log, Tasks, and Mail. There is Restore Backup so you can decide what will be returned. Last is the Scheduler so you can decide when to back up on a regular basis.

Overall, RobLock is very easy to use and extremely convenient. v3.0 is currently available to Verizon handsets, but hopefully will be open to other handsets as well. It’s easy to use on your phone and on the PC, and has the options. I tested. I can see this as an asset to anyone who is interested in security on the phone. Again, strictly for security.

If you currently have a Verizon Wireless BlackBerry, you are able to subscribe to the service, and if not, v2.0 absolute is available still.

You can download RobLock v3.0 for monthly, bi-annually, or annually here >

You can download RobLock v2.0 absolute for $9.95 here >

For more information, feel free to read more on RobLock by Vapssky here >

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Tony, from Cocky Culture, who just let us know about Crimson, a brand new theme for the BlackBerry. It is a dark red theme with a skull and cross bones. It has class and a gothic feel to it. The theme is available from the BlackBerry Sync Store for $3.95 until Sept 25th!

The description says:

Cocky Culture has a variety of themes, very unique and very original. We’ve posted the review of Conquest, which is a fave of mine.  The theme I’m reviewing is Rocker Chic. The theme is very rock styled and classic. And there couldn’t be a better time for a new theme, especially with the fifty percent sale!

Themes by Cocky Culture are half off for one more day. So as I go into detail about the theme, keep in mind that you can even find two for the price of one!

This is the description given for the theme:

Rocker Chic is an edgy, progressive design that maintains its sense of femininity all the while pushing a harder, edgier look. Everyone deserves to feel like a Rockstar, even your Blackberry!

I downloaded the theme to my BlackBerry 9630 Tour. The theme is dark yet vibrant. It sports wings behind a heart that is edged in black, like an antique valentine. The battery bars are displayed in lavender. The wings are like burnt sienna. The heart is a dark red and in the right lobe sits a skull within the heart. There’s a blotch of white in the background. Five icons sit on the bottom, messages, contacts, calendar, browser, and media. Those are default, but they are able to be personalized to the five you’d like to show. When the menu is pulled up, the background is a salmon pink, and has antique like etching in the background. It reminds me of my great grandmother’s table cloths. The designed icons have black edging around them. When pulling up messages, for example, the menu is a darker salmon.

Now here’s another surprise. When you get a message, a heart appears in the corner of the icon, such as a message, or im. Even the browser has decor from the theme. It didn’t slow my Tour down, and adds personality. There are eleven different Premium themes that Cocky Culture has available, Rocker Chic being one of them.

This theme reminds me of a rocking Valentine every day. Now I rate according to how appeasing the theme is, which is very, the customer service which Tony is outstanding, and how my phone reacts to it, which was great. So on all counts, I give this theme 5/5. Conquest is really nice too, I can dress my phone with themes to show my mood or feeling of the day.

If you hurry today, you can grab the theme for fifty percent off, if you use the following code: 2d50off .

You can download Rocker Chic from Cocky Culture here >

Compatible with BlackBerry handsets: 83xx Curve series, Curve 8900, 8700, 88xx World series, 82xx Flip Pearl series, Storm 95xx series, Tour 9630, Bold 9000

Compatible OS: 4.5, 4.6, 4.7

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Our friends over at Elecite sneaked out a new BlackBerry theme to kick off the week. It’s called Spear and is for most of the newer models including the BlackBerry Bold 9000, Curve 8350, 8500, 8900, and Tour 9600 series. Spear features 8 customizable icons, with an over-sized digital clock on your home screen. It’s available today for $6.99 from Elecite.

Check out Spear and Elecite’s other Premium Themes at Elecite.com >>

Great news for Pacman lovers! BlackBerry OS announced a free version of Pacman for the BlackBerry. And I have to admit, it’s just like the arcade version. It comes complete with a high score list, mp3 sounds, and support for trackball and keyboard. It’s available for the Tour on down to the Pearl, but unfortunately the Storm is not included.

You can download the Pacman OTA for the Tour, Bold, and Curve 8900 here >

You can download the Pacman OTA for the World 88xx, Curve 83xx, and Pearl 81xx here >

[via: BlackBerry OS]

With the recent release of Plazmic Theme Builder for the BlackBerry Tour and 8520. Our friends at Elecite have just re-customized about 10 themes to work with the new BlackBerry Curve 8500 series, plus the 8350i. Some of Elecite’s most popular themes such as Analog, Ascarii 2..0, Ulterior, Droid, Leopard, Eerie, iBerry, Inspirat, xBerry & Grunge are now all available on their site. All themes start at $6.99 each and look awesome on your new toy!

Check out Elecite.com and check out the hot new themes >>

The Research and Consulting firm, IDC, listed the top-selling smartphone models in the US. It lists vendor sales to carriers and channels as well. So far it’s going on preliminary data. The actual numbers won’t be available till the end of the month. So let’s see what the firm says so far.

No 10 is the HTC Touch from Sprint, Nextel, and Verizon Wireless.

No 9 is the HTC Touch Pro from Sprint, Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and others.

No 8 is the Palm Pre from Sprint.

No 7 is the T-Mobile G1 by HTC from T-Mobile USA.

No 6 is the Research In Motion BlackBerry Storm from Verizon Wireless.

No 5 is the Research In Motion BlackBerry Bold from AT&T.

No 4 is the Apple iPhone 3G (both versions) from AT&T.

No 3 is the Research In Motion BlackBerry Pearl (all 81xx series, excluding the Flip) from AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and others.

No 2 is the Apple iPhone 3GS (both versions) from AT&T.

No 1 is the Research In Motion BlackBerry Curve (83xx series and 8900) from AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and others.

So what does that say? Research In Motion rules the smartphone world, and the BlackBerry Curve is still holding the number one position. I’m not surprised, though I’m very curious to see how the numbers change with the BlackBerry Tour 9630 entering the smartphone scene. I really like the Tour, it’s been very reliable, and I’m curious to see if it will rise to the top or come pretty close.

Anyone have any thoughts to share?

[via: FierceWireless]

Elecite has just introduced a hot new theme for the Bold, Curve 8300 & 8900, Storm and 8800. The theme is called Opus, and features customizable icons with a dual-screen animations. It’s quite a hot theme from the people at Elecite. To show off this hot theme they are offering 30% off from the first 200 people who purchase it. To take advantage of the discount use coupon code “opus” when checking out.

Pick up the Opus theme from Elecite.com >

Well that didn’t take long… We heard that Sprint was getting ready to launch a couple new colored BlackBerry models and here is the first. Not only did Sprint launch the Tour today, but they also launched the “Inferno Orange” BlackBerry Curve 8330. It’s available now from Sprint for $49.99 with two year contract. This orange berry joins the silver and red colored models already available. So what’s it going to be… Orange Curve or the hot new Tour 9630? Take you pick.

Read

There are some really nice themes around and quite a few theme designers, and there are some really beautiful ones from NinjaThemes. There are twenty three available, some are free and some have a small price, but they’re all worth it. I’m going to feature a few to show, but I know you’re going to be impressed.

The themes by this designer are creative, vibrant, and very attention-grabbing. You can see the thought in each theme, and as I always suggest, please do a battery pull after the install. The themes are for the BlackBerry Curve 83xx series, Curve 8900, and the Bold 9000. There are various designs and styles, and something for everyone.

This theme above is Carbon Slick for the BlackBerry Curve 83xx, the8900 and the Bold. It is available through the BlackBerry Sync Store and it’s FREE. It features a hidden today menu and a customizable bottom dock. The reds and the blacks are very vibrant and intense. Perfect match for a black phone, or one with a red case…pure slickness.

This is the Beach Bum for the 9000 only. It’s vibrant and you can almost feel the waves and hear the seagulls in the background. Beach Bum is available in the BlackBerry Sync Store for $2.99. Features of this theme are clear iPhone-like icons, hidden beach wallpapers, and a hidden today (scroll over the icons for the list).  I love beach themes, it gives me a few minutes to close my eyes and vacation for a few seconds. Relaxing and beautiful.

This one is Purple Haze Astralis~ and it’s for the Curve 83xx series with 4.5 OS. It features a sky filled with beautiful stars to gaze at. Purple Haze Astralis~ is available in the BlackBerry Sync Store for $3.99. This theme features beatiful stars with theme colors that compliment the wallpaper, iPhone icons, today theme with messages and calendar, and the bottom dock is customizable. These sort of themes are nice, and remind you of clear sky nights. It’s a great way to have the universe in your hands.

This theme is the Ultimate Watchmen Theme for the Curve 8330 4.5 OS only. If you’re a fan of the Watchmen, guess what? This one is FREE. You can download the Ultimate Watchmen Theme for FREE from the BlackBerry Sync Store. This theme features Today and Bottom theme, colorful watchmen wallpapers from the movie, the 6-icon bottom dock is customizable, and they are Bold-like icons. Great theme if you love the comics and movie and want to show your love for the Watchmen! All that’s missing is My Chemical Romance’s “Desolation Row”.

This theme is the iHeart theme for the ladies out there. It’s girly and sweet, for the Curve 83xx 4.5 OS only. You can download the iHeart theme for FREE from the BlackBerry Sync Store. There are iPhone icons and a customizable bottom dock. There’s pink icons, pink menus, pink wallpapers, it’s totally pink, and very iPhone-like in style. You can make everyday Valentines with this theme.

And this theme is Neu. It is for the Bold 9000. This one is design by Lilhaloshaka and the theme by Ninja. This theme is slick, minimalistic, easy on the eyes. The icons on the homescreen are user defined. I like this theme and the way it feels fresh and crisp. You can download the Neu theme for FREE from the BlackBerry Sync Store.

These are just a few of the wonderful colorful 32 themes available, and I encourage you to check them out from the BlackBerry Sync Store and you’ll find even more. I would have posted them all, but there’s so many to choose from. Have you tried any of the NinjaThemes themes and what do you think of them? Please share with us, we’d like to know which ones are your favorite.