Free Premium Apps worth $77 are available until May 31st for BlackBerry 7 devices are now available through BlackBerry App World. This is like Christmas in March, and if you have a BlackBerry 7 device you should check out the selection. You’ll find some fun games and great apps in the selection, check it out…

What are the 18 Free Apps?

• Aces 3D Pool
• Aces Traffic Pack
• BeWeather (my personal favorite weather app)
• Color ID
• Cribbage
• Easy Smiley Pack Pro
• Endomondo Sports Tracker Pro
• Fixmo Tools (Another Swiss Army Knife all in one app favorite of mine)
• iSpeech Caller ID Reader Pro
• iSpeech Dictation Pro
• iSpeech FB Chat Pro
• Mahjong Solitaire
• Next Dual Pack
• PBA Bowling 2
• Pinball Deluxe
• Popup
• Rubik’s Cube
• Screen Muncher

Hurry while you have time and check them out. Which ones are your favorites?

I was really happy to see BlackBerry and Verizon in a new contest/promotion. This is the Famtastic Challenge. There are three chances to show how fantastically unique your family is and win some great prizes. The contest is on Facebook, check out the details…

You’ve been familiar with all the Android/Droid contests by Verizon Wireless, so it’s a welcome contest to see a current one with BlackBerry! The contest basically has challenges with picture challenging and votes. Challenge one is a picture of a furry animal.

The above picture details the dates of the challenges and votes.

• Challenge One for pictures to be submitted is from January 23rd to January 29th. Voting is from January 30th to February 5th.
• Challenge Two is from February 6th to February 12th. Voting is from February 13th to February 19th.
• Challenge Three is from February 20th to February 26th. Voting is from February 27th to March 4th.

These are the prizes available, as first prizes. But these are not the grand prize. Oh yes, there is more…

These are the prizes available. Imagine, four BlackBerry devices for a family, one for each of you, including one month of free service! A Grand Prize of a Famtastic Vacay!

I don’t know about you, but this is a great contest that includes the family and makes it fun. Don’t wait, check out the contest and enter. Good luck to all of our readers.

Check out the rules and conditions of the contest here.

Sign into Facebook and check out more and enter the contest here.

Finally the updates have arrived. While there are three ways to install the update on your phone, it’s all about how comfortable you are. I learned one thing, if you have quite the few apps on your BlackBerry, you might want to consider backing up and freshly install. Here’s the scoop…

The updates began rolling out to the BlackBerry devices on Monday in the later evening. One thing to keep note of, if you’re planning on doing the OTA install, please keep your app room in mind. I have so many apps that the update froze because of low app memory and I had to nuke and reinstall. I had to actually reinstall twice. A second time was necessary because of the phone app not installing on the phone. It was odd to me not to be able to receive or make calls. But it’s perfectly running now.

What does 7.1 bring to the Verizon Wireless handsets?

Device Features

• Device will no longer repeatedly indicate that new software has been installed.
• Device will no longer reset while connected to a charging source.
• Device displays the correct wireless service provider while making calls or
• sending text messages.
• While in a global roaming condition, connect to a previously registered CDMA
• network without experiencing lengthy search periods.
• Improvements in home screen responsiveness and reduced touch screen lockups.
• No longer experience delays in audio reception or unexpected call termination.
• Improvements in device stability during Push to Talk calls.
• Device will no longer restart unexpectedly when making a Push to Talk call to a
• newly created group.
• Improvements to audio quality during playback for audio files downloaded using
• the V CAST application.
• The zoom in and zoom out function on the browser application renders the
• page properly.
• When downloading an application, the device will display the correct number of
• bytes being downloaded.
• Device now supports Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS).
• Device now supports Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot (MHS).

Email & Messaging

• Duplicate text messages will no longer display in the Messaging application.
• Improvements in Visual Voice Mail.

I know that most of us were anxious for the hotspot to come to our BlackBerry devices. All in all, I have to admit that this new update is really nice. I have no complaints and love my BlackBerry even more. I still wish that Amazon’s Kindle app would be available, but I suppose you can’t win them all.

For the list of what the update brings, click here for the pdf

There are three ways to install the update. The first and easiest being OTA which you can find by going into Options/Device/Software Updates. The second being the over the web updating which you can use without the BlackBerry Desktop Manager. Open Internet Explorer on the pc, then you go to the BlackBerry Update page here, then click on update, the loader comes up, you connect your BlackBerry device, and it finds there’s an update, and installs. The third method is my preferred method (primarily because I like to “clean out” what I don’t use and remove it from the OS prior to install). The third method requires that you go to the Verizon Wireless update site here, and click on whether you need personal or enterprise, then download the OS to your PC (the instructions on the bottom half of the page), then run. The OS is now ready for you to install on your BlackBerry after you have run and installed the updated OS on the pc.

For more concise directions, read the directions pdf from Verizon Wireless with instructions and photos here.

Be sure and back up your device first. What’s your preferred updating method and why?

BBM Music has been a lot of fun. It’s a social app that allows you to listen to music, share music, grow your music library and more! It all connects through BBM, though your BBM Music friends don’t have to be your BBM Buddies. As of the 22nd, if you have one of the OS 7 handsets, the icon should appear on your BlackBerry. Check it out…

On Inside BlackBerry, BlackBerry has posted the following:

“With the release of BBM™ Music you can now listen to your favorite songs, share music with your BBM friends and even receive recommendations on new music you might be interested in right on your BlackBerry® smartphone¹. The best part of all is you can try BBM Music for free².! The length of the free trial will vary by carrier – so, check with your carrier for details!”

So since the 22nd, if you have service under BIS with any of the carriers listed, you should see a BBM Music icon. If you’re interested, click on it and it will take you to the BlackBerry App World to download. If you are on an Enterprise account (BES), the icon will be missing, and you will have to contact your BlackBerry administrator for assistance and permission. You can read more about it from Inside BlackBerry here.

What are the benefits and features of BBM Music?

• Create your music profile* from a catalogue of millions of songs and keep it fresh by swapping songs every month
• Make friends and listen to their music selections
• Play single songs or entire playlists created by friends. Listen to a giant playlist that includes all tracks from all your friends
• Create playlists that are all your own – using songs from all your friends’ profiles
• Post comments about your friends’ music and chat with them about music in real-time
• Discover what your friends are doing by watching the timeline – friends adding friends, new songs, playlists, comments
• Listen offline, while not connected to the wireless network (listen on subway, airplane, cottage, etc.)

Your profile contains 50 songs, but you can freshen them up monthly with 25 music song swaps. This is subscription based, however there is a free trial, the length of which depends upon your carrier. Although your profile can have up to 50 songs, you also have access to your BBM Music friends profiles, which allows you to grow your collection.

Download BBM Music from BlackBerry App World and check it out with the FREE music trial here

[via: Inside BlackBerry]

Right before the weekend, Sprint launched a nice little surprise for their Bold 9930 and Torch 9850 customers. Customers with the new Bold 9930 and Torch 9850 now have access to OS 7.1 which brings several upgrades, including the much-anticipated Portable Hotspot feature. We should also point out that this can be installed on ANY CDMA Bold 9930 or Torch 9850 simply by removing the vendor.xml, which means Verizon customers you haven’t been forgotten about unofficially.

As a precaution it’s important that you backup all data before installing this operating system. We should also point out that SocialScope is not yet compatible with OS 7.1, therefore if you love SocialScope, you may want to wait a little longer.

• Grab OS 7.1.0.163 from Sprint for the Bold 9930 or Torch 9850

Following AT&T’s announcement of the new BlackBerry 7 smartphones, T-Mobile USA has announced the launch of the BlackBerry 9810. The new Torch 9810 with BlackBerry 7 OS will be available from T-Mobile starting November 9th for $249.99 with two year term (after mail-in rebates).

T-Mobile Announces Upcoming Availability of the BlackBerry Torch 9810

T-Mobile USA Inc. today announced the upcoming availability of the BlackBerry® Torch™ 9810, the latest 4G BlackBerry smartphone to join America’s Largest 4G Network™. Powered by the latest BlackBerry 7 operating system and a 1.2 GHz processor, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 provides a fast and fluid premium smartphone experience. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 combines a brilliant 3.2-inch TFT VGA capacitive touch-screen display with a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard for a truly efficient and intuitive mobile communications experience.

Encased in a sleek and stylish form factor with a zinc grey color finish, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 is equipped with essential smartphone features, including access to BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger), personal and corporate e-mail, and social networking applications; a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recording; and access to BlackBerry App World™ for downloading premium applications and games.

The BlackBerry Torch 9810 is expected to be available in an exclusive pre-sale for T-Mobile business customers beginning today, November 2. The smartphone is expected to be available nationwide at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers and national retailers, and online at http://www.t-mobile.com starting November 9. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 is expected to cost $249.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate card, with a two-year service agreement and qualifying Classic voice and data plan.

It’s finally happened! AT&T has announced the three new BlackBerry 7 smartphones, including the Bold 9900, Torch 9860, Torch 9810 and Curve 9360. We are happy to report that the Bold 9900 and Torch 9860 will be launching on November 6th, followed by the Curve 9360 later in the month. Here’s a quick excerpt about availability and pricing:

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be available starting November 6 for $199.99 with a two-year contract online and in company-owned retail stores. The all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available online the same day for $99.99 with a two-year contract. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available for $29.99 with a two-year contract starting November 20 in company-owned retail stores and online. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available to business and government customers on November 14 while the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available in those channels starting November 7.

Check out the full press release below…

AT&T Unveils Broadest BlackBerry Portfolio

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and All-Touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 Smartphones Arrive for AT&T Customers on Nov. 6, New 3G BlackBerry Curve 9360 Hits Store Shelves Nov. 20

Dallas, Texas, November 01, 2011

Key Facts

• AT&T* today announced the price and availability of the BlackBerry^® Bold™ 9900, the all-touch BlackBerry^® Torch™ 9860 and the BlackBerry^® Curve™ 9360.
• AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of the latest 4G BlackBerry smartphones, including three models – the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860, and the previously-released 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810.  On AT&T’s 4G network, the three 4G smartphones are capable of speeds up to nearly four times the network speed capability of previous models.
• AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of BlackBerry smartphones at the best prices, ranging from $29 to $199, so customers can choose the best form factor for their needs at a great price.

BlackBerry Portfolio from AT&T

AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of BlackBerry® 7 -based smartphones, including three 4G models – the Bold 9900, the all-touch Torch 9860, and the previously-released Torch 9810, the first 4G BlackBerry smartphone from AT&T.  All 3 4G smartphones take advantage of AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ network to deliver network speeds nearly up to four times faster than most previous 3G BlackBerry smartphones.  In addition to the three 4G options, AT&T is also releasing the new BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone, which is a significant upgrade of the Curve series, and a great option for messaging-intensive and socially active consumers and business users.

All the new BlackBerry smartphones from AT&T support multitasking, so customers can send and receive messages or browse the web while on a telephone call on AT&T’s mobile broadband network.  They also follow global roaming standards so customers are able to enjoy international voice roaming in more than 220 countries and data roaming in more than 205 countries.

The complete portfolio allows customers to choose the best BlackBerry smartphone for their needs – whether it’s the premium touch QWERTY Bold 9900, the touch/ slider QWERTY Torch 9810, the all-touch Torch 9860, or the classic QWERTY Curve 9360. AT&T offers excellent pricing across the full portfolio so customers can choose the right BlackBerry form factor at the right price.

Full Suite of BlackBerry 7 Smartphones

Each of the new BlackBerry smartphones features BlackBerry 7 OS, a powerful evolution of the BlackBerry software. BlackBerry 7 OS delivers speed, efficiency and UI enhancements, and introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience.

BlackBerry 7 OS also includes the premium version of Documents To Go free of charge, BlackBerry® Balance to allow customers to fully experience work and personal features without compromising the IT department’s need for advanced security features, as well as voice-activated universal search, among other features.

BlackBerry Bold 9900

The new, premium BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone is distinguished by its iconic Bold design and delivers best-in-class productivity for people who want the industry’s leading full QWERTY keyboard while enjoying the convenience of a touch screen.  The thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever at just 10.5 mm, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 boasts 4G speeds, a brilliant 2.8-inch touch screen, 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics™ technology, which delivers a highly responsive touch interface with incredibly fast and smooth graphics, 768 MB RAM, 8GB of onboard memory (that you can expand to a total of 40 GB with a 32 GB media card), HD video recording and dual-band Wi-Fi®.

BlackBerry Torch 9860

The BlackBerry Torch 9860 smartphone is AT&T’s first all-touch BlackBerry smartphone and delivers the largest screen on any BlackBerry. The 3.7-inch display makes your photos, videos, games and apps come to life in incredible detail for a rich multimedia experience. Similar to the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the all-touch Torch BlackBerry smartphone also boasts 4G speeds, a 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics technology, 768 MB RAM, and HD video recording.

BlackBerry Curve 9360

The new BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone is slim, stylish and ergonomically designed with a comfortable keyboard for fast, accurate typing and an optical trackpad for easy, one-handed navigation. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 features a 2.44-inch hi-resolution display and includes a 5MP camera with flash and video recording so that memories can be captured and instantly shared on social networks.  Customers will welcome the increased productivity and enhanced user experience delivered by the faster processor, increased memory, and up to 2x the network speed of previous BlackBerry Curve models from AT&T.  A non-camera version will also be available for purchase.

Price and Availability

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be available starting November 6 for $199.99 with a two-year contract online and in company-owned retail stores. The all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available online the same day for $99.99 with a two-year contract. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available for $29.99 with a two-year contract starting November 20 in company-owned retail stores and online. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available to business and government customers on November 14 while the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available in those channels starting November 7.

Quotes

“Our BlackBerry enthusiasts will welcome these three new BlackBerry smartphones to AT&T’s premium smartphone lineup – the new BlackBerry Bold 9900, all-touch Torch 9860 and Curve 9360,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “From new and improved versions of BlackBerry classics to AT&T’s first-all touch BlackBerry smartphone as well as 4G models, our leading suite of BlackBerry smartphones has something for everyone – government, business and everyday consumers – at the best prices available in the market.”

4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul.  Not available everywhere. Deployment ongoing.  Compatible device and data plan required.  Learn more at att.com/network.

Important Information: Limited-time offer.  Coverage not available in all areas. Two year agreement with qualifying voice plan and a minimum $15 a month smartphone data plan required.  Smartphone data plan requirements differ for CRU customers. Subscriber must live and have a mailing address within AT&T’s owned wireless network coverage area. Up to $36 activation fee applies. Equipment price and availability may vary by market and may not be available from independent retailers. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days, but up to $35 restocking fee may apply to returns; thereafter up to $325. Some agents impose additional fees. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See contract for details.  Sales tax calculated based on price of unactivated equipment.

International Roaming: Activation of international service may be required.  International roaming apply outside the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S.V.I. Visit att.com/worldpackages and select Packages to view rates and available discount plans. Restrictions apply. Coverage, service and features while roaming are not guaranteed.  International roaming pay-per-use rates apply in countries outside the roam zone.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Sprint announced yesterday that the BlackBerry Curve 9350 is now available. The new BlackBerry Curve brings an ultra thin design, full QWERTY keyboard, 5.0 megapixel camera with flash, and the new BlackBerry 7 OS. You can pick up the new Curve from Sprint for $49.99 with a two year voice and data plan. For details head to Sprint.com.

There has been a ton of rumors on the interent as to when Verizon will officially launched the BlackBerry Torch 9850. Verizon has officially announced the new all touch Torch is launching this week (Sept 8th) online, and will be available in most stores on September 15th. In case you needed a quick refresh here are the key specs (from Verizon) of the new Torch 9850:

• 3G coverage on the nation’s most reliable network
• 3.7-inch high-resolution touchscreen display (800 x 480) with trackpad navigation
• 1.2 GHz processor
• Global Ready™ – Quad band with support for UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS and EDGE allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries, including more than 95 with 3G speeds
• 5-megapixel camera with flash and 720p HD video recording capabilities
• Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and Bluetooth® 2.1
• 16 GB microSD™ card pre-installed, with support for up to 32 GB microSD card

Verizon Wireless Introduces BlackBerry Torch 9850 Smartphone

BlackBerry Torch 9850 to be Available on the Nation’s Most Reliable Network

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless today announced the new BlackBerry® Torch™ 9850 smartphone will be available online atwww.verizonwireless.com on Sept. 8, and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on Sept. 15.

Watch videos, play games and stay productive on the largest display and highest resolution on a BlackBerry smartphone to date. Powered by the new BlackBerry® 7 operating system, customers can enjoy the next generation BlackBerry browser with optimized zooming, panning and HTML 5 performance. BlackBerry® Balance is now integrated, allowing secure access to business information while preventing it from being copied into, sent from or used by personal applications. Customers can stay connected to their personal and business lives while in or out of the office.

Key features:

• 3G coverage on the nation’s most reliable network
• 3.7-inch high-resolution touchscreen display (800 x 480) with trackpad navigation
• 1.2 GHz processor
• Global Ready™ – Quad band with support for UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS and EDGE allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries, including more than 95 with 3G speeds
• 5-megapixel camera with flash and 720p HD video recording capabilities
• Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and Bluetooth® 2.1
• 16 GB microSD™ card pre-installed, with support for up to 32 GB microSD card

BlackBerry 7:

• Liquid Graphics™ technology combines a dedicated high-performance graphics processor with a blazingly fast CPU and stunning high-resolution display to deliver a responsive touch interface with incredibly fast and smooth graphics.
• Premium version of Documents To Go is now included at no additional cost, offering customers enhanced document editing features, as well as a native PDF document viewer.
• The newest release of BBM™ (BlackBerry Messenger) now extends the real-time BBM experience together with a range of apps including gaming and social networking.
• Updated Social Feeds app has been extended to capture updates from media, podcasts and more, all in one consolidated view.
• Universal search capability now supports voice-activated search, allowing customers to simply say what they want to find on their device or the Web.
• BlackBerry Balance administrator can remotely wipe business information from the device while leaving personal information intact.

Pricing and availability:

• BlackBerry Torch 9850 smartphone will be available for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Customers that purchase a BlackBerry Torch 9850 smartphone will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 has been available in Canada for a couple weeks now, but in the United States most are still patiently waiting, until now. T-Mobile has just announced the new Bold 9900 is now available online and in most of their stores. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 will run you $299 with two-year contract or $599 without contract. You can check it out and get all the details on T-Mobile’s website. Next we hope to see AT&T launch the new Bold 9900, so stay tuned.