FlipSide is an MP3 player program by Electric Pocket. It’s available for most Blackberry and Windows Mobile smartphones. I got a chance to test out the BlackBerry version on my BlackBerry Curve and Pearl.

Install was quick and easy. You put in your activation key and you’re off to the races! It automatically scans your Blackberry’s memory card to find all your songs. Unfortunately, when it does the scan it slows down your device quite a bit. But once it knows what you’ve got, you can fly through your music like nothing!

Music is sorted alphabetically by Artist and Album. For example, it will show music like this

• Aerosmith – Big Ones
• Aerosmith – Permanent Vacation
• Bon Jovi – Cross Road
• Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet

Once you click on an album name, the songs are displayed either by track number if the ID3 tags are entered, or alphabetically if they are not.

Something I think is great is the album art feature. If you have the album art picture already in the folder on your memory card, it will display it. However if you don’t, not to worry! FlipSide has the ability to download the album art for you! All you have to do is press the menu button and choose “Find Album Art”. Of course, your MP3 file has to be properly tagged with the song information so it has something to go by. Often times, it doesn’t get the proper picture. I guess it’s just a matter of making sure their database is up to date and accurate. I’m sure it will be fixed in time.

Sound quality is great. The songs are nice and clear and it can go pretty loud. It would be nice if you could adjust the EQ in the options, but for the music I listen to it doesn’t make too much difference. Another thing, is you have to be in the player window if you want to adjust the volume. So if you need to quickly turn down your music if you’re playing Brickbreaker, you have to switch application to FlipSide to do so. The built in player is able to turn down your music and switch songs from any screen. I’m sure that these 2 issues will be addressed in future releases.

I like the way it looks and operates. It’s a uniquely designed piece of software and it’s very appealing to the average user. I’ve seen some MP3 players that require a university degree to operate or load up with music. But FlipSide is seamless and very user-friendly.

Overall, I am pleased with this player. If you’re one of those Blackberry Addicts who loves to have their music on them at all times and doesn’t want to carry a bunch of gadgets, then FlipSide will definitely help make your Blackberry a “jack of all trades” that much more.

What Works

• Simple, easy to use interface with quick navigation
• Easy to get missing album art to jazz up your device’s music collection
• Quickly create playlists of your favourite songs

What Doesn’t Work

• Unable to control volume from another screen, must be in player
• Causes device to lag badly when new media has been added and you try to use player
• Not much customization in options (ie: Equalizer, skins, etc)

My rating – 9/10

If you’d like to give FlipSide a try, you can download a free trial version in the BlackBerry Sync Store. If you love it and want to make it your own, it’s only $19.99 and can be purchased at the BlackBerry Sync Store as well.

Also, if you’ve used this player and would like to share your experiences or need some help with anything, check out our forums and tell us your stories.

Boy Genius got his hands on the BlackBerry Bold to review. The Bold that BGR reviewed is actually a production unit! the reviews talks about everything from design to build quailty to call quailty and the software. One of favorite parts is the HTML browser which he snapped some pics of. Check out the review over at Boy Genius Report.

The folks from OtterBox messaged me the other day and reminded me that I haven't posted a review yet for my BlackBerry Pearl 2 OtterBox case. This time instead of writing the review after a few days I decided to put the case threw a test for a month or so. Check out how the case performed…

If you remember we gave a few of these cases away and every single person we gave them to had positive things to say about them! Over the past three weeks I've been using the OtterBox case on my Pearl and I must say after a night on the town the case sure took a beating. The OtterBox cases are designed with three layers of protection:

• 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).

Now because the case does make your BlackBerry a little bigger it does come with its own durable Plastic Holster with the magnet for standby mode and locking (just like the OEM ones). Check out our pictures of the OtterBox case a few drops and bumps.

 

You can purchase the OtterBox Defender Case for the BlackBerry Pearl 8110, 8120 and 8130 for only $49.95 USD. The case is available in either all Black or Black/Yellow combo. You can purchase the case at OtterBox. Also while shopping over at OtterBox don't forget to check out their Avon Breast Cancer Crusade cases designed for the Apple iPod Nano and iPhone.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Where did the OtterBox loose points? Although the OtterBox is designed to bring lots of protection we do find the case a little too bulky for everyday use. The price is around $50 dollars which some people may find high, however you will understand why once you see the case. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Motorola has always been a favorite for me in the Bluetooth selection. I've been testing the mid-range Motorola H680 Bluetooth headset for just over a month now. This headset features a tiny little body with a unique magnetic charging dock. Click on over to see what I think of this headset.

Motorola says the H680 is about half the length of a tube of lipstick and is a stylish, petite and lightweight headset. How does it pair up to other headsets?

SIZE: Starting off myself I find the smaller the headset the better. I'm not a big fan of bigger headsets such as the Jawbone.

BUTTONS: The H680 only has three buttons (answer, volume up/down) and a on/off switch. All the buttons are a good size and you don't get confused by too many buttons.

SOUND: Even though the H680 doesn't feature "enhanced noise cancellation" it sounds pretty good. Most people couldn't tell I was on a headset when I was in my car.

FIT: This headset has a plastic band that wraps behind your ear and remains secure. I don't notice any issues with the headset falling off, which is good.

CHARGER: The H680 doesn't have a charger port build into the earpeice itself instead the kit includes a magnetic charging dock with a micro USB wall charger.

PAIRING: Pairing this headset was simple if you follow the directions. You simply hold the answer key and turn the headset on.

PRICING: This headset is a great value costing around $79.99 CAD/USD.

OTHER DETAILS:

Dimensions: 41 mm x18 mm x 12 mm
Weight: 12 grams
Battery Talk Time: up to 8 hours (approx.)
Standby Time: Over 8 days (approx.)

OVERALL: I'm pleased with this little headset. It's a great size and sounds fine for my use. If I was in more of a noisy area it might not be perfect but it certainly gets by in my books. The price is possibly the best part of this headset. I would recommend this headset to anyone looking for a great basic headset.

RATING: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Motorola H680 Website