At first, this didn’t seem like the most natural fit (BlackBerry users tend to be businesspeople, not Facebook’s primary audience), but the application is pretty awesome for all BlackBerry-wielding Facebook users out there.
Facebook for BlackBerry has really tight integration with the BlackBerry operating system, so many of the features “fit right in” with the rest of the device. For example, when you get a new notification sent to your BlackBerry (which is customizable) you get a notification icon on the top of the BlackBerry home screen, just like the current new voicemail or new message icons. It shows a little “F” when you have a new message. Great stuff.
You can even upload photos from the BlackBerry device’s memory straight to Facebook.
From BlackBerry’s site:
Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones
Hooked on Facebook®? Now you can take Facebook with you on your BlackBerry® smartphone wherever you go and stayed logged in as long as you want. Download this free application today and take connecting with your friends to a whole new level.
With Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones, you have wireless access to:
- Home screen notifications — so you know right away when you have a new Facebook event like a wall post, message or poke
- The full text of new messages or wall posts, new photo tags and friend requests. Plus send your own messages, wall posts, pokes and friend requests
- Your Facebook status and the Facebook status of your friends — change yours from the road!
- All of your Facebook contacts
- Photo-sharing — simply snap a picture with your BlackBerry smartphone’s camera*, then post it to Facebook with one click. Even tag friends in photos
- The Facebook environment you’re already familiar with, optimized for your BlackBerry smartphone
Popularity: 85% [?]
I think people are now starting to not only take notice of mobile web browsers, but actually demand more from them. This may be partly due to the iPhone and its commercials talking about “not just the mobile internet, but the actual internet.”
I love GMail. It is powerful, easy to use, and just works. This is pretty much the same thing with the free GMail application for BlackBerry. Once installed, you just log in with your Google Account or GMail address. It will sync everything with your GMail account.
I started using the Google Notebook plugin for Firefox when it was launched some time ago. It is really useful for grabbing little notes from sites as you wander the internet (or World Wide Web, for those of you still on CompuServe.) I found the limitation to Google Notebook was that you had to be at your computer to use it. This has been solved with the mobile version.
This is what I have been waiting for since I got my first BlackBerry — the ability to sync your calendar remotely. I realize that this feature has been around for many corporate users with the BlackBerry Exchange Server, but for us lowly BIS users, the view has been much more bleak. Prior to this addition from Google, I would sync my BlackBerry calendar with my Apple iCal, and then have to set up iCal to sync with Google Calendar. This was a not the most glamourous way to keep my appointments in order, for sure.
This is the one program that I use on my BlackBerry 8800 most often (which is several times a day.) This is pretty much a full version of Google Maps scaled down to your BlackBerry. The best part is that it uses your integrated GPS receiver if you have one, making this an incredibly powerful tool. Because of Google Maps for BlackBerry, I do not currently have a GPS in my car. I can find where I am going just with this app.
arrows on the right). Here’s why we’re so worked up about GPS:
The first in a series of applications from Google to feed my BlackBerry/Google addictions — Google Mobile Search. This puts a Google Search icon on your BlackBerry that is the fastest way to search Google. Rather than have to wait for the Google homepage to load, this directly submits your search to Google.
This is probably the best mobile application suite from one of the best companies around — Google. If you are like the rest of the Google-using world, you probably want access to your GMail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, etc. Now you can have it.