Why I chose the BlackBerry Torch 9800 over the Bold 9780

If anything is perfectly clear, when it comes to me and my BlackBerry preferences, one thing is abundantly clear... I am not a fan of touch screens. In fact, you could say I dislike touch screens.

So the simple question is, seeing as my Torch arrived today (well at least I believe it has (I am in Melbourne at the moment, and it arrived at the Brisbane office today, and I won't get to confirm this, until Friday evening), is .... why?

If you follow me on twitter, you know my perfect BlackBerry device is one with the qwerty keyboard; the type RIM has spent so much time (and no doubt money) perfecting. And that is not a term taken lightly. But I simply haven't come across a better mobile device keyboard, that I can thumb out emails, tweets, etc more efficiently.

I recently purchased a Torch, but that was for my wife (she served out her apprenticeship on a 9630 Tour), and what I can say, is she took to the Torch, like a duck to water, and it is quite impressive to watch her put the Torch through its paces. But she mainly prefers the touch screen.... almost always ignoring the keyboard.

Now my day to day job is an International Business Manager for a global training company, which specialises in time management, workload management, project management and productivity training. One of our signature programs is Working Smart with BlackBerry (http://www.prioritymanagement.com.au/training/time-management/blackberry), and one that fellow BlackBerry Alliance Members have started taking notice of. The reason? Well, there are phones out there which are more personal devices but have some business tendencies...... and most are touch screens. And there are decision makers out there who prefer the touch screen devices. Our training provides the BlackBerry user with a solid grounding in not only the functionality of the BlackBerry device, but more importantly, how they can save significant time, and plan their days more effectively, by using the BlackBerry as their productivity tool. And a happy BlackBerry user will not have to look elsewhere at other devices. So now, I have fellow BlackBerry Alliance Members starting to refer their clients to myself and Priority Management.

Invariably, during meetings, there will be, as a general rule, BlackBerry users and other devices (touch screens) are normally present.... how to bridge the gap with both? Quite simply, the BlackBerry Torch covers the ground beautifully.

For the touch screen device user, the Torch touch screen walks the walk (and remember, the Torch was specifically designed to operate as 1. a touch screen device only, 2. a keyboard device only. and 3. a combination of both) so we have that type of user covered. For the traditional BlackBerry user (or other lesser keyboard devices) slide out the Torch's keyboard, and let your thumbs do the talking (of interest, apart from the raised lips around the keyboard, the Torch's keyboard is a dead ringer for the Bold 9700's keyboard, and that, my friends, is a good, no, great thing).

So for business, networking and to support our position as a BlackBerry Alliance Member, the BlackBerry Torch 9800 was the most appropriate BlackBerry device, and the Bold 9780 became an also ran.

And that is why a new BlackBerry Torch 9800 arrived for me today (not that I can get my hands on it until Friday evening).

TferThomas

BlackBerry Users: how do you connect with others? Paying It Forward

I love it when I can connect with other BlackBerry users, regardless of where they geographically are, what level of usage they use their BlackBerry, or their level of experience.

I connect with BlackBerry users via the following sites (of course non BlackBerry users can also connect with me):
• Twitter (http://twitter.com/TferThomas)
• Facebook (http://facebook.com/TferThomas)
• BlackBerry Messenger (255B9281)
• FriendFeed (http://friendfeed.com/TferThomas)
• LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasskennerton)
• Xing (http://xing.com/TferThomas)
• Tumblr (http://tumblr.com/TferThomas)
• Blip.fm (http://blip.fm/TferThomas)

The good thing is most of these sites are available right from your BlackBerry, which is what I am all about...sharing the love about the BlackBerry way of getting things done, and paying it forward to anyone who needs assistance/advice/or even an ear or shoulder.

I enjoy the real satisfaction, a warm glow, when someone asks for BlackBerry advice, or if one of my friends introduces me to another BlackBerry user.

But I am not alone on this. No, my findings are crystal clear and validated, and the verdict has been reached; BlackBerry users, generally speaking, are a helpful bunch, and love nothing more than to be able share their BlackBerry knowledge, jump in and help out one of their own, or give their opinions to all and sundry regarding BlackBerry experiences.

I love it, and so glad to be part of this intriguing bunch!

So if I can help you, if you would like to share something with me, or even connect with me on multiple sites, please do, and together we can pay it forward.

Love the BlackBerry.

Marriage and my best friend

Here I am, on yet another flight (I do on average at least 4 a month, and have done so for the past 13 months), and take this golden opportunity to write another post (or pen to paper, as I like to refer to writing blog posts).

This weekend marks one of the rarer moments in my normal home surroundings... my wife was away for the weekend. She has taken a well deserved short break back home in Fiji, and this is a break I know she sorely needed.

My normal calendar month at work consists of two consecutive weeks in our Melbourne office and the balance in our Brisbane office (Priority Management http://prioritymanagement.com.au). Apart from a fair bit of travel, I spend two working weeks away from my wife. Luckily, Priority Management is forward thinking and caring enough to send me home for the middle weekend, to be with her.

I came home last Thursday night, in order to spend a night with my wife, prior to driving her to the airport Friday morning for her flight to Fiji. That night, I came home to an empty house, and this is the rare moment: I would spend the weekend in the house alone.

I refer to our home as the "house" simply because one of the main reasons it is my home is because of my wife.

My wife is Fiji-Indian and I believe true to her heritage, beliefs and upbringing. Apart from being breath takingly gorgeous, she carries herself in almost a regal sense, and for me, she lights up my world.

That said, she has strong opinions and is always totally upfront with me, no matter what. And this can be a little confronting at times, but for me, providing I keep this in mind, ensures the strong conversations can take place, solutions or negotiations can be worked through, without fear of retrospective actions, and never a grudge to be held. Certainly, I am thankful that emotional blackmail is not a part of our relationship or marriage.

She is a self made woman, who has made her mark on this world, without a man by her side (apart from her father, who left this world around 3 years ago, prior to my coming onto the scene), and really, owes no one, anything. Words can't really do justice to my respect for what she has achieved, and for me, she is my daily inspiration.

As a woman who is herself, she didn't enter our relationship as someone who was needy, or dependent; rather, first and foremost, we were able to develop a friendship and love based on two individuals who chose to come together in a relationship, but also, neither of us losing our sense of self.

Not only is she my wife, but also very clearly, my best friend. And that makes me one very lucky and blessed guy.

This weekend (that I just spent alone), made it perfectly clear just what value she adds to our home life, and how the sum of all she does and I do, and all of our interactions, turn the "house" into our "home".  And yes we have been texting, calling and skyping, but the spontaneity of the simple happenings and interactions are missing.

I am very lucky and fortunate to be a part of a deep friendship and a truly positive relationship with my partner; to be married to my wife is a place second to nothing else here on this earth.

The weekend has served me well; it has reminded me of just how lucky I am, and what a great life I live. And my wife's singular importance won't be forgotten.

Some time saving small applications on my BlackBerry Bold

My last blog post was all about my Social and Business Networking from my BlackBerry, and all this used fairly big memory hogging applications installed...both a necessity and a blessing.
Now, I would like to cover off a few much smaller applications that increases the BlackBerry Bold's efficiencies.
Theses applications aren't flashy, but are extremely effective in what they do, and they all do their thing, really well. It should also be noted, quite a few of these applications don't even have an icon to speak of (their application resides in the menu), and certainly none of these appear in my home screen. Without them though, I would be a little bit frustrated and nowhere near as productive.
So, in alphabetical order:

•Anagram:
A simple free application (it competitor is the pay for "Gwabbit") that captures the data contained within an email signature and assembles it into either a new contact or updates an existing contact, in your address book. Perhaps it does need a few more steps than Gwabbit, but it is free and for me, works quite well.

•AppInfoRevealed:
This application advises you of the version you are running of a particular application you are currently in (does not work with all applications mind)

•BatteryBooster:
This one is considered to be a bit controversial, as some BlackBerry users think it works, and others firmly do not. I think it does work, and approximately adds one hour to the life of my battery, which for me, is brilliant.

•BerryAddon:
A simple application that enables a whole range of things to "work" such as call blocking, vibrate and ring at the same time, logging calls to your calendar, prompting to save phone numbers not in your address book etc. I use BerryAddon to log my calls.

•CaptureIt:
Basically it does what the name implies; captures a screen shot of your BlackBerry onto your SD Card (that's where I got the included screen shots from)

•ForwardWithEdit
Ever had an email that you wanted to forward to someone else, but perhaps remove some details first? Well, this is what ForwardWithEdit does, just remember it won't forward attachments.

•LaterDudePro:
From my good friend @FabianMH comes a really neat application that gives you a prompt after missing a call to remind you by a number of different methods, to action it at a later time/date.

•LedReset:
Occasionally you will have a random LED flash, for no apparent reason, and this application simply sorts that annoyance out.

•MagicMail:
Do you send regular "similar" emails from your BlackBerry? Would a template or number of templates make things easier? If so, look no further. Although you have to set up the templates yourself, once done, it is amazing how many emails in very little time, you can thumb out.

•MemoryUp:
Again, similar to BatteryBooster, another controversial application. With applications like the new BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 weighing in at 2.4mb, SocialScope, Facebook, Viigo, SugarSync and BlackBerry Application World each over 1mb, your BlackBerry memory can be a thing of the past. This attempts to continually free up memory. I don't have any hard evidence either way, of it effectiveness, but from a comfort level, I am happy for it to be installed.

•MessageSchedule:
Similar to LaterDudePro is what it tries to do. I am trialing it comparing the two, and then deciding.

•QuickLaunch:
When you start getting quite a few applications, your home screen starts overflowing with icons, and thus slow down finding an application you need. QuickLaunch alleviates this by creating a list of applications (you decide what is/isn't included in the list) accessible anywhere by the use of one of convenience keys. And...the list is key letter sensitive and organisable. It also contains a very handy device info screen (showing version of Operating System, memory, battery life, etc).

•SaveNumberAs:
My original prior to BerryAddon, but haven't had the heart to remove. Simply instead of using the native "save number" which always saves a number as business, this one, like BerryAddon, allows you select the type of number (work, home, mobile).

•TimelySMS:
Ever forgotten a friend's birthday? No more...load up a customised SMS and date and time activate it.

So there you go. A few applications that make my mobilised life on my BlackBerry Bold that much more efficient and time effective.

Hope this helps some of you.

Social networking / media direct from my BlackBerry Bold

Anyone who knows me, both personally or say on twitter, realise how attached to BlackBerry I am, and how much I rely on the BlackBerry to manage as much as possible, my social media/networking duties. What follows is the list of applications I regularly use to achieve all of this.
Row one, left to right:
• Messages:
What the BlackBerry does best. All of my 7 email addresses, google alerts, Facebook alerts, twitterlerts, meeting requests, etc all land.
• Calendar:
I have taken the bold step of combining all calendars (including Facebook) into the one calendar. For me, that equates to ease of referencing from the BlackBerry, and synced to Outlook.
• Address book (contacts):
All of my contacts, business and personal, are included here, even my BlackBerry Messenger contacts, and all synced to Outlook.
• Tasks:
My business life, right here, and again, synced to Outlook. At last count, I had 134 tasks spread over 6 months. Being an Account Manager for a time and workload management training company (Priority Management: http://prioritymanagement.comau/) means these tasks are the be all and end all critical part of my worklife, which frees up time for my social media/networking activities.
• MyListyPro:
My personal life, right here, with cloud computing, and soon to be connected to a web app as well, for your desktop/laptop. I find it easier to keep my personal & work related tasks separate, for now. I can share a task/list with someone else via email or BlackBerry PIN or even post to twitter.
• BlackBerry Messenger:
Of course, using BBM 5.0. The BlackBerry Messenger is like instant messaging but between BlackBerry devices, using the PIN (a combination of numbers and letters unique to each device) as the address. I have 143 contacts currently in my BlackBerry Messenger.
Row two, left to right:
• SocialScope:
I can use twitter more effectively and quicker on the BlackBerry with SocialScope than with any other application (including desktop clients). SocialScope also utilises the native BlackBerry shortcuts and auto-text. It also integrates with Facebook. No other twitter client in my opinion comes close.
• Viigo:
Awesome free RSS reader which in its fullest form, has an inbuilt twitter client and weather app. With Viigo, you can select websites to subscribe to, and post links from these, directly to twitter, Facebook, Delicious, or even email to yourself. I guess you could call Viigo the workhorse of my social networking/media strategy, with SocialScope being the racehorse.
• Facebook:
Accept friend, meeting/event requests, comment on your friends' status, receive and send Facebook emails, right here.
• Xing:
Similar to LinkedIn this is a world wide business networking site (http://xing.com/). Enough said.
• tumblr:
I have both a tumblr and posterous blog. I can post to either using email from my BlackBerry, or in the case of tumblr, this client, whether it is text, photo and text, quote, or links.
• SugarSync:
Recently updated to support BIS this application allows you to access files and photos etc from your PC/laptop from your BlackBerry. Very handy to aid with blogging. I purchased a 30gig plan.
Row three, left to right:
• Wicked Blogging App (wordpress):
This blog is of course on Blogger, but I have a parallel blog on WordPress, for the very reason so I can use the Wicked Blogging App. Again, ScreamingToaster uses cloud computing to keep the memory footprint low. Compared to the free WordPress app, Wicked is much more user friendly and flexible. You can share locations, meet new users, post to twitter and PIN message other BlackBerry users directly from this app. Blogger and TypePad support through Wicked is coming.
• DulyNoted Pro:
This is the third ScreamingToaster app on my BlackBerry, and yes, again, uses cloud computing. It too can post to twitter & share information via email or BlackBerry PIN. I use DulyNoted for my work in progress social media projects, as distinct to MyListy Pro. All three Apps integrate with each other, and will all soon be linked to a web app on your desktop/laptop (so my BlackBerry has five twitter clients).
• Browser:
(this is where I access fftogo (FriendFeedToGo) from and of course any worthwhile links I come across or are referred to. I really can't be bothered using a third party browser, as the native BlackBerry browser is perfectly adequate for my requirements.

• Twitterlerts:
Awesome app to conduct close to real time searches on twitter, using specific keywords. I can state here that I have paid it forward to a some BlackBerry users who were having issues of varying degrees, and we haven't previously met on twitter.
• Shazam:
Music forms a great background for me to blog with or when I am working on a project. If I hear a song I like, I can find it using Shazam, and even purchase it. Awesome for resurrecting that old '80's playlist ;)
• BlackBerry Application World:
here in Australia we only get access to the free apps, or apps that do have a free trial period, but it is a good place to keep an eye out for new BlackBerry apps, especially those which will boost my online experience, right from the BlackBerry.

I have other smaller, integrated apps that assist with my productivity and ensuring my BlackBerry experience is a very positive one, and one blog post soon, we shall go through these in detail.

I hope this helps someone out there...the BlackBerry really is a mobile workhouse, with a social media/networking tendency.

Enjoy!

Updating your BlackBerry device's firmware... what, why and how?

One of the first I do when taking delivery of a new BlackBerry, or when one of my friends or colleagues at Priority Management (http://prioritymanagement.com.au/) do, is to update the firmware.
The firmware, is the BlackBerry device's Operating System (or OS for short). Quite often, your new device has a version of the OS that has already been upgraded, but it just happens to be not on your BlackBerry. So why would you bother upgrading. Quite simply, an upgrade is an improvement over the last version (normally), whereby RIM may have tweaked battery life, reception, updating of a particular application, and/or the removal of any bugs that may have been in the last version. Usually, the upgrade contains little incremental improvements, but as any BlackBerry power user would attest, any little tweak, no matter how small, towards further refining and improving the BlackBerry experience, is always welcomed, and eagerly sought.
There are basically three ways you can find the new improved OS:
1. Set up a notification from your Carrier message, so you either get notified of the OS upgrade, by either SMS, email, or when you connect your BlackBerry to your laptop / PC via the BlackBerry Desktop Manager
2. Subscribe to one of the many BlackBerry forums (http://blackberryforums.com.au/, http://berryreview.com/, http://crackberry.com/, etc)
3. Search the internet.
Each BlackBerry has a different version of the OS so you really do need to pay attention to which one your BlackBerry runs (BIS users, go Options>About>3rd line displayed). Of the three BlackBerry devices, the following has been observed:
• BlackBerry Pearl (8100): v4.5 (you may still be running v4.2)
• BlackBerry Curve (8300): v4.5 (you may still be running v4.2)
• BlackBerry Bold (9000): v4.6
My BlackBerry Bold's OS is as follows:

BlackBerry® 9000
smartphone (3G, Wi-Fi)
v4.6.0.301 (Platform 4.0.0.245)
Cryptographic Kernel v3.8.5.50a
Branding Version: 1.0.122.129
Micro Edition Configuration: CLDC-1.1
Micro Edition Profile: MIDP-2.0
Micro Edition JTWI Version: 1.0
Micro Edition Media Version: 1.1
Micro Edition PIM Version: 1.0
Micro Edition File Version: 1.0
Micro Edition Bluetooth Version: 1.1
Micro Edition Location Version: 1.0.1
Micro Edition Security and Trust Services (APDU) Version: 1.0
WLAN Version: 2.4.0.91{16}
http://www.blackberry.com/
Copyright © 1997-2008
Research In Motion Limited.
All rights reserved.

You may also decide, in an endeavour to have the latest OS, to use another Carrier's OS, and not your Carrier's version. Prior to uploading onto your BlackBerry device, you need to ensure the vendor xml is removed first.
For instructions on how to upload your OS, please take a look at any of the previously mentioned BlackBerry forums for a comprehensive step by step guide.
So take a moment and check which version of OS you currently have installed, and see whether or not an upgrade may be warranted.

Enjoy,
Thomas

Handy apps to assist with my mobile BlackBerry productivity

It is no secret that I am working towards being able to do everything I need to from my BlackBerry.

For social/networking I use the following:
• SocialScope for twitter and Facebook (http://SocialScope.net or @SocialScope on twitter)
• Facebook application for BlackBerry
• Viigo for all my RSS feeds (http://getviigo.com or @Viigo on twitter)
• Bit.lify (URL shortener for BlackBerry directly from your menu)
• Snap2twitter
• Xing application for BlackBerry (http://xing.com or @xing on twitter)
• BrightBerry
• GyPSii (http://GyPSii.com or @GyPSii on twitter)

For blogging:
• WordPress Wicked App from ScreamingToaster (http://screamingtoaster.com or @Izabel_Idris_ST on twitter)
• Tumblr for BlackBerry
• Email for blogger (although ScreamingToaster are working on integrating blogger & Typepad blogs with their awesome application)
• SnapScreen or ZonaSnap (screen capturing)

Helpful business/productivity applications:
• Anagram (captures data from email signatures and adds into your contacts)
• Action Pad (currently in beta) replacing your original Memo Pad (not to be deleted though)
• Copy All: able to copy a complete email simply & quickly
• Save Number as: instead of the default saving number as work number, this one provides you with home, mobile or work options.
• Forward with edit: allows you to edit an email prior to forwarding onto someone else.
• Onto task: turns a received email into a task, which then in turn, synchronises with Outlook.
• Onto calendar: turns a received email into a calendar entry, which in turn, synchronises with Outlook.
• Remind Me Later: a simple added menu option to remind you of a call, SMS, email, appointment at a later time.
• Send Timely SMS: never forget an important anniversary ever again. Program in a message and time its delivery...set and forget.
• QuickLaunch: assign a hot key to quickly access the myriad of applications installed on your BlackBerry
• IntelliLaunch: a search function for anything that is stored in your BlackBerry whether it is the internal memory or on the SD Card. Also shows battery life and BlackBerry PIN
• MindBerry: mind mapping on your BlackBerry and exportable to your laptop/PC
• QuickPull: quickly and easily do a soft reset of your BlackBerry without having to complete a battery pull.
• WhatsApp: allows other who are connected to you to see if you are available, without having to ask (@WhatsAppInc on twitter).
• Google Maps: self explanatory.
• Vlingo: voice activation. You can create emails, SMS others, create tasks, remind yourself, call people, search for things, as well as post to twitter and Facebook, all of which activated by one hot key.

Inbuilt applications in the BlackBerry that may not be commonly used:
• AutoText: a simple way of creating words/phrases/signature panels/whole sentences simply by keying a couple of letters into an SMS, email, SocialScope, BlackBerry Messenger etc, and hitting the space bar (eg. "pif" becomes #payingitforward from my AutoText list)
• Tasks: anyone who practices the 4D's (delete, delegate, do it, & date activate) with time and workload management, would welcome the Task folder, which synchronises perfectly with Outlook.
• BlackBerry Messenger: a BlackBerry to BlackBerry (or PIN to PIN) messenging service: quick, simple and free. Like Instant Messaging, it requires other users to accept you as a contact.

This is the list of applications that I use on a daily basis... I haven't provided links to everything here, but as they say in the classics... google is your friend.

I hope it helps you also.

#followfriday: my twitter list

Followfriday is a phenomenon on twitter, and if you don't know about it, you are either very new to twitter, or have been living under a rock. Basically, #followfriday (the hashtag is to assist with search visibility) is a process whereby twitter users recommend some of their followers for others to follow ....a sort of #sharingthelove or #payingitforward in the twitterverse.

There are various ways people undertake #followfriday:

1. Mass blanket list of recommended followers with no background;



2. Individual #followfriday recommendations with a tweet filled with why others should follow this person;



3. Group #followfriday tweets (eg. a BlackBerry group of twitterers)... this is the option I used;



4. Retweeting someone else's list; either as a way of saying thank you, or a self-promoting exercise by someone trying to increase their friends on twitter; or



5. Someone hijacking another's #followfriday tweet and turning it into their own (this is maninly a sefl-promoting exercise to increase friend numbers).

Now remember, I am not condemning, nor condoning any of the afore mentioned methods, as I respect an "each to their own" process here. But I am changing mine... and the reasons are simple.

Currently in my work, I commute between Brisbane and Melbourne (two capital cities on the eastern seaboard of Australia), and the half the commutes are undertaken on a Friday, usually smack in the middle of #followfriday, so therefore I place a huge amount of pressure on myself to not only respond to everyone else's tweets, but to get my #followfriday tweets out as well.

And so comes this blog post.... my #followfriday list recommendations. I will over time update the lists as my friends and followers evolve, but for now, this is the one.

Inspirational #followfriday twitterers:

• Sharon Hayes (http://twitter.com/SharonHayes)
• Sasha (http://twitter.com/SashaKane)
• Ariaa Jaeger (http://twitter.com/AriaaJaeger)
• Shonika Proctor (http://twitter.com/teenbizcoach)
• Kimyon (http://twitter.com/THEDIAMONDCOACH)
• Naina Redhu (http://twitter.com/Naina)
• Reg Sadler (http://twitter.com/Zaibatsu)
• Donnette Davis (http://twitter.com/Donnette)
• Marcome (http://twitter.com/MARCOME)
• Shelly Kramer (http://twitter.com/ShellyKramer)
• Wayne Mansfield (http://twitter.com/WayneMansfield)

Good friends #followfriday:

There are my good friends who don't fit into my allotted categories....yet, and perhaps they never will, but one thing I know, they are there for me when I need them, and I am there for them:

• Alf Welch (http://twitter.com/whitsundays)
• NicoleJensen (http://twitter.com/NicoleJensen)
• Kathleen Joy (http://twitter.com/kissability)
• Kath Juestel (http://twitter.com/Nana_Mex)
• Shonah Kennedy (http://twitter.com/MissShonah)
• DINA (http://twitter.com/_DINA)
• Burcu Akyol (http://twitter.com/burcuakyol)
• Kamla Bhatt (http://twitter.com/kamla)
• Priya Florence (http://twitter.com/PriyaFlorence)
• Collin McKenny (http://twitter.com/FijiLomalagi)
• Ronald (http://twitter.com/Mossyy)
• Anna Johnston (http://twitter.com/AnnaJ31)
• Chris Cotter (http://twitter.com/CotterHUE)
• Rahul Sah (http://twitter.com/rahulsah)
• Howard Bowling (http://twitter.com/Howard74)
• Bob John Bear (http://twitter.com/BearBob)
• Tyler Rear (http://twitter.com/lifroc)
• Brooke (http://twitter.com/spkspanglish)
• Just call me Ted (http://twitter.com/Ted_Stiker32)
• JUST SAY (http://twitter.com/justsay)
• Ashlei Romero (http://twitter.com/ashleiromero)
• Michael Lang (http://twitter.com/CongoTwitt)
• Ryan (http://twitter.com/ryangerritsen)
• Nadia Linda Hole (http://twitter.com/AlohaMD)
• Trumaine Smith (http://twitter.com/Hollywood_Trey)
• Yvonne (http://twitter.com/vene2ia)
• Nurul Ambia (http://twitter.com/Nurul54)
• Selina Ray (http://twitter.com/Wayshower)
• Johannes Fridenstrom (http://twitter.com/fridenstrom)
• Anshree Singh (http://twitter.com/Anshree)
• Nicholas Rayner (http://twitter.com/aussienick)
• BlokesLib (http://twitter.com/BlokesLib)
• Dave Olsen (http://twitter.com/PheasantPhun)
• Chris (http://twitter.com/ScooterWrecker
• mcangeli (http://twitter.com/mcangeli)
• Jo Hart (http://twitter.com/JoHart)
• Bestcamdance.com (http://twitter.com/bestcamdance)
• niva (http://twitter.com/proxy_man)
• Blanca (http://twitter.com/Blanquis26)

iPhone friends/sparring partners #followfriday:

These are my iPhone friends (can a passionate BlackBerry user/abuser ever be friends with an iPhone user? Well, of course he/she can, and I am):

• Mara Gordon (http://twitter.com/MaraBG)
• Laurie (http://twitter.com/Loz62)
• Ed Sullivan (http://twitter.com/edo_au)
• Shelly Terrell (http://twitter.com/ShellTerrell)
• Ahmad Nassri (http://twitter.com/ahmadnassri)
• Malvin Latief (http://twitter.com/ascorve)
• Paul Zammit (http://twitter.com/pawl03)

BlackBerry #followfriday legends:

These probably are my core group of twitter friends, mainly because they too are very passionate about BlackBerry devices, they are mobile (so are on twitter a lot of the time), and they are truly a helpful and friendly bunch (just don't rubbish the BlackBerry without having very good evidence on your side) (in no particular order):

• Giulia (http://twitter.com/ItalyBerryGirl)
• Nathalie (http://twitter.com/PinkBerryGirl)
• Kathy Hopkinson (http://twitter.com/khopkinson)
• Paul Rasmussen (http://twitter.com/Paul_Rasmussen)
• Matt (http://twitter.com/casus_belli)
• Aniya (http://twitter.com/TheEngTeacher)
• Dan Kemble (http://twitter.com/kemblepdx)
• Fabian Heuwieser (http://twitter.com/FabianMH)
• Nan Palmero (http://twitter.com/nanpalmero)
• Mark Ruddock (http://twitter.com/RuddockMH)
• CiderGuru (http://twitter.com/CiderGuru)
• Pedrito (http://twitter.com/sirpedro83)
• Jason Anderson (http://twitter.com/jasonlanderson)
• MissCindyBabyyy (http://twitter.com/MissCindyBabyyy)
• Virgil83 (http://twitter.com/Virgil83)
• Febiandi (http://twitter.com/febiandi)
• Gary Brant (http://twitter.com/garybrant)
• Nanda Aditya (http://twitter.com/NandaAditya)
• Monica (http://twitter.com/Monicks)
• Izabel Idris (http://twitter.com/Izabel_Idris_ST)
• EvilBlade (http://twitter.com.com/evilbladeuk)
• SocialScope (http://twitter.com/SocialScope)
• Tungle (http://twitter.com/TungleRocks)
• Viigo (http://twitter.com/Viigo)
• GadgetGirl28 (http://twitter.com/Gadgetgirl28)
• Mark Bowden (http://twitter.com/JMarkyBB)
• Mark Clapham (http://twitter.com/Fevberry)
• Zoe Earp (http://twitter.com/zoelearp)
• G Style Magazine (http://twitter.com/GStyleMagazine)
• Melina Taylor (http://twitter.com/mixd_ladee)
• Cecilia Guerrero (http://twitter.com/cecig22)
• Denise Heng (http://twitter.com/Sn0wrose)
• Christine Cattaneo (http://twitter.com/chriscattaneo)
• Pinswap (http://twitter.com/pinswap)
• Daytripper67 (http://twitter.com/DayTripper67)
• Angela Reid (http://twitter.com/aug1698)
• Cydni Ambrosio (http://twitter.com/ChardonnayLuvs)
• Barry Dunn (http://twitter.com/barryjdunn)
• Monica (http://twitter.com/bbgeekchick)
• Emma (http://twitter.com/iRockaBerry)
• Bla1ze (http://twitter.com/videos4BB)
• Aniya (http://twitter.com/AniyaBerry)
• BlackBerryChick (http://twitter.com/BlackBerryChick)
• BerryReview (http://twitter.com/BerryReview)
• Christopher Ray (http://twitter.com/inhabitedvoid)
• Life_Today (http://twitter.com/Life_Today)
• Samuel JJ Sanders (http://twitter.com/samuels)
• Kriti Arora (http://twitter.com/KritiA)
• Dominic (http://twitter.com/d3athly)
• Alessandro Rovacchi (http://twitter.com/Bubino75)
• BlackBerry Rocks (http://twitter.com/BlackBerryRocks)
• Gayle ideaswoman.com (http://twitter.com/ideaswoman)
• Justin (http://twitter.com/justiniiams)
• Angel (http://twitter.com/Berrygurl919)
• Christine (http://twitter.com/killtheex)
• Vitri Maulana (http://twitter.com/BerryVee)
• Torrie Rankins (http://twitter.com/TRankins24)
• Leah Chantelle (http://twitter.com/LeahChantelle)
• Luis Merlos (http://twitter.com/DonLuiG)
• Jennifer (http://twitter.com/CoolBBThemes)
• xoticbeauty (http://twitter.com/xoticbeauty)
• Mr Brayden of Style (http://twitter.com/wardrobeguy)
• Mike Cheung (http://twitter.com/mikecheung)
• Morena Azucar (http://twitter.com/MorenaAzucar)
• Cindy (http://twitter.com.com/CindyLeigh)
• Gary Brant (http://twitter.com/garybrant)
• Kathy (http://twitter.com/helloo_kitty)
• Bruce Burgess (http://twitter.com/BBICON)
• Alex Trinidad (http://twitter.com/TZduzit)
• Justin (http://twitter.com/BerryReporter)
• Yes (http://twitter.com/kkaarrggaaa)
• Daniel Sharpe (http://twitter.com/sharpie9)
• Marc Postle-Hacon (http://twitter.com/mpers)
• Luca Filigheddu (http://twitter.com/filos)
• Tom Whitby (http://twitter.com/tomwhitby)
• BBCrackman (http://twitter.com/BBCrackman)

So this is my #followfriday list.... I will no doubt realise this isn't a complete list and will make some adjustments as the upcoming weeks roll out.

I can wholeheartedly recommend any of these fabulous individuals. #payingitforward

Thomas

Having worldwide friends on twitter, and using twitter to revive a dead BlackBerry

The other night I was routinely doing a clean out of my BlackBerry Bold via the DeskTop Manager, removing a couple of applications that I no longer required, and loading one that I wanted to use again (you see some applications run hot and cold with me, and others, like Socialscope, Viigo, Google Maps, Wicked App and Tumblr, I never tire of).

The process seemed to go well, but I realised something must have gone awry when my Bold got stuck in a never ceasing reboot cycle...not a pleasant sight to behold...and this was at 9pm, on a week night.

So jumped straight into trusty google and conducted a search, as this has never happened to me with any of my previous 3 BlackBerry devices, and I really didn't know what to do.

Hmmm, this was going to take a while going through the search results. Hang on, it must be coming into the morning for the UK and Europe, so hunting through twitter, I wanted to find a couple of good experienced BlackBerry friends (thank goodness I follow as many BlackBerry users on twitter as I can) who may be able to assist, and sure enough Fabian (@FabianMH) and Rob (@evilbladeUK) had come online.

Trying a hard start (full battery pull for half an hour) didn't cut the mustard, but Fabian had quickly found the relevant links to both JL Commander (a Windows program to nuke your BlackBerry) and what to do with a continually cycling/rebooting BlackBerry, while Rob promptly found me instructions on how to push through the replacement OS via Windows DOS commands.

Now Fabian and Rob are very busy guys on twitter and elsewhere, but I was still able to get advice and encouragement staggered from both of them, which was just like having one person on call, just for you.

So then the process started at approximately 11pm that night, sitting in an office by myself, frustrated and bewildered, but with the comfort of knowing both Fabian and Rob not too far away (even though they were on the other side of the world)...the value of twitter being a real time communication and networking tool.

I came to a grinding halt with entering of the DOS commands, until I remembered something, an extra move required...on a Vista laptop, don't forget to right click and "run as administrator"...I lost half an hour, and almost lost what hair I have left.

It was a great sense of relief when the OS was pushed through to my crippled BlackBerry via Windows and not the DeskTop Manager, and then the Bold came to life...that in itself was a wait that seemed to last an eternity.

Yes I lost everything: data, contacts, 3rd party applications, settings...BUT I did something one day earlier which saved me a lot of time. Let me explain...

Nan Palmero (@NanPalmero) posted a blog about how to back up specific data etc via your DeskTop Manager, over and above what you would normally do with the standard automated back up...and I paid attention. More to the point, I acted on his suggestions. So I was able to retrieve I would suggest about 95% of what I lost.

Rob gave me one further piece of excellent information...a link to the BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 which I could not seem to locate.

So at 1am I headed to the apartment with a functional BlackBerry, SocialScope, Viigo and BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 added.

No dinner that night, but amazing lessons learnt. A big heartfelt thank you to Fabian, Rob and Nan...if you are a BlackBerry user and are on twitter...friend these three.

Now to pay it forward... If anyone wants more information as to the steps I used, the links that came in handy etc, let me know. I have learnt, and now in a position to share the love.

Working Sm@rt with BlackBerry... overcoming the digital deluge

One of the biggest concerns which is raised with me when someone is considering using a BlackBerry, is will the BlackBerry take over my life? And without the proper groundwork, training and implementation of that training, any device accessing email, internet and the like, can try to take your life over.



Priority Management (whom I work for in their Brisbane & Melbourne offices in Australia) have a very effective half day training program for BlackBerry devices, & it's called Working Sm@rt with BlackBerry.



In their words...



"If you have a BlackBerry, and have learnt the basics, we have the process for increasing your productivity.



We created this workshop in conjunction with Research In Motion when the world's largest distributor of BlackBerry devices wanted to train their employees to use this tool more effectively.



Graduates of this class maintain increased productivity and enhanced on the job performance by knowing how to match the right process and skill set when using their BlackBerry."



This half day training program is delivered either in a training room environment (for a group of individuals or a group from a specific company), or across the internet wherever in the world you are, via WebEx (as long as you have a computer accessing the internet and you have a landline.... you need to "play" with BlackBerry during the training).



For more information, check out Working Sm@rt with BlackBerry at Priority Management http://prioritymanagment.com.au/ or email me thomas.s@prioritybrisbane.com



Get your life back! Use the BlackBerry for what it is intended for.... a tool to assist your productivity.



Thomas

Working Sm@rter

During this time of general unrest towards financial stability and security, a lot of companies, corporations, government bodies, and organisations are considering employee reductions as a viable solution to counter slowing cashflow.

But is this the answer... maybe, but also, possibly not. Perhaps the solution is working smarter, increasing productivity, whilst not increasing costs. And Priority Management has the inside, intimate knowledge of time and workload management training... who else can free up on average 74 minutes per day per graduate of these programs?

Whether your email platform is based on Outlook, Lotus Notes or GroupWise, there is a training program that will enable you to work smart... and no additional software is required.

The training is based on the revision of the basic default view, in a way that puts your time back into your control, and not you being controlled by the inbox. Sounds too good to be true, and far to simple? But its the simplicity of the training that produces such profound differences to your day, and the increases in your effectiveness.

So, instead of culling your team, why not consider training as part of your solution, and be rewarded by more effective, higher productivity?

For more information on the programs offered by Priority Management, visit

http://www.prioritymanagement.com.au/

My thoughts and twitters,

Thomas