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Sunday, October 12, 2008

Canadian Democrats are Pro BitTorrent and Against Throttling

Written by Ernesto

Three days before the Canadian elections, the party leader of the New Democrats has spoken out in favor of BitTorrent sites, calling them “fundamental to democracy.” At the same time, isoHunt, the largest Canadian BitTorrent site advises its users not to vote for the Conservatives, considering their stance on copyright issues.

jack laytonJack Layton, leader of the Canadian New Democrats is a proponent of net-neutrality, and he believes that social networking sites, YouTube and torrent sites are great services that should be available to everyone.

In a direct message to our friends at p2pnet Layton stated: “Torrent sites [...] are actually very fundamental to making a democracy work, and to helping human intelligence to be shared and exchanged. It’s about as fundamentally democratic as you can get.”

In the video message Layton is very clear. Throttling people’s connections is not an option. The Internet should be open and equal to everyone.

“What we want to see is the Internet used as a public tool — a public tool for exchanging ideas and I particularly want to say that if we don’t fight to preserve it, we could lose it. We don’t want to see hidden fees and gouging and service slow-downs all in the interests of promoting the objectives of certain large corporations,” Layton says in his message to P2Pnet.

With his statement, he joins his fellow party member Charles Angus, who has spoken out against against ‘anti-piracy bills’ and in favor of Net-neutrality many times before. In an interview last June, for example, he said that the proposed three-strikes law is idiotic, and completely useless.

“It’s idiotic because as we see with the DMCA those that get accused of infringements lack the legal power that the corporations that are threatening them have,” Angus said. “So it’s always going to be a completely one-sided argument and if ISP’s are legally bound to cut you off after three claims of infringement, I think there are certainly problems.”

Based on their views on net-neutrality and copyright bills, the New Democrats seem to be the best party to vote for. Much better than the Conservatives at least, who are supporting ACTA and bill C-61. Unfortunately, many Canadians are planning to vote for the Conservative, as they are awfully close to a majority. This triggered isoHunt’s founder Gary Fung, who’s from Canada as well, to encourage his Canadian users not to vote for them.

On the frontpage of isoHunt Gary writes: “I know about 3.7 million Canadians visited isoHunt last month, which is more than 10% of Canada’s population. So I ask all who read this to tell your Canadian friends to not be a slacker and vote on Oct. 14. I don’t care which party you vote, just vote any party but the Conservatives.” In addition to this statement, all Canadian isoHunt visitors will now see the following message on top of the page, which leads them to Gary’s statement.

isoHunt’s message to Canadian voters

isohunt election

The New Democrats seem to be a good alternative to the Conservative party. However, towards the end of the video message Layton scared us a little by saying: “The Internet belongs to Canadians,” but we’re pretty sure he is trying to say that all Canadians should have equal access to the web.

Layton on torrent sites, copyright bills and net-neutrality
Original here

Anti-Obama Virus Hits Home

by Nina Shapiro barackobamabinladen.jpg
Obama, as the conspiracy theorists see him, taken from an anti-Obama Website

I was pretty surprised when I got an e-mail this morning from a friend who’s a sophisticated figure in the local music scene. The e-mail amounts to a long conspiracy theory meant to suggest that Obama has questionable Muslim connections who may have funded his college tuition and other endeavors. Then I got the same e-mail today from a Fort Lewis-based sergeant I know serving in Iraq. It begins like this:

“Around 1979 Obama started college at Occidental in California. He is very open about his two years at Occidental, he tried all kinds of drugs and was wasting his time but, even though he had a brilliant mind, did not apply himself to his studies. ‘Barry’ (that was the name he used all his life) during this time had two roommates, Muhammad Hasan Chandoo and Wahid Hamid, both from Pakistan. During the summer of 1981, after his second year in college, he made a ‘round the world’ trip. Stopping to see his mother in Indonesia, next Hyderabad in India, three weeks in Karachi, Pakistan where he stayed with his roommate's family, then off to Africa to visit his father’s family. My question — Where did he get the money for this trip?”

I had a hard time believing this paranoid rant came from the people I know and so I e-mailed them both to ask if they had sent it. I’m still waiting to hear from the sergeant but my friend in the music biz said absolutely not. Apparently it’s a virus (you can also find it on an array of Websites, including this one debunking it) and, in the last weeks of the election, it’s raiding the computers of some pretty different types of people.

Original here

6 Must Have Applications For Windows Mobile

These free programs will pimp up the abilities of your Windows Mobile.

The Core Pocket Media Player (Download TCPMP)
One of the most essential multimedia program for your Windows Mobile. This application will allow you to run almost any video and audio format on your Windows Mobile. The application also supports hardware acceleration in case you have a graphic card on your Windows Mobile. It definitely proves to be a better application than the Windows Media Player.




Opera Mini (Get OperaMini)
Opera Mini is a java based browser. This browser allows you to surf websites much easier as they are served you to in a mobile friendly format. The browser will solve issues of opening heavy websites on your windows mobile. Opera Mini is also available for other mobiles.



Agile Instant Messenger (Download Agile) [Not Free]
This all in one messenger allows you to connect with others much easier on your Windows Mobile. Agile Messenger has the ability to connect to Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ and Google Talk on your Windows Mobile. So if you are looking for an instant messenger for windows mobile then this is it. Agile Messenger is also available for other mobiles.




Pocket RAR (Download PocketRAR)
Pocket RAR is one of the best compression utility available for the Windows Mobile platform. With this utility you can open up RAR format files directly on your Windows Mobile. You can save lot of memory on your device with this utility.



UPX Compression Software (Download UPX)
UPX is another compression utility. However this is useful for compression the programs that you have installed on your Windows Mobile. Using UPX4PPC can enhance the performance of your Windows Mobile in case you have a number of Programs installed. Also it helps you save a lot of space on your Windows Mobile. This great utility is also available for PC.



PIM Backup Utility (Download PIMBackup)
This nifty tool will allow you to make backups of your contacts and other stuff on your memory card of Windows Mobile. Its handy in case your device gets corrupted and you want to restore your data.


Posted by : Tamish Mehra

Original here

Linux kernel 2.6.27 officially released

By Ryan Paul

Linus Torvalds announced yesterday on the Linux kernel mailing list the official release of Linux 2.6.27. This release includes some nice improvements and follows roughly three months after the release of 2.6.26.

This new version adds the ath9k wireless driver from Atheros, the gspca driver, which will significantly extend the number of webcam devices supported on Linux, a new function tracing framework and memory-mapped IO tracing tool that will simplify debugging, support for delayed allocation (a performance improvement) in the Ext4 filesystem, and UBIFS, a new filesystem designed for flash storage devices. Scalability got a boost in this release because of the lockless page cache feature and newly added support for systems with up to 4096 processors.

Additional Ext4 improvements, preemptible spinlocks, and support for syslets are areas of focus for upcoming releases, according to the Linux Foundation's Linux Weather Forecast.

The Kernel Newbies web site has additional details about the release. You can also check out the full changelog and download the patch (13.9 MB compressed) from kernel.org.

Original here

Real-Time BitTorrent Search Engines Expand

Written by Ernesto

‘Real-Time’ BitTorrent search engines are the trend of 2008, and new sites emerge every other week. It all started in January with the launch of YouTorrent, but soon after it went legal, other sites took over. We catch up with the founder of one of YouTorrent’s successors to find out more.

nowtorrentsThe “real-time” search approach YouTorrent introduced appealed to many users, and it is no surprise that most of the new meta-search engines that were inspired by it have been growing steadily. PizzaTorrent and NowTorrents serve hundreds of thousands of searches a day, and newcomers such as TorrentFly and the more basic looking Gpirate (not real-time) are picking up steam as well.

In March, we mentioned both PizzaTorrent and NowTorrents in our top 10 YouTorrent (meta-search) alternatives. Since then, a lot of things have changed, both in design and feature-wise. We decided to catch up with Godius, the founder of NowTorrents, to find out what’s happened since Spring.

“We recently re-coded and designed the whole website,” Godius told us. “The new site has a more user friendly layout and has a bunch of new features. For example it’s now possible to filter site-by-site results, filter keyword and categories, all in real-time. We also build a popular searches caching system, this has greatly improved loading times. And we added more personal search preference settings.”

One of the new features at NowTorrents (and Gpirate) is the BoxOffice listings. The MPAA probably won’t be too happy with such a feature, but the users love it according to Godius.

“We are planning to expand the BoxOffice torrents feature with a latest Games and Music Albums charts section. We have noticed that users greatly appreciate the BoxOffice section, so we feel that adding games and music charts will satisfy their needs even more. Many people don’t know what to search for; they just want to download the latest stuff that has just been released.”

BoxOffice torrents at NowTorrents

boxoffice bittorrent

Godius is not too worried about the MPAA showing up at his doorstep, as he told us: “Basically we are doing exactly what Google is doing only we do not list non-torrent related results. We feel as long as Google gets away with it, and the torrent sites we link to get away with it, we have nothing to worry about.”

One of the downsides of all these new meta-torrent search engines is that they all rely on a handful of BitTorrent trackers, and sites that actually host torrent files. Running a meta-search engine is easier, less costly, and probably safer from a legal point of view. Nevertheless, they become useless if there are no torrent files to index, or torrents to track.

Original here

Zuckerberg: Facebook is all about growth

Posted by Jonathan Skillings

Maybe it's advice he heard from a career counselor at Harvard and took to heart: Do what you love, and the money will follow. For now, what Mark Zuckerberg wants most for Facebook is to see it grow and grow and grow some more, without too much fretting over the bottom line.

In an interview with a blogger for the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Facebook's co-founder and CEO minced no words on the matter: "Growth is primary, revenue is secondary."

Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg

Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg at the D6 conference in May.

(Credit: Dan Farber/CNET News)

Of course, it could be less a philosophical matter than a practical one for a site that's still sketching out its plans for making money to match its popularity. And bless his heart, even in a tanking global economy, Zuckerberg suggests there's plenty of time for that. He elaborates:

But what every great Internet company has done is to figure out a way to make money that has to match to what they are doing on the site. I don't think social networks can be monetized in the same way that search did. But on both sites people find information valuable. I'm pretty sure that we will find an analogous business model. But we are experimenting already. One group is very focused on targeting; another part is focused on social recommendation from your friends. In three years from now we have to figure out what the optimum model is.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, said essentially the same thing over the summer--the social network's focus is on growth.

How do the two executives divvy up their responsibilities? Zuckerberg said of Sandberg, who joined Facebook about six months ago:

She is an excellent manager. She is very good in building our international organization. I'm focused on the direction of the company, especially of the product development, and the overall strategy. I spend a lot of time working with engineers and product developers. We work together hand in hand.

He also made it clear who's boss: "Me!"

On Friday, Zuckerberg will be taking part in a "fireside chat" at the Future of Web Apps conference in London.

For the full interview, including Zuckerberg's take on Facebook's Windows Live Search deal, its international growth, and the possibility of an IPO, see " Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: Our focus is growth, not revenue."

Original here

Army Orders Pain Ray Trucks; New Report Shows 'Potential for Death'

By David Hambling

Ads_desert_2 After years of testing, the Active Denial System -- the pain ray which drives off rioters with a microwave-like beam -- could finally have its day. The Army is buying five of the truck-mounted systems for $25 million. But the energy weapon may face new hurdles, before it's shipped off to the battlefield; a new report details how the supposedly non-lethal blaster could be turned into a flesh-frying killer.

The contract for the pain ray trucks is "expected to be awarded by year's end," Aviation Week notes. "A year after the contract is signed, the combination vehicle/weapons will start be fielded at the rate of one per month."

It's been a very long time coming. As we've previously reported, there have been calls to deploy the Active Denial System in Iraq going back to 2004. But it's always been delayed for legal, political, and public relations reasons. Anything that might be condemned as torture is political dynamite. Interestingly, the version being bought is not the full-size "Version 2," but a containerized system known as Silent Guardian, which Raytheon have been trying to sell for some time. They describe Silent Guardian as "roughly 1/3 the size and power of the other Active Denial Systems," and quote it's range as "greater than 250 meters." The larger system has a range somewhere in excess of 700 meters.

Silent Guardian weighs a shade over 10,000 pounds all up, and will be mounted on an "armored ruggedized HEMTT [Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck]."

The announcement arrives on the same day as a new report from less-lethal weapons expert Dr. Jürgen Altmann that analyzes the physics of several directed energy weapons, including Active Denial, the Advanced Tactical Laser (used as a non-lethal weapon), the Pulsed Energy Projectile (a.k.a. "Maximum Pain" laser) and the Long Range Acoustic Device (a.k.a. "Acoustic Blaster").

Dr. Altmann describes the Active Denial beam in some detail, noting that it will not be completely uniform; anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the center will experience more heating than someone at the edge. And perhaps more significant is his thorough analysis of the heating it produces -- and the cumulative effect if the target does not have the chance to cool down between exposures. In U.S. military tests, a fifteen-second delay between exposures was strictly observed; this may not happen when the ADS is used for real.

"As a consequence, the ADS provides the technical possibility to produce burns of second and third degree. Because the beam of diameter 2 m and above is wider than human size, such burns would occur over considerable parts of the body, up to 50% of its surface. Second- and third-degree burns covering more than 20% of the body surface are potentially life-threatening – due to toxic tissue-decay products and increased sensitivity to infection – and require intensive care in a specialized unit. Without a technical device that reliably prevents re-triggering on the same target subject, the ADS has a potential to produce permanent injury or death. "

This potential hazard need not be a show-stopper -- existing less-lethals, such as plastic bullets and tear gas, can also be fatal under some circumstances (and I'm not even going to get into the argument about Tasers).

Dr. Altmann notes that "the present analysis has not found convincing arguments that the ADS would be immoral or illegal in each foreseeable circumstance," and that acceptance will depend very much on how it is used. If the ADS prevents small boats from approaching a U.S. vessel without harming anyone, then it will be seen as a humane option. If it is used to clear protesters out of the way it may be seen differently.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Justice is still has a reported interest in a "hand-held, probably rifle-sized, short range weapon that could be effective at tens of feet for law enforcement officials." That's just one of the likely domestic applications of Active Denial technology which are likely to follow if the Army's experiment with ADS is successful. A lot of people will be watching this one very closely.

Original here

The Power User's BlackBerry Guide: 121 CrackBerry Tips, Hacks and Resources

By Inside CRM Editors

CrackBerry addicts, are you ready to take your BlackBerry to the next level? In this list, you'll find some of the most awesome tips, hacks, how-tos and guides for the BlackBerry, making it easy for just about anyone to become a power user.

Tips

These BlackBerry tips will help you work easier, better and faster.

  1. Delete Multiple Messages: Search for messages, then press Delete Prior to delete all of the messages in the results.
  2. Read "A Wired-In Guy Getting Set for a Big Date": Stick your wet BlackBerry, or any other doomed device, (turned off) in a bowl of uncooked rice overnight, and it will suck out the moisture.
  3. Navigate Your Calendar Quickly: First, enable Quick Entry, then press "D" for day, "W" for week, "M" for month and "A" for agenda.
  4. Separate SMS (Short Message Service) Messages and Emails: Select Separate in the SMS and Email Inboxes field under General Options.
  5. Select Text on a Page: To highlight text, press Shift, then move the wheel up or down.
  6. Delete by Date: Click a date and press Delete Prior to restore order to your mailbox while still retaining your most recent messages.
  7. Get BlackBerry Tips, Tricks and Key-Press Shortcuts: Learn important keys, message tips and more.
  8. Permanently Delete Emails: To ensure that you're permanently deleting emails, delete them from your email client rather than using the Delete Prior feature.
  9. Capitalize Letters: Press and hold letters down to make them capitals.
  10. Turn Off Messages: You can choose to turn off messages by going through your security options and modifying your firewall settings.
  11. Get Better Coverage with Your Radio: If your coverage is not doing well, try turning your radio off and on to force a network scan.
  12. Scroll Down: Use your spacebar to scroll down a page, then press Shift and the spacebar simultaneously to move back up.
  13. Get BlackBerry Calendar Tricks: This post covers popular tricks for the BlackBerry's calendar.
  14. Sync Specific Folders: Set up Folder Redirection to sync only selected email folders to your BlackBerry.
  15. Dial Letter Numbers: Call lettered numbers like 1-800-GOOG-411 by pressing Alt, hen typing the letters.
  16. Empty Your Phone-Call Log: Enable Call Logging, then delete items in your Phone Call Logs folder.
  17. Insert the "@" Symbol in an Email Message. Press the spacebar to enter an "@" symbol in a message or press it twice to insert a period.
  18. Dry Your Device with Silica Gel: If you've dropped your BlackBerry in water, dry it out with silica-gel packets, which often come in shoeboxes. This also works with silica cat litter, which is generally labeled as crystal.
  19. Select Special Characters: Press and hold a letter key, then move the thumb wheel up or down to get the appropriate character.
  20. Enable Content Protection: Store data on your device securely by enabling content protection.
  21. Stop a Page from Loading. Press the Escape button to keep Web pages from loading.
  22. Reboot Your BlackBerry: You can reboot your BlackBerry without pulling out your battery by pressing Alt, Caps and Delete simultaneously.
  23. Dry Your BlackBerry with Alcohol: Another drying option that also disinfects is 100 percent alcohol. Turn your BlackBerry off, soak it in alcohol and take it apart as much as possible. The alcohol should evaporate with exposure to air.
  24. Read the Top 10 Phone Tips from BlackBerry: This list includes simple tips for changing volume, speed-dialing and more.
  25. Use Your BlackBerry as a Flashlight: The BlackBerry makes a great flashlight for middle-of-the-night runs to the fridge or the bathroom.
  26. Delete Mail-Client Emails from Your BlackBerry: Select Purge Deleted Items under Email Reconciliation to delete emails on your mail client.

Guides

Learn how to turn your BlackBerry into a supertool with these guides.

  1. BlackBerry on Crack: 25 Tools to Supercharge Your Lifeline: This guide offers useful tools for BlackBerry business users and more.
  2. BlackBerry Software and Utilities: If you're looking for any aftermarket BlackBerry tweaks, this is the place to start.
  3. Mac OS X Tethered Modem Solution for BlackBerry: Find out how to use a BlackBerry as a modem in OS X.
  4. Voice-to-Text Voice Mail Services and Third-Party Alpha Pager Dispatch Services: Check out these services that will transcribe your BlackBerry voice mails.
  5. What Are the Methods of Receiving Email on BlackBerry?: Read this article to figure out your email options.
  6. BlackBerry for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: This article explains why BlackBerry devices are great for those who are hearing impaired.
  7. The Agony of "BlackBerry Thumb": Learn about BlackBerry-related thumb pain and what you can do about it.
  8. Why BlackBerry?: Find out why the BlackBerry is a superior choice for some people.
  9. BlackBerry HTML Web-Browsing FAQ: Get the lowdown on HTML browsing here.
  10. Basic BlackBerry Etiquette: Here, you'll find a basic list of dos and don'ts for being a polite BlackBerry user.
  11. Buying a BlackBerry on eBay: Check out this guide to learn how to avoid getting scammed when purchasing a BlackBerry from a seller on eBay.
  12. Implementing GTD with Your BlackBerry: This guide recommends applications and more items for helping you get things done on the BlackBerry.
  13. Transfer a File Using Bluetooth Technology Between Two BlackBerry Smart Phones: This guide will show you how to transfer files easily.
  14. Gmail Receiving "Sent Items" You Send On Your BlackBerry: Learn how to turn off this syncing feature for Gmail and more.
  15. BlackBerry Chat Apps/FAQ: Learn about awesome IM (instant messaging) applications and more in this guide.
  16. Remove an IT Policy from a BlackBerry: Here, you'll find out how to rid yourself of a pesky IT policy.
  17. Easy BlackBerry Backup: Use this guide to back up your BlackBerry in just a minute.
  18. The First 10 Things You Should Do With Your New BlackBerry: Before you do anything else with your BlackBerry, do these 10 things.
  19. Appear to Be in the Office While Actually Working from Home: Fool everyone by making these tweaks using your BlackBerry and more.
  20. BlackBerry Messenger: What Is It and How Does It Work?: Get the lowdown on this BlackBerry-to-BlackBerry messaging service.
  21. Maximize the Battery Life of Your New BlackBerry: Follow this tutorial to learn how to get the most out of your battery.

How-Tos

These how-tos will guide you through step-by-step hacks and tricks for the BlackBerry.

  1. How to Use Your BlackBerry to Transfer Between Windows and Mac OS X: In this guide, you'll learn how to port tasks, notes, appointments and contacts from Mac OS X to Windows, and vice versa.
  2. How to Turn on Standby Mode Using the Mute Key: Use this method to avoid pressing keys by accident.
  3. How to Edit a Profile and Set Notifications: Here, you'll find out how to change your BlackBerry's message and email notifications.
  4. How to Restore Your BlackBerry to Default Settings: Perform a security wipe on your device with this quick tutorial.
  5. How to Free Up Memory on Your BlackBerry: Keep your BlackBerry from enabling the low-memory management feature with this tutorial.
  6. How to Get Images onto Your BlackBerry: This quick tutorial offers a few easy ways to get images on your device.
  7. How to Remove "Sent from my BlackBerry": This tutorial will walk you through the steps to changing your signature.
  8. How to Use BlackBerry as Modem For Laptop: Give your laptop full Internet access using a BlackBerry.
  9. How to Increase the Speed of the BlackBerry Browser: Speed things up with these simple tips.
  10. How to Configure Full Internet Access on BlackBerry: Learn how to get full Internet access on your BlackBerry with this tutorial.
  11. How to Install Third-Party Applications (Mac OS X): This guide will walk you through installing apps on your BlackBerry through Mac OS X.
  12. BlackBerry 101: The How-To Lecture Series: This series covers purchasing a BlackBerry, checking out the controls, third-party apps andmuch more.
  13. How to Disassemble a BlackBerry Pearl: Whether you're taking your Pearl apart for fun, hacking or just to air it out, here's how to do the job.
  14. How to Secure Your BlackBerry: Keep your data safe by following the tips in this guide.
  15. How to Clean Your BlackBerry's Trackball: Get your trackball cleaned up with this how-to.
  16. How to Stop the Blinking: Here you'll find out what various blinking lights mean and what you can do about them.
  17. Installing Third-Party Applications: This guide for Windows users walks you through the process of installing of apps.
  18. How to Get BlackBerry Internet Access without a Data Plan: Avoid data plans with this hack.
  19. How to Set up Gmail as a Free Spam Filter for Your CrackBerry: Use Gmail to keep spam out of your BlackBerry.
  20. How to Pair a Bluetooth GPS Receiver with Your BlackBerry: Check out this Bluetooth hack to pair your BlackBerry with a GPS receiver.
  21. How to Transfer Files to Your BlackBerry: This guide will teach you a few different methods of file transfers.
  22. How to Use BerryDialer to Save a Lot of Money on Voice Calls: Use this dialing hack to save some cash.
  23. Turn a Full Length DVD Movie into a Pearl Movie File: This guide shows you how to turn a DVD into an .avi file.
  24. How to Use Your BlackBerry as an Emergency Flashlight: Learn what you need to do to turn your BlackBerry into a flashlight.
  25. How to Remove and Clean the Trackball: Get your trackball squeaky clean with this guide.
  26. How to Put a Full-Blown Windows Desktop Environment on Your BlackBerry: Use your microSD card slot to get Windows on your BlackBerry.

Cheat Sheets

Make shortcuts and formats with these BlackBerry cheat sheets.

  1. Hot Keys: BlackBerry Browser: Use these hot keys when viewing Web pages.
  2. BlackBerry Cheat Sheet: This sheet is full of useful shortcuts.
  3. Compare Cellular: Compare Cellular offers guides to getting started as well as quick reference guides for a number of BlackBerry models.
  4. Supported Document Types: This list offers a glimpse at the file formats that a BlackBerry can handle.
  5. BlackBerry Shortcut Collection: This handy guide has lots of shortcuts for the BlackBerry.
  6. Tip: Helpful Keyboard Shortcuts: This cheat sheet offers lots of shortcuts for phoning, messaging and more.
  7. RIM BlackBerry Quick Reference Guide: Get this handy printable sheet for an easy, quick reference for your BlackBerry.
  8. Cheat Sheet to Share: Here, you'll find loads of shortcuts.
  9. Hot Keys: Calendar: Create appointments and view dates more quickly with these hot keys.
  10. SMS Quick Reference: Get this quick-reference guide to learn about SMS shortcuts for the BlackBerry.
  11. Free SMS Messages: Avoid messaging fees by sending carrier-specific emails.
  12. What Is My Carrier's BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) Web Site URL?: Here, you'll find BIS URLs for providers worldwide.
  13. The BlackBerry Glossary: Find out what various acronyms stand for in this BlackBerry Glossary.
  14. BlackBerry PIN Quick-Reference Guide: Have everything you need to know about BlackBerry PINs handy with this guide.
  15. Hot Keys: View Word Document: Use these hot keys when working in Word.

Tools

Put these tools to work on your BlackBerry for loads of increased functionality.

  1. BlackBerry Operating System Downloads: Find places to download a new OS here.
  2. Berry Bloglines: Access Bloglines from your BlackBerry device using this RSS reader.
  3. Google Maps Mobile: Get traffic, listings, maps and more with Google Maps for your BlackBerry.
  4. Mobile Desktop: With this software, you can access your desktop PC from anywhere using your BlackBerry.
  5. Mobylo! MultiAlarm: Get ultramanageable alarms with this neat tool.
  6. Black & Whitelist: Keep harassing phone calls at bay using this blacklist application for the BlackBerry.
  7. TryPhone: If you're shopping for a BlackBerry, use TryPhone to find out exactly how your model will function.
  8. Naggie: This reminder application works with your BlackBerry's GPS to nag you about tasks when you get close to a location.
  9. Google Mobile: Sync up your Google Calendar and more with this service.
  10. RepliGo Professional: Using RepliGo Professional, you can view documents as if they were on your desktop computer.
  11. Empower HTML Mail Viewer: See your emails in HTML with graphics, links and more with this tool.
  12. Digby: Shop a number of online stores from your BlackBerry using Digby.
  13. Spot: Get GPS on your BlackBerry with this software.
  14. Necho Expense BlackBerry Edition: This tool makes expense reports a breeze.
  15. Secure Password Manager: With this manager, you can safely store all of your important passwords and numbers on your BlackBerry.
  16. BBTetris: Entertain yourself with this classic game for the BlackBerry (link opens download folder).
  17. ABC Amber BlackBerry Convertor: Transfer contacts, emails, logs and lots more onto your desktop computer with this convertor.
  18. iSkoot: Use this Skype client to get cheap calls on your BlackBerry.
  19. IM+ All-in-One Mobile Messenger: IM on several different accounts and applications with this neat tool.
  20. MicroStrategy Mobile: MicroStrategy Mobile automatically reformats documents so that they can be easily viewed on your BlackBerry.
  21. Mobile SSH: Get access to your server from your BlackBerry using this cool tool.
  22. Windows Live Search Mobile: Get local information, maps and searching capabilities with Windows Live Search Mobile.
  23. StockView: Track stock prices with this free viewer (link opens download folder).
  24. Translator+: Use this tool to get easy foreign translations on the go.
  25. BeamBerry: Make your BlackBerry compatible with PDFs, Word documents, text files and more with this software (link opens download folder).
  26. Beyond411: Get supercharged 411 listings using Beyond411, a service that gives you local prices, listings and GPS searches.
  27. BlackBerry Unite!: Collaborate with up to five users by sharing remote access, calendars, documents and more with BlackBerry Unite!.
  28. Backpack Mobile: Get organized on the go with Backback for the BlackBerry.
  29. BlackBerry Tools: In this suite of BlackBerry tools, you'll find a number of useful applications.

Books

Find out even more in-depth tips and hacks in these BlackBerry reference books.

  1. "BlackBerry Hacks": You'll learn how to supercharge your BlackBerry with this book.
  2. "Professional BlackBerry": Learn how to extend your BlackBerry's functionality, get maximum uptime and more in this book.
  3. "Hacking BlackBerry: Extreme Tech": This book discusses some of the many ways that you can hack your BlackBerry.
  4. "How to Do Everything with Your BlackBerry": Take your BlackBerry way beyond email with this book.
Original here

This week in Apple: New notebooks, new writers, and more Woz

By Jacqui Cheng

This week's most-read Apple news was all over the map, but in a good way. We got a look into iPhone security and the next iPhone beta, tips for keeping up with the App Store, and some comments from Woz about the iPod. And, with buzz reaching fever pitch over new MacBook and MacBook Pro rumors, it comes as no huge surprise that...

Apple announces October 14 notebook event in Cupertino: Apple has sent out invites to a special event on its Cupertino campus, taking place this coming Tuesday, October 14, at 10 AM Pacific Time. "The spotlight turns to notebooks," the invitation reads. There have been a number of leaked photos lately that purport to show the new MacBook casing; some believe it may be priced below $900, but we'll find out soon enough whether it's all true. Don't forget that Ars will be covering the event live on the front page (with photos!) on Tuesday.

Apple snoozes, researcher discloses risky iPhone UI flaws: A researcher contends that two bad iPhone UI decisions could lead to phishing and spamming exploits. After months of inaction and three software updates from Apple with no patches to be seen, he has decided to publish how the exploits work in hopes of forcing action.

More hidden features found in latest iPhone 2.2 beta: The latest beta build of iPhone 2.2 reveals new features like Google Maps and Apple's desire to be genuine the next time it dons a "Big in Japan" t-shirt.

iPhone app muscling into Kindle's eBook territory: Following the release of the Stanza eBook application for the iPhone, the software has been downloaded almost 400,000 times. By comparison, Amazon is only expected to sell 380,000 units of its Kindle eBook reader this year, suggesting that the iPhone may become a popular platform for those who occasionally want to do a bit of reading.

5 great ways to follow apps on the App Store: Finding the App Store hard to follow? Let these five feeds and pages help you locate the best and newest apps.

Woz points out the obvious in the iPod's limited future: Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak says that the iPod as we know it will eventually die out, and we agree. That's why Apple is already working on bigger and better things while it milks the remaining life out of the iPod classic and iPod nano.

Ars Technica welcomes Erica Sadun to the team! Ars Technica's newest addition to the team will bring the kind of development, Apple, and gadget coverage we need. Erica Sadun is well-known for her writing in the Apple and programming world, and we extend her a warm welcome.

Here are a few more interesting tidbits from the week:

Have a great weekend! Don't forget to follow Infinite Loop for your up-to-the-minute Apple news.

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AT&T nixing $20/mo unlimited plan for Pay-as-You-Go iPhones

By Erica Sadun

Tonight, some AT&T subscribers were texted with the news that AT&T will discontinue the $20/month "Unlimited" MEdia Net option as of November 12, 2008. Until now, off-service (no-plan, Pay as You Go) iPhone users could purchase Unlimited MEdia Net and use their iPhones with the service to up to 5GB of data transfer.

This policy change means that off-service iPhones (those without a standard iPhone voice and data plan) will be unable to subscribe to this low-cost Pay-as-You-Go service after the 12th of next month. AT&T's $4.99 for 1MB and $9.99 for 5MB MEdia Net options remain unaffected by this decision.

The message reads: "AT&T Free Msg: Unlimited MEdiaNet packages will no longer be available as of 11/12. 1MB and 5MB MEdiaNet packages still available. Call 611 for details."

We aren't clear on whether this means you can no longer use current unlimited MEdia Net plans as of the 12th, or whether you simply can't buy new unlimited MEdia Net packages as of that date. Calling 611 did not reveal any further details at this time, although it did allow me to add on one more month of service at $20 per month. We will update you if we learn more.

Who is affected

  • All Pay as You Go customers, regardless of phone type, particularly those who use lots of data rather than voice.
  • Original 1st Generation iPhone users using the $20/month PAYG Unlimited MEdiaNet service for EDGE connection without a standard plan.
  • New 3G iPhone users who have canceled their plans, paid the $175 early termination fee and are using the $20/month PAYG Unlimited MEdiaNet service for 3G connection.
  • Hearing impaired users who don't or rarely need voice service who have chosen to use Pay as You Go instead of the much higher priced disability-specific plan offered by AT&T

Who is not affected

  • Any iPhone that is currently under contract with AT&T, regardless of whether you are on the original grandfathered $20/month unlimited data plan or the current $30/month unlimited data plan.
  • Any Pick Your Plan 1st generation iPhone.
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Kevin Rose drops MacBook Blu-Ray Rumor at Live Diggnation event

At the live Diggnation that was just held in London as part of the “Future of Web Apps” Expo, Kevin Rose enlightened us with yet another juicy rumor. He claimed that the new and yet to be announced MacBooks will support Blu-Ray drives. Rose was spot on in his iPod/iTunes predictions for the recent “Let’s Rock!” Apple event, and we’ll find out on Tuesday if Rose can go 2 for 2. Rose, however, did qualify his prediction by saying that his source for the Blue-Ray rumor was not nearly as good as his source for the iPod nano and iTunes updates.

Rumors of Blu-Ray coming to the Mac stretch back to 2006, but especially picked up steam after HD-DVD was put to rest. With the MacBook line in desperate need of a refresh, this could very well be an interesting point of interest at next Tuesday’s media event.

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iPod Nano Switches Left and Right Channels With Headphone Insert

If you have a new 4th-gen nano and a decent ear, you may have noticed something funny: After putting it to sleep, if you wake it up by inserting headphones, the left and right channels switch. I tried this with the most obvious stereo mix of all time, David Bowie's "Space Oddity," and it's really easy to duplicate yourself. While it's easy to correct, it's still definitely a weird, weird bug. Thanks to reader Matt for bringing it to our attention, and posting a thread at iLounge. Have you noticed it or any other weird glitches, like Genius' pathological avoidance of the lovely Norah Jones? (I'm serious, try it!)

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