Blackberry Basics

Twitterberry

Want to Twitter from your Blackberry? Visit http://orangatame.com/ota/twitterberry/
from your handheld and download the free app!

Blackberry App World

Annoyed by your friends and all their cool iPhone apps? Blackberry recently launched App world. Applications like Pandora, Shazam, and Livestrong are now finally available to Blackberry users! Download App World here.

BIS and BES-WTF?

So you're ready to start getting email on your phone but what does BIS/BES have to do with it?

For starters, they both have deliver data to your blackberry. The real difference is where the server resides and the level of control and security you get.

BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) gives you access to the Internet. The same way your home internet service let's you get online.  Every time your BlackBerry gets an email, or goes to a webpage it does so through BIS (unless of course you're using
BES). Your carrier (Sprint, Verizon, etc) operates the server. Information sent and received is encrypted, but that's about the extent of the security features. All traffic essentially goes out over the Internet.  Security becomes the responsibility of the BlackBerry application in question, so there are no security guarantees. Individuals and small companies will typically find that BIS is completely sufficient for their data needs. There is no set up required and your device can access the internet and receive email immediately.

BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) allows corporate intranet access. Intranet is the private, internal, network within a company. Aside from getting your corporate email the device can be remotely lock and wiped-very handy if a phone is lost/stolen. You can also "push" applications to other handsets within the company without having to even physically touch them. Your company operates the server, usually with it sitting somewhere within the corporate network with the IT department controlling all aspect of the BES server. The IT department also has the ability to disable your device if it's been compromised. Larger organizations, with their own internal mail systems and other infrastructure, should definitely be using BES. Your IT department will have to set up BES for your handheld.

Typing Shortcuts

TO:

Insert a period	Press Space key twice. The next letter is capitalized.
Capitalize a letter	Hold letter key until capitalized letter appears
Type an alternate character on a key	Hold ALT key and the character key
Type an accented or special character	Hold letter key and roll trackball to the left or right.
Type a number in a number field	Press the number key, you do not need to press the Alt key.
Type a number in a password field	Hold Alt and Press a number key.
Turn on NUM lock	Press the Alt key and the Left Shift key
Turn off NUM lock or CAP lock	Press the Shift key
Turn on CAP lock	Press Alt key and the Left Shift key
Switch typing input languages	On the Language screen, verify that the Use Input Language Shortcut field is set to Yes. Hold the Alt key and Press the Enter key. Continue to hold the Alt key and Highlight a language. Release the Alt key.
Insert "@" or (.)	In an email address field, Press the Space key.
Type a symbol	Press the Symbol key. Type the letter that appears below the symbol.
Highlight a line of text	Press the Shift key and roll the trackball.
Highlight text character by character left or right	Hold Shift key and roll the trackball.
Cancel a selection	Press the Escape key.
Cut highlighted text when typing	Press the Shift key and the Backspace/delete key.
Copy highlighted text when typing	Press the Alt key and click the trackball.
Paste highlighted text when typing	Press the Shift key and click the trackball.

Browser Shortcuts

Trying to figure out how to navigate that neat little browser?

TO:

Insert a period (.) In the Go To dialog box	Press the Space key.
Insert a slash mark (/) In the Go To dialog box	Press the Shift key and the Space key.
Open the browser options	In the browser, Press O.
Stop Loading a web page	Press Escape key.
Hide the browser	Press D
Closer the browser	Hold Escape key.

 

ON A WEB PAGE
Move to a specific page	Press G
Return to the home page	Press H
Open the bookmark list	Press K
Add a bookmark	Press A
View a list of pages you've recently visited	Press I
Refresh a web page	Press R
View the address for a link	Highlight a link. Press L
View the address for a web page	Press P
Save a web page to a message list	Press S
Follow a highlighted link	Press the Enter key
Hide the banner	Press U
View the banner again	Press U
View a thumbnail version of a web page	Press X
To return to the normal view	Press any key

 

NAVIGATING WITHIN A WEB PAGE
Move up a screen	Press the Shift key and the Space key
Move down a screen	Press the Space key
Move to the top of a web page	Press T
Move to the bottom of a web page	Press B

Software Update Includes Picturemail!

A Blackberry software update is finally available! Tired of not being able to send picture mail? Updates include: OTASL (Over The Air Software Loading) This enables all future versions of handheld software to be downloaded and installed wirelessly, MMS (Audio, pictures, text, or all three in the same message), and Docs to Go (device-side Word, Excel, and Powerpoint document editing capabilities).

Click here to upgrade!

Set Up Wizard

If you've just arrived home with your new Blackberry Curve, you're probably wondering where to start. You've heard how great the phone is, the sales rep ran through about a thousand different features and convinced you that you'd be a pro at each and every one within hours. But here you are, palms sweating, wondering how to turn the darn thing on! Take a deep breath, relax, you'll be sifting through corporate email and sending pictures of the cat to your sister in Buffalo in no time.

Let's start by running the Set Up Wizard. This will take approximately ten minutes to complete.

Press the menu button to get back to the main screen. Locate the Set up Wizard icon. The icon is a little phone with gears around it . Click the trackball on the icon and read the introduction. Highlight the next button on the bottom of each screen to move forward. The progress indicator on the top of the screen will show your progress.

Here's what you'll find in the Set Up Wizard

• Default Language-want your Blackberry to be in French, no problem.
  

  
  

• Typing Input Language-have your device set to Spanish but what to send messages in English? Changing the input language will change auto text and other typing options to the language you've selected.
  

  
  

• Date and Time-the default time zone is Casablanca, here you can change the time zone you're in and adjust the format.
  

  
  

• Introduction to Blackberry-wondering what paw print thing on the keypad is? Here's a quick rundown of the functions of all those little buttons.
  

  
  

• Owner Information-When the device is locked, owner information will appear on the screen. Many people will display their name and/or email address here. This comes in very handy-anyone who's ever left their phone in a restaurant can appreciate how nice it would be to get an email from the manager saying their device has been found.
  

  
  

• Font-Don't like having to grab your reading glasses to read that text message? From here you can change not only the font style, but the size. You can even make it bold.
  

• Email Set Up Option-Ok, so everyone told you how great BlackBerry's 'push' email is, ready to try it out? Here, you'll find two options for adding a new account: I want to create or add an email address and I want to use a work email account with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Email can also be set up on your Sprint device by visiting www.sprint.blackberry.com.
  
  • If you are trying to add a personal account like yahoo, gmail, or aol-choose the first option. You'll be redirected and the browser will open. You'll need to first create a free account with Blackberry. Think of this account as the house where all your personal email accounts can live. (you will do the same thing if you visit www.sprint.blackberry.com) **Write this username and password down, if you ever change a password on one of your email accounts, or want to add or delete an email address, you'll need this info. Follow the prompts, and within a few clicks you'll be getting gmail right on your phone. An icon will populate right on the main Blackberry screen and you will see a red asterisk *
    over the inbox when you have a new message.
    
  • If it's corporate email you're in search of, you'll be using the Blackberry Enterprise Server. You'll need to get with your IT department to get the Enterprise Activation password. Learn more about BES here. **Note, here is an additional monthly fee for using BES.
    

Congratulations! You're one step closer to being a Blackberry Connoisseur!