Last Friday, Research in Motion finally released the Blackberry Desktop Manager for Mac.
Heretofore, Mac users wanting to sync their BlackBerries with their Macs have had to use either PocketMac or Mark/Space's The Missing Sync. The free PocketMac was a turd, to put it mildly. In my experience it worked for a few syncs with my BlackBerry 8330 and then became very unstable. The not-free Missing Sync was better but still buggy. E.g., I kept running into calendar corruption issues.
In early September a late Beta of BDM for Mac leaked onto the 'net. I downloaded it and gave it a try and it seemed to work OK. While TMS allowed me only to sync, BDM can also backup the BlackBerry and upgrade the device's firmware. So far, so good.
I'm glad to see RIM finally paying more attention to Mac users. Not all of us have iPhones.
Showing posts with label blackberry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blackberry. Show all posts
Monday, October 05, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Pocket Computers
On one of the mailing lists where I participate, we were talking about pocket computers. Jerry Pournelle has referred to his iPhone as approacing the pocket computers that he and Larry Niven wrote about in The Mote in God's Eye.
Similarly, my Blackberry 8330 approaches being a pocket computer, although there's no way to hook up an external mouse, monitor, and keyboard. But it's a phone, still camera, video camera, GPS, and more. Specs here.
An example of the usefulness of these capabilities occurred last weekend while my family was on an overnight getaway. I have the Google Mobile apps installed. I was able to use Google Maps to get a real-time traffic report for Marshall's Creek, PA, which is in the Poconos, well outside where you can get traffic reports on the radio. I was also able to use the Google Maps search feature to find a place to stop for lunch. (Note that while Verizon doesn't allow Google Maps to talk to the internal GPS, the app can give you a rough idea of your location by triangulating from cell towers. If I need the GPS, I need to use the OEM Blackberry Maps application. I am hoping this handicap is not present in my next phone.)
To heck with tablet PCs. I've tried them and they are neither fish nor fowl. They are too big to use comfortably without a keyboard. If someone introduces a smart phone device to which you can connect a docking station with a mouse, keyboard, monitor, and Ethernet adapter, it'll be game changing. You'll be able to take all of your data (or a large subset) with you, yet still be able to use a comfortable user interface when in the office.
Similarly, my Blackberry 8330 approaches being a pocket computer, although there's no way to hook up an external mouse, monitor, and keyboard. But it's a phone, still camera, video camera, GPS, and more. Specs here.
An example of the usefulness of these capabilities occurred last weekend while my family was on an overnight getaway. I have the Google Mobile apps installed. I was able to use Google Maps to get a real-time traffic report for Marshall's Creek, PA, which is in the Poconos, well outside where you can get traffic reports on the radio. I was also able to use the Google Maps search feature to find a place to stop for lunch. (Note that while Verizon doesn't allow Google Maps to talk to the internal GPS, the app can give you a rough idea of your location by triangulating from cell towers. If I need the GPS, I need to use the OEM Blackberry Maps application. I am hoping this handicap is not present in my next phone.)
To heck with tablet PCs. I've tried them and they are neither fish nor fowl. They are too big to use comfortably without a keyboard. If someone introduces a smart phone device to which you can connect a docking station with a mouse, keyboard, monitor, and Ethernet adapter, it'll be game changing. You'll be able to take all of your data (or a large subset) with you, yet still be able to use a comfortable user interface when in the office.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Update to The Missing Sync
When I got my Verizon Blackberry 8330 back in October, I first tried to use the free Pocketmac software from RIM to accomplish syncing it with my MacBook Pro. That worked a couple of times then blew up, taking my calendar and address book with it. (Luckily, I had backups.) Shortly thereafter, I bought The Missing Sync for Blackberry from Mark/Space and it's worked OK for the most part.
Yesterday I tried to sync and there apparently was a corrupted record in iCal and on the Blackberry, which kept causing the process to hang. Eventually, I downloaded the Blackberry Desktop Manager software for Windows on my Dell PC at work and used it to clear out the calendar on the Blackberry. (The Missing Sync cannot do this, which is a PITA.) I also made the mistake of clearing my work calendar which syncs to Entourage, which wiped out my work calendar. After an OH SHIT moment, I was able to restore my calendar entries by going through my Entourage folders and reaccepting meeting invites and manually readding some events. Not ideal but I'd been lax in backing up my Entourage identity, something I subsequently fixed.
Anyway, last night I went to Mark/Space's website and noticed that they had a free upgrade from v1 to v2 for folks who bought TMS between 11/1/08 and 2/9/09 available. I installed it this morning and was able to sync pretty smoothly. One nice feature that v2 added was syncronization via Bluetooth. Previously, it was USB-only.
What I'd really like to see would be for Apple to add Blackberry support directly to iSync, which is part of OS X and which some apps, including TMS, rely upon. I was able to use iSync to maintain the contacts on my Motorola RAZR V3m and it worked pretty well.
Yesterday I tried to sync and there apparently was a corrupted record in iCal and on the Blackberry, which kept causing the process to hang. Eventually, I downloaded the Blackberry Desktop Manager software for Windows on my Dell PC at work and used it to clear out the calendar on the Blackberry. (The Missing Sync cannot do this, which is a PITA.) I also made the mistake of clearing my work calendar which syncs to Entourage, which wiped out my work calendar. After an OH SHIT moment, I was able to restore my calendar entries by going through my Entourage folders and reaccepting meeting invites and manually readding some events. Not ideal but I'd been lax in backing up my Entourage identity, something I subsequently fixed.
Anyway, last night I went to Mark/Space's website and noticed that they had a free upgrade from v1 to v2 for folks who bought TMS between 11/1/08 and 2/9/09 available. I installed it this morning and was able to sync pretty smoothly. One nice feature that v2 added was syncronization via Bluetooth. Previously, it was USB-only.
What I'd really like to see would be for Apple to add Blackberry support directly to iSync, which is part of OS X and which some apps, including TMS, rely upon. I was able to use iSync to maintain the contacts on my Motorola RAZR V3m and it worked pretty well.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Verizon 8330 Blackberry Bluetooth Tethering Working
After last night's firmware upgrade on my Verizon Blackberry 8330, tethering on my Mac wasn't working via either USB or Bluetooth. This morning I got into the office and googled for the instructions on how to setup Bluetooth tethering (which isn't officially supported by VZW, but works anyway).
This post by "sirforce" on Crackberry Forums describes how to configure Mac OS X.5 to get onto VZW's EVDO network using a Blackberry 8330 and Bluetooth. I am reproducing it here in the interest of spreading the knowledge, and in case the forum should disappear.
This post by "sirforce" on Crackberry Forums describes how to configure Mac OS X.5 to get onto VZW's EVDO network using a Blackberry 8330 and Bluetooth. I am reproducing it here in the interest of spreading the knowledge, and in case the forum should disappear.
1. Added tethering your Verizon service plan for an additional $15/month.
2. Pair your phone with your Mac/MacBook via BlueTooth This worked on my MacBook Pro and Mac Pro workstation.
3. Add a new dial up modem in the networking preferences panel-
Configuration: Default
Telephone Number: #777
Account name: 3015551212@vzw3.com (change the number to your verizon mobile #)
Password: vzw
3a. Under advanced options:
Vendor: Other
Model: Verizon Support (PC 5220)
Check Enable error correction and compression in modem
Dial Mode: Wait for dial tone before dialing
Dial: Tone
Sound: On
The remaining tabs: DNS, WINS, Proxy, etc are all set to default settings no changes are necessary
4. Turn off your AirPort or disconnect your ethernet then press connect to dial up and enjoy near broad band surfing via Verizon -
If you're not on the EVDO network then your speeds will be more "dial up" classic like.
Once connected, your phone should have a notice at the top of the screen "Modem Mode Enabled"
On a side note:
I setup a friends modem without tethering on his plan and once the internet was connected and then attempted to load google.com. The web page that appeared was a verizon page that would allow the addition of tethering to the users account for $15 just by clicking the yes I agree, pretty cool!
Monday, January 26, 2009
GPS on Verizon Blackberry 8330
After getting annoyed that I couldn't tap into my Verizon Blackberry 8330's internal GPS, I did some searching on the Internet to see if there was a way to open access to it. It turns out that a recent firmware upgrade allows you to use the internal GPS without shelling out for Verizon's Navigator service, which would incur a monthly fee.
I downloaded the updater from blackberry.com, following a link from Verizon's site. Unfortunately, the updater is Windows-only, so I copied the 68 MB file to Hobbit, my MSI Wind netbook, and used it to update the Blackberry.
The whole process took about 20 - 25 minutes, and at one point I thought it stalled. I left it alone and it eventually finished, putting me on v4.5.0.77, vs. 4.3.x which came with the unit.
Once the upgrade was finished I checkd the GPS functionality by opening the Blackberry Maps app, and saw that it was able to get my location. Unfortunately, Google Maps hasn't been updated to take advantage of the internal GPS on this device, so I can't use it for accurately locating myself. I'll survive.
On a side note, this sort of intentional crippling of firmware features on their phones is one of the things that really bugs me about Verizon. It's done purely as a way for them to charge more for features that are natively supported by their cell phones. The only reason that I stick with them is that in my area they have the best network, by far. If another cell provider had a comparable network and didn't intentionally cripple their phones, I'd be sorely tempted to jump ship when my contract expires.
Edit:
Well, either the Blackberry firmware update or the OS X software update that I ran earlier today borked my ability to tether the BB to Rohan my MacBook Pro for EVDO Internet access. I can tether it to Hobbit, but a couple different versions of the Verizon Access Manager fail to see the BB when it's connected via USB. My Bluetooth tethering setup wasn't working, either.
I'll need to putz around with this more.
I downloaded the updater from blackberry.com, following a link from Verizon's site. Unfortunately, the updater is Windows-only, so I copied the 68 MB file to Hobbit, my MSI Wind netbook, and used it to update the Blackberry.
The whole process took about 20 - 25 minutes, and at one point I thought it stalled. I left it alone and it eventually finished, putting me on v4.5.0.77, vs. 4.3.x which came with the unit.
Once the upgrade was finished I checkd the GPS functionality by opening the Blackberry Maps app, and saw that it was able to get my location. Unfortunately, Google Maps hasn't been updated to take advantage of the internal GPS on this device, so I can't use it for accurately locating myself. I'll survive.
On a side note, this sort of intentional crippling of firmware features on their phones is one of the things that really bugs me about Verizon. It's done purely as a way for them to charge more for features that are natively supported by their cell phones. The only reason that I stick with them is that in my area they have the best network, by far. If another cell provider had a comparable network and didn't intentionally cripple their phones, I'd be sorely tempted to jump ship when my contract expires.
Edit:
Well, either the Blackberry firmware update or the OS X software update that I ran earlier today borked my ability to tether the BB to Rohan my MacBook Pro for EVDO Internet access. I can tether it to Hobbit, but a couple different versions of the Verizon Access Manager fail to see the BB when it's connected via USB. My Bluetooth tethering setup wasn't working, either.
I'll need to putz around with this more.
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