I have entered a competition here http://bit.ly/cJg0lF . VOTE for my if you like me description about my BBM.

http://fancychar.bbtran.com

About Fancy Characters 2.2.1

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FEATURES:
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- About 300 Colored Smiles and over 200 flags for BlackBerry® Messenger 5.0
- Integrates to any application
- All supported Unicode symbols and characters
- Several categorized tabs for easy characters access

USAGE:
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1. After App Installation you will not see any new application icon
2. Click Menu button and then click “Insert Fancy Char” menu item
3. Click on any icon to insert to message
4. If application does not support direct integration then selected character will be stored in clipboard and you can paste it later

Everyone of us sure do love a blackberry OS  upgrade right ? But many of us are held up waiting for our own official carriers to release the versions don’t we ? Ok here’s a trick that I found out …. which allows any blackberry to be updated to any carriers Blackberry OS release .

Things required:

1. BlackBerry Desktop Manager

2.  BlackBerry Update OS installed

3. Java Installed

For those of you who dont have the above :

BlackBerry Desktop Manager can be installed with the cd-rom that shipped with your BlackBerry or can be installed from the following link http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/desktop/

BlackBerry Update OS can be downloaded from HERE by selecting the appropriate carrier and downloading the software.

PROCEDURE

1. Install the downloaded BlackBerry OS . Note : Delete the vendor.xml file by following the path shown below if the OS you have downloaded does not belong to your carrier  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\AppLoader\VENDOR.XML . In accordance to that make sure there are no other installs of other versions of blackberry OS on your hard drive.

2. Now connect your blackberry to your PC using the usb connector provided and back-up using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager . NewBies : This back-up opreation needs to be carried out since updating an OS would wipe of all the data on the handheld’s memory (phone memory) Contacts , notes , emails etc ….

3. Now open command prompt in windows and type in the following command.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

CD\

CD  RESEARCH IN MOTION

CD   APPLOADER

LOADER /NO JVM

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Refer to this screen shot if you haven’t understood

The Application loader will now open and proceed on by choosing the appropiate choices .

YOUR BLACKBERRY IS NOW UPDATED !

(DON’T FORGET TO RESTORE THE BACKED UP DATA )

– 22 Aug 2009 23:19 –

Accessing System Information
A number of hidden screens and undocumented information codes are available on your
BlackBerry device. The key is to know how to access them. This section describes a few
system-level screens that can be useful or, at the very least, interesting to take a look at.
The Help Me! Screen
The Help Me! screen is useful because it gathers key information about your device. It displays
your operating system version, battery level, wireless signal strength, and available storage.
To access the Help Me! screen:
1. Go to the Applications screen and press ALT+CAP+H.
2. To close the screen, choose the Close menu or press the back button.
The Event Log
The Event Log offers a view into system events that occur on your BlackBerry. It can also be a
useful debugging tool to track down what might be going wrong with an application or service
on your BlackBerry.
To access the Event Log:
1. Go to the home Applications screen and hold down the ALT key while entering the key
sequence LGLG. After a second or two, the event log appears
Within the Event Log, you can click on the trackwheel to view more details about a
given event, clear the log to reclaim some storage memory, or go into the Options menu
to fine-tune the types of events that are logged.
2. To close the Event Log and return to your home screen, choose the Close menu.

The Signal Strength Display Mode
The standard signal strength display on a BlackBerry uses the familiar “five bars” graphic —
the more bars you have, the better your signal strength (as shown in Figure 1-1). If you prefer
more precision, however, you can have the signal strength display in actual numbers.
To change your signal strength display:
1. Go to the home Applications screen and hold down the ALT key while entering the key
sequence NMLL.
2. To return to the standard

Smart System Codes
You can obtain various types of information about your system by using smart system codes (see
Simply enter the code into any input field, and then press the Enter (or space) key.
Smart System Codes
Smart Code Information Returned
myver Displays the device/version
LD Displays the local date
LT Displays the local time
mysig Displays the information you entered in the BlackBerry Options ? Owner screen
mypin Displays your handheld’s PIN

Scroll to and select the Settings icon

Scroll to and select the Options icon

Scroll to and select Advanced Options

Scroll to and select SIM

Enter MEPD
Note: When Typing in MEPD the letters will not appear on the screen. This step opens up the personalization on the device. Notice under Network, it will say Active.

Enter MEP2 (For “2?, press the ALT key then 2)
Note: When Typing in MEP2 the letters will not appear on the screen.

Notice the Enter Network MEP code box.
Enter the Unlock code (This is a 16 digit code)
Press the Trackball or Enter key (once one of these keys is pressed the device should display “Code Accepted.”)

The phone has been successfully Subsidy Unlocked is you see in the display next to Network Disabled

We’ve had a few solutions  become available to the BlackBerry for texting while driving, but this one integrates with your vehicle like Viper does, with your safety while driving in mind. This software installs on your BlackBerry and has a plug-and-forget Activator that installs in your vehicle without any tools necessary. What does it do? Let’s see..

Key2SafeDriving activates when you start your car. It automatically places your BlackBerry into Safe Driving Mode, disabling the ability to send messages or receive calls and text messages. It has the functions of monitoring, reporting and regulating mobile phone use while driving. Incoming calls go to directly to voicemail and incoming texts are sent an automatic reply letting your contacts know that you’re driving and will respond later (the driver will respond when they have safely reached their destination).

You’ll still be able to utilize the Emergency call functionality which is always enabled so that you can place an emergency call to 911 or other pre-determined phone calls.

Annual statistics show that mobile phone use causes 636,000 car accidents and more than 2,600 deaths. Costs incurred are about an estimated $43 billion according to the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis. Virginia Tech also did a study and estimated that 80% of all automobile accidents are caused by some form of distracted driving. This app allows a parent of a teen to become an administrator and set limits and be notified of any events. A text will go out if an attempt is made to text, message, call, or if an emergency call is placed.

Key2SafeDriving is available to value-added resellers, wireless carriers, and retailers. It is available to consumers for $99.95 with no annual subscription fees and you are able to purchase it directly from SafeDrivingSystems.

I can definitely see where this can offer peace of mind to a parent or even for ourselves if we find ourselves tempted. There are other solutions, but this is different in that it involves the vehicle, and that it has no annual fee, and allows an administrator. So safety is something ensured. Especially with different states passing the law about texting while driving, this is something available for your convenience and safety now. It’s easy with an app on your phone, no annual fees after the purchase, and the no tools needed for the installation of the device that goes in your car. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

You can purchase Key2SafeDriving for $99.95 from SafeDrivingSystems here

For a complete list of compatible phones and more information click here

We let you know earlier this week that RIM was holding the latest in their series of Webcasts for Developers on Tuesday, April 13th. The topic this time around was the BlackBerry Application Platform Push Service and covered aspects such as how to apply for the service and how it can be useful to your application. If you were interested in attending the webcast, but weren’t able to attend, don’t despair! RIM is nice enough to make the webcasts available on-demand after the live presentation. You can evendownload a PDF of the PowerPoint slides if you’d prefer to move through them at your own pace, or for reference later. Also remember, for more information on becoming a BlackBerry app developer, or to see what other tools RIM has made available for development, be sure to check out the Developers section at BlackBerry.com.

• View the BlackBerry Application Platform Push Service webcast

Let us know if you have any feedback on this or any of the other webcasts RIM has presented. If you are currently a BlackBerry app developer, or think you may want to be someday, do you think they are useful and informative? What would you like to see in upcoming webcasts?

Once you’re on the main call, press the Menu button, then select Add Participant. That will bring you to your call log screen. You can select a recent number from there, or enter in a number if need be. If you want to call someone from your address book, click Menu again and select Call from Contacts. That will bring up your address book. Just select the appropriate contact and press the Send button. Thankfully, this is one of the easier tasks on your BlackBerry.

Connect to Desktop Manager on a PC

As far as I can tell, the device switch wizard does not exist on Desktop Manager for Mac. This is a shame, but it’s one of the many limitations of the Mac platform. Hopefully if you have a Mac you can find a kind friend with a PC who will let you take care of advanced BlackBerry operations. Otherwise, you can use the method described below.

Once you’ve connected your device to the PC, select Device Switch Wizard, and then Switch BlackBerry devices. This should get you started on the process. You’ll see three columns. In the first, current device, you’ll want to make sure that that the PIN matches. In the third column, options, you’ll select what data you want to transfer. This can include device data, options, and third-party applications.

A note on third-party applications

The most convenient aspect of using the device switch wizard, rather than a backup and restore, is that it can transfer your third party applications. Unfortunately, this will not work with all applications. Certain applications only work with a particular operating system, so if you’re transferring applications from a device running OS 4.6 to a device running OS 5.0, you might find a few incompatible apps. Also, many newer applications are PIN-based, meaning they’ll only run on one device. Once you change PINs they will no longer work. You’ll have to download fresh copies of these apps.

Transferring to the new device

Once you’re all set in the device wizard, click next and Desktop Manager will copy all the appropriate information from your old device. Once that process is complete DM will prompt you to connect the new device. Do that and select the PIN from the drop-down menu. Hit OK and the process will begin. Your new device will be up and running in no time.

For Mac users

The best you can do, for right now, is a backup and restore. This will transfer your data, including messages and contacts, from one BlackBerry to another, but it will not move your third party applications. The process is easy, at least. Just click Backup, located in the top right corner of Desktop Manager. Then disconnect the old device, connect the new one, hit Restore, and select the backup file you just created.

You’ll have to download all of your third party applications again, which can be a pain if they were paid. But you also won’t get re-registering prompts and errors, as can be the case when you transfer applications.

Transferring your SD card files

If you want to continue using the same memory card as before, just pop it out of your old device and install it in your new one. Perhaps, though, your new device came with a bigger SD card than your old one. If you want to use the new one, you can easily transfer the files. I recommend connecting your BlackBerry to a computer and using it as a portable drive. This will create a new drive icon, and you can copy the data using your computer.

You can also do a transfer using Bluetooth. Go to Manage Connections and scroll down to Bluetooth Options. In that screen click the menu button and then select Options. You’ll need to change the first setting, Discoverable, to Yes and save it up. You’ll have to set your new device to Discoverable as well, of course. Then back out to the previous screen, click menu, and select Add Device. You should see your new device on the list. Select it, and you’ll pair the devices.

Now you’ll have to set the devices to trust each other. Select the paired BlackBerry from the list, hit the menu key, and make sure that Trusted is set to Yes. You’ll need to do this for both devices, and might want to switch back to the old setting once you’re done. You can now go into the mediaplayer and send files. Well, first you’ll go into the media player on your new device and select Receive Using Bluetooth. On the old device you’ll find files to send, click menu, and select Send Using Bluetooth.

We’ve seen other applications that allow you to control your BlackBerry from your PC, but this one is a bit different in that, as mentioned above, it connects via Bluetooth. That rules out a decent number of desktops, of course, and it also rules out Mac, which is a shame because Mac has a nifty built-in Bluetooth that I often use for transferring files.

Blurts lets you control calls, emails, and SMS from your computer. When you receive a phone call you’ll see a prompt with a caller ID. You can then answer or ignore the call right from your computer. You can also place calls from your computer — the app can switch on your Berry’s speakerphone. Same for SMS. That’s one of the main features of the application, really. It essentially turns SMS into email. It’s also nice for those who have a personal email hooked up to their BlackBerry but which they don’t, or can’t, check at work. You can see alerts and compose replies right from the app.

It also has a few advanced features, like SMS threading (though that’s available on OS 5.0), splitting messages larger than 160 message into multiple message, and capturing screen shots.

The full-feature version costs $5.99.

You can get the free version here at the BlackBerry App World