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Urbanspoon Releases BlackBerry App – Restaurant Slot Machine

Ronen Halevy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:17:21 +0000

We mentioned Urbanspoon’s service a bit back but they just released a BlackBerry app at DevCon. They sent me an email that their new app lets you choose restaurants near you with a sort of slot machine for picking a favorite.

You just hit the space bar or shake your Storm and it will find a good restaurant near you buy choosing cuisine, neighborhood and price you are looking for. It also lets you simple search and browse restaurants near you using your location.

Check it out at www.urbanspoon.com/blackberry

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 11, 2009, 3:17 pm. | Urbanspoon Releases BlackBerry App – Restaurant Slot Machine | 4 comments |

Loopt Releases Update – Adds Background Location Updating

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Loopt just announced an update to their application that will add some more uses to their free application. The app will now help you find places and people nearby using background location updating. My guess is that it will always use GPS or maybe even cell tower triangulation in the background to find people and places near you.

I am not sure how badly this will hit your battery but the idea is pretty cool. The app will keep updating your location kind of like Google Maps Latitude.

Feature highlights include:

Discover the best places and events, including those rated highly by your friends on Pulse
See where your friends are on maps – view their latest updates listed in real-time and comment on them
Check-in to instantly share your updates with friends – easily update Facebook and Twitter with your photos and places in one Loopt check-in
Browse and rate local places and events – peruse detailed information from Zagat, Citysearch, and the Loopt community
Save money through special offers from nearby retailers with local coupons

The full press release is below but you can find the latest version of Loopt in the App World by searching for Loopt.

Loopt Launches Major Update to Unite Mobile, Social, and Local Discovery on BlackBerry Smartphones
Enhanced Application Demonstrated at the 2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference

San Francisco, CA – November 9, 2009 – Loopt announced today at the BlackBerry® Developer Conference that it has launched a major update for its free application for BlackBerry® smartphones, which is designed to connect users to the most relevant places and people nearby using background location updating. This brand new version of Loopt enhances users’ ability to discover the world around them – revealing who’s around, what to do, and where to go.
At the 2009 BlackBerry® Developer Conference, Sam Altman, CEO of Loopt, was invited on stage to perform a live demonstration of the new Loopt mobile application for BlackBerry smartphones. “Loopt has always been focused on building a ubiquitous interoperable service for the mobile space and we’re thrilled to be showcased on the BlackBerry platform,” said Altman. “We are especially excited to take advantage of background location updating on BlackBerry smartphones to help power social, local discovery on this latest version of Loopt.”
Loopt on BlackBerry smartphones runs in the background, which allows users to update their location in real-time while they are on the move, even when the Loopt application is not running in the foreground. The world around them never stops moving so Loopt on the BlackBerry should not either.
“The BlackBerry platform excels in enabling multitasking and deep integration between applications and functionality on the smartphone. Loopt has done a tremendous job of bringing location-based services and social communications together to enable BlackBerry smartphone users to discover, share, and connect,” said Tyler Lessard, Vice President, Global Alliances and Developer Relations at Research In Motion.
Loopt now offers dynamically-generated, relevant local content about places and events from some of the best sources on the Web to help users meet up with nearby friends, explore new places to grab food, and find local events happening now.

Feature highlights include:

Discover the best places and events, including those rated highly by your friends on Pulse
See where your friends are on maps – view their latest updates listed in real-time and comment on them
Check-in to instantly share your updates with friends – easily update Facebook and Twitter with your photos and places in one Loopt check-in
Browse and rate local places and events – peruse detailed information from Zagat, Citysearch, and the Loopt community
Save money through special offers from nearby retailers with local coupons

Loopt is proud to partner with Zagat, the world’s leading provider of consumer-survey based information. Zagat’s quality, trusted information is based on the collective experiences of thousands of avid consumers.
“We are excited to offer the Loopt community access to Zagat’s top lists and information about special Zagat events in their area,” said Nina S. Zagat, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Zagat Survey. “It is our mission to provide consumers with Zagat content wherever they are and whenever they need it.”
Loopt is available for free for the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900, BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000, and the BlackBerry® Tour™ smartphones on BlackBerry App WorldTM. Go to http://www.blackberry.com/appworld and search for “Loopt”.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 3:00 pm. | Loopt Releases Update – Adds Background Location Updating | 5 comments |

Help iblipped Create a User Generated Coverage Map

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:31:00 +0000

iblipped is a cool little application/service spotted by Adam @Crackberry that aims to create a user generated coverage map. They provide a free application that measures coverage while using your GPS to find your location. This way they plan on creating a user generated coverage map like you can find at www.iblipped.com.

The app runs in the background but since it is using your GPS all the time along with cellular connection to upload data there may be a battery usage constraint for users so keep that in mind. On the other hand a user generated coverage map could go a long way to proving to your carrier that reception sucks for everybody in your location.

You cannot see the map from the application but it is available at www.iblipped.com. Let me know if you join in on the fun by downloading the application at this link.

From the description:

Today’s cellular phone network provider’s carrier maps are often out of date and/or inaccurate. The iBlipped site aims at gathering volunteered cell phone signal strengths to point out strengths and dead zones in cell phone providers coverage.
By taking users GPS and measuring their cell signal at regular intervals we can see just how good the coverage is.

Features:

Works for both CDMA and UMTS carriers
Signal Strength mapping using GPS
Time or Distance based based recording
Ability to halt/resume gathering
Displays cell site information
Upload signal strength to a website for analysis
Uploading data through email.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 6, 2009, 4:31 am. | Help iblipped Create a User Generated Coverage Map | 9 comments |

RoadRunner GPS – Track Your Runs & Analyze Them

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:54:00 +0000

It has been awhile since we featured an fitness app on BerryReview. Newcomer Kanavon Software let me know about their new application RoadRunner GPS which lets you track your runs using your BlackBerry with GPS. The app lets you analyze your workout and give you feedback with information like

Distance travelled
Elapsed time
Average speed and pace
Calories expended

The app will also let you map your run and view it in BlackBerry Maps. It also has audio alerts and the ability to upload your data to their servers so you can review your data and track you progress over time.

All in all it is a pretty nice app for $4.99 and it has a free trial for you to try before you buy. Let me know if you give it a shot and how it compares to other solutions or even apps like GPSLogger.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 5, 2009, 12:54 pm. | RoadRunner GPS – Track Your Runs & Analyze Them | 5 comments |

Google Maps Updated to v3.2.1 – No Change Log

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:16:00 +0000

Looks like Google just put up a quick bug fix for Google Maps. Josep let me know that you can now download Google Maps v3.2.1 from Google’s website. In typical Google fashion there is no change log so its time to play guess what Google fixed!

You can download the update at m.google.com/maps

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 5, 2009, 1:16 am. | Google Maps Updated to v3.2.1 – No Change Log | 7 comments |

Aloqa Beta Updated – Find Interesting places & Events Near You

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

We mentioned Aloqa a bit back when it was in beta but it was limited to the Curve 8900 and Bold 9000. Now the app is out of Beta and is available for a broader range of devices including the Tour, 83XX series, 88XX series, 87XX series, and 8520. The app is now also feeding you information in the US, Canada, & Austria.

Aloqa supposedly lets you find interesting places, events, & friends near you. I am not sure exactly how it pulls that off but supposedly they are fed information from Facebook Connect, Yelp, Eventful, last.fm, Wikipedia, Craigslist, Topix, Fon, Coulomb Technologies, GreatDad, Google Maps API, Qype, Call-A-Bike, Nestoria, and BeLocal.

It looks like a pretty interesting app if you want to give it a spin and the price is right (free). Check it out at www.aloqa.com and let me know what you find!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 3, 2009, 8:00 am. | Aloqa Beta Updated – Find Interesting places & Events Near You | 2 comments |

Google Maps 3.2 Released – Adds Layers to Maps

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:25:33 +0000

UPDATE: mallinj corrected me and let me know that there IS login support in this version!!! I just am still trying to figure out what it lets you do! Hopefully it saves your favorites…

Google has just released Google Maps 3.2 and its a pretty nice upgrade. I was really hoping they would finally tie it into your Google account but no luck. Version 3.2 brings layers to the table which are kind of like overlays on your map.

Layers are useful because you can overlay transit maps or even Wikipedia entries over a map. I was just disappointed to find that I could not get the NYC subway map to show up over Manhattan. I am really hoping Google adds that feature. If its there and I missed it let me know!

Download 3.2 at: m.google.com/maps

Thanks to Nanu, Michael, & Jason for sending this in!

PS: That dot is me shopping at Macys Herald Square for a pair of jeans. Just got my first pair of Kenneth Cole jeans and am loving them…

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, October 21, 2009, 10:25 pm. | Google Maps 3.2 Released – Adds Layers to Maps | 15 comments |

The Weather Channel Releases Free Ad Supported Version

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:17:00 +0000

Personally I get the weather through the free and awesome BBWeather app but options are always good. Quite a few readers let us know that The Weather Channel has released a free ad supported version of their premium ad free app.

Download OTA for Curve, Bold, & Tour: m.weather.com/bbapp
Download OTA for Storm: m.weather.com/stormapp

From their press release:

The Weather Channel for BlackBerry includes interactive radar maps as well as current conditions, hourly, 36-hour and 10-day forecasts to help customers plan their daily and upcoming activities. Customers can share severe weather alerts, current conditions and forecasts with friends and contacts via e-mail or text message directly from the application. Integration with the BlackBerry calendar and address book allows customers to check weather for daily appointments as well as stored contacts.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, October 15, 2009, 3:17 am. | The Weather Channel Releases Free Ad Supported Version | 5 comments |

Location Notes App Saves Your GPS Location Alongside Notes

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Location Notes is not the most revolutionary app out there but I am really intrigued by the concept. Essentially the app stores you location alongside the notes you write on your BlackBerry. This could be a really cool way to keep a trip log or journal. The app only works off GPS which is not as ideal as cell tower triangulation but is more reliable. I have been constantly hearing how Location Based Services (LBS) are going to change our mobile experience and I think this is an interesting trek in that direction. Especially if RIM releases a global app that would provide your cell tower location to any application you wish. Still if you have a use for such an app you can pick it up in the store for $3.99.

From the description:

Location Notes allows to keep notes and additional information associated with GPS coordinates from your GPS enabled BlackBerry Smartphone. Notes that have been saved can be sent as e-mail, or exported to a BlackBerry memo. Coordinate based notes can also be viewed via BlackBerry Maps, or Google Maps. Useful for keeping travel notes, or field research. Intended for anyone who would like to document coordinate location and/or landmarks. The BlackBerry 9630/Tour works with either the "BlackBerry" or "Storm" version.

Features:

Save unlimited notes and other information based on GPS coordinates.
Sort List of notes by Name or Date
Export saved notes to a BlackBerry Memo.
Send individual saved notes via e-mail.
Send entire group of saved notes as kml file attachment: explore your notes and results in Google Earth.
Map location of coordinate information and notes using BlackBerry Maps, or Google Maps.
Transform Latitude and Longitude to Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates.
Works with both internal GPS sensors, and external Bluetooth GPS devices such as the GlobalSat BT-359

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, September 21, 2009, 10:59 am. | Location Notes App Saves Your GPS Location Alongside Notes | Leave a comment |

Foyage Helps You Find Services & Shops Near You – in Indonesia…

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:38:00 +0000

There has been some crazy growth for RIM in Indonesia in the past year. According to the Asia Times there are now 350,000 BlackBerry users which is up 550% from last year! With a population of 240 million that is a lot of potential for RIM. Especially considering the fact that the iPhone has a paltry 15,000 users. Now it makes sense why RIM was jumping through so many hoops to get recertified to import BlackBerrys. I even took a look at BerryReview’s stats for the past 30 days and it turns out that Indonesians are #4 in the list of countries that visit our site:

With that said I thought it would be prudent to mention a new app called Foyage that was brought to my attention. Foyage is an LBS (Location Based Services) application that only works in Indonesia (Jakarta, Bali) and Singapore. The app helps you find services and shops near your location including more than 12.000 restaurants, ATM, petrol kiosk and many more in Indonesia and Singapore.

The app is a free download at www.foyage.com/bb

Features include:

location aware
latest updates/review from users
browse wide range of categories
detail information with rating, photo, phone number and map
upload your review, photo or comments and share it with other foyagers

Let us know if the app is any good if you happen to live in a location where it works!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, September 15, 2009, 9:38 am. | Foyage Helps You Find Services & Shops Near You – in Indonesia… | 6 comments |

Yelp Releases Local Search BlackBerry App – Uses Bing Maps…

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:20:00 +0000

I guess we missed this while I was out on vacation but Yelp released their local search app for BlackBerry. This free app gives you access to local businesses and information near you all based on your location. TechCrunch pointed out that Yelp is using Bing’s maps instead of the more common Google Maps for some technical reason. Still I think this is the first app to use Bing maps instead of Google…

If you are a Yelp fan this is definitely worth a download. I know many other apps have pulled in Yelp data but they finally released their own. Here is to hoping it becomes as feature full as the iPhone app they released previously.

Check it out at www.yelp.com/yelpmobile

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, September 1, 2009, 5:20 am. | Yelp Releases Local Search BlackBerry App – Uses Bing Maps… | One comment |

GPSiesConnect: Free App Adds GPSies Tracks to GPSLogger

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Matthias let me know that he has released a free complimentary app for GPSLogger called GPSiesConnect. This new app gives you access to the popular GPSies database full of community shared GPS tracks. It even lets you upload your own track to GPSies.com. Pretty cool for those of you who like to take your BlackBerry off the beaten path.

As a reminder GPSLogger is a free app from Matthias that lets you record your own GPS track offline and playback another users GPS track so these two apps fit hand in hand. You can read more or download GPSLogger at this link.

From the description:

GPSies – Tracks for Vagabonds is a great website where a very large community shares tracks for any purpose. GPSiesConnect allows you to directly access the GPSies.com database from your BlackBerry® device
You can search for tracks for your sports and leisure activities
Search for tracks in a specified radius to your specific country/city/zip/street
Search for tracks that have a certain length or altitude difference
Search for tracks that are suitable for one or more of the following activities:
hiking, walking, running, skating, cross skating, handcycle, cycling, racing bike, mountainbiking, motorbiking, enduro/quad, cabriolet, car, nordic Skiing, alpine skiing, randonnee skiing, snowshoeing, wintersports, riding, canoeing, sailing, boating, motorboat, climbing, flying, train, sightseeing, geocaching, miscellaneous
Download tracks in various formats [KML, GPX, CSV & FUWAGI] to use them instantly with other applications (like GPSLogger) on your BlackBerry®
The functionality of GPSiesConnect can be used by any 3′rd party GPS application since it comes with a quite easy to implement command line option interface
Provided functionalities:
- GPSiesConnect is able to upload your tracks to the GPSies.com database
  (requires a login at GPSies.com – which is free – go to the registration form)
- Search for tracks in a specified radius to your current GPS location
- Configure a 3′rd party application to start them with tracks you find in GPSiesConnect (done via the GPSiesConnect Options)
The latest version of GPSLogger (v1.6) fully supports the GPSiesConnect command line API functions – you can upload any of your recorded path to gpsies.com or search for tracks nearby your current GPS location
From GPSiesConnect you can directly load any track as navigation path into GPSLogger. But GPSiesConnect does not need GPSLogger to be installed! Via the GPSiesConnect options you can configure any other installed application to interact with GPSiesConnect (of course this have to be supported by the 3´rd application itself)
Check for updates of the application via the Options

You can download the app OTA at this link or read more at this link.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 18, 2009, 7:00 am. | GPSiesConnect: Free App Adds GPSies Tracks to GPSLogger | One comment |

LiveTracker Beta 6 Released – Free Tracking Service Adds Remote Tracking Activation

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:44:05 +0000

Skylab let me know that they have updated their free LiveTracker application to allow you to launch the remote tracking control via SMS or when your BlackBerry is rebooted. This is not the biggest upgrade in the beta but I really like the LiveTracker application so I was just looking for an excuse to mention it since the beta started.

I am not sure how useful the location sharing features will be once BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 is released officially but the tracking features are nice AND FREE! I just wish they would add in cell tower triangulation so it does not always need to use GPS.

Free Download: LiveTracker Mobile is available for free non-commercial use – download.
Free Tracking Server: For storing tracking data we maintain a tracking server – for free.
Background Tracking: Start LiveTracker and it sends the GPS location to our tracking server.
Automatic Tracking: On device startup GPS tracking can be fired up automatically.
Remote Control: Start and stop GPS tracking on your device by sending an SMS.
Share Location: Send EMail, PIN, SMS, MMS, Twitter message to your location’s map representation.
BETA TEST: Due to the early stage of this application please report any bugs to us. Thank you.

Check out the app at this link

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 14, 2009, 1:44 pm. | LiveTracker Beta 6 Released – Free Tracking Service Adds Remote Tracking Activation | 3 comments |

OpenTable Releases Free BlackBerry App for Restaurant Reservations

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:00:00 +0000

OpenTable along with quite a few readers (TTune, Tashanna, etc.) let us know about a new application they have released for their service. We mentioned back in May that they released an application but this version seems to be much more refined. The only downside is that it only supports OS 4.5+ and is only available in the App World… (Annoying!)

With their new free application you can:

Search by address or use your GPS to find restaurants
closest to your current location (GPS depends on carrier
and device capability)
Refine restaurant list by cuisine, price or availability
Invite fellow diners via email
Manage upcoming reservations
Make free, instantly confirmed restaurant reservations at over 10,000 restaurants
OpenTable members earn valuable Dining Rewards Points redeemable for Dining Cheques good at any OpenTable restaurant

Check out more information at this link.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 4, 2009, 10:00 am. | OpenTable Releases Free BlackBerry App for Restaurant Reservations | One comment |

TrainSchedule GPS Edition – Access US Train Schedules “On The Go”

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:33:00 +0000

Trainlogic let me know about their product TrainSchedule GPS Edition which looks pretty interesting. It has train schedules for quite a few US trains and offers it in a mobile friendly version. TrainSchedule is a subscription application for which you have to buy a 3 or 6 month plan. Its not terribly expensive at $3.75 for 3 months and $7.50 ($6.50 sale now) for 6 months but still I doubt I would be willing to pay a monthly fee. I take these trains quite often and it would be useful but nothing I could not find online, through Google Maps Transit, or by just carrying around a schedule. On the other hand I usually just take the NYC subway which does not even have a schedule.

Features:

includes a powerful trip planner
combines many railroads into a single network
works everywhere: in subways, tunnels, in places with no signal
easy on your data plan: stores downloaded schedules locally on your phone
includes trip and stop maps
fast and easy: great for everyday train commuters

Full description and cities/lines covered after the jump:

TrainSchedule shows schedule information on upcoming trains for the next 14 days (taking into account holidays, special days etc.) and also includes a railroad trip planner. Optionally (provided your phone has a GPS capability) it lets you track yourself while on the train to find out if your train is delayed.
A number of train schedules on the U.S. East Coast, Chicago area and California are combined into a single network. Select the train lines you are interested in, then the corresponding schedules are downloaded and stored locally on the phone. It is fast and easy to use. Finally, it is a powerful tool that can help you find the right train or connection when it’s not obvious.

Schedules available with this product:

Nationwide:
* Amtrak NYC – Washington, DC
* Amtrak Boston – DC – Newpport News
* Amtrak Springfield – Washington, DC
* Amtrak Empire Service (Northeast)
* Amtrak Pacific Surfliner (California)
New Jersey & New York:
* All New Jersey Transit lines (including the Atlantic City line)
* PATH
* All NY Waterway Ferry between NJ and Manhattan
* Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
* Newark Light Rail
* River Line Light Rail
* AirTrain (Newark Airport)
* Atlantic City Express (ACES)
New York & Connecticut:
* Long Island Rail Road
* MTA Metro North (east of Hudson)
* Staten Island Railway
* Shore Line East
* AirTrain (JFK Airport)
Pennsylvania:
* All Regional Rail SEPTA lines
* SEPTA Subway and Route 100 High-speed rail line
* PATCO
Massachusetts:
* MBTA (rail)
Chicago/Indiana:
* MetraRail
* South Shore Line
Maryland & Virginia & Washington, DC:
* MTA Maryland MARC Train lines
* Route 200-Light Rail
* Virginia Railway Express
* WMATA Metrorail
Florida:
* SFRTA Tri-Rail
* Miami-Dade Transit Metrorail
Texas:
* Dallas Area Rapid Transit
California:
* BART (Bay Area)
* Caltrain
* Metrolink (South. California)
* Sacramento Light Rail
* Altamont Commuter Express
Oregon:
* Trimet (Portland)
Washington:
* Sound Transit
* Tacoma Link

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 4, 2009, 6:33 am. | TrainSchedule GPS Edition – Access US Train Schedules “On The Go” | 2 comments |

GPSLogger 1.5 Beta Brings Outdoor Navigation & Return Home Features

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Emacberry has really packed in some serious functionality into the latest version of GPSLogger. GPSLogger is a donationware/free GPS tracking application for BlackBerry. The latest version 1.5 brings in some new outdoor navigation features that are really cool. My favorite is the Bring me Back routing that will bring you back to your starting point.

The other cool feature is the outdoor navigation. It lets you import tracks that other people have recorded in KML or GPX format and follow the tracks that somebody else set. There are hundreds of these on GPSies and other sites but you really should read the whole guide before trying it out.

What’s new?

Outdoor Navigation! – All Details about this new feature (and the corresponding new options) can be found at the Outdoor Navigation documentation.
When logging a new MenuItem called ‘Bring me Back (route)’ is available:
See Special function in logging mode: ‘Bring me Back (route)’.
Logging status indicated by (logging), (paused) in the upper left corner
New Shortcut +[A|S]: (S)tart logging
New Shortcut +[Q|W]: (Q)uit logging
New Shortcut +[O|P]: Toggle (P)ause
New Function: Clear all paths data/reset GPSLogger (key shortcut +[Y|X|Z])
Changes between Imperial and Metric units will automatically update unit dependent option values (’Distance signal’, ‘When Waypoint is reached’ & ‘Distance to next Waypoint’)
New symbol for ‘location to reach’ in the Path-View
Reorganized main menu structure
Additional menu entries (e.g. zoom in/out) for Storm Users (can be used instead of key shortcuts)
All lines will rendered with anti-aliasing-effect

What’s fixed?

Checking GPS-Location for ‘0′ as latitude or longitude values
Import of large (0.5 MiB+) KML & GPX files

Download

for Devices with OS 4.2.1+
www.emacberry.com/ota/GPSLogger.jad

for Devices with OS 4.6+
www.emacberry.com/ota/GPSLogger4.6.jad

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 3, 2009, 2:00 pm. | GPSLogger 1.5 Beta Brings Outdoor Navigation & Return Home Features | One comment |

Gokivo Navigator Adds European Maps to US & Canada

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Not many users know about Gokivo Navigator but if I am not mistaken this is the navigation that powers Verizon’s VZ Navigator service. They have just announced support for much of Europe including the previously supported US and Canada offerings.

From what I can tell it is supported on the Bold and 8900 Curve but I could have sworn that it works on other devices. They are now offering a "Summer Nav Sale" through the end of July that gives you a free trial which ends Labor Day weekend. The only real downside is that you can only find it in the App World.

From the description:

Reliable, fast and incredibly easy to use, Gokivo Navigator makes it easy to find anything from ATMs and restaurants to people and events. Based on integrated premium real-time content, Gokivo Navigator transforms your mobile phone into a superior navigation device. No longer is it necessary to wait until you turn on your car for directions or carry an extra device that is only usable in your car. Always in the palm of your hand is a personalized travel guide that can share geo-coded messages with your friends and family.

Turn-by-turn visual and audible directions make it easier to get where you need to go in the US and Canada or UK and parts of Western Europe.
Pedestrian navigation with unique pedestrian routes for tourist cities.
Instant access to local movies, events, traffic and weather conditions.
Access to nearby restaurants, fuel stations, ATMs, hotels, hospitals, theaters, plus millions of other POIs, with one-touch calling to the destination to place orders, confirm appointments, or get additional information.
Social planning with friends and family by sharing locations of movies, events, restaurants, bars, and parks.
Automatic upgrade notifications sent to your mobile phone.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 30, 2009, 9:00 am. | Gokivo Navigator Adds European Maps to US & Canada | Leave a comment |

Trapster 3.2.5 Released – Speed Trap Sharing – No Change Log

Ronen Halevy — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:26:45 +0000

Adam let me know that the popular Trapster application has been updated from version 3.1.0 to 3.2.5. The last update to 3.1.0 was pretty significant so hopefully this one adds some much needed functionality. Sadly there is no official change log but if somebody manages to scrounge one up that would be great!

Check it out at www.trapster.com

In case you’ve never heard of it, Trapster uses GPS to show you a map that indicates the presence of speed traps along and around your way, it also lets you indicate their precise location yourself in case you’re aware of speed traps that are not shown in the map. By sharing the information in the network, all users get an ever more accurate map of all current locations, slow down when they’re near the traps and resume their illegal speeding once they’re far enough past the radars.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 29, 2009, 10:26 am. | Trapster 3.2.5 Released – Speed Trap Sharing – No Change Log | 2 comments |

GPSLogger Donationware Geocaching App Hits Version 1.0

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:00:00 +0000

GPSLogger is a very popular free/donationware app from the makers of BBFileScout. It lets you record your movements using GPS on your BlackBerry without an internet connection. It includes elevation, speed, and some additional data. GPSLogger can also direct you to a location that you either entered manually or have previously recorded which is useful for Geocaching.

EmacBerry has just released GPSLogger 1.0 which is now out of beta.

Changes include:

Options reorganized – on BlackBerry® devices it’s quite common to separate the application options into various screens – this makes the options way more organized and easiert to understand.
Distance Signal – new ‘Special Options’ to specify ‘Vibrate Time’ and ‘Audio Volume’
The specified ‘Path directory’ will be checked at each startup (if writable) – if not the Options dialog will be opened
New General Option: ‘Start in NightMode’
New General Option: ‘Confirm deletion of Paths and Points’
New General Option: ‘Allow start without GPS-Signal’
New dialog to enter locations in the Degree, Minutes (decimal) format (like: 47° 56.112 N)
Export (KML, GPX and CVS) of single Locations (from the Location Manager) – Key shortcut: [Z|X]
GPX-Import will support files that contain location information in elements

You can read more and donate at the product page or download it ota using the links below:

Devices with OS 4.2.1+
www.emacberry.com/ota/GPSLogger.jad

Devices with OS 4.6+
www.emacberry.com/ota/GPSLogger4.6.jad

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 28, 2009, 6:00 am. | GPSLogger Donationware Geocaching App Hits Version 1.0 | One comment |

BBWeather Experimental GPS Feature Added by Tateu

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:27:00 +0000

Tateu has been doing a wonderful job of taking over the BBWeather application. Tom let me know that he has released a new version with experimental GPS support for your location. Personally I don’t find it so hard to put in your own zip code but this makes life simpler. The GPS only really works in the US since the reverse geo-coding does not return a valid entry outside of the US.

You can pick up the experimental version at this link OTA or post your findings on this thread on BBForums.

To use GPS:

Add a new location — Options – Current Profiles – Add
Set Location ID: @gps
Set the other fields to whatever you want
Press "OK" to save it
Under Options, look for the first "GPS Type"
The default type is "Autonomous + Assisted" but not all phones support that type. The Bold does. The Bold does not support Cellsite. You can try all four to see which one works for your model. This knowledge base article might also help you decide.
The second "GPS Type" option is a typo and should be "GPS Server." You can probably leave this as the default, I just put the second server in there because I could. At some point, I may take the option out and just make BBWeather try the 1st one and, if it fails, automatically try the 2nd one.
That’s it, save the Options and go back to the current conditions screen.

The 1st line on the Weather screens says BBWeather, the 2nd line says the City and LocationID. If the end of that 2nd line says "GPS" it means the GPS coordinates were just updated right now. If it says "GPS*" it means it is using GPS coordinates obtained sometime in the last 10 minutes. If it says "GPS**" it means BBWeather was unable to obtain GPS coordinates and it is using the last known valid GPS location. The GPS Coordinates are normally only refreshed if they are older than 10 minutes but you can force a refresh at any time by choosing "Update" from the menu.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 28, 2009, 3:27 am. | BBWeather Experimental GPS Feature Added by Tateu | 12 comments |

Travel Genius – Free Location Based Search & POI App

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Jerry let me know about this popular free app called Travel Genius. Sadly it makes use of BlackBerry Maps for mapping so I could not really try it on my AT&T BlackBerry so I will resort to the description they provide. Sadly the app is also only available in the App World so you will need to go there and search for Travel Genius…

Travel Genius by MobileVision is a location based search tool that helps you to quickly find and get to the places or services you need when you are out and about. It combines the best features of a GPS tool – minus the monthly fees – with powerful Internet search options and tucks them neatly into a simple user interface that works on any BlackBerry smartphone (OS 4.2+).

How often have you been out traveling and need something (a taxi ride, dry cleaning or gas), and even though you have a wireless Internet browser you still don’t know exactly where you are to start your search? We’ve all been there – wherever ‘there’ is! Now with Travel Genius you are only a couple of clicks away from knowing where you are and how to get the service or to the location you need. One-click choices like "ATM", "Parking" or "Movies" make searching easy. Need something that’s not listed? There is a custom search feature, so you can look up anything you want. Nothing is ad-driven, so you can be sure that your results include all the options – not just the ones that someone paid to put there. And it all utilizes the built-in GPS or manual address entry.

Do you travel a lot? Travel Genius allows you to create favorites and save them. Finding what you need is even faster with favorites. Ever have a hard time finding your parked car? (That’s a rhetorical question.) With favorites, you can do things like snap a photo of your parking spot, grab the GPS location and then later request map directions to find your way back. Even when you’re busy, traveling and away from your normal routine you’ll look like, well, a genius.

End the uncertainty and hunt-n-peck nature of finding services and locations when you’re away from home. Get to where you need and what you need faster and more accurately every time.

For complete mapping capability, Travel Genius requires BlackBerry Maps and GPS reception.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 24, 2009, 12:00 pm. | Travel Genius – Free Location Based Search & POI App | 6 comments |

Nogago: Free GPS Outdoor Navigation Tracking

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:06:00 +0000

Nogago let me know about their free application that lets you track your outdoor activities. Its pretty cool for a free app but there are already other solutions that offer similar features. The cool feature in Nogago is the ability to navigate along prerecorded tracks from the many GPS track communities online.

Features include:

Measure the time, distance and speed of your travels
Record and view your tracks (while on the go and later when you are back home on your PC)
Navigate along prerecorded tracks (you can find many, many thousands of tracks at gpsies and other GPS track communities)

There is one catch. They require that you fill out a simple 10 question survey before downloading which is annoying but you can put in whatever you want. After the survey you get OTA and desktop manager links.

Check it out at www.nogago.com and let me know what you think!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 23, 2009, 10:06 am. | Nogago: Free GPS Outdoor Navigation Tracking | 2 comments |

WhereAmI: See Your Location on Your Storm Background (9500 GSM Only)

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:11:00 +0000

This is a slick app that I think would really take off if only it worked on more devices. It simply shows you where you are on a map and sets that as your homescreen background. The main problem is that it only works with the 9500 Storm GSM version so even 9530 CDMA Storm users are out of luck!

The app is a bit pricey at $4.95 but I think it is a real novelty. I am hoping that in the future I will be able to set my homescreen to show either the weather forecast and cycle with my location on a map using cell towers or even my stock portfolio. I think that would really be cool!

Features:

Configurable zoom level
Configurable refresh rate
Maps are taken from Google
This application does not support CDMA devices

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 10, 2009, 12:11 pm. | WhereAmI: See Your Location on Your Storm Background (9500 GSM Only) | 9 comments |

Google Mobile App v3.4.8 Released – No Change Log

Ronen Halevy — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I hate when Google does this and doesn’t let us know what changed. Nikolaus let me know that the Google Mobile App has been updated from 3.3.38 to version 3.4.8.

I have no idea what is new but the last update to the app gave you access to voice searching and cell tower “My Location” features.

You can pick up the update OTA at: m.google.com or you can read more at this link.

Let me know if you find anything new!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 17, 2009, 6:00 am. | Google Mobile App v3.4.8 Released – No Change Log | 7 comments |

Centrl: Free Location Based Social Network with a Small Twist

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Robert let me know about Centrl which is another slick looking location based social network. The problem with most of these networks is that you need to have friends on them to be tempted to install it. Google got this easily with Google Maps since so many people already have it installed for Latitude. Centrl seems to be very similar where you can share you location with friends and let them find you.

The app differentiates a bit by helping you find new people and places to go around you that are happening. The most important feature in my opinion is that it lets you login with your Facebook, MySpace, Hi5, Ning, Orkut, Bebo or Friendster and it is integrated with Twitter. Personally I think that is a big twist in that you really do not need to register for their service separately from your regular social network. They also have iPhone and Android apps for you to keep tabs of your friends on those devices.

You can read more about the service at www.centrl.com and download it free OTA at this link

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 9, 2009, 1:00 pm. | Centrl: Free Location Based Social Network with a Small Twist | Leave a comment |