Empower is just about to win over many BlackBerry users with their new version of Empower HTML Mail Viewer Pro. This is a new Pro version of the Empower HTML Mail Viewer we mentioned in the past. The new version will be released on the 20th of December.

They have been working secretly in their underground lab without food and drink to completely overhaul their Empower Mail Viewer in this new Pro version. The new version opens up HTML email almost instantaneously. No lag, barely any delay, and the added features are just jaw-dropping! They have added the PIM integration that held them back in the past and are promising more 3^rd party integration with the likes of PocketDay. The amazing part is that they added all these features while keeping the application under 160K and with no speed lag.

The developer, Ani, has told me that the cost for the Pro version will be more than the $9.99 standard version and will be released on the 20th of December. That is a shame for people who own the standard version since I am not sure if this will be a free upgrade. We will be doing a preview soon but I just had to share some screenshots with you. Sorry for the brevity!

Sample email

Email menu

More shots after the jump!

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RIM has done all of us a small favor by releasing a list of compatible car kits and Bluetooth headsets that are confirmed to work with BlackBerry devices with built in Bluetooth. This is a great resource because until now car kits used to be trial and error with many users running into quite a few errors.

It seems that RIM has decided to take steps to rectify these problems by testing out more and more Bluetooth devices. From RIM’s Knowledgebase:

RIM is in the process of expanding the list of compatible Bluetooth headsets and car kits. Bluetooth accessories not listed in this article may work with BlackBerry smartphones enabled with Bluetooth wireless technology, but RIM has yet to test them.

RIM does not guarantee anything but it does give us a good idea of what will and should work. I can personally confirm that this is not an exhaustive list since the Jabra BT800 & BT500 I use is not on the list but it is a good start.

The full listing is after the jump

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Paul just asked me for a list of the keyboard shortcuts for the BlackBerry 8300/8310/8320 Series. I thought I would share the list I have compiled for him with you. I find the shortcuts useful but I really wish there were more…

Before you take a picture:

• Enter = take a picture
• Space = toggle through flash settings (on/automatic/off)
• Volume Up/Down = zoom in and out respectively
• SYM key (to the right of spacebar) = Fullscreen toggle

After you take a picture:

• Delete button = Delete the image

Thats it! I really wish RIM had added a few more shortcuts such as changing the megapixels and quality of the image. This would be useful to change between quality pictures you wish to save to the SD card and ones you wish to just email quickly. Also I wish they offered some more options once you took the picture such as rotating or zooming in and out or comparing it to the last taken picture. So far I have also not found a way to downgrade the quality of the image if you want to email it out as a smaller file. Hopefully RIM will read this post and beef up the camera.

Can anybody confirm if there are any improvements in OS 4.3 on the 8130?

I was just reading an surprising Knowledgebase article on RIM’s site. It seems that many users are experiencing slowdowns with their AOL accounts which are being checked by the BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service). The culprit according to RIM is that AOL limits the amount of connections that can be made from RIM’s servers so messages are not received until the connections are below the limit.

I personally do not use an AOL account but I am surprised BlackBerry has not managed to work something out with them. It is not like the BIS service is abusing the AOL mail servers.

Below you can see the analysis from RIM’s Knowledgebase:

Cause
The BlackBerry Internet Service must connect to the AOL messaging servers to retrieve email messages. The AOL system sometimes limits connections from the BlackBerry Internet Service based on the volume of connections. When a large number of connections occur, some BlackBerry smartphone users may be unable to receive email messages or may notice delays in receiving email messages from their AOL account.

Resolution
AOL limitations normally decrease within a 24-hour period and email message delivery returns to normal.

A bit back I had a friend of mine ask me about a problem he had when buying a ringtone from AT&T’s MEdia Net store. I told him that his first problem was paying for a ringtone but that is besides the point. While trolling the RIM Knowledgebase today and ran into a work around RIM has provided for the issue.

The problem stems from the fact that by default the WAP Browser is set to the Shop Applications service which does not work with ringtones. The idiocy of this screwup by AT&T is ironic. The funny part is that this should be an easy fix since the MEdia Net application is pushed to the device OTA by AT&T.

For now RIM has posted the following work around

Change the Default WAP browser configuration to MEdia Net Browser, by completing the following steps:

1. On the Home screen, go to Settings > Options > Advanced Options > Browser.
2. Highlight the Default WAP browser configuration field. 
3. Display the menu and select MEdia Net.
4. Display the menu and select Save.
5. Open the MMS message containing the ring tone access information and click Load. The MEdia Net service will be used for loading future ring tones.

Even has posted a great guide on BlackBerryforums on how to clean your BlackBerry trackball. This may interest many users including me since mine is already black from dirt and grime. The guide requires you to get down and dirty with your device with a screwdriver and a “spudger” (not sure what that is) so this may not be for the faint of heart.

Personally I actually like the feel of the trackball better when it is dirty since it gives better feedback . If your crazy about cleanliness or just want your device to look like new check out his guide at this link. You do need a few tools to get the job done but nothing major. Keep in mind if you ruin anything this will most definitely void your warranty. Thanks Even!

I cannot count how many times I have been asked if there is a way to monitor data usage on your BlackBerry. I do not have this issue since I am on an unlimited plan but many other users in other countries are hobbled by limited BlackBerry data plan. For these users it has been a hit and miss effort to make sure that you do not exceed your alloted data usage. Overages are expensive with each megabyte costing up to $10.

Axel has just released a beta of a new application he has just developed to monitor your internet usage on your BlackBerry. This will be music to many users ears. The application is free now in beta and has both a desktop and OTA download option for you Mac & Linux users. It even lets you set alerts for when you get close to a predefined limit! The software seems to be free for now…

Feature list:

• Logs the amount of traffic
• Writes daily data usage in a kind of logbook
• Every logbook entry can have a remark
• Cumulate the amount of traffic over the month
• Opportunity to set an alert on exceeding a predefined limit
• Several configuration options
• Scrolling graph showing the last minutes traffic
• For devices with SD - ability to write the content of the logbook to the SD
• Separate “Traffic watch” to observe the traffic for a limited period of time separately (Testing of an application etc.)

Website: MiniMoni - Traffic monitor for BlackBerry

Download (Desktop)
http://www.ehnert.net/MiniMoni/MiniMoni.zip

Download (OTA)
http://www.ehnert.net/MiniMoni/MiniMoni.jad

Alexander Wolfe of InformationWeek has written a great editorial on the recent comparison Consumer Reports did on smartphones. His claim is that Consumer Reports has rated the BlackBerry completely out of sync with reality. The BlackBerry is rated #7 in the full list of smartphone ratings way below the Windows Mobile devices such as the Q, Treo, and BlackJack. It is also below the iPhone. The Consumer Reports article is not online but Wolfe linked to the Daily News summary.

I completely agree with Wolfe and was also surprised when I read the article in my copy of Consumer Reports. It is just shocking that such buggy devices as the BlackJack and the Q get higher ratings than any other BlackBerry device. To quote the tag line of the most recent copy of Fortune Magazine “What were these guys smoking?”. Seriously how can the BlackBerry be rated below the iPhone, Palm Treo 755P, Samsung Blackjack, Motorola Q, and the Treo 680. If you have ever used a Windows Mobile device you will understand what I mean. Just read Greg’s editorial on preaching to the converted and see what frustration comes with a WM device.

To sum it all up I have to quote Wolfe:

I defy anyone to prove that BlackBerrys aren’t a better deal. They’re almost always cheaper, they always work, and you don’t have to worry about your carrier or the manufacturing locking the thing up on you.