Blackberry Curve Software Also-rans

Here's the software I tried that is either decent but not used, or bested by another product, or at worst, sucks.  Check out my Blackberry Curve Software - Favorites for those that bested these products. See other Blackberry Guides in Guides.

Last Updated:  04.08.08

• Added Reverse Lookup 

Browser

•   Web shortcuts (FREE) - easier than using built in web bookmarks, but not that useful to me
  
  • OTA Download: m.jonahtnfisher.co.uk/webshortcuts (OR tinyurl.com/2nchef) 

eBook Readers

• BibleReader - various translations and study helps for the bb (NOTE: you have to download your content from olivetree.com, and they are NOT free)
• Wattpad - nice looking, basic, but I didn't like the interface for adding new materials

File Manager

• eFile - slow, ugly, not fun to use.

Google Applications

• Gcalsync - syncs your bb calendar with Google calendar.  This is NOT a Google product - none of the Google products sync your BB calendar w/ GCal.  But too many bugs - converts recurring to single events, so you can't edit as one item in the future, and shifts things off by many hours, making it useless at this time.

Home Page Replacements

• BBToday - a customizable today screen, with up to 6 modules, but kinda ugly.  Try it out.
• Launcher - has tabs and such, but ugly and not much improvement.

IM Clients

• EQO - this product is a free, multichat client, and it looks good, but the email and SMS functionality, which is not free, is always in the way.  I also got lots of IM porn spam invites
• Google Talk - decent, but not worth the effort to configure when you can get a multi-platform chat client
• IM+ - I've read the bulletin boards, and jivetalk is champ
• YIM  - Don't go through all the hoops to try to make blackberry's YIM or GTalk apps work.

Music

• RiverPast Shadowtunes (FREE) - I could not get this sync software to work
• Xplayer - this music player froze my machine, and it's interface, though clean, was really not that helpful

Phone Apps

• Reverse Lookup by WGarage ($20) - this product actually works well, but the Trial lasts for only three attempts, it's pricey, and cell phone and private numbers return no data.

Photos

• Radar - this is an interesting kind of social photo sharing app, but no real use for me.

RSS Readers

• Piconews (FREE) - a favorite at pinstack - not a bad product, but not as pretty as viigo, which seems equal in functionality
  
  • OTA download: piconews.com/piconews.jad
• OTHERS I haven't tried
  
  • BerryVine ($6.50) - has 14 day free trial (OTA: bb.berryvine.com)
  • FreeRange ($40) - offers del.icio.us and google reader support, but FREE version only supports 10 feeds (review) (review) (OTA: mwap.at)
  • Transfirm (FREE) - dunno about this one, has some Engrish on the page (OTA: www.transfirm.com/OTA.htm)
  • MORE - here's a list of others

Synchronization

• Octopus City - their free product allows you so sync your Outlook and BB with Gmail, but you have to download a local app in which to keep your contacts.

Utilities

• Beamberry - um, I could not get this to work - view, print and store e-mail document attachments that they receive. The software supports PDF, MS Office (Word, PPT, XLS), and RTF formats, as well as ZIP archives

Wallets and Cases

• Blackberry Curve Leather Wallet Case - I've ordered this one (extremepda.com), but was disappointed to find that the card slots only hold business cards, and are NOT wide enough for credit cards.
• Gel cases - they don't protect the screen, and many cover the start/end keys (and their color adds to the usability and nice look), and have a hole for the track ball that inhibits access to it.

Web 2.0 Integration

• Facebook - I've never tried this, here you go.