Tag: BlackBerry Traffic

Android Applications on my Z30

Android Applications on my Z30

I admit to being a purist. I prefer native apps to Android ports. Built for BlackBerry apps give me the best user experience on my Z30, but apps that have been ported into BlackBerry world are a close second. Android apps? I was reluctant to use them at first, worried about battery drain or security loopholes, but I’ve mellowed out a bit with time. As a rule, I don’t download an Android app if there is a BlackBerry version available. I have the Amazon app store installed on my phone, and it’s pretty nice, if rarely used. There are, however, three Android apps that I am unwilling to live without: Waze, the Starbucks app, and Netflix.

“But wait” you say, Waze is in BlackBerry world. Technically that’s true but the version of Waze available in Blackberry World is outdated, full of bugs, and kept crashing on me. I got so sick of having to change the distance units to kilometres from miles every time I opened the app that I wasn’t using it. Which is unfortunate because Waze is an awesome app for people who drive. With Waze you can enter your desitination, choose from 3 different routes, and go. You can also add a stop – say if your gas light comes on while you’re taking a new route home and you have no clue where the nearest gas station is. Not that it’s ever happened to me. Okay maybe once or twice. (Note: I always pull over before using Waze or adding a stop, though with the BlackBerry Assistant that may change since I have voice command over applications). I wrote a post extolling the virtues of BlackBerry Traffic on my Bold 9900, and when I got my Z10, I gamely tried to use its replacement: Blackberry Maps. Blackberry Maps is functional if you’re trying to get from point A to point B via the most common route. The problem is that it doesn’t take traffic into account or road closures. Driving into Toronto for the past few years, I’ve needed something that can help me avoid the numerous construction closures on the highways leading into and out of the city. Enter Waze. More than once, Waze has alerted me to heavy congestion on the road ahead and offered up an alternate route to avoid it. It even saved Dad and I from parking on highway 400 coming down from the cottage. (Dad wasn’t sure about the off road journey Waze proposed but gamely tried it and we were cruising at a steady 60 km / hr on backroads while the radio reports had the 400 at a standstill.) Waze plays through the bluetooth connection to my car audio system or through the speakers on my phone. Either way I get turn by turn directions to my destination – directions which, as a bonus, are in enough time to change lanes without panic. One of the neat things about waze as a passenger, is that I can report traffic jams, accidents and other issues to help my fellow drivers. It’s a really easy to use interface too, which is a necessity in a GPS app.

The easy reporting interface on Waze

Now I’m not a big coffee drinker, as a rule, but when I do indulge, it’s a flavoured coffee drink (I love mochas) from Starbucks. I mainly drink tea and Starbucks has me covered there too. I registered for a Starbucks card, mostly because I liked the idea of earning free drinks, and because I had a couple of instances of needing a caffeine hit but not having any cash on me and I hate to pay debit for a small transaction. My big problem with the Starbucks card was forgetting it in my other wallet, or in the car. No it’s not a huge deal to walk back to the car to get my card, but when it’s minus 35 with windchill, it’s something I’d rather avoid. I’d heard rumors of the Starbucks app working on BlackBerry 10 after an update, so I asked a friend who is a self admitted Starbucks addict. Yes, he’d tried it and it worked! He sent me the application file (I could have downloaded it for myself but he already had it so why bother?) and lo-and behold I had the Starbucks App. I love this app because not only does it work as a payment card, but when you click “pay now” it pops up the bar code the Barista can scan along with any special offers. I love that it brings up the offers because I can never remember if there is one on, when it expires, and if I’ve used it. Remembering stuff like that is why I need caffeine! The other thing that the app helps me remember is when I get my next free drink. As much as I like being surprised with the fact that I’m eligible to redeem my stars, I like being able to plan ahead. Plus this is on my BlackBerry. I may forget my wallet in the car, but I’m not going to forget my BlackBerry! Win-Win.

The payment screen. I love the offer available post at the bottom!

The final app isn’t strictly necessary but it does make my phone into a super-powered entertainment machine. The Z30 has a high definition screen and though it’s not huge, it’s not bad for watching video. I’ve been dealing with insomnia lately and while reading helps, I find that it can wake me up more and sometimes a TV show is just what I need to put the worries out of my head and fall back asleep. Enter the Netflix app. I downloaded it, signed in , picked my profile, and voila – my Netflix Library is in the palm of my hand. While there are some shows I wait to watch on the big screen TV (House of Cards season 3 anyone?), there are plenty of shows that are great viewing late at night. I watch early seasons of Bones, favourite Doctor Who episodes, and Murdoch Mysteries all from the comfort of my bed. (Yes I know sleep hygeine says no phones in the bedroom – I bring it in when I can’t sleep – that way if I fall asleep while watching a show, it’s on my bed and not on the couch where I’ll wake up with a sore neck in the morning.) The Netflix app is easy to navigate and keeps the settings (like the picture quality) the same as on your main device. I also like the fact that you can choose the “Stream over wifi only” setting. This helps to prevent data overage charges, which is always good.

The menus on the Netflix app are easy to navigate.

So those are the three Android applications I have on my BlackBerry. How many Android apps do you have on your BB10 device? Are you a purist and have none or did you download Candy Crush the minute you could install Android applications?

March 4, 2015
Why I’m Retiring the GPS

Why I’m Retiring the GPS

I don’t actually have a GPS but my parents do, as do a lot of my friends, so when I’m going somewhere where there’s a good possibility of my getting horribly, horribly lost (*cough* Hamilton *cough*) I borrow someone’s GPS to ensure I make it back home. I’ve managed to make out decently well with borrowed GPS units in the past but they’re bulky and I can’t leave it in the car for fear of it being stolen . All that is a thing of the past now that I have discovered the wonder that is BlackBerry Traffic. BlackBerry Traffic is a free app that you can download from BlackBerry App World and in my opinion, it’s better than a GPS and it’s on something you’re probably bringing with you anyway – your BlackBerry!

Once downloaded, BlackBerry Traffic appears as an icon on your homescreen. It’s pretty easy to find – it’s the one that looks like traffic lights

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/traffic.png” alt=“A BlackBerry home screen with 3 rows of app icons on it. One of the app looks like a traffic light and is circled in Red” description=“BlackBerry Traffic”}

Now I’m a huge fan of putting things in folders on the BlackBerry, but I leave BlackBerry Traffic out on my homescreen because I use it pretty much daily.

Once you start up BlackBerry Traffic, you can set up addresses for “Home” and “Work”. You can also add an address to the “My Places” section if you know the address you’re looking for, or you can search for one you don’t know.

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/traffic-2.png” alt=“BlackBerry Traffic Home screen with the words BlackBerry Traffic Where do you want to go? Choose a destination on the screen and home, set work, my places, and search options below it.” description=“The BlackBerry Traffic Home Screen”}

Once you choose your destination, the app does a search based on current traffic conditions and gives you two options. You select the one you want to take, and you get step by step voice instructions either through your bluetooth headset or through the speaker on your BlackBerry to where you’re going. It gives plenty of notice for upcoming turns, allowing you to change lanes if necessary. It’s best to set your destination before you go because otherwise your attention won’t be on driving and the app won’t be hands free. (I have, when needed, pulled over to the shoulder to revise a route.)

I have a very bad habit of not being able to find my way to or from Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton. Every time I’ve gone there I’ve been lost. Except this year. The difference? BlackBerry Traffic. Before I left, I did a search for Ivor Wynne Stadium and chose which of the 2 routes presented I wanted to take.

The one I chose, ended up being great. Note that BlackBerry Traffic gives you an estimated time of arrival – in this case about 30 minutes early but I was sure I would need that time to get myself un-lost.

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/traffic3.png” alt=“BlackBerry Traffic screen showing turn by turn directions to Ivor Wynn Stadium with an accident notification circled in red in the directions and an ETA in the top right corner circled in red and labelled.” description=“I love the ETA”}

The yellow exclamation point was notifying me about an accident about 9 km along the QEW – as it turned out, the accident was cleared by the time I reached that point but it was great to be prepared for a bit of a delay there.

I got to the stadium about 30 minutes early (first time ever!) The game went well, and then when I got back to my car, I simply turned BlackBerry Traffic back on and chose “Home” as my destination.

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/traffic4.png” alt=“The BlackBerry Traffic directions screen showing directions to home in a list format with the ETA in the top right corner” description=“I find the directions easy to follow”}

I got home in under an hour (a first), and with no stress. It was great. It was after that day that BlackBerry Traffic became my favourite app. It’s helped me avoid long weekend traffic on highway 400 to cottage country, and accidents on the 401 going to Toronto. It isn’t the app i use the most (that would be either BlackBerry Messenger or Twitter) but it’s the one I’d miss the most if it was gone! One word of caution is that if you leave it running, it does chew through battery. Once you get to your destination, you should exit the app to conserve battery.

Have you tried BlackBerry Traffic?

October 15, 2012
Synchronizing Calendars between devices

Synchronizing Calendars between devices

I’ve been a little quiet on here lately, mostly because I’ve been busy giving BlackBerry Traffic a workout! A friend who has recently purchased a PlayBook asked me a question via Twitter today about syncing his BlackBerry calendar with the calendar on the PlayBook. I synched them as soon as I got my PlayBook in December, so naturally I went to the help on the PlayBook to get him an answer. The steps there will get your calendars synched but the instructions are a tad confusing. Here’s the easy way of doing it.

Step 1: Connect your PlayBook and your BlackBerry using BlackBerry Bridge.

Step 2: On your Playbook, in the top right corner is an icon that looks like a cog: it will take you to the settings.

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/settings2.jpg” alt=“screenshot of a BlackBerry PlayBook screen with the home apps row along the bottom and the settings gear icon in the top right corner circled in red” description=“Settings”}

Step 3: In the Settings page, there will be a bunch of options on the left hand side. Select Accounts and then “Email, Calendar and Contacts”.

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pb-calendar-accounts1.jpg” alt=“The BlackBerry PlayBook settings menu expanded to show the Accounts view with the first option, Email, Calendar and Contacts circled in red” description=“PlayBook Calendar Accounts”}

Step 4: Select “Add New Account”

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pb-calendar-accounts.jpg” alt=“The BlackBerry PlayBook settings menu expanded to show the Accounts view with the add new account button at the bottom right circled in red.” description=“Adding a new account”}

Step 5: Enter the email address you use for your BlackBerry Handheld device Calendar.

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/accounts.jpg” alt=“The BlackBerry Playbook Add account screen with the words sign into existing account and boxes for the input of email address and passsword. There are advanced setup and next buttons on the bottom of the screen” description=“This is where you put your information”}

*Repeat the above steps to add another calendar, if you have more than 1 on your Smartphone

Step 6: Go to the Calendar application on your playbook and add the calendar(s) to it.

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pbcalendar.jpg” alt=“A calendar showing September 2012 with the 19th highlighted and events on the 19th pulled out in a tab on the left. At the bottom of the calendar is a small calendar icon with a plus sign that has been circled in red and labelled as the Add calendar button.” description=“The BlackBerry PlayBook calendar”}

Step 7: From the drop down menu, select the new calendar.

%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/calendar.jpg” alt=“Calendar event view option with the add event feature selected. There is a dropdown with PlayBook local and Gmail calendars as options, fields for subject, location, attendees, start and end date / time, an all day check box, a recurrance option and a reminder time drop down menu.” description=“Adding events to Calendar”}

You have now successfully synched your PlayBook and BlackBerry Handheld Calendars. Remember to use BlackBerry Bridge to keep both your Handheld and your PlayBook Calendars on the same page!

September 17, 2012
Why my loyalty isn’t going anywhere

Why my loyalty isn’t going anywhere

In case you couldn’t tell from the title of my blog, I’m a BlackBerry fan. I have tried iphones and Androids and while they were a lot of fun, my infatuation usually only lasted a month or two. I’ve had my Bold 9900 for a year now. A year of bad press for Research In Motion and of people constantly asking me why I would want to jump on board a sinking ship. The answer is simple: I don’t believe that the ship is sinking. I LOVE the functionality of my BlackBerry Bold 9900 and am very excited by what I’ve been hearing about BlackBerry 10. My Bold 9900 allows me to work from the dock, at a football game, or from my bedroom. Documents To Go allows me to edit word and excel documents from my BlackBerry without turning on my laptop or PlayBook. BlackBerry Messenger (which despite some comments I’ve heard on Twitter is not going anywhere) helps me keep in touch with friends and family.

I have a bunch of amazing apps on my BlackBerry Bold 9900 and on my PlayBook. To all those who say that BlackBerry doesn’t have a wide selection of apps, I ask: Have you been to App World lately? The app that I fell in love with most recently is BlackBerry Traffic. I drive into Toronto a few times a month, and there’s nothing I like less than being stuck in traffic because I don’t know the alternate routes. Now I have an app that not only gives me my ETA based on current traffic conditions but it also gives me an alternate route in case I can’t take the traffic jams anymore. How awesome is that? The app gives you turn by turn directions either through your bluetooth headset or through the speaker on the BlackBerry. You can even set it up to go through your car’s audio system (though I haven’t done this yet). I learned about this awesome app from my friend Nick who used it to get us to the Canadian National Exhibition on Sunday despite some fairly major construction on the 401. Yes we still ended up stuck in traffic but we knew how long we would be in that traffic and that (surprise!) there wasn’t any traffic turning into the underground parking at the Direct Energy Centre.
The app is updated in real time by other users who are also running it. So if I leave from the cottage 30 minutes ahead of Dad and we’re both running it, he gets updated if I slow down for an extended period of time.

If I’m going home to visit my parents, I have a plethora of routes I can choose from. BlackBerry Traffic makes it easy to pick the right one. I simply select my destination and choose the route that’s quickest.

The choice screen.

In this case I’d pick the 2nd one because it doesn’t take me on the 407. The green sections indicate good traffic flow, the yellow indicates slower than normal flow, and the red sections mean traffic is very slow.

You can click on a route and it will show you road by road how the traffic is:

All Green!

I’m going to test this app out more thoroughly over the Labour Day weekend when I’ll be doing a lot of driving, some of it to very unfamiliar places. So far it’s the best traffic app I’ve seen for ANY device.

August 28, 2012