The greatest BlackBerry® event ever is coming. The buzz has already begun around one of the wireless industry’s most exciting events. Yes, the Wireless Enterprise Symposium 2007 is almost upon us.
We’re proud to offer the most comprehensive developer tracks ever. Attend tracks and sessions dedicated to wireless application development for BlackBerry solutions and shaping wireless strategies in the enterprise.
Here’s just a sampling of our latest developer-focused sessions:

• BlackBerry® MDS Studio: Overview and Advanced sessions
• Developing Server-side Push Applications
• Application Deployment, Security and Management best practices
• Mobilizing Applications:  for Microsoft® .NET, IBM® Lotus® Domino® or custom databases
• Securing Custom Applications

Register Now and Save!

The Plazmic Content Developer's Kit (CDK) v4.2 product is a suite of tools that allows developers to create rich graphics and content for their applications, as well as custom themes for BlackBerry.  The Theme Builder component of the CDK allows designers to create their own custom fonts and theme components such as: 

• Entire look and feel of the banner and home screen
• Lock screen
• Message list
• Application list
• Phone application

Please note that themes designed using CDK v4.2 are currently only supported on the BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 smartphone.

Composer for CDK v4.2 is a graphical authoring tool used to create interactive and animated graphics for BlackBerry devices.  New features in 4.2 include:

• New main toolbar, inspector and information window
• More Context Sensitive Menu options such as:
• Object window improvement (with multi-select)
• Catalog window improvements
• More Context Sensitive Menu options
• Animation Editor:
• Time
• New Timeline UI
• Real Time playback
• Scalable Timeline
• More Keyframe Control (selection, context sensitive options)
• Embedded Tweening Wizard (now live)
• More interactive actions (hide, show, stop, animation) and events (relative, +time)
• Ability to duplicate actions
• Support for SVG “restart and accumulate”
• Added tools such as: Freehand, Add/Delete Points, Elliptical Arc & more…

Download a copy of the CDK v.4.2 today!

Got a development question on your mind? Consult the Guru. Selected questions and Guru's replies will be featured in each newsletter, so stay tuned!

Running on AutoPilot asks: We have written an auto run application which runs in the background. In some cases we want to restart the application. Can you suggest a way to restart application?

Guru goes into overdrive:
Well yes, I can.  If you device is Java™-based you certainly can do a restart.  A Java application for a BlackBerry device is able to shut down and restart itself. Prior to exiting, the application should stop all threads and free up resources. View the code.

You may also search for this article and many others in the Developer Knowledge Base.

In this edition, get Tips for using the Theme Builder and Composer tools in the Plazmic CDK.

Theme Builder:
To make the most out of Theme Builder, ensure your resources are optimized!  For example, create images as png files and make sure their sizes meet the recommended height and width as much as possible.  Although Theme Builder will perform the appropriate conversion and scaling operations for you, this will increase the overall size of the theme file and can affect performance on the device. 

For more tips on how to create optimized resources for your themes, refer to the Plazmic Theme Builder for BlackBerry User Guide in the documentation folder where you installed the CDK.

Composer: 
It’s easy to import an animated GIF file in Composer!  Each frame of the GIF becomes a frame in the animation timeline.

Beyond Quick Start – An Introduction to BlackBerry® Mobile Data System v4.1 - February 8th 2007
Learn how BlackBerry MDS provides multiple development options and developer tools, uses standard mechanisms and protocols to simplify integration with applications and systems, uses over-the-air (OTA) application installation, deployment, upgrade and deletion facilities and more.

Beyond Quick Start – An Introduction to BlackBerry MDS Studio - February 15th 2007
Understand how you can leverage the BlackBerry® Browser to access web content and develop rich-client BlackBerry applications using Java ME or the BlackBerry® MDS Studio rapid development framework.

BlackBerry and Domino Application Awards

Think outside the in-box and win, with the BlackBerry and Domino® Application Awards. This challenge is designed for customers that have created their own custom BlackBerry applications utilizing the BlackBerry® Enterprise Solution and accessing their IBM® Lotus® Domino platform. Show how your organization has integrated the BlackBerry platform with application systems, and demonstrate that having your corporate data wireless makes your mobile workers more productive.

Personalize your BlackBerry

Beat the Winter blahs with games or take a winter getaway

Tricks are for kids? Not so fast!

Enjoy the trick-taking game of Hearts by Magmic with Magmic’s latest incarnation of this card game classic.

Travel Frequently?

If you are tired of carrying loose papers and stressing over the details every time you go away on business or vacation, MobiMate may have the solution for you.

Breathe a sigh of relief with WorldMate 2006 Professional edition for BlackBerry – Mobile Travel Service application from MobiMate.  This application is packed with virtually every travel tool you could need and that all-important virtual real-time information you want.

This application is packed with virtually every travel tool you could need and that all-important virtual real-time information you want.  WorldMate Professional Edition saves you time and hassle by providing critical, virtual real-time travel information directly to your BlackBerry device. Gain access to global weather information, virtual real-time flight status, comprehensive flight schedules, world clocks, currency conversion and much more.