Last issue, we presented a collection of calling, customization, and messaging tips that would help you get even more from your BlackBerry^® smartphone. Missed the article? You can read it here. This month, we cover taking pictures and videos, using your browser, and much more.

In part two, you'll learn:

• Camera tips
• Browser tips
• Lock and power tips
• Bluetooth^® tips
• Additional functions

Camera Tips

Enable flash

Set your flash settings. In Camera mode, press the Menu key and click Options. Set the Default Flash Setting field. Press the Menu key and click Save.

Set the picture quality

To set picture quality, in Camera mode, press the Menu key and click Options. Set the Picture Quality field. Press the Menu key and click Save.

Access picture options

When viewing a picture, press the Menu key to view options that allow you to zoom in to or out from a picture, rotate the picture, or change the size of the image.

Assign a photo to a caller ID

When viewing a picture, press the Menu key and click Set As Caller ID. You'll be prompted to crop and save the picture, then assign it to an entry in your contact list.

Browser Tips

Being away from your desktop computer doesn't mean you have to give up your usual browsing habits. With your BlackBerry smartphone web browser, the whole Internet is at your fingertips. In this section, we'll show you how to customize and use your BlackBerry smartphone browser the same way you use your non-mobile browser, with bookmarks, custom homepages, display preferences, and a whole bunch of hotkeys for faster navigation.

Add a bookmark On a web page, press the Menu key, click Add Bookmark and adjust the name if desired. Then press the Menu key and click Add.
Add a Bookmark Folder In the BlackBerry® Browser, press the Menu key, click Bookmarks and then highlight a bookmark folder. Press the Menu key and click Add Subfolder.
Change the default browser view In the BlackBerry Browser, press the Menu key, click Options then General Properties. Change the Default View field, press the Menu key and click Save Options.
Set your browser home page To set the BlackBerry Browser home page, from the Browser, press the Menu key. Click Options, then Browser Configuration, and type your desired web site in the Home Page Address field.
BlackBerry Browser font settings In the browser, click Options. Click General Properties and then set your font preferences.
Refresh a web page While on a web page, press the R key. You can also press the Menu key and click Refresh.
Forward or send a web page address via email or SMS On a web page, press the Menu key, click Send Address and choose the method in which you want to deliver the address.

Browser Shortcuts

Lock & Power Tips

You can customize how your smartphone behaves when it's in locked mode.

Use Auto On/Off Set your BlackBerry smartphone to turn on and off automatically. From the Home screen, click Options and then select Auto On/Off and set your preferences. Set your phone to automatically turn off during periods of non-use (such as late at night) and then turn on in the morning. Doing so can help you extend battery life between charges.
Enable calling when device is locked You can choose to enable calling even when your screen is locked. On the Home screen, click Options and then Password and set your preferences.
Include personal information on locked screen Have your BlackBerry smartphone display your contact information when locked. That way, if you lose it, a good Samaritan can contact you to return it. On the Home screen, click Options, click Owner and type your contact information. Press the Menu key and click Save.

Bluetooth Tips

With Bluetooth, your BlackBerry smartphone can wirelessly communicate with tons of useful peripherals, including headsets, printers, and keyboards. With these basics, you'll know the steps to enable Bluetooth on your smartphone and connect it to new peripherals.

Turn on Bluetooth technology On the Home screen, press the Menu key and click Manage Connections. Select the Bluetooth checkbox. To turn off Bluetooth technology, clear the Bluetooth checkbox.
Change the pairing name for your BlackBerry smartphone On the Home screen, press the Menu key and click Options and then Bluetooth. Press the Menu key and click Options. Adjust the name of your Bluetooth device to personally identify it.
Search for other Bluetooth devices On the Home screen, press the Menu key and click Manage Connections. Click Set Up Bluetooth and click Search. Simply click the desired device and provide the appropriate passkeys.

Application tips

Applications let you add more functionality to your BlackBerry smartphone.

Switch Applications

When running an application, press the Menu key, click Switch Applications and then an application icon.

Additional functions

In this section, we're going to share some favorite tips that just didn't fit into any of the other sections. Learn about Voice Memos, the Password Keeper, and the Alarm, as well as some services that will help you get more from your smartphone, including BlackBerry Help and Search.

Create a voice note Don't forget that thought! In the Voice Notes Recorder, click the record icon and press it again to pause.
Use the password keeper Keep all your passwords safe in one place. On the Home screen or in a folder, click Password Keeper. To add a password, press the Menu key and click New.
Use your smartphone as an alarm Use your BlackBerry smartphone as an alarm. From the Home screen, click Alarm or Clock. If necessary, press the Menu key and click Set Alarm. Set your preferences, such as volume, snooze setting, alarm tone — you can use any sound file as your alarm.
Search for information on your BlackBerry smartphone From the Home screen click Search, and tell your BlackBerry smartphone what you are searching for and where to look.
Check your smartphone memory From the home screen, click Options. Then click on Memory. This screen will display your device memory statistics as well as Media Card memory if inserted. Time for a bigger media card?
Access BlackBerry Smartphone Help Need help with something not listed here? Simply visit mobile.blackberry.com and ask your question using the BlackBerry Answers Tool.

Add contacts with new bar codes feature, create Groups for connecting instantly with friends or family, share your videos, calendar, to-do lists and more!

The new bar-code feature makes sharing your PIN a snap. Simply scan your friends' bar codes and they'll be added to your contact list. Plus, with new features like a display picture and the ability to see what music your friends are listening to, BlackBerry^® Messenger makes it even easier to express yourself and stay in touch—your way.

What's New:

• Share multiple pictures and videos at once
• Send text messages from within the BlackBerry Messenger application
• Create and connect with BlackBerry^® Groups
• Scan bar codes to add friends
• See what music your friends are listening to
• Personalize with a display picture

Mac users rejoice! A Research In Motion (RIM)—developed, full-featured desktop sync application for Macs is now available. And it has a look and feel that's similar to what you see on your Mac right now. Highlights include:

• Two-way sync of contacts, calendar, tasks, iTunes^® playlists and notes
• Compatibility with iTunes^® for music sync
• Back up and restore functionality, including automatically scheduled backups and optional encryption
• The ability to add and remove applications

BlackBerry^® Desktop Manager is the first app that gives you the ability to sync your BlackBerry smartphone with a variety of features on your Apple^® computer. The app will run on Mac OS X 10.5.5 (Leopard) or higher and is available at www.blackberry.com/mac.

Have a specific BlackBerry-related question you want answered? Join other users at the BlackBerry Community Support Forums. There, you can pose questions to other users as well as learn new tips, tricks, and shortcuts. Are you a BlackBerry power user? Join the conversation and provide your insight. Be sure to also read all the latest news at the BlackBerry Community Post, the official forum blog.

At the official BlackBerry channel on YouTube, you can browse videos on a variety subjects, including how to change your ring tone and set up personal email. Like what you see or want to suggest a new video topic? Be sure to leave a comment.

Watch your favorite shows on your BlackBerry smartphone

I'll admit it. I'm a TV junkie. But I'm also on the road a lot. And while my home DVR snatches up the shows I miss when I travel, if I've been on the road for a week, I'll never catch up with everything I've saved.

If you're like me, you have hours and hours of shows recorded that you'll never watch. If you're like me, you probably also find yourself with downtime—the commute to work, a flight to see a client—that would be perfect for relaxing and watching some TV.

Recently, I've been experimenting with a variety of TV and video applications. While there are numerous options to check out at BlackBerry App World^™, including apps that allow you to use your smartphone as a remote or watch programming from particular channels, the four apps described below provide a wide range of functionality and have allowed me to watch my favorite programs—and much more.

MobiTV

The first app I checked out—and still one of my favorites—is MobiTV. With it, I can watch about 40 channels of live or made-for-mobile channels. It's a bit like cable TV for your smartphone, in that programs are streamed live to your device. In addition to standard broadcast channels such as ABC, CBS, and NBC, there are also specialized channels developed specifically for the mobile platform. The specific channel lineup depends on your wireless carrier, and the service isn't available with all carriers yet.

While live TV was a pretty big selling point on its own, rumor has it that the amount of programming is set to expand next year and will include live concerts and sports events, as well as the ability to time shift programming. MobiTV isn't available through BlackBerry App World yet, but you can download it here. The app is currently available in North America and some regions of Central America. MobiTV costs U.S. $9.99/month.

PrimeTime2Go

PrimeTime2Go offers programming from a similar collection of broadcasters (though it's not exactly the same), but it differs from MobiTV by not streaming shows to your TV. Instead, you select programs that interest you and download them to your smartphone. Because you are downloading content, you'll need an external memory card—the bigger, the better, if you want to carry a large number of programs. I found PrimeTime2Go particularly useful for situations in which streaming content live wasn't possible, such as on flights and my morning subway commute.

Additionally, I can set the service to automatically download episodes of my favorite shows soon after their original air dates, so I always have a queue of shows ready to watch. You can download the app for free here, which will allow you to browse show listings, but to download shows, you'll have to pay a $7.99 monthly subscription. PrimeTime2Go is available only in the United States.

TiVo for BlackBerry smartphones

The TiVo app doesn't let you watch TV programs on your BlackBerry smartphone, but it's plenty useful all the same. With it, you can view the TiVo program guide; search for programs by keyword, actor/director, or title; and browse programs by category, ratings, or TiVo's daily picks. Primarily, though, I use TiVo^® for BlackBerry^® smartphones to schedule programs to be recorded, whether once or for an entire season. I can also select which of my DVRs will record the program (yes, I have more than one). The TiVo app is perfect for the times I'm out of town (or having a late night at work) and forgot to set the DVR to capture the latest episode of Heroes.

You'll need to sign in to TiVo from the app to use it, but TiVo for BlackBerry smartphones itself is free from BlackBerry App World.

Movela Netflix Queue Manager

This app doesn't bring videos to your home—but it does simplify watching Netflix movies on your TV. If you stream movies to your TV via the Netflix set-top box, you can use the Netflix Queue Manager app on your BlackBerry smartphone as a global remote. You can search the Netflix movie library, as well as manage your DVD and instant queues. Netflix Queue Manager is available only to U.S.-based Netflix subscribers. You can get the app here.

To learn more about using your BlackBerry smartphone as a remote, click here.

More to Come?

Between being able to stream live programming and having a dozen or so shows on my memory card, I'm never lacking for something to watch. Still, I'm looking forward to the expanded programming coming from both MobiTV and PrimeTime2Go, particularly the possibility of more live sports on my phone, so I never have to miss a game.

—John Brock

Contest ends October 27! Enter now!

Tell the world how much you love your BlackBerry® Storm^™ smartphone— enter the Touch It. Love It. Share It. Win It. Contest and you could win big! Upload an original video, captioned photo or story that shows why you can't live without your BlackBerry Storm smartphone. Your creation will be seen by BlackBerry Storm smartphone fans all over the world, and if it's one of the most creative and original entries, you'll have a chance to win your choice of:

• a CES VIP Experience in Vegas
• the Ultimate New York City Experience
• $7100 U.S. Cash

The contest is open to residents of Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
Contest ends October 27, 2009.
For complete contest terms and conditions please visit the website »