Check out the latest and greatest in apps for your BlackBerry with our monthly app roundup.
ShortCutMe
Geeks love nothing more than a good shortcut.What sets BlackBerries apart from their rivals is that luscious keyboard. Having so many keys at your fingertips offers advantages beyond typing out emails, though; the ability to program shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts really separate the geeks from the n00bs, so you’re actually doing yourself a disservice by not using this app.
ShortCutMe allows you to assign any of 150 customisable shortcuts to either a single, double, or triple tap of your convenience keys or spacebar, or any of those keys followed by up to three letters. Shortcuts can be to applications, system settings, or direct call/email/PIN/SMS a contact, and can also be placed in the system menu.
But now the fun begins. You can also schedule shortcuts to launch at specified times (reduce volume during work hours, for instance), or stack them to create macros, for example, tap a convenience key + g + f as you jump in the car to disable Wi-Fi, enable Bluetooth, start up some kickin’ tunes, and text your girlfriend to say that you’re feelin’ fine and headin’ on over.
Some simpler shortcuts allow you to turn on the torch, lock the keypad, or just open an app without having to exit the browser. It’s a geek’s dream.
US$4.99 > Fonware Ltd. > Link NeatStreets
NeatStreets is a project that allows concerned community members to report problems in their area, such as graffiti, potholes, litter, broken street lights, dumped trolleys, and pretty much anything that needs cleaning up.
Users report the incidents using their smartphones (the app is also available on Android and iOS); you take a geo-tagged photo, select a category, add a message, and the correct authority is notified. The report then appears on the NeatStreets web site, where you can monitor its progress.
Free > PepperStack > Link Slider Lock
We’ve all been there; your phone is unlocked in your pocket and dials your grandmother just as you’re telling your best friend all about your recent binge of a weekend. As you hear tiny screams of disgust emit from your pocket, you curse RIM for designing such a silly lock system. Your grandmother then faints from that final cuss word.
Suddenly, a $2 investment in an app that will automatically lock your phone seems a good investment.
US$1.99 > Ajani InfoTech Private Limited > Link Sleep Ringer
I always set my phone to silent when I go to bed, mainly so that I’m not awoken at 3am by a dear friend that’s discovered their uncanny ability to “RAWK” the karaoke bar.
But there are some calls that I would rather be woken for. What if it’s a family emergency? Sleep Ringer allows me to set important numbers to always ring, even when the phone is set to silent, so that I can filter out the Bon Jovi, but still get that call from my lonely girlfriend.
US$1.99 > SleepRinger > Link 