Today was the big day that I FINALLY got my invite to SocialScope…. and boy was it worth the wait! Bye, bye, UberTwitter. Below are screenshots and downloads (scroll down for previous versions of SocialScope). By the way, I have a Blackberry Storm, running OS 4.7.0.151. If you don’t have this device and OS, this JAD won’t work with your device!

Download: SocialScope Lite 0.9.5.44
(TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Blackberry Storm, OS 4.7.0.151)

• Fix: Posting does not work for some locales

Sign-On Screen:

Integrated feed of both Twitter and Facebook updates:

Facebook Screen
One noticeable bug is that the Facebook feed isn’t properly identifying your Facebook friends, so while you see the activity and status updates, you can’t tell which friend said it.

Facebook Comment Feature
SocialScope gives you the ability to comment on a Facebook friend’s activity, assuming of course, you know which friend did it.

Twitter Reply Screen
SocialScope also gives you the ability to easily reply to a Tweet or tweet a mention.

Download: SocialScope Lite 0.9.5.40

• Enhancement: Reply to All
• Enhancement: Facebook Picture posts allows viewing of whole album
• Enhancement: Twitpic uses new full screen view
• Enhancement: Spellcheck before send
• Enhancement: Block/Unblock Twitter Users
• Fix: Replying causes shortcuts to trigger
• Fix: Disappearing text while typing
• Fix: Image resize issues in album view
• Fix: Improved stability when viewing certain Facebook messages

Previous releases:

• Social Scope 0.9.5.27 – (TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Blackberry Storm, OS 4.7.0.151)

Today was the big day that I FINALLY got my invite to SocialScope…. and boy was it worth the wait! Bye, bye, UberTwitter. Below are screenshots and downloads (scroll down for previous versions of SocialScope). By the way, I have a Blackberry Storm, running OS 4.7.0.151. If you don’t have this device and OS, this JAD won’t work with your device!

Download: SocialScope Lite 0.9.5.44
(TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Blackberry Storm, OS 4.7.0.151)

• Fix: Posting does not work for some locales

Sign-On Screen:

Integrated feed of both Twitter and Facebook updates:

Facebook Screen
One noticeable bug is that the Facebook feed isn’t properly identifying your Facebook friends, so while you see the activity and status updates, you can’t tell which friend said it.

Facebook Comment Feature
SocialScope gives you the ability to comment on a Facebook friend’s activity, assuming of course, you know which friend did it.

Twitter Reply Screen
SocialScope also gives you the ability to easily reply to a Tweet or tweet a mention.

Download: SocialScope Lite 0.9.5.40

• Enhancement: Reply to All
• Enhancement: Facebook Picture posts allows viewing of whole album
• Enhancement: Twitpic uses new full screen view
• Enhancement: Spellcheck before send
• Enhancement: Block/Unblock Twitter Users
• Fix: Replying causes shortcuts to trigger
• Fix: Disappearing text while typing
• Fix: Image resize issues in album view
• Fix: Improved stability when viewing certain Facebook messages

Previous releases:

• Social Scope 0.9.5.27 – (TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Blackberry Storm, OS 4.7.0.151)

If you like Twitterberry, you will LOVE  ÜberTwitter (a Twitter client).  I’ve been using UberTwitter Beta-1 but just upgraded to the newly released Beta-2 software upgrade.  One of the things that I love most about ÜberTwitter that I couldn’t ever get Twitterberry to work for me is the integrated picture sharing. For more info, check out my related blog post: Review: Twitter Apps for the Blackberry that Have Integrated Picture Sharing.

This latest release “rolls out a large number of new features (requested by YOU!) and from pre-release testing promises greater stability. There are still features on our list, and we will ultimately have a Beta-3, we aren’t even close to being satisfied with the feature set yet. Once you have a chance to play with it, please let us know your thoughts on missing features and any issues or bugs.”

Below is the list of features and bug fixes included in this release:

• Full tweet shown in timeline, rows are variable in size
• Two notification profiles, one for new tweets and another for replies
• Full support for viewing direct messages to you and from you
• View your list of friends and all of their details
• View your list of followers and all of their details
• View another users list of friends and all of their details
• View another users list of followers and all of their details
• View when a user joined twitter
• Added ‘Follow’ to context menu when clicking on @screenname from within any application on your BlackBerry
• Added a free-form search screen, allowing users access to the full power of Twitter Search
• We now support the built-in GPS as an option
• Added an option to not show confirmation dialog after every tweet
• Added options to control the number of tweets initially retrieved and how many to maintain in your timeline
• Added options to control the number of avatar images cached
• Added shortcuts – U – update, R- Reply, T- Top, B – Bottom, Space – Pg Dn, Shift-Space – Pg Up, F – Follow, P – refresh, L – ReTweet, S – Search
• Add thumbnails of pics attached to tweets in the timeline, either from twitpic, or from UberTwitter
• Add larger pics attached to tweets in the full tweet view, supports twitpic, or from UberTwitter
• ‘Mentions’ are now automatically merged into your timeline view
• Mark a tweet as a Favorite
• Remove favorite from a tweet
• View tweets you have marked as favorites
• View another users favorites
• View your timeline
• We now support WiFi if its available
• Support for ScrollWheel devices (87xx)
• More options for automatic refresh, including a manual mode
• Increased screen name field size on Options screen
• Increase GTalk user field size on Options screen
• Some decrease in battery usage, but we have more work to do here
• Bug fix – Fonts not resetting on change
• Bug fix – Line feeds in tweets were causing an ArrayOutOfBounds Exception
• Bug fix – Icon cache would grow FOREVER! (memory leak)
• Bug fix – Race condition would cause lockup on starting UberTwitter

If you’d like to be a part of the open beta, point your BlackBerry browser to http://www.ubertwitter.com/bb/download.php

via ÜberTwitter Beta-2 Released | BerryReview.com ».

If there is one request that I had for my Storm it would be to have an app that seamlessly integrates taking pictures and instantly uploading them to Twitter. Below are some thoughts on Snap2Twitter, Twitterberry, and my personal winner, UberTwitter. The reviews below are specifically on the picture sharing capabilities of the Twitter apps.

BEST: UberTwitter

I have been a faithful user of Twitterberry for as long as I can remember. But, let me say this… I LOVE UberTwitter. I repeat, I LOVE IT.

This is a new Twitter app for the Blackberry that is now in Beta. If you like Twitterberry, you’ll really like UberTwitter too. There are many similarities between the two; however, I noticed that UberTwitter seems to update my Twitter followers statuses more consistently and also has a visual indicator on the app icon when it has updated the statuses. Another nice feature of UberTwitter is the ability to immediately retweet any of your friends’ updates and also view your @ twitter mentions.

PROS:

• Integrated into the Blackberry menu
• Integrated with TwitPic
• Global positioning available
• Picture sharing works for pictures already in your media library
• Consistent success with posting a picture and then sending tweet

CONS:

• Not integrated with TwitPic , so the pics are uploaded to UberTwitter’s own picture server. But, this wouldn’t be any different than people who I know that use Ping.fm.

SUMMARY:

In short, UberTwitter definitely gives Twitterberry some SERIOUS run for the money… and in fact, I uninstalled Twitterberry and now use UberTwitter exclusively.

Download UberTwitter

BETTER: Twitterberry

This, by far, is one of the more popular Twitter apps for the Blackberry.  It is a great app that is as close to a mobile Twitter experience as you’re going to get.

PROS:

• Integrated into the Blackberry menu
• Integrated with TwitPic
• Global positioning available
• Picture sharing works for pictures already in your media library

CONS: (which is a HUGE con for me)

• Inconsistent success with posting a picture and then tweeting status.
  Twitterberry always uploads the picture to TwitPic for me, but it doesn’t do the second half of what it’s supposed to which is send my tweet with the TwitPic URL. AAHHH!!!

SUMMARY

Fantastic Twitter app… if only the picture sharing worked consistently!!!

Download Twitterberry

GOOD: Snap2Twitter

This is a relatively new app that I just recently installed and tested on my Storm.  The installation is straightforward and because itintegrates itself into your camera, it’s pretty easy to use with minimal steps: download, install, enter Twitter information and you’re done.

PROS:

• Very nice, intuitive UI
• Global positioning capabilities
• When you take a picture, a Snap2Twitter screen automatically appears and prompts you to either save the picture as normal or send it to Twitter — seems brainless.
• Gives you the option to rotate the picture before tweeting for those of you who accidentally take pictures the wrong way!

CONS:

• When you take a picture, Snap2Twitter app ALWAYS loads which interrupts active picture-taking mode. If you’re the kind of person (like me) who takes a lot of pictures first, and THEN tweet the one you like best, you’ll find this annoying.
• No confirmation that you have successfully tweeted — Snap2Twitter screen simply disappears.
• Not integrated with TwitPic. Pictures are hosted on the SnapMyLife server.
• Only way you can install the app is by going to Blackberry AppWorld (on your phone) and then to  Social Networking & Sharing.

SUMMARY

Nice app for the Blackberry but if you’re a die-hard Twitter user, you’ll find there are many other options that suit your needs as Snap2Twitter is not a full Twitter application like Twitterberry or UberTwitter.

Another week, another leaked OS. I am downloading it now and will post my comments about this OS today as I start using it.

DOWNLOAD directly from GeekyGrrrl

From Crackberry.com: The drought is finally over Stormies. For all the hardcore 9530 users out there, we’ve got a new unofficial OS for you to download and play with. No, it’s not in 5.0 stylings, but if you’re itching for the latest and (hopefully) greatest you can can now grab OS 4.7.0.132 for the BlackBerry Storm 9530. Let the fun and games begin.

Leaked: OS 4.7.0.132 for Storm 9530! – BlackBerry Forums at CrackBerry.com.

YEAH! I’m happy to upgrade!

Ok… so the CDMA and java files for .122 have been available for a little over a week now, but not the full executable. It was very hard for me to tell my impulsive self to just wait until the .exe file was released before upgrading. Not to mention, I was wary of trying to modify my OS by just replacing a couple of folders… oh, and did I mention, I couldn’t figure it out either. (hehe.)

So last night I was excited to upgrade my existing OS leak v.114 to the official OS v.122 available from Bell Mobility.

Observations so far…

Memory:
While running .114, I was experiencing substantial memory leaks, spontaneous restarts and slow performance — of course I also have a buttload of 3rd party apps installed too. I would go to bed with a battery charged to about 75% and would wake up in the morning to a completely dead phone. Last night, I went to bed with a 95% charged phone and woke up with it down to just 82% and even now, with heavy usage, I still have 69% battery life left.

Performance:
Storm Slots, my most beloved Storm game would D-I-E on the .114 OS and cause the Blackberry version of the blue screen of death. So far, I’ve happily been able to play Casino without any issues.

Camera:
Seems to be operating faster so far. Of course, anything is better than taking five minutes to load the camera or needing to reboot in order to launch the program.

Updated 4/21/09: The camera does seem to be clicking faster. However, I’ve noticed that the image stabilization / focus is not working as well as it did with previous updates. It’s taking an increased amount of time to get the green “focus” area box, and then even with that the pictures are still out of focus to a large degree. :-/

Touchscreen Accuracy:
Works very well in this OS. I don’t feel like I’m having to press everywhere on the screen in order to click the intended link. However, I did notice that the text scroll window that appears when I’m correcting text doesn’t seem to scroll anymore… I have to press the screen like I had to in older OS versions.

Below are the specifications for this latest build as well as a download link from the GeekyGrrrl.com web site.

BlackBerry Handheld Software v4.7.0.172 (Multilanguage)

Package Version: 4.7.0.172
Consisting of:

* Applications: 4.7.0.122
* Software Platform: 4.0.0.153
* File name: 9530AMEA_PBr4.7.0_rel172_PL4.0.0.153_A4.7.0.122_Be ll_Mobility_Inc.exe
* File size: 104.43MB

DOWNLOAD directly from GeekyGrrrl

OS 4.7.0.122 for the Storm 9530 Now Available from Bell Site

I’ve been waiting for Pandora to be available for my Crackberry Storm, and I’m happy to say that I just downloaded and installed it! It’s running beautifully.

You can download it directly by going to this URL on your mobile browser: http://www.pandora.com/mobile/download/offdeck/pandora.jad

You should also check out my other must-have Crackberry Apps too.

Pandora Radio now available for the BlackBerry Storm : Boy Genius Report.

* OTA downloads must be accessed through your Blackberry Internet browser

Social Communication

1. SocialScope (you’ll still need the invite code)
   SocialScope is customized for your device and OS, please be sure to install the appropriate JAD. Touting itself as the “mobile inbox for your social networks,” SocialScope combines Twitter and Facebook into one platform (think TweetDeck) but for your mobile device.
   • OTA Downloads: SocialScope 0.9.5.81 || SocialScope 0.9.5.44 || Additional sources: BlackberryCool, Crackberry.com
   • Blackberry Bold (More info on Berrytastic)
2. UberTwitter
   If you’re hanging out, waiting for your SocialScope invitation, you should definitely check out Ubertwitter. (More info
3. WordPress for Blackberry
   ver 0.9.0.169 || ver 0.9.0.134 || ver 0.9.0.121
   Manage your WordPress blog from your Blackberry Storm
4. Twitterberry
   Most widely-used twitter application for Blackberry
5. Facebook 1.6
   Some enhancements: Status updates and highlights on the home page, wall access from within Facebook for BlackBerry – with one click on your friend’s profile picture from the home page, you can access their wall without having to go to the mobile site, and photo viewing in a simple, easy-to-use slideshow format.
6. IM+ for Skype (Free Trial, $29)
   Allows you to use your Skype account on your Blackberry
7. Instango (FREE)
   All-in-one instant messaging program

Bluetooth Enablement

1. Mobimouse || OTA Download
   Turn your Blackberry Storm into a mouse for your computer. Awesome app!
2. Airshare || OTA Download
   Exchange files (documents, media, images) to/from your Blackberry and your PC. To get this to work, go to Bluetooth Filing Share app on your Blackberry and turn on “Bluetooth FTP”. Then you must configure your service selection to also include “Mobile Stream FTP”. For me, this meant that I had to re-add my Blackberry Storm as a bluetooth device.

Multimedia

1. Pandora || OTA Download
   Internet Radio
2. Shazam 2.0.8 (works on Blackberry Storm) || OTA Download
   Launch this app to identify and purchase songs you hear on the radio or just about anywhere in general.Shazam just upgraded the Blackberry version. If you are prompted to upgrade your current version of Shazam, but your Blackberry Storm is not a recognized device, try this OTA download. I’ve got it on my Blackberry Storm and it’s working just fine.
3. Qik || OTA Download
   Stream and record live video for sharing or posting to Facebook.
4. Vcast SongID for Blackberry Storm || OTA Download
   Verizon’s version of a song identifier application.

Local Search & News

1. Viigo
   The BEST RSS Reader & Aggregator for the Blackberry
2. MyPoynt || OTA Download (FREE)
   A free local search service that’s integrated with Google Maps for GPS directions / locator

Utilities

1. DriveSafe.ly || OTA Download
   A mobile application that reads text (SMS) messages and emails aloud in real time and automatically responds without drivers touching the mobile phone. DriveSafe.ly is the solution to texting while driving.
2. MyVerizon (FREE) || OTA Download
   Manage your Verizon account from your mobile device: Check balance, Check usage, Make a payment View current plan, Add/Remove features, Reset Voicemail password, Store locator, Check to see if a # is in network. Many posts have said this is not available for the Storm; however, if you use the OTA download link provide above, it will work. I’ve got it running on my Blackberry Storm.
3. LEDReset (FREE) || OTA Download
   RIMGeeks has just the trick for everyone and it’s a free application as well, so while you may not have to use it often, it sure is good to have around. The application of course is called LEDReset and does just as it says. It resets your LED light from blinking.
4. Google Mobile App || OTA Download
   Google Mobile App helps you find the information you need quickly and easily with instant access to Google Search.
5. Tetherberry ($39) || OTA Download
   Use your existing data plan to tether your blackberry to your laptop. (Otherwise, your mobile company requires your account to be provisioned to use your Blackberry as a modem. With Verizon, this costs an extra $30/month.)
6. Stormlock || OTA Link to Trial Download (Free trial, $2.95)
   Locks Storm keypad during calls
7. Aerize Alerts || OTA Link to Trial Download (Free trial, $7.50)
   E-mail, SMS and Call preview notification
8. Aerize Optimizer (Free trial, $10)
   Memory management
9. Quicklaunch || OTA Link to Trial Download (Free Trial, $4.99)
   Create shortcuts to most any application on your device
10. bit.lify || OTA Download (FREE)
    Shorten URLs application
11. QuickPull (FREE)
    Soft reset without having to do a battery pull
12. vringo (FREE)
    Show friends’ Facebook pictures to display on your mobile phone whenever they call you
13. vlingo (FREE)
    Voice to text command. Send e-mail, SMS, update Twitter status by voice