Blackberry GPS is available in two versions which mean that you can either have your device have an internal GPS receiver, or you could choose to have an external Bluetooth GPS receiver that will in both instances provide you with GPS data on your Blackberry instrument. As of now, only the Blackberry 7520 and the 7100i have the capability of having integrated GPS receivers and if you have some other device you will be in need of Bluetooth GPS receivers, though if your device does not support Bluetooth you would not be able to have GPS on your Blackberry.

GPS Software

The next thing you have to worry about regarding Blackberry GPS is the GPS software to use which includes software for navigation, mapping/field navigation and also tools for GPS. The first thing that will strike you when you think GPS would be that it is really nothing but navigation software, which though true, also means that there are still other things that can be done with a GPS device. And, if you are going to take your Blackberry GPS outdoors then it would pay to have mapping/navigation software on board because it is ideal for the outdoors and also where there are no big streets about, and this kind of software lends it very handily when you go hiking, biking or for some other similar activity.

Your Blackberry GPS would also come in handy when it also has mapping software and a good option would be Trimble Outdoors that is especially designed for outdoor travel and with it you can prepare as well as plan your outdoor activities on a PC, though it is mainly targeting US users only.

In addition, you should consider Blackberry GPS tools such as MapQuest Find Me that will let you find the location of your family and friends and even co-workers though only if they are also using the tool as well. There is the Point of Interest (POI) with which you can search and let its program show you directions turn after turn without a map. Another option available in GPS tools is MobileLocator which also lets you find locations of people using the MobileLocator program and which also let you find a gas station, bank, ATM or restaurant with the help of its own Point of Interest feature.

So, with your Blackberry GPS and the proper software and GPS tools, you should have a great time and not have anything to worry about, and according to some rumors there is a lot of new stuff that should be available pretty soon including internal GPS support which means if you wait a while you could be in for some more pretty interesting GPS connectivity.

Extending your PDA Battery Life so that you get the most cost effective use of your PDA battery begins with always keeping a spare pda battery replacement. PDA batteries are cheap enough that owning a backup pda battery makes absolute sense.

Beyond a spare pda battery replacement you can use some basic battery conditioning techniques to help further extend the life of your pda battery like: use the AC adapter or pda cradle at a desk, powering your pda battery down when not in use, dimming your pda screen down, and using peripherals wisely.

But with PDA batteries there is far more going on internally that work against the life of a pda battery. Contained within your PDA Battery is a design and chemistry make-up that impacts your battery life far more than your usage activity and there is no amount of conditioning you can do to preven the ultimate power loss of your pda battery.

For example we know that batteries are rated by their voltage, their mAh, and of course the chemicals contained within. These three technical facts about your battery give some insight into the actual life of (energy stored within) your battery.

But the length of time a pda battery can operate is not linear to the amount of energy stored in the battery. In fact their are four ongoing problems with all batteries that affect performance and the extended battery life of your pda.

They are: declining capacity, increasing internal resistance, elevated self-discharge, and premature voltage cut-off on discharge.

These are more complex issues that are beyond user control and are wholly contained within your pda battery and within your device! As we will see these issues (declining capacity, increasing internal resistance, elevated self-discharge, and premature voltage cut-off on discharge) do more to cause PDA Battery Degradation and PDA Power Loss than your typical PDA owner could ever do.

Declining Capacity

Declining capacity is when the amount of charge a battery can hold gradually decreases due to usage, aging, and with some chemistry, lack of maintenance. PDA batteries are specified to deliver about 100 percent capacity when new but after usage and aging and lack of conditioning a pda battery's capacity will drop. This is normal. If you are using a pda battery (or any lithium-ion or lithium-polymer battery) when your battery's capacity reaches 60% to 70% the pda battery will need to be replaced. Standard industry practice will warranty a battery above 80%. Below 80% typically means you have used the practical life of a battery. Thus the threshold by which a battery can be returned under warranty is typically 80%.

Loss of Charge Acceptance

The loss of charge acceptance of the Li?ion/polymer batteries is due to cell oxidation. Cell oxidation is when the cells of the battery lose their electrons. This is a normal process of the battery charge creation process. In fact every time you use your pda battery a loss of charge acceptance occurs (the charge loss allows your battery to power your pda). Capacity loss is permanent. Li?ion/polymer batteries cannot be restored with cycling or any other external means. The capacity loss is permanent because the metals used in the cells run for a specific time only and are being consumed during their service life.

Internal Resistance

Internal resistance, known as impedance, determines the performance and runtime of a battery. It is a measure of opposition to a sinusoidal electric current. A high internal resistance curtails the flow of energy from the battery to a pda device. The aging of the battery cells contributes, primarily, to the increase in resistance, not usage. Expect a typical life span of a Li?ion battery to be one to three years, whether it is used or not. The internal resistance of the Li?ion batteries cannot be improved with cycling (recharging). Cell oxidation, which causes high resistance, is non-reversible and is the ultimate cause of battery failure (energy may still be present in the battery, but it can no longer be delivered due to poor conductivity).

Elevated Self-Discharge

All batteries have an inherent self-discharge. The self-discharge on nickel-based batteries is 10 to 15 percent of its capacity in the first 24 hours after charge, followed by 10 to 15 percent every month thereafter. Li?ion battery's self-discharges about five percent in the first 24 hours and one to two percent thereafter. At higher temperatures, the self-discharge on all battery chemistries increases. The self-discharge of a battery increases with age and usage. Once a battery exhibits high self-discharge, little can be done to reverse the effect.

Premature Voltage Cut-Off

Some pdas do not fully utilize the low-end voltage spectrum of a pda battery. The pda device itself cuts off before the designated end-of-discharge voltage is reached and battery power remains unused. For example, a pda that is powered with a single-cell Li?ion battery and is designed to cut-off at 3.7V may actually cut-off at 3.3V. Obviously the full potential of the battery and the device is lost (not utilized). Why? It could be something with elevated internal resistance and are pda operations at warm ambient temperatures. PDAs that load the battery with current bursts are more receptive to premature voltage cut-off than analog equipment. High cut-off voltage is mostly equipment related, not battery.

Dan Hagopian of Batteryship.com authored this article. http://www.Batteryship.com offers PDA Battery Replacement Kits with tools and instructions for iPod battery, iPAQ battery, Clie battery, Palm Battery, Axim battery, Treos, and Blackberries.

There's a new route into your company's secure data. It's the Blackberry PDA. A hacking program has been developed which exploits the relationship between the Blackberry itself, a company's internal server and the network connection to which both are attached. The hacking program works because the data tunnel between the Blackberry and the server is encrypted. Intrusions can't be detected because the protective systems, such as firewalls, exist at the perimeter of the network. This begs the question of all business owners whose employees use a Blackberry: Is your company data secure?
The hacking technique is successful because there are very few companies equipped to detect and intrusion from the inside of the network. Another reason for hacking success is the fact that companies don't see the Blackberry as a potential attack vector. The Blackberry is not your normal handheld device. It's a continuously running code machine that's always on and always connected to your internal network. It has constant direct access to whatever you give it access to and most company structures allow complete access to the internal network for their employees who use Blackberries.

BBProxy is the name of the Blackberry hacking program. It can be loaded on the Blackberry […]

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