Ten Essential... BlackBerry Apps

Nikkisoft QuickLaunch

If you’re tired of hunting around through various folders and menus to get to your most used apps and settings, then QuickLaunch is the answer. You simply configure a convenience key to activate QuickLaunch which then pops up with a list of shortcuts for e-mail, SMS, radio, Bluetooth settings and the like. Setting up your shortcuts is simply a matter of adding the app or function to the QuickLaunch list. You can even assign a letter to each shortcut to speed things up still further. Unlike some apps, QuickLaunch doesn’t linger in the background. Once you’ve selected your choice from the list, QuickLaunch quits and the shortcut item launches. The sheer convenience, along with minimum overhead, makes this an invaluable app to have to speed up navigation on the BlackBerry.

Pageonce Personal Assistant Premium

This application is a great personal assistant that besides taking care of your itineraries, also offer bills integration and access to your various bank accounts, credit cards and investments. It's also a travel planner and keeps track of frequent flyer miles by linking all the airlines you’ve travelled with. When setting up, the chances are you’ll find your bank even if its international one. Testing out a credit card, the usual on-line security details were entered. After a few moments of on-line account interrogation, details of transactions appeared on the screen. All upcoming bills can be integrated into the calendar and it will even send an e-mail if transactions look fishy or if you’ve exceeded your credit limit. Naturally, the question of security comes to mind, so if you do happen to lose your BlackBerry, just go to your pageonce.com profile page and block access. If you need to keep on top of your personal finances, this app is simply a must.