Table of Content

A Few Notes on the Apps

Logicmail

Logicmail uses the Bold's (outdated) TLS encryption (see the warning on this page). It still works, but using it is not recommended.

Browsers

Opera Mini works on cellular data networks without BIS. The work of rendering webpages for Opera Mini is done on Opera's servers, and then the data is compressed and forwarded to the browser. The idea is that this process is supposed to take advantage of off-device processing power and speed up your browsing experience. In practice, it doesn't seem much faster than the built-in browser on the Bold. The system does have a couple of advantages, though: the transmission of compressed information means that Opera Mini uses much less cellular data than a regular browser; and Opera Mini sometimes renders sites that cannot be accessed with the built-in BlackBerry browser due to certificate issues.

Alternatively, you can install the Anworm service books to get the built-in browser working over a data connection. See the browser page for more information.

Maps

MGMaps (Website) (OTA): Development has stopped and MGMaps has lost a lot of functionality over time. Yahoo, Google, and Open Street Maps no longer work, and the search function is broken. Windows Live maps still work as of July 2021. There are instructions for downloading maps for offline use here.

Podtrapper

The developer EOL'd this app with style. It's here (OTA) and he provided a free registration code for everyone: 1943BFF87134

The search feature no longer works. You have to add feed urls manually, but once added, there are all kinds of good features and controls. The alternative is to bookmark podcast feeds in the browser, download episodes, and listen to them with the music player. I prefer having everything organized in the app.

Many feed urls will no longer work because they are encrypted. You can find unencrypted urls by searching for your podcasts at this site. When you find a podcast, choose the tiny feed option and copy the resulting url. In Podtrapper, select Add Podcasts... > Enter feed urls manually and paste the url into the dialog box. Special thanks to codepoet80 for the brilliant php code!

Kindle

It works as expected, but signing in to your Amazon account might not be a good idea any more. You can convert eBooks to .mobi files and add them manually as well.

Forum Readers

The CB Forums app is a version of Tapatalk restricted to the CrackBerry site only.

RSS Feed Reader

Opera Mini 8.0 has a built-in RSS reader. Visit the RSS feed in the Opera Mini browser, click on subscribe, and the feed will be added to the 'Feeds' section in your bookmarks.

VOIP

Join is a generic SIP client, which connects to VOIP services like VOIP.ms and others.

Dell Voice works well for voice only (not texting), and if I remember correctly, works with fongo.com accounts, but not those created via freephoneline.ca. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Facebook and Twitter

Twitter no longer functions on devices without TLS 1.2.

For Facebook, the app in BB World is just a shortcut to the mobile website. An OTA version is available here. If it doesn't work any longer, you may have to try Opera Mini.

News

NewsZ is a web app for Google News RSS feeds. The app permits a choice of three geographic areas (Canada, UK, US) and can be set to render links in mobilized form using a mobilizer based on Action Retro's FrogFind source code. Action Retro's 68k.news also works well on the Bold. Who knew we'd have choices in 2021?

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