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Tips and Tricks

The 10 Best BlackBerry Shortcuts

CIO.com's BlackBerry black belt Al Sacco shares his 10 favorite and most frequently used BlackBerry keyboard shortcuts, tips and tricks.

Best BlackBerry Battery-Saving Tips: Master Class

The longer your smartphone lasts on a single charge, the better, right? CIO.com's mobile expert Al Sacco details the techniques power users swear by to boost BlackBerry longevity.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 Slider (Image Credit: Brian Sacco)

BlackBerry Quick Tip: How to Customize Speed Dial in BlackBerry 6 OS

CIO.com's mobile watcher Al Sacco explains how to create custom speed-dial lists using RIM's BlackBerry OS 6, so BlackBerry smartphone users need only press and hold one key to call important contacts.

BlackBerry How-To: Customize "In-Holster" Call, Alert Settings

CIO.com's mobile master Al Sacco explains how to change and set custom BlackBerry notification- and alert-settings for RIM smartphones when used along with compatible holsters, cases and pockets.

BlackBerry How-To: Downgrade the OS on Your RIM Smartphone

CIO.com's Al Sacco offers up this step-by-step tutorial on how to "downgrade" or return to an older version of the OS software on a BlackBerry smartphone.

BlackBerry 6 Security: How to Wipe Your RIM Smartphone, Restore Factory Settings

CIO.com's BlackBerry black belt Al Sacco details the process to security wipe a BlackBerry smartphone running RIM's latest mobile OS, BlackBerry 6.

BlackBerry Messenger Quick Tips: Mastering BBM Basics

RIM's BlackBerry-specific mobile IM service, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), is an easy and effective way to keep in touch with other RIM smartphone users. CIO.com's BlackBerry beat-reporter Al Sacco shares tips on getting the most from BBM.

BlackBerry Tip: Add "Slang" to Dictionary to Reduce Unwanted Spell-Check Corrections

Al Sacco explains how to add slang, proper names or misspelled words to your BlackBerry's custom dictionary so they're not flagged during spell-checks.

BlackBerry How To: Tether Your PC to the Internet via Smartphone

Get Internet connectivity via PC anywhere using your BlackBerry. CIO.com's BlackBerry black belt Al Sacco explains how to "tether" a Windows PC to the Internet using your RIM smartphone's wireless network connection.

BlackBerry Quick Tip: How to Transfer Files via Bluetooth in OS 5.0

CIO.com's BlackBerry beat-reporter Al Sacco details the process for transferring media and other files wirelessly via Bluetooth between BlackBerry smartphones running OS 5.0.

BlackBerry App Management Best Practices

CIO.com's BlackBerry black belt Al Sacco shares tips and tricks on how to get the most from BlackBerry applications, while at the same time ensuring those apps don't negatively affect your smartphone's performance.

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) Best Practices: Six Tips

CIO.com's Al Sacco shares tips on how to get more from RIM's BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) mobile IM app, avoid common pitfalls and keep your device protected from related security threats.

More BlackBerry Battery Tips: Seven Ways to Make Your Smartphone Last Longer

BlackBerry devices used to be renowned for their impressively long battery lives. But with all the features and functionalities packed into modern RIM smartphones during the past couple of years, some of that battery longevity has vanished. CIO.com's Al Sacco offers up seven advanced tips that he regularly employs to ensure his BlackBerry keeps on ticking...and ticking and ticking.

BlackBerry Bold Batteries

BlackBerry Security Basics: Five Tips to Keep Your Smartphone Safe

BlackBerry smartphones are known for security, but if you don't know the common gotchas, your new or "unsecured" BlackBerry device could be a disaster waiting to happen. CIO.com's "CrackBerry" addict Al Sacco offers five BlackBerry security tips to fix your smartphone security holes and reduce unnecessary risk.

BlackBerry Tip: How to Separate BIS and BES E-Mail

CIO.com's BlackBerry watcher Al Sacco details two different ways to create separate e-mail inboxes for personal (BIS) and corporate (BES) mail in BlackBerry OS 5.0.

BlackBerry How-To: Using E-Mail Message Flags in BlackBerry OS 5.0

A new feature within RIM's recently released BlackBerry handheld OS 5.0 lets BlackBerry users "flag" e-mail messages for follow-up, set custom reminders, assign different color flags to specific messages and edit detailed flag properties. Here's how to effectively use the new BlackBerry e-mail flags.

BlackBerry Quick Tip: How to Archive, Organize App World Software

BlackBerry smartphone users can free up valuable software storage space by "archiving" App World mobile applications they don't use frequently on external memory cards for easy future access. Here's how to archive those apps, as well as how to keep such apps in order.

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