APP WARS

Apple’s App Store has been a huge success, and now BlackBerry has launched its own version with App World. Working on the move is about to become even easier.

WORDS BY JOE SVETLIK

IF YOU’RE LIKE MOST BUSINESS TRAVELLERS, you’d be lost without your BlackBerry. For years the device has kept workers up to date via its fantastic email service, and many believe it’s yet to be bettered – even by the flashier but less functional iPhone. And now RIM (Research in Motion, the Canadian company behind BlackBerry) is encroaching on Apple’s turf by launching App World. It’s basically a portal that lets you download thousands of applications, from keeping you fit to telling you the weather. And, given BlackBerry’s user base, there are plenty of business applications to choose from.

First up is Bloomberg, which is free and quick to download and install. Once launched it shows you stocks, equity indices like Dow Jones and the FTSE 100, currencies and business headlines, which you click on to read the full story. The layout is businesslike, showing you all you need to know simply and clearly. You can also personalise it, so if you want to follow GE’s share price, search for it and add it as one of your favourites, and it’ll show up every time you launch the app.

TheStreet’s app took longer to download than Bloomberg’s, despite being a smaller file size. Again, it shows market data and business headlines, although the news wasn’t as up to date as Bloomberg’s the day we tested. However, the range of news is slightly broader than Bloomberg’s, encompassing more politics and world affairs, so could be a good option if you’re looking for a wider range of info and not just business. Again, personalising is easy. The app doesn’t look as clean as Bloomberg’s, and you have to put up with huge adverts for BP at the head and foot. Jim Cramer’s Mad Money column is also syndicated on the app, despite being disgraced on The Daily Show a few months back for wilfully ignoring the worst economic downturn in recent memory.

Away from financial news services, there are plenty of apps to aid your working life. BigHand lets you record voice files, such as interviews and voicemails, and send them from your phone to enter your office’s workflow if you’re on the road. You can get a trial version for free, but this only lets you record – to send you’ll need to pay for the premium version (approx. €15 a month). eOffice is like shrinking your office to fit into your BlackBerry. You can create and edit Microsoft Office documents on your phone. Suddenly Excel, Word, PowerPoint and PDF documents can reach you wherever you are in the world – just make sure you’ve got a handset with full QWERTY keyboard to avoid awkward typing. eOffice costs $30 (approx. €23).

Finally, if conference calls are a big part of your working life, InterCall’s Mobile Assistant is perfect. It lets you dial into conference calls from your BlackBerry at the touch of a button, so there’s no need to memorise and enter lengthy dial-in numbers or PINs. Just sign up, input your conference number, code, PIN and security pass code once when you first log in, and you’re away.

There are new apps launching every day on App World, so head to www.blackberry.com/appworld to see the latest mobile business tools.

JOE SVETLIK IS NEWS EDITOR OF T3 MAGAZINE

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