BlackBerrys are not renowned for the quality of their cameras, but you can still get some decent shots with them, and share them straight from your device.

1  Keep the BlackBerry device as steady as possible in order to pre-empt any shutter lag or slow shutter speed. Holding your breath while taking the picture can sometimes help you avoid any evidence of blurring, as can leaning up against a solid object.

2  Make sure that there is a lot of light because unfortunately the camera does not perform very well in low light situations. The included flash is only really useful for illuminating an object or a person who is already close by. This can sometimes limit your picture-taking options.

3  Always keep the camera set to the Large picture size and a picture quality of Superfine. This ensures that you take the highest quality pictures at all times. You can always reduce the size of the pictures later from your PC or Mac, whereas enlarging can leave it pixelated.

4  Turn on Geotagging under the camera options screen if your BlackBerry includes GPS.  This allows the BlackBerry to include your exact GPS co-ordinates in each picture taken, which is handy for any friends who wish to know where the picture was taken.

5  Share your pictures with friends and family by downloading and installing social networking applications like Facebook and Flickr. These applications allow you to upload pictures directly from the BlackBerry, and not a single cable is necessary.

Read the full story»

LG’s Arena looks like so many other phones we’ve seen of late. It’s an all-screen touchphone, with nothing notable in the looks department. Its titanium backplate is interesting, though, and helps keep the weight down to 105g.

Overall this is a comfortable smartphone to handle at 105.9mm tall, 55.3mm wide and 11.95mm thick. But you have to look a little deeper than the nicely constructed chassis for the outstanding features of this smartphone. And for the really annoying features too.

Read the full story»

At an alarmingly low price you might be sceptical about the Vertical Leather Case Cover but in fact it is a perfectly serviceable, if not entirely stylish home for your smartphone.

Read the full story»

If you though the iPhone had all the best mobile software, think again!

Issue 88 of Smartphone & PDA Essentials is on sale today, with a comprehensive look at the best apps available for BlackBerry, Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian smartphones.

Other highlights include a …

Read the full story»

SBSH Calendar Touch will replace your existing calendar/tasks software and  it also comes with a rather nifty interface to match.

The interface comprises of several touch gesture controls which will allow you to swipe your finger on the screen (side to side) in order …

Read the full story»

RIM’s BlackBerry Pearl variations have become very popular. Their pocket-friendly candybar design means they are easy to carry and they share the familiar and efficient RIM mobile email solution. There are two distinguishing features of the Pearl range.

One is the small white miniature trackball which is used to move around within applications, and the other is a keyboard on which two qwerty characters share a single key. Both are popular among Pearl fans and both are present in the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8820.

But in one important respect this is like no BlackBerry we’ve ever seen before. Because it is a flip phone. Doubtless inspired by the American love of that format, RIM has chosen to take the flip route and we aren’t at all sure it works for us.

Read the full story»

We’ve seen plenty of external power packs for smartphones before, but all have been designed to provide emergency power as and when needed. Not so the Juice Pack. This battery for the iPhone comes in the form of a sleeve and is intended to be used on a permanent basis.

Read the full story»