Blackberry Bound

Oh, I have fully and completely joined the ranks of the Blackberry-carrying nation. Where has this fun little toy been all my life? Screw the iPhone - I am hooked, and I haven't even downloaded any games yet!! Between getting my email, text messages, Facebook updates, and phone calls that crazy little contraption is buzzing with excitement ALL THE TIME. No wonder people have to take breaks from them - it seriously demands your attention 24/7. I'll probably end up leaving it on quiet mode at night, but right now I'm feeling way too important. I also LOVE that it comes with a leather pouch (albeit one without a clip) and stereo headset. I also love that the Verizon salesman tried very hard to get me to buy the "package" without letting me know this. Luckily, I declined, since I'm sure I can find way more cool stuff (and cheaper!) on sites like these:

BBerry
Blackberry Source
Fommy

I have - because I'm a serious bargain-hunter - already scoured the net for free downloads, because with the browsing upgrade you HAVE to add on to your bill if you get one of these, you tend to lean toward the frugal. Besides, the best things in life are free, right? Although it comes with a map application, no one can touch Google, so that was one of the first things I loaded. Get it for yourself here:

Google Maps for Blackberry

The next fun little app had to be an entertainment one, so TV Guide offers their freebie so you can enter your location and cable service, and get a complete channel listing all the time. It also allows you a favorites list, and will group the channels into categories.

TV Guide for Blackberry

My other favorite is Mara Tick, just because I am a consummate list-maker. This eliminates my need for little notepads everywhere. It holds a grocery vocabulary, and you can make your list, date it, set up reminders, and check it off. It also has little icons so you can use it for packing lists, party planning, and a lot of other things. Naturally, it also synchs with your computer's clipboard.

Mara Tick for Blackberry

I'm sure I'll be loading the MySpace app when it becomes available, and although Brickbreaker is a cool throwback to Pong, I can't help but think I may be getting some Sims Castaway or Star Wars games for my gadget later on... In the meantime, here are some other sites with freeware:

Squidoo
Blackberry Freeware
Blackberry Freaks