It’s hard these days trying to keep your check book register up-to-date. A lot of people don’t even keep track and rely on remembering transaction and checking online banking.  You always see people with a mobile device in their hand and MobaTech seized the opportunity to release a great “checkbook” application that you will always have with you.

Mobile Checkbook allows you to handle your check book right from your BlackBerry with every transaction from depositing a check to a cash withdraw.

Mobile Checkbook allows you to send yourself an email with a list of the transactions from your BlackBerry in a plain text format or in a version designed to be imported into Quicken.

If Mobile Checkbook sounds like an application that might help you with your money management then follow this link to MobaTech’s website  and see what other features this application has. Mobile Checkbook is on sale for a limited time for $7.99.

Powermat is a company pioneering its way into the future of our wireless charging solutions. They’ve released their product less than one year ago in October of 2009 and the industry has been buzzing ever since. Powermat offers the consumer the option of wirelessly charging up to three of their personal electronic devices simply by dropping them on to a mat; resolving the issue of tangled wires. Its sleek and elegant design, in my opinion, clearly gives it an advantage over competitors such as WildCharge and Duracell’s myGrid.

During CES this past January I was fortunate enough to receive a private tour of Powermat’s current lineup as well as some information on exciting new items to be added in the near future. I’m pleased to say that they have done their homework. They’ve listened to the consumer, to the demand, and to the market; and the direction they are taking their products is one in which I very strongly support.

Powermat currently offers two solutions to the consumer, a home and office mat and a portable mat that folds up easily for travel. In each respective box, you can expect to find one mat and its power source, as well as eight tips to use with the included Powercube. These tips include Apple, Micro USB, and Samsung to name a few; all of which make your favorite electronic products compatible with Powermat and ready for wireless charging. Additional Powermat receivers can be purchased for supported electronics and not only provide true drop and charge functionality, but may offer protection to the device as well. Each mat is priced at $99.99 each; while you can expect to find the additional receivers ranging from $29.99 to $39.99.

Our friend Jim Curzon over at Powermat sent the home and office mat our way last week and our team has been very pleased with its performance thus far. These days “going green” is the ever so popular trend, in fact it can’t even be called a “trend” anymore. It’s starting to become anything but that; a way of life, a business model, a message for humanity. Powermat aligns their focus with this by providing us with an outstanding product that not only uses less energy, but charges the devices, on average, 20% faster than the standard wall charger. Here are some notes from my review of the product:

What I Liked:

-       The overall design is very solid and incredibly sleek. From the color choices, to the LED indicators, to the signature mount and dismount sounds, and down to the smooth rounded edges. This was no doubt an exciting un-boxing experience.

-       Efficiency of the charging. I’ve charged through the wall outlet, desktop, laptop, you name it. Hands down this is the fastest I have seen. BlackBerry for example: a completely drained battery on average will take 20-30 minutes on a wall charger to see any life again; took 10 minutes on the Powermat.

-       When charging multiple devices, the mat does not overheat or get too hot; a problem found in many multiple device charging solutions.

-       Ergonomic clean design. It’s the little things that always matter, in anything you deal with. Here, the design of the power source to the mat allows for a very clean folding of its wire avoiding any tangles and allows it to be neatly stowed away if needed. Same can be said for the included Powercube.

-       iPhone receiver unit converts the iPhone into a more standard Micro USB charging solution for use away from the Powermat.

What I Didn’t Like:

-       The price point. As great as this product is, it is pretty expensive to get started up with it. In a nutshell, to get the TRUE drop and charge wireless charging experience it is going to cost you about $140 to get started. And that is only if they offer a receiver for your current device; otherwise your only option is the Powercube which then essentially turns your Powermat into a $99.99 standard wall charger.

-       When using the Powercube, if it is left on the mat, you cannot simply plug your device back in to charge. The Powercube must be first plugged into your device, lifted off the mat, and then placed back on the mat.

-       Weight. Now this is much more personal preference than anything. On the iPhone in particular, I’m used to simply having a skin on there. With the added weight of the receiver unit it definitely took some getting used to. Not unbearably heavy by any means, just more weight than I’d prefer.

Overall I loved the product and the things that I didn’t like were mostly user preference. I give Powermat the benefit of the doubt because their product is still very young and already far above and beyond the competition in my opinion. As I mentioned earlier, they do their homework and based on what we saw at CES 2010 and are allowed to talk about, they’ve listened to the consumer and have some great things in store for us.

We are anxious to see Powermat during CTIA held in Las Vegas, NV at the end of this month and hope to follow up with their progress in the way of new products and compatibility to the ever so quickly growing electronics industry. If you have any questions about their products are have something in particular we would like to cover during our visit with them, please feel free drop a comment.

If you are interested in purchasing the Powermat, or would simply like to learn more in detail, you can do so by following this link.

Poynt is an amazing application for BlackBerry users offered by Multiplied Media Corporation and is a personal favorite of mine. It is the most complete all-in-one local search application I have come across and I strongly encourage all BlackBerry users to have it on their device. Since the public beta release nearly two years ago in June of 2008, Multiplied Media has built upon Poynt’s strong foundation of capabilities offering an incredibly rich and user friendly experience.

Multiplied Media provides not only accuracy in their product, but efficiency. When entering a search based on name or location, the results give the user a comprehensive amount of information from the businesses, restaurants, or movies surrounding them. The results are displayed by proximity ranging from the closest listing to your GPS or cell-site based location. From here, you can expect an array of options from making a reservation, a phone call, purchasing tickets, or even viewing a movie trailer; all within a single application and all with the click of a button. Address book, calendar, and mapping integration offer seamless transitions to your next plan of action.

The ease of use sells itself. As does the other part that contributes to Poynt’s overwhelming success; its rich graphical user interface. In the latest revision, Poynt not only displays the temperature on the home screen, but adjusts itself based on the time of day and your current location. Once your position is determined, the application displays anything from the rays of a sun shining brightly, to gloomy clouds, and even a rain drops dripping off a window effect. Combine this with support from powerful and respected partners such as Citysearch, OpenTable.com, and Yelp, and there really needs no more to be said.

Disagree? Leave a comment and let us know why; but do not do so until you have downloaded and tried it for yourself. Head over to BlackBerry App World for your copy today. If you do not have BlackBerry App World installed you can also point (no pun intended) your browser to http://m.mypoynt.com from your browser.

To learn more about Poynt and its features you can follow this link

Here’s some food for thought. AT&T has prided themselves in having the best coverage in the US, leaving their competitors in the dust. After the bashing by Verizon Wireless with their “Map For That” commercials it just might be AT&T laughing in the end.

PC Magazine conducted tests in 13 cities from 20 stationary outdoor locations in each city that represented the largest user base. These cities included Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle.  The test was all about data and not voice usage or quality.

The results of the test are as follows:

Apple’s iPhone and AT&T have been named number one in smartphone & service combination in the PC World Magazine second 3G wireless performance test.

Seated at number two is Sprint with the Hero followed by the T-Mobile’s G1 and taking its place in fourth was the Motorola Droid from Verizon.

AT&T is at the top right now and hoping to keep it that way as they are the only US provider for the soon to be released iPad by Apple.

For more information on PC World’s wireless performance test follow this link.

Last week Bitstream Inc. celebrated the one year anniversary of their popular BOLT mobile browser with an update to version 1.7. Originally released for public beta in February of 2009, the company is reportedly very excited with this announcement and is continuing to push forward to lead the industry in hopes of becoming the ideal choice for your mobile web browsing needs.

The obvious goal in mobile web browsing for any developer would be to recreate the desktop web browsing experience. With the advanced capabilities of smartphones, the margin between a mobile experience and a desktop experience is shortening at an exponential rate. This is evidenced by phones such as the iPhone, Droid, and Nexus One; just to name a few. With BOLT, Bitstream Inc. has not only been able to emulate this experience, they have done so while providing compatibility to a wide range of mobile phones aside from smartphones. From very basic handsets to more advanced devices such as the BlackBerry, it is this niche that will set BOLT apart from the competition in the saturated race to being regarded as the best mobile experience.

This latest revision of the BOLT mobile browser includes many usability enhancements including keypad shortcuts and compatibility to multiple video sharing websites other than YouTube. Along with this, the introduction of features such as widget functionality and twitter integration all deliver the promise of a more enriched and user friendly experience.

Point your browser over to http://sites.google.com/site/boltbrowsermwc/ for the full Mobile World Congress press release and to read about the updates to the BOLT mobile web browser in detail.

BOLT and BOLT Lite are both available for free download at http://boltbrowser.com.Bolt is compatible with just about any device running Java. This includes BlackBerry, Palm and Windows mobile.

Have any questions regarding the BOLT browser or Bistream Inc.? Leave a comment and we’ll be happy to answer for you!

The popular desktop application that allowed us to feel like CIA operatives scouring the globe with the click of a button and the ability to manipulate satellite images has gone mobile. Google announced Monday that the application is now available for download in the Android Market.

When Google’s much anticipated Nexus One was released in January, it came feature packed and was an instant contender in the growing demand for smartphones. Google Earth was apparently left off of the final check list and was scheduled to become available at a later date; despite being announced during the same time frame. Although Google Earth is now released and available for the Nexus One, many of the Android loyal will still have to wait patiently.

Unfortunately it has been reported that only Android 2.1 users will be able to download Google Earth and have it work properly. Android 2.0.1 and anything before that simply does not have the power to run such an intense application. Although news spread of Motorola rolling out OTA updates for their Droid and Droid Eris just over a week ago, one has still yet to be seen. Also, as of today the Motorola site seems to only be promising that the update will be available soon; while 2.0.1 is the most current option found. So for the time being, it seems that Google’s Nexus One is the only handset that will support Google Earth for Android.

If you are the proud owner of a handset running Android 2.1 you can expect an experience much like your desktop as Google leaves no stone unturned during their transition to the mobile interface:

User Interface:

-       Familiar default view of globe

-       Globe rotates as your location is determined and view is adjusted

-       Detailed satellite imagery

Navigation:

-       Obviously the touch screen makes it a breeze with just a flick of your finger

-       Multi-touch capability allows you to zoom in and out very easily

-       Tilt your view by tapping the “look around” button

Search:

-       Search using the touch screen keypad or search by voice.

-       Layers can also be activated to show roads, businesses, and popular places to name a few.

-       Once zoomed in with the layers turned on, icons such as a fork and knife or a gas pump are displayed and offer detailed information regarding their corresponding points of interest.

These are just a few of the features offered in this powerful application; and of course Google releases it free of charge.

Droid and Droid Eris users can check back daily for the Android 2.1 update at Motorola’s website by following this link.

Head over to the Android Market to download and take it for a spin. Let us know what you thought of it by leaving a comment here; we very much enjoy hearing from our readers.

When you think foursquare, what comes to mind? A competitive childhood game played on the playground with a ball, four squares connected together and set of rules on how to play the game?

Well, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be a kid again or have that childhood competitiveness come out. Foursquare can give you back some of that childhood competitiveness. Foursquare is a game for your mobile device that gives you, your family, and friends a way to compete for Mayorships of places in town and earn badges and bragging rights.

Foursquare allows you play the game right from your mobile device with applications for BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, and Palm. If you have another type of device don’t feel totally left out as Foursquare works from your devices web browser or via text messaging.

How Foursquare works is, you check into a location to earn points and unlock badges. When checking into a location Foursquare sends alerts to your approved friends and family that play with you to show them your most recent check in.  You also have the option to update social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. You can also check in off the grid so no one knows where you have checked in leaving your friends to wonder. You also have the ability to leave tips where you have visited for others to see when they check in nearby.

Points are earned when you first check into a new place, when you add a new venue, and you can earn traveling points when checking into different locations throughout the day. Badges are unlocked for almost anything you can think of. Badges include Newbie, SuperUser, Photogenic, and a whole lot more to discover.

It’s also been said that it pays to be a loyal Foursquare user. Foursquare has published a list online of places you can get freebies from for your loyalty. You can view the list via this link.

When it’s all said and done, the more check in, the more points you earn, and the possibility of more mayorships and badges. Feel like joining a competitive adventure? If so join Foursquare now and find that kid again. You can join Foursquare now for free by following this link.

Navigation leader TeleNav started a simple to enter contest today to win a Apple iPad.

How do you enter?

Starting Monday, February 22nd until Sunday, March 7th, all you have to do is (1) take a photo of yourself at your favorite place holding up a note (can be handwritten) that clearly starts “Dear TeleNav,” and in the following seven words state why you love that place! Then (2) submit the photo directly on the wall of their Facebook Page. All entries must be received by 11:59PM PST on March 7th.

For example, if you’re at a coffee shop, you might hold up a sign saying, “ Dear TeleNav, I love their really big blueberry scones!” or if you’re at a restaurant, you might have a note that says, “ Dear TeleNav,they have the most incredible pepperoni pizzas!”

For a complete list of rules and more information please visit the TeleNav Blog directly via this link. Good Luck!

AT&T has finally embraced Android based smartphones and is introducing their first Android phone the Motorola Backflip.

AT&T is making the leap in just over 2 weeks. The Motorla Backflip will be available both online and in stores. The Backflips features include:

3.1” touch screen

5.0 Megapixel autofocus camera

Full QWERTY keyboard

Social Networking Suite

Runs on AT&T’s 3G Network

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g

20,000 Applications via the Android Marketplace

The Backflip will stand out with being able to operate when in different positions. Having a touch screen on the front side when closed, a full QWERTY keyboard when flipped open, and a partial open mode for viewing videos, photos or as a bedside clock.

The Motorola Backflip will be available March 7, 2010 and is slated to be priced at $99.99 after a $100 mail in rebate on a two year contract.

To sign up for more information directly from AT&T on the Motorola Backflip follow this link.

Yesterday morning it was announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that two dozen of the worlds wireless operators will combined an alliance to compete with Apple who has overtaken the application market with over 150,000 applications.

The Alliance is calling themselves the “Wholesale Applications Community”. Orange, AT&T, and Telefonica are some of the technology platform designers set to deliver applications to all mobile-phone users. Also taking a role in this alliance is Verizon Wireless, China Mobile and Softbank of Japan to create standard, common technology. LG Electronics, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson being large manufacturers have also joined this community. 

The goal of the community is to bring together the very fragmented application market to have one wholesale application community that provides a single point of entry for developers. This would bring together one big developer community out of the many companies to create applications for the different mobile operating systems, handsets, and carriers.

The Wholesale Applications Community could be a real big hit for these companies pulling together to have applications that can be used across all mobile devices. Widely known Apple is the leader in the market offering 150,000 applications ranging from free to down payment on a car. It will be hard for the Community to compete at first, but with time could eventually give Apple a run for their money.

For more in detail about this alliance and which operators are joined into this community just go to this link http://www.wholesaleappcommunity.com/ and learn more on the “Wholesale Applications Community.”

Update: This version has been updated to correct the organizations name.