BlackBerry 6, Paper Trackball Cleaners And Favourite Apps

 BlackBerry 6 is just around the corner and RIM recently released another video showcasing the new features in OS 6, which include aggregated social network integration, universal search, plus a much-needed complete makeover of the browser. Obviously, the March 2010 Viigo acquisition has played a key role in some of the new social features in BlackBerry 6. What’s a bit disappointing for me though is that this video and previous ones show BlackBerry 6 on a full touchscreen.'

Personally, I don’t like touchscreen smartphones and I do hope BlackBerry 6 is just as good for us BlackBerry QWERTY lovers. You can also read more about the improved multimedia experience in BlackBerry 6 in a post yesterday on Inside BlackBerry.

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I got some feedback on my tip for cleaning the trackball and decided to look for other options where no liquid of any sort would be needed. Here are three that I found interesting. The first one uses just a sheet of paper, and to me it seems a bit rough. The second one uses just a thin strip of paper and though it seems far gentler, it’s a tad risky if you manage to get the paper strip stuck under the trackball, and to me it seems a likely possibility. The last one is something I’d not warn you against, because the trackball is a delicate, highly complicated part of your BlackBerry and even little damage can ensure your trackball may never work again, and RIM may refuse to honour the warranty on such damaged devices. The point behind giving three options is to demonstrate that though there are various options available online for cleaning trackballs, you should try some of the safer ones and if they don’t work, simply take your BlackBerry on a trip to the nearest service centre.

Also this week a tip from RIM, which is especially useful during the rainy season that’s creating havoc in many Indian cities. Our civic authorities will never learn and each year we’ll continue to get visuals of flooded streets and homes and the same excuses from our city fathers, but you can ensure that even if your BlackBerry smartphone gets slightly wet in the rains, no serious damage occurs. According to RIM, what you need to do is turn off your smartphone, take out the battery, and leave it overnight in a bowl of uncooked rice, which should naturally soak up the moisture. Gentle reminder here that if you jump into a swimming pool/flooded street for a swim with your BlackBerry this may not be of much use.

And with that, the final lap this week. While I will do my Top Applications list next week, I wanted to tell you about two, I feel every BlackBerry user should use and also ask you about your favourite app. Right on top of my favourite apps list is Viigo. I use Viigo for up-to-date reading through RSS feeds (news, blogs, even a funny quote of the day–I’m a sucker for funny quotes!), sending reading tips to my colleagues and friends through e-mail, Twitter and Facebook, weather updates, sports updates, business & finance updates and a great flights & travel feature that helps a frequent traveller like me find flight options in a few seconds. Another favourite app is WorldMate, which just went to version 4.0 around a week ago. From world clocks to a nifty currency converter to weather and LinkedIn integration, WorldMate is a must-have accessory for people on the move. And with version 4.0 the app has a new feature called TripCatch, an opt-in service that keeps an eye on your BlackBerry’s inbox for travel confirmation e-mails (flights, hotels and more) and automatically imports them into your WorldMate account and generates trip itineraries.

So, which are your favourite BlackBerry apps? Any you feel I must have on my Top 10 list? Let me know.