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The 10 Best BlackBerry Apps for Summer Travel

Smartphones and summer vacation, like oil and water, simply don't mix? We beg to differ. Just because you employ your BlackBerry for work, that doesn't mean it can't play hard, as well. The following applications are guaranteed to enhance any getaway - and help you realize the full potential of your mobile device.

By Al Sacco, CIO

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Best BlackBerry Apps

If you're a smartphone owner, you have few items more personal than your handheld. You take your BlackBerry, iPhone, Pre, whatever, everywhere—including your summer vacation. Here are 10 mobile apps for BlackBerry phones, perfect for your weekend excursion or weeks-long getaway. And in the spirit of vacation, these apps put the focus on your convenience and entertainment—not on the work you've left behind.

This is not just another mobile application round-up from folks who haven't spent time with the software. We use each and every one of these apps regularly, and recommend them based on actual experience.

Pandora for BlackBerry

The free Pandora for BlackBerry application brings streaming Internet radio to the palm of your hand. Create personalized "stations" based on artists, songs or composers of your choice. Pandora delivers similar content from other artists along with songs from the band/artist that you initially selected. And you can rate music with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to "teach" Pandora your personal tastes.

Creator: Pandora Media Inc.

Price: Free up to 40 hours per month, $0.99 for the rest of month after 40 hours; $36 a year for premium Pandora One account

Where to Download: Pandora.com

Image credit: Al Sacco, Pandora Media Inc.

TeleNav Navigator

TeleNav is a smartphone-based GPS navigation application available on a variety of BlackBerry devices and other smartphones. The app offers spoken turn-by-turn driving directions, on-screen maps with trip progress metrics, real-time traffic alerts and more. If you want GPS driving directions on your smartphone, TeleNav's as good as it gets.

Creator: TeleNav Inc.

Price: Typically $9.99 per month after 30 day free trial. (Check with your wireless carrier for availability information and pricing specifics.)

Where to Download: TeleNav.com

Image credit: Al Sacco, TeleNav Inc.

Viigo

Viigo, the ultimate lifestyle app, delivers instant access to news and RSS feeds, weather, sports, streaming podcasts, social networks like Twitter and FriendFeed, flight and travel information and much more, all for free. And the good folks at Viigo never stop working studiously on new features, so there's always something good coming down the road.

Creator: Viigo

Price: Free

Where to Download: GetViigo.com via BlackBerry browser.

Image credit: Viigo

TweetGenius

TweetGenius is one of the most full-featured—and good-looking—mobile Twitter apps on the market. Check your Friends Timeline, @ Mentions and Direct Messages with a single click from the home screen. Easily insert TwitPic images into Tweets. Share your location via Google Maps. View the Public Timeline, search all of Twitter and more. But TweetGenius's real strength is its stunning and unique UI.

Creator: TweetGenius (via BGR)

After this piece was written, TweetGenius returned to closed beta while its creators work on a new, enhanced version. Sign up here to be notified when it's available once again.

Image credit: Al Sacco, TweetGenius

Movies by Flixster

The Movies by Flixster launcher gives BlackBerry users instant access to a wealth of movie- and theatre-related information, including current films, show times, reviews, cast and run-time info, upcoming attractions, new DVD releases and more. Flixster also locates nearby theatres based on area code and lets you purchase tickets using your BlackBerry.

Creator: Flixster Inc.

Price: Free

Where to Download: BlackBerry App World

Image credit: Al Sacco

Movela: Netflix Queue Manager

Add films to a Netflix movie queue, or rearrange its order from wherever you roam, with Movela: Netflix Queue Manager, and all of your favorite films will be waiting for you when vacation begins. Additional features include the ability to browse the Netflix collection by genre, do site-wide search, access Netflix top "rentals" lists, and get personalized recommendations.

Creator: Pyxis Mobile Inc.

Price: $2.99

Where to Download: BlackBerry App World

Image credit: Al Sacco

WorldMate Live

WorldMate Live will change the way you travel. An all around travel companion, the app organizes and stores itineraries, including flight and airline info, hotel reservations, car rentals, meeting locales and much more. You can also find hotels directly from the app, convert foreign currencies, view world clocks and weather forecasts and even get one-click access to maps and navigation apps, where available.

Creator: WorldMate Inc.

Price: Free version; Gold version, $11.95 per month; $99.95 a year

Where to Download: BlackBerry App World

Image credit: WorldMate Inc.

Poynt

The free Poynt search application is your instant connection to local people, organizations, movie theatres, retail store and events, wherever you're spending your time off. Using GPS, where available, or cell-tower triangulation, Poynt delivers location-aware search results—from SuperPages.com—along with contact and location information, when you query one of its three main sections: Business, People and Movies.

Creator: Multiplied Media Corp.

Price: Free

Where to Download: BlackBerry App World

Image credit: Multiplied Media Corp.

Shazam

Shazam's a music-lover's (BlackBerry's) best friend. The free application is meant to help you determine artist and song information whenever you hear a tune on the radio, television, Internet, wherever, but you can't identify it. Simply launch Shazam, make sure your device is close enough to the audio source so it can "hear" the music, and voila: Shazam delivers the song name and creator, along with options to purchase tracks or albums and share them.

Creator: Shazam Entertainment Ltd.

Price: Free

Where to Download: BlackBerry App World

Image credit: Shazam Entertainment Ltd.

Ka-Glom

Ka-Glom, a "high-pressure game of falling blocks" for BlackBerry users, resembles the classic video game, Tetris, but with a twist. (Check out BlackBerry Tetris here.) Players attempt to combine Ka-Glom "jelly" to blast blocks and create a chain reaction, racking up points in the process. Play in Survival or Puzzle mode for additional challenges.

Creator: Magmic Inc.

Price: Free

Where to Download: BlackBerry App World

Image credit: Al Sacco