With the holiday season far behind you in the rearview mirror, you’re likely settled back into the daily grind, which starts with your morning commute. When I’m driving to the office, it’s a cup of coffee that really gets me going. But I’ve found a few great BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry PlayBook tablet apps to make my commute that much easier. (Just remember, as cool as these apps are it’s important to always keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road while driving. Enter your information ahead of time and don’t use these apps while driving)

Here are some of my favorites:

• DriveSafely by iSpeech.org: This handy BlackBerry smartphone app helps drivers keep hands on the wheel by reading SMS and email messages out loud. DriveSafely Pro provides even greater functionality, allowing you to dictate SMS or email responses, repeat messages, and even make outgoing calls.

• GasBuddy – Find Cheap Gas Prices by GasBuddy Organization, Inc.: Do you need to find the cheapest gas while you’re on the go? This BlackBerry smartphone app locates nearby gas stations and allows you to view current gas prices. You can also help your friends save money on gas by sharing prices with BBM integration.

• VCMS – Speed. Location. Odometer. Compass. by I-Mentalist.com: Consider this as an all-in-one driver’s best friend created for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. With a compass, odometer, latitude/longitude trackers, lap timer, speed alerts and social network integration, let’s just say backseat drivers have some serious competition in the ‘know-it-all’ category.

• Compass by mappau OG: This magnetic compass was written natively for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, using a magnetometer instead of GPS. You can select from five different compass themes, and the compass automatically re-calibrates every three days to ensure accuracy.

• Magellan Compass Maps by o2 Interactive: Before you get on your way, you can use this BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app to search, navigate and bookmark your destination, then use GPS and cached map data to take you there.

Are you ready to hit the road with these great apps? Before you set out, review your local laws for using mobile devices while driving. Remember, you can always use these apps to help plan your trip before getting behind the wheel.

Have any of these apps helped make your morning commute any easier? Do you have any favorite driving apps for your BlackBerry smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet? Let us know in the comments!

Earlier I blogged about Gamer Nostalgia on BlackBerry Devices, which was a roundup of some old school, nostalgia-inspiring games for BlackBerry smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. After reading a few reader comments it occurred to me that beyond the games we played on ancient consoles in our parents’ basements, we also filled our pockets with quarters and travelled to a quintessential geek hangout to play our favorite games – the video arcade.

As an arcade fan, I had to highlight some of the incredible arcade games now available for BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets in the BlackBerry App World storefront.

• Gauntlet (IN) by Electronic Arts Nederland B.V.: In this game, players must select one of four mythical characters – Thor the Warrior, Merlin the Wizard, Thyra the Valkyrie and Questor the Elf – and use their player’s unique strengths to reign supreme. As a youngster, my parents saw this game as a way to teach me about the merits of individuality. While I didn’t exactly grow up wielding a sword like Thor, I like to think my childhood top scores in this game speak for themselves.

• Pac-Man – FREE Trial by Electronic Arts Nederland B.V.: The 8-year-old arcade fan boy in me is overjoyed to know that the graphics in this arcade classic haven’t deviated from the original Pac-Man. The grownup in me enjoys the game’s modern-day features like Bluetooth multi-player connectivity. For hardcore Pac-Man players, try the Championship Edition.

• Space Invaders Evolution by Electronic Arts Nederland B.V.: One of the most memorable and arcade games is now available on your BlackBerry smartphone! Get ready for your intergalactic mission to eliminate the source of the space invaders, the Mothership. Are you ready to save the world?

• Galaga by Namco Networks America, Inc.: One of the longest-running arcade games in history, Galaga back and ready for your BlackBerry smartphone. Get ready to defend against alien fire and escape their collision-course formation attacks when you relive one of the greatest arcade classics.

For even more arcade games, check out BlackBerry App World!

Do you have an all-time favorite arcade game? Can you play it on your BlackBerry device? Let us know in the comment section below.

If you’ve been reading the blogs lately, you may have guessed I’m a gamer, and you know I love playing games on my BlackBerry ® smartphone or BlackBerry ® PlayBook ™ tablet. When it comes to gaming this Halloween, there are no tricks — only treats. From zombies to snipers to the evil Draky, here are a few of my favorite spooktacular games from the BlackBerry App World™ storefront:

• Bomberman vs Zombies by Contlex Labs LLP: Be brave and save Planet Earth from Zombie invasion with the help of Bomberman on your BlackBerry smartphone. Use his 5 lives wisely to navigate the earth space, or tap into the app’s bonus features to earn extra lives.

• Bloody Sniper by Auto Labs: You know those times when you’re walking home late at night and suddenly find yourself in a cemetery being attached by monsters, zombies and skeletons? That’s exactly what happens to our hero in Bloody Sniper. Help Bloody Sniper defeat this band of evil creatures and survive the night with this BlackBerry smartphone app!

• Draky and the Twilight Castle LITE! by Joyco Games: For those with a Dracula fascination, or want to flex their skills at sparing a couple innocent children from a lifetime in Draky’s evil castle, download this app free for BlackBerry smartphones.

• CandyMare by NoisyNinja: Flex your skills by navigating through a puzzle of monsters and ghosts on your way to the candy factory. With 60 levels of “candy adventures” and the ability to track achievements, this BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app will keep you entertained until the ghouls and goblins are gone.

• Night of the Living Dead Defense by Marmalade: If you’re a fan of the cult-classic horror movie Night of the Living Dead, this HD game for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is an excellent pick. Get ready to shoot zombies and save humanity with a host of gameplay features, including multi-screen levels, visible monster paths, and 12 unique upgradable gunners as your backup. The only thing left to do is stay alive!

• Plants vs. Zombies for BlackBerry PlayBook by Electronic Arts Inc.: My Halloween wouldn’t be complete without Plants vs. Zombies for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Ge ready to knock off a mob of zombies with peashooters, wall-nuts, cherry bombs and more before they reach your front door.

These are only a few of my favorite Halloween-inspired gaming apps for BlackBerry devices. How do you plan to stay safe from zombies and vampires more this Halloween? Shout out your favorites in the comments!

What an exciting time of year for sports fans! Football is in full swing, and the Fall Classic starts today in the world of baseball after another exciting postseason. During this time of year, with so many different sports to keep track of, I use my BlackBerry ® smartphone and BlackBerry ® PlayBook ™ tablet to stay updated. If you’re a sports fan, you’re probably doing the same. According to a survey by Motricity, 55 percent of sports fans surveyed admitted to checking game info on their devices at dinner, 50 percent while using the restroom, and 42 percent while at work. I’ve done all three!

For sports enthusiasts who are constantly on the go, here are some impressive apps for your BlackBerry smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet that will help you keep track of your favorite sports:

• MLB.com at Bat 12 by MLB Advanced Media, LP: This is the official app of MLB, which makes it the closest thing to having a sportscaster in your back pocket. One of the app’s standout features is live radio broadcasting of both home and away games, which brings the game to you wherever you happen to be.

• ScoreMobile for BlackBerry by Score Media Ventures: This app has all the bells and whistles that hardcore sports fans require to keep track of their favorite teams while on the go, like up-to-the-minute stats and live updates. My favorite feature is the exclusive blog posting during live events, which I can reference when messaging about the game with friends through in-app BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) integration. This app includes coverage of MLB, National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), college football and basketball, and more!

• ScoreMobile Tablet by Score Media Ventures: I like this app because it’s optimized exclusively for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, which means it delivers all the same features and sports coverage as the smartphone app with video commentary, in both portrait and landscape views.

How do you follow your favorite sports team on your BlackBerry smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet? Let us know in the comments!

For most of the world, fall means temperatures are dropping and you’re spending more time wrapped in a blanket next to a crackling furnace. So what’s an active BlackBerry ® person to do? Check out a book from a virtual library with one of these apps. These apps not only save you the hassle of traveling to the library or bookstore, but they also allow you to read books right from your BlackBerry ® PlayBook ™ tablet.

Let’s check out these awesome literary apps:

Book Reader for EPUB by Untangled Development: The Book Reader app allows you to manage and read e-books on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. With this app, you can swipe to turn pages and highlight text, bringing you closer to the feel of a “real book”. The app also remembers your place and returns you to that spot when it’s re-launched.

OverDrive Media Console by Overdrive: OverDrive Media Console gives you on-the-go access to e-books and audiobooks from more than 18,000 libraries worldwide, with available titles ranging from best-sellers to the more obscure. OverDrive Media Console gives you a real library experience, allowing you to check out books that expire automatically at the end of the lending period.

100,000 Free Books Wattpad by WP Technology Inc.: Wattpad offers more than 100,000 free e-books, from novels to poetry. What’s also cool about this app is the huge amount of both older and newer content available, so you can go from the original Dracula to the latest book about sparkly vampires—all with just a swipe.

Play-A-Book by Spinaker Multimedia: Play-a-Book is an app designed to read audio books to you, playback downloaded Podcasts, or play .mp3 files through your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. For the visually impaired or in bright/dim light, this app can be especially handy.

BONUS: My Next Book by JB Inc.: While not an actual reading app, My Next Book allows you to enter an author name or book title and get recommendations based on your preferences. The app also includes links to more information and purchase details for recommended titles.

Are you reading books on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet? Have you used any of these apps? Share your feedback – along with feedback on any other apps you’re using – in the comments below!

Even though I don’t consider myself a “fashionista,” it’s hard not to get swept up in the frenzy of fashion-forward designers descending on Montreal and New York City for Fashion Week. But will beautiful people in beautiful clothes give a denim-clad mobile-device aficionado like me aspirations to be the Next Top Model? Sadly, no. Regardless, here are five BlackBerry ® smartphone apps that might just bring us all one step closer to the runway:

Trendstop Fashion TrendTracker by Amoja Limited: Trendstop Fashion TrendTracker is a veritable fashion toolbox that provides insight into trends, shares the latest news, and suggests ideas on what to wear. Tons of pics from fashion shows around the globe may also inspire a new or updated look, and the app also allows social sharing on Facebook® and Twitter® so you can solicit ideas from your friends.

Vogue News by Condé Nast Publications Ltd.: It’s a little-known fact that when fashion models are babies, “Vogue” is actually one of the first words they learn to say. A list of fashion apps without including Vogue News would be like wearing socks and sandals. Vogue News shares the latest news, trends, and people straight from the pages of Vogue.

Glamour Celebrity News by Condé Nast Publications Ltd.: Rounding out the one-two punch of magazines gone digital, Glamour Celebrity News gives you a peek into the fashion lives of celebrities such as actors and directors. There are plenty of images and tips to help anyone look like a star.

Fashion TV by 770 Prod: Providing the ultimate insider’s guide, the Fashion TV BlackBerry app provides news on fashion shows, designer events, and Haute Couture parties from Paris to Montauk. If you’re the kind of person who wants to be the first on their block to embrace the latest fashion trend, you need to have this app in your collection.

Fashion News Service by 360Fashion: Last but certainly not least on the list of fashion apps is the simply-named Fashion News Service. This little gem from 360Fashion shares opinions and sneak peeks from tastemakers and trendsetters inside the fashion industry. As an added bonus, Fashion News Service can be connected to BlackBerry ® Messenger (BBM ™) on BlackBerry ® 7 OS devices.

In the world of fashion, trends come and go so it’s important to have the right apps to stay connected and “in the know.” What’s even cooler is that all of these apps are free, so there’s really nothing stopping you from becoming a fashionista – except if you really do wear sandals with socks.

Have any of these apps helped you sharpen your fashion sense? Are there any apps you’d add to this list? Let us know in the comments!

There’s something magical about the words “free apps.” Sure, we know that the BlackBerry® App World™ storefront is chock full of great apps well worth our hard-earned money, but we also love finding the apps that are awesome and useful without costing a thing. Let’s take a look at four and unique (and did I mention free!) apps for your BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet:

Box for BlackBerry PlayBook – By Box, Inc.
Box does a great job storing your documents “in the cloud” and letting you access them from anywhere. This is why it’s a fave pick of Inside BlackBerry for Business blogger Luke. Box also allows you to download files and store them locally for offline access as well. When you sign up for a free Box account, you also get 50GB of free storage for your documents (more space is available for a fee). For online collaboration or for accessing files from anywhere, Box is a solid performer.

Lemma for the BlackBerry PlayBook – By the Pumping Lemma Company
If you’re the kind of Twitter® user who likes to make lists of users to keep your feed organized, then you’ve surely got at least one of the several great paid Twitter list-management apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. For the low price of free, however, Lemma is a winner. Lemma for BlackBerry PlayBook tablets is also cool because it’s open source, meaning the raw code can be downloaded from GitHub and updated, optimized and enhanced by the BlackBerry® WebWorks™ developer community.

Flashlight Free – By The Jared Company
Discover if the noise under your bed is just the cat or your childhood monster returning by using this handy flashlight app. For those of us who use our BlackBerry PlayBook tablet as an alarm clock next to the bed, it’s like having an always-charging flashlight at the ready when you need it. The Jared Company’s wildly popular app lights the LED on BlackBerry® smartphones, but on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, it bathes the entire screen in white light. Your stubbed toes will thank you for downloading this one.

E! News Now for BlackBerry PlayBook – By E! Entertainment Television Inc.
For BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users who love to follow their favorite celebrities, there’s E! News Now for BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. Turn your favorite tablet into your favorite tabloid with this robust app which includes over a dozen daily video reports and a “breaking news” ticker at the bottom.

So whether you need storage, social reporting, a light in the darkness, or good old-fashioned celebrity gossip on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, our talented pool of developers is there for you – check out the robust selection of free – and paid– apps including a large selection of free Android apps available in BlackBerry App World. To our developers, thank you for your hard work, and don’t be shy about sharing your creations with #TeamBlackBerry!

With summer just peeking around the corner, what better way to prepare than to download some of our favorite BlackBerry® apps for summer? The BlackBerry App World™ storefront has got you covered for the long-awaited season. Grab your shorts, sunglasses and of course your BlackBerry® smartphone or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, and check out these apps:

Wikitude 7.0: This week, Wikitude issued a major update to their popular and super useful augmented reality app. I’ve been using the new version and the new Panorama UI brings the experience to a new level. It simplifies everything into three main views: Favorites, Featured and Categories. It’s definitely a fun way to discover new people, places and things around you using your BlackBerry smartphone. So when you’re out and about exploring this summer, be sure to use the Wikitude World Browser to see your surroundings in an entirely new way. Download Wikitude now.

BlackBerry® Travel: Planning to get away for a little rest and relaxation this summer? BlackBerry Travel is a must-try app. It stores all of your essential trip information in one handy spot, plus it automatically scans your inbox for travel itineraries so you don’t have to search for things like confirmation numbers, flights, and addresses. It also provides flight status updates, weather information, local search functions and easy booking tools. Take the stress out of travelling – use BlackBerry Travel to keep you organized and informed. Download BlackBerry® Travel here.

Cooklet: Summer wouldn’t be summer without fresh food! The smell of the BBQ, picnics in the park, seasonal flavors… Even if you’re a newbie in the kitchen, Cooklet has all you need to get cooking this summer. It includes community-reviewed recipes, timers, tips and meal suggestions. If you’re as excited as I am about summer cooking, check out Cooklet for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

June is right around the corner, so there’s no time to waste – download the BlackBerry apps above from BlackBerry App World today and get ready to have a great summer!

Is there a BlackBerry app for BlackBerry smartphones or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet that you’ll be using a lot this summer? Let us know in the comments.

It’s that time of year, #TeamBlackBerry students — you’re cramming to make the grade, and hopefully you’ve got all the right credits to ace your finals and graduate (with honors!). But what about life after school? Have you thought about what you’re going to do in the “real world”?

Sorry if I gave you a bit of a scare there (or sounded too much like your dad). While you ponder your future, check out my top 5 apps for grads to help you along:

1. Evernote: Life is busy and your brain is stuffed to the brim with knowledge. Evernote is simple to use and helps you keep track of all your notes, files, pics, and audio notes as they happen. Click on over to Evernote for BlackBerry® smartphone and Evernote for BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, so you can give your memory a rest. Also works great as a study aid for that final exam!

2. SideSwipe: The world is busy place, and as you embark on your next adventure, you’ll definitely want to keep tuned in to worldly events as they happen. SideSwipe is a nice news aggregator for BlackBerry smartphone.

3. Top Gear: Now that you’re all grown up, you might be looking for a new car. The ones featured here may be a bit out of budget, but that’s also another thing you need: motivation! A grad can dream, right? In the meantime, you can practice driving your dream car with Top Gear for BlackBerry smartphone and Top Gear for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

4. InstaPhoto: Unless you have a superhuman memory, those magical moments of graduation won’t last a lifetime if you don’t capture them. InstaPhoto is my favorite way to customize your images and share them with your friends, family, and the world via social media. I, for one, happen to think that my pictures look way better with trendy filters on. Snap this one up and snap away!

5. Poynt: After you graduate, you may find yourself in a brand new city for a new career or your next adventure. Poynt is designed to help you find what you need and keep you connected to where it’s at. You can even make in-app purchases on things like movie tickets, make reservations at local restaurants and take advantage of local deals. Wherever you go, you’ll want to make sure Poynt goes with you by using Poynt for BlackBerry smartphone or Poynt for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

You may not have locked down what you want to do with your life, but rest assured these apps will help you enjoy the journey a little more. Got a favorite app that you couldn’t have survived school without? Let us know in the comments.