Peek and/or Access BlackBerry Hub – All of your email, text messages, social networking notifications, missed calls, and voice mail messages can be found in the BlackBerry Hub. To peek at notifications, from the bottom of the screen, slide your finger up just a little bit and the view shrinks to show your notifications. To get to the BlackBerry Hub continue sliding your finger to the right. To return to what you were doing originally, slide your finger back to the left.

Read more at the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog »

To show my dedication to you, #TeamBlackBerry, I set out to make a new video for the Inside BlackBerry Blog that shows off BlackBerry Flow with a series of common tasks being performed one-handed. I faced a small problem, though – with all the BlackBerry 10 experts on the road talking to partners and press, it’s been hard to find time in their busy schedules. So I tracked down my friend and BlackBerry 10 expert Jeff and, ahem, stole a bit of his time to show me a bit more about Flow.

Here’s how it went down:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Disclaimer – No Jeffs were harmed in the making of this video. We spent a few hours filming as a bit of fun for our amazing fans eagerly awaiting launch.

Let us know what you think about BlackBerry 10 in the comments below – and stay tuned to the Inside BlackBerry Blog for updates.

by Brent Payne via Flickr creative commons
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentdpayne/6427812917/)

With the holidays quickly approaching, I’m spending as much time thinking about ways to avoid long checkout queues as I am about the gifts I need to buy. If I can order something online or from the convenience of my BlackBerry ® device, why would I ever wait in line?

There’s a strategy known as the “Chat and Cut,” where you pretend to know someone in line so that you can sneak in with them. Invariably, chat-and-cutters are a major reason why I love shopping from my BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry ® PlayBook ™ tablet. They can’t cut their way into a mobile checkout queue!

Here are some strategies for avoiding the lines by doing your holiday shopping and planning directly from your BlackBerry device:

1. Download a great shopping app.

If you’re brave enough to set foot in stores during the holidays, a barcode reader is really the way to go. ScanLife Barcode Reader – Auto by ScanBuy is a personal favorite because in addition to acting as a standard QR-code reader, it allows for comparison shopping. Scan the barcode of a product you like, see which retailers have it in stock, compare prices and find available coupons – all within the app. Impatience-meets-savvy shopping. Awesome.

I also enjoy the eBay by Research In Motion® Ltd. app. It has virtually all the functionality of the mobile site, allowing users to search items, buy, bid, pay or publish listings from a BlackBerry smartphone. Now that I can bid on merchandise in real time, my chances of winning have skyrocketed. And with BlackBerry ® Messenger ™ (BBM ™) integration, I can share my winning with my network.

2. Take full advantage of the handy native apps on your device.

I recommend using the MemoPad when brainstorming gifts, the tasks function to list out items you want to buy, and the calendar to set aside time to get everything done. It feels great to check off “completed” beside a task, and I’ll bet you feel the same!

3. Use BBM to your full advantage.

In our fast-paced world, there is no time to play games (well, actually, I love playing games on my phone, but that’s another story). Include your friends or family members in a BBM group, and when you conquer the mall together, save time by sharing instant messages about sales or short line-ups. Since I like to make my holiday wish list apparent, I change my BBM photo routinely to pictures of things I’d like to buy. Call it what you want, but it works.

Lastly, if you’re looking to buy someone on your list a BlackBerry device, remember that this can all be done from the BlackBerry website. Find more ‘shopping tools’ apps in the BlackBerry App World ™ storefront, and let us know your favorites in the comments below.

We know there’s growing belief and excitement in BlackBerry ® 10. More than anything, we know it because you’ve told us. But in the spirit of us banding together and sharing our excitement, I’d like to ask what features of BlackBerry 10 excite you most. Have you heard enough about the new BlackBerry devices to find one defining reason to believe, or are you still waiting for the surprises we still have in store? The countdown is on: 10 weeks until the BlackBerry 10 launch event. This calls for a vote!

We know our fans love to be heard, so give yourself the chance to be heard again in our latest “Be Bold and Vote” poll:

As an added bonus for voting, we’ve created some custom BlackBerry 10 countdown BBM™ Avatars for you to mark off the days. Let us know which one you’re rocking in the comments below.

10 to 10	10 Weeks – Spin	10 Weeks – Radial	Flip Clock

To change your BBM Display Picture:

1. Right-click on the avatar of your choice and select “Save picture as” to save it to your computer.
2. Email the file to the email address associated with your BlackBerry smartphone.
3. Open the image on your BlackBerry smartphone.
4. Press the menu button to “Download Attachment”.
5. In BBM, set the new file as your profile picture.

Send in your vote and chime in with your own thoughts in the comments section. It’s time to get excited!

I’m a sports fanatic, and over the past few years I’ve noticed there’s a new game in sports. Sports teams, organizations, athletes, and even fantasy leagues are all online, using social media, chat forums, websites and more to captivate fans before, during and after games. If thumb typing were a sport, I’m pretty sure I could be the champion.

With football season in full swing both in North America and abroad, I’m amazed to see how fans interact with their favorite teams and players on social media. Want to check the score of the latest match? There are many sports apps that can help you out, but some might find it more useful to check Twitter® or Facebook®, for color commentary from passionate likeminded fans. You can also become a real armchair coach by tweeting with individual players to comment on that beauty touchdown, or to chirp that dreadful botched pass. Football is far from the only sport to go social – we’re seeing it everywhere:

• Throughout last baseball season, BlackBerry ® sponsored the Blue Jays BlackBerry Tweeting Tuesday program, where fans submit photos and explain why they should be called “Fan of the Game.” Not only does the winner receive digital glory, but they are highlighted on Canadian national TV after the game.
• Many consider World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE®), to be the Holy Grail for fan engagement. With more than 115 million followers across its social media channels – 10 million fans on Facebook alone – it has as firm a hold on its digital fanbase as its players do on their opponents.
• FOX Sports™ hired eight full-time employees dedicated to social media during NFL games this season. Whether good or bad, if an athlete tweets it, Fox knows about it. It certainly proved effective during the widely discussed substitute referee incidents early in the season.
• Trade Deadline Day in the National Hockey League has been changed forever because of social media updates about trades. (Remember the NHL?)
• We even got to see which Major League Baseball team won the World Series according to Twitter.

Using social media applications on your BlackBerry device allows you to not only follow, but also to engage with your favorite teams and athletes. Which teams and players are you following? Do you have any tricks on engaging with them on your BlackBerry device? Let us know in the comment section below.