We’ve got a guest post from Thusenth about an important new feature in our latest OS update. Read on for more – Ed.

It’s no secret that BlackBerry® smartphones are known for their security. It’s baked deep into our BlackBerry OS DNA, and many features of the BlackBerry smartphone experience can be customized and managed by BlackBerry® Enterprise Servers and their administrators.

You might not think it obvious, but one segment of customers that can benefit from BlackBerry security are teens – they may even be children – with phones provided by their parents or guardian. You can see the parallels here with the Enterprise market – IT is now mom, and the Enterprise user is now little Jimmy.

If you provide a BlackBerry smartphone to a teen or child, you may want to set limits on what features or services your child has access to. We see there’s an opportunity here for us to leverage our expertise in security and manageability to help parents.

Read more at the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog »

Mobile gamers, prepare yourselves for adventure. The popular Lara Croft: Tomb Raider series has made its way to BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet with the latest installment Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Best thing is, you can pick it up from BlackBerry App World™ – wait for it – today! Now you can take all the award-winning action wherever you and your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet go.

I had a chance to see it in action today, and I can’t wait to dig in further. This is one serious port – there are literally hours of incredible gaming to be had. Here’s just a few of the awesome features this game has to offer:

• Fast-paced action/adventure gameplay
• Breathtaking environments with console-quality HD graphics
• Focused puzzle solving
• Player upgrades and unlockable weapons

Are you excited to play through Lara Croft’s latest adventure? Head over to BlackBerry App World today, and let us know what you think of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light in the comments!

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

With the release of BBM™ Music you can now listen to your favorite songs, share music with your BBM friends and even receive recommendations on new music you might be interested in right on your BlackBerry® smartphone¹. The best part of all is you can try BBM Music for free².! The length of the free trial will vary by carrier – so, check with your carrier for details!

As of today, if you use a BlackBerry® 7 smartphone with data service provided by AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon, an icon for the BBM Music application will now appear on your smartphone. If you are interested in installing the app from the BlackBerry App World™ storefront in order to start listening to and sharing music with your BBM friends who also have the app , open the Media folder on your smartphone and select the BBM Music icon. If you cannot see the icon for BBM Music, your BlackBerry smartphone may be associated with a BlackBerry® Enterprise Server. If this is the case, please contact your BlackBerry administrator for assistance with installing the BBM Music app. If you do not have a BlackBerry administrator, follow the instructions below to scan the QR code for the BBM Music app.

Note: AT&T customers using BlackBerry® 6 and BlackBerry® Device Software 5.0 will also have this icon appear on BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 and 9700 smartphones as well as the BlackBerry® Curve™ 9300 smartphone. The icon will appear on your home screen or in the Downloads folder on your BlackBerry smartphone. Selecting this icon will open BlackBerry App World which will allow you to download and install the BBM Music app.
For those using a different wireless service provider or if the icon for BBM Music cannot be found on your BlackBerry smartphone, open BlackBerry App World and search for BBM Music, or scan the QR code below while browsing BlackBerry App World (Menu key > Scan A Barcode).

After installing BBM Music, check out the post, Getting Started with BBM Music over at the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog to learn more about BBM Music such as the minimum requirements your smartphone needs to meet in order to install the app, subscription fees as well how to share music with BBM friends and other features such as being able to listen to music when you don’t have a wireless network connection.

1. BlackBerry ID and data service required. Monthly subscription required for full track access. Songs must be available in BBM Music catalog in user’s home country. Users can have up to 50 songs in their profile and change up to 25 songs per month. Friends must be using BBM Music and have a monthly subscription for you to access their full tracks. Limit of 50 songs per friend. Accessing the service while roaming may incur additional data charges. When traveling outside of home country, only songs available in user’s home country BBM Music catalog are accessible. Songs may be cached to play off-network. Storage card and sufficient available memory required for caching. Songs will only play within the BBM Music app. When users change songs in their profile, deleted songs, included cached copies on their device, are no longer accessible. See http://www.blackberry.com/bbmmusic/legal for complete details and restrictions. Terms subject to change.
2. New BBM Music users only. May not be combined with other offers. Payment information required to receive full trial period. Following trial user placed into automatically renewing monthly paid subscription plan unless cancelled before end of trial period. Limited time introductory offer may vary by BlackBerry device or carrier. Additional charges may apply. Subject to change. See http://www.blackberry.com/bbmmusic/legal for complete details and restrictions.

Attention BlackBerry App World™ storefront shoppers! We’re excited to announce the global launch of BlackBerry App World™ v3.1. You’ll be receiving an upgrade notification over the next few days – or if you can’t wait, click here to download now. The latest version of BlackBerry App World introduces exciting new features to help you personalize your BlackBerry® smartphone.

Requesting a Gift

They say “it’s better to give than receive,” but in the case of BlackBerry App World v3.1, you can do both! The new ‘Request Gift’ feature lets you send a gift request to one of your BBM™ contacts so they can buy it for you if they choose!

With multiple payment methods, you can buy the gift in the way that’s most convenient for you. You can use PayPal®, your credit card, or charge the purchase directly to your wireless bill (where supported by your wireless carrier). You can also decline the request if you decide it’s not in your budget (or if they’re on the naughty list).

Content Rating and Filtering

With the launch of BlackBerry App World v3.1, we’re introducing an industry standard content rating system which is designed to give users the ability to restrict content of specific ratings. It’s a great feature for parents who want to keep certain types of content from their children, and it’s also great for any BlackBerry smartphone user who wants to block adult or mature content. The content rating system is based on CTIA Wireless Association’s “Guidelines for App Content Classification and Ratings”. For more info on how RIM and our developers rate the apps, check out this post on our Developer Blog.

Setting your personal preferences (or content controls for the phones on your family account) according to the content rating levels is simple All you need to do is upgrade to the latest BlackBerry App World storefront client which will become available on December 19th, 2011 and set the rating by accessing “My Account > Content Controls” as shown below:

There are four content classifications available for personalization – Adult, Mature, Teen or General. As you navigate throughout the BlackBerry App World storefront to view and discover content, the rating level will be indicated on the application detail page. For example, content that has been rated suitable for teens will be marked by a “T”; content that has been rated suitable for all ages will be marked by a “G” to indicate it’s for general audiences; and so on. The BlackBerry App World storefront is designed to provide you with the details about each setting to help determine which filters are right for you.

Download when on Wi-Fi only!

We’ve worked with our partners and are happy to announce that the BlackBerry App World storefront is now available for browsing, purchasing, and downloading apps via Wi-Fi – even if you’re out of cellular range or have your cellular radio turned off! Why does this matter? There are areas where you won’t get a cellular signal or you may be in places where you’re not allowed to turn on your cellular antenna , but you may be able to hop on a Wi-Fi network. And where there’s Wi-Fi, you can now stay connected to BlackBerry App World and grab new apps and updates any time.

Your feedback is important to us. Download BlackBerry App World v3.1 and let us know what you think!

(Check out the sweet ugly sweater my avatar’s rocking!)

The holidays are coming up fast, #TeamBlackBerry – what are you doing to get into the spirit of the season? We’ve got one suggestion: Dress up your BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) avatar with an ugly holiday sweater! Starting today, you’ll be able to use the Avatar Builder app – Girls or Boys edition and the Ugly Sweater Expansion Pack to get your BBM avatar in on the fun (note: it may take up to 24 hours for the application to appear in BlackBerry App World).

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Watch my video introduction to this cool new feature above and get step-by-step downloading instructions from our buddy Ty at Inside BlackBerry Help Blog. Once you’ve downloaded, share your ugly sweater with us and let us know what you think!

*The Avatar Builder (Girls and Boys Editions) apps and add-ons (“Apps”) are available as free downloads from BlackBerry App World™. Depending on how you connect to your network, data charges may apply to download these Apps. Consult your carrier/network provider for details.

For all you concert and live event fans, you’ll be happy to know that Ticketmaster® for BlackBerry® smartphones version 2.0 is now available for download from BlackBerry Beta Zone. We’ve made significant improvements to this update, including redesigning the application from ground up to provide great event search functionality and a user-friendly purchase experience optimized for your BlackBerry smartphone.

With the help of the GPS technology in your device, the Ticketmaster experience is designed to help you find events wherever you are or wherever you will be. Additionally, there are other areas of integration – like with your Calendar – to make this a Super App. So without further adieu, let’s walk through the key features of the newly designed application.

Logging In

When you run the app for the first time, you’ll be presented with a login screen before accessing “My Ticketmaster”. You can log in using your existing Ticketmaster account, or you can create a new account. You always have the option of skipping this step and logging in later for a more personalized experience.

My Ticketmaster

From the home screen, after logging in, you can access My Ticketmaster – where you can check out your favorite artists/teams/venues list, your profile and your order history. You can also add additional artists/teams/venues that may not have upcoming events planned, but that you may want to keep an eye on in case an event gets added.

Search – Finding an Event

For those of you who are keeping an eye out for concert dates of your favorite artists, search is the best place to start. It is very easy to find an event.

Type the name of the band or artist in the search field and click search. You’ll get a list of all events that match your search terms. You have the option to further refine the list of events based on when the events are happening. For instance, you can narrow your search results to events coming this weekend, happening in the next 90 days, or within your own custom date range.

Remember that searches are location specific, so if you’re looking for events in another city, you’ll need to change your location in the upper-right hand corner first.

Local Events

Got an open schedule and not sure what events are happening around you? If you want to find events that are happening near you and you’re open to any type of event, go to Local Events, and you’ll get a list of events that are happening in your area. You have the extra option to filter by date, so you can see what’s happening this weekend, or within the next 31 days. You can also narrow events by the event category type, so if you’re in the mood for the latest Broadway musical or nearest monster truck rally, finding your event is a breeze.

Purchasing Tickets

Once you’ve found an event that interests you, choosing that event will allow you to see reviews of the artists, add the artist to your favorites, see important notes about the event and review the price/seat map. You can also click on the venue to get more details about that particular site.

Once you’ve decided you’re going to buy tickets, purchasing tickets is a simple 4 step process:

Step 1: Choose the number of tickets (and, if you wish, the ticket price and seat section). Click on “Find Tickets” and the tickets that meet your search criteria will bereserved for your review. Much like the Ticketmaster website, there is a time limit for completing the transaction once the tickets have been reserved. Don’t dawdle or you may lose the tickets that were reserved! You can review the seating chart again to make sure they’re tickets that you want.

Step 2: Continuing on the next screen, you’ll need to log in or create a login if you haven’t already done so. Once logged in, you’ll have an option to choose how you want the tickets to be delivered, whether through standard post mail, expedited service or will call.

Step 3: Confirm your order details.

Step 4: If you’ve made it here, it means you’re ready to pay. You can add a credit card in this step if you don’t already have a card associated with your Ticketmaster account.

Now that you’ve completed your purchase, you can easily add the event to your Calendar, set yourself a reminder and be on your way!

Ticketmaster for BlackBerry smartphones is available on BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry® Device Software 4.5 and above in North America. Download it today from BlackBerry Beta Zone and let us know what you think – and don’t forget to check back to see when it’ll be available in BlackBerry App World!

You may have read ourprevious post about the BlackBerry® Mobile Conferencing app becoming available in BlackBerry Beta Zone. Well, we’re pleased to announce that BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing is now featured in the BlackBerry App World™ storefront and is available for download! The app will become available throughout the day today, with timing depending on your region.

BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing makes your mobile conferencing experience easier. The app is designed to automatically pull conference call information out of invitations and appointments. When your meeting starts, you can simply click a “Join Now” button to get connected.

Read more at the Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog »

Please welcome the BlackBerry® Protect team for a guest blog post to tell us all about the opening of the BlackBerry Protect beta, and some of the features included in the app! Take it away, team… – Ed.

Last year we introduced the world to BlackBerry Protect via limited beta. Throughout the beta, we received great feedback from the thousands of BlackBerry® Beta Zone users who tested out this personal data security solution, ultimately shaping it into what it is today.

Based on the tremendously positive feedback we’ve received on the improvements made to the product, I’m extremely happy to announce that we are opening the BlackBerry Protect beta. This beta is currently available in North America and some of Latin America only, although there will be further country rollout to come in the next couple of months! If you live in North America or Latin America and you weren’t able to be part of the original limited beta, you can now install BlackBerry Protect for free from the BlackBerry App World™ Test Center. You can also find it at the BlackBerry Protect web page, which is where you’ll need to go if you ever need help finding a misplaced BlackBerry® smartphone once the BlackBerry Protect device software has been installed (note: it may take up to 24 hours for BlackBerry Protect to appear in BlackBerry App World for some users. It will be available immediately on the BlackBerry Protect web page).

As a quick reminder, here’s a summary of what BlackBerry Protect offers:

BlackBerry Protect helps you find your smartphone and protect your important information by:

• Assisting in locating your BlackBerry smartphone on a map via GPS and cell-tower triangulation
• Locking and setting a device password
• Activating a special loud ring to help find your smartphone, even if it’s in silent mode
• Displaying a custom message on the home screen so that anyone who finds it knows how to return it
• Forcing an instant wireless backup of data even when you don’t have the smartphone with you
• And as a last resort, securely wiping all information from your BlackBerry smartphone, including the data from your SD card.

Additionally, the new wireless backup and restore features include:

• Automatically, periodically and wirelessly backing up your contacts, calendar appointments, memos, tasks, browser bookmarks, and text messages
• Optionally restricting backup to when within Wi-Fi® coverage or disable backup when roaming
• Wirelessly restoring backed up data to a new BlackBerry smartphone

And finally, some of the key feature improvements we’ve incorporated based on your beta feedback:

• Easier discovery and highlighting of BlackBerry Protect-related system messages
• Better clarity in status messages
• Unique and improved Loud Ring ringtone
• Clearer, simpler and more descriptive UI icons and graphics

BlackBerry Protect is a really great example of how BlackBerry Beta Zone members help to make BlackBerry smartphone applications and experiences better. If you’re not already a BlackBerry Beta Zone member, be sure to join so that you too can start testing out new products before they’re released.

Install BlackBerry Protect for free today, and be assured your smartphone data is protected even when you are busy and on the go! Let us know right here in the comments or in BlackBerry App World what you think of the open beta (speaking of BlackBerry App World, BlackBerry Protect leverages BlackBerry ID, so if you’re already using BlackBerry App World 2.0, you’re already set up with an ID!).

Thanks for your support!

If you follow the Inside BlackBerry® Help blog, you may have seen my previous posts that show you how to install applications using BlackBerry App World™ on your BlackBerry® smartphone, installing applications using BlackBerry App World QR codes and what occurs to your BlackBerry App World applications when you switch BlackBerry smartphones. Today I’ll be continuing my series of posts on BlackBerry App World by talking about one of my favorite features, the BlackBerry App World desktop storefront.

Why do I love the BlackBerry App World desktop storefront? Simply put, it allows me to do everything I can do using the BlackBerry App World application on my BlackBerry smartphone, but on my desktop computer. I can also send my friends links to the BlackBerry App World desktop storefront to show them an application, even if they don’t own a BlackBerry smartphone!

Want to learn more about what the BlackBerry App World desktop storefront can do for you?

Read more at the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog »

Hey BlackBerry® developers – Alex here, guest blogging from Inside BlackBerry. I’ve got some exciting news on new ways to monetize your applications through BlackBerry® App World™. Today, BlackBerry App World offers you access to consumers in over 100 countries and territories supporting 26 different currencies. To increase the options you have for monetizing your applications, we’re proud to announce the release of the Payment Service SDK Beta, which allows for live in-application purchases via the new BlackBerry® Payment Service.

The BlackBerry Payment Service SDK allows you to easily offer content for sale in your app, while still providing the consumer with the same trusted and consistent purchase experience they have today in BlackBerry App World.

Read more at the BlackBerry Developer’s Blog »