6) iLane
iLane isn't new, but it was still one of the coolest products on display at WES 2009. The company's tagline is "Hear your e-mail. Clear your inbox. Watch the road." And that pretty much sums up iLane nicely; it's a small gadget, a bit larger than a deck of cards, that lets you manage your BlackBerry e-mail via spoken instructions. It also reads e-mail back to you, and lets you access your calendar without ever taking your hands off the wheel of your car.
The product can also be used to send various messages, including e-mail and SMS, and place phone calls using voice commands. And it even delivers weather forecasts from The Weather Network, as well as news and sports information from The Associated Press. Not bad, right?
Unfortunately, iLane's a bit pricey at $599 along with a $7.99 monthly fee.
More information can be located on iLane.com.
7) LogMeIn
LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile is strictly for enterprise BlackBerry administrators, but there were plenty of end users ooo-ing and ahhh-ing at the company's WES 2009 booth. That's because it's fun to watch the product in action as it remotely takes control of BlackBerry devices.
The idea is to allow BlackBerry admins remote access to their users' devices to help resolve technical issues and train them on new features or functionalities. And there's no need to preinstall software on user devices.
Tools to allow IT help desk remote access to their staffers' PCs have been around for years, but LogMeIn is one of the first full-featured products of its kind for BlackBerry. The company also has a cool new product that lets BlackBerry Storm owners remotely access their desktop computers.
LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile is available for Windows Mobile and Symbian devices in addition to BlackBerrys, and more information, as well as a two-week free trial, can be found on the company's website.
8) OtterBox
OtterBox is well-know throughout the BlackBerry community for its bulky, boxy smartphone cases, designed to withstand some seriously harsh treatment. If you want or need the best protection available for a BlackBerry smartphone, you definitely want to consider OtterBox.
Its cases aren't exactly pretty--I prefer sleeker, stylish cases, and don't require much protection since I baby my devices--but boy do they get the job done. And the OtterBox folks just love proving that fact by throwing, smashing and generally battering OtterBox-equipped devices to no end, without causing the BlackBerrys any noticeable damage.
The company wasn't really showing off anything at WES that I hadn't seen already, but its booth was easily one of the most jam-packed locales on the show floor--the company's tendency to give away freebies certainly didn't hurt.
Check out OtterBox online and read "BlackBerry Bold Skin Review: OEM Skin vs. OtterBox Impact for Bold" for more on the company's Impact skins for BlackBerry.
9) Viigo
Viigo is mainly an RSS reader, but the development team adds new features so frequently that it's really more of a "lifestyle app" than anything else at this point. You can check real-time weather reports, find sports scores, get stock and finance information, access your Twitter and FriendFeed accounts, make restaurant reservations and much more, all from Viigo--and all for free.
The Viigo team also added a number of cool new features to the enterprise-version of its application at WES, and it released a new alpha build with an Audio & Podcasts section that lets you stream all your favorite podcasts directly to your device.
Visit Viigo.com for more.
10) Xobni
Like Gwabbit, Xobni--"inbox" spelled backwards--is a Microsoft Outlook plug-in designed to enhance your BlackBerry e-mail and contact-management experience. Xobni has been on the market for a while, but the company just announced that it will release a BlackBerry-specific version some time this summer.
That's exciting news, as Xobni really does add another dimension to Outlook mail, through rapid e-mail and contacts search--the company claims it can search mail 50 times faster than Outlook--message attachment finder features, threaded conversations, and much more. And it integrates with Facebook and LinkedIn, so you can see your contacts' profile information, where available.
Oh yeah, Xobni is free, too, so the price is certainly right. You can sign up to be notified as soon as the BlackBerry version becomes available.
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