I'm just off a nine-day business trip. Four hotels, five flight legs, lots of packing and unpacking. And ouf course I took my BlackBerry 7520 with me.

But, 'shamed to say, I treated my BlackBerry and associated gear quite mean. As a result, I am going to have to go to the Nextel store tomorrow.

My purpose in telling this story is to counsel you against similar transgressions.

First, after I charged my BlackBerry in my Oakland, Calif. hotel room, I yanked the charger out of the socket a bit too quickly. This bent the plug to the point it wouldn't fit in the socket any more.

Using my hands, I was unable to fashion the plug back into its configuration. It was then that I found a knife on the previous night's room service tray. That did the trick.

But that was only a prelude to a bigger hassle. One I am dealing with now. G-r-r.

But then, when I got home, I noticed my BlackBerry would no longer take a charge.

I thought the problem might be the charger itself. So I used my spare charger, and even bought a third.

No go. Removed the battery reinserted, but still no life. OK, barely. One bar. And you do know how quickly one bar goes to noo bar, right? And when it is no bars, it is FUBAR.

This morning I had an ah-hah moment.

While the battery could be getting old and is no longer capable of sustaining a charge, my suspicions are that something else is up.

I think I either pulled the charger out of the USB port's pin area too hard, or inserted it too forcefully.

As a result, there could be a pin misalignment that is preventing the charger from connecting to my BlackBerry.

I'm just not all that dainty with devices and connections. Not a core competency.

Tomorrow, I'll pay the piper.

at least, the Nextel store.

Naggie is a brilliant application that uses the GPS in BlackBerry models that have them to let you set location based reminders. I love the idea - just think about your last trip to Lowe's when you bought everything BUT the item you went there for in the first place. That happens to me a lot.

Naggie lets you set a reminder that will fire when you get close to a certain location (like Lowe's for me). It won't let you forget to get light bulbs at Lowe's next time.

Naggie's nearing a 2.0 release and the developer dropped me a line asking for beta testers. If you're interested in beta testing the new release, leave a comment below and Andrew will be in touch. I did a review of the previous version here and I'm looking forward to putting this new release through the paces.

Want to know the specific paces I am planning to put Naggie through?

Here's a list:

1. In Desktop Manager, double-click Intellisync.
2. In the Intellisync window, click Configure PIM.
3. Click the Address Book to highlight it.
4. Click the Configure button and select Advanced Settings. The Advanced Settings for Address Book window opens.
5. Click Field Mapping at the bottom of the window. If an Intellisync message appears, click OK. The Field Mapping for Address Book window opens. The left-hand column displays the available fields in your handheld address book. The right-hand column displays the available fields in the address book on your computer. The mapped fields display a double arrow in the middle column.
6. If the field you want to display is adjacent to the corresponding handheld field, click in the middle column to map the fields. A double arrow appears in the middle column.
7. If the field you want to display is not adjacent to a corresponding handheld field, drag the field in the right-hand column and drop it next to an available field in the left-hand column. For example, if you want to see your contacts' department information on your handheld, move the Department field next to the User Defined 1 field.
8. Click OK to close the Field Mapping for Address Book window. Click OK to close the Advanced Settings for Address Book window. If an Intellisync message appears, click OK. Click OK to close the Handheld Configuration window.
9. In the Intellisync window, click Synchronize Now. After you synchronize, the mapped fields should appear on the handheld.
10. Now synchronize again.

Yesterday I was flying cross-country to Boston for the VON Show. (I cover Internet Telephony, too).

Had logged my 26 (I am not exaggerating) appointments on my (you only get one guess).

On the plane (with my Nextel BlackBerry 7520's radio off, of course)- I realized, much to my horror, that the scroll wheel would only let me navigate the theme screen vertically and not horizontally. So getting to my BlackBerry Calendar was a four-step process.

So I did something radical. I removed the battery. Then I re-inserted it.

I gotta tell ya, when that hourglass keeps running for several minutes, I freak. Freak as in "what if the theme screen doesn't appear this time?"

I put the BB away for a few minutes- crossed my fingers- and then...

SUCCESS, WOO-HOO!!

Takeaway: don't panic!!!

AIRCHARGE (not shouting, for that's the way they want to spell their name) credit card devices are now able to be used by mobile merchants to accept credit card payments over BlackBerry devices.

Typical scenarios could be for furniture delivery, limo rides (fu-fu, woo-hoo) trade show tickets sold on-site, and even flea market booths.

The central functionality of te Pipeline Data product is the AIRCHARGE JavaME software for wireless payment processin. It is certified to run on the Sprint network that services the BlackBerry 7130e and BlackBerry 7520.

The AIRCHARGE payment processing software can be loaded onto the via BlackBerry over-the-air (OTA) and is compatible with virtually any merchant processing account.

The BlackBerry Technical Knowledge Center has just posted an updated BlackBerry 7520 Getting Started Guide. The occasion: OS 4.1.

You may know that when these GSG's are updated, we generally like to screen cap the device's diagram, as well as give you the Table of Contents. TOC so you will know if it is worth the time to click the download link and read thru the doc, you know.

You've already seen the device.

And now for the TOC:

Who luvs ya? On second thought...

The BlackBerry Technical Knowledge Center has just posted an updated User Guide for the BlackBerry 7520.

The occasion: I guess the need is felt for a manual consistent with BlackBerry OS 4.1.

What's in this 158-page PDF? I've already given you a head start by screencapping the first of three Table of Contents pages.

To see the following two TOC pages, let's all do the click-y:

Now, for the grand finale:

Canadian landline and wireless provider TELUS has now added Ottawa to its list of metropolitan areas equipped for its branded TELUS mobility Wireless High Speed service.

Among other BlackBerry products, TELUS carries the BlackBerry 7250 and the BlackBerry 7130e, both of which can be made compatible with Wireless High Speed.

The BlackBerry 7250 lists for $549.99 with no service contract to as low as $99.99 for some three-year TELUS service contracts. The BlackBerry 7130e ranges from $249.99 for some three year contracts up to $549.99 for the unit alone.

Ever heard of a company called SIRF Technology Holdings, Inc.?

No, I didn't think you did.

They specialize in Global Positioning System chips, such as those used in the BlackBerry7520 and BlackBerry7100i.

Seems like SIRF had a real bad day on Wall Street yesterday- dipping as much as 13% on the face of investor disillusionment at slow earnings forecasts offered by the San Jose, Calif. based company yesterday.

Now what should BlackBerry users make of this, especially since SIRF also makes GPS chips for Garmin, Motorola as well as General Motors' OnStar service?

Perhaps a general assumption that orders might be down because most everyone who wants a GPS-enabled  device- BlackBerry or no- already has one?

Hmm, maybe we are too early in the upgrade cycle for those GPS users to feel compelled about replacing their unit?

Last night I was sitting in a movie theater with my date. The movie had not started.

I thought I had turned off my Blackberry, but apparently I had not. It was in my jeans pocket.

So I shuffle around to ease myself into a more comfortable position. A minute or so later, her phone flashes that she has a voice mail. The message did not indicate an originating phone number.

When she played it back, there was more than a minute of strange scratching and rubbing noises. My date had wondered if a family member had tried to call, but for whatever reason - routine or not - the gist of the message had not gotten thru.

Then after the movie, I went into my BlackBerry message folder. Turns out that in shuffling the Blackberry around in my pocket, I had accidentally redialed the voice mail call I had placed to her 15 minutes before we entered the theater.

She lectured me about loose BlackBerrys in tight pockets, and what had happened as a consequence of my carelessness.

Lesson learned. I'm gonna order a holster for my Blackberry 7520 now... 

On the Research In Motion section of the Howard Forums mobile phone community and resource site, HoFo Member candygogo complains that after multiple attempts charging her BlackBerry 7520 battery, it didn't seem to hold the charge. What's worse, replacing the battery on her 7520 still yields a "low battery" message.

After just a nanosecond-long (OK, four nanosecond-long) brain association between the name of this user and bars out on the four-lane where other "candygogo"'s have been legally employed, I read her post a bi more closely.

"The (7520's) radio won't turn on and under 'Sim Card' it lists that it's invalid," she writes. "Does the 7520 come with some back-up coin battery or something?," she asks in frustration.

Fellow HoFo'ers jase88 and GregGebhardt- frequent and authoritative posters both- each offer their own take.

"Are you charging the device on a computer where the USB drivers for the device have not been installed?," jase88 adds. "If so, this could be the problem. On some computers, this will actually cause the battery to drain- all while showing the charging 'lightning bolt.' "

GregGebhardt is next up.

"You may not even need a new battery. You need to install the BB software on what ever computer you are using to charge it," he writes. "If not, it can and will show the "bolt" and yet NOT be charging.

Greg explains that part of the duty of the software is to configure your USB ports to power up for charging your device.

"Regardless," Greg counsels, "get the AC charger out and use it!

About the coolest thing in this or any other universe, a new free mobile software application named Naggie combines with GPS technology to send your BlackBerry 7520  "to do" reminders that are associated with your current location.

Say you are at the grocery store, or at least one you have "taught" Naggie the address of. Based on your preferences, Naggie can remind you to pick up that carton of milk.

When you leave your office, Naggie can remind you to pick up a pizza.

When you approach your girlfriend's house, Naggie can refresh your memory about that bottle of wine you were going to pick up.

Naggie can alert your BlackBerry 7520 with a pop-up screen, vibration, or jingle. Or if you prefer the written form of well, "nag," it can send your 7520 an email or a PIN message.

Or - sing along to the great old Police song- "sending out an SOS.."

Hmm, I just wrote the word "police." I wonder how many crime-related splogbots just picked that one up.

TeleNav Inc. is now offering their branded TeleNavTrack GPS solution on the BlackBerry 7520 and BlackBerry 7100i.

The company brands TeleNavTrack as the first BlackBerry platform service that offers real-time, combined turn-by-turn GPS navigation and tracking capabilities.

A fully hosted  Web-based service, TeleNavTrack's pricing per phone/device starts with the TeleNavTrack Basic plan at $9.99 per month, plus a one-time $19.99 activation fee. The basic service includes GPS tracking, timesheets and location reporting.

For a little something extra, The TeleNavTrack Plus plan offers two-way messaging, and comes in at $12.99 per month.

The $15.99 TeleNavTrack Enhanced plan adds barcode scanning, wireless forms and job dispatching and scheduling capabilities.

The top-line TeleNavTrack Premium costs $21.99 per month, which includes turn-by-turn audible and visual navigation.

A colleague at this conference I have been attending in Seattle approached me the other day with a question about why his Nextel BlackBerry 7520 wasn't ringing whenever he received an incoming call.

Well, I know some things and then some about BlackBerry, and as so happens, the 7520 is my model. So he handed me his BlackBerry and I set out to see what the problem was.

Turns out he had messed up his Holster setting.

Here's how I fixed the problem:

In the Theme Screen, I clicked the Profiles icon. That's the one with the Microphone and the Bars (as opposed to bars with microphones, tee-hee);

Clicking the Profiles icon generated the Profiles selection screen with a Profiles Menu. In the Profiles menu I selected Loud (on), which was the setting he had previously applied to make his 7520 ring loudly (too much metal when he was younger, ya know).  In this setting the phone vibrates 2 times, rings 4 times, vibrates 2 more times, Rings 1 more time.

After Selecting Loud a smaller blue-colored menu appeared on the right. In the blue-colored menu, I clicked Edit.

After clicking Edit a new menu appeared. In that menu I chose Phone.

After choosing Phone in the menu a new menu appeared on the right. In that menu I clicked Edit.

After clicking edit, a Phone In Loud menu appeared. In the Phone In Menu I scrolled to Out of Holster and clicked on None.

Clicking on None generated a small screen with a Change Option menu. In the Change Option menu I scrolled down and clicked on Tone.

This activated my friend's BlackBerry ringer. Now he can receive calls just like anyone else.

Heard of Research In Motion, right? Sure ya have.

Heard of Bones In Motion?

Doesn't mean getting out of bed (although it could, I suppose). In this case, I am talking about a company whose newest product is the just-released BiM Active, which is a new $9.99 a month application that lets on-the-move exercisers capture and monitor their activitity on GPS-enabled SprintNextel handhelds.

Like the BlackBerry 7520, for instance.

When you complete an activity - such as a four mile run- you can track your run as you go. The top screen on this post shows that.

Then, you get the chance for information about your run to be uploaded on to the bimactive.com personal Web portal.

After your run, you can see how you did. If you are fit, your results page might look like this: