If your smart phone freezes on you, resist the urge to pull a Naomi Campbell. Read these tips instead; you’ll save yourself unnecessary frustration – and even the cost of a new phone.

Frozen Treat: Three tips on resetting your smart phone.

How to Thaw a Frozen BlackBerry (all versions)

The first step to take if your BlackBerry is misbehaving is to reset it. Doing this will clear the internal memory and solve many issues. There are three ways to reset a BlackBerry: soft, double-soft, and hard.

Soft Reset
Press ALT+RIGHT SHIFT(CAP)+DELETE to perform a soft reset.

Use this reset method when you want to stop all applications on a BlackBerry while leaving the device powered on.

Double-Soft Reset
Start by performing a soft reset (ALT+RIGHT SHIFT(CAP)+DELETE). The screen will turn off. When it turns back on, press ALT+RIGHT SHIFT(CAP)+DELETE again. You should then see another blank screen, followed by an hourglass.

Performing a double-soft reset stops all applications on the BlackBerry and is nearly the equivalent of a hard reset. Timing is the key to performing this manuever. This is something to try if you are having difficulty removing the battery to perform a hard reset.

Hard Reset
Starting with the device powered ON, remove the battery for 30-60 seconds. After you put the battery back in, the device will reboot. This usually takes between one and three minutes.

NOTE: The BlackBerry Pearl, Curve and Storm only have the ability to perform a hard reset. However, there are third-party applications that you can download that provide the ability to perform a soft reset. (by Joel Reeves)

How to Thaw a Frozen Windows Mobile Device (Pocket PC Edition 5, 6) Read more…

admin BlackBerry, Mobile Devices, Windows Mobile, Worker Productivity BlackBerry, freeze, hard reset, soft reset, Windows Mobile

Although iPhones are catching up, the BlackBerry still rules mobile business communication. Case in point: We ran this tipsheet earlier in the year, and it continues to bubble up to the top of most-read lists. Here it is again.

Indeed, we get hundreds of BlackBerry calls a week, and most aren’t from the guy who cannot find the on/off button. Rather, it’s the managers on their way to meetings or hopping on flights who want to know the handy tricks and tips that will save them time and make their smart phones smarter.

Here are a few of the notables:

Tip No. 1: How to Filter Incoming Mail
Say, for example, you receive a daily report that you will not read or deal with on your phone and would prefer to just handle it back at the office. Can you create a filter for that?
Of course you can. Here’s how: Read more…

admin BlackBerry, How To BlackBerry, calendar, shortcuts, smart phones

I’ve asked the question on this blog before, but I have to ask it again: Are you still waffling about supporting mobile devices, and, in particular, the iPhone?

You had better get it together. The heavies are starting to weigh in.

Resistance is futile, says one CIO. The iPhone is the most popular handheld device available.

Last month, Forrester Research released findings from a study that said IT departments are moving closer to supporting all mobile device platforms. Although BlackBerry (upwards of 60 percent) and Windows Mobile (40 percent) still take the lead, according to the study, one out of four companies now supports iPhones.

The only thing holding the iPhone back from catching up is its so-so security, which remains a big concern for CIOs. (There’s also that pesky issue of AT&T’s spotty coverage. But that’s for another time.)

Security doesn’t seem to be the main issue if you look at the results of a recent TechRepublic poll, which asked 300 CIOs if they support the iPhone, and their reasons for doing so or not doing so. TR editor in chief Jason Hiner posted the results on his blog and the findings have at least one common thread: The iPhone is still viewed as a personal “gadget,” and thus has no place in the enterprise. Read more…

admin BlackBerry, Mobile Devices, iPhone Forrester, Jason Hiner, smart phones, TechRepublic, Zenprise

It’s officially summer and the Fourth of July is nigh. It’s time to turn on your away message and get lost. But before you do, make sure you are covered. Here are some tips to keep your e-mail house in order while you enjoy the season: Read more…

admin BlackBerry, How To, Outlook, Time-Saving Tips BlackBerry, Fourth of July, Office 2007, Out of Office Assistant, Outlook

With all the press this week about Apple’s newest toys, I thought I’d focus this entry of IT Buzzwords on phrases related to mobile devices.

We know you’ve been nodding your head in agreement when your colleagues (or underlings) discuss the pros and cons of the 3GS, even though you have no clue why the world is so miffed about tethering and MMS. Here’s a chance to school yourself, so you know what your employees will be griping about in the near future. Read more…

admin BlackBerry, Mobile Devices, Tech Babble, iPhone 3GS, Apple, AT&T, BlackBerry, dumb phones, iPhone, Palm Pre, smart phones, tethering

It’s hard to admit, but when I found the shortcut key to set a previous mobile phone to vibrate, it was one of those “aha” moments. It was a full year after I bought it, and a full 365 days of imposing my ringtone — Peggy Lee’s “Bali Ha’i” — on those around me.

I’m not old-school, and I am not dim-witted. I just never bothered to figure it out, and assumed that the phone had no vibrate setting. (So maybe I was lazy, but I have since purchased a new phone and have read the manual. Twice.)

My onetime ineptitude isn’t unique. According to a recent report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 48 percent of technology users need help from others with new devices, and many tech users encounter problems with their internet connections, home computers or cell phones.

What does this mean for CIOs and other IT leaders? Read more…

admin BlackBerry, Mobile Devices, ROI, iPhone BlackBerry, CIO, iPhone, Pew Project, ROI

In the current financial climate, your company probably has fewer employees, but the same amount of work (or more) to accomplish. Factor in the early March Labor Department announcement that worker productivity is down and you have a potential mess on your hands.

Everywhere you turn, people are talking about worker productivity. Do more with less, maximize returns, utilize resources, leverage assets. Great buzzwords, sure, but how can you actually accomplish this?

According to CIO.com and other IT management publications, there are a few key approaches. Read more…

admin BlackBerry, Mobile Devices, PowerPoint, ROI, Worker Productivity CIO, Help Desk, PowerPoint, recession, ROI, software support, Worker Productivity

We get hundreds of BlackBerry calls a week, and most aren’t from the guy who just dropped his device in a bowl of Wonton soup. Rather, it’s the managers on their way to meetings or hopping on flights who want to know the handy tricks and tips that will save them time and make their smart phones smarter. Here are a few of the notables:

Tip No. 1: How to Filter Incoming Mail
Say, for example, you receive a daily report that you will not read or deal with on your phone and would prefer to just handle it back at the office. Can you create a filter for that?
Of course you can. Here’s how: Read more…

admin BlackBerry, Mobile Devices, Worker Productivity BlackBerry, How To, smart phone