Our friends over at MobiHand announced some exciting news today for our BlackBerry users. They are launching a new native SuperStore to replace the old AppStore on BlackBerry devices. The SuperStore will include apps, themes, games, and even accessories in one app. I don’t know about you, but since I bought my BlackBerry, I have used the JAMM/MobiHand AppStore way more than the official BlackBerry App World, so this will be a very welcome upgrade. Of course, when more BlackBerry accessories start showing up on my doorstep, I don’t think my wife will be as happy about this as I am.

From MobiHand:

The new Superstore for BlackBerry by MobiHand is four stores in one with dedicated showcases for BlackBerry apps, games, themes, and accessories. The applications and accessories that appear in the store are filtered to ensure compatibility with your specific phone. And all the software products featured in the Superstore are downloaded easily over-the-air (OTA).

And to top it off, when you use the email option at the bottom of this page, you will be entered to win some great prizes! What are you waiting for? Head on over to the new JAMM BlackBerry SuperStore and get some new stuff for your BlackBerry while you help support JAMM.

Ever since the good old Palm OS days, I have been a user of remote desktop software. For a while, I have used many different options that used VNC, which is a multi-platform remote solution. The problem with VNC was that, while I was able to set it up, my parents were not always computer savvy enough to figure out installing the VNC server software and setting up their firewall software and router to enable the port forwarding that was usually necessary in order to remote in from outside their home network. If they were using Windows, Remote Desktop was always an option, but it still needs port forwarding setup and I never found it as efficient as VNC. Since I am the system admin and tech support for my family, I really needed a simple solution to get control of their computer even when I was living 2 states away. Enter LogMeIn Free…

A Little History:

When I came across LogMeIn for the first time, I was impressed by how easy it was to setup on the desktop. Once you create an account with LogMeIn, you just need to download and install their software on the computer you want to control. There is no port forwarding or messing with a router to make it work. I have talked my mom through installing LogMeIn on a PC and a Mac with very minimal instructions.

Now, the weak spot for the free LogMeIn service was always the lack of a really solid mobile solution for controlling computers on the go unless you were carrying a laptop or netbook with you. Sure, they did enable it on Meamo 4, which ran on Nokia’s Internet Tablets like the N800, but they were not exactly mainstream devices. There is also an option that allowed Windows Mobile users to install a plugin to Pocket Internet Explorer and connect using the LogMeIn website, but I never had any good experiences using LogMeIn this way.

Along comes Apple and iPhone OS 2.0, which finally enabled native apps to be installed on any iPhone and iPod Touch. When LogMeIn announced that they were releasing an iPhone app, I was excited to check it out. I loved the idea of having mobile access to my computer and my parents computers. I had high hopes for LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone…especially when I saw the $30 price tag on the app. Now, this was quite a break from the $0.99 apps that were taking the App Store by storm and a lot of people were upset with this price. Of course, since I had been a Windows Mobile user, paying $30+ for mobile software was nothing new to me. The main difference is that with the App Store bringing prices down, I only wanted to pay for really quality software for anything over $3-5.

I eventually made the decision to buy LogMeIn Ignition for my iPhone 3G. The experience at the time was less than stellar. The lack of decent memory in the iPhone 3G along with the power needed for LogMeIn led to many times where just as I was getting started, the app would just close out. Thankfully, the devs over at LogMeIn worked hard to keep optimizing their app to overcome the memory issues. Anytime I used LogMeIn after a restart of my iPhone or using one of the now-banned memory freeing apps, it was a MUCH better experience.

LogMeIn & iPhone, Take Two:

After a vacation from the iPhone for a while, I decided to get an iPhone 3GS so that I could enjoy some great apps that weren’t available on the other platforms I was using. When LogMeIn offered us a review copy of their latest version of LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone, I jumped at the chance to use it with all of the power that the 3GS and iPhone 3.0 offered.

When you login to LogMeIn Ignition on the iPhone, it shows you a list of the computers you have setup in your account by group. It also shows the online status of each machine. If your computer is off or if LogMeIn is not connected, it will be greyed out in the list. You can see more details by clicking on the blue arrow buttons next to the computer name.

The settings screen allows you to change most of the same settings as the desktop web clients like locking the keyboard and blanking the screen. There are also multiple mouse modes that either move the screen and keep the mouse pointer centered or allow you to move the mouse around. I found that it was a much better experience setting it to the “Mouse moves” option. I was impressed at how much you could tweak the settings. It really helps optimize for whatever connection you are using.

The Tale of Two Platforms…

When it comes to desktop options, you can use LogMeIn with either Windows or Mac OS X. Unfortunately it is not available for Linux like VNC is, but it is a lot easier to setup. The good thing is that the experience was great on both operating systems. Check out the screenshots below to get an idea of using LogMeIn Ignition.

Screenshot Tour:

Fullscreen view of the desktop.

LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone recognizes what operating system the remote computer is running and offers the correct keyboard and other command options automatically. This is one of the real benefits of using a virtual keyboard instead of a hardware keyboard. Context can really make a big difference on user experience.

My Impressions:

The experience of using LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone on my 3GS was great. It was reliable over both Wifi and AT&T’s 3G network. This is the kind of app that can make a difference in what you take with you in you gear bag when you go out. For me, I am more comfortable leaving my laptop at home since I know if I need it for anything, LogMeIn will allow me to use it.

This is one of the apps that has me very interested in the iPad as well. The worst part of using LogMeIn is the iPhone’s small screen. Of course, that is no fault of the app because it works great allowing you to pan and zoom quickly. But it does have me thinking that using LogMeIn on a 9.7″ screen could mean I could keep my laptop at home almost all the time. The only other negative other than the screen size is that LogMeIn does not appear to support gestures using more than 2 fingers on a Mac. So, while it will scroll and zoom like a champ, it does not support some of the task switching gestures that I have grown accustomed to while using my MacBook. Hopefully this will be added for the iPad version since it would make more sense to use three and four-finger gestures on the bigger screen.

If you work for a company that uses LogMeIn, it is a no-brainer…buy this app. If you want to use it for personal tasks, the cost of the app is well worth the convenience of being able to leave your computer at home, but still having access when you need it. And as a bonus, LogMeIn works great as a keyboard and mouse to a home theater PC setup as well.

To purchase LogMeIn Ignition, just head on over to the App Store and check it out.

Have any of you used LogMeIn on your iPhone or Windows Mobile phones? Are there features that you would love to see added in the iPhone or iPad versions? Let us know in the comments.

The JAMM store is putting on their very own “March Madness” event with this month’s Mobile Heist. It is the perfect time to go shopping with you tax return money and pick up some software, themes, or wallpapers that you have been craving.

As an example, BlackBerry users can save 50% on several of the top themes this weekend. There are also deals for Android, Symbian, and both flavors of Windows Mobile. Hit the links below for a direct way into the JAMM Store based on your platform.

From today through Sunday (March 26 – March 28) follow the links below to save:

- BlackBerry – Mobile Link – Desktop Link
- Android – Mobile Link – Desktop Link
- Symbian – Mobile Link – Desktop Link
- Windows Mobile (PocketPC) – Mobile Link – Desktop Link
- Windows Mobile (Smartphone) – Mobile Link – Desktop Link

So, head on over to the JAMM Store and take advantage of these great deals!

And the JAMM Store has another great software deal for BlackBerry users again today. BerryWeather is by far my favorite weather app and it even holds a spot on my home screen so I have quick access to weather.

I love the graphical style used. It is very similar to HTC Sense. One great feature is that you can create a location that is purely for your current GPS location. This is great if you are traveling like I was this weekend.

So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to the JAMM Store and check out BerryWeather. If you own a BlackBerry, you won’t be sorry.

It has been a couple of months since I last used a Symbian device. One of my favorite things about Symbian was the level of flexibility and customization the platform offered. There were many beautiful themes available for Symbian that I used. Some of my favorites came from PiZero. There were a variety of options from simple to complex, but elegant.

Well, PiZero has released his new masterpiece to the Ovi Store (Nokia’s app store), called Earth.

Check out some of the screenshots and visit the Ovi Store to download this beautiful theme.

[via AAS]