5 favorite BlackBerry apps

Allan Tsang, an executive coach and business consultant, often recommends a handful of BlackBerry applications that can help his clients be more efficient, communicate better and relax more. Here are five of his favorites.

1. Viigo. Tsang’s No. 1 choice is a Really Simple Syndication aggregator that gives you customized feeds on news, weather, sports scores and almost anything else on the Web that’s important to you.
2. Opera Mobile. This lightning-fast Web browser can load most pages in less than five seconds.
3. WorldMate. With this travel helper, just forward your airline and hotel itinerary to an e-mail address and the information shows up in a special format organized by trip. No printing required. You can also receive real-time alerts on flight status and gate information.
4. BlackBerry Messenger. This instant-messaging app simplifies Tsang's messages to business associates and friends who also use BlackBerrys. There is no limit on the number of characters per message, and it's free with a data plan. It is also a good tool for sharing pictures, videos and other kinds of files with groups of friends.
5. Slacker. This is Tsang's choice for streaming music.

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