[rivviepop]

FreeRange has come out of the long beta and just released 2.2.8 - if you're a user of the app, this is a worthwhile upgrade. I've been using the (semi-private) 2.2.7 beta for quite some time, the app has been rock solid and chock full of good features. Some of the features/changes below are in fact because I opened my big mouth and said something.

Announcement:
http://freerangeinc.com/support/foru...opic.php?t=243

Version 2.2.8 released

Installation
- From your phone's browser, enter http://mwap.at

Note: For Blackberry upgrading from version 2.2.6, it's very important to uninstall the application first, before installing 2.2.8.

Changes

- Added the feed url to feed properties. This allows users to copy-paste urls.
- Added new option in "Settings -> Display -> Open links with". You can choose the default, which is to choose each time, or to always go to the internal or external browser.
- Changed "Update this feed" so that it forces the server to go and look for updates. This is good news if you know a feed has changed and want to look at the absolutely newest version.
- Fixed Next/Previous bug that appeared when there was only one article in a feed
- Fixed lockup up bug if "Access Links" was selected in Full Story and there weren't any links visible on the screen.
- Fixed bug encountered by user with Google Reader integration where Send and Delicious weren't correctly handling negative article ids.
- Change Feeds and Articles view to scroll by line if "Scroll by page" is turned off.
- Added new setting in Display: "Enable 'Access links' always in Full Story". This will force the app to start in "Access links" mode when viewing a full story.
- Reduced memory consumption when downloading data
- Added support for our new FavIcon loading mechanism. It's much faster and more resource efficient.
- Switched the secondary question view items to be left-aligned instead of centered.
- Now in "Add Feed by Url", you don't have to enter the feed title
- Fixed a bug where full story was deleted only after both the later version and article itself was deleted. Before it would delete the full story if either of them were deleted.
- Fixed bug in Feeds view where naming folder 8830 and/or starting feed name with a single quote doesn't display right
- Fixed up colors for some themes, especially the "Darkness" theme.
- Improved application performance slightly

==

NOTE: I have no affiliation with the team, just a satisfied user of the product

[akosnitzky]

Wirelessly posted (Verizon 8830: BlackBerry8830/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Is there a trial period, followed by a purchase?

[Kit]

Originally Posted by akosnitzky

Is there a trial period, followed by a purchase?

It is free to use with up to 10 feeds as long as you want.

-Kit

[Alex Alexzander]

I downloaded and installed this last night. It took a while to truly understand the program, the properties, and setting, etc. But now that I understand it all, I have to say you guys made one heck of a great program here! I had been looking for a good news reader, and this really works well.

As a side note, I am a subscriber to Wall Street Journal online, and your feeder allows me to open an article in a browser when needed. For those reading this that are not familiar with the application, this is a big deal and I'll tell you why. For most news stories, it's faster, and easier to read with the included news reading capability of Free Range. But some some sites are subscription sites, and so you can see the basic article on free Range, but to read the whole article you will need a paid account to sites like Wall Street Journal. So with Free Range, you can collect the headers, see what is interesting, and then select, read in browser, which then lets the BB browser take over, which is capable of logging into WSJ Mobile and I get to read the article that I found in the list of interesting articles.

There are tons more features, but if you like to keep up with news, you will want this app.

It also takes the blackberry approach to push, which is great. You can log into a web app, and add your own RSS feeds easily. You can pick from the ones Free Range already has. In either case, those adjustments for feeds are sent to the Blackberry for you. So you won't have a tough time finding and setting up the RSS feeds you want.

Bravo guys!! This is fantastic!

-Alex

[Alex Alexzander]

There is one tiny thing that could be done to improve this application. It's very minor. When I send a story to someone, it goes as an attachment, and when it does, the attached file has no extension. They have no way to open the attachment because the PC has no idea what the file is. And unknown files in email typically get deleted.

What I think would be a good idea is if the attachment went with a .htm extension on it so that it could be viewed in email or a browser.

Best,

Alex

[akosnitzky]

Originally Posted by Kit

It is free to use with up to 10 feeds as long as you want.

-Kit

Thank you. I do use Bloglines but am always receptive to competition.

[rivviepop]

Originally Posted by Alex Alexzander

There is one tiny thing that could be done to improve this application. It's very minor. When I send a story to someone, it goes as an attachment, and when it does, the attached file has no extension. They have no way to open the attachment because the PC has no idea what the file is. And unknown files in email typically get deleted.

What I think would be a good idea is if the attachment went with a .htm extension on it so that it could be viewed in email or a browser.

FYI making suggestions here will get you nowhere, really - email the support team at Freerangeinc.com and they'll get back to you, I've had numerous emailings with the team and they're always pleasant.

I'm not sure what your seeing, it may be a function of the mail reader you're using (GMail shows up fine). The sent email is a multipart mixed message, it has one plain part (any text you entered and your BIS signature) and then one html part that is the article that Freerange is attaching to the email - I'm looking at the source of one right now (sent two to myself this afternoon from the road).

There isn't a file attachment, but what I suspect is that the email reader you're using cannot handle the text/html second part of the email. As far as I can see here everything in the email itself is valid, no out of spec type headers or message parts I see at a glance.

I did find something funny, though - RIM sneaks the word 'decombobulator' into the email headers.

Message-ID:<1790291066-1193005948-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-784285507-@bxe033.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>

[Lowrider]

Can't get the new vrs to work on Pearl, installed deleted and reinstalled 4 times, wiped my cache too!

[BurningBerry]

here too

[rivviepop]

Originally Posted by Lowrider

Can't get the new vrs to work on Pearl, installed deleted and reinstalled 4 times, wiped my cache too!

What did support say back when you emailed? I had it running on an 8100 with 4.2.0.71 without any problems, and when I moved to the 8320 I also didn't have any problems (this was versions 2.2.6 and 2.2.7, 2.2.8 only on the 8320 on my end).

[davidboydca]

Due to having to restructure the application modules, if you don't uninstall your old 2.2.6 version first, then you will end up with problems.

To fix, first uninstall FreeRange by doing this:

1. Go to "Options
2. Go to "Advanced Options"
3. Go to "Applications"
4. Select "FreeRange" then Delete

Then:

1. Go to "Options
2. Go to "Advanced Options"
3. Go to "Applications"
4. Select "Modules" from the menu
5. Delete anything starting with "FreeRange"

Then reinstall 2.2.8 and everything should work correctly again.

[davidboydca]

We support loading subscription articles for the Wall Street Journal within the application as well (you don't have to go to the browser).

To configure this, you have to login to the website:

https://freerangeinc.virtual.vps-hos...s/jsp/home.jsp

Then select "Manage Feeds", then select "change" for your Wall Street Journal feed.

Check the box next to the "Username" field, then enter your account information.

Now, when you access Full Story, our server will authenticate you with these credentials.

In the future, we will have the mobile client automatically ask for credentials, when needed.

Originally Posted by Alex Alexzander

I downloaded and installed this last night. It took a while to truly understand the program, the properties, and setting, etc. But now that I understand it all, I have to say you guys made one heck of a great program here! I had been looking for a good news reader, and this really works well.

As a side note, I am a subscriber to Wall Street Journal online, and your feeder allows me to open an article in a browser when needed. For those reading this that are not familiar with the application, this is a big deal and I'll tell you why. For most news stories, it's faster, and easier to read with the included news reading capability of Free Range. But some some sites are subscription sites, and so you can see the basic article on free Range, but to read the whole article you will need a paid account to sites like Wall Street Journal. So with Free Range, you can collect the headers, see what is interesting, and then select, read in browser, which then lets the BB browser take over, which is capable of logging into WSJ Mobile and I get to read the article that I found in the list of interesting articles.

There are tons more features, but if you like to keep up with news, you will want this app.

It also takes the blackberry approach to push, which is great. You can log into a web app, and add your own RSS feeds easily. You can pick from the ones Free Range already has. In either case, those adjustments for feeds are sent to the Blackberry for you. So you won't have a tough time finding and setting up the RSS feeds you want.

Bravo guys!! This is fantastic!

-Alex