Tag: BlackBerry Permissions Issues

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Fix: Amazon Kindle App for BlackBerry Not Working | Permissions Issue

Finally! Amazon releases the Kindle application. Thank you Amazon!

Unfortunately with the default policies enforced by a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 5.0 I was unable to open the application.

I have created directions for fixing the issue here: BlackBerry 5.0 Applications Not Working | Permissions Issues

Few other disappointing things on the Kindle application for BlackBerry:

  • Lack of support for the BlackBerry Storm 1 or 2. It will only go portrait, won’t turn to landscape view. | iPhone version has this
  • No inverted colors (white text on black), Blackberries have really bad brightness controls, trying to read a book in the dark burns your eyeballs out when the background is white and the brightness is set too high. It also wastes the battery. | iPhone version has this

Other than that it does work as advertised. Amazon if you are out there please make a revision with these two basic and simple things in it. While you are at it please add inverted colors to the desktop version too. Please?

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Fix: BlackBerry 5.0 Applications Not Working | Permissions Issues

Since BlackBerry Device 5.0 OS and BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 5.0 a lot of applications no longer work by default. They prompt you for the permissions that the app would like to have. However if you are on a corporate BES server you may not be able to select “allowed”, you may only have the “Prompt” and “Deny”.

If this is the case have no fear. I have already called T-Support and been told its not their problem and I should see the app vendor. Thanks RIM again for that really awesome level 1 support. However this is in fact not the case, it is a BES server issue. RIM should really have level one technical reps that at least know all the corners of the BES application or they shouldn’t be supporting it.

I was able to find the “Application Control Polices” causing the issue. To get this fixed you need to have admin rights to the BES server or get your Admin to do it for you.

Configuring “Application Control Polices”

1) Logon to the BES Server

2) Click on the “Manage Application Control Policies for unlisted Applications” under BlackBerry Solution Management -> Software (on the left had side).

3) Then click on the “Standard Unlisted Optional” link on the right had side

4) Next click the “Edit Application Control Policy” and then “Access Settings” Tab.

5) Finally change the needed permission here. Unfortunately they don’t map name for name on OS and BES so you will have to do some trial and error. Also I have found updating the policy then doing a battery pull on the device and waiting 5 minutes generally tends to get the new policy down to the device.

DISCLAIMER TIME: I have no idea how unsecure this makes your deployment. Use these directions at your own risk. I have set all to “allowed” for the purpose of this screenshot only, I do not recommend doing this unless you know what you are doing. I would love to see some comments on what you find as some of this still doesn’t make total sense to me.