The digital compass on your BlackBerry 10 smartphone works like a regular compass, but also includes additional features. For example, you can choose whether the compass points to true north or magnetic north. The compass also works in any direction or orientation, including upside down (try it!).

Here’s a quick overview of how to use the compass.

True North or Magnetic North?

When you open the compass, you can choose to navigate based on either true north or magnetic north. Magnetic north, which is what a standard compass points to, can be influenced by several factors and is not constant. True north, or geographical north, is what you would see on a paper map and is constant. If you would prefer to navigate based on true north (for example, if you are using your compass to follow a map) you must turn on location based services.

To select a navigation method while using the compass app, do one the following:

• To navigate using true north, towards the bottom of the screen, set the switch to On.
• To navigate using magnetic north, towards the bottom of the screen, set the switch to Off.

Troubleshooting & Interference

• If the compass doesn’t point north, ensure your smartphone isn’t near any metal objects such as magnets or electronics.
• If you are shown a button that says Interference, as per the following screenshot, move your smartphone away from metal objects and proceed to flip and tilt the smartphone until the interference screen disappears.

• In order to navigate using true north, location-based services must be enabled on your smartphone. To enable location-based services if this option has been turned off previously, tap Settings on your Home screen followed by Location Based Services, and set the Location Services switch to On.

To learn about a feature on your BlackBerry 10 smartphone or troubleshoot an issue, there are several great options available to help. Visit www.blackberry.com/support for access to product manuals, how-to demos, tips and tricks, YouTube videos, support forums, knowledge base articles, Twitter support, and contact information for your region.

When BlackBerry® 7 OS was released in August 2011, one of the pre-installed apps is the Wikitude app, which allows you to discover your surroundings in a completely new way. For example, you’ll be able to see places, points of interests and even your BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) contacts (if they have allowed you to be able to view them) through your camera’s field of vision – a truly engaging and immersive experience.

Recently Wikitude has been updated to support select BlackBerry® 6 smartphones, so today I’ll be providing a brief overview of how to install Wikitude as well as some of the features it offers.

Before we begin, BlackBerry 6 smartphones do not contain a compass which means you will not be able to use the Augmented Reality mode. You can however use the Wikitude World Browser in list, and map view mode which still allow you explore your surroundings in depth!

For those using BlackBerry 7, the Wikitude World Browser is pre-installed and can be found in the Applications folder. In the event you removed it, you can re-install the BlackBerry 7 edition of Wikitude World Browser from BlackBerry App World. Search for it or scan the following barcode using BlackBerry App World (Press Menu -> Scan a Barcode)

If you are using a BlackBerry 6 smartphone to install Wikitude launch BlackBerry App World and search for “Wikitude for OS6”. You can also scan the barcode below using BlackBerry App World (Press Menu -> Scan a Barcode). Please ensure you review the requirements which can be found along the right hand side of the BlackBerry App World desktop storefront page for Wikitude as some which BlackBerry 6 smartphones are supported.

After installation, open Wikitude by selecting its icon – it will either be on the Home screen or within the Applications folder. When you open Wikitude for the first time, you’ll be asked to specify how you would like to connect it with BBM. Connecting BBM with Wikitude allows you to pan around your surroundings to see your BBM contacts and chat with them. If you choose, you may even find new friends in your vicinity.

To control how you appear when using Wikitude, you can choose from one of the following settings:

• Invisible (Grey) – No one can see you and no BBM information is shared.
• Contacts (Blue) – All your BBM address book contacts can see you.
• Public (Green) – All BBM users can see you.

Depending on the setting you specified above, you may be sharing your location, BBM display-name, BBM status message, and BBM avatar with other BBM users. You will now be asked if you’d like to connect Wikitude to BBM, which is required if you want to see other BBM contacts who have chosen to be visible in Wikitude. Privacy and BBM Connected Application settings can be modified in the future by accessing Wikitude Settings using the Menu key.

After specifying your BBM settings, you’ll be shown the Wikitude Home screen, which contains icons that represent various points of interests (POI) which are called Worlds. To add and remove Worlds, tap on the Browse Worlds icon, and you’ll be able to select which Worlds appear when you open Wikitude by selecting the star icon that appears on the right.

To start exploring, tap on the World you’d like to see, such as BBM Chat. Since Wikitude can leverage the Compass functionality built into select BlackBerry smartphones, you’ll be asked to calibrate the Compass if it hasn’t been used before. If this screen appears, follow the directions and move the BlackBerry smartphone around several times until it vibrates, which indicates the Compass is calibrated. To learn more about the Compass, check out my post on How to set up and use the Compass in BlackBerry 7.

After calibration is completed, Wikitude will display BBM contacts that are around you, depending on their Privacy setting, in the Cam View if they have allowed this in their settings. This view uses the camera and overlays BBM contacts in your vicinity so you can meet up with your contacts or some new people if desired. Remember, if you want to avoid sharing your BBM contact information, you must use the permission ‘Invisible’ that is mentioned earlier in this post.

You can easily identify what permissions you’ve set for BBM by looking at the top right corner and reviewing the BBM privacy status icon. A green dot means you are sharing your BBM details publicly; blue represents that you are sharing with your BBM Contacts only; grey means you are not sharing any BBM details. In the screenshot above, a green dot appears in the top right corner, so I know that I am sharing my BBM details publicly.

In addition to your BBM privacy status icon, the other icons in the top corner are different views you can use to explore Worlds in Wikipedia. The first icon is the List view, which lists out POIs around you. The second icon is the Map view which overlays these POIs on a map (this is the view used in the screenshot above). The third icon is the Camera view, which is a great way to view POIs around you.

At this point, we’ve successfully set up Wikitude, set our BBM privacy permissions, and calibrated the Compass if required. We’ve also taken a peek at how to add and remove Worlds in addition to the various views that you can obtain using Wikitude. Keep an eye out for more posts about this great application, and if you have any specific questions, leave a comment and let us know!

A new feature available in select BlackBerry® 7 smartphones (such as the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900/9930 and BlackBerry® Torch™ 9850/9860 smartphones) is the Compass functionality. You can also use the Compass with location-based applications – such as the BlackBerry® Maps application that might be preloaded on your BlackBerry® smartphone – and is designed to provide you with information like driving directions, or your position in relation to points of interest. You can also use the Compass application to determine your direction in relation to the Earth’s magnetic poles or to true north.

Today I’ll show you how you can get up and running with the Compass so you use can take advantage of Augmented Reality apps such as Wikitude – a great way to explore the world around you!

Setting up the Compass

To access the Compass, open the Applications folder from the home screen and select the Compass icon. The first time you use the Compass app, you’ll be shown the Compass Tune Up screen which is designed to help calibrate the Compass. If you haven’t used the Compass before and launch an app that uses the Compass, such as Wikitude, you’ll be shown the Compass Tune Up Screen as well.

When this screen appears, move away from any metal objects and start flipping and tilting the BlackBerry smartphone. After a few moments, the BlackBerry smartphone is designed to vibrate, which indicates that the Compass has been successfully calibrated.

After calibrating the Compass, here are a few things you should know:

Change options for the Compass

1. On the home screen or in the Applications folder, click the Compass icon.
2. Press the Menu key and select “Options”.

• To change the way latitude and longitude coordinates are displayed, change the Location LAT/LON display format field.
• To change where the Compass points, change the Magnet/True North field.

3. Press the Menu key and select “Save”.

Calibrate the Compass manually

When “Calibration Required” appears at the bottom of the screen, you should calibrate the Compass manually for a more accurate Compass reading. To do this, complete the following steps:

1. On the home screen or in the Applications folder, select the Compass icon.
2. Press the Menu key and select “Calibration”.
3. Flip and tilt your BlackBerry smartphone until it vibrates.
4. The Compass is now calibrated.

View location on a map from the Compass

You can view the Compass and your location on a map at the same time.

1. On the home screen or in the Applications folder, click the Compass icon.
2. Press the Menu key and select “Location on Map”.

Navigate to a destination

You can use the Compass application to help you navigate by direction rather than by a driving route; for example, if you are in an area with no roads, or if you are walking to your destination. Before you begin, GPS technology must be turned on.

1. On the home screen or in the Applications folder, click the Compass icon.
2. Press the Menu key and select “Set Destination”.

• To find your destination on the map, place the cursor on the map.
• To search for a specific location, type the address or the latitude and longitude coordinates in the “Search” field. Click the destination.
• To search for a point of interest, such as a business or landmark, in the Search field, type the information for the point of interest. Click the destination.

3. The Compass displays the direction of the destination.

Troubleshooting

If you are not receiving an accurate reading from the Compass, try some of the following things:

• If the Compass doesn’t point north, move your BlackBerry smartphone away from metal or magnets.
• If “Calibration Required” appears at the bottom of the screen, calibrate the Compass manually using the steps provided earlier.
• To help prevent metal and magnets from interfering with the Compass, close the Compass application before you get in a vehicle or insert your smartphone in a holster.

Got a question about the Compass functionality? Leave a comment and let me know!