I just got word that in the spirit of giving and having some fun, TeleNav is offering up Santa for TeleNav GPS Navigator. It’s not quite as cool as flying reindeer but it’s close.  From now until Dec 31, customers can have Santa provide the turn-by-turn directions and traffic rerouting. The best part about it, all the proceeds from the $.99 download are going to Toys for Tots.

From the TeleNav website:

“Tired of the same old voice giving you GPS directions day in and day out? Looking for another way to get into the holiday spirit? We have just what you need …

Beginning today and running through the month of December, we are offering Santa’s voice for just $0.99 and we’ll donate ALL proceeds to Toys for Tots. So now you can get Santa to help guide you around this season and help children in need at the same time.

You can purchase and download Santa’s voice either via your phone or our website:

Via your phone:

• Launch TeleNav GPS Navigator
• Select “Share and More”
• Select “Preferences”
• Select “Navigation Audio”
• Select “Guide Tones”
• Select “Santa Claus”

Via our website:

• Go to TeleNav.com
• Select “My TeleNav” on the top right (you’ll need your PIN number to login)
• Select “My Settings”
• Select “Device Settings”
• Select “Santa Claus”

The Santa Clause voice is only compatible with TeleNav GPS Navigator v. 5.5 and 5.8. To find out which phones support these versions, click here.

No, Santa won’t yell at you (Todd’s version is..umm..unique) if you decide to ghost-ride (although please don’t – we don’t condone it!). Here is a sample of what the TeleNav GPS Navigator Santa voice sounds like.

Thanks for helping us support Toys for Tots! Please drive safely!

Special thanks to our partner Audible Media.”

Tonight at 7PM EST I will be a guest on the BlackBerryOS.com podcast. Be sure to tune in and listen to me attempt to not butcher the entire thing with my goofiness lol!  If you can’t listen live, you can always download past episodes here in the BBOS Web Show forum.

In case you’re not already aware of the awesomeness of BlackBerryOS.com, check out this post to get up to speed.

Here is a partial list of topics that will be discussed on tonight’s show:

• BlackBerry Internet Service 3.0 and 3.1 coming within 6 months
• T-Mobile launches the BlackBerry Bold 9700
• AT&T and Verizon trade blows over the “there’s a map for that” ads
• RIM announces upcoming support for Open GL ES but not for all devices
• In App payment service being planned by RIM
• Progress check: Where is OS 5.0?
• Is pre-ordering a thing of the past?
• And of course….FREE GIVEAWAYS!!!!!

Make sure to tune in tonight 11/18 at 7PM EST.

Multi-table Sit and Go’s are all the rage lately in the online poker world and for good reason. They offer healthy prize pools and give you the feeling of taking down a tourney without having to invest 5+ hours and wade though a fields of hundreds or thousands of players.

Some of the most popular MTT SNG’s are the 18, 45 and 180 man turbos on PokerStars. These games can be extremely profitable if you know optimal strategy. Unlike Single Table Sit and Go’s (6 or 9 players) or cash games, there isn’t much information available on how to beat these 18, 45 and 180 man games. Fortunately SNG Mentors is here to help!

From the SNG Mentors site:

“We are an online poker training site specializing in MTT SNGs (18 Man, 45 Man, and 180 Turbos on Pokerstars). We offer a unique Mentorship program in which our students receive coaching from some of the most successful SNG grinders around. We also provide our students with staking for the games we coach them in, and there are absolutely no up front costs for joining the program. We are looking for students who are dedicated and have ample time to devote to their poker career. If you are interested in joining the program, and fit these criteria, submit an application today. Email vers@sngmentors.com for more info.”

The SNG Mentors coaches sound like a roll call from the SharkScope Leaderboards:

Vers, Shen888, Manhat10ite, Whoopsy_Dazy, Draqq & Jontsef. Vers and star student Reasons14 are posting their blogs on the site and both are great reads so be sure to bookmark them.

Now you know the place to be for MTT SNG’s. Whether you’re a beginner trying to learn the basics or a seasoned grinder wanting to plug leaks and bring your game to the next level, check out SNG Mentors.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that BlackBerryOS.com is THE place to be for BlackBerry owners these days.  And if you *do* live under a rock, crawl out and check out this post to get up to speed about the awesomeness of BBOS.

As if BlackBerryOS wasn’t already cool as can be, they now have a an outstanding live web show.  You can download past episodes here in the BBOS Web Show forum and tune in to live shows here.

This week the show will be hosted live from the BlackBerry Developer Conference. The focus will be on small and independent BlackBerry developers and their great apps.  If anyone has questions for the developers they can email webshow@blackberryos.com.

BlackBerryOS will also be giving away some free apps!  Make sure to tune in this Wednesday 11/11 at 4PM PST/7PM EST.  Check out the BBOS Web Show forum for more info.

Ultra fly images courtesy of BlackBerryOS.com of course!

The holidays are quickly approaching and it’s time to start looking for great, unique gifts. How about a five pound Gummy Bear equivalent to 1400 regular-sized bears from Vat19.com?

Features & specs:

• Dimensions: 9″ x 5.5″ x 3.5″
• Equivalent of 1400 regular-size gummy bears
• Weighs approximately 5 pounds
• 12,600 calories!
• Hand-made in the USA with domestic ingredients
• Gluten-free

World’s Largest Gummy Bear “The World’s Largest Gummy Bear is the lion of the candy world. There is no candy more magnificent or more powerful. This five-pound beast is the equivalent of 1,400 regular sized gummy bears and packs a whopping 12,600 calories.Its monstrous size is only matched by its enormous taste. The World’s Largest Gummy Bear tastes just as delicious as its pint-sized counterpart.Available in several flavors: blue raspberry, red cherry, and green apple. Hand-made in the USA. ”

Check out The World’s Largest Gummy Bear product page on Vat19.com for more info.  The page itself is absolutely hilarious.  The whole Vat19.com site is filled with awesome products and videos…”curiously awesome” as they say.  We’ll be posting a lot more of them here on UpSwong so stay tuned!

One of the most common questions I hear is “how can I get a flat stomach?”

Closely related are its siblings:

• How can I get my abs to show?
• I’m a relatively thin person but I can’t seem to lose this stubborn belly fat?

At reunions we often run into its cousins:

• What are the best exercises I can do for my stomach?
• I’ve been doing X number of (insert exercise here) so why can’t I see my abs yet? (hint: you’re too fat)

And finally those relatives you’re never really sure about. Your Mom always glazes over the details…he’s your Uncle Joe’s half-brother’s wife’s sister’s dog walker…

• What’s the deal with this “revolutionary” 10 minute routine that is guaranteed to flatten your stomach?
• Have you heard about these pills I can take that will give me shredded abs while I sit on the couch?

I initially planned to make a single post addressing stomach swongs but then realized there is quite a bit to cover. I’ve received some really good questions and while they are all related to flat abdominals, each have a very different theme. For example one asked about the best ab exercises that would also be safe for the lower back and another question asked if I had tried a new weight loss supplement and what I thought of it. These topics and more will each be covered in a separate post that will make up the series – UpSwong Abs.

Poker players…looking to improve your Sit and Go skills? Check out The SitNGo Wizard.

From the SitNGo Wiz site:

“The SitNGo Wizard will teach you how to play a near perfect late game strategy. You will learn when to push and when to fold. You will learn the importance of various factors such as number of opponents, stack sizes, and opponent calling ranges.

If you are a beginning player or just new to SitNGo tournaments, the SitNGo Wizard will quickly turn you in a winning player at the low limit SitNGo’s. If you are already an experienced SitNGo player, the SitNGo Wizard will help you find and eliminate costly mistakes that you don’t even realize you are making.

How Does It Work?

The SitNGo Wizard reads your tournament hand history and runs an analysis of each hand. The analysis compares the equity you would have if you fold pre-flop to the equity you would have if you push all-in pre-flop. Equity is your share of the prize pool at any point in the tournament. It is based on number of opponents, the size of each player’s stack, and the tournament prize structure.

The software computes the equity of every possible outcome of the hand. It combines the equity of each outcome with the probability of each outcome to come up with the total equity. It would take you days to do these calculations by hand, but the SitNGo Wizard computes them in a fraction of a second.”

SNGWiz offers a completely free, fully functional 30 day trial so learn more and download your free trial today!

UpSwong Fitness is the section of UpSwong dedicated to covering all things fit.  Working out, strength training, injury prevention and rehab, competing, nutrition, supplements, dieting, weight loss, weight gain, lifting for women, and more.

I get asked so many great questions via Facebook, YouTube, email, and forums that I’d like to start building an archive of answers to share with everyone.

If you would like to submit a fitness question please use the submit a question form or send an email to fitness@upswong.com.

Please check out the Pledge a Penny for a Pound Challenge to support Breast Cancer for Wendy’s Warriors in the SSA Asylum Power meet this Saturday October 17th. Powerlifter Mike Moore plans on lifting a total of 1700-1800 pounds this weekend to raise money for the fight against breast cancer.  You can pledge here or make a donation here.

From Mike:

“Why I’m Lifting?

As most people, I had heard about breast cancer, but I didn’t know much about it nor did I personally know anyone who had it. That all changed about six years ago when my closest friend and training partner, PJ, called me to say that the lump that was found in his wife’s breast was cancerous. I have known PJ a long time, and this was the first time I ever heard him break down. His wife Wendy has also become a very close friend to me over the years and this just broke my heart and brought me to tears. How could this happen, this isn’t fair, this is a dream, this can’t happen to my friends, all these thoughts and more went through my head and I wanted to do something but I felt helpless. Wendy accepted her cancer and was determined to fight it head on and beat it! She had the operations, did the chemo and things looked good for a few years. Then two years ago, she had a recurrence, and for these last two years she has been fighting. She’s still determined to beat it, and I KNOW she will!

As a powerlifter, I thought I knew all about strength and what it meant and took to be strong. Wendy showed me that I didn’t and then proceeded to show me what TRUE strength is! She has shown me true strength everyday; she doesn’t have the luxury to be weak. She has to battle this disgusting disease everyday. She stays strong not only for herself but for her husband and her two great boys. She lives everyday to the fullest; she is the meaning of real strength and she inspires me so much. I can only wish that I was strong like her. Wendy is the strongest person I ever met.”

Read more about the Pledge a Penny for Pound Challenge and click here to pledge or here to make a donation.

Thanks for taking the time to check out this post!

Wanna test your poker knowledge? Take the Full Tilt Poker Quiz below.  And don’t forget to check out the Full Tilt Poker Academy where you can enroll for free and view videos lessons from Team Full Tilt!

Cyberlean Media is a digital design studio based out of Europe.  From the Cyberlean Media website:

“We collaborate with high profile clients to enhance their online exposure and increase their marketing profitability.  We use the power of design to get in the face of your consumers and ensure you stand out.

We are searching for clients who demand the best and understand the importance of brand evolution.  We genuinely welcome your creative challenges with open arms.”

To see some of Cyberlean Media’s absolutely exquisite work, check out the website of champion bodybuilder and powerlifting world record holder Sam Byrd.

Visit Cyberlean Media

If you don’t already know about Salo’s blog then swong yourself over there asap.  Pics, videos, reports and reviews on upcoming BlackBerries and news.  Salomondrin.net gogogogo!!

Wordbook is an awesome plug in that lets you post your WordPress entries to your Facebook wall and or sidebar box.

From the Wordbook Facebook page:

Use your WordPress blog to publish updates to your Profile Mini-Feed and your friends’ News Feeds.

This app is not for blogs hosted at WordPress.com.

Click here to read more about Wordbook.

BlackBerry Chick is an organization for young women created to inspire strong values and success in the world of BlackBerry.

Established in 2008, BlackBerry Chick is amongst the first sites to focus on BlackBerry devices by women. Articles and post are written by women who just adore their BlackBerry devices. BlackBerryChick also features guest writers who are recognized experts in their fields and who act as advisers for various BlackBerry related sites.

I am a blogger and contributor for BlackBerryChick and most certainly fall into the category of women who adore their BlackBerries.  We post all kinds of great content for all BlackBerry lovers male or female so be sure to add BlackBerryChick.com to your reading list.

TeleNav…wow, I don’t know where to start.  I’ve spent 10 days fully evaluating every detail of this application and I can honestly say it’s a “must have” for your BlackBerry.  I have used a handful of other navigation apps, both paid and free and TeleNav is hands down the best of them all.  TeleNav offers so many services and options and is so advanced, yet couldn’t be simpler to use.  I downloaded it to my BlackBerry Storm and was getting turn by turn directions within minutes!

TeleNav’s main function is giving voice directions as you drive…and WOW it does this well!  Once you open TeleNav all you have to do is click “drive to” and you get a whole list of options…see the gallery below for a screen shot.  You can pick from options such as recent places, favorites, businesses, airports, intersections, or your address book.  You can also type in an address manually or even call it in.  As soon as you’ve chosen a destination TeleNav begins finding the route from your current location. One of the things that impressed me the most is how quickly the software finds where you are…no waiting 2 or 3 minutes like with some programs.  Before you know it a voice is telling you where to turn or how many miles to drive.  Speaking of the voice, there are plenty ways to customize the audio. You can even make it come straight to your bluetooth headset.  This can be extremely useful if you have a carload of talking passengers, a sleeping child, or would just prefer to have your directions in ear instead of out loud.

While you’re en-route TeleNav is continuously updating your location with on-screen 2D or 3D maps.  You can zoom in and out and choose from a variety of views.  I added some screen shots to the gallery but you really have to see this in real time to appreciate how fantastic it looks, especially on the Storm screen.  One of my favorite features is the display showing estimated time of arrival and how many miles you are from your current location.  At any time you can always pull up your route preview, a full zoom-able map, and traffic summary at specified segments.

The Biz Finder directory really blew my mind.  I was astonished by how many categories there were to choose from.  Gas, food, banks, wi-fi spots, movie theaters, parking lots, universities….again, check the gallery for screen shots of all the categories.  Of course any place you pick, TeleNav instantly pulls up your current location and starts navigating you right there!  The content of the Biz Finder is superior to many stand alone directory apps.

I did over 600 miles of driving with TeleNav and not one mistake!  I was especially impressed with how quickly the software was able to re-route you in the case of a detour, missed exit, or heavy traffic.  TeleNav even does real time traffic checks to help you avoid delays.  I kept trying to trick the software by taking a wrong turn but it’s too smart and would always get me back on course.  Also handy for being on course, TeleNav has a compass with a great looking interface which can be seen in the gallery.  You have to be moving about 5 miles an hour to get a reading.

TeleNav is extremely efficient with memory usage and battery life.  I monitored both using meterberry.  I let TeleNav run all day giving me voice directions and using it in every way possible.   Application memory remained stable and battery consumption was minimal.

So after all this testing I knew TeleNav was genius, but I wanted to see how well it could multi-task.  While my husband drove the car, I had TeleNav giving directions, Pandora streaming radio, was instant messaging on Beejive, browsing the CrackBerry forums on Opera Mini, and took a picture of the sunset out the window.  TeleNav just kept on cranking out the directions, unphased by all the apps I had running in the background.  This is also a testament to the magnificent multi-tasking abilities of BlackBerries.

Another ingenious use of TeleNav is to record your parking spot location.  When you park your car, hit > Tools and Extras > Record Location > Save.  You can give the location a custom label or use the default which is the date.  The location gets saved in your favorites.  When you’re ready to find your parking spot, open TeleNav and go to Drive to > My Favorites > then select whatever label you saved and the navigation will begin.  You can get directions while driving (in a cab, having a friend give you a ride, etc) or on foot.  This would be a great time to make use of TeleNav’s BlueTooth integration and have the directions come right to your headset if you’re in a busy area and want to be discreet or just simply can’t hear.  No more trying to remember your row and section and number in a huge crowded lot.  Oh how I could have used this so many times in the airport parking lot after a week long trip, or in Manhattan when I couldn’t remember which garage I parked in, no less which floor or spot!

Along with TeleNav on your phone, you get your own My TeleNav online account where you can pre-plan trips and sync them to your BlackBerry, manage contacts, and share spots with friends and co-workers.  There’s even a FireFox TeleNav plug-in.

TeleNav has so much to offer that I could go on and on all day with this review but my words and pictures don’t come close to doing it any justice.  I strongly encourage you to take advantage of TeleNav’s fully functional 30 day free trial so you can see everything for yourself.  After that it’s $10 a month which is really a steal for all that the program offers.  I think of a fast food meal or two that I spend $10 on (that I shouldn’t really be eating anyway lol) that is gone so quickly, when instead I could be enjoying all the features of TeleNav all month long!  Check out the TeleNav website for lots more details and information and to get your free 30 day trial!

I originally published this review here on BlackBerryChick.com but TeleNav is hardly just for chicks!  If you haven’t been to BlackBerryChick yet make sure to check out the BlackBerryChick forums too!