The RIM BlackBerry wireless messaging devices have proved to be so reliable that they are supplied to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and many members of the Senate. Cybernetics InfoTech hopes to up the ante for the most commonly deployed units—the RIM 857 and 957—with its MobiVoice MV-R1 ($95 direct), which adds voice recording, voice e-mail attachment capability, and FM-radio reception to the 857 and 957 devices inexpensively and easily.

We tested the MobiVoice with a RIM 957. MobiVoice is basically a jacket-style expansion pack for either RIM device. To install MobiVoice, flip up the top of the jacket, slide in the RIM, and close the top. A bundled ear bud with a microphone and volume-control dial plugs into an audio jack on the base of the expansion jacket. The unit adds 2.2-ounces to the 5-ounce RIM 957, but you're more likely to notice the size increase. The RIM 957 measures 4.6 by 3.0 by 0.6 inches (HWD), but with the MobiVoice jacket, it measures 5.6 by 3.1 by 0.9 inches, adding a whole inch to the height. The MobiVoice draws power from the RIM battery, but according to Cybernetics, the MobiVoice's power draw is negligible.

The installation software runs on a host PC via synchronization cable or docking cradle to the RIM device. After installation, two new icons appear on the RIM: Voice Memo and FM Radio.

There are three voice-recording modes, with compression ratios of 25:1, 50:1, and 100:1. Using the highest compression mode, you can save up to 8 hours of voice memos in the RIM's storage memory, for example. In our testing, we didn't find much difference in the voice quality of memos recorded in each of the three modes, so we suggest using the highest compression mode to save storage space.

After you save a voice memo, you can easily attach it to an e-mail message, thanks to the device's jog-dial navigation and action button. From the Voice Memo menu screen, you select Send E-mail, then enter or choose the destination address, and select Send. Only other MobiVoice users can receive voice memos attached to e-mail on a RIM handheld, but those that receive such messages can play them immediately from the Messages menu or save it separately as a voice memo. This feature would be even more valuable if it could convert MobiVoice files to another audio format for playback by users who don't have a MobiVoice attachment on a RIM device, although the sizes of files converted to formats such as WAV could prove problematic.

The FM Radio application lets you set eight stations as presets and has Search Up and Search Down commands, so you can find a station in an unfamiliar area. The audio is monaural only, but the feature is simple to use and a real bonus for travelers.

For companies that use RIM 857 and 957 handheld devices, adding MobiVoice for voice memo recording, voice e-mail, and FM radio can significantly increase the usability of these wireless devices at a minimal cost.