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Verizon BlackBerry Curve 9370 now available 23 January, 2012, 6:28 am
The BlackBerry Curve 9370 is now available on Verizon for $99 when you sign up to a 2-year service plan. The BlackBerry Curve 9370 is almost identical to the Curve 9350, but, has more RAM, 512 MB, and, is a world phone sporting both a CDMA radio for use in the United States on Verizon’s network and a GSM radio for use overseas. Find more information about the Verizon BlackBerry Curve 9370 here… Verizon BlackBerry Curve 9370 now available is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...
Press Release: Research In Motion Names Thorsten Heins President and CEO 22 January, 2012, 8:57 pm
Waterloo, ON – The Board of Directors of BlackBerry® maker Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that, acting on the recommendation of its Co-Chief Executive Officers to implement the succession plan they previously submitted to the Board, it has unanimously named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Heins was also appointed to RIM’s Board. The Board acted after conducting its own due diligence. Both appointments are effective immediately. Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide. Mr. Heins said he looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Lazaridis, globally recognized as a technology pioneer. He said, “Mike created a whole new way of communicating and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration.” On the transition to CEO by Mr. Heins, Mr. Lazaridis said, “There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now. With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase, and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase and beyond. Jim, the Board and I all agreed that leader should be Thorsten Heins.” Jim Balsillie remains a member of the Board. “I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company,” he said. “I remain a significant shareholder and a Director and, of course, they will have my full support.” Mr. Lazaridis said that he decided to move from Co-Chair to Vice Chair of the Board in order to return the public’s focus to what is most important: “the great company we have built, its iconic products, global brand and its talented employees.” Mr. Lazaridis added, “Thorsten has demonstrated throughout his tenure at RIM that he has the right mix of leadership, relevant industry experience and skills to take the company forward. We have been impressed with his operational skills at both RIM and Siemens. I am so confident in RIM’s future that I intend to purchase an additional $50 million of the company’s shares, as permitted, in the open market.” Mr. Heins said he believes that RIM has tremendous potential. He joined RIM from Siemens Communications Group in December 2007 as Senior Vice President for Hardware Engineering and became Chief Operating Officer for Product and Sales in August 2011. “Mike and Jim took a bold step 18 months ago when RIM purchased QNX to shepherd the transformation of the BlackBerry platform for the next decade,” Mr. Heins said. “We are more confident than ever that was the right path. It is Mike and Jim’s continued unwillingness to sacrifice long-term value for short-term gain which has made RIM the great company that it is today. I share that philosophy and am very excited about the company’s future.” Mr. Heins said that RIM has a strong foundation on which to build. “We have a strong balance sheet with approximately $1.5 billion in cash at the end of the last quarter and negligible debt. We reported revenue of $5.2 billion in our last quarter, up 24% from the prior quarter, and a 35% year-to-year increase in the BlackBerry subscriber base, which is now over 75 million.” Mr. Heins said, “BlackBerry 7 has been well received. We are very excited about PlayBook 2.0 and BlackBerry 10. The reception of our products at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show was encouraging.” He continued, “RIM earned its reputation by focusing relentlessly on the customer and delivering unique mobile communications solutions. We intend to build on this heritage to expand BlackBerry’s leadership position.” Mr. Heins said that RIM has grown quickly. “As with any company that has grown as fast as we have, there have been inevitable growing pains,” he said. “We have learned from those challenges and, I believe, we have and will become a stronger company as a result. “Going forward, we will continue to focus both on short-term and long-term growth, strategic planning, a customer- and market-based product approach, and flawless execution. We are in the process of recruiting a new Chief Marketing Officer to work closely with our product and sales teams to deliver the most compelling products and services.” Barbara Stymiest, who formerly served as a member of Royal Bank of Canada’s Group Executive and has been a member of RIM’s Board since 2007, has been named the independent Board Chair. John Richardson, formerly Lead Director, will remain on the Board. Prem Watsa, Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings, also was named to the Board, expanding it to 11 members. Speaking on behalf of the Board, Ms. Stymiest said: “We believe that Thorsten is the right executive to succeed Mike and Jim. He has 27 years of telecommunications experience, including four years at RIM in senior management positions. As a Board, we have been impressed with his outstanding management skills, his leadership and his accomplishments within the company.” Ms. Stymiest also expressed the Board’s respect and admiration for Messrs. Lazaridis and Balsillie, the company they built, and the steps they have taken to position RIM for the future. “They created RIM, nurtured it, and in the process not only built an iconic brand, but literally pioneered the smartphone industry,” she said. “It is Canada’s largest tech company and one of the largest in the world.” Conference Call and Webcast A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at 8 am ET, January 23, 2012, which can be accessed by dialing 1-800-814-4859 (North America), (+1)416-644-3414 (outside North America) or through your personal computer or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet at www.rim.com/investors/events/index.shtml. A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 10 am ET by dialing (+1)416-640-1917 and entering passcode 4509630#. A replay of the webcast will be available on your personal computer or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet by clicking the link above. This replay will be available until midnight ET, February 6, 2012. About Thorsten Heins Thorsten Heins, 54, is a respected business leader with 27 years of broad experience and expertise in wireless networks and consumer electronics devices. Mr. Heins has a global reputation for his organizational and leadership skills and his ability to build successful organizations that deliver on their commitments. Prior to today’s announcement, Mr. Heins was one of RIM’s two Chief Operating Officers and, before that, Senior Vice President for the Handheld Business Unit. He played key roles in the creation of RIM’s product portfolio. Mr. Heins came to RIM in December 2007 from the industrial conglomerate Siemens AG. He joined Siemens in 1984 after graduating from the University of Hannover in his native Germany. At Siemens, Mr. Heins rose through the ranks of R&D customer service, sales and product management positions. After serving as Chief Executive Officer of various business divisions in the communication business, Mr. Heins moved to Chief Technology Officer and member of the Group Board of the Siemens Communications Group. He came to RIM after being impressed by the level of innovation displayed by founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. Mr. Heins is married with a daughter and a son. Away from RIM, he is usually outdoors bicycling, motorcycling, skiing or hiking. About Barbara Stymiest Barbara Stymiest has served as a director of RIM since March 2007. She has an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, and an FCA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. Ms. Stymiest joined Royal Bank of Canada in 2004, where she served as a member of RBC’s Group Executive, which is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company. Prior to that, she held positions as Chief Executive Officer at TSX Group Inc., Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at BMO Nesbitt Burns and Partner of Ernst & Young LLP. Ms. Stymiest is currently a Director of George Weston Limited, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Royal Ontario Museum. About Prem Watsa Prem Watsa is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a financial services holding company whose corporate objective is to achieve a high rate of return on invested capital and build long-term shareholder value, since 1985. He is also Vice President of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. since 1985. Mr. Watsa formerly served as Vice President of GW Asset Management from 1983 to 1984 and in various positions, ultimately as a Vice President, with Confederation Life Investment Counsel from 1974 to 1983. About Research In Motion Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.RIM.com or www.BlackBerry.com. Press Release: Research In Motion Names Thorsten Heins President and CEO is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...
Contest: Leave a comment for a chance to win a Callet BlackBerry Case / Wallet 20 January, 2012, 8:41 am
Video Link It’s been a while since we’ve run a contest on RIMarkable, so, we are going to make this one really easy. For a chance to win a Callet case/wallet, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us what type of BlackBerry you use. We are going to run this post through the weekend, but, won’t randomly select a winner until we have at least 100 comments, so, tell all your friends to stop by and enter as well. The winner will be contacted via email or Direct Message on Twitter, so, make sure that you enter a valid email address or Twitter handle when leaving your comment. Twitter users also need to follow @RIMarkable or @RobbDunewood so that we may send you a direct message to let you know if you’ve won… This contest is available to U.S. residents only… Good Luck… Contest: Leave a comment for a chance to win a Callet BlackBerry Case / Wallet is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...
SMRpodcast #100: Corporate Ego 20 January, 2012, 7:29 am
Episode #100 of the SMRpodcast, Corporate Ego, with special guest Andrew Zarian from the Guys from Queens Network, and guest host Kevin Wheeler from WinGadgetNews, has been recorded, posted online, and is ready for download and streaming. This week we talk a lot about Research in Motion and the Samsung buyout rumors and where we the company going in the future. We also talk a bit about Ice Cream Sandwich, Windows Phone,and of course, we’ve all got our picks. Have a listen… Show Details Recorded: January 17th 2012 Published: January 18th, 2012 Duration: 01hr 12min 00sec SUBSCRIBE FOR AUTOMATIC DOWNLOADS Standard RSS Hosts: Chris Ashley @bigcashley Robb Dunewood @RobbDunewood Brent Harman @jbharman Kevin Wheeler @wheelerk2011 Andrew Zarian @andrewzarian SHOW TOPICS Opening Thoughts We welcome Andrew Zarian from the Guys From Queens network We also welcome new wingadgernews.com writer Kevin Wheeler This is episode 100 and Rod is on vacation. We talk about RIM being up for sale Robb lets us know that RIM wants Samsung to buy them Brent tells us RIM’s stock price Kevin feels adopting an operating system is a better move for RIM Andrew feels they should have bought WebOS when they had the chance Chris agrees with Kevin We discuss Jerry Yang Leaving Yahoo Brent feels Yahoo Never kept their properties up to date Andrew is surprised that Yahoo has survived this long Chris is not a fan of any of their properties Robb says he still uses Yahoo Finance We Talk about the power carriers have Andrew is waiting for Verizon to get more Windows Phones Robb explains the culture of buying phones in the States vs. Europe Brent feels that we lose with paying full price with phones because contracts are the same price Chris feels this is the carriers end game to keep customers stuck Kevin points out that carriers just don’t want to give up control The Windows Phone, Sprint, and Verizon snub saga continues Chris points out that Verizon may have gotten their feelings hurt Robb feels Verizon has the upper hand Kevin Points out Sprints excuse of not taking a chance on Windows Phone Robb points out that Verizon can charge a premium for their Android phones Picks of the Week SocialCam (Android App)Robb Dunewood (RIMarkable) HaxSync BitCasa (Android App / Unlimited Cloud Storage) Brent Harman (SimpleMobileReview) Pictionary Draw (Windows Phone App) Chris Ashley (SimpleMobileReview) Wikipedia Offline (Offline Wikipedia Install) Andrew Zarian (Guys From Queens) Add to Contacts (Windows Phone App) Kevin Wheeler (WinGadgetNews) SMRpodcast #100: Corporate Ego is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...
RIM stock up 7% on rumors that the company wants to be bought by Samsung 17 January, 2012, 10:43 am
Last week shares in Research in Motion (RIMM) were up over 4% on rumors that the company hired Goldman Sachs to “explore strategic options”, a.k.a., figure out how to get someone to buy the company. Today RIM’s stock is up over 7% (at the time of this posting) on rumors that RIM is indeed pushing for a sale to Samsung. We have heard that Jim Balsillie is actively meeting with almost every company that might be interested in either a part or all of RIM, in addition to having talks about licensing. “Jim is going hard after Samsung,” said a source with knowledge of the negotiations. One of the reasons no deal has been struck, however, is that RIM’s co-CEOs are asking for way too much. Whether the Samsung rumor pans out to be true or not remains to be seen. I think, however, RIM being bought for pieces and parts, or, in its entirety is one of a very few ways that the company has at making it through 2012… [Via BGR] RIM stock up 7% on rumors that the company wants to be bought by Samsung is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...
What do you think of the latest BlackBerry commercial? 17 January, 2012, 6:14 am
I was taking a look at this recent BlackBerry commercial and I am torn on whether or not I like it. My gut tells me that that it will appeal to people who already are, and, enjoy being BlackBerry users. I wonder, however, if it will appeal to folks who aren’t aren’t, namely new smartphone users who may not have recognized anything being done on that device less, maybe, texting (I know it is BBM). Does this BlackBerry Commercial hit its mark? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments… What do you think of the latest BlackBerry commercial? is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...
RIM Launches Five New BlackBerry 7 Smartphones in the Philippines 16 January, 2012, 8:14 am
Research in Motion issued a press release last week announcing the availability of 5 new BlackBerry 7 devices in the Philippines. New devices include: BlackBerry Bold 9790 BlackBerry Curve 9380 BlackBerry Torch 9810 BlackBerry Torch 9860 White BlackBerry Bold 9900 Check out the full press release after the break… Press Release BlackBerry Bold 9790, BlackBerry Curve 9380, BlackBerry Torch 9810, BlackBerry Torch 9860 and Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9900 available in stores January 13 Manila, the Philippines - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the launch of five new BlackBerry® smartphone models based on the BlackBerry® 7 Operating System (OS) in the Philippines. The latest additions to the BlackBerry 7 product lineup are BlackBerry® Bold™ 9790, BlackBerry® Curve™ 9380, BlackBerry® Torch™ 9810, BlackBerry® Torch™ 9860 and BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 in Pure White. The five new smartphone models are expected to be available from carriers and authorized retail channels in the Philippines on January 13. “The new BlackBerry 7 based smartphones offer customers a truly outstanding mix of communications, multimedia, productivity and social connectivity features,” said Hastings Singh, Vice President, South Asia at RIM. “We are excited to expand the BlackBerry 7 portfolio with the launch of five new models, providing Philippine customers with a broader selection of handsets to match their lifestyle.” BlackBerry Bold 9790 with Touch Display and Keyboard True to the BlackBerry Bold brand, the new BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone is powerful, full-featured and built with premium materials and finishes. It combines a high-resolution and highly responsive touch display with a highly tactile keyboard and a precise optical trackpad, but comes in a narrow design that is easy to carry and exceptionally comfortable to hold. With the BlackBerry 7 OS and powerful 1 GHz processor, the BlackBerry Bold 9790 delivers fast, smooth performance for browsing the web, running apps, working with documents, and enjoying multimedia. It includes 8GB of onboard memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage. All-Touch BlackBerry Curve 9380 The finely crafted BlackBerry Curve 9380 is the first touch screen smartphone in the BlackBerry Curve family. It features a highly responsive and brilliant 3.2” high resolution display and comes with preinstalled social networking apps, including BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger), Facebook®, Twitter™ and Social Feeds apps, that offer a fun, easy and smoothly integrated mobile experience. This compact and stylish handset also features a 5MP camera with flash and video recording, allowing users to easily capture and share their favorite moments with family, friends and colleagues. BlackBerry Torch 9810 with Touch Display and Slide-Out Keyboard Building on the popular design of the BlackBerry Torch 9800, the new BlackBerry Torch 9810 is faster and more fluid with high performance hardware features and the new BlackBerry 7 OS delivering an enhanced multimedia experience. Featuring a large 3.2”, high resolution touch display and a distinctive BlackBerry keyboard that easily slides out to allow faster typing, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 truly delivers the best of both worlds. All-Touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 The BlackBerry Torch 9860 smartphone offers the fast, fluid BlackBerry 7 experience in a stylish all-touch design. With a spectacular 3.7” display, the largest ever on a BlackBerry smartphone, the new all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 smartphone is optimized for displaying web pages, photos, videos, and powerful gaming experiences. It also delivers the highly refined, real-time communication and collaboration experience loved by millions of BlackBerry smartphone users around the world. BlackBerry Bold 9900 Smartphone in Pure White The premium BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone is now available in Pure White. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet at only 10.5mm. It offers the perfect union of a high performance keyboard and touch display integrated within the iconic BlackBerry Bold design. Distinguished by its beautiful design, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 is crafted with premium materials including a brushed stainless steel frame that puts the finishing touch on a truly outstanding smartphone. Powerful BlackBerry 7 OS All five new devices are powered by the BlackBerry 7 OS, which delivers a faster and richer user experience with improved browsing, voice-activated searches and support for Augmented Reality. BlackBerry 7 offers the ability to manage personal content separately from corporate content, and comes with a variety of personal and productivity apps out of the box. The BlackBerry Bold 9790, BlackBerry Curve 9380 and BlackBerry Bold 9900 also include support for NFC (Near Field Communications). For more information, please visit ph.blackberry.com or www.facebook.com/BlackBerryPH RIM Launches Five New BlackBerry 7 Smartphones in the Philippines is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...
WhatsApp Messenger for BlackBerry Getting a Make Over 16 January, 2012, 7:44 am
We’ve just heard that WhatsApp Messenger for BlackBerry has received a refreshed user interface and will be available in BlackBerry App World very soon. WhatsApp is arguably the most widely used cross-platform mobile IM client, and, in addition to BlackBerry is available on Android, IOS, Windows Phone, and Nokia Symbian devices. I know that some BBM die hards will immediately point out that WhatsApp is no replacement for BlackBerry Messenger. I think, however, the point to WhatsApp is that you can use it to communicate with contacts who use smartphone platforms other than BlackBerry. If you are looking for a good cross-platform mobile IM client, check out WhatsApp Messenger. You can pick it up in BlackBerry App World as well as respective app stores for for other platforms… WhatsApp Messenger for BlackBerry Getting a Make Over is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...
Press Release: RIM officially unveils BlackBerry OS 7.1 9 January, 2012, 2:09 pm
Research in Motion today, at CES 2012, has officially unveiled BlackBerry OS 7.1 which brings a familiar look and feel to existing BlackBeryr 7 devices, but, ads Mobile HotSpot support, NFC Tag support, and FM radio support to select BlackBerry Curve models. Along with the BlackBerry 7.1 update, BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry Travel, and BlackBerry Traffic have been updated as well. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA–(Marketwire – January 09, 2012) – (CES 2012) – A wide range of software improvements await BlackBerry® 7 smartphone customers at the BlackBerry® booth (South Hall 3 Booth # 30326) at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012). Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM)(TSX: RIM) is showcasing the new BlackBerry® 7.1 OS as well as updates to the BBMTM (BlackBerry® Messenger), BlackBerry® TrafficTM and BlackBerry® TravelTM apps. The new OS and app updates make seizing and sharing the moment even easier. BlackBerry 7.1 will begin rolling out from carriers around the world beginning today and over the coming weeks(1). The new releases of BBM, BlackBerry Traffic and BlackBerry Travel will be available on BlackBerry® App WorldTM beginning today. “BlackBerry 7 delivered a next-generation platform for our customers around the world and the range of software updates announced today build upon the strengths of that platform to further enhance the mobile experience and make life easier, from managing daily tasks to planning big adventures,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. Life Is Better Shared The BlackBerry 7.1 OS incorporates a new feature called BlackBerry® Tag that can change the way BlackBerry users share information and content. By simply tapping their NFC enabled BlackBerry® smartphone against another NFC enabled BlackBerry smartphone, users can make sharing easier than ever. They can instantly invite a friend to BBM, exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content, and they can also pair their BlackBerry smartphone with an NFC enabled Bluetooth® device. Support for BlackBerry Tag is just one of a number of enhancements in the updated BBM app (version 6.1) being released today. Additional features allow users to personalize their experience even more with support for animated avatars (animated GIFs)(2), a dozen new and fun emoticons to spice up conversations, and the ability to customize chat bubbles with different colors. In addition, the new BBM app allows users to add customized personal messages of up to 160 characters in their online Profile, more than double the length supported in previous versions. Users can also now set the picture for their BBM avatar directly from the camera app – simply snap a picture and select “Set as BBM Display Picture” from the menu. Make Things Happen With BlackBerry 7.1, users can be productive from virtually anywhere. They can now turn their BlackBerry smartphone into a mobile hotspot that can be shared by up to 5 Wi-Fi® -enabled devices, including laptops and tablets(3). The 7.1 update also supports carrier implemented Wi-Fi calling services (UMA/GAN where available), allowing users to make Wi-Fi calls from their BlackBerry smartphone that don’t eat into their airtime minutes. Getting to any location is now so much easier with the new BlackBerry Traffic (version 3.0), a free app from RIM that is being released today. BlackBerry Traffic determines a user’s estimated time of arrival (ETA) based on current traffic conditions, and now includes hands-free turn-by-turn voice guidance. Planning, booking, managing, and sharing travel activities are also easier than ever thanks to the updated BlackBerry Travel app that is being released today. The new version adds support for contextual deals, such as offers for hotels and car rentals, or for arranging limo services to and from the airport. BlackBerry Travel can automatically keep track of a user’s bookings and schedule and quickly notify them if their flight is delayed or cancelled, and can then help them find a new flight right away. The automatic trip scanning feature pulls the travel details into the app, allowing the user to see all their travel updates in one place. Seize the Moment Sometimes it’s nice when someone (or something) does the thinking for you. The Universal Search capability has again been enhanced to help users find what they are looking for. It now includes an auto-suggest feature that intelligently filters Bing® search results to offer users a variety of relevant Web sites based on their search terms. Love a good deal? Now finding and taking advantage of them is so much easier thanks to BlackBerry® Maps – an essential app that comes preinstalled on BlackBerry smartphones and has been enhanced in the BlackBerry 7.1 OS update. When users launch the new BlackBerry Maps application they can discover special offers, coupons, and discounts from nearby vendors. Users can immediately act on the deals presented to them by clicking to call the vendor or clicking to get the best route to the location where the deal is offered(4). Customers with a BlackBerry Curve 9360 or 9380 smartphone will find a nice surprise with the BlackBerry 7.1 OS update in the form of an FM radio. The FM radio circuitry is already built in to the Curve 9360 and 9380 models and BlackBerry 7.1 provides users with a new app that allows them to tune in and enjoy local FM radio stations. Listening to the FM radio does not require a data plan or use data services. For more information about the BlackBerry 7.1 OS update, visit www.blackberry.com/bb7. For more information and to download the new versions of BBM, BlackBerry Traffic and BlackBerry Travel visit BlackBerry App World at www.blackberry.com/appworld. 1. The BlackBerry 7.1 OS update is subject to carrier certification. Please check for availability with your service provider. 2. The animated avatar feature is supported on BlackBerry smartphones running OS 5.0 and higher. 3. Mobile hotspot feature requires BlackBerry 7.1 and may require an additional data plan. Please check with your service provider. 4. Please check with your service provider for availability of this feature. Press Release: RIM officially unveils BlackBerry OS 7.1 is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...
Research in Motion Previews BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 at CES 2012 9 January, 2012, 1:46 pm
Research in Motion is at CES 2012, and, although the company has delayed BlackBerry 10 smartphones until late this year, plans for the BlackBerry PlayBook seem to be on track. RIM has recently issued a press release stating that BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 will be previewed at CES 2012 and that it is still on track for a February release… RIM Previews BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 at CES LAS VEGAS, NEVADA–(Marketwire – Jan. 9, 2012) – (CES 2012) – This week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) will be previewing new features of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 that will enable customers to stay even more connected and productive in their personal and professional lives. “BlackBerry PlayBook is already recognized for delivering powerful performance, true multi-tasking, advanced web browsing and HD multimedia in an ultra-portable design,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 we are building on this strong foundation, as well as leveraging our strengths in communications, social integration and productivity, to allow people to use their BlackBerry PlayBook in new ways throughout the day.” CES 2012 attendees who visit the BlackBerry booth at CES (South Hall 3 Booth # 30326) will get a sneak peek of upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 functionality including: Advanced Messaging Experience: New unified inbox - a powerful unified inbox within the built-in messaging app allows users to quickly manage their personal email and work email accounts as well as the messaging capabilities of popular social networking sites like Twitter®, LinkedIn® and others – all in one place. Multi-tasking within email - by extending the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet’s multitasking capabilities to ‘tabbed email’, users are able to reference one email while they compose another. Rich-text email composing and editing - new features within the Messages app enable users to benefit from full support of fonts, formatting and editing of email threads, offering a robust email experience similar to that of a PC or laptop. Inbox management tools - allows for powerful inbox search across multiple email accounts, as well as the ability to set out-of-office messages and email signatures directly from their tablet. Deep Integration of Social Relationships: Innovative people-centric calendar - in addition to standard calendar features that help users plan and organize their day, the powerful built-in Calendar app provides the unique ability for users to view their calendar by who they are meeting with that day and review valuable information about that contact. Information is consolidated automatically from social networking sites about that contact and/or their company. Relationship-centric contacts app - more than just an address book, the new built-in Contacts app serves as a social hub – merging and consolidating information from multiple sources (including email and social channels) into one contact file for each person in their address book. Each contact file includes information such as recent status updates, conversations, related news articles and mutual contacts that are kept up-to-date automatically. Making Your BlackBerry Smartphone and Tablet a Powerful Pair: Remote control for the BlackBerry PlayBook - new BlackBerry Bridge features allow a user’s BlackBerry smartphone to act as a keyboard and mouse for their BlackBerry PlayBook – effectively providing a wireless remote control for their tablet. Perfect for pausing a movie when a BlackBerry PlayBook is plugged in to a TV with an HDMI connection, or for using the tactile QWERTY keyboard on a BlackBerry smartphone to compose a message or document on the BlackBerry PlayBook. Opening content on the BlackBerry PlayBook - BlackBerry Bridge allows you to take documents, emails, multimedia files and web pages found on your smartphone and open them quickly and directly on the BlackBerry PlayBook so you can use the larger high resolution display for an optimized viewing and editing experience. Improved Mobile Productivity: Updated document editing capabilities - updated Documents To Go® functionality makes it easier for users to create and edit documents while on the go. Improvements include: enhanced support for the virtual keyboard, the ability to view and update embedded charts and chart sheets within spreadsheets, a new formula wizard with over 100 functions as well as the ability to edit presentations including text, bullets and formatting. Print To Go application - this app allows users to wirelessly “print” from their laptop or PC directly to their BlackBerry PlayBook over Wi-Fi®. A digital printout is created on the BlackBerry PlayBook so that users can view, sort and manage their digital printouts as though they were physical sheets of paper. The Print To Go app is the perfect way to consolidate info from various related sources like a hotel web confirmation, an airline boarding pass email, the show event schedule or even a map of the destination city and make them available for quick access on the go. Increased control and manageability of corporate data - the combination of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 with BlackBerry Mobile Fusion and BlackBerry Balance will help to overcome many barriers to widespread tablet deployment, including device manageability and the ability to secure, manage and control confidential corporate information on the device. Plus BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 supports dedicated shelf space inside the BlackBerry App World storefront to allow IT departments to control distribution of enterprise applications and to make those approved enterprise applications easily available to the organization’s end users. New Apps and Content: Your favorite apps plus thousands more - many exciting new applications built for the BlackBerry PlayBook will be made available on BlackBerry App World with the availability of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. From gaming and lifestyle to business and productivity, RIM is showcasing some of the latest apps available for the BlackBerry PlayBook at CES 2012 including Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Groupon, Thomson Reuters, Zinio and many more. Video store - a catalog of thousands of movies and TV shows will be available through the integrated BlackBerry Video Storefront* with new releases to be made available for purchase or rent the same day they come out on DVD. Users will be able to begin watching media as soon as they start to download the file, so users won’t have to wait for the entire file to transfer before they can enjoy great entertainment on the tablet’s high resolution display, or on an HDTV via the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet’s HDMI output. Enhanced web browsing - the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 browser also includes a new reading view, which is designed to make web sites even easier to enjoy by eliminating page clutter at the touch of a button. What’s left is a cleaner format that is great for reading online news articles, blog posts, or websites that contain heavy amounts of text. Availability The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software update will be available as a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook users and is expected to be available in February 2012. BlackBerry Video Store will initially be available in the United States. Support for other countries is expected to be added later this year. Research in Motion Previews BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 at CES 2012 is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...

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Blackberry Goes Bolder With 9700 21 October, 2009, 12:34 pm
For you Blackberry fans out there, a new model has just been announced in time for the holidays. So, put it on your list because the BlackBerry Bold 9700 has officially been announced. For the latest model in the 9000 series, a highly improved version with a faster processor, added memory is being touted. On the outside, the Bold 9700 is slimmer and has a more functional trackpad. The 9700 will run OS 5.0. Here is a list of tech specs for the Bold 9700: - 3.2 MP Camera - 2.44 inch display - 624 Mhz processor - WiFi - Bluetooth - Optical trackpad There has been no word of pricing, or carriers who will offer the phone.
The Next Android Phone – Motorola Cliq 2 October, 2009, 12:27 pm
Motorola recently announced the next line of cell phones that will utilize the Android platform: Motorola Cliq. Besides Android, this handset will also take advantage of MOTOBLUR which is a synching app. It will sync up your posts, messages, photos, with your social networking platforms: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and your email accounts. The essence of everything involving the Motorola Cliq is MOTOBLUR. You can mix and match apps and widgets, using those synced with MOTOBLUR or use ones you find on the Android Market. There’s also pre-loaded apps developed by Google. Here are a list of features you can look to find with the Motorola Cliq: - Full HTML Browser - 3G compatibility - 5 megapixel camera (auto focus) - Access to photo sharing sites - YouTube support - QWERT keyboard Motorola is really pushing the Cliq as a ‘social phone’, so for those who use their handsets for more than just phone communication this might be worth looking into. The Motorola Cliq is going to be available Q4 2009, through T-Mobile.
Finally: Microsoft Office for the iPhone 15 September, 2009, 10:50 am
Those of you who use your iPhones for work are already aware of their ability to read Microsoft Word documents, and inability to do anything else with them. For those who’d like a fully functional Microsoft Office in their pocket, there’s Documents-To-Go. Documents-To-Go, released by Dataviz, is a powerful iPhone app building off the success of its Mac and PC software, winning Apple’s App Store Pick of the Week in June, and rating a 4+. Documents-To-Go is available for both iPhones and iPod Touches installed with the iPhone OS, so AT&T haters can still enjoy Office on the go. And boy, is there a lot to enjoy. · Edit and create Word documents Documents-To-Go offers integration with Microsoft Word (.doc & .docx) that is truly remarkable. The features we’ve grown used to have all been preserved: the laundry list of options includes spell check, complete character/font formatting, paragraph formatting, auto bullets and numbered lists, and the ability to insert and delete tables. With iPhone OS 3.0, sending of files through email, cut/copy/paste, and shake-based undo/redo are also available. · View Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and Apple iWork files Now you can view files from Microsoft Excel 97-2008, Microsoft PowerPoint 97-2008, and Apple iWork ’08-’09. The other viewable files include website files (.html and .htm) and most image files, which should be handy for those involved in multimedia or web industries. · InTact Technology InTact is a technology that reformats files and documents to fit them on the iPhone screen, while retaining all of their original features, and on inspection it does its job as seamlessly as native iPhone apps. · Syncing Need to put files from your computer on your iPhone, or vice-versa? Documents-To-Go includes a desktop application for both Mac and PCs that allows easy two-way syncing. · Microsoft Exchange Attachments version The Microsoft Exchange Attachments version of DTG has complete Exchange email integration, which allows downloading, editing and creating of Exchange email attachments. All told, Documents-To-Go is a must-have for office work on the iPhone. It takes useful functions from older apps like QuickOffice, and by integrating the entire Microsoft Office Suite so beautifully, blows away all competition.
INQ Picks Android 14 September, 2009, 7:55 am
“Facebook Phone” Maker Poised for Popularity Late last week, INQ announced that they have plans for next year to produce a phone using Android’s mobile platform. The announcement came during the Mobilize 09 Conference when Frank Meehan, founder and leader of the nascent technology company, explained that “Android was really most suited for our plans with touch-screen devices.” INQ’s previous smartphones have used the Palm OS platform, thus leading to the assumption that they were going to continue doing so for future phones. Not so. After reviewing, reflecting, and subsequently scrubbing Windows Mobile and Palm OS off their list of potential platform candidates, Meehan and Company settled on the Android. Android, as a more flexible, customizable, and (some would say) fun platform, fits perfectly with INQ’s strategy and vision. The platform was designed primarily as an Internet phone, not telephone which has Internet access, and that basic premise prompted the choice. INQ is a smartphone manufacturer with an emphasis on the “smart,” not the “phone.” The Android pick will work in INQ’s favor, but in the process, they will be doing Android a favor, too. Meehan pointed out that phones on the Android platform, as wonderful as they are, haven’t been able to hold much of a candle against the domination of the iPhone. What to do? Meehan: “get the experience better.” Thus, INQ has plans for an Android phone such as you have not seen before. True to his prophecy, they are going to make the experience better. Android is going to get a facelift under the fastidious labors of INQ engineers. Because INQ wants their platform to be “heavily customized,” a new look is just the start. Beyond that, INQ wants to change the very apps for Android phones, possibly even rearranging the app store (or just scrapping it all and creating a new one). By getting up to their elbows in Android code, INQ might just be starting something that will oust the mighty iPhone, because, after all, people don’t just want an iPhone, they want a fun, fast, and flexible phone that reflects their personality, lifestyle, and entertainment choices. And that is precisely INQ’s strategy. Those oblique “plans [for] touch-screen devices” that Meehan talked about are obviously confidential enough to keep them confined to the four walls of INQ’s conference room. However, it is fairly evident what the company’s goals are. They want to bust the U.S. market wide open. While the London-based manufacturer has enjoyed modest success overseas (especially considering its newcomer status in the market), they have not made any serious attempt to delve into the turbulent US market. Meehan sees the opportunity. While INQ’s psychedelic website may not appeal to the eye of the American beholder, they may be developing a phone that will. And we should find out sometime in early 2010.
The Blackberry Curve 8520 Targets the Business User 3 September, 2009, 8:06 am
For business users, the new blackberry curve 8520 is a very economical and compact find. It fits into the palm of your hand and is a cheaper entry into the blackberry market. The Slick Budget Option Blackberry Curve 8520 What business users really want is a phone that doesn’t break our bank accounts, just the right affordable price, and with what we need for daily use. For business users, that’s access to mail and applications. It lacks the 3G functions and also GPS so if this is a real boggle for you, look at the more expensive Blackberry Storm. So, what can you look forward to? 1. A simple and attractive design 2. Fits easily in your hand 3. Optical track pad button 4. Dedicated controls for multimedia 5. Wi-Fi useful for business people connecting to corporate networks 6. Fast Internet browsing Apple users will relish the fact that it’s compatible with Apple computers. This budget choice was being offered on Amazon for just a penny during its launch. That was with a contract. What you are looking at here is a less expensive model as compared to the Storm and other models like the 8900 yet with the required functions expected of a blackberry phone. The screen resolution reaches 320 x 240 and as stated it’s cheaper than the Storm or Bold models so don’t expect the video or images to be as sharp. The battery operates at a much reduced capacity too with less than 7 hours as compared to other models. In contrast, you will notice if you previously had an older model that the messaging functions are all intact. These functions match what is expected on the Storm model. If you are a business user, then you will probably be making use of calendars. The 8520 has a very well structured calendar for large amounts of appointments to be recorded. It’s good to know that there is a budget option. Since we are in economical times, it might even persuade companies to invest more in blackberry setups within their networks. It’s a great economical choice for the busy corporate user. The setup is easy to start browsing or calling over Wi-Fi. If you are a first time blackberry business user, this is a great entrance into the world of blackberry.
Bass Boost Your Earphones with Radius Atomic Bass 3 September, 2009, 8:03 am
When people seek out their new earphones, it’s usually a hunt for the sleek choices appearing on the market in terms of quality. This is why the Radius Atomic Bass is so popular right now. It hits the mark on high quality crystal clear sound as well as much improved noise isolation as compared to many earphones. Turn Up The Bass And Listen! The Radius Atomic Bass! The smooth ergonomic feel is immediately appraised as it fits so snugly on the ear as the device is very compact. Those of us whom love listening to bass will take a shine to the earphones. The excellent bass response from the aluminum earphones booms through with such clear clarity. The earphones are not only compatible with the iphone, they can be used on other standard 3G phones. Some outstanding features include: 1. It fits comfortably. 2. Great noise isolation. 3. Great quality for fans of various genres albeit classical, hip-hop or rap. 4. Remote control of call control for the iphone 3G. 5. Very affordable earphones at around $30. The shape is particularly unique, not being so straight. The most noticeable difference is that the earphone buds are styled very differently to other earphones. The buds have a slight angle as can be seen in the above photo. Whether its rock music or your classical bliss that is needed, the radius Atomic Bass earphones deliver a sound that is well above standard earphones especially the ones that usually accompany mp3 players. Music styles like techno that deliver variants of bass can be heard with more than just a subtle difference. These earphones can also increase the bass. If your mp3 player needs a new earphone set, this is the way to go. It comes with 3 pairs of ear sleeves. The reason why the bass is so good is that the drivers inside the earphones are based on the more common method of driving the sound along a more direct path. Music of different levels of fidelity can be heard with top quality sound. With its ergonomic fitting and stylish look and feel, it’s a great next comfortable choice for the music lover.
Is Your Blackberry Going Plazmic? 27 August, 2009, 12:50 pm
Creating your own blackberry theme can add so much to your phone when personalizing your multimedia interests. The software has far surpassed the standard ‘create wallpaper’ to encompassing all the attributes of UI (User Interface) design. The Plazmic Content Developers Kit or CDK for blackberry smartphones allows users to completely upgrade their multimedia content. The kit consists of the tools Plazmic Theme Builder and Plazmic Composer. The Plazmic Composer interface will be immediately familiar to anyone with some design experience. It utilizes the same layers and object catalogs as seen in Photoshop for example. Web designers will love the tool’s ability to weave interactive web pages for viewing in the blackberry browser, plus the vector and animation tools. Designers will also appreciate how it can create banners and embed web links. The software which is free, can be downloaded here. It allows you to create your own themes, animated themes too, and splash screens. It also comes with a simulator that will test your work before you send it to your phone. It comes with a lot of samples that you can easily customize. There are some known issues and you should check the site, though generally it’s ok. Some blackberry models like the 8700 may need the installation of the plazmic reader before the kit can work. Your latest install of Windows 7 may have the reader pre-installed, check with your vendor. This is the only software you need as the kit is a suite of tools for facilitating multimedia content. Of course, most of us will be happy to just download the many freely available blackberry themes. What the kit offers you is the ability to create a set of themes and graphics that is personal to your phone, not used by anyone else; of course, if your theme is that good, you could consider allowing people to download it from your site. Plazmic software is becoming ubiquitous. It is being seen as a useful add-on to the standard blackberry interface. The software creates the designs and does not require too steep a learning curve. Multimedia developers will love the tool. It’s a new challenge moving from the web to multimedia production for the phone. Plazmic software is currently for the PC. If you wish to create your own themes and customize your blackberry phone to your heart’s desire, give the kit a whirl and see what graphical content you can weave together.
Top Dual-Mode Phones Allowing 2 Sim Cards 27 August, 2009, 8:24 am
If you are interested in seeing the top dual-mode phones allowing 2 SIM cards, check out the models offered by Wiki, Voyager, Samsung, and believe it or not, National Geographic. These dual SIM mobile phones enable you to have two phone services and switch from one to another on the same phone. One obvious advantage of the dual SIM phone is that you can separate your business and personal calls completely. Another advantage is that you can get the benefits of two different mobile networks for your calls. One network might give you better rates for international mobile services while another gives better coverage for your local calls. The 2 SIM cards gives you much more flexibility in choosing among all the mobile phone service offers, which can save you a good deal of money. 1. WIKI WK05 Dual SIM Mobile Phone With WIKI’s WK05 phone, changing from one SIM to another is extremely easy. Two dial buttons make it very easy to keep track of exactly which SIM you are calling from. The Wiki has a 3 inch touch screen, MP4 support and a 2 megapixel camera. 2. Voyager Dual SIM Mobile Phone One very useful feature of a phone is to have a standby mode that allows you not to miss calls. Business users can really benefit from this features during business hours so as not to miss business critical meeting announcements or calls. Voyager boasts a nice array of applications: Google Maps provide real time geographic knowledge, great if you are lost! eBuddy gives you an instant messenger service WiFi for wireless networking Bluetooth for your headset connection. The phone also becomes attractive to the everyday user as it can store 2 GBs of music and video. The GSM standard for phones now includes the four global GSM frequencies – what does this mean? You can use the phone from any location worldwide and as its unlocked, you can connect to another network if required. 3. Samsung D780 The Samsung D780 has dual standby function also. Features of the Samsung include a 2 megapixel camera an MP3 player, and an embedded FM radio receiver. While the D780 has Bluetooth, it does not have Wifi. Samsung D880 and D980 also have 2 SIM cards plus additional features such as touch screens. 4. National Geographic Duet D888 The Duet D888 is made by Beyond E-Tech under a partnership between National Geographic and Cellular Abroad. The unlocked Duet can hold two SIM cards, including one for Cellular Abroad intentional SIM card and whichever other card you choose. The Duet’s features include a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, a personal organizer, messaging, a speakerphone, an MP3 player, and an FM radio. When you are deciding to get a phone with lower costs and more flexibility, it’s time to choose one with 2 SIM Cards.
The Top Five Bluetooth Headsets 26 August, 2009, 1:26 pm
Bluetooth headsets remain a popular cell phone accessory, and the latest models have come a long way in sound quality and versatility. The topmost requirements are for an ergonomic design that can travel with the customer. Something that feels uncomfortable is not a gratifying fit for today’s mobile consumer. The good news is that there are 5 excellent choices for you if you are seeking Bluetooth headsets. Here are five of the best Bluetooth headsets for sound quality and function. For each choice, I have highlighted the factors that can add to the user’s comfort zone and expected quality. 1. The Aliph Jawbone is consistently rated as the best for reducing background noise. • This is the only headset with a Voice Activity Sensor (VAS), allowing the device to better distinguish your voice and deliver clear communication. • Background noise is virtually eliminated with their proprietary Noise Assassin and military grade noise reduction technology. • The device includes a magnetic USB cable, giving you 80% charge in just 35 minutes. 2. To use your headset all day, one of the best choices is the Plantronics Voyager Pro. • This lightweight headset has an ‘over the ear’ design making it very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. • The long battery life (over 6 hours) makes it ideal for long use. This is ideal for long distance travelling or for those of you whom spend a lot of time listening to music. • There are three types of WindSmart technology that block interfering wind noise. This is one of most sought features of a headset. 3. For the ultimate luxury, there is the slicker Jabra JX20. • It is encased in titanium which gives the headset a sleek look and feel. • Titanium is also lightweight and strong so giving you more comfort and durability. • The great aspect here lies in the moving mechanics which allows you to rotate between the on and off position. 4. One of the smallest headsets is the Motorola Mini H9. • Its lightweight construction makes it comfortable to wear on the ear. • The tiny size gives you an inconspicuous headset. • A portable charger allows you to recharge almost anywhere. 5. Finally, for a headset with extra features, use the Nokia BH-902. • An LCD display gives you call management directly from the headset, allowing redialing from the headset. • The display can also give you missed calls and unread text messages. If you go down to the shops today, there is a surprise or two in store where headsets are concerned. One of the above choices will provide you with a stylish Bluetooth headset.
Sony Erisson Jalou For The Fashion Conscience 18 August, 2009, 11:53 am
If you find yourself trying to keep up with the latest fashion trends, and being hip then the Sony Ericsson Jalou handset is a phone you’ll want to keep an eye on. The mobile phone is being designed with the latest art, furniture, and fashion trends in mind. Considering the handset is only 73mm long, trends must be going for a smaller look. Along with it’s sleek design, the Jalou comes with a robust amount of features, and provides many of the advanced techs you find in the larger phones. If you consider yourself health conscience then you should know that this handset provides the first Walk Mate step counter. Like anything trendy, the phone will come in three colors: Amethyst, Aquamarine Blue, and Onyx Black. Here’s a list of specs you can look to find when the phone is released… 3.2 Megapixel Camera 3G Bluetooth YouTube Social Networking Compatibility FM Radio If you’re anxious for the release of the Jalou, it is releasing Q4 2009.

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BlackBerrySync

RIM Announces Thorsten Heins as the New President and CEO of Research In Motion 22 January, 2012, 10:00 pm
The Press Release made it official, and Inside BlackBerry has posted the announcement. Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis step down from their Co-CEO positions as Thorsten Heins steps up to the plate. I know Thorsten must be excited and elated to be... To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com
PopcornRushFull for BlackBerry PlayBook Available in BlackBerry App World 18 January, 2012, 1:41 am
I love PopcornRush on my BlackBerry PlayBook, it’s a great game to pass the time with and keep trying to beat your score, while popping popcorn, popping jalepenos, and avoiding the bombs. The game has been free, but now there’s the... To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com
Quick Look at The Toddy Smart Cloth by Toddy Gear 18 January, 2012, 1:24 am
When I saw that CrackBerry checked out the Toddy Gear booth at CES, I was interested in it. I know I’ve tried the Cyber Clean, the ZAGGwipes, and even Zaggfoam. What is the Toddy Cloth and what makes it so special? Let’s take a... To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com
Review: BBMShirts, Wear Your Pin on More Than Your Sleeve 17 January, 2012, 10:35 pm
I had seen BBMShirts quite a bit, but never tried one before. The shirts are nice, come in different colors, and there’s a variety to choose from. I’m going to show you the tshirt, hoodie, and even the temporary tattoos. Check it... To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com
“Cut The Rope HD” From ZeptoLab Comes To The BlackBerry PlayBook 16 January, 2012, 1:12 am
“Cut The Rope” is now available for your BlackBerry PlayBook from BlackBerry App World. The game is both addictive and challenging. The more you play and practice the game, the better you’ll get. The object is to cut a rope,... To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com
OS 7 Compatible Cosmos By Magmic Free in BlackBerry App World For a Limited Time 16 January, 2012, 12:50 am
Thanks to NerdBerry for this one, Magmic has released a premium theme that is available for OS 4.2 and higher including OS 7.1! I downloaded and installed this, and I really love the colors, icons, and cursor. You have to check this one out….... To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com
Highlights of CES 2012: BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Features and More! 16 January, 2012, 12:00 am
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OS 7.1 and BlackBerry Tag Bring The NFC Technology to Life on Your Device 15 January, 2012, 11:09 pm
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Highlights From CES 2012: Inside The Scene of OS 7.1 for BlackBerry Devices 15 January, 2012, 10:44 pm
Another great thing that BlackBerry released OS 7.1 for the devices capable. The OS brings so much more to the devices than before and works great. We have a list of some of those features and the interview from Inside BlackBerry that gives you an... To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com
Highlights From CES: BlackBerry Porsche 911 Convertible Fitted With BlackBerry and QNX Technology Goodness 15 January, 2012, 10:24 pm
Luke Ryan of BlackBerry interviews Justin from QNX inside the Porsche, and we get to see all the amazing features that are integrated into the vehicle thanks to QNX and BlackBerry working together in unison. Check it out… Check out the video!... To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com

Blackberry Blog

Emergency Cell Phone Charger 18 February, 2008, 12:23 am
If you've ever been involved in building out a large scale network, you've undoubtedly heard about single points of failure. The BlackBerry network itself is a single point of failure as we saw last week: if it goes down, every single person that relies on BlackBerry email is hosed (pun intended: it is a Canadian device!). But for you personally, the biggest single point of failure is probably your battery: if you run out of juice and you don't have your travel charger, you are, well... hosed. Which is where the latest BlackBerry accessory I found comes into play: an Emergency Cell Phone Charger that runs off of a couple (four to be exact) double AA batteries. This gadget can be used anywhere: it generates an extra 20-30 minutes of talk time, when your battery is drained out and fits in your pocket or purse. Pick one up now before your battery runs out!
DVD Converter for your BlackBerry 17 February, 2008, 11:53 pm
If you've got a young kid, you've probably got a video camera for capturing all the seemingly normal stuff that we can do as adults but that is just plain amazing when a one year old does it. Thing is, most people don't carry about portable DVD players to show off all the new stuff that the kid... but you have a BlackBerry. If you've ever wanted to show a movie on your BlackBerry that you've got on a DVD (or more likely: you want to show off some internal presentation to a client or you're a real estate agent and you want to show a potential buyer a video), then I've got some software you should check out. Wondershare BlackBerry Converter Suite includes Wondershare DVD to BlackBerry Converter and Wondershare Video Converter for BlackBerry. With this software, you can convert DVD or video to AVI, 3GP, MP4,WMV,MP3,AAC and WMA for playback on BlackBerry with with high output quality and fast conversion speed. You can convert your DVD by selecting the subtitle and audio track you prefer, convert multiple video files at a time, trim your DVD and video files to capture your favorite video clips, crop movie video, set movie effects, and capture pictures from your movies and so on. The software converts your videos to AVI, 3GP, MP4,WMV,MP3,AAC and WMA (all of which are supported on the BlackBerry) and you can merge DVD titles/chapters into one file and merge multiple video files into one file. It also supports video cropping and trimming. You can buy it now for $39 or take it for a test drive.
Big Brother, Google Maps and your BlackBerry 22 May, 2007, 12:43 am
The guys at Skylab Mobilesystems have done it again: they keep creating these applications that I can't imagine living without. The latest is called Mobile Tracker and is described in their press release like this:By taking advantage of the already built-in GPS receiver of the BlackBerry 8800 series, MobileTracker is able to record tracklogs. Those tracklogs are saved on the BlackBerry's internal micro SD-Card and can be viewed directly in Google Earth once you have the BlackBerry connected to your desktop and click on the tracklog file. To provide more flexibility it is possible to configure the delay between position recordings. So if you are on a ship crossing the Atlantic you can also set the delay to 5 minutes. MobileTracker works everywhere on the world, even without network coverage. So now when my kid turns 16 and wants to drive the car around, I just stick my BlackBerry in the car and have it pump out updates to a website that understands the tracklog file (I don't believe it can do this now but my kid is only 2.5 years old so they've got 13.5 years to get their act together). Does anyone believe this isn't going to happen in 5 years? Kids everywhere are going to be devastated. When is the first transmission blocking phone going to come online? Anyway, you can read more about MobileTracker and check out a cool demo on YouTube.com. MobileTracker is available for $24.99.
Bored? Try wattpad.com 22 May, 2007, 12:39 am
I honestly can't imagine that you're bored if you have a BlackBerry since you probably don't stop receiving emails, but in case you're all caught up with your email (just as unlikely), you should head on over to wattpad.com and download their BlackBerry client to start reading and sharing stories via your mobile. The site and software is free of charge.
vCardMaster from S4BB 22 May, 2007, 12:33 am
The guys over at S4BB have released yet another program for your BlackBerry. This one is called vCardMaster and it is a program to attach vCard, vCalendar and iCalendar files to a mail. You can purchase it from their website for $19.99.
Mologogo Public Beta for Blackberry 8800 22 May, 2007, 12:27 am
Noah from Mologogo is looking to get some beta testers for the new version of Mologogo (a free service that will track you and your friends using GPS). If you've got a BlackBerry 8800 and you use Cingular or T-Mobile, follow the directions below to get started and test it out:You can download the software over the air by using your Blackberry Internet browser to go to bb.mologogo.com. Follow the instructions on the page to download. If you are unable to download it directly to your Blackberry, you can go to bb.mologogo.com using your computer, and download a file that you can then install using the Blackberry Desktop Manager. You will also need to register at www.mologogo.com to begin using the application. Note that Mologogo uses your data connection to download maps and for posting location updates, so you need make sure that you have a data plan (preferably an unlimited one). For more information about mologogo, check out their website: http://mologogo.com/.
Documents To Go for BlackBerry 22 May, 2007, 12:20 am
Jason from DataViz wrote in a couple weeks ago about the port of Documents To Go to the BlackBerry platform. If you've been living under a BlackBerry bush for the last couple years you may not have heard about DataViz: Documents To Go will enable users of BlackBerry devices to access, view, edit and create Native Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint® files on their devices. Natively. Pretty sweet. You can read more about Documents To Go for the BlackBerry platform on their website and keep up on DataViz by reading their excellent blog 'Office Mobility Blog'.
Impatica ShowMate: PowerPoint via Bluetooth 21 May, 2007, 11:45 pm
BlackBerryBlog reader Jessica Morgan sent in the news that the Impatica ShowMate won an award for most "Innovative Wireless Device" at the CTIA 2007 show. The device is only useful for a small segment of BlackBerry users, but man is it cool. A quick poll: raise your hand if you've been in a sales presentation where the sales guys laptop didn't boot or couldn't sync up with the projector. Wait, is that all of you raising your hand? What's that? That happens in every meeting? The ShowMate is aimed at any / all of you people: it's a hardware device that attaches directly to a project and can then deliver your PowerPoint presentation from your BlackBerry device using Bluetooth, which means you can be milling about the room delivering the goods AND not have to worry about your laptop going to sleep or losing juice. You can read more about the ShowMate here or buy it now for $249.
Radio Cognos 21 May, 2007, 11:34 pm
The guys over at Cognos (business intelligence and performance management software) have started a podcast channel called Radio Cognos where they been discussing some really cool mobility related topics with some big hitters (Jim Balsillie anyone?). You can can subscribe to the show using iTunes or using your own podcatcher software. If you're not an audio kind of person, they also make the transcripts available for each episode (1, 2 and 3 so far).
Pinger... really cool 21 May, 2007, 10:23 pm
Joe from Pinger.com wrote back March (wow I'm way behind, sorry!) about some new functionality that they're offering over via Pinger.com that gives you the ability to send voice mails to anyone in your Pinger.com address book by calling pinger (858-274-6437), saying the name of your contact and then leaving a voice mail. The really cool part come next though: you can create 'groups' on pinger.com and then leave a voice mail that gets distributed to all the members of the group by saying the name of the group and then leaving your voice mail. One of the less noticed parts of this that I like is that your contacts don't live on the phone: one of the biggest pains is moving from one phone or carrier to another only to have to re-enter all your contacts and all your phone numbers. Having the phone numbers on pinger.com means you can place calls to pinger.com all day long without having to have a single number on your phone. Also, for those of you who don't actually want to talk to the person you're calling but really just want to leave a voice mail, pinger is a god send. Check out the cool demos they have on their homepage or read about some of the 'why' questions on their FAQ page.

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BBHTool gets a nice update to v2.4.9.5 23 January, 2012, 6:36 am
Lyricidal from BBH-Plus has just posted an update to his BBHTool software. This update brings a lot of great changes, especially the @BerryReview and @OpenSourceBB Show Tweets options. If you are unfamiliar with BBHTool you can read all about it here. A full set of changes and links after the break. The full change log for V2.4.9.5 of BBHTool is: - Added Install after completion to APK Converter (previously disabled) - Added Install to connected device option to Create-A-JAD - Added @BerryReview and @OpenSourceBB as Show Tweets options - Added Delete Vendor.xml button to Start tab - Added BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing shrink item - Disabled shrinking of Latin font for OS7/7.1 as it was causing reboots (won’t shrink even when checked) - Fixed Screenshots for newer devices as well as uploading and tweeting screenshots - Fixes to PlayBook tab and improved error handling - Minor skin fixes - New icon – thanks to @_Lucky45 - Optimized Screenshot uploading so BBHTool doesn’t freeze while doing so - Optimized and updated Vendor.xml removal - Updated Android SDK link - Updated shrink for Croatian (Languages) and T-Mobile Name ID You can download the public version from the BBH-Plus forums. If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: Bank of America App Gets Nice Update to v3.0.26 UPDATE: OS 4.5.0.169 Officially released By US Cellular for 8330, 8330m, 8130, 8130m, & 8830 WordPress for BlackBerry Gets v1.4.6.1 Security Update UPDATE: BlackBerry Bold 9650 OS 6.0.0.280 Found Online! Slacker Radio Gets Small Update to v4.0.765 Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by Fubaz for ©BerryReview, January 23, 2012, 8:36 am. | BBHTool gets a nice update to v2.4.9.5 | Leave a comment |
WhatsApp updated to 2.7.2330 23 January, 2012, 3:11 am
WhatsApp has just been updated to 2.7.2330, no word on a change log but it probably brings some fixes to their last release 2.7.2239. You can grab this update from AppWorld, you might have to Alt+R-S-T in My World for it to show up. Check it out and let us know what you think? If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: WhatsApp Cross Smartphone BlackBerry iPhone Messaging App WhatsApp Beta gets upgraded to v2.7.2115, Gets great new UI Show Me the Images App Updated to Support BlackBerry 7 Devices UPDATED: Tether for BlackBerry Only $24.97 Today – 50% Off! Free WeatherEye App Updated to Version 2 Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by Fubaz for ©BerryReview, January 23, 2012, 5:11 am. | WhatsApp updated to 2.7.2330 | Leave a comment |
Meet Thorsten Heins RIM’s New President and CEO on Video 22 January, 2012, 8:58 pm
Terry let me know that RIM has thrown up a video introducing their new CEO and President Thorsten Heins. As we mentioned before Thorsten used to be RIM’s COO and he seems pretty excited to take the job. He has never really been in the spotlight before so I am sure we will be learning more about him in the next few weeks. Check out the video below and meet Thorsten Heins for yourself! Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: Press Release: RIM Names Thorsten Heins the New President and CEO Mike and Jim Step Down Mike Lazaridis & Jim Balsillie Leave CEO Post – Name Thorsten Heins as CEO Free Meet the Press App Keeps You In Touch With Politics RIM Rallying the Troops at Waterloo Employee Dev Conference RIM Pushing Into China With New China Region President & Subsidiary Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, January 22, 2012, 10:58 pm. | Meet Thorsten Heins RIM’s New President and CEO on Video | Leave a comment |
Press Release: RIM Names Thorsten Heins the New President and CEO Mike and Jim Step Down 22 January, 2012, 8:00 pm
The rumors that Mike and Jim would step down as Co-CEO’s of the RIM have been floating around for the last few weeks. Today the official BlackBerry page on Facebook made it official naming Thorsten Heins the new President and CEO. Read the full release below: Research In Motion names Thorsten Heins President and CEO. Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, becomes Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of Board’s New Innovation Committee. Jim Balsillie, former Co-CEO remains a member of the Board. RIM Board Member Barbara Stymiest named the independent Board Chair. Prem Watsa, CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings, also named to Board. Conference call and webcast information to be released shortly. You can also read the full press release below or at the following link • Board Acts on Recommendation of Co-CEOs to Implement Succession Plan • Mike Lazaridis Named Vice Chair of the Board • Jim Balsillie Remains a Director • Barbara Stymiest Named Independent Board Chair • Prem Watsa Named Independent Director Waterloo, ON – The Board of Directors of BlackBerry® maker Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that, acting on the recommendation of its Co-Chief Executive Officers to implement the succession plan they previously submitted to the Board, it has unanimously named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Heins was also appointed to RIM’s Board. The Board acted after conducting its own due diligence. Both appointments are effective immediately. Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide. Mr. Heins said he looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Lazaridis, globally recognized as a technology pioneer. He said, “Mike created a whole new way of communicating and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration.” On the transition to CEO by Mr. Heins, Mr. Lazaridis said, “There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now. With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase, and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase and beyond. Jim, the Board and I all agreed that leader should be Thorsten Heins.” Jim Balsillie remains a member of the Board. “I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company,” he said. “I remain a significant shareholder and a Director and, of course, they will have my full support.” Mr. Lazaridis said that he decided to move from Co-Chair to Vice Chair of the Board in order to return the public’s focus to what is most important: “the great company we have built, its iconic products, global brand and its talented employees.” Mr. Lazaridis added, “Thorsten has demonstrated throughout his tenure at RIM that he has the right mix of leadership, relevant industry experience and skills to take the company forward. We have been impressed with his operational skills at both RIM and Siemens. I am so confident in RIM’s future that I intend to purchase an additional $50 million of the company’s shares, as permitted, in the open market.” Mr. Heins said he believes that RIM has tremendous potential. He joined RIM from Siemens Communications Group in December 2007 as Senior Vice President for Hardware Engineering and became Chief Operating Officer for Product and Sales in August 2011. “Mike and Jim took a bold step 18 months ago when RIM purchased QNX to shepherd the transformation of the BlackBerry platform for the next decade,” Mr. Heins said. “We are more confident than ever that was the right path. It is Mike and Jim’s continued unwillingness to sacrifice long-term value for short-term gain which has made RIM the great company that it is today. I share that philosophy and am very excited about the company’s future.” Mr. Heins said that RIM has a strong foundation on which to build. “We have a strong balance sheet with approximately $1.5 billion in cash at the end of the last quarter and negligible debt. We reported revenue of $5.2 billion in our last quarter, up 24% from the prior quarter, and a 35% year-to-year increase in the BlackBerry subscriber base, which is now over 75 million.” Mr. Heins said, “BlackBerry 7 has been well received. We are very excited about PlayBook 2.0 and BlackBerry 10. The reception of our products at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show was encouraging.” He continued, “RIM earned its reputation by focusing relentlessly on the customer and delivering unique mobile communications solutions. We intend to build on this heritage to expand BlackBerry’s leadership position.” Mr. Heins said that RIM has grown quickly. “As with any company that has grown as fast as we have, there have been inevitable growing pains,” he said. “We have learned from those challenges and, I believe, we have and will become a stronger company as a result. “Going forward, we will continue to focus both on short-term and long-term growth, strategic planning, a customer- and market-based product approach, and flawless execution. We are in the process of recruiting a new Chief Marketing Officer to work closely with our product and sales teams to deliver the most compelling products and services.” Barbara Stymiest, who formerly served as a member of Royal Bank of Canada’s Group Executive and has been a member of RIM’s Board since 2007, has been named the independent Board Chair. John Richardson, formerly Lead Director, will remain on the Board. Prem Watsa, Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings, also was named to the Board, expanding it to 11 members. Speaking on behalf of the Board, Ms. Stymiest said: “We believe that Thorsten is the right executive to succeed Mike and Jim. He has 27 years of telecommunications experience, including four years at RIM in senior management positions. As a Board, we have been impressed with his outstanding management skills, his leadership and his accomplishments within the company.” Ms. Stymiest also expressed the Board’s respect and admiration for Messrs. Lazaridis and Balsillie, the company they built, and the steps they have taken to position RIM for the future. “They created RIM, nurtured it, and in the process not only built an iconic brand, but literally pioneered the smartphone industry,” she said. “It is Canada’s largest tech company and one of the largest in the world.” Conference Call and Webcast A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at 8 am ET, January 23, 2012, which can be accessed by dialing 1-800-814-4859 (North America), (+1)416-644-3414 (outside North America) or through your personal computer or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet at www.rim.com/investors/events/index.shtml. A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 10 am ET by dialing (+1)416-640-1917 and entering passcode 4509630#. A replay of the webcast will be available on your personal computer or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet by clicking the link above. This replay will be available until midnight ET, February 6, 2012. About Thorsten Heins Thorsten Heins, 54, is a respected business leader with 27 years of broad experience and expertise in wireless networks and consumer electronics devices. Mr. Heins has a global reputation for his organizational and leadership skills and his ability to build successful organizations that deliver on their commitments. Prior to today’s announcement, Mr. Heins was one of RIM’s two Chief Operating Officers and, before that, Senior Vice President for the Handheld Business Unit. He played key roles in the creation of RIM’s product portfolio. Mr. Heins came to RIM in December 2007 from the industrial conglomerate Siemens AG. He joined Siemens in 1984 after graduating from the University of Hannover in his native Germany. At Siemens, Mr. Heins rose through the ranks of R&D customer service, sales and product management positions. After serving as Chief Executive Officer of various business divisions in the communication business, Mr. Heins moved to Chief Technology Officer and member of the Group Board of the Siemens Communications Group. He came to RIM after being impressed by the level of innovation displayed by founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. Mr. Heins is married with a daughter and a son. Away from RIM, he is usually outdoors bicycling, motorcycling, skiing or hiking. About Barbara Stymiest Barbara Stymiest has served as a director of RIM since March 2007. She has an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, and an FCA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. Ms. Stymiest joined Royal Bank of Canada in 2004, where she served as a member of RBC’s Group Executive, which is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company. Prior to that, she held positions as Chief Executive Officer at TSX Group Inc., Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at BMO Nesbitt Burns and Partner of Ernst & Young LLP. Ms. Stymiest is currently a Director of George Weston Limited, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Royal Ontario Museum. About Prem Watsa Prem Watsa is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a financial services holding company whose corporate objective is to achieve a high rate of return on invested capital and build long-term shareholder value, since 1985. He is also Vice President of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. since 1985. Mr. Watsa formerly served as Vice President of GW Asset Management from 1983 to 1984 and in various positions, ultimately as a Vice President, with Confederation Life Investment Counsel from 1974 to 1983. About Research In Motion Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.RIM.com or www.BlackBerry.com. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities laws, including: statements relating to the new role of RIM’s Vice Chair and its new Innovation Committee; the anticipated timing of the launches of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software and BlackBerry 10; Mr. Lazaridis’ intention to purchase additional RIM shares, as permitted, in the open market; RIM’s plans, strategies and expectations going forward; RIM’s intention to recruit a new Chief Marketing Officer; and the anticipated benefits of the Company’s efforts. The terms and phrases “will”, “continue”, “innovating”, “look forward”, “shipping”, “expected”, “entering a new phase”, “committed”, “intend”, “take the company forward”, “potential”, “transformation”, “build”, “expand”, “going forward”, “in the process” and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances, including but not limited to general economic conditions, product pricing levels and competitive intensity, supply constraints, new product introductions, RIM’s expectations regarding its business, strategy and prospects, RIM’s confidence in the cash flow generation of its business, and applicable regulatory requirements and RIM policies relating to purchases of RIM securities. Many factors could cause RIM’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks relating to RIM’s intellectual property rights; RIM’s ability to enhance current products and develop new products and services in a timely manner at competitive prices; risks related to delays in new product introductions, including the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software and BlackBerry 10; risks related to intense competition, including RIM’s ability to compete in the tablet market; RIM’s ability to manage inventory and asset risk, including its ability to manage BlackBerry PlayBook tablet sell-through programs; risks relating to network disruptions and other business interruptions, including costs, potential liabilities, lost revenue and reputational damage associated with service disruptions; RIM’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits of its cost optimization program and Cost Optimization and Resource Efficiency program; RIM’s reliance on carrier partners, third-party manufacturers, third-party network developers and suppliers, including the suppliers RIM has selected for its BlackBerry 10 smartphones; security risks and risks related to the collection, storage, transmission, use and disclosure of user and personal information; RIM’s ability to successfully maintain and enhance its brand; RIM’s reliance on key personnel; potential charges relating to the impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets on RIM’s balance sheet; RIM’s ability to expand and enhance BlackBerry App World; risks related to third party manufacturers and RIM’s ability to manage its production processes; risks related to RIM’s international operations; risks related to encryption technology; potential defects in RIM’s products; RIM’s ability to manage growth; and difficulties in forecasting RIM’s financial results, particularly over longer periods given the rapid technological changes, evolving industry standards, intense competition and short product life cycles that characterize the wireless communications industry. These risk factors and others relating to RIM are discussed in greater detail in the “Risk Factors” section of RIM’s Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F and the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section of RIM’s MD&A (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM’s forward-looking statements. RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services. If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: Mike Lazaridis & Jim Balsillie Leave CEO Post – Name Thorsten Heins as CEO Press Release! BlackBerry Apps to Harness Web’s Power RIM Press Release Previews OS 2.0 Features to be shown at CES US DOJ Press Release on AT&T T-Mobile Acquisition Lawsuit & Filing QNX Press Release: QNX to show off wicked cool Porsche Carrera concept car at CES Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview, January 22, 2012, 10:00 pm. | Press Release: RIM Names Thorsten Heins the New President and CEO Mike and Jim Step Down | 2 comments |
Mike Lazaridis & Jim Balsillie Leave CEO Post – Name Thorsten Heins as CEO 22 January, 2012, 7:54 pm
Now this is a big shakeup at RIM. The WSJ is reporting that both co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis have stepped down from their positions at RIM. That is something that a few years back would have been inconceivable. They have named Thorsten Heins, previously RIM’s COO, as the new CEO. Mike & Jim will remain directors and still have all their stock at RIM. Heins told the WSJ that he is not planning to sell RIM though may consider licensing when BlackBerry 10 launches. PS this has already been confirmed on RIM’s website We will let you know as more breaks! If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: Press Release: RIM Names Thorsten Heins the New President and CEO Mike and Jim Step Down BlackBerry DevCon 2010 Mike Lazaridis Live Post Mike Lazaridis & Jim Balsillie Statement on Steve Jobs Mike Lazaridis Dances Around Questions on BlackBerry Future Mike Lazaridis Bewildered by “Negative Sentiment” Against RIM Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, January 22, 2012, 9:54 pm. | Mike Lazaridis & Jim Balsillie Leave CEO Post – Name Thorsten Heins as CEO | One comment |
BlackBerry Bold 9790 Official OS 7.0.0.609 from Wind Mobile 22 January, 2012, 5:58 am
With the recent leaks for the BlackBerry 7 devices, the BlackBerry Bold 9790 was notably left out. Well, it does seem like its still getting some love on the OS 7.0 by Wind Mobile which has pushed out an update for it. Even though its not 7.1, its still a new OS isn’t it? Download the OS for BlackBerry 9790 from: Wind Mobile (BlackBerry) or FileFactory Mirror Warning: This OS will NOT install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above. If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry OS please start by reading this step by step guide. Don’t forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in c:program files>common files>research in motion>apploader to install it on a different carriers device. Don’t forget our usual warnings: do not download and install these updates if you don’t know what you’re doing. Incorrect procedure or just bad luck could render your BlackBerry inoperative or unstable. If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: BlackBerry Bold 9700 OS 6.0.0.615 Officially Released by WIND Mobile WIND Mobile To Launch With BlackBerry Bold 9700 in Canada Unannounced BlackBerry Bold 9790 Bellagio OS 7.0.0.258 Leaked Wind releases OS 7.0.0.474 for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 Official OS 5.0.0.509 for BlackBerry Bold 9000 Curve 8900 & 8520 Released by WIND Hellas Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by Terrence T for ©BerryReview, January 22, 2012, 7:58 am. | BlackBerry Bold 9790 Official OS 7.0.0.609 from Wind Mobile | Leave a comment |
RIM’s Official Statement on Legal Dispute with Kodak 20 January, 2012, 4:36 pm
RIM and Kodak have been at odds with each other over patent issues for quite some time. If you don’t know what I mean, you can check our extensive archive of articles on the subject. Apparently, the tech media has been covering the latest episode in this long story including a postponement of the trial. With so much bad press being written about RIM lately, it makes sense that RIM went out of their way to let us know, from an official source, that RIM did not seek the postponement. Here is the official note: RIM Statement: RIM is ready and willing to proceed to trial today but Kodak asked the court to delay the trial until August. Moreover, RIM is willing to pay for its use of valid patents–RIM pays hundreds of millions of dollars annually for patent licenses. But RIM believes that Kodak’s main patent in this dispute, the ’218, is neither valid nor infringed and RIM’s position was supported by one of the nation’s most respected patent judges, the International Trade Commission’s Chief Judge Luckern. Somehow I suspect this is not the last episode of the RIM vs. Kodak saga. If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: Kodak Loses First Patent Battle Against RIM? Will it Still Win the War? Kodak Sues RIM Over Patent for Previewing Images… What Happened to Kodak’s BlackBerry Printing App? Kodak Releases Wireless Printer – Fails To Release BlackBerry App RIM Issues Official Statement on Leaked Android App Player Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, January 20, 2012, 6:36 pm. | RIM’s Official Statement on Legal Dispute with Kodak | Leave a comment |
Free Multi Alarms Pro – Alarm Clock For BlackBerry 20 January, 2012, 3:55 pm
AFBB released a nice update to their free multi-alarm clock for BlackBerry. Since BlackBerry OS 5.0 or so you have been able to set multiple alarms through the calendar but some users prefer the simplicity of an app. That is where Multi Alarms excels. It allows you to easily setup an unlimited number of alarms and set your own tones. Feature include: NO restriction on number of Alarms/reminders created Set reminder at a certain date and define recurrences Easily snooze or dismiss an alarm In built reminder sounds Easy Enable/Disable from Space key Test Alarm functions before you set up the alarm! Browse SD card to set songs as tone. You can pick up Multi Alarms free in App World If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: TinyAlrm – A Simple Multi Alarm Application BBSmart Alarms Pro Updated – Now Supports OS 4.6 & 4.7 BBSmart Alarms Pro 50% Off Today Only – $2.49 BBSmart Alarms Pro Version 1.1 Released – Multiple Alarms MyAlarm – Multiple BlackBerry Alarms For Free! Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, January 20, 2012, 5:55 pm. | Free Multi Alarms Pro – Alarm Clock For BlackBerry | Leave a comment |
Two Apps That Play Flash Video Files (.FLV) On Your PlayBook 20 January, 2012, 1:51 pm
While the PlayBook does support Flash in the browser there is no easy way to play Flash Video Files (video files that end with .flv) on your PlayBook. These videos are usually downloaded by users from streaming video sites like YouTube so it is nice to be able to play them on the PlayBook without having to convert them. Turns out that it is pretty easy as long as you have the right app. Don let me know that there are currently two apps in App World that promise to let you play .FLV files on your PlayBook. Flash Video File PlayBook Players: MovieFlvPlayer for BlackBerry PlayBook $0.99 in App World Flash Video Player $0.99 in App World Let us know if you find another way to play Flash video on your PlayBook! If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: How to Save Flash Games on Your PlayBook & Play Them Offline Flash 10.2 Video Improvements Coming to BlackBerry PlayBook Latest RIM BlackBerry PlayBook Video Shows Off Flash in the Browser BlackBerry PlayBook Apps Can Be Extracted From Backup Files? Developer Manages to Convert Flash and AIR Apps for BlackBerry PlayBook Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, January 20, 2012, 3:51 pm. | Two Apps That Play Flash Video Files (.FLV) On Your PlayBook | Leave a comment |
ScrapBook for the PlayBook gets 2 new looks 20 January, 2012, 10:42 am
It was only a few weeks ago when ScrapBook was last updated, and the team over at RIM is still hard at it. This time they have added a couple of new themes, Shabby Chick and 8-bit. If you already have ScrapBook, just open up the Packs section within the app and you will find them there. If you don’t you can grab SrapBook for the PlayBook free from AppWorld. Source: CrackBerry If you liked this article, you might find these interesting: Free Scrapbook v2.0 Update Adds New Content & Bridge Support! TAT & RIM Explain How Scrapbook PlayBook App Came to Life Free Scrapbook PlayBook App Updated to v1.2 ScrapBook App for the Blackberry PlayBook Now Available ScrapBook For PlayBook Updated To v1.1.0.4 Unlock ANY BlackBerry for Only $9!!! @ BerryReview Unlocking Store Posted by Fubaz for ©BerryReview, January 20, 2012, 12:42 pm. | ScrapBook for the PlayBook gets 2 new looks | Leave a comment |

BBHacker

Is BBM Music DOA (Dead on Arrival?) 4 November, 2011, 2:41 pm
BlackBerry just announced BBM Music and I have to admin I am not 100% what I should think of it? Let’s take a look at the video that they have created to introduce BlackBerry music: RIM describes BBM Music like this: First, let’s clarify one misconception: with a BBM Music Premium subscription, you can access far more than 50 songs. To start your BBM Music profile, you can choose up to 50 songs from the millions in our catalog. But, that’s just the beginning! Add more music to your library by adding friends and get access to your BBM friends’ music profile songs. The more BBM friends with BBM Music Premium subscriptions you have, the more songs you can share! And the sharing goes both ways. Your BBM friends with BBM Music Premium subscriptions will have access to your profile music too, and can access it anytime. So, let’s say you have 10 BBM friends with BBM Music subscriptions, and they each have 50 songs in their music profiles. From those friends alone, plus the 50 songs you downloaded to start your profile, you could have 550 songs in no time, right on your BlackBerry® smartphone! Is it really necessary to explain a new service like this? Maybe the service is too complicated if you have to explain it like that? What do you think? Let us know in the comments what you think about the new BBM music.
Best Price for Unlocked BlackBerry Bold 9900 3 November, 2011, 3:13 pm
Are you looking for the best price for your new BlackBerry Bold 9900? Look no further. While there are many shady websites that offer special prices for the BlackBerry Bold 9900, many of them are not very serious and you can run into many problems including devices that are refurbished and not up to date. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 features a lot of improvements over existing BlackBerry smartphones, the most important features are: Technical Details : 2.8" capacitive touch display Full, wide QWERTY keyboard BlackBerry 7 OS 1.2 GHz Processor 5.0MP camera with flash 720p HD video recording capability 1230 mAH battery 768 MB RAM 8GB on-board memory Micro SD slot supports up to 32GB Dual-band Wi-Fi GPS Tri-band HSPA+, Quad-band GSM/EDGE NFC technology New Augmented Reality enabled with digital compass and accelerometer The best place to buy a new and Unlocked BlackBerry Bold 9900 is Amazon. Not only do they offer excellent customer service, they also ensure that the device is brand new and you can return it in case you are unhappy with your new smartphone.
Can AT&T rescue BlackBerry? Or is it too late? 2 November, 2011, 3:01 pm
It has taken months after the initial announcement of the latest BlackBerry models, namely the BlackBerry Bold 9900, Torch 9860 and Curve 9360, until AT&T finished testing and made them available to their customers. It has been especially late considering that Research in Motion is currently experiencing drastic drop in sales of their BlackBerry models in the United States. Ultimately the question comes up: Will the launch of new BlackBerry phones on AT&T help BlackBerry through the crisis and stop the downfall? There are certainly a lot of uncertainties and a lot of factors will influence this. But one thing is sure: Better late then never. What do you think? Will the availability of BlackBerry smartphones on AT&T stop the demise of BlackBerry? Leave a comment below!
Can AT&T rescue BlackBerry? Or is it too late? 1 November, 2011, 3:00 pm
It has taken months after the initial announcement of the latest BlackBerry models, namely the BlackBerry Bold 9900, Torch 9860 and Curve 9360, until AT&T finished testing and made them available to their customers. It has been especially late considering that Research in Motion is currently experiencing drastic drop in sales of their BlackBerry models in the United States. Ultimately the question comes up: Will the launch of new BlackBerry phones on AT&T help BlackBerry through the crisis and stop the downfall? There are certainly a lot of uncertainties and a lot of factors will influence this. But one thing is sure: Better late then never. What do you think? Will the availability of BlackBerry smartphones on AT&T stop the demise of BlackBerry? Leave a comment below!
Are you ready? BlackBerry Bold 9900 on AT&T 1 November, 2011, 2:54 pm
The long wait is over, AT&T has finished their testing and they are releasing the latest BlackBerry models this November, here is the official Press Release: AT&T Unveils Broadest 4G BlackBerry Portfolio –BlackBerry Bold 9900 and All-Touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 Smartphones Arrive for AT&T Customers on Nov. 6 –New 3G BlackBerry Curve 9360 Hits Store Shelves Nov. 20 AT&T Unveils Broadest 4G BlackBerry Portfolio — BlackBerry Bold 9900 and All-Touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 Smartphones Arrive for AT&T Customers on Nov. 6 — New 3G BlackBerry Curve 9360 Hits Store Shelves Nov. 20 DALLAS, Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Key Facts AT&T* today announced the price and availability of the BlackBerry® Bold(TM) 9900, the all-touch BlackBerry® Torch(TM) 9860 and the BlackBerry® Curve(TM) 9360. AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of the latest 4G BlackBerry smartphones, including three models – the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860, and the previously-released 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810. On AT&T’s 4G network, the three 4G smartphones are capable of speeds up to nearly four times the network speed capability of previous models. AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of BlackBerry smartphones at the best prices, ranging from $29 to $199, so customers can choose the best form factor for their needs at a great price. BlackBerry Portfolio from AT&T AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of BlackBerry® 7 -based smartphones, including three 4G models – the Bold 9900, the all-touch Torch 9860, and the previously-released Torch 9810, the first 4G BlackBerry smartphone from AT&T. All 3 4G smartphones take advantage of AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ network to deliver network speeds nearly up to four times faster than most previous 3G BlackBerry smartphones. In addition to the three 4G options, AT&T is also releasing the new BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone, which is a significant upgrade of the Curve series, and a great option for messaging-intensive and socially active consumers and business users. All the new BlackBerry smartphones from AT&T support multitasking, so customers can send and receive messages or browse the web while on a telephone call on AT&T’s mobile broadband network. They also follow global roaming standards so customers are able to enjoy international voice roaming in more than 220 countries and data roaming in more than 205 countries. The complete portfolio allows customers to choose the best BlackBerry smartphone for their needs – whether it’s the premium touch QWERTY Bold 9900, the touch/ slider QWERTY Torch 9810, the all-touch Torch 9860, or the classic QWERTY Curve 9360. AT&T offers excellent pricing across the full portfolio so customers can choose the right BlackBerry form factor at the right price. Full Suite of BlackBerry 7 Smartphones Each of the new BlackBerry smartphones features BlackBerry 7 OS, a powerful evolution of the BlackBerry software. BlackBerry 7 OS delivers speed, efficiency and UI enhancements, and introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience. BlackBerry 7 OS also includes the premium version of Documents To Go free of charge, BlackBerry® Balance to allow customers to fully experience work and personal features without compromising the IT department’s need for advanced security features, as well as voice-activated universal search, among other features. BlackBerry Bold 9900 The new, premium BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone is distinguished by its iconic Bold design and delivers best-in-class productivity for people who want the industry’s leading full QWERTY keyboard while enjoying the convenience of a touch screen. The thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever at just 10.5 mm, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 boasts 4G speeds, a brilliant 2.8-inch touch screen, 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics(TM) technology, which delivers a highly responsive touch interface with incredibly fast and smooth graphics, 768 MB RAM, 8GB of onboard memory (that you can expand to a total of 40 GB with a 32 GB media card), HD video recording and dual-band Wi-Fi®. BlackBerry Torch 9860 The BlackBerry Torch 9860 smartphone is AT&T’s first all-touch BlackBerry smartphone and delivers the largest screen on any BlackBerry. The 3.7-inch display makes your photos, videos, games and apps come to life in incredible detail for a rich multimedia experience. Similar to the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the all-touch Torch BlackBerry smartphone also boasts 4G speeds, a 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics technology, 768 MB RAM, and HD video recording. BlackBerry Curve 9360 The new BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone is slim, stylish and ergonomically designed with a comfortable keyboard for fast, accurate typing and an optical trackpad for easy, one-handed navigation. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 features a 2.44-inch hi-resolution display and includes a 5MP camera with flash and video recording so that memories can be captured and instantly shared on social networks. Customers will welcome the increased productivity and enhanced user experience delivered by the faster processor, increased memory, and up to 2x the network speed of previous BlackBerry Curve models from AT&T. A non-camera version will also be available for purchase. Price and Availability The BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be available starting November 6 for $199.99 with a two-year contract online and in company-owned retail stores. The all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available online the same day for $99.99 with a two-year contract. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available for $29.99 with a two-year contract starting November 20 in company-owned retail stores and online. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available to business and government customers on November 14 while the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available in those channels starting November 7. Quotes "Our BlackBerry enthusiasts will welcome these three new BlackBerry smartphones to AT&T’s premium smartphone lineup – the new BlackBerry Bold 9900, all-touch Torch 9860 and Curve 9360," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "From new and improved versions of BlackBerry classics to AT&T’s first-all touch BlackBerry smartphone as well as 4G models, our leading suite of BlackBerry smartphones has something for everyone – government, business and everyday consumers – at the best prices available in the market." *AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. 4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Not available everywhere. Deployment ongoing. Compatible device and data plan required. Learn more at att.com/network. Important Information: Limited-time offer. Coverage not available in all areas. Two year agreement with qualifying voice plan and a minimum $15 a month smartphone data plan required. Smartphone data plan requirements differ for CRU customers. Subscriber must live and have a mailing address within AT&T’s owned wireless network coverage area. Up to $36 activation fee applies. Equipment price and availability may vary by market and may not be available from independent retailers. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days, but up to $35 restocking fee may apply to returns; thereafter up to $325. Some agents impose additional fees. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See contract for details. Sales tax calculated based on price of unactivated equipment. International Roaming: Activation of international service may be required. International roaming apply outside the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S.V.I. Visit att.com/worldpackages and select Packages to view rates and available discount plans. Restrictions apply. Coverage, service and features while roaming are not guaranteed. International roaming pay-per-use rates apply in countries outside the roam zone.
BlackBerry BBX: What we know so far 24 October, 2011, 7:35 am
The Blackberry BBX operating system is the newest operating system that Blackberry has devised. It was accidentally leaked during a car enthusiast show in Japan in early October 2011. Not much else is known at this time. The operating system name could change between now and the time it is actually released. Another rumored name for this operating system is the Blackberry X. Many people are concerned that because some information was leaked about this new system, Blackberry may prematurely release it to the public. In the past, Blackberry has done this with other operating systems; this caused many blips, bugs, and other user frustrations. Blackberry is a popular phone brand; its operating system rivals the Apple iPhone and the phones that sport the Android operating system. Blackberry is loved by people the world over; the leak of the Blackberry BBX has excited many people. It is rumored that the first Blackberry phone will be named the Colt. This phone could be released as early as the beginning of 2012. Rumored to be in the first quarter, many Blackberry fans are gearing up and hoping not to be disappointed. Blackberry traditionally has innovative phones, from its messenger phones to its smart phones. When smart phones were originally developed, Blackberry was one of the first companies on the scene. The company takes pride in their innovative products and fantastic customer service. Whether it is a phone issue or a network issue, it can quickly and easily be resolved. Some of its products are available on a limited amount of no contract phone plan companies as well as the contract ones. Blackberry offers their phones in a wide variety of colors to appeal to the styles and preferences of its vast audience. The company also offers many different options for accessories. Car chargers, screen protectors, hard shell cases, traditional phone cases, snap on cases and silicone skin cases are just a few accessories this company offers to complete your phone. While not a whole lot of information is known about the Blackberry BBX yet, more information is bound to become available within the next couple of months. Many Blackberry fans are eagerly waiting for any other information that may become available.
Hack a BlackBerry: All you need to know about BlackBerry Security 21 October, 2011, 7:30 am
The Blackberry is a very powerful smartphone that can handle a large amount of personal and business information. Blackberry users might hear about celebrity’s phones being hacked and wonder if they also are at risk of having personal information like photos and phone numbers being stolen or uploaded to the internet. The facts are that the BlackBerry is one of the most secure devices in the world and are basically impossible for someone to use special tools or technology to “hack” into the phone. One feature of the blackberry system that makes it so secure is known as end-to-end encryption. When the blackberry sends a request for email messages or any other application data, the data to and from the application server is encrypted the entire time it is traveling across networks. In order to read the data being sent two and from the blackberry, what needed a encryption key that is only stored on the application server, or the blackberry itself. Without either of those keys, data being sent and received by the blackberry is unreadable. The system is so secure that it is even approved been approved by NATO for the transmission of data all the way up to NATO RESTRICTED classification. Because of the security and encrypted nature of the system, there is no reason to worry that someone will break into a blackberry by hacking into device remotely. Where people but themselves at risk are when they inadvertently allow people into their system through a tactic known as social engineering. Social engineering is essentially when a malicious party tricks the victim into allowing them to have access to a system. Though it is a very popular method to gain entry into systems used by hackers, it has essentially nothing to do with technology and everything to do with psychological manipulation. One example of social engineering in action is when an attacker simply calls random numbers claiming to be from technical support. After enough calls, eventually the attacker will come across someone with a legitimate technical problem and glad that someone is finally getting back to help them. All the attacker needs to do is tell the user to run some commands that supposedly will help fix whatever the problem is, but in reality, they are turning off the security to their system and letting the attacker gain access. Another method is known as phishing where an attacker will send an email to a user claiming to be from a legitimate business such as a bank and request “verification” by having the user enter some personal information like a pin number or password. If the user falls for it, the attacker now has personal information that they can use to gain access to private data. When it comes to securing your blackberry, all it comes down to is being protective about your personal information and passwords and not giving them out to anybody for any reason. Because of the blackberry’s encryption system, this is really the only way someone can get unauthorized access. So in order to prevent from somebody hacking your blackberry, don’t worry about somebody doing this in the background. The risk is much higher that somebody will do it through social engineering.
BB Outage 2011: Get your Free BlackBerry Apps NOW! 20 October, 2011, 11:52 am
Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced today that a selection of premium apps worth a total value of more than US $100 will be offered free of charge to subscribers as an expression of appreciation for their patience during the recent service disruptions. The apps will be made available to customers over the coming weeks on BlackBerry® App World™ and will continue to be available until December 31, 2011.* “Our global network supports the communications needs of more than 70 million customers,” said RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis. “We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers. We’ve worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we’re committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future.” The complete selection of premium apps will become available to download at BlackBerry App World over a period of four weeks beginning Wednesday, October 19th. The selections over this period will include the following (with more to come): • SIMS 3 – Electronic Arts • Bejeweled – Electronic Arts • N.O.V.A. – Gameloft • Texas Hold’em Poker 2 – Gameloft • Bubble Bash 2 – Gameloft • Photo Editor Ultimate – Ice Cold Apps • DriveSafe.ly Pro – iSpeech.org • iSpeech Translator Pro – iSpeech.org • Drive Safe.ly Enterprise – iSpeech.org • Nobex Radio™ Premium – Nobex • Shazam Encore – Shazam • Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant – Vlingo RIM’s enterprise customers will also be offered one month of free Technical Support. Current customers will be offered a complimentary one month extension of their existing Technical Support contract, and customers who do not currently have a Technical Support contract will be offered a one month trial of RIM’s BlackBerry Technical Support Services – Enhanced Support, free of charge. Additional details about the program and information about how to register will be available at www.blackberry.com/enterpriseoffer. “We are grateful to our loyal BlackBerry customers for their patience,” added Lazaridis. “We have apologized to our customers and we will work tirelessly to restore their confidence. We are taking immediate and aggressive steps to help prevent something like this from happening again.”
All you need to know about BlackBerry BBX 19 October, 2011, 11:55 am
Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today unveiled BlackBerry BBX, its next generation mobile platform that takes the best of the BlackBerry® platform and the best of the QNX® platform to connect people, devices, content and services. In addition, RIM announced a series of developer tool updates, including WebWorks for BlackBerry smartphones and tablets, the Native SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook and a developer beta of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 with support for running Android applications. RIM also provided direction for developers on how to best develop and monetize their BlackBerry applications for today and for the future. "With nearly 5 million BlackBerry apps downloaded daily, our customers have made BlackBerry one of the most profitable platforms for developers," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM. "At DevCon today, we’re giving developers the tools they need to build richer applications and we’re providing direction on how to best develop their smartphone and tablet apps as the BlackBerry and QNX platforms converge into our next generation BBX platform." BlackBerry BBX BBX is the next generation platform for BlackBerry smartphones and tablets. It combines the best of BlackBerry and the best of QNX and is designed from the ground up to enable the powerful real-time mobile experiences that distinguish BlackBerry products and services. The BBX platform will include BBX-OS, and will support BlackBerry cloud services and development environments for both HTML5 and native developers. BBX will also support applications developed using any of the tools available today for the BlackBerry PlayBook – including Native SDK, Adobe AIR/Flash and WebWorks/HTML5, as well as the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps – on future BBX-based tablets and smartphones. BBX will also include the new BlackBerry Cascades UI Framework for advanced graphics (shown for the first time today), and bring “Super App” capabilities to enable many advanced capabilities including deep integration between apps, always-on Push services, the BBM™ Social Platform, and much more. BlackBerry WebWorks Developers who want to support both existing smartphones (running BlackBerry 6 and BlackBerry 7 OS) and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets can monetize apps on both platforms today with BlackBerry WebWorks, which supports apps built on HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. The latest release, BlackBerry WebWorks SDK 2.2 (supporting both smartphones and tablets), is now available and includes updates for the new PlayBook OS SDK, PlayBook Simulator and more. The BlackBerry WebWorks APIs are supported by the Ripple Emulator, a standalone, high-fidelity browser-like emulation tool that allows developers to test and debug their applications on multiple platforms and devices without having to compile or launch simulators. Starting today the Ripple Emulator is available in beta and can also be downloaded from RIM’s WebWorks Developer site at: http://developer.blackberry.com/html5 Native SDK – Content Rich, Fast and Smooth Running Applications RIM also announced today the immediate availability of the Native SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook (1.0 gold release). The Native SDK allows developers to build high-performance, multi-threaded, native C/C++ applications and enables developers to create advanced 2D and 3D games and other apps with access to OpenGL ES 2.0 and Open AL, as well as device specific APIs. Applications developed with the Native SDK will run today on the BlackBerry PlayBook and will be forwardly compatible on BBX-based tablets and smartphones. The Native SDK includes support for C/C++ POSIX library and compliance, device events like gesture swipes and touch screen inputs, access to code management systems using industry standard Eclipse CDT (C/C++ Development Tools) and advanced debug and analysis tools. QNX Momentics Tool Suite, an Eclipse-based integrated development environment, is included. It provides memory profiling, application debugging, and memory usage statistics to help developers debug sophisticated programs, including hardware accelerated OpenGL applications. The Native SDK makes the development and porting of game applications to the BlackBerry PlayBook an extremely attractive proposition for developers. Well known game publishers, developers and major game engine companies have already started to bring their game titles and applications to the platform. Scoreloop, the largest and fastest growing cross-platform social gaming ecosystem on mobile, is now available in beta for the Native SDK through BlackBerry® Beta Zone. The Scoreloop SDK provides everything a developer needs to easily integrate social capabilities into their native PlayBook applications and includes support for Leaderboards, Game Challenges, Awards & Achievements, and Player Profiles. Scoreloop’s fully customizable and cross-platform technology empowers developers to add as many or as few features as they want, from a simple leader-board to more extensive player achievements. It makes mobile games more social and profitable. BlackBerry Cascades – Create Visually Stunning Interfaces RIM today showcased BlackBerry Cascades, a rich user interface framework coming to a future release of the Native SDK. Cascades unleashes a new breed of design centric mobile applications and provides developers with an exceptional feature set for creating visually stunning interfaces with custom layouts, animations, effects and 3D graphics. These features, combined with a strong set of built-in core user interface components, will make it easy to build beautiful native applications with innovative user interfaces for the current BlackBerry PlayBook and future BBX-based tablets and smartphones. Cascades is scheduled to be made available in beta later this fall. Adobe AIR 3.0 Support Adobe Flash enables developers to produce visually stunning, highly functional applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook that can integrate with the underlying OS and will be supported on future BBX-based tablets and smartphones. The BlackBerry PlayBook now supports the recently announced Adobe AIR 3.0 runtime. Among the supported features are Encrypted Local Store that gives developers the ability to use the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to encrypt and securely store sensitive information on the device, as well as store passwords, keys or credit card information safely within the app; StageText that allows developers to take advantage of native text controls and the native interaction behaviors of those controls; Multitouch and Gestures built into applications to provide great usability; and more. PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta RIM introduced today the Developer Beta version of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. The Developer Beta includes the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the BlackBerry Plug-In for Android Development Tools (ADT), allowing developers to quickly and easily bring Android applications to BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. The BlackBerry Plug-In for ADT (an Eclipse plug-in) extends a developer’s existing Eclipse Android development environment to support the PlayBook, and includes the BlackBerry PlayBook Simulator for developers to test and debug their apps before submitting them to BlackBerry App World™. Developers can also test and debug their apps on a PlayBook running the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta. Android developers can also repackage Android apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook online by using the BlackBerry Packager for Android Apps. The web tool guides developers through a step-by-step process, allowing them to test their apps for compatibility with the PlayBook, and repackage and sign their apps for submission to BlackBerry App World, all without downloading any tools. BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the associated tools allow Android developers to easily expand their market to include BlackBerry PlayBook users, and hence increase their apps’ market potential. The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta also supports Adobe Air 3.0 and Adobe Flash 11, as well as WebGL, a new web technology that brings hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the browser without installing additional software. Developers will be able to generate rich, interactive 3D graphics within their BlackBerry WebWorks application. For more information about the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta and BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and associated tools, visit For more information about the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta and BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and associated tools, visit: https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/android/bpaa/ Increased Developer Productivity with Open Source Libraries on the BlackBerry PlayBook OS RIM also announced the BlackBerry Open Source Initiative to port popular Open Source libraries to the BlackBerry PlayBook platform. Libraries already available include physics engines like Bullet Physics and Box2DX, scripting languages like Lua, multimedia libraries like OpenAL and SDL, gaming frameworks like Cocos2DX and general-purpose libraries like Boost and Qt. Also available under an Open Source license are a range of code samples that developers can use to get started quickly, as well as GamePlay, a new 3D native gaming framework. RIM will continue to expand its involvement in the Open Source community to help increase developer productivity on the BlackBerry platforms. For more details on RIM’s Open Source activities, visit http://blackberry.github.com.
BlackBerry Battery Hacks: Improve your Battery Life 19 October, 2011, 7:18 am
BlackBerry smartphones are among the most energy efficient smartphones and even when you use them heavily for phone calls, email or web browsing you can use them a very long time before you have to charge them again. Here is a list of BlackBerry Batter Hacks that will help you to improve the battery life of your BlackBerry smartphone. Amazon Special Offers on BlackBerry Replacement Batteries 1. Turn off your radio when there is no signal available As your phone is searching for signal, there is large amount of battery being wasted, especially when you’re underground, in a subway or a basement, your phone is continually searching for signal. So the best thing to do, is turning off your radio. This can easily be done by going to Applications, Manage Connections, and then uncheck the Mobile Network box. 2. Turn off Bluetooth Alot of people have bluetooth headsets, and most of them are drivers. So when those drivers are not talking, all they simply have to do is disconnect bluetooth from the Manage Connections menu. But when you get a call, all you have to do is just turn it back on. 3. Turn off WiFi Like the first one, you don’t always want to search for WiFi all the time, so all you have to do is uncheck the box, but only if you know if theres WiFi around you. 4. Change your backlight options The default screen backlight is set to 100, making the timeout to 30 seconds. So all you have to do is change it to 50. But if you think you have patience, change the backlight timeout to 20 or 10, it may be annoying though. You can also change the auto dimmer on to save a little bit. 5. Change your ringer/notifications It is very obvious that a vibrating phone wastes alot of battery, which is no different for the BlackBerry. The volume of your ringer plays a big role in your battery. So just choose a ringer, but then set the volume low, but able to hear. 6. Close Applications If you just hit "END" to exit out of programs, or any website that automatically reloads, means the app is still running, just not on the screen. It pulls data from your connection making it more slow and battery draining. 7. Holster While your BlackBerry is in the holster, the backlight is automatically turned off, which can save alot of battery. 8. Additional Battery Although this is the only tip that involves money, it is the easiest way. All you have to do is buy an extended battery, which the most expensive one is $49.95 Amazon Special Offers on BlackBerry Replacement Batteries

BBGeeks

Keep your BBM covert with Peep It 23 January, 2012, 5:30 am
It’s both a blessing and a burden. One of BBM’s greatest and most touted features is its message status. While many SMS systems let you know when your message has been delivered, they don’t notify you of whether the recipient has actually seen it. BBM takes care of that handily. Yet that’s not always the way we want it. Sometimes I read a message and really wish I hadn’t opened it. It means the sender knows I saw it, which means I have to acknowledge it, whether immediately via BBM or in the future, face-to-face. Thankfully, Epic Applications feels our pain. They’ve come up with an app that will prevent that R from showing up, even after you read a message. Titled Peep It, the app is pretty straight forward. It peeps into your BBM, allowing you to read messages without sending the read receipt. If you want to respond — or if you’re nice and want your buddy to know that you did, in fact, see the message — you can launch BBM right from the app. The app is in beta, so it might be a little buggy at this point. If you download it, please provide feedback to Epic Applications. It will allow them to improve the app and get it ready for prime time. I’m not sure if this is something that RIM would approve for App World, but that’s no big deal. After all, this isn’t Apple or anything. The Peep It download is over the air, so point your BlackBerry browser to http://wyka.co/peepitbeta. After you use it, make sure to visit the CrackBerry Forums post to provide feedback. This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Keep your BBM covert with Peep It This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Keep your BBM covert with Peep It
BBGeekcast: January 20, 2012 – Episode 170 20 January, 2012, 2:02 pm
The RIM rumors just will not stop. It makes me think we’re going to be reading them, in some form or another, from now until the end of time. Either that, or when RIM completely turns around the company. But we have more sales rumors this week. We also have some actual BlackBerry rumors as well. So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (11 min, 00 sec) And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes! You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes. Highlights include: Could RIM sell the company? It seems unlikely, but you never know. If the price is right, I’m sure they’ll consider anything. But we’re talking about possibly selling divisions. I take a look at the possibilities. New PlayBooks in 2012? It seems as though software is a bit more important at this juncture, but that apparently won’t stop RIM. They’re looking at at least one new PlayBook model, perhaps released relatively soon. This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.BBGeekcast: January 20, 2012 – Episode 170 This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.BBGeekcast: January 20, 2012 – Episode 170
Sale to Samsung? New PlayBooks? The Week in BlackBerry 20 January, 2012, 5:30 am
It has been quite a confusing time for Research In Motion. They are clearly a company in transition. Not only are they working furiously on BlackBerry 10 smartphones, but they’re going through major changes. As we’ve learned in the past few weeks, they’re looking at a new chairman of the board, and they’re reportedly looking to license the BlackBerry 10 operating system. This week brings us more rumors. One will have BlackBerry fans salivating. The other might make them retch. A sale to Samsung? When we heard the report that RIM was looking to license the BlackBerry 10 operating system, we did see Samsung on the list of potential buyers. That makes enough sense. Samsung is as ensconced as anyone in the smartphone industry, but they’re almost completely reliant on Android. Licensing BlackBerry 10 could give them alternatives, so they’re not married to just one brand. Yet this week’s news could have bigger implications. A BGR exclusive claims that RIM has explored the idea of selling the company, specifically to Samsung. This isn’t necessarily a sale of the entire company, but perhaps only divisions. In any case, it takes the previous rumors to a whole new level. It also asks the obvious question, what does Samsung want with RIM, anyway? It really depends on which unit, or units, RIM seeks to sell. If they outright sell the software to Samsung, then Samsung could turn it around and use it to augment Android, creating a hybrid it could call its own. If its hardware or service, well, Samsung could be getting into an entirely new portion of the market. In either case, it makes for a number of interesting scenarios. BlackBerry fans needn’t worry, though. Samsung subsequently denied any interest in RIM. Says spokesman James Chung (via Reuters: “We haven’t considered acquiring the firm and are not interested in (buying RIM.” So there goes that. New PlayBooks on the horizon? When it comes to the PlayBook, the main focus is on the 2.0 operating system, which should hit sometime in February. (Make sure to check out CrackBerry’s hands on.) But after that, there’s a problem. By that point Apple might have already announced the iPad 3. At Mobile World Congress we’ll surely hear of more Android tablets. Anyone thinking about the PlayBook will also have to think: why buy a year-old tablet? That might not be an issue. According to a report on N4BB, RIM could release two new PlayBooks in 2012. They speculate that a new seven-inch tablet, which would have to contain considerable hardware upgrades over the original, is slated for an April, 2012 release. That will not be an LTE device, but it could have a 3G radio. Then, in December, we could see a 10-inch PlayBook with an LTE chip. By that point I’d also hope that the PlayBook OS gets a considerable overhaul as well. That’s pretty big news, especially considering the issues RIM encountered with the original PlayBook. It seems that they’re not discouraged, and are quite confident in their new operating system. So it does appear we’ll have something to look forward to in the first half of 2012. This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Sale to Samsung? New PlayBooks? The Week in BlackBerry This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Sale to Samsung? New PlayBooks? The Week in BlackBerry
Silicone cases for your BlackBerry 19 January, 2012, 5:30 am
After years of trying out dozens of BlackBerry cases, I had finally come to a conclusion: comfort was more important than protection. Every case I’d tried had one big drawback: it made the BlackBerry too bulky to comfortably fit in my pocket. People warned me that I was looking for trouble, that going case-less was a surefire way to kill my BlackBerry. While it never came to that — the only BlackBerry I actually destroyed met its fate in a water-related accident — their warnings did take a toll. Finally I decided to go with the minimum possible case, a silicone skin. Let’s take a look at a few options for those. When I think silicone skin, I think of the cases you see to your right. They’re there mostly for colorful decoration and not protection. Drop your BlackBerry from waist high, and it might as well not even be there. But at least your broken BlackBerry will look pretty! While having a different color BlackBerry was tempting for three, maybe four seconds, it was never a realistic option. I needed something a bit more heavy duty, but still using only silicone. As usual, OtterBox comes through here. While their Defender series cases are too bulky for all but the heaviest duty users, their Commuter series offers something a bit thinner. Yet even those felt a bit uncomfortable. Apparently they realized this, and they came out with an even more bare-bones case. The Impact series features silicone with none of the hard plastic protection. Yet it the silicone is relatively thick and can absorb plenty of shock. It appears we have found a winner. The Impact series case basically combines everything I like in a smartphone case. It’s ultra thin, so it sits nicely in my pocket. But at the same time, it’s thick enough to protect against some drops. I wouldn’t send it down a flight of stairs, as I wanted to with the Defender series, but I wouldn’t freak out if I dropped the cased BlackBerry on asphalt. And it’s cheap, to boot. That completely sold me on the usability of the Impact series case. Here’s a list of Impact series cases available via Amazon: Bold 9900/9930: $10.82 Torch 9850/9860: $9.90 Curve 85xx and 9300/9330: $10.67 Curve 9350/9360: $11.19 This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Silicone cases for your BlackBerry This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Silicone cases for your BlackBerry
Text2mbox lets you back up your SMS 18 January, 2012, 5:30 am
While BlackBerry users prefer to communicate via BBM, we’re still stuck with regular old text messaging when communicating with non-BlackBerry users. The thing with SMS is that it’s fickle. Your device automatically deletes SMS by default. You can change this by going to Messages – Options – Message Display and Actions and changing Days To Keep Messages to Forever. But that can cause storage issues, especially in older BlackBerry models. If you’d rather your device continue wiping messages but still retain a backup, the Txt2mbox app can come in quite handy. The biggest catch with the app is that it requires a webmail address with IMAP. Gmail fits this bill perfectly. At very worst, you can create a dummy Gmail account that just stores your SMS backups. (Just like you can use a dummy Gmail account to filter spam.) The app automatically syncs with your IMAP account, storing all of your text messages, both sent and received. Even better, it stores sent messages in your sent folder and received messages in your main inbox. With growing on-board storage for BlackBerry devices, you can reasonably store messages indefinitely. Older models, with as little as 64MB of internal storage, absolutely require frequent cleaning. But even with newer devices, it can pay to keep deleting old messages. After all, when it comes to email you still have the option of searching on the server. With text messages, however, that’s not an option. An app such as Text2mbox helps you keep those backed up, no matter how you choose to store messages on your BlackBerry. You can get Txt2mbox at App World for $2.99. Even better, you can get a free trial to see if you like it. Hat tip BerryReview. This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Text2mbox lets you back up your SMS This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Text2mbox lets you back up your SMS
Tips for Tuesday: Turn off Facebook notifications 17 January, 2012, 5:30 am
For all the flak RIM gets about its software, they’ve done a very good job with their own suite of apps. This includes Twitter, BlackBerry Travel, and more — you can check out RIM’s entire suite of apps at App World. But one app that stands out is Facebook. With all the hubbub about Android and iPhone doing software better, the BlackBerry Facebook app stacks up well with its peers. It not only has an easy to navigate interface, but it also integrates well with the BlackBerry notification system. Only, the notifications can sometimes be too much. Sometimes we need to scale back. Here’s how to get rid of some of those notifications. As expected, these will be in the Facebook app. Hit the BlackBerry button, and select Options. You’ll have a decent list of options for integrating with messages and contacts. Those are better saved for another day, though. We’re looking for the notifications. You know, the pings and bells that go off every time someone comments on something you commented on, and the Facebook logo that goes into your notifications bar. To find this you’ll scroll down and see a check box for Facebook notifications. Simple enough, eh? Uncheck it, and you’ll no longer see the logo in your notifications bar, nor will you hear the sound for every alert. From here you can also turn off email notifications, something I did years ago. I can’t recommend it highly enough. (Note, this will not remove any existing Facebook notifications in your notifications bar.) If you want to continue receiving notifications, but don’t want to hear the sound any more — it has woken me up a couple of times — you can go into your profiles to change it. On OS 6 and 7, that’s Options, Sounds and Ring Tones, Sounds for Selected Profile, and then Other Applications – Notifiers. You can change your Facebook notification settings there. This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Tips for Tuesday: Turn off Facebook notifications This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Tips for Tuesday: Turn off Facebook notifications
Clean up your address book with Contacts Cleaner 16 January, 2012, 5:30 am
How big is your BlackBerry address book? The larger it gets, the more chances you have for duplicate entries. There really is nothing worse than that. Type in someone’s name in an address field and you might get six different results, each one with a different email address. And then there’s the issue of one contact card having the person’s phone number, while the other has an email. (Or worse, each one containing a different phone number.) With all the ways to import new contacts to your BlackBerry, it’s pretty easy to get to this point. If you need to clean up your address book, check out the app Contacts Cleaner. The benefit and burden of Contacts Cleaner is that it works automatically. That is, you just click the button and it does all the work for you, without any prompts. Any duplicate entries get merged into one, so you have an effortlessly clean address book. This is in so many ways better than contact cleaning apps that prompt you at every duplicate. If you have a large address book it can be more trouble than it’s worth. Of course, because it’s automatic there are some drawbacks. For instance, it tries to match based on first and last name. If it doesn’t find an exact match it might not merge. At the same time, it can mistakenly merge unrelated contacts. If you have 15 Ericas in your contacts list, it might not know which one is which. And you might get Erica B merged with Erica C, because you didn’t specify which was which on your contacts list. Still, the app is just a buck, and it’s gotten rave reviews on App World — even considering the merging issues. You can get Contacts Cleaner here. This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Clean up your address book with Contacts Cleaner This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Clean up your address book with Contacts Cleaner
See you at CES 2013, BlackBerry fans 13 January, 2012, 5:30 am
It might not seem right, but that picture above depict’s RIM’s presence at CES 2012. At trade shows in the past RIM has come full force. I remember my first such experience, at CTIA 2008, and RIM’s presence was front and center. They had an enormous booth that everyone could see when they walked onto the exhibit floor. Every BlackBerry model was on display, and there were reps there to talk about anything — except the BlackBerry Bold, of course. Times have changed, clearly. RIM did have a few things to announce, but they didn’t need much of a presence at an American electronics trade show. So while I agree when Roberto Baldwin of Gizmodo says that the booth makes him sad, I totally disagree when he implores them to do more. This just isn’t the time for RIM. But that should change soon enough. RIM did, of course, show off the PlayBook OS 2.0. It’s everything we thought it would be, and perhaps a little more. It would have been a little less had we not already known that it would not contain BBM for non-bridged devices. Here’s a quick video, courtesy of Inside BlackBerry. That’s basically what they set out to accomplish. Beyond that, they looked at BlackBerry OS 7.1, which adds a mobile hotspot option (which, if you have a tethering plan, is super awesome), and NFC payment options. Those are three pretty modest goals, and it appears that RIM delivered on those fronts. But they made no illusions of some big announcement or some development we hadn’t yet heard. Coming in with a big booth would have set up that type of illusion. It would have been bright lights and displays and booth babes, and it would have absolutely drawn in people. But the people those features would attract wouldn’t be impressed by what BlackBerry was demonstrating. And so they laid low, did what they had to do, and moved on. I, for one, commend them for it. Next year, however, we should see an enormous RIM presence. Not only will they have BlackBerry 10 devices by then, but they might have BlackBerry 10 devices made by other manufacturers. If they have new devices from LG and Samsung, then they can combine presentations for an even bigger presence. Then we’ll see the booth babes, the brightly lit displays, and the people willing to answer any question. And it will be glorious. For now, though, the minimal appearance more than suffices. It’s clear that RIM is biding its time. We can only hope that the strategy pays off. This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.See you at CES 2013, BlackBerry fans This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.See you at CES 2013, BlackBerry fans
Keeping your BlackBerry steady with a tripod or kickstand 12 January, 2012, 5:30 am
Have you ever been in a situation where you need your BlackBerry propped up? As our smartphones take the places of other gadgets, we need this function more and more. Watching video on your BlackBerry? It sure would be nice to have something holding it up, so you don’t have to hold it up yourself or watch on a flat surface. Taking a picture? A tripod would be nice to hold the picture steady (and give you time to get into it). There are a number of BlackBerry tripods and kickstands on the market, and to our pleasure they’re pretty cheap. Here are a few to our liking. If you have a BlackBerry 9900 or 9930, you actually already have a kickstand. At CrackBerry they show how to use the battery cover as a kickstand. It’s not the most reliable — I always envision it falling — but it is an option. Otherwise, check out these. I really dig the Dobi Design tripod. It’s a universal fit, so you don’t have to worry about finding the right one for your device — as you would with a BlackBerry car mount. Instead it uses a clamp, which is a pretty reasonable solution. Just open it up, slide in your BlackBerry — in landscape mode — and you’re set. It’s great for watching videos. It’s even good for taking pictures and video, since the camera isn’t covered by the tripod. The biggest issue is that it’s not good for any QWERTY BlackBerry, since they don’t flip into landscape mode. That will make for some awkward video watching. YOu can get the Dobi Design tripod for $7.99. There are a couple of other options, too. The telescoping tripod works in both landscape and portrait modes, but the clamp is a bit flimsier than the Doby Designs model. There’s also an adjustable tripod, but many reviews state that it doesn’t fit certain phones. Buyer beware on those two. For a kickstand, it’s best to go with the simplest model. The iKross tripod fits that need. It’s a universal stand, so it will fit basically any BlackBerry. Then again, basically any kickstand should be universal, since all they do is prop up the phone. This one has a place for the BlackBerry to rest, both on the bottom and the back. You might not want to snap photos, since the camera will be angled downward. But it’s good for watching videos on a QWERTY BlackBerry. Really, a kickstand would make a lot more sense if there was a BlackBerry with a front-facing camera. These are best used when video chatting. You can get the iKross kickstand for $11.99. Not satisfied with that? You can always get a BlackBerry kickstand case. Though I wouldn’t recommend it from personal experience. The focus on the kickstand, from what I’ve seen, takes away from the case’s overall quality. This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Keeping your BlackBerry steady with a tripod or kickstand This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Keeping your BlackBerry steady with a tripod or kickstand
Get organized with Groovy Notes for the PlayBook 11 January, 2012, 5:30 am
Your BlackBerry PlayBook has the potential to be much more than a personal entertainment device. In fact, I wrote a post last year detailing exactly that. It can be a great business tool as well as an entertainment device. Just stock it with the right apps and you’re well on your way to having a useful and productive tablet PC. One must-have app is currently in the featured section of App World. It’s called Groovy Notes, and it makes your BlackBerry PlayBook look like a genuine notebook. The look is actually one of the reasons I love the app. Sure, the binder style is nothing but a visual effect, but it’s pleasing in a familiar way. It lets me know that it’s time for business. And business is good with Groovy Notes. On the right side of the page you’ll see the place where you record your notes. This can be in normal note format, or you can choose to make an audio recording. One thing I’ve wanted from my BlackBerry smartphone is the ability to integrate my text and audio notes. That’s one of Groovy Notes’s main features. The left side of the page contains other useful information, such as to-dos and calendar events. In that way, Groovy Notes is like your old fashioned daily planner. It has all of those elements, only it takes advantage of the PlayBook’s digital nature. No more flipping back to the calendar when you need to check something; it’s right on the same page as your notes. You can get Groovy Notes in App World for $4.99. This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Get organized with Groovy Notes for the PlayBook This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.Get organized with Groovy Notes for the PlayBook

Blackberrycool

Wmode Spins Off AppCarousel Business to Help Carriers and Developers With App Marketing 20 January, 2012, 1:41 pm
There’s an increasing need for innovative marketing solutions for mobile apps as the number of these apps increases and discoverability decreases. The answer to marketing apps effectively is far beyond traditional marketing such as advertising and traditional media outreach. Marketing apps has to come from good technology and implementation. AppCarousel is an interesting marketing approach because it takes the success of carousel features and gives that experience to carriers, brands and developers that want a better way to showcase their apps. Here is the promo video for AppCarousel from YouTube (mobile viewing at this link). Terry Hughes, the Managing Director of AppCarousel and a contributor to BlackBerryCool, explains the product: Video found at this link. We’re looking forward to seeing more from AppCarousel, specifically in terms of features that would differentiate it from the carousel’s we currently see in the market (eg the one in App World). App World itself has categories built into the carousel which is a great feature that AppCarousel could take. AppCarousel’s ability to jump between carousel’s is something RIM could also implement. For example, it would be interesting to see RIM implement carousels for every category. Sort of like a feature within a feature. Check out AppCarousel.com and see if a carousel is a good fit for your company/products. © Kyle for BlackBerry Cool, 2012
Powertrekk – Charge Your BlackBerry With Water 20 January, 2012, 8:53 am
One of Lisa and my favorite pieces of technology spotted at CES was tucked away in the Venetian. Though most of the action during the show is found at the Las Vegas Convention Center, you can find the obscure and sometimes scrappier start-ups in the neighboring hotel ballrooms. Powertrekk is a charger that uses a “PowerPukk” which holds a sodium silicate. As the water passes through the pukk, it produces a hydrogen gas. The gas then passes through a membrane, producing electricity to fuel the internal 1500 mAh battery and power your device via the USB port. Each pukk will fuel the internal 1500 mAh battery about two times. Video after the jump! YouTube link for mobile viewing. More info at Powertrekk Want to follow us on Twitter? Lisa Nan © nan for BlackBerry Cool, 2012
Cosmos Theme From Magmic Free For a Limited Time 20 January, 2012, 6:01 am
For a limited time, Magmic’s Cosmos theme is free on BlackBerry App World. The price can roll back at any time, so check it out soon. Cosmos also has OS7 support for those of you who picked up new devices over the holidays. Click here to download the free theme . © BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2012
Encourage Your City Councillors and Government to Make Data Open 19 January, 2012, 6:38 am
Open Data is important because it releases tax payer funded data to those that pay for it, allowing passionate developers and citizens to make better use of the data. The City of Ottawa, Canada, is dealing with a publicly funded transportation chief that won’t release data to the tax payers funding them. In this case, the GPS data broadcasted by busses in Ottawa is being held hostage by the transportation bureaucracy, and your city could face something similar. The tax payer funded OC Transpo doesn’t want to release live information on where its buses are because it doesn’t trust outsiders to use the data intelligently and releasing it could harm prospects for making money around the data. This argument is ridiculous since the private sector and passionate developers will come up with much better apps than OC Transpo ever could. Also, it’s more cost effective in the long run to have this outsourced to other developers. It doesn’t make sense to have a publicly-funded mobile department within your public transportation. Support your local Open Data group. Check out the Open Data site for the Government of Canada. Here is the US Government’s Open Data site. Read more about the OC Transpo issue at this link. © Kyle for BlackBerry Cool, 2012
Nobex Radio Now Features Tight BBM Integration For Social Listening 19 January, 2012, 5:15 am
Nobex Radio has released a new version with quite a few internal improvements. The app now lets you deal with more stream types (more stations) as well as an improved UI and BBM integration. With BBM Social, Nobex provides you with a much more social listening experience. When a user listens to a station, they can click the social button and either invite their friends to download or, invite them to listen to the same station with them. The friends then receive a notification in BBM that they were invited, and when they click it, Nobex Radio launches (or is downloaded if it’s not there), and starts playing the exact same station. When the friends join, the Nobex Radio screen changes to include a chat window within the application, allowing everyone who joined the session to chat. And to make it even more fun, and start some friendly battles, anyone on the session can pick another station, and switch everyone else to that station. With this new feature you can be in completely different places and still have a joint listening experience with your friends. Download the latest version of Nobex at this link. © Kyle for BlackBerry Cool, 2012
3D Puzzle Game TalLee Perfect Sphere Combines Sudoku and Rubik’s Cube 18 January, 2012, 6:22 am
We recently received an email from Michal of Nobex Radio regarding a new game he’s working on called TalLee Perfect Spehere. The game is a combination of Sudoku and Rubik’s Cube and is available for the PlayBook. It’s great to see a developer that made great apps for the legacy BlackBerry OS show commitment to the BlackBerry 10 platform. We’ve said it before, but getting games on PlayBook now is a good way to future-proof an app. TalLee Perfect Sphere is a 3D game that fans of puzzle games will surely enjoy. The game is currently free but may jump in price in a few weeks. Download the free game for your PlayBook from App World at this link. Watch a demo at this YouTube link. © BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2012
LinkedIn’s Touch Optimized Mobile Website is the Company’s Future 18 January, 2012, 5:48 am
It has been a long time since LinkedIn announced anything for BlackBerry. Considering RIM’s client base in enterprise, you would think BlackBerry would be a priority. The last time we wrote about an update to the LinkedIn app for BlackBerry, was when it supported OS 6 over a year ago. We haven’t seen much from LinkedIn in terms of native apps, but the touch-optimized website seems like the company’s foreseeable future for the platform. Come BlackBerry 10, LinkedIn will be integrated with the platform in features such as the Unified Inbox in the PlayBook OS 2. Until then, it seems the touch site is the future for the company’s mobile strategy and it’s not bad. The LinkedIn native apps were never much good and the site works much better now on OS 7 then the app ever did on OS 6. Hit the touch-optimized site at touch.www.linkedin.com. © BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2012
Using Apps to Help Microfinance Political Campaigns and Charities 18 January, 2012, 5:48 am
There’s an interesting trend in the mobile industry right now of using apps to microfinance political campaigns and charitable donations. The idea is that you launch an app that gets your message and donation button in front of as many mobile eyeballs as possible. Mobile is a great market for conspicuous consumption and apps are a good way to tap into the market. So how do you best campaign on mobile, raise awareness and solicit donations? If you’re looking to build an app to microfinance a charitable cause or political campaign, here are some tips: 1. Make it free – Raising awareness requires you get the app in front of as many eyeballs as possible. Making the app free lowers all barriers to entry and lets you circulate the app as much as possible. If you’re a developer that is looking to get the costs of the app covered, find other ways to monetize the application such as in-app advertising or white labeling it to a charity/campaign. 2. Donations must be verifiable and efficient – On BlackBerry, there are several apps out there that are raising money for charities. Many of them are themes promising to donate the profits or a percentage of sales to the cause. The problem with these apps, is that the donations aren’t verifiable and the definition of “profit” is relative. Also, these apps are not exempt from the manufacturer’s 30% cut so the money is very inefficient. The BBC Children in Need theme is a good example of how to create a charitable theme, as it simply provided a link to the donate page. S4BB uses a service called Mobile Giving to ensure the funds are properly donated through the application. Funds are donated via SMS messages to the appropriate charity and S4BB just created the pipe. The Help Haiti Now app by S4BB can be downloaded in App World at this link. Before you donate, you should also do some research yourself into the charity and make sure it’s efficient with its donations. For example, Wyclef Jean’s charity Yele only gave less than a third of its donations to relief efforts and $1 million was paid to a Florida firm that doesn’t seem to exist. 3. Keep the user engaged – Polar Mobile made an app for WWF Canada and it does a great job of connecting the user with the cause. The app provides news feeds such as media releases, blog posts, and Twitter. By updating someone and keeping them informed, you’re more likely to receive donations. You can download the WWF Canada app for your smartphone at this link. 4. Make it social – Social is a good way to spread word about your app virally. By including links to a facebook page, twitter account and updating them frequently, you’re giving your userbase a chance to share the message. Social is also a good way to aggressively tap into networks. Presidential candidate Rick Perry uses a rewards platform called CALYP to leverage the social networks of its users. There are other ways of tapping social networks, such as integrating with facebook’s Open Graph. The platform has worked very well with digital content, and could work for charities or political campaigns as well. An incredibly convoluted explanation of CALYP (YouTube link). 5. Make sure it’s approved – Apple has a policy against apps that raise donations but you can get around this by taking the donation out of the app onto a website. It should be clear to the smartphone manufacturer and the user that the money is going through a verified and trusted source. If you’re taking donations with in-app payments, you could see your app denied from iTunes. If you’ve got any tips of your own, feel free to share. © Kyle for BlackBerry Cool, 2012
BerryMover Migrates Your Data from BlackBerry to iPhone 17 January, 2012, 11:18 pm
PocketMac, the company known for its desktop syncing utility for Mac, has launched an app to help BlackBerry users migrate to iPhone. This new app gives BlackBerry switchers the power to move over their contacts, calendars, tasks, notes, text messages and emails. BerryMover works by having the user upload their most current and complete BlackBerry backup file to their iPhone, and then run BerryMover. It will grab every contact, calendar, task, note, text message and anything else you need on your iPhone. This is a YouTube demo of the app. You can download BerryMover from the app store at this link. © BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2012
My App Makr Creates Personal Brand Marketing Apps 17 January, 2012, 11:04 pm
My App Makr is a service you may have noticed if you’ve recently taken a look at the “Newest Apps” section recently. The company provides a web service where you create a smartphone app for your personal brand and then deploy it to the app stores for others to download. It’s a free service and while it’s geared towards minor celebrities and web personalities, it would surely work for things like real-estate. We have seen many realtors submit a branded app to App World. YouTube video about the service. When creating your app, the online service gives you a very limited amount of options and the app it seems to produce doesn’t look the best. Once you’ve completed the app, you get a message saying the company will be in touch. We’ve yet to receive a reply but we can update this article when it happens. The idea of leaving app creation in the hands of the users is great. JoeMobi has done an empeccable job of making app creation for a WordPress blog very easy. Hopefully App Makr can improve the service a little and make the business viable. Try My App for yourself at this link myappmakr.com. This service is not to be confused with App Makr that does something similar for iPhone. © BlackBerry Cool for BlackBerry Cool, 2012

BlackberryRocks

Press Release: Research In Motion Names Thorsten Heins President And CEO 22 January, 2012, 8:45 pm
Big news coming out of Waterloo this evening! Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepped down as Co-CEOs at RIM, naming Thorsten Heins the new President and CEO. Here’s some biographical info about Thorsten: Thorsten Heins was named President and Chief Executive Officer at Research In Motion in January 2012. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer, Product Engineering, overseeing the BlackBerry smartphone portfolio world-wide. Prior to joining RIM in 2007, Thorsten held several positions in the wireless arena including the Chief Technology Officer of Siemens’ Communications Division and several general management positions in Hardware and Software businesses. Thorsten holds a master’s degree in Science and Physics from the University of Hannover in Germany. Thorsten also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Inc. Here’s a summary of the press release and changes to the Board: Board Acts on Recommendation of Co-CEOs to Implement Succession Plan Mike Lazaridis Named Vice Chair of the Board Jim Balsillie Remains a Director Barbara Stymiest Named Independent Board Chair Prem Watsa Named Independent Director For more info check out the full press release below or tune into RIM’s webcast tomorrow morning at 8AM ET! Press Release Waterloo, ON – The Board of Directors of BlackBerry® maker Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that, acting on the recommendation of its Co-Chief Executive Officers to implement the succession plan they previously submitted to the Board, it has unanimously named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Heins was also appointed to RIM’s Board. The Board acted after conducting its own due diligence. Both appointments are effective immediately. Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide. Mr. Heins said he looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Lazaridis, globally recognized as a technology pioneer. He said, “Mike created a whole new way of communicating and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration.” On the transition to CEO by Mr. Heins, Mr. Lazaridis said, “There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now. With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase, and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase and beyond. Jim, the Board and I all agreed that leader should be Thorsten Heins.” Jim Balsillie remains a member of the Board. “I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company,” he said. “I remain a significant shareholder and a Director and, of course, they will have my full support.” Mr. Lazaridis said that he decided to move from Co-Chair to Vice Chair of the Board in order to return the public’s focus to what is most important: “the great company we have built, its iconic products, global brand and its talented employees.” Mr. Lazaridis added, “Thorsten has demonstrated throughout his tenure at RIM that he has the right mix of leadership, relevant industry experience and skills to take the company forward. We have been impressed with his operational skills at both RIM and Siemens. I am so confident in RIM’s future that I intend to purchase an additional $50 million of the company’s shares, as permitted, in the open market.” Mr. Heins said he believes that RIM has tremendous potential. He joined RIM from Siemens Communications Group in December 2007 as Senior Vice President for Hardware Engineering and became Chief Operating Officer for Product and Sales in August 2011. “Mike and Jim took a bold step 18 months ago when RIM purchased QNX to shepherd the transformation of the BlackBerry platform for the next decade,” Mr. Heins said. “We are more confident than ever that was the right path. It is Mike and Jim’s continued unwillingness to sacrifice long-term value for short-term gain which has made RIM the great company that it is today. I share that philosophy and am very excited about the company’s future.” Mr. Heins said that RIM has a strong foundation on which to build. “We have a strong balance sheet with approximately $1.5 billion in cash at the end of the last quarter and negligible debt. We reported revenue of $5.2 billion in our last quarter, up 24% from the prior quarter, and a 35% year-to-year increase in the BlackBerry subscriber base, which is now over 75 million.” Mr. Heins said, “BlackBerry 7 has been well received. We are very excited about PlayBook 2.0 and BlackBerry 10. The reception of our products at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show was encouraging.” He continued, “RIM earned its reputation by focusing relentlessly on the customer and delivering unique mobile communications solutions. We intend to build on this heritage to expand BlackBerry’s leadership position.” Mr. Heins said that RIM has grown quickly. “As with any company that has grown as fast as we have, there have been inevitable growing pains,” he said. “We have learned from those challenges and, I believe, we have and will become a stronger company as a result. “Going forward, we will continue to focus both on short-term and long-term growth, strategic planning, a customer- and market-based product approach, and flawless execution. We are in the process of recruiting a new Chief Marketing Officer to work closely with our product and sales teams to deliver the most compelling products and services.” Barbara Stymiest, who formerly served as a member of Royal Bank of Canada’s Group Executive and has been a member of RIM’s Board since 2007, has been named the independent Board Chair. John Richardson, formerly Lead Director, will remain on the Board. Prem Watsa, Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings, also was named to the Board, expanding it to 11 members. Speaking on behalf of the Board, Ms. Stymiest said: “We believe that Thorsten is the right executive to succeed Mike and Jim. He has 27 years of telecommunications experience, including four years at RIM in senior management positions. As a Board, we have been impressed with his outstanding management skills, his leadership and his accomplishments within the company.” Ms. Stymiest also expressed the Board’s respect and admiration for Messrs. Lazaridis and Balsillie, the company they built, and the steps they have taken to position RIM for the future. “They created RIM, nurtured it, and in the process not only built an iconic brand, but literally pioneered the smartphone industry,” she said. “It is Canada’s largest tech company and one of the largest in the world.” Conference Call and Webcast A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at 8 am ET, January 23, 2012, which can be accessed by dialing 1-800-814-4859 (North America), (+1)416-644-3414 (outside North America) or through your personal computer or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet at www.rim.com/investors/events/index.shtml. A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 10 am ET by dialing (+1)416-640-1917 and entering passcode 4509630#. A replay of the webcast will be available on your personal computer or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet by clicking the link above. This replay will be available until midnight ET, February 6, 2012. About Thorsten Heins Thorsten Heins, 54, is a respected business leader with 27 years of broad experience and expertise in wireless networks and consumer electronics devices. Mr. Heins has a global reputation for his organizational and leadership skills and his ability to build successful organizations that deliver on their commitments. Prior to today’s announcement, Mr. Heins was one of RIM’s two Chief Operating Officers and, before that, Senior Vice President for the Handheld Business Unit. He played key roles in the creation of RIM’s product portfolio. Mr. Heins came to RIM in December 2007 from the industrial conglomerate Siemens AG. He joined Siemens in 1984 after graduating from the University of Hannover in his native Germany. At Siemens, Mr. Heins rose through the ranks of R&D customer service, sales and product management positions. After serving as Chief Executive Officer of various business divisions in the communication business, Mr. Heins moved to Chief Technology Officer and member of the Group Board of the Siemens Communications Group. He came to RIM after being impressed by the level of innovation displayed by founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. Mr. Heins is married with a daughter and a son. Away from RIM, he is usually outdoors bicycling, motorcycling, skiing or hiking. About Barbara Stymiest Barbara Stymiest has served as a director of RIM since March 2007. She has an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, and an FCA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. Ms. Stymiest joined Royal Bank of Canada in 2004, where she served as a member of RBC’s Group Executive, which is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company. Prior to that, she held positions as Chief Executive Officer at TSX Group Inc., Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at BMO Nesbitt Burns and Partner of Ernst & Young LLP. Ms. Stymiest is currently a Director of George Weston Limited, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Royal Ontario Museum. About Prem Watsa Prem Watsa is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a financial services holding company whose corporate objective is to achieve a high rate of return on invested capital and build long-term shareholder value, since 1985. He is also Vice President of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. since 1985. Mr. Watsa formerly served as Vice President of GW Asset Management from 1983 to 1984 and in various positions, ultimately as a Vice President, with Confederation Life Investment Counsel from 1974 to 1983. About Research In Motion Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.RIM.com or www.BlackBerry.com. This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Press Release: Research In Motion Names Thorsten Heins President And CEO
Developers: RIM Releases BlackBerry Native SDK 2.0 Beta 3 For Tablet OS 19 January, 2012, 9:49 am
RIM today released Beta 3 of the Native SDK for Tablet OS on the BlackBerry PlayBook. This update brings a few goodies like additions and improvements to tooling, APIs and developer documentation. Here’s a breakdown of the changes: Tooling enhancements: A new easy-to-use Add Library Wizard, which is designed to simplify the process of adding library dependencies to a project Improved navigation and workflow in the Deployment Setup Wizard Enhancements to the BAR file editor to view localized manifests for each locale API improvements: BPS services can now use channels as chosen by the application for multi-threaded messaging Scoreloop social gaming APIs Documentation updates: A new “Hello Native SDK” tutorial provides a walkthrough of the OpenGL ES 1.1 Application Project template that comes with the QNX® Momentics® IDE A new “Displaying a dialog” recipe instructs users how to display dialogs on the screen and handle dialog events For more info and to download the Native SDK 2.0 Beta 3 click here or read more at the Inside BlackBerry Developer’s Blog. This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Developers: RIM Releases BlackBerry Native SDK 2.0 Beta 3 For Tablet OS
Leaked OS 7.1.0.205 For The BlackBerry Bold 9900 19 January, 2012, 7:03 am
Download via FileServe: OS 7.1.0.205 for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 How To: Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS) Please report any feedback/findings in the comments or in the forums. DISCLAIMER: Install at your own risk. This is Leaked/Beta software that is not guaranteed to be stable, and therefore will not be supported by RIM or your wireless carrier should you run into some problems. As a precaution, if you decide to upgrade, it is highly recommended that you make a backup before using this software. If you are not comfortable using Leaked/Beta software you should probably wait for the next official release. * via N4BB This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Leaked OS 7.1.0.205 For The BlackBerry Bold 9900
Leaked OS 7.1.0.205 For The BlackBerry Torch 9860 19 January, 2012, 6:57 am
Download via FileServe: OS 7.1.0.205 for the BlackBerry Torch 9810 How To: Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS) Please report any feedback/findings in the comments or in the forums. DISCLAIMER: Install at your own risk. This is Leaked/Beta software that is not guaranteed to be stable, and therefore will not be supported by RIM or your wireless carrier should you run into some problems. As a precaution, if you decide to upgrade, it is highly recommended that you make a backup before using this software. If you are not comfortable using Leaked/Beta software you should probably wait for the next official release. * via N4BB This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Leaked OS 7.1.0.205 For The BlackBerry Torch 9860
Leaked OS 7.1.0.205 For The BlackBerry Torch 9810 19 January, 2012, 6:52 am
Download via FileServe: OS 7.1.0.205 for the BlackBerry Torch 9810 How To: Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS) Please report any feedback/findings in the comments or in the forums. DISCLAIMER: Install at your own risk. This is Leaked/Beta software that is not guaranteed to be stable, and therefore will not be supported by RIM or your wireless carrier should you run into some problems. As a precaution, if you decide to upgrade, it is highly recommended that you make a backup before using this software. If you are not comfortable using Leaked/Beta software you should probably wait for the next official release. * via N4BB This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Leaked OS 7.1.0.205 For The BlackBerry Torch 9810
Official OS 7.0.0.598 For The BlackBerry Torch 9860 From Claro Brasil 17 January, 2012, 7:24 am
Software para BlackBerry® Torch™ 9860 smartphone BlackBerry Handheld Software v7.0.0.2435 (Multilanguage) Package Version: 7.0.0.2435 Consisting of: Applications: 7.0.0.598 Software Platform: 5.0.0.743 File name: 9860M_PBr7.0.0_rel2435_PL5.0.0.743_A7.0.0.598_AMX___Claro_Brasil.exe File size: 228.25MB Note: The Software Platform and Applications version numbers can be found under Options-About screen on the handheld. Download: OS 7.0.0.598 for the BlackBerry Torch 9860 from Claro Brasil How To: Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS) Please report any feedback/findings in the comments or in the forums. REMEMBER: It is recommended that you make a backup before attempting to upgrade your BlackBerry just in case something goes wrong during the upgrade process. * This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Official OS 7.0.0.598 For The BlackBerry Torch 9860 From Claro Brasil
Official OS 7.0.0.598 For The BlackBerry Torch 9810 From Claro Guatemala 17 January, 2012, 7:21 am
Software For BlackBerry® Torch™ 9810 smartphone BlackBerry Handheld Software v7.0.0.2435 (Multilanguage) Package Version: 7.0.0.2435 Consisting of: Applications: 7.0.0.598 Software Platform: 5.0.0.743 File name: 9810M_PBr7.0.0_rel2435_PL5.0.0.743_A7.0.0.598_Claro_Guatemala.exe File size: 223.79MB Note: The Software Platform and Applications version numbers can be found under Options-About screen on the handheld. Download: OS 7.0.0.598 for the BlackBerry Torch 9810 from Claro Guatemala How To: Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS) Please report any feedback/findings in the comments or in the forums. REMEMBER: It is recommended that you make a backup before attempting to upgrade your BlackBerry just in case something goes wrong during the upgrade process. * This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Official OS 7.0.0.598 For The BlackBerry Torch 9810 From Claro Guatemala
Official OS 7.0.0.579 For The BlackBerry Curve 9350 From TATA INDICOM CDMA 17 January, 2012, 7:15 am
Software For BlackBerry® Curve™ 9350 smartphone BlackBerry Handheld Software v7.0.0.2395 (Multilangauge) Package Version: 7.0.0.2395 Consisting of: Applications: 7.0.0.579 Software Platform: 5.0.0.735 File name: 9350_9370jAllLang_PBr7.0.0_rel2395_PL5.0.0.735_A7.0.0.579_TATA_INDICOM___CDMA.exe File size: 238.86MB Note: The Software Platform and Applications version numbers can be found under Options-About screen on the handheld. Download: OS 7.0.0.579 for the BlackBerry Curve 9350 from TATA INDICOM CDMA How To: Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS) Please report any feedback/findings in the comments or in the forums. REMEMBER: It is recommended that you make a backup before attempting to upgrade your BlackBerry just in case something goes wrong during the upgrade process. * This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Official OS 7.0.0.579 For The BlackBerry Curve 9350 From TATA INDICOM CDMA
Official OS 7.1.0.163 For The BlackBerry Torch 9850 & Bold 9930 From Verizon Wireless 12 January, 2012, 9:14 am
Although this OS was already released for the Torch 9850 and Bold 9930 by Sprint, Verizon Wireless customers can also grab the official BlackBerry 7.1 OS from their own carrier. Download: OS 7.1.0.163 for the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and Bold 9930 from Verizon Wireless How To: Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS) Please report any feedback/findings in the comments or in the forums. REMEMBER: It is recommended that you make a backup before attempting to upgrade your BlackBerry just in case something goes wrong during the upgrade process. * This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Official OS 7.1.0.163 For The BlackBerry Torch 9850 & Bold 9930 From Verizon Wireless
Leaked OS 7.1.0.190 For The BlackBerry Curve 9360 12 January, 2012, 6:51 am
Download via FileServe: OS 7.1.0.190 for the BlackBerry Curve 9360 How To: Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS) Please report any feedback/findings in the comments or in the forums. DISCLAIMER: Install at your own risk. This is Leaked/Beta software that is not guaranteed to be stable, and therefore will not be supported by RIM or your wireless carrier should you run into some problems. As a precaution, if you decide to upgrade, it is highly recommended that you make a backup before using this software. If you are not comfortable using Leaked/Beta software you should probably wait for the next official release. * via N4BB This post originated from BlackBerryRocks.com and is sponsored by the BBRocks! Store. Free Mobile App Store download at bbrocks.com/superstore. Full blog post: Leaked OS 7.1.0.190 For The BlackBerry Curve 9360

Crackberry Blog

CrackBerry Live: RIM Conference Call w/ new CEO Thorsten Heins followed by CrackBerry Podcast! 23 January, 2012, 5:52 am
Live: 8:00am EST / 9:00am PST Monday, January 23rd, 2012 CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. CrackBerry Live: RIM Conference Call w/ new CEO Thorsten Heins followed by CrackBerry Podcast!
Thorsten Heins, new CEO, talks about the future of RIM and BlackBerry 22 January, 2012, 10:42 pm
RIM introduced their new CEO, Thorsten Heins, in a video tonight, and he had some interesting things to say about the future of BlackBerry. Here are some of the key takeaways. Heins starts off by talking about how grateful he is for the opportunity. He says RIM's "journey isn't over yet", and sees BlackBerry being among the top 3 wireless players worldwide if they keep doing what they're doing, and they do it well. This is a view shared by RIM's new chair of the board, Barbara Stymiest, and might not be what shareholders want to hear - at least the ones who have been clamouring for dramatic change at the company, and not just a leadership shuffle. read moreCrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Thorsten Heins, new CEO, talks about the future of RIM and BlackBerry
Join us Monday at 8am EST for the RIM Conference Call followed by Live CrackBerry Podcast! 22 January, 2012, 10:28 pm
Following the announcement that Thorsten Heins is replacing Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis has the CEO of Research In Motion, the company will be holding a conference call at 8am EST on Monday to discuss the changes. We'll be firing things up here on the CrackBerry homepage with our Live Video Podcasting setup so you can tune in for the call right here, and from there we'll move into a CrackBerry Podcast to discuss all the changes. Don't forget to set your alarm and we'll see you back here at 8am EST Sharp! read moreCrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Join us Monday at 8am EST for the RIM Conference Call followed by Live CrackBerry Podcast!
Weighing in on Research In Motion's new CEO, Thorsten Heins 22 January, 2012, 10:01 pm
Tonight, both CrackBerry Nation and Wall Street have some pretty exciting news to mull over. Mike and Jim have stepped down as Co-CEOs, and the board has acted on their suggested succession path by naming Thorsten Heins as the new CEO. Not only is Thorsten the youngest looking 54 year old I've ever met, but he's still pretty darn close to being fresh blood in my books. Personally, I'm excited to see this much-needed change happen. Of all the internal candidates to choose from, Thorsten is the best guy for the job. Replacing a CEO with a complete outsider is usually the best way to shake up a company, but it also comes with big risks. An outsider won't understand the corporate culture, for example. And he'd need a lot of time to ramp up on all of the various projects going on within the company. read moreCrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Weighing in on Research In Motion's new CEO, Thorsten Heins
Exclusive Video: RIM's New CEO Thorsten Heins talks his coolest BlackBerry moment! 22 January, 2012, 9:33 pm
[ youtube video link for mobile viewing ] With RIM having a new CEO in Thorsten Heins, it's time to get to know the man. If you have 7 minutes, be sure to check out this indepth interview introducing Thorsten Heins where he talks a lot of BlackBerry. But if you have only 30 seconds, be sure to check out the video above we obtained exclusively where Thorsten talks about his coolest BlackBerry moment. Exciting times!!! CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Exclusive Video: RIM's New CEO Thorsten Heins talks his coolest BlackBerry moment!
Video: Meet Thorsten Heins the new president and CEO of Research In Motion 22 January, 2012, 9:07 pm
[youtube link for mobile viewing] RIM just posted this video of their new President and CEO, Thorsten Heins. You might have heard the news earlier tonight. CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Video: Meet Thorsten Heins the new president and CEO of Research In Motion
Thorsten Heins' first official phone call as CEO of Research In Motion goes to... CrackBerry Kevin! 22 January, 2012, 7:59 pm
left: Thorsten Heins, New #1 BlackBerry CEO; right: CrackBerry Kevin, Forever #1 BlackBerry Fanboy No BS.... at 9:36pm EST tonight, just minutes after the news became official that Thorsten Heins was appointed the new CEO of Research In Motion, my Bold 9900 rang with an incoming call from a 519 area code. Knowing 519 = Waterloo, I answered (good thing!), and within seconds was put through to none other than Thorsten Heins himself... "Hi Kevin. I know you've been wanting this position for a while now, so I just wanted to let you know the news personally that I'm the new CEO of RIM..." Seriously. I don't think I've ever quite felt so honored and completely speechless/stunned in my life, and in this case both happened at the same time. Thorsten and I spoke for a couple of minutes - I congratulated him and expressed my enthusiasm over the news. As you can imagine, he's in a whirlwind right now, so for him to take the time to reach out means a lot. And in talking to him it's clear that he is excited to lead Research In Motion and is as passionate about BlackBerry as I am. He also expressed his appreciation for our enthusiasam over BlackBerry and told us to keep it up (Absolutely!!). It's hard to express just how big of a change this is for RIM. Let's put it this way. Since launching CrackBerry.com in 2007 I have been wanting to get an interview with RIM's CEOs. It has never happened. With Thorsten, it happened in literally minutes, and it was the CEO who made it happen, not the blogger. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Mike and Jim and all they have done for BlackBerry over the years, but it's clear that for BlackBerry to thrive again RIM needed a shake up, and I think Thorsten is going to do an amazing job leading the way. Questions for Thorsten: On the call Thorsten said he had time for two quick questions, but honestly, my brain was too in la la land to come up with anything quality. I'm going to connect with Thorsten again in the morning for a short interview, so if you have any questions you want answered CrackBerry Nation, let me know in the comments and I will ask RIM's CEO first thing. CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Thorsten Heins' first official phone call as CEO of Research In Motion goes to... CrackBerry Kevin!
Research In Motion CoCEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepping down 22 January, 2012, 7:23 pm
Information coming in via WSJ has RIM's CoCEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepping down. Craziness. More to come more shortly. CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Research In Motion CoCEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepping down
HuluBerry not working? CrackBerry.com has a solution! 22 January, 2012, 5:01 pm
After rooting your BlackBerry PlayBook, you'll find that DingleBerry 3.x installs a very nice little application to your PlayBook. It's called HuluBerry and allows you to watch Hulu videos from a specially-designed browser on your PlayBook. If you live outside of the US, I'm afraid your Hulu dreams are dashed for the time being. Unless you can find a US proxy that plays nice with Hulu, that is. It should be noted that HuluBerry and DingleBerry 3.1 are not compatible with the latest PlayBook beta OS 2.0.0.7111. You'll need to be running 2.0.0.6149 or earlier for HuluBerry and the root to work properly. HuluBerry is a most excellent application; but after restarting your PlayBook, you may notice that it no longer plays videos. Interestingly, it's not just the special DingleBerry-installed browser that no longer works, root access disappears as well. You notice it with HuluBerry because breaking the Hulu watching app is the most visible consequence of this. Every time your PlayBook reboots, it looses root access. Thankfully, the DingleBerry team anticipated this. To get HuluBerry working again, you'll just need to connect your PlayBook to a computer with the PlayBook in Development Mode. A custom script - startup.sh - runs whenever the PlayBook is connected to a computer and Development Mode is on. As soon as the device connects to the computer (I usually wait until I've entered the tablet's password), you can disconnect it. The process regains root access to your PlayBook and returns all that Hulu goodness to the PlayBook's 7" screen. CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. HuluBerry not working? CrackBerry.com has a solution!
AlphaWave by Hardline Studios - An HD arcade shooter for the BlackBerry PlayBook 22 January, 2012, 3:50 pm
I'm always on the lookout for new games for my BlackBerry PlayBook that aren't exactly mainstream (ie Angry Birds). Not that I have anything against Angry Birds, but it's always good to broaden your horizons. I recently discovered AlphaWave by Hardline Studios.While not a familar name, you're sure to recognize the concept. AlphaWave is a throwback to old school arcade shooters. High definition graphics and a great soundtrack give this game an update and make it more modern, and intense, fast-paced gameplay keeps you coming back for more. Survive through wave after wave of asteroids as they fall down around you, taking on different shapes and speeds. Shoot them out of the sky, and don't let them hit you, and you're on your way to victory. As you progress through the waves the gameplay gets more difficult, really challenging you to make it through. There are three different levels of difficulty to choose from, so as your skill increases you can push yourself with the harder levels. You can grab a free trial of AlphaWave, or the full version for just a buck, in BlackBerry App World. I hope the developers keep working on the game and release more levels and obstacles. As it stands I think it's worth the $.99 price tag, but I know others out there will soon be looking for more. Check it out! Download the demo version of AlphaWave Purchase the full version of AlphaWave for $.99 CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. AlphaWave by Hardline Studios - An HD arcade shooter for the BlackBerry PlayBook

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