BlackBerry / RIM phone news

A Tale of Two Tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000 and BlackBerry Playbook (2010)

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 22:14:13 +0000

The concept of a â€œtabletâ€ had been around for five years or so by September 2010, with the Nokia 770 pioneering the way with modest sales in 2005. However, the launch of the original Apple iPad in January 2010 really defined what people expected from a tablet, and the iPad rapidly went on to be a huge success. Of course, other manufacturers wanted a slice of this market and two of the earliest competitors were quite similar to each other - the Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000 and the BlackBerry PlayBook. However, neither of these could match the success of the Apple product for somewhat different reasons.

BlackBerry Curve 9300 and BlackBerry Torch 9800 (2010)

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 22:16:40 +0000

Five years ago, BlackBerry owners Research in Motion (RIM) were at their peak, with an income of almost $20 billion in the fiscal year from March 2010 to February 2011. Two handsets that formed the heart of this success are were the BlackBerry Curve 9300 and the BlackBerry Torch 9800. These two devices were very tightly focussed on messaging, and both featured the classic BlackBerry physical keyboard.

Pakistan bans BlackBerry services in privacy crackdown

Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:06:06 +0000

Telecommunication authority orders encrypted messaging and internet services to be stopped ‘for security reasons’

Pakistan has banned BlackBerry’s enterprise server and its internet and messaging services “for security reasons” in a crackdown on privacy.

Mobile phone operators were told by the Pakistan telecommunication authority on Friday that the BlackBerry services must be shut down by the start of December.

BlackBerry planning to launch Android smartphone with sliding keyboard

Fri, 12 Jun 2015 09:17:37 +0000

New smartphone would mark U-turn in company strategy as it struggles to stymie falling sales and moves to place software on iPhones and other Androids

The next BlackBerry smartphone could run Android and have a sliding physical keyboard, according to reports.

BlackBerry briefly showed off a slider device on stage at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March, but has provided little detail on it since.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100 / 9105 (2010)

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 21:38:46 +0000

Traditional BlackBerry devices have been quite wide affairs with a full-QWERTY keyboard underneath, but for several years BlackBerry also produced the "Pearl" range which looked a lot more like a standard mobile phone.

New Ford Sync 3 System Ditches Microsoft For BlackBerry’s QNX Platform

Fri, 20 Mar 2015 14:18:09 +0000

Something that is becoming more and more standard in most vehicles is an infotainment system of some kind. A few years ago, I was at an event where Ford was demonstrating a few of their vehicles with the Mircosoft Sync system. I was very impressed with what it had to offer and the way the interface appeared to work. So much so, that I purchased two new Ford vehicles within the next year.

After a few years now, I am not as impressed with the system. The are constant lags, and there never seem to be any updates for the system software. I know I have complained on more than one occasion that the system was flawed.

It appears that Ford has listened, or maybe this is something they have been working on for years anyway. Ford has announced that starting with 2016 year models, vehicles will now be running Sync 3 which will be powered by BlackBerry’s QNX software. I can surely say this is a very welcome upgrade to the vehicle’s infotainment systems. It does not appear that older vehicles will be able to upgrade, which really sucks for me.

According to Ford:

Although SYNC 3 is optimized for hands-free use, an all-new touch screen delivers an experience similar to a smartphone or tablet.

Quicker response to touch as well as voice commands and smartphone-like gestures including pinch-to-zoom and swipe are central to SYNC 3, along with crisp, modern graphics.

For more information on the new Sync 3 system, please see the Ford press release below.

Source: Ford

BlackBerry left on the line as UK users continue to hang up

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:01:06 +0000

Mobile phone maker’s non-business market will slump below 1 million this year, according to two research firms who foresee a bleak future for the brand

BlackBerry will have fewer than 1 million users outside businesses in the UK by the end of the year, a radical slump from a peak of nearly 8 million in June 2012, according to new research from two companies.

The dramatic fall from grace of the iconic mobile phones, which were blamed for spreading unrest during the London riots of summer 2011 , follows a series of high-profile and expensive flops – first with its PlayBook tablet and then with the touchscreen Z10 phone, as it tried to catch rivals such as Samsung and Apple.

These latest figures show that even its previously loyal core seems to be leaving in droves

@O2 software upgrade... vast maj on contacts are muddled. so phone calls to husband Ian are listed as Rod. wrong email add and random job

BlackBerry boss: net neutrality means devs should have to make BB apps

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 13:12:13 +0000

John Chen has argued that the lack of a Netflix app for Blackberry phones is as bad as the typical ‘internet fast lane’ view of net neutrality

BlackBerry’s chief executive has called for net neutrality regulations to force application developers to make their apps available for his company’s platform.

John Chen, who became BlackBerry’s head in November 2013, made the request in a letter and blogpost sent to the chairmen and members of several US government committees on commerce.

BlackBerry Classic review: the phone diehards have been waiting for

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 09:50:33 +0000

BlackBerry has gone back to basics with its Classic, an update of the Bold that’s the best physical keyboard yet

The BlackBerry Classic, as the name suggests, is the Canadian firm’s return to what it does best: a business-focused smartphone with a physical keyboard.

On its announcement, BlackBerry forthrightly proclaimed that the Classic was the second coming of the Bold, a phone last updated in 2011 and the one most diehard fans still cling to.

Pros: the best physical keyboard, solid build, good universal inbox, OK camera

Cons: lack of games and entertainment apps, confused interface with Android apps, sluggish performance, heavy and thick

BlackBerry courts fans with new Classic model that looks like 2012 all over again

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:19:21 +0000

The company is returning to its roots with a new smartphone featuring a traditional keyboard at a time when rivals and most customers have fully embraced touchscreens

BlackBerry Classic goes back to the old way of doing things

BlackBerry is returning to its roots with a new smartphone called the Classic, which imitates its previous models, even to features that hark back to 2012.

The Classic, an unabashed throwback, looks like everything smartphone manufacturers – including BlackBerry itself – have spent years running from. It features a traditional Qwerty keyboard for tap-happy business-class emailers. The screen, at three and a half inches, is small. The processor is a 2012 model and the memory is two gigabytes of RAM – compared to the estimated 1 gigabyte the iPhone can command.

BlackBerry Classic goes back to the old way of doing things

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:01:00 +0000

BlackBerry tries to rekindle the love of its physical keyboard with the new Classic, which is essentially an upgraded Bold from 2011

BlackBerry dug out its Bold and give it a new lick of paint in the form of the new BlackBerry Classic.

After lacklustre reception of its recent BlackBerry 10 devices, which was somewhat boosted by the square Passport that saw the physical keyboard stretched as wide as a small tablet, the Canadian company has decided to stick with what it knows its customers used to like.

Open thread: can BlackBerry Classic wean Kim Kardashian off her Bold?

Thu, 30 Oct 2014 07:30:36 +0000

New smartphone is one of today’s tech talking points, along with Oculus VR, WhatsApp, iPhones in Iran and giant robots

If you’ve sold a BlackBerry Bold smartphone on eBay recently, it might be to Kim Kardashian. “They don’t even have them in stores anymore. I buy them on eBay,” she told a conference earlier this week, explaining her love for the venerable keyboard phone.

No wonder she hasn’t unboxed her new BlackBerry Passport smartphone yet. But Kardashian isn’t alone in sticking to the Bold-era device, and the company is well aware of that trend. Here’s CEO John Chen, blogging yesterday about the next new BlackBerry smartphone.

It’s tempting in a rapidly changing, rapidly growing mobile market to change for the sake of change – to mimic what’s trendy and match the industry-standard, kitchen-sink approach of trying to be all things to all people.

But there’s also something to be said for the classic adage, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Why Kim Kardashian has a stash of BlackBerry phones

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 13:01:29 +0000

A BlackBerry Bold is Kardashian’s ‘heart and soul’ and other phones simply can’t compare, but is she the last of a dying breed?

Kim Kardashian is a self-confessed BlackBerry addict and admitting to having not one but three of the Canadian smartphones stacked up just in case one breaks.

Kardashian uses other smartphones, including an iPhone for photos, but her love of the physical keyboard keeps her tied to a BlackBerry – not the new Passport or Q20, but an old BlackBerry Bold.

@SamuelGibbs No look accurate typing. And navigational shortcuts. Never have been able to achieve touchscreen accuracy above 90%

@SamuelGibbs @alexhern I used to be able to write whole articles on the tube on the way into work; absolutely no chance of that with touch.

@SamuelGibbs Typing while walking because you can feel it. Their virtual is now almost as good for speed and errors, but it can't do that.

Will Samsung Electronics follow decline of Nokia and BlackBerry?

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 18:11:46 +0000

The travails of the smartphone maker have raised comparisons with other seemingly indomitable rivals, from BlackBerry to Nokia

• How Samsung’s slump echoes rivals’ demise

The travails of Samsung Electronics have raised comparisons with other seemingly infallible tech groups such as Nokia and Research in Motion, which has slipped into obscurity despite adopting the name of its once best-selling BlackBerry device.

Samsung slump echoes demise of rivals BlackBerry and Nokia

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 17:54:39 +0000

Smartphone maker could follow decline of former mobile phone darlings which were too slow too adapt to changing market

Samsung Electronics has reported a 60% slump in quarterly profits as the sudden decline in its mobile phone business draws comparisons with fallen rivals BlackBerry and Nokia.

Having risen in just three years to dominate the hugely lucrative global smartphone market, Samsung faces challenges on all fronts. Its flagship Galaxy S5 handset is not selling as well as last year’s model; Chinese and Indian rivals are stealing business and show no signs of stopping; and Apple is moving into its patch with large-screen premium phones.

Ten things to know about BlackBerry - and how much trouble it is (or isn't) in

Mon, 29 Sep 2014 17:08:22 +0000

Quarterly results from the embattled smartphone maker point to ongoing problems - with revenues, subscribers and per-subscriber payments all falling. Can John Chen find a successful formula?

A year ago, BlackBerry looked in peril. An attempt to sell it to Canada’s Fairfax Holdings had foundered - and there were questions about what might happen to users of its phones if the sale did go through.

Since then, a lot has happened: then chief executive Thorsten Heins was thrown out and replaced by John Chen, a turnround specialist who had previously brought Sybase back to profitability. The company has refocussed on its government and big business (“enterprise”) base.

on the sub count… we were down a little bit. I think the rate of decline has slowed. We were 50 last quarter. We’re definitely less than 10% down I would say. But in terms of the ratio, I think that 80% of that is business…

BlackBerry looks to long turnaround despite sliding sales

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 16:49:37 +0000

Revenues at Canadian smartphone maker tumble 42% from a year ago, as western consumers continue to abandon its phones

• Will ‘bendgate’ take a bite out of Apple?

BlackBerry posted a net loss of $207m (£127m) in its second quarter as it revealed that revenues are continuing to fall, just days after launching a new handset.

Revenues at the Canadian smartphone maker were $916m, down 42% from a year ago, and continuing the company’s slide from its previously dominant position when at the end of 2010 its quarterly revenues peaked at $5.6bn.

BlackBerry launches unconventional Passport smartphone

Wed, 24 Sep 2014 18:51:02 +0000

Smartphone is the size and shape of a closed passport, with a large square touchscreen as well as a keyboard

BlackBerry launched an unconventional new smartphone dubbed the Passport on Wednesday as it embarked on what may be the most critical phase of its long turnaround push.

At simultaneous events in Toronto, London and Dubai, BlackBerry showed off the device, which is the size and shape of a closed passport, with a large square touchscreen as well as a keyboard.

Shot Roulette is an awesome drinking game for BlackBerry 10

Kyle McInnes — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 20:41:25 +0000

BlackBerry is all about business these days but all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Shot Roulette is a fun game to play and unwind with your friends (up to 6 players).

Shot Roulette is played just how you think. Either you “Take a Bullet”, “Dodge a Bullet”, “Misfire” or “Send a Bullet” to a friend. The infamous “Take a Bullet” card is where the fun starts – if you draw this card it’s your turn to take a shot. If you pick up the “Dodge a Bullet” card, don’t sweat, you’re spared from this round’s shot. If you get a “Misfire” card, you can save it to dodge a future bullet! And if you’re lucky enough to get the “Send a Bullet” card, choose a friend and give ‘em a shot.

Download Shot Roulette at this BlackBerry World link.

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Bad news, BlackBerry: UK user base will fall below that of Windows Phone this year

Thu, 21 Aug 2014 16:20:29 +0000

Forecast from eMarketer says that dwindling BlackBerry users will be outnumbered by those with Microsoft’s Windows Phone – though Android and iPhone will extend lead into 2015

BlackBerry’s UK user base will fall below that of Windows Phone this year, ending its position as a stronghold for the brand in Europe, according to new data from research group eMarketer.

From a position at the end of 2013 where BlackBerry had 3.6m UK users, against 1.9m for Windows Phone and legacy Windows Mobile users, by the end of this year Blackberry will have 2.4m users - against 2.7m for Microsoft’s platform, eMarketer says.

David Cameron: I can manage the country on my BlackBerry

Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:18:35 +0000

UK prime minister confesses reliance on BlackBerry smartphone for remotely running the government while on holiday

David Cameron has confessed his reliance on his BlackBerry smartphone, despite the possibility that the company will cease making phones.

The prime minister said that he could run government remotely from his smartphone, despite being on holiday.

QNX gives a high level overview of BlackBerry’s strengths, QNX Cloud and IoT

Kyle McInnes — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 17:09:17 +0000

In a recent webinar, Steve West, Senior Director of Business Development for QNX Cloud, gave a high level case for why BlackBerry and QNX are well positioned to help facilitate the full potential of the Internet of Things.

At first glance, QNX and BlackBerry might seem like a company with a split personality. BlackBerry has been focused on enterprise, while QNX still seems to be on the consumer side of things with its infotainment systems for automotive. The combined expertise of both companies nicely intersects at the Internet of Things because it combines their relative experience with security, scalability and reliability. In fact, the vision QNX and BlackBerry have for IoT is enterprise at its core and was best showcased in a case study for the Orlando Brewing Company.

Read the full article over at Connectedly.com.

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Former BlackBerry and BlackBerryCool Editor Doug Soltys Talks IBM and Apple Deal

Kyle McInnes — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 22:02:52 +0000

So I guess you will see me in @CBCTheNational talking IBM and Apple and licking my lips too much. #chappedlips

— Douglas Tr0n Soltys (@tron) July 16, 2014

Doug Soltys is the former Editor in Chief of BlackBerryCool as well as a former employee of BlackBerry as its Blog Manager. Today, he spoke on CBC’s The National to discuss the partnership between Apple and IBM.

It’s an interesting discussion as everyone wants to know how this partnership will affect BlackBerry. While Apple doesn’t have the ultra-high security needed for government and defense, those clients may pale in significance to the clients that IBM may lure to Apple with its enterprise app offerings. Also, it’s worth noting that IBM has 430,000 employees and Apple shipped 50x what BlackBerry shipped in Q4 2013. It’s an uphill battle for sure.

Here is a link to The National’s video on the IBM and Apple deal with Doug coming in at the end.

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Classic BlackBerry App GPSLogger II Now Available On BlackBerry 10 Via Android

Kyle McInnes — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 21:10:59 +0000

Matthias Marquardt of the famed Emacberry has released a classic BlackBerry app, GPSLogger II, for BlackBerry 10 by first porting it to Android. It’s great to see the Android app play work out as some developers from the legacy OS would otherwise have been left out.

GPSLogger II is a straightforward app that tracks your physical movement over time. The app records information including your location, elevation and speed, as well as some other data. GPSLogger II is great because it’s vague enough that it can serve a myriad of purposes. If you’re an avid skier, athlete or someone into the Quantified Self, you’re bound to appreciate the simplicity and data that the app provides.

Download GPSLogger II for your BlackBerry 10 device at this link.

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The BlackBerry Music Gateway: Music At Your Fingertips

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 06:26:07 +0000

I’ve had some time to use the BlackBerry Music Gateway and I really love it. This little gadget connects via Bluetooth or NFC and plays the music through your stereo of choice. From your home little stereo to your car stereo, music is right at...

To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com

BlackBerry Messenger v7.0 Beta Update Brings BBM Voice To BBM

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:55:11 +0000

If I hadn’t had phone issues, this would have been a day sooner, so I apologize in advance for being delayed here. The BlackBerry Beta Zone released BBM v7 Beta and let’s just say it’s making us even more eager for BB10....

To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com

foursquare for BlackBerry Updates to v5.5, Now With Explore

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:37:45 +0000

I know there are several of us who love the gps check in app foursquare. It’s a fun social app that can even get you specials from local places. foursquare updated to v5.5 this Halloween and hopefully there’s more treats in this trick or...

To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com

BlackBerry PlayBook WiFi 32 GB $179 on Groupon, Hurry Now!

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 01:27:22 +0000

There’s only a few hours left on this one, and it’s a great savings! If you missed getting one or are looking for a Christmas gift, then hurry over while the next couple hours are all that is left. Let us know how it goes. Check out the...

To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com

BlackBerry PlayBook Updated to v OS 2.1.0.1088

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:39:12 +0000

RIM surprised us with a BlackBerry PlayBook update yesterday. It’s not a huge update but it’s available for download now. This update applies to the WiFi version at this time only. If you have the wifi BlackBerry PlayBook, download it...

To continue reading this full story head over to BlackBerrySync.com