Archive for the ‘BlackBerry OS’ Category
Thursday, April 12th, 2012
RIM has announced a series of updates to its popular BlackBerry apps that will make it easier for users to to keep their BBM community in the know.
BlackBerry apps for Facebook and Twitter, BlackBerry Travel and BlackBerry App World will be integrated with BBM.
BlackBerry apps for Facebook and Twitter, BlackBerry Travel and BlackBerry App World will be integrated with BBM, thus making it easier for users to share updates with their BBM groups or friends.
Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones version 3.0 is available now.
Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones version 3.0, BlackBerry Travel version 2.5, BlackBerry App World version 3.1.2 and BBM version 6.2 will be available for download over the next ten days on BlackBerry App World.
* Some apps may not be available in some countries.
By adding BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) connectivity to these apps, Research In Motion (RIM) aims to make it even easier for users to stay in touch with their contacts, share experiences and content, and discover new things from their BBM community.
Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones (version 3.0) and Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones (version 3.0) will allow users to automatically share their Facebook status or latest Tweet with their BBM friends right from within the app.
“Since we provided developers the means to build BBM connectivity into their apps, we have seen more than 800 hundred new BBM-connected apps come to market, which has been followed by a huge uptake by users – about one of every five apps being downloaded on BlackBerry App World is a BBM-connected app,” said Alec Saunders, VP of Developer Relations at RIM. It is now easier than ever to update those who matter most about your travel plans.
The new BlackBerry Travel app (version 2.5) is now BBM-connected, allowing users to share their travel plans and flight changes directly with select BBM contacts or with their entire BBM community.
With BBM (version 6.2) and BlackBerry App World (version 3.1.2), users can easily update their BBM profile to let their friends know about new apps they’ve just downloaded on BlackBerry App World.
With this updated version of BlackBerry App World, users can also instantly share info about their favorite app or a list of their installed apps with friends using BlackBerry Tag**.
“Today we’re excited to announce that RIM has also integrated BBM connectivity into a number of our own popular apps.” – Alec SaundersThe enhanced BBM will also offer a polished, enhanced and more personal experience.
It includes a new selection of animated avatars, a simpler way of updating one’s personal message in their profile, and now allows users to quickly send voice notes.
** BlackBerry Tag requires an NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone running BlackBerry 7.1 OS or higher.
Tags:App World, Apps, BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Connect, Facebook, Research In Motion, RIM, smartphones, travel, Twitter
Posted in Announce, App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Facebook, Gadgets, Phones, RIM, Software, Twitter | 1 Comment »
Saturday, February 11th, 2012
The Curve 9380 is the first BlackBerry Curve smartphone with a touch display. Check with Telcos for plans and pricing.
The BlackBerry Curve 9380 is available in Singapore TODAY!
The sleek and stylish all-touch BlackBerry Curve 9380 smartphone is powered by BlackBerry 7 OS, which delivers a faster and richer user experience.
The 9380 is the first BlackBerry Curve smartphone with a touch display.
It also includes 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 new BlackBerry Curve 9380 comes with a sleek new all-touch design that features a larger display that enhances web browsing, games and multimedia,” Hastings Singh, Vice President, South Asia at Research In Motion.The new BlackBerry 7 OS introduces an enhanced browser that provides a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience.
It also offers optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences.
The popular universal search capability has also been enhanced with support for voice-activated search, so users can simply speak to begin searching for information on their device and the web.
Here is the specs sheet for the BlackBerry Curve 9380.
In addition, the BlackBerry Curve 9380 includes built-in support for Augmented Reality and NFC, allowing users to connect with the world around them in fresh new ways.
With the Wikitude Augmented Reality application, users can find nearby BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) contacts in real-time, read reviews about restaurants close to them, or get the story behind an interesting landmark and points of interest.
NFC enables many new and exciting capabilities, including the ability to make mobile payments, pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.
Tags:9380, BlackBerry, Curve, RIM, Singapore, smartphone
Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Curve, Gadgets, Launch, Phones, RIM, Specifications | No Comments »
Sunday, February 5th, 2012
Planning to enjoy some romantic music during Valentine’s Day? Here are some gift ideas from a selection of stuff that I’ve covered in my blog previously.
Valentine's Day doodles by Suelyn Howe
First off, some doodles from Suelyn Howe that you can print out for use as your Valentine’s Day gift tag or card.
Bose OE2 (S$219) and OE2i (S$269) available in Singapore.
Now the audio gizmos. For improved depth and clarity, check out Bose’s new on-ear headphones, the OE2 (S$219) or OE2i (S$269), which deliver better audio performance than their predecessors and feature an updated look and stylish design.
To listen to music from a smartphone, check out the Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9900 (prices vary with Telcos), which is incredibly sexy and sleek.
With the unique white colour, she is sure to stand out in a crowd and always be looking for reasons to pull her phone out of her handbag.
Long evenings chatting on the phone to the boyfriend (that’s you) and BBM flirting (with you) will now be done in style!
For both listening to music and talking to you on the smartphone, check out the Bose Series 2 Bluetooth headset (S$249).
The headset assures conversations remain clear and natural – even in challenging environments, or when surrounding noise levels change suddenly.
Bose Bluetooth Headset Series 2 (S$249)
For streaming music and movies, check out the Seagate GoFlex Satellite.
It is the first battery-powered external hard drive to wirelessly extend the storage capacity of any Wi-Fi enabled device such as your Bold 9900, iPad or any other tablet and mobile device.
Couples can stream their favorite videos, music and pictures from their GoFlex Satellite (S$299) straight to their mobile device.
With 500GB (or 300 HD movies), the GoFlex Satellite allows you to connect up to three devices simultaneously.
What’s even better – if you are on a road trip or in a café and you have no internet connection, the Satellite will still work as it creates its own Wi–Fi network.
Tags:9900, Atlas, Bold, Bose, headphones, headset, RIM, Satellite, Seagate, smartphone, storage
Posted in Accessories, Audio, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Bold, Bose, Gadgets, Holiday, Music, Phones, RIM, Seagate, storage drive | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Three months after Research In Motion (RIM) and Microsoft released the open beta version in more than 30 countries, the general availability of “BlackBerry Business Cloud Services for Microsoft Office 365” has been launched in over 50 countries today.
RIM launches BlackBerry Business Cloud Services for Microsoft Office 365
BlackBerry Business Cloud Services for Microsoft Office 365 is a new service for business and government organizations that extends Microsoft Exchange Online to BlackBerry smartphones and allows customers to manage their BlackBerry deployments in the cloud.
“This new cloud-based option allows customers to cost-effectively support mobility across their organizations and easily manage and secure their BlackBerry deployments,” said Alan Panezic, Vice President, Enterprise Product Management and Marketing at RIM.The service is available at no additional charge to current enterprise subscribers of the Office 365 suite or standalone Exchange Online and works with BlackBerry smartphones on business or consumer data plans.
BlackBerry Business Cloud Services offers advanced administration and flexible smartphone self-service features to support an organization’s BlackBerry deployment in the cloud.
Managed service providers, systems integrators, carriers, resellers and other partners can also use the cloud service to manage BlackBerry deployments on behalf of their customers.
Key features remains the same as the open beta version and include the following:
- Wireless synchronization with Microsoft Exchange Online email, calendar and organizer data from a BlackBerry smartphone
- BlackBerry Balance technology, which presents a unified view of work and personal content on a BlackBerry smartphone while keeping the content separate and secure
- An intuitive web-based console for IT administrators to provision, manage and secure BlackBerry smartphones from anywhere
- Online access to employee self-service smartphone security functions, allowing users to easily reset a device password or remotely lock or wipe a device in the event of loss or theft
Customers can go to www.blackberry.com/cloudservices to get started.
Tags:BlackBerry, launch, Microsoft, Office 365, RIM
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Launch, Microsoft, Office, Phones, RIM, Software | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
BlackBerry maker – Research In Motion (RIM) – has named Thorsten Heins as President and CEO of the company.
Mike Lazaridis remains Vice Chair of the Board while Jim Balsillie takes on a Director role at the company. This is effective immediately.
Outgoing Co-chairs and Co-CEOs Jim Basillie and Mike Lazaridis
Heins was also appointed to RIM’s Board. 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.
I believe Heins does not have time on his side, given BlackBerry’s rapid loss of market share to rival Android devices and Apple iOS products.
“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.” – Thorsten Heins, new President and CEO of RIM.RIM’s market share of smartphones in the US declined from a market leading 44% in 2009 to 10% in 2011, according to market researcher NPD Group.
BlackBerry has been growing outside of America but it is facing similar challenges from its competitors in those markets as well.
Coming from within RIM instead of outside, the natural question will be whether Heins will be doling out “more of the same” at RIM.
I’m not sure having been in RIM since 2007 is necessarily something that will be seen as positive for Heins.
Investors will be keen to know if he had his own ideas but could not act on them because he was not the CEO.
Heins will have a very short time to show how different he is from his predecessors, that he has his own vision and roadmap to bring RIM back to its previous success.
Thorsten Heins, new President and CEO at RIM
I’m hoping his “I don’t think that there is a drastic change needed” spiel during his first press conference as CEO is merely paying due respect to his predecessors.
The succession plan was submitted by the two Co-Chairs and co-CEOs, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. RIM’s Board of Directors acted on their recommendations after conducting its own own due diligence.
Investors had forced RIM to consider a change in company leadership in 2011 and was stalled with the company’s promise to study the matter.
RIM promised a resolution in January 2012 and I’ve been wondering if they were going to make the move, after their closed-door meeting in mid December.
Mike Lazaridis, who co-founded RIM with Doug Fregin in 1984, 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.
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.
Tags:BlackBerry, Playbook, RIM, smartphone, tablets
Posted in Announce, BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Commentary, Enterprise IT, Gadgets, Opinion, Phones, PlayBook, RIM, Tablets, Tech news | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 16th, 2012
Upgrades to BlackBerry 7.1 (dates TBC) and BBM6.1 (available now), and Visa certification for BlackBerry smartphones.
The BBM6.1 upgrade is available now in BlackBerry App World.
The updates were released by Research In Motion (RIM) during CES 2012.
BlackBerry 7.1 upgrade – dates TBC in Asia
For users of the latest BlackBerry 7 smartphones, some of the features of the BlackBerry 7.1 OS upgrade are described below.
Keep smiling with the free BBM6.1 upgrade.
With the addition of BlackBerry Tag, users of NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones (incl. Bold 9900, Curve 9360 and Curve 9380) can instantly invite a friend to BBM, exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content, as well as pair their BlackBerry smartphone with an NFC enabled Bluetooth device.
Turn your BlackBerry smartphone into a mobile hotspot that can be shared by up to 5x Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptops and tablets.
Free upgrade to BlackBerry Messenger 6.1
Universal Search has been further improved to help users find what they are looking for. The enhancement 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.
Customers with a BlackBerry Curve 9360 or 9380 smartphones will find a nice surprise with the BlackBerry 7.1 OS update in the form of an FM radio.
BBM6.1 upgrade – available now in BlackBerry App World
This upgrade offers support for animated avatars (animated GIFs), a dozen new and fun emoticons to spice up conversations, and the ability to customize chat bubbles with different colors.
BBM6.1 is available now on BlackBerry App World.
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 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.
Read the full press release here.
Visa certifies BlackBerry smartphones for use as Visa Mobile Payment Devices
Following the approval of BlackBerry devices as the first certified smartphones of the MasterCard PayPass program, Visa has certified the BlackBerry Bold 9900, BlackBerry Curve 9360 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 as compliant payment products available for commercial deployment by financial institutions.
All the new devices certified by Visa can use the built-in NFC (Near Field Communication) technology to facilitate wireless payments using contactless payment terminals.
Read the full press release here.
Tags:BlackBerry, Bold, CES 2012, Curve, RIM, smartphone, update, upgrade
Posted in Announce, App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Bold, Curve, Gadgets, Operating Systems, Phones, RIM, Software | 1 Comment »
Sunday, December 18th, 2011
This US$1.99 app is for fans of Lionel Messi. All funds collected with the application will be used to support charity projects embraced by the Leo Messi Foundation.
BlackBerry smartphone app "Training with Messi", US$1.99 from App World.
This is the official game of Leo Messi and is available for download from BlackBerry App World.
It is released by Fundacion Leo Messi and can be played on BlackBerry smartphones.
Train with Leo Messi, complete rewarding achievements and share everything with friends through Facebook and Twitter.
The best ranked player will get a chance to visit and meet Leo Messi face to face during an event organised by the Leo Messi Foundation.
Tags:Apps, BlackBerry, Messi, RIM, smartphone
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Gadgets, Phones, RIM, Software | No Comments »
Friday, December 16th, 2011
Update version 2.1 of the free Twitter app by Research In Motion (RIM) is now available in BlackBerry App World, incorporating multi-account support and sharing via BBM.
Update v2.1 of Twitter app for BlackBerry smartphones features multi-user support.
The Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones v2.1 app is available for users running BlackBerry OS v5.0 and up.
Multi-account support integration with Social Feeds is available for users running BlackBerry 6 OS and up.
The updates include:
Easily share Tweets with BBM Contacts and Groups
Multi-Account Support – Have up to five accounts on your Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones app. Switch between accounts and cross-post Tweets and Retweets from one account to another without switching the current account view.
Enhanced “Share with BBM” functionality – Easily share Tweets with BBM Contacts and Groups.
View multiple Twitter accounts in a single timeline – View a stream of Tweets from up to five Twitter accounts in the Social Feeds timeline, or opt to filter individual Twitter accounts.
Post a Tweet to multiple Twitter Accounts – Publish a Tweet to one or more Twitter accounts simultaneously using Social Feeds.
Tags:Apps, BlackBerry, RIM, smartphone, Twitter
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Phones, RIM, Software, Twitter, Utility | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
Ready for a white Christmas? Check out the white Bold 9900 when it becomes available this Saturday.
Pure white BlackBerry 9900 from Research In Motion
The Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9900 was launched today and will become available in Singapore on 17th of December, Saturday – from all RIM’s authorized partners.
Sporting a brushed stainless steel frame, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet at only 10.5mm, and the first to include built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications).
It is powered by BlackBerry 7.
The white BlackBerry Bold 9900 joins a slew of smartphones introducing white versions for this Christmas. Many of these have a white backing with dark front face.
The pure white BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be white throughout.
Since the popularity of the white iPhone from Apple, white versions of other smartphones have become something of a special edition.
I remember when the black BlackBerry Bold 9900 was initially launched in 18 August 2011, one of the questions asked whether there would be a white version.
Francois Mahieu (left), Head of Product Management for RIM in Asia Pacific with the black Bold 9900.
Mr Francois Mahieu, head of product management for Research In Motion (RIM) in the Asia Pacific had mentioned during the launch party that there were no plans at that time to sell a white version, although it could be considered.
So RIM does respond to popular market demand – which is a good thing.
Tags:9900, BlackBerry, Bold, RIM, smartphone, white
Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Bold, Gadgets, Launch, Phones, RIM | 1 Comment »
Thursday, December 8th, 2011
More breakout sessions for detailed presentations and discussions between BlackBerry developers and experts from RIM and partners.
Breakout sessions during DevCon Asia fostered interaction and engagement amongst the BlackBerry developer community.
The breakout sessions were organized along several parallel tracks and covered a wide spectrum of topics, from technical issues to commercial and monetizing topics.
The sessions are listed below for both days:
“Ask the Experts” track
- Ask the Experts: Developing Enterprise Applications
- BlackBerry WebKit and BlackBerry WebWorks Platform Development
- Go-to-Market Strategies
- BlackBerry Platform Services
- The BBM Social Platform
- Java Development for BlackBerry 7
- BlackBerry Tablet OS Development
(more…)
Tags:BlackBerry, DevCon, DevCon Asia (Singapore), RIM, smartphone, tablets
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Events, Gadgets, Operating Systems, Phones, PlayBook, RIM, Seminars, Software, Tablets | 1 Comment »
Management shakeup at RIM
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012BlackBerry maker – Research In Motion (RIM) – has named Thorsten Heins as President and CEO of the company.
Mike Lazaridis remains Vice Chair of the Board while Jim Balsillie takes on a Director role at the company. This is effective immediately.
Outgoing Co-chairs and Co-CEOs Jim Basillie and Mike Lazaridis
Heins was also appointed to RIM’s Board. 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.
I believe Heins does not have time on his side, given BlackBerry’s rapid loss of market share to rival Android devices and Apple iOS products.
“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.” – Thorsten Heins, new President and CEO of RIM.RIM’s market share of smartphones in the US declined from a market leading 44% in 2009 to 10% in 2011, according to market researcher NPD Group.
BlackBerry has been growing outside of America but it is facing similar challenges from its competitors in those markets as well.
Coming from within RIM instead of outside, the natural question will be whether Heins will be doling out “more of the same” at RIM.
I’m not sure having been in RIM since 2007 is necessarily something that will be seen as positive for Heins.
Investors will be keen to know if he had his own ideas but could not act on them because he was not the CEO.
Heins will have a very short time to show how different he is from his predecessors, that he has his own vision and roadmap to bring RIM back to its previous success.
Thorsten Heins, new President and CEO at RIM
I’m hoping his “I don’t think that there is a drastic change needed” spiel during his first press conference as CEO is merely paying due respect to his predecessors.
The succession plan was submitted by the two Co-Chairs and co-CEOs, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. RIM’s Board of Directors acted on their recommendations after conducting its own own due diligence.
Investors had forced RIM to consider a change in company leadership in 2011 and was stalled with the company’s promise to study the matter.
RIM promised a resolution in January 2012 and I’ve been wondering if they were going to make the move, after their closed-door meeting in mid December.
Mike Lazaridis, who co-founded RIM with Doug Fregin in 1984, 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.
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.
Tags:BlackBerry, Playbook, RIM, smartphone, tablets
Posted in Announce, BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Commentary, Enterprise IT, Gadgets, Opinion, Phones, PlayBook, RIM, Tablets, Tech news | 1 Comment »