blackberry

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Did RIM just stage this BlackBerry 10 "leak"?

- Do we need this? Kohler shower head doubles as a wireless speaker.

- Dude builds OSX into old Macintosh Portable, let's talk about RETRO OBSESSION.

- Bionic mannequins spy on shoppers to boost sales.

Bathroom break video: One of the best couples Halloween costumes ever recorded.

Subscribe:

iTunes (HD) | iTunes (SD) | iTunes (HQ) | iTunes (MP3)

RSS (HD) | RSS (SD) | RSS (HQ) | RSS (MP3)

Research in Motion has won key government security certification for its BlackBerry 10 operating system months ahead of its launch, allowing the smartphone to be used in secure government workplaces.

The FIPS 140-2 certification signals that U.S. and Canadian government agencies, along with private firms, can deploy BlackBerry 10 smartphones as soon as they launch, with a guarantee that data stored on the devices is appropriately secured and encrypted.

FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) certification is issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and it's a must for mobile platforms before the U.S. government can … Read more

Verizon Wireless today announced that starting in January it will kill its self-branded app store, which is installed on BlackBerry and Android devices.

Launched back in March 2010, the app store has mostly played second fiddle to Google Play on Android smartphones and tablets. Viewed as bloatware by a sizable segment of users, it pales in comparison, when it comes to selection, to even the Amazon Appstore or Getjar.

Even with some improvements over time, it has not been able to keep pace with Google's official distribution channel. In fact, even Verizon is quick to point out that a … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- BlackBerry becomes a source of shame for users.

- Mental Floss asks: How did the Game Genie work?

- Schools across the country ban Flaming Hot Cheetos.

- Speaking of: 10 things you never knew about Flamin' Hots.

- Newsweek to shut down print edition and go all digital.

- Extra Life: Play games to raise money for local kids.

Bathroom break video: Gold-plated Canon copy machine.

It's official, BlackBerry 10 developers: RIM has declared open season for BB10 app submissions. A recent post on the company's development blog confirms that RIM is now accepting entries for applications that specifically target the long-anticipated BlackBerry 10 operating system.

The post in question also lays out how to begin the submission process to the BlackBerry storefront as well offering links to the Beta3 Developer SDK, if you'd like to get in on the coding action. In addition, RIM reminds potential developers that any app deemed worthy of the Built for BlackBerry program and earns $1,000 … Read more

RIM needs a halo smartphone desperately to stem the tide of consumers drifting to Android and iOS. Apparently such a handset, the Aristo, is right around the corner. … Read more

For all the talk of revolution at Research In Motion's developer conference this week, something about BlackBerry Jam Americas felt rather familiar.

Think of it this way: a once-mighty tech company, elbowed out of the smartphone revolution by Apple and Android, making a new push to get back into the game.

Amid high pressure to deliver, the company puts all its energy toward marketing the user interface -- a slick new way of moving through the operating system, giving users live updates on important events without making them dig through menus.

That describes the scene yesterday in San Jose, … Read more

We may not have BlackBerry 10 yet, but we've got a heartfelt power ballad to last us until the much-delayed OS finally makes an entrance.

Three RIM vice presidents -- Alec Saunders, Christopher Smith, and Martyn Mallick -- joined up to create a band for a passionately geeky version of REO Speedwagon's "Keep on Loving You." A really, really geeky version, that is.

Saunders, vice president of developer relations, lip syncs his way through gems such as "A whole new mobile computing platform may be one tough proposition" and "We'll have BlackBerry 10, both in full touch and QWERTY editions." … Read more

Research In Motion has had a hard slog over the past year, but is poised to reclaim its spot among the top mobile ecosystems, CEO Thorsten Heins said today during a press briefing at BlackBerry Jam.

Heins said the company's decision to bet everything on its new BlackBerry 10 operating system would allow the company to begin growing its user base once again in the United States and North America, where it has rapidly lost ground to devices from Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft, among others.

"We have a clear shot at being the No. 3 platform in the … Read more