BlackBerry

Research In Motion had at least considered licensing BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) before its chief executive Thorsten Heins shifted focus, according to a new report.

Late last year and early into 2012, RIM's executives were drawing up plans to make BBM available for licensing to device makers and carriers, the Wall Street Journal is reporting today, citing sources. According to the publication, the platform was to be called "SMS 2.0," and would work on both Android and iOS.

To help make that push, RIM last year acquired messaging firm LiveProfile, according to the Journal's sources. The … Read more

commentary Research In Motion is in need of a drastic change. But its most recent viral-marketing campaign, "Wake Up," hasn't exactly helped it achieve that goal.

The company has updated its "Wake Up" Web page with a short speech telling the corporate world that it should wake up and realize that "it's time to mean business."

"Now before you go looking for your suit and briefcase, we're not talking about that kind of business," a narrator is heard saying as the text scrolls up the page. "Business is … Read more

Amidst all the news coming out this week about BlackBerry World 2012, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said today that devices running BlackBerry 7 will not be upgradable to the newest operating system, BlackBerry 10.

According to The Verge, BB7 will still be available. However, it looks like it'll be reserved for more of RIM's entry-level handsets. Meanwhile, BB10 will be featured in its high-end devices.

Fortunately, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is the only device that can be updated later on to the new OS.

CNET's own Maggie Reardon reported that at BlackBerry World 2012 in Orlando, Fla., … Read more

According to Sydney Myers, an editor from PhoneDog, T-Mobile said that it will release devices carrying BlackBerry's new operating system, BlackBerry 10, starting this November.

The carrier's support for the OS, which will be available starting August, remains tentative for now. Other carriers, such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint, have also yet to report if they will release devices running BlackBerry 10.

BlackBerry World 2012 just finished up this week in Orlando, Fla. There, RIM execs showed off the OS' new features, including a touch-screen keypad, Flow view, and gesture controls.

ORLANDO, Fla. --The BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha test phone that RIM showcased at BlackBerry World 2012 will never be sold to consumers, but it likely represents how the company's flagship handsets will look, feel, and handle. … Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Research In Motion is not killing off its physical keyboards, according to CEO Thorsten Heins.

Heins, who addressed a room full of journalists and bloggers at the company's BlackBerry World conference here, said he wanted to clear up confusion based on the company's unveiling of the BlackBerry 10 software. It was widely reported or intimated that RIM may be getting rid of its physical keyboard, he said.

One of the highlights of the yet to be released BlackBerry 10 software is the intelligent virtual keyboard that takes touch-screen keypads to a new level. The software … Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Cameras using BlackBerry OS 10 software will have the capability to wind back time on selected portions of photos to make sure that the image has captured all of its subjects at their best. The example used in the demonstration at BlackBerry World showed two people having their photo taken; when one of the subjects had her eyes closed in the finished shot, the photographer was able to select her face and wind back, frame by frame, to find a moment when her eyes were open. With this moment found, only this portion of the final photo … Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. -- BlackBerry maker Research In Motion showed off some cool new features today for its upcoming BlackBerry 10 software, but will it be enough to stop the company's free-fall into the smartphone abyss?

That's the big question that fans of the once mighty smartphone and other industry watchers are asking here today at the BlackBerry World conference. Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg said he is optimistic about the company's prospects, if the company is really able to deliver on its promises.

"RIM's sneak peek of the new BlackBerry 10 shows the company is focused … Read more

Sprint is about to do you a favor, by selling you insurance on your phone.

Both of Sprint's no-contract carriers, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, are offering customers on the Monthly Unlimited plan a "unique opportunity" to insure their phones for $5 a month, even though the phone insurance window typically closes after the first 15 days of buying a new handset.

Don't look at it as a business decision from a company seeking an additional revenue bump in the form of a service add-on. Look at it as a heartfelt offer to you, because your … Read more