BlackBerry 10 News & Updates

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RIM Renames BBX as BlackBerry 10

RIM-BBX.jpg

Research In Motion has rebranded its next generation mobile platform as BlackBerry 10, after its use of the BBX brand ran into a trademark dispute in the U.S. RIM said in a statement on Wednesday that it had announced at its DevCon Asia conference in Singapore a new brand name for its next generation mobile platform for smartphones and tablets, which will bring the best of the BlackBerry and QNX platforms to customers and partners.

"The BlackBerry 10 name reflects the significance of the new platform and will leverage the global strength of the BlackBerry brand while also aligning perfectly with RIM's device branding," RIM said.

On Tuesday, RIM was barred by a court in the U.S. from using the BBX name at the Singapore conference, after a software company, Basis International filed for a temporary restraining order.

Basis of Albuquerque, New Mexico, which claims the BBX trademark, threatened legal action in October, less than a week after RIM announced plans for its new platform called BBX for smartphones, tablets and embedded systems. RIM said at the time that although it has not yet seen the legal complaint, it did not believe the marks are confusing because the two companies are in different lines of business.

The United States District Court for the District of New Mexico on Tuesday however observed that Basis and RIM offer their products to the same class of consumers and in the same channels of trade. The BBX mark is identical to the mark which RIM is allegedly using to present its BBX product, it added.

RIM said on Wednesday that it does not typically comment on pending litigation.

source : pc world
 
Alleged pictures of BlackBerry 10 developer device leak

RIM is holding a BlackBerry Jam conference next month in Orlando where it is supposed to give out development devices running the upcoming BlackBerry 10 to ten of the developers attending the event. We are now seeing what are allegedly pictures of this developer device, courtesy of a CrackBerry forum member.

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The phone looks like a shrunken down PlayBook, with the same matte plastic back that goes around the side and surrounds the display. The front has the earpiece and a camera at the top, the display in the middle and what seems like a (blurred out) logo at the bottom.
Of course, how this device looks like is irrelevant because it is only intended as a developer unit and won't make it to production. The final devices are likely to have a bit more flair although to be honest this doesn't look to shabby either.

http://www.gsmarena.com/alleged_pictures_of_blackberry_10_developer_device_leak-news-4175.php
 
RIM offers BlackBerry 10 tools to lure developers

RIM offers BlackBerry 10 tools to lure developers


Research In Motion offered initial software tools to developers looking to create applications for its new BlackBerry 10 platform, moving a step closer to perhaps the most crucial launch in its history later this year.

Aiming to reverse huge market-share losses to Apple Inc and Google Inc's Android, RIM is essentially starting from scratch with its next-generation BlackBerry 10 devices. The new platform will be compatible with few of the apps available for its existing smartphones, and legacy BlackBerry smartphones won't be able to run apps being created for the new platform.

RIM already is far behind Apple and Android in getting independent developers and content producers to build apps, making the BlackBerry much less attractive to consumers. RIM is looking to change that.

"Developers building for BlackBerry 10 will be able to easily create the kind of cutting-edge apps that deliver truly engaging experiences," said Alec Saunders, RIM's head of developer relations.

To kick-start the effort, RIM this week is handing out a prototype device, known as the Alpha Dev, to developers at its BlackBerry World conference in Orlando. The handset will enable them to test how their creations perform on the new platform.

Unlike most other BlackBerry models, Alpha Dev has no physical keyboard. It looks like a smaller version of RIM's PlayBook tablet, complete with a touch-sensitive frame that a user swipes to call up a menu.

While RIM says the hardware it eventually launches will look much different than the prototype, apps built for the Alpha Dev's 4.2 inch screen will allow for a "very seamless transition" to BlackBerry 10 devices, said Christopher Smith, vice-president for application platform and tools.

The toolkits RIM is offering cover work in native code, the Cascades user interface framework and web-based HTML5. Cascades helps in the creation of graphically rich work, while native code gives developers access to core device features such as the camera. Work created with HTML5, commonly used by developers of web content, is typically transferable to other mobile devices.

Cascades was developed by The Astonishing Tribe, a Swedish user interface company RIM bought in 2010. It offers guidelines and a "cookbook" where developers can select an effect with a touch and have it written directly into their software.

For example, a developer can select the speed at which an icon drops down the screen and whether it bounces to a stop without worrying about the algorithms and code behind it.

RIM said it would add more tools in coming months and apps created with any of the BlackBerry 10 tools will run on the company's poor-selling PlayBook once the tablet is upgraded to the new platform. They will not work on RIM's older smartphones.

Quicker development process
RIM said it had been working with some partners to ensure users have content and apps waiting for them when the devices are launched. Among those developers are social fitness app maker Endomondo, magazine store PixelMags, local search app Poynt, and augmented reality company Wikitude.

Gameloft said it was working to bring 11 games to the new platform, including a puzzle game called "Shark Dash" and a more immersive title, "N.O.V.A 3: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance."

"RIM has got it right with the BlackBerry 10 platform," said Adam Linford from Truphone, which offers local calling and data rates while its customers are roaming. "The platform's support for open-source components flattens the learning curve, enabling us to build a new application quickly and cost effectively."

Impressing developers is crucial for RIM, which has expanded beyond its traditional strength in providing mobile email to office workers, only to struggle against the more consumer-friendly iPhone from Apple and the slew of devices that make use of the Android platform.

Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM has around 15,000 apps for its PlayBook tablet and 70,000 apps for its smartphones or the tablet, compared with 200,000 iPad apps, and half a million for the iPhone.

A recent survey from Appcelerator and IDC showed less than 16 percent of developers were "very interested" in creating programs for RIM, compared with 90 percent for Apple and 80 percent for Android.

Earlier on Tuesday, research firm IDC said that RIM's share of the global smartphone market had slipped to 6.7 per cent in the first quarter, from 13.6 per cent a year earlier.



-TOI
 
BlackBerry 10 devices will have no keyboards

The first BlackBerry device running Research In Motion's new operating software will not have a physical keyboard, only a touchscreen one.

The BlackBerry 10 software will be offered on devices with physical keyboards in the future, but RIM spokeswomen Rebecca Freiburger declined to say when. RIM is expected to start selling BlackBerry 10 touchscreen devices this year.

Top-selling smartphones these days, including Apple's iPhone and several running Google's Android software, also lack physical keyboards. But RIM's attempts in the past to offer touch-only phones have largely flopped.

Many corporate users have stuck with the BlackBerry solely because of its physical keyboard, given a perception that it's harder to type emails on a touch screen. The BlackBerry 10 system has already been delayed about a year, and with additional delays to get a physical keyboard, those people may not be willing to wait any longer, especially as the iPhone makes greater in-roads in corporate settings. Those users may simply get the new iPhone expected this fall.

RIM's hopes hang on the BlackBerry 10 system, which is meant to offer the multimedia, internet browsing and apps experience customers now demand. The Canadian company is preparing to launch the new software later this year, just as North Americans are abandoning BlackBerrys for iPhones and Android devices. Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC Financial, called it puzzling that RIM isn't leading with its strength by releasing a keyboard BlackBerry first.

"The physical keyboard is the most dominant item that separates out Research In Motion from its competitors," Gillis said. "If you are not playing to your historical strengths you may find it more difficult to get traction."

Gillis said there is a spot in the market for RIM but the company "just got to get it together." But Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said BlackBerry 10 is all about touch and closing the gap with Apple, so people should not be surprised that the initial model will have only a touch screen.

"They are going to build a BlackBerry device with a keyboard, but it's just going to take longer," Misek said. "Maybe it will come a month or two after, but frankly it might be already too late."

RIM once dominated the corporate smartphone market but failed to adapt to the emerging "bring your own device" trend, in which employees use their personal iPhones or Android devices for work instead of relying on BlackBerrys issued by their employers. As the movement caught on, the iPhone made the BlackBerry look ancient.

RIM's future is far from certain as its flagship devices rapidly lose market share to flashier phones. With more than $2 billion in cash, bankruptcy seems unlikely in the near term. But RIM's US share of the smartphone market fell sharply from 44 per cent in 2009 to 10 per cent in 2011 according to market researcher NPD Group.

RIM said Wednesday it has started laying off employees as part of a restructuring plan aimed at saving about $1 billion this year.

RIM's stock fell 25 cents, or 2.4 per cent, to $10.08 in midday trading Thursday.

TOI
 
BlackBerry 10 beta 3 released, shows revamped UI

At a special event yesterday RIM unveiled the BlackBerry 10 beta 3 running on the company's new test device, the Dev Alpha B.

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The UI look and feel of this latest BlackBerry 10 build is what RIM will be putting on its final BB10 devices in early 2013. And according to those, who've tried it, it really has the potential to grab people's attention.
Let's start with the new UI features. Starting with the new beta, to wake the device, you simply swipe from the bottom of the screen. Then, you are welcomed with the traditional batch of homescreen panels.
However, there's a twist. The first homescreen isn't really a homescreen in the sense that it holds widgets and app shortcuts. Rather, it houses the so called "Active Frames". You can have up to 8 of them and they represent currently running applications. Mind you, only four fit on one screen, so to view the other four, you'd have to scroll down.
RIM has done good job of backing in gestures in its OS.For example, you can jump straight to the homescreen from any app by swiping from the bottom up. Making the opposite swipe (top down) brings up the settings menu or another contextual menu, depending on the app you're in.

More> BlackBerry 10 beta 3 released, shows revamped UI - GSMArena.com news
 
RIM testing BlackBerry 10 devices on over 50 carriers

The launch of the BlackBerry 10 devices is looming close, and Research in Motion CEO Thorsten Heins has recently announced that the upcoming BlackBerry 10 handsets are now being tested on over 50 carriers.

In the announcement, Thorsten Heins states that Research in Motion (RIM) has passed a critical milestone in the development of its new mobile computing platform, BlackBerry 10. In the past week, BlackBerry 10 achieved Lab Entry with more than 50 carriers, which is a key step in their preparedness for the launch of BlackBerry 10, scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2013.

He stated, “We made this commitment during our recent results conference call and we have delivered. This process will continue in the coming months as more carriers around the world formally evaluate the devices and our brand new software”.

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Heins went on to say that he has spent the past several weeks on the road, visiting carrier partners around the world to show them the BlackBerry 10 platform and to share with them RIM's plans for launch. He claimed that their response has been tremendous.

In the announcement, Heins claimed that the carriers were excited about the prospect of launching BlackBerry 10 in their markets. He claimed, “Our respective teams are now engaged on the technical and commercial preparation of the launch of BlackBerry 10 and the lab entry is an important milestone in that context”.

He ended the announcement by stating that the RIM is working towards the launch of the devices. The brand’s development teams are working to bring plenty of applications to BlackBerry 10, and that the enterprise teams have started to present BlackBerry 10 devices and services to its business customers.

This definitely comes as positive news for BlackBerry fans and Research in Motion as the brand really needs a kick start as it is rapidly falling behind the likes of Android and iOS.

RIM is completely overhauling the operating system on its phones with its BB10 release and the new gesture-based user interface. The company is counting on BB10 to arrest a precipitous decline in market share over the past year and longer.

In the end, the success or failure of the BB10 will hinge by how warmly it's embraced by consumers, many of whom have already switched to Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy, especially in North America and Europe.

Test versions of the BB10 have won praise from carriers and developers, but the true test still hinges on RIM's ability to win back market share and the hearts of an ever growing base of touchscreen users.

RIM testing BlackBerry 10 devices on over 50 carriers
 
BlackBerry 10 gets FIPS security certification

Research In Motion (RIM) has said that the BlackBerry 10 platform is now FIPS 140-2 certified.

The certification will enable government agencies to deploy BlackBerry 10 smartphones and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, RIM’s new mobile enterprise management solution, from the day of launch. This is the first time BlackBerry products have been FIPS certified ahead of launch.

FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) certification provides confidence to security-conscious organizations, including U.S. and Canadian government agencies, companies in regulated industries and other organizations dealing with sensitive information, that data stored on smartphones running BlackBerry 10 can be properly secured and encrypted.

“Achieving FIPS 140-2 certification means that BlackBerry 10 is ready to meet the strict security requirements of government agencies and enterprises at launch,” said Michael K. Brown, Vice President, Security Product Management and Research at RIM. “What differentiates BlackBerry is that it integrates end-to-end security, and includes certified encryption algorithms for data at rest and data in transit. No other mobile solution has achieved the level of security accreditation that the BlackBerry solution has.”

FIPS 140 is issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to coordinate the requirements and standards for certifying cryptographic modules. The standard was developed through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which certifies products for use by U.S. government agencies and regulated industries that collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive information. Product certifications under the CMVP are performed in accordance with the requirements of FIPS 140-2. It is supported by the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) for the Canadian government.

"IDC expects the mobile enterprise security market to experience a high rate of growth from 2012 to 2016,” said Stacy Crook, Program Manager for Mobile Enterprise research at IDC. “Maintaining the BlackBerry solution's reputation for security while introducing an enhanced user experience gives BlackBerry 10 the opportunity to be a highly competitive platform in the government, enterprise and consumer sectors.”

The BlackBerry® PlayBook is the first FIPS certified tablet for deployment within U.S. federal government agencies and certified for use by the Defence Signals Directorate of the Australian Government.

“Achieving FIPS certification for an entirely new platform in a very short period of time, and before launch, is quite remarkable and a testament to the dedication of our security team,” said David MacFarlane, Director, Security Certifications at RIM. “BlackBerry 10 will deliver security, a superior user experience, the ability to separately manage corporate and personal data on the same device, and ease of manageability for IT managers in an enterprise or government environment.”

http://www.telecomtiger.com/mobile_tabs_fullstory.aspx?storyid=16117&flag=1&passfrom=topstory&section=S182
 
BlackBerry 10 to have apps with local flavours

WATERLOO: Research In Motion is pushing for app quality, not quantity, with its make-or-break BlackBerry 10 devices set for launch on January 30, and targeting applications to customers in various regions.
RIM's projected 100,000 apps -- a record for any new platform at launch -- will still be a fraction of those available on Apple Inc or Google Inc devices.

But it is a stronger showing than RIM's PlayBook tablet computer which was slammed at its 2011 launch for a dearth of apps and incomplete software.

In an interview with Reuters, RIM Chief Executive Thorsten Heins admitted that app libraries play a crucial role in the success or failure of smartphones. But he said the game is not just about numbers.

"The tactic we are deploying is by country and by region. We are aiming to have the most important 200 to 400 apps available, because many applications are regional and they really do have a regional flavor," Heins said.

RIM says it aims to offer both the most popular applications in the market, and also those most relevant to Blackberry aficionados - people Heins described as hyper-connected multi-taskers who need to get things done.

RIM's ultra-secure BlackBerry was once the smartphone of choice for government and corporate elites. But rivals have taken giant bites out of RIM's market share, especially in North America, and the company's stock has slumped. The BlackBerry remains popular in many emerging markets, partly for its popular BBM messaging system.

With this in mind, RIM has hosted events with developers across the globe.

"We've done 30 jam conferences in various cities all around the world, to get the bucket filled with meaningful local apps and not just a huge bunch of applications that you collect and throw at your audience," he said. "It is a very, very targeted approach."

Heins, who has met with customers and carriers in a series of whirlwind global tours, came across as relaxed and confident in the interview, in RIM's Waterloo headquarters.

Speaking rapid fire English with just a hint of an accent from his native Germany, he acknowledged that RIM's fate may depend on the success of BB10, but he said feedback from clients has been very encouraging.

RIM hopes its new line of BB10 smartphones will help it claw back market share from Apple's iPhone and devices powered by Google's Android operating system. Developers say like what they see, but analysts are not convinced that RIM's gamble on BB10 will succeed.

Big name draws
In terms of numbers, RIM's app offering will remain far behind the Apple and Google app stores, each of which boast over 700,000 apps. But Heins said he was not worried.

"In my view it is really short-sighted to say, you have 600,000, you have 400,000 and you only have 100,000 apps, so you are not good," he said.

"Look at how many actually get downloaded. ... BlackBerry App World today is still the most profitable portal for application developers - it has the highest number of paid for downloads."

In a small dig at his rivals, he added: "We don't have 1,500 Solitaire apps. That is not what Blackberry is about."

RIM has already said it plans business focused apps from the likes of Cisco WebEx, Box, SAP and Blackboard, as well as music and movie apps like TuneIn, Nobex and Popcornflix and gaming apps from developers like Gameloft, Halfbrick and Paw Print Games.

Heins has said social networks such as LinkedIn, Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook will all have apps for BB10 at launch. But he declined to name any of the other big name apps that RIM will have on board come launch day.

"Allow me to talk to you about this on January 30, otherwise I'm losing a lot of thunder," he said.

BlackBerry 10 to have apps with local flavours - The Times of India
 
 
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