BBM Is Coming To Android and iOS

BlackBerry announced on Tuesday that BBM messaging is coming to Android and Apple iOS.  This is surprising considering that many BlackBerry was able to retain a lot of their users by keeping BBM exclusive to their own devices.  BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins said that they decided to bring BBM to BlackBerry because they have confidence in their products.  BBM’s text and group messaging services will be available as a standalone app.  Video calling should be added to the app soon also.

Continue reading →

The BlackBerry Q5 Is Coming To EMEA and Latin America

BlackBerry announced on Tuesday that they are launching a BlackBerry 10 powered device with a full QWERTY physical keyboard called the BlackBerry Q5.  The Q5 is very similar to the Q10 as it has a 3.1-inch touchscreen and a physical keyboard.

Continue reading →

The BlackBerry Z10 Can Now Be Upgraded To BlackBerry 10.1

On Tuesday, BlackBerry president and CEO Thorsten Heins announced that the BlackBerry Z10 owners will be able to upgrade to BlackBerry 10.1.

Continue reading →

BlackBerry CEO: Sales Of The Q10 Are Expected To Hit Tens Of Millions

Selfridges is a British department store that is calling the BlackBerry Q10 their “fastest-ever selling consumer electronics product.”  As a result, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins expects the Q10 sales to be in the “tens of millions.”  Thousands of Q10s are being sold per hour.  One Selfridges location sold 2,000 handsets in 90 minutes, according to SeekingAlpha.
Continue reading →

Skype Is Coming To BlackBerry

BlackBerry announced today that they plan on adding the Skype application to their line-up of BlackBerry 10 devices, according to Reuters.  Microsoft Corporation acquired Skype in May 2011 to allow users to communicate through chat, video, and voice.  Currently Skype has hundreds of millions of users.
Continue reading →

The BlackBerry Q10 Is Arriving In Canada On May 1st

BlackBerry has announced today that the BlackBerry Q10 device will be available in Canada starting May 1st.  Interested consumers will be able to pick up the device from Rogers Wireless, Bell Mobility, and Telus for $199 with a three-year contract.  Other carriers that will be selling the phone include Virgin Mobile Canada, Fido, Koodo Mobile, and Sasktel.  Consumers in Canada will also be able to buy the phone at The Source, Future Shop, and Best Buy sometime in the near future.

Continue reading →

Google, BlackBerry, EarthLink, and Red Hat Sends Comments To The FTC and DOJ Around “Patent Troll” Issues

Matthew Bye, the Senior Competition Counsel at Google, has reported that Google has submitted comments with BlackBerry, EarthLink, and Red Hat to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) about the growing harm that is caused by “patent trolls.”  Google was encouraged by the recent attention on the problems that patent trolls cause, which is estimated to be around $30 billion per year according to a Boston University law study.  Patent trolls hurt consumers and they stifle innovation.

Continue reading →