Showing posts with label blackberry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blackberry. Show all posts
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Report Ford ditching Microsoft in favor of BlackBerry QNX for next gen Sync
Ask the average consumer â€" at least, those who follow the goings-on in the automotive industry â€" which carmaker theyd most closely associate Microsoft, and the answer youd most likely get would be Ford. The Blue Oval automaker, after all, was at the forefront of bringing Microsoft technology into cars with its pioneering Sync system, and, though reality didnt turn out as such, Fords CEO was recently touted as a potential future head of the Redmond-based software giant. But that relationship, according to the latest reports, could be coming to an end.
Alan Mullaly kiboshed the idea of leaving Dearborn for Redmond, but more importantly Ford is tipped to be ditching Microsoft in developing its next-generation Sync system. In its place, Ford is expected to partner with BlackBerrys QNX division.
Now, before you go balking "BlackBerry?! But theyre finished!" consider that QNX is (or at least was) an independent entity that Research In Motion (as BlackBerrys Ontario-based parent company was then known) just happened to have bought back in 2010. QNX provides control systems to everything from nuclear power plants and UAVs to automakers like Audi, BMW and Porsche.
Ford is apparently keen to improve its in-car technology â€" an increasingly vital factor for new car buyers â€" while cutting Microsoft and its comparatively large licensing fees out of the equation.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
BlackBerry eyes up MWC 2014 for new handsets launch
BlackBerrys woes are well documented, but the Canadian firm isnt giving up without a fight as news surfaces that its planning to launch some new handsets very soon.
The news comes from Foxconns CEO Terry Gou, whose company recently signed a deal with BlackBerry to design and produce a series of low-end handsets for emerging markets over the next five years.
BlackBerry is said to be eyeing up MWC 2014 in Barcelona as the platform to showcase its new wares, with Gou being quoted by Focus Taiwan saying: "We are working with them to design a new device, and we will showcase multiple devices at the trade show in Barcelona in February."
One of the rumoured entry-level handsets is apparently codenamed "Jakata", and will be targeted at countries such as Indonesia and Mexico.
BlackBerry is shifting its focus to a more business-orientated view, but insists it isnt giving up on the consumer side of things - and perhaps its new focus here is low-cost, low end devices.
Its not clear whether BlackBerry will aim to bring any of the rumoured handsets to the UK, or indeed how many phones it will actually reveal during MWC at the end of February.
Read more »
The news comes from Foxconns CEO Terry Gou, whose company recently signed a deal with BlackBerry to design and produce a series of low-end handsets for emerging markets over the next five years.
BlackBerry is said to be eyeing up MWC 2014 in Barcelona as the platform to showcase its new wares, with Gou being quoted by Focus Taiwan saying: "We are working with them to design a new device, and we will showcase multiple devices at the trade show in Barcelona in February."
BlackBerry set to emerge
One of the rumoured entry-level handsets is apparently codenamed "Jakata", and will be targeted at countries such as Indonesia and Mexico.
BlackBerry is shifting its focus to a more business-orientated view, but insists it isnt giving up on the consumer side of things - and perhaps its new focus here is low-cost, low end devices.
Its not clear whether BlackBerry will aim to bring any of the rumoured handsets to the UK, or indeed how many phones it will actually reveal during MWC at the end of February.
BlackBerry A10 specs leaked in confidential document
The BlackBerry A10 specs have been leaked in a screenshot from an official and top secret BlackBerry document.
Revealing the hardware for the next BB10 device, the leaked confidential document contains the full specs for the highly rumoured BlackBerry A10 ahead of any official unveiling.
Posted on the CrackBerry forum as a screen grab with the simple comment “I’ll just leave this here”, the specs are part of a confidential BlackBerry document which is only available to those who have signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement.
However, despite the NDA warning, the document dated May 23 2013 has still managed to emerge online, revealing the BlackBerry A10 spec sheet.
Previously tipped to be a ‘big’ full touch phone, the latest leak supports this theory, suggesting the A10 will have a 5-inch OLED Display with a 1280 x 720p HD resolution and 295ppi image density.
This means the screen will be of a lesser quality than the other BB10 devices, the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10.
It will supposedly pack a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor with a quad-core GPU and 2GB of RAM.
An 8-megapixel camera in the rear will be paired with a 2-megapixel front-facing snapper. The BlackBerry A10 will also have 16GB of internal storage bolstered by a microSD slot for cards up to 64GB.
The next BB10 smartphone will also pack a pretty powerful 2800mAh if this document is correct, along with a micro USB and HDMI port, DLNA, Wi-Fi, NFC and 4G LTE connectivity to boot.
Many of these specs tally up nicely with the Z10 and Q10, but the A10 may well play host to the new BB10.2 version of the latest BlackBerry operating system.
Currently, all that is available is the BB10.1 version, so 10.2 may bring new features with it.
Apparently, the BlackBerry A10 is set for a November launch, but today’s leak may spur BlackBerry on to release it a little earlier.
Read more »
Revealing the hardware for the next BB10 device, the leaked confidential document contains the full specs for the highly rumoured BlackBerry A10 ahead of any official unveiling.
Posted on the CrackBerry forum as a screen grab with the simple comment “I’ll just leave this here”, the specs are part of a confidential BlackBerry document which is only available to those who have signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement.
However, despite the NDA warning, the document dated May 23 2013 has still managed to emerge online, revealing the BlackBerry A10 spec sheet.
Previously tipped to be a ‘big’ full touch phone, the latest leak supports this theory, suggesting the A10 will have a 5-inch OLED Display with a 1280 x 720p HD resolution and 295ppi image density.
This means the screen will be of a lesser quality than the other BB10 devices, the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10.
It will supposedly pack a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor with a quad-core GPU and 2GB of RAM.
An 8-megapixel camera in the rear will be paired with a 2-megapixel front-facing snapper. The BlackBerry A10 will also have 16GB of internal storage bolstered by a microSD slot for cards up to 64GB.
The next BB10 smartphone will also pack a pretty powerful 2800mAh if this document is correct, along with a micro USB and HDMI port, DLNA, Wi-Fi, NFC and 4G LTE connectivity to boot.
Many of these specs tally up nicely with the Z10 and Q10, but the A10 may well play host to the new BB10.2 version of the latest BlackBerry operating system.
Currently, all that is available is the BB10.1 version, so 10.2 may bring new features with it.
Apparently, the BlackBerry A10 is set for a November launch, but today’s leak may spur BlackBerry on to release it a little earlier.
BlackBerry 10m day one BBM downloads �not that surprising�
BlackBerry has suggested that it was ‘not that surprised’ when the recent cross-platform BBM app recorded a staggering 10 million day one downloads.
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With iOS and Android iterations of the free-to-use messaging service having been long called for, BlackBerry has suggested that it had expected such strong early interest ahead of the BBM platform finally stepping away from its BlackBerry handset locked roots.
“It’s not that surprising,” David Proulx, BlackBerry’s Senior Director of Platform Business Development for BBM said of the day one download figures. “We are pleased but not surprised.”
Speaking exclusively with TrustedReviews, Proulx added: “It wasn’t a cold start. Had it been a cold start I think there would have been that element of surprise.”
Explaining the company’s strong belief in the early BBM success, he said of last autumn’s launch: “10 million day one downloads was reflective of pent-up demand.”
He added: “10 million downloads in a day is still, as far as I can tell, without precedent in mobile applications but we have to recognize that those 10 million downloads are a function of the existing 60 million people who were active on BlackBerry at that time, using it for 90 minutes per day and responding to messages inside 20 seconds.”
Although such high day one BBM downloads did not shock the company, Proulx has claimed that BlackBerry is pleased with the continued success of its WhatsApp rival.
He stated: “What we are really excited and encouraged by is that eight weeks after launch we were already up to 40 million new registered users on iOS and Android.”
A second-generation BBM update will be rolled out to iOS and Android users in a matter of weeks, adding more features to the messaging platform.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
BlackBerry World soon to accept Android Apps developers confirm
BlackBerry will soon release a new firmware update to allow users to install Android apps (apk) files on their phone.
Read more »
Major game and app developers have been approached by the struggling Canadian manufacturer to submit their Android apps to a dedicated section of the BlackBerry World store.
According to Good e-Reader, at least four major game developers present at Pepcom CES 2014 have already been directly sought out by BlackBerry. The companies develop productivity and gaming apps for the Google Play store, but now have been asked to publish them for BlackBerry handsets.
Previously, BlackBerry only accepted apps that are created using its own proprietary format, but now the new firmware update will allow them to upload them to the BlackBerry World store as apk files, meaning little or no work for the developers.
As long as their apps are compatible with 4- to 6-inch display smartphones, all the developers need to do is make a new BlackBerry World profile and submits their icons, screenshots and app descriptions to the store.
Of course, only BlackBerry 10 OS users will have access to the forthcoming Android apps, but they will be able to download and install them as they would a BlackBerry app.
The limited app selection on the BlackBerry World store has always been a bug bear for the Canadian company in its attempt to attract new customers and compete with the likes of Google and Apple’s app libraries.
The BlackBerry 10.3 firmware will allow native Android apps to run on the BlackBerry Q10, BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Z30 and the BlackBerry Q5.
There’s no estimated date for when the BlackBerry 10.3 firmware update will arrive, but some companies have confirmed that it is nearly finished already.
However, BlackBerry is waiting until it has at least 10,000 Android apps in the BlackBerry World library before it starts the big marketing campaign.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
BlackBerry 10 2 1 update to be rolled out January 28
The BlackBerry 10.2.1 OS update has been tipped to start rolling out on January 28, according to multiple sources.
Read more »
BlackBerry 10 was first announced around a year ago with devices like the BlackBerry Q10, which means it’s about time for the Canadian manufacturer to release a meatier update for its BB10 devices.
Although there’s been no official word from BlackBerry yet on the update’s release date, there is mounting evidence to suggest it is imminent.
For starters, there are BlackBerry developer events scheduled for the end of January to apparently show off BlackBerry 10.2.1, while elsewhere carriers report they’ve heard of a January release for the update.
A recently leaked OS 10.2.1.1925 beta has been updated with new files and been given a new date of January 8. The developer version of 10.2.1 OS is also available for download now.
According to multiple sources speaking to Crackberry, the release date will be January 28 with the update available in regions like EMEA and APAC. However, others claim it’ll be a global roll out.
We’re not sure as yet what features will be offered by the new OS update, but there are rumours of a pinch gesture in the Hub, custom quick settings, a new call screen, Device Monitor and picture passwords.
Originally, there was talk of the ability to run Android APK files simply by directly downloading them onto a BB10 device running 10.2.1, but BlackBerry issued an official statement saying that wouldn’t be a possibility:
“We can confirm there is no planned support for Google Play on BlackBerry,” read the statement. “BlackBerry World remains the primary source for trusted and curated BlackBerry applications and we continue to support open standards and open source tools so BlackBerry developers can continue to create apps on any of the development platforms we support.”
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
BlackBerry PlayBook BB10 update cancelled confirms Heins
BlackBerry CEO, Thorsten Heins, has confirmed that the aging and unsuccessful BlackBerry PlayBook won’t be getting the BlackBerry 10 upgrade it was promised.
The BlackBerry 10 OS won’t be coming to BlackBerry’s ill-fated tablet, meaning Heins may have put the last nail in the coffin for the BlackBerry PlayBook.
Heins revealed the disappointing news during the company’s financial results call, which revealed BlackBerry had missed its quarterly targets, causing share prices to tumble.
Although he failed to give much reasoning as to the BlackBerry PlayBook update cancellation, Heins specified that the company was “not satisfied with the level of performance and user experience” of BB10 on the tablet.
The BlackBerry PlayBook is already nearing its two year birthday, but BlackBerry said it would “support PlayBook on existing software platform and configurations” rather than updating it to the newest OS found on the BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10 and BlackBerry Q5.
The CEO originally made a promise in January that the BlackBerry PlayBook would receive the BB10 update, but it seems that to make it work would be too much time and money misspent.
Launched in 2011, the BlackBerry PlayBook failed to chip into an iPad dominated market. Plagued from the off by software and performance glitches, the BlackBerry PlayBook was originally designated as a companion tablet for BlackBerry 7 OS devices.
It was overly reliant on its smartphone counterparts until a software update added increased functions to make it more self-sufficient.
Weighing in at 425g, the BlackBerry PlayBook is 10mm thick with a 7-inch 1024 x 600p resolution LCD display. With a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, the BlackBerry PlayBook can be purchased in a Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and Cellular configuration.
The PlayBook also features a 5-megapixel rear-mounted camera and a 3-megapixel snapper in the front. It comes with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, but lacks a microSD card slot.
Read more »
The BlackBerry 10 OS won’t be coming to BlackBerry’s ill-fated tablet, meaning Heins may have put the last nail in the coffin for the BlackBerry PlayBook.
Heins revealed the disappointing news during the company’s financial results call, which revealed BlackBerry had missed its quarterly targets, causing share prices to tumble.
Although he failed to give much reasoning as to the BlackBerry PlayBook update cancellation, Heins specified that the company was “not satisfied with the level of performance and user experience” of BB10 on the tablet.
The BlackBerry PlayBook is already nearing its two year birthday, but BlackBerry said it would “support PlayBook on existing software platform and configurations” rather than updating it to the newest OS found on the BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10 and BlackBerry Q5.
The CEO originally made a promise in January that the BlackBerry PlayBook would receive the BB10 update, but it seems that to make it work would be too much time and money misspent.
Launched in 2011, the BlackBerry PlayBook failed to chip into an iPad dominated market. Plagued from the off by software and performance glitches, the BlackBerry PlayBook was originally designated as a companion tablet for BlackBerry 7 OS devices.
It was overly reliant on its smartphone counterparts until a software update added increased functions to make it more self-sufficient.
Weighing in at 425g, the BlackBerry PlayBook is 10mm thick with a 7-inch 1024 x 600p resolution LCD display. With a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, the BlackBerry PlayBook can be purchased in a Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and Cellular configuration.
The PlayBook also features a 5-megapixel rear-mounted camera and a 3-megapixel snapper in the front. It comes with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, but lacks a microSD card slot.
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