BlackBerry Curve 9380 Reaches End of Life at Bell 
If you were thinking about getting the all touch Curve 9380 from Bell, better act quick. The device reached its end of life on March 21st, as the image shows, and you can also tell by the launch date that the device didn’t make it half a year. So if you want it, hurry up and get it while you still can.
via MobileSyrup
RIM Plans Middle Eastern Retail Push with BlackBerry Store in Dubai 
Research In Motion is seeking to attract a retail push by opening BlackBerry stores in the Middle East. The first store will open in Dubai, which will be their flagship store of up to 1,500 square feet (140 square meters).
“We’re getting the first one up and running and then we’ll be looking at other cities across the Middle East — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar,†said Sandeep Saihgal, managing director of RIM’s Middle East business.
RIM is betting it can continue its BlackBerry success in the EMEA region with the new stores. Shipments in the Middle East and Africa more than doubled to 2.29 million units in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, outselling the iPhone by a margin of 4-to-1, IDC data show.
via Bloomberg
First Look: BBM Voicemail for BlackBerry 
Have you ever wanted to exchange voice messages with your BBM contacts rather than have to type them? There’s a new app called VVM Messenger that allows you to record, send and receive voice messages with any of your BBM contacts. VVM Messenger lets you send short voice messages up to 25 seconds without incurring pricey roaming or long distance voice calling charges.
The developer says the app is currently in public beta and users must meet the following Requirements:
OS 6 or later (OS 5 support coming soon. Stay tuned!) SD card BBM 6.0.1 or later (VVM Messenger will prompt you to download it if you don’t have it installed the first time you run VVM Messenger)Users will also have to make sure their recipients of a BBM Voicemail also has VVM Messenger in order to receive the message. Although, if you send someone a VVM and they don’t have VVM Messenger installed they will automatically receive an App World invite to download VVM Messenger.
Download VVM Messenger for free in BlackBerry App WorldVerizon Wireless Instating $30 Phone Upgrade Fee April 22nd 
Verizon Wireless is at it again with a new fee it plans to charge its customers. Verizon crazingly attempted to charge customers a fee to pay their bills online, before backpedaling. The latest slap in the face by Big Red is their plan to charge customers a $30 fee when upgrading to a new phone.
Here’s the official statement from Verizon Wireless:
“On April 22, Verizon Wireless is implementing a $30 upgrade fee for existing customers purchasing new mobile equipment at a discounted price with a two-year contract. This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever.â€
Essentially, Verizon Wireless is charging customers $30 as a ‘privilege’ to buy a new phone with 2yr contract. If this has you up in arms, take to the social networks, tweet your dissatisfaction to @VerizonWireless, and call their customer service to complain. Verizon Wireless is already the highest costing premium network, lets not make it even higher with more erroneous charges.
via GigaOm
BlackBerry 7 Named Most Secure Mobile OS for Enterprises 
Trend Micro conducted a survey which compares the top mobile operating systems to meet the demands of use in the enterprise market. BlackBerry OS 7.0 scored higher than Apple iOS5, Windows Phone 7.5 and Google’s Android 2.3.
Each of the platforms were scored on a combination of factors including built-in security, application security, authentication, device wipe, device firewall and virtualisation. BlackBerry gained the highest average score (2.89), followed by iOS (1.7), Windows Phone (1.61) and Android (1.37).
It is the corporate-grade security and manageability of BlackBerry OS 7 that made it come out on top of the competition, said researchers from Altimeter Group, Bloor Research and Trend Micro.
“Against the growing, unstoppable backdrop of consumerisation and BYOD, every mobile device is a risk to business. What is interesting in these results is that, whilst some mobile platforms have evolved very noticeably along enterprise lines, there is still a strong ‘consumer marketing’ legacy in some quarters and this is negating some of the progress made on the enterprise front. Indeed, some of the attributes we have examined in the report are still firmly ‘enterprise-unready’,†said Raimund Genes, CTO of Trend Micro.
via SCM
UVMF Plans to Release Reality Show on BlackBerry Video Store…to Show How They’ll Buy RIM 
United Vision Marketing Firm (UVMF) broke on the interwebs when they made a robust claim to purchase Research In Motion. What is likely just a publicity stunt, UVMF has released a new announcement claiming to bring a reality show exclusively to the BlackBerry video store.
The reality show is set to be called “The Making of a Mogul”, which will star Dr. Nono C. Pearson who also goes by ‘Big Reality’. The content of the show will be about the CEO of UVMF, along with his team, in their attempt to acquire RIM and BlackBerry, while making other big deals with known celebrities, politicians, financial people and educators.
UVMF plans to charge $9.99 for the entire first season of the reality show. The marketing firm also will give away a free app download that will come pre-loaded with exclusive music downloads, new product announcements and other things. The reality show is expected to go into production by May.
Oh, UVMF also has a Hip Hop anthem, since UVMF CEO “likes it when they call me Big Poppa Reality”. Check it out below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktVtmjQuqU8
On a BlackBerry? Click here for mobile YouTube video
Press Release
UVMF Plans to Release Hit Reality Show Exclusively on BlackBerry Video Store The Move Will Help RIM Generate Revenue From Relevant Entertainment ContentNEW YORK, Apr 11, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) — United Vision Marketing Firm announces today that it has plans to develop a hit reality TV show called The Making of a Mogul. The show is staring Dr. Nono C. Pearson also known as Big Reality.
The content of the will be about the CEO of UVMF, along with his team, in the attempt to acquire RIM BlackBerry and making other big deals with known celebrities, politicians, financial people and educators.
The reality show is designed to reveal to the public on what it takes to build an empire from the ground up in today’s tough economic conditions. The show will be targeted to the existing 55 million users of BlackBerry products.
UVMF plan is to promote to the BlackBerry users to view the first season of the show for about $9.99 for the entire season. The marketing firm also will give away a free app download that will come pre-loaded with exclusive music downloads, new product announcements and much more cool new developments. The show is expected to go into production as early as May of 2012.
UVMF Offical Corporate Hip Hop Anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktVtmjQuqU8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
The United Vision Marketing Firm logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11336
This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com
Microsoft said to Invest $3.5 Billion in Research in Motion 
The rumor of a Microsoft and Research In Motion deal is circling back around. New chatter suggests Microsoft is prepared to make a $3.5 billion investment in Research in Motion, according to sources. Apparently, the two companies have been frequently mentioned in potential deals over the past few months.
AOL’s announced sale of 800 patents to Microsoft on Monday, raised interest in RIMM’s patent portfolio. Neither party would comment on the rumor. We’ll keep you updated should any other news arise.
via Benzinga