RIM to Pay $12 Million to Mike Lazaridis & Jim Balsillie After Exit (June,2012)

Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the co-founders of Research In Motion creator of BlackBerry, will be receiving $12 million for stepping aside as c0-chief executive officers, according to a company document filed on Thursday.The document noted Mr. Lazaridis and Mr. Balsillie “revolutionized the worldwide wireless industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry and forever changed how the world communicates,” the company said in a management circular that it had entered into transition agreements with the two executives.Jim Balsillie who stepped down to an ordinary director during the management shakeup and later completely left the company will receive an entitlement of $7.9 million. Mike Lazaridis remains as the vice-chair of the board with responsibilities for innovation and still has the use of a dedicated office, as well as a company car with a driver. Lazaridis will receive a compensation of $3.9 million.Additionally, the filing notes Thorsten Heins financial arrangements with RIM. Mr. Heins, who joined RIM several years ago after a long stint in senior roles at the top of the German conglomerate Siemens AG, received about $1.9-million in total compensation in fiscal 2011. His compensation increased with the promotion to about $10.2-million in fiscal 2012.via Globe&Mail

How BlackBerry Smartphones are Useful for Governments (Video) (June,2012)

We’re always hearing how BlackBerry smartphones are being utilizes by governments around the world due to the devices world-class security. Check out the video below to see how BlackBerry is enabling governments at all levels to deliver enhanced services with fewer resources by increasing productivity and ROI.

Former Goldman Sachs Exec Timothy Dattels Joins RIM’s BlackBerry Board (June,2012)

Research In Motion will be replacing Antonio Viana-Baptista as an independent direct from the company’s board. In Viana-Baptista’s place will be former Goldman Sachs executive Timothy Dattels. The remainder of the board will undergo a re-election at an annual meeting due on July 10.Timothy Dattels is currently a senior partner at TPG Capital LP and had previously been head of investment banking for Asia at Goldman Sachs. We’ve seen a bit of a shakeup in the RIM board so far this year. Perhaps RIM will secure more mobile and investment leaders to its board at its upcoming re-election.via Reuters

BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour Comes to London Today (June,2012)

More than 500 developers have registered to attend the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour event in London today at Vinopolis, illustrating the high level of interest across the developer community in the UK for creating apps for the forthcoming BlackBerry 10 platform.RIM has transformed the developer experience with BlackBerry 10, creating an open platform to enable developers to leverage their range of existing skills, while at the same time providing them with powerful new tools to simplify the development process. At today’s event, developers will be able to participate in hands-on sessions for the native (C/C++ with Cascades and QML development) and web (HTML5 with BlackBerry WebWorks) development environments to help them to build apps for the new platform. Each qualified developer will also receive a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device to enable them to test the apps they develop*.At BlackBerry World in May, RIM launched the BlackBerry 10 developer toolkit for native and HTML5 software development. 1,500 developers were seeded with a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device and there is already significant momentum behind the platform.Corran Blyth, Team Leader at C2 Development said: “We have a number of high-profile BlackBerry 10 apps in development already and have been really impressed with the new Cascades user interface design tool and the performance of the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device. WebWorks is also a great platform, which we found extremely easy to develop on and test with.”Alec Saunders, VP Developer Relations at RIM said: “BlackBerry 10 provides developers with the cutting-edge tools required to create graphically-rich, high-performance apps that will deliver a great user experience. That this event was fully booked well in advance demonstrates the enthusiasm and excitement among the UK developer community for BlackBerry 10.”*Note: Qualified developers will be determined by RIM using applicant information from the registration system. If you have already received a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device at a previous BlackBerry developer event or from RIM, you are not eligible for this offer. Registrants who apply will be notified within 24 hours before the event if they are qualified to receive a device at BlackBerry 10 Jam. Qualified developers must collect their device in person at the World Tour event that they are registered for. Photo identification must be provided at the time of collection. Registrants cannot receive more than one (1) BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device during the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour.

Scalado, Company Behind BlackBerry 10′s Amazing Time-Warping Camera, to be Aquired by Nokia (June,2012)

The Swedish firm, Scalado, behind BlackBerry 10′s awesome time-warping camera will soon be acquired by Nokia. Scalado has current ties to allow its technology in the upcoming operating system from RIM, which we saw demoed at BlackBerry World 2012. HTC is also currently licensing technology from Scalado.Scalado’s developers, intellectual property, technology, and moniker will be headed to Nokia in the third quarter of 2012. However, Nokia is not buying Scalado outright as it still currently has licensing deals with other companies. The plan for the Scalado acquisition is to enhance “imaging experiences for Nokia Lumia devices.”What do you think this could mean for the future of the camera app in BlackBerry 10? Will RIM eventually have to buy the time-warp patent from Scalado/Nokia or be forced to pay greater licensing fees in the future? Let us know what you think. Check out the full press release below:Thanks Ben!Press ReleaseNokia to acquire developers, technologies and intellectual property for imaging from ScaladoAcquisition aimed at enhancing imaging experiences for Nokia Lumia devicesEspoo, Finland and Lund, Sweden: Nokia is announcing plans to acquire world-class imaging specialists as well as all technologies and intellectual property from Scalado AB.“Nokia has been working with Scalado for more than ten years and they’ve contributed to many of our leading imaging applications,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Smart Devices at Nokia. “This transaction would enable us to combine our leadership in camera devices with their expertise in imaging, helping people move beyond taking pictures to capturing moments and emotions and then reliving them in many different ways.”The Lund site is planned to become a key site for Nokia’s imaging software for smartphones, in addition to Nokia’s existing locations in Espoo and Tampere, Finland.“This is a great opportunity for many of our people to show their leadership in imaging and to continue to build its future,” said HÃ¥kan Persson, chief executive officer of Scalado AB. “Doing this as part of Nokia, already a leader in mobile imaging, will reinforce the strength of the technologies and competences developed at Scalado. We are very excited about this opportunity, which is a natural next step in our longstanding relationship with Nokia.”The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close during the third quarter of 2012. The terms of the transaction are confidential.via Engadget

RIM Announces ‘BlackBerry Comes to You’, BlackBerry World & Jam EMEA 2013 Dates (June,2012)

RIM has announced that over the next 12 months RIM will be hosting approximately 35 events in 25 different cities around the world designed to let customers, fans, and partners engage with the company. Additionally, RIM has announced the BlackBerry World Conference 2013 will be May 14-16, 2013 in Orlando, Florida.By visiting one of the BlackBerry events in a city near you, RIM hope to give you better opportunities to test-drive current BlackBerry products, as well as get a sneak peek of BlackBerry 10 and future innovations. The BlackBerry Innovation Forum series that will showcase BlackBerry 10 in cities across the world:EMEAAmsterdam, NetherlandsJohannesburg, South AfricaParis, FranceLondon, UKMilano, ItalyFrankfurt, GermanyMadrid, SpainDubai, UAENorth AmericaNew Jersey, USANew York, USABoston, USAAtlanta, USADallas, USAChicago, USABridgeport-Stamford, USAPhiladelphia, USAWashington, USAMinneapolis, USASan Francisco/Los Angeles, USAVirginia, USAToronto, CanadaOttawa, CanadaVancouver, CanadaCalgary, CanadaEdmonton, CanadaMontreal, CanadaHalifax, CanadaBlackBerry Collaboration Forum series that showcases the best of all things BlackBerry and highlights some of the best presentations from BlackBerry World:October 4, 2012 â€" Bogotá, ColombiaOctober 16, 2012 â€" Buenos Aires, ArgentinaNovember 8, 2012 â€" Sao Paulo, BrazilFall 2012 â€" in Mexico City, Mexico (full details to be announced)BlackBerry Jam events that engage with our growing community of developers:BlackBerry Jam Americas: September 25-27, 2012 in San Jose, CABlackBerry Jam EMEA: February 5-6, 2013 in Amsterdam, NetherlandsBlackBerry Jam ASIA: To Be Announced

Easy Smiley Pack App for BlackBerry Updated (June,2012)

S4BB Limited has updated Easy Smiley Pack application for BlackBerry Smartphones. With the new update, users can now also customize their profile with smileys and flags. In total Easy Smiley Pack contains well over 630 smileys, flags and ASCII images to spice up BBM messages.Easy Smiley Pack is compatible with all BlackBerry Smartphone running OS 5.0 and up and can be downloaded for free at BlackBerry App World here.

Live Tracker Monitor for BlackBerry PlayBook Released – Track Employees, Friends & Family (June,2012)

Skylab Mobilesystems Limited has announced the release of Live Tracker Monitor for BlackBerry PlayBook. This unique application for the BlackBerry platform allows the user to track the whereabouts of anyone who has the free Live Tracker app installed on their BlackBerry smartphone. The intuitive user interface and a Special OPS styled color scheme makes Live Tracker Monitor easy to use.Live Tracker Monitor comes in three versions: Enterprise, Lite & Free. The Enterprise version is ideal for large companies, allowing to track up to a 1000 BlackBerry smartphones. The Lite version allows the user to track up to 10 devices and is ideal for small companies or private use. The Free version allows the user to track 2 BlackBerry smartphones.Live Tracker Monitor FeaturesAccurate Geolocation through GPS or cell tower triangulation.Comprehensive World Map, ability to zoom into street level.Quick Refresh of Location Points.User-Friendly Interface with Multi-Touch Support.Precise Coordinates for Locations.Intuitive user interface & Special OPS styled color scheme .Live Tracker Monitor is the ideal solution when tracking the whereabouts of employees, friends or family members. Live Tracker Monitor can be downloaded at BlackBerry App World:Live Tracker Monitor EnterpriseLive Tracker Monitor LiteLive Tracker Monitor FreeThe free Live Tracker Client app for BlackBerry smartphone can also be found here.

Apple Rumored in Negotiations for Siri Integration in Cars – What Could This Mean for QNX? (June,2012)

QNX, the team behind the amazing operating system, has been making leaps and bounds in the infotainment industry. So far, we’ve gotten a glimpse at their CAR 2 infotainment system in a Porsche 911 and shown how it can be utilized in other industries, such as police cruisers.Word on the street says another mobile leader looks to be eying the auto industry too. Apple is allegedly in discussions with Toyota, GM, Mercedes, BMW, Honda, Audi and more manufacturers to have Siri built into the steering wheels with a dedicated button. The move for Apple is said to happen within a year’s time.What could this mean for QNX? While the Siri integration may not be a full blown infotainment system, it might be Apple’s foot in the door to toppling another market. The Siri integration may evolve into letting you start the car only with your voice and control other aspects of the vehicle such as headlights, AC, and more. Perhaps QNX should be deeply investigating more voice controls and partnerships with automakers. What do you think RIM and QNX should do to counter?via TB

Twitter for BlackBerry 3.1.0.13 Released in Beta Zone (June,2012)

Following the update to Facebook, RIM has released an update to Twitter for BlackBerry. The changelog for version 3.1.0.13 has not been published yet, but here’s some of the features found in 3.1:Updated details screen tweetThe possibility of withdrawal of ReTweetSupport for languages ​​written from right to leftAdditional languages​​: Finnish, Arabic and HebrewYou can get this update to Twitter for BlackBerry in Beta Zone here.

5 Reasons to Develop on BlackBerry (June,2012)

Developers of apps have to make a decision on which smartphone platform to develop their application to maximize their impact and/or profit.  Among the popular candidates are Apple’s App Store, RIM’s BlackBerry App World, Google’s Android Marketplace, and Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace.  They’ve all got their advantages and disadvantages, but in the end it all comes down to profit.  N4BB looks at the ease of development, competition, subscriber base, user habits, demographics, and more to give you 5 rational and compelling reasons why developing for BlackBerry is a good idea.1.        Less competitionThese days, every company and their dog has an app that you can download.  This is especially true on iOS and Android smartphones.   With about 650,000 available on the iPhone, and almost 500,000 available on Android smartphones, any small developer is looking at some serious competition.  With the Windows marketplace and BlackBerry App World, you’re looking at over 100,000 apps apiece.But that’s not the whole story.  The subscriber base of each platform is also very important.  The larger your market, the better you tend to do.  If we consider the ratio of subscribers to apps, the most attractive platform should have the largest number.   While this is no scientifically rigorous analysis, we shall use the number of mobile shipments in 2011 instead of subscribers (which should favour android and Apple as RIM was doing better before then) Windows phone is in last place with a ratio of around 70 (7 mil/100k), Apple is in second with a ratio around 144 (94 mil/650k), Android is in a close third, with about 480 (240 mil/500k) and BlackBerry is out in front with 485 (51 mil/105k).  Using recent mobile shipments also helps provide a better view of how the market will be like instead of what they were.Keep in mind, that the figures are by no means exact and that BlackBerry App World is divided into PlayBook 2.0/BlackBerry 10 based apps and the older BlackBerry OS-based apps.  More precisely, if we consider only the current BlackBerry smartphone apps at about 85,000, then the score is more like 600.This means, that there is generally less apps available per subscriber than any other platform, and there’s a higher likelihood of being the only game in town!  Less competition means developers can charge more for their app as well.The new BlackBerry 10 platform has not launched yet so the competitive prospects depend on the sales of the first BlackBerry 10 phone, and the apps available at launch, which are both unknown.  We can be sure that there won’t be 500,000 apps at launch, and the sales might be any where from half a million to 5 million devices.  Regardless, there will be room for many developers to succeed on the new platform.2.       Developer Tools The tools developers use to build their apps are also very important.    If you’ve got the right development tools, it can save tons of time in the app-making process as well as allow developers to make high-quality apps that customers want to buy and use.  Choice; it’s a beautiful thing.  For the BlackBerry 10 and PlayBook platforms, you can choose from C/C++, AIR, HTML5, Java, or Qt programming languages and scripting.   For web developers, HTML5 apps can be made using RIM’s Webworks and tested on the tinyHippos Ripple emulator.  HTML5 tools are perfect for creating rich and consistent applications across all platforms, which includes BlackBerry.  The new BBUI.js tools enable developers to deliver the modern BlackBerry experience with ease using HTML5.The C/C++ environment is key for many games, and RIM has been no slouch in supporting as many game engines are possible.  This allows the PlayBook to quickly amass a sizeable selection of the top mobile games available today.  For Flash developers, development is also possible in Actionscript using the Adobe AIR SDK.  Existing Flash games can also be easily brought to BlackBerry quite easily as well.  Many android developers can also port their Java applications to BlackBerry using a conversion tool developed by RIM themselves, removing much of the work while accessing a whole new market of potential customers.Native development on BlackBerry has also never been easier.  The quality of the new Cascades UI tools by TAT is top-notch which allows even new developers to create stunning applications with ease.  The powerful foundation of C++ with the simplicity of creating user interfaces with Qt is a great combination.  Cascades for BlackBerry 10 features slick transitions, fluid animations, and sharp layout objects that developers can leverage without any extra work.RIM is developing tools like the App Generator, allowing a very quick way to make an app, saving time and money for many developers.The new open-source initiatives and wealth of sample applications from RIM are promising and show that RIM is serious about appealing to developers.  As a new BlackBerry developer, I’ve tested the BlackBerry WebWorks tools, Cascades tools, the Ripple emulator, sample apps, Android conversion tools, and AIR runtimes provided by RIM and I stand impressed.3.       DemographicsNot all smartphone users are created the same.   Some buy many apps, others have never use any at all.  In other words, the average BlackBerry user will differ from the average iPhone or Android user.  There is evidence that BlackBerry users generally lie in the highest income bracket, suggesting they may be more likely to spend more money on apps than users of other smartphones.  Obviously developers want smartphone users to buy as many apps as possible so it this fact is important.This suggests that a higher percentage of BlackBerry users have credit cards tied to their App World accounts.  It’s also possible that there is a greater market for business, professional and specialized applications with BlackBerry due to the large corporate and business association to BlackBerry.  Apps that rely on a platform with top-notch security should also look no further.  With FIPS certification of BlackBerry 7 smartphones, it’s really a no-brainer.4.       Social support from RIMResearch in Motion has stepped up their game when it comes to appealing to developers.  As far as social support goes, RIM delivers quality and timely support through the BlackBerry developer forums and the twitter account @BlackBerryDev.  The forums are well organized and populated with many experienced developers to help with any issues.  The @BlackBerryDev twitter account has more than 41,000 followers and is backed by a dedicated team that’s glad to help.  RIM also has BlackBerry developer evangelists, led by RIM’s VP of Developer Relations and App Ecosystems Alec Saunders, to answer any questions developer have about developing their app for the BlackBerry ecosystem.To showcase and help developers as much as possible, RIM’s developer evangelist team is going global after their initial BlackBerry Jam conference in Orlando, Florida.  BlackBerry Jam events are being scheduled in many cities all over the world (I’m going to the one in New York City!), handing out developer prototype smartphones so developers can test and debug their apps on.  With tutorials, round table sessions, and seminars, RIM makes it clear they want to help developers as much as possible.5.       Financial SupportYou gotta make money, right?   Done.   RIM’s offering $10,000 in guaranteed app income for certified BlackBerry 10 apps.  That’s right.  If your app passes some certification (yet to be completely disclosed), and your app hasn’t made $10,000 of income yet, RIM pays you the difference to get you to that money.  Not bad eh?  The details aren’t set in stone yet, but the aim is clear.  RIM wants to take care of its developers.Despite BlackBerry already being a very profitable platform for a relatively large percentage of developers.  RIM seems to acknowledge the seemingly obvious fact that developers are investing their sweat and blood into their apps and supporting them is of mutual benefit.ConclusionOf course, there are many reasons why other platforms are attractive as well.  But for the small developer, the numbers are stacked against you.  When Apple decides to do more of the development themselves as with iOS6 (with iCloud photo sharing and Instaphoto), third party developers find it difficult to compete with native services. These five reasons outline why BlackBerry is not to be overlooked as a great app development platform.  The tools are there (and more coming).  The opportunities to grab untouched parts of the app market are there.  The social support is there.  The financial support is there.   With all these reasons, I would not be surprised if the new BlackBerry platform becomes a hot bed for app success.

Facebook for BlackBerry Updated to 3.1.0.16 in Beta Zone (June,2012)

Research In Motion has made a new update to Facebook for BlackBerry available via the BlackBerry Beta Zone. Here’s the full rundown on what’s new in version 3.1.0.16:Facebook for BlackBerry doesn’t receive notificationsGroups wall not showing all postsThe load more comments button was not available in some circumstances, making older comments inaccessiblePhotos on Group Wall does not open to correct photoIf a post to a group fails the resend from notification does not resendGroup icons do not match the icons that are displayed on the Facebook websiteOpening Groups from the Navigation Grid multiple times opens multiple Group list screensFacebook notification did not show on device today view after SIMs swappingDid not get event invitation push notificationLikes count incorrect in Likes list if launched from stagnant comment screenLikes and comment numbers of Group wall post did not persist after reopening the Group profileLikes on picture does not always appear when accessing posts from message inbox notification of likesPage profile is treated as non-friend profile in people like list“Disable Public Photo Sharing” IT policy did not apply if user uploading photo from media app“View null’s Profile”/”View Photos of null” when invoking GCM or BB menu on a Group photoHindi EULA appears to be missing the first paragraph (possibly more)Wrong error message is shown for child (parental) protection policyDevice jumps back up on screen while scrolling in Facebook for BlackBerry in case the image is longer then what can fit on the screen.Friends list profile photos very large on low resolution device â€" only two friends visibleYou can get the new update in BlackBerry Beta Zone here.

BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour Registration Now Open to Asia & Montreal (June,2012)

RIM will be taking the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour to the doorsteps in Asian regions as well as Montreal. Here’s the list of places now open for registration:July 2 â€" Bangalore, IndiaJuly 4 â€" Delhi, IndiaJuly 6 â€" Beijing, ChinaJuly 9 â€" SingaporeJuly 10 â€" Jakarta, IndonesiaJuly 11 â€" Montreal, QCIf you think you can attend (YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD!) head over to register here.

iOS Emulator Demoed on BlackBerry PlayBook (Video) (June,2012)

Have you ever seen a friend with a really cool app or game on their iPhone or iPad, but it wasn’t available for your BlackBerry device? Perhaps that day may end with the ‘Brine’ iOS emulator, which looks to be making its way to the BlackBerry PlayBook.Similar to the PlayBook’s native Android app player, the Brine iOS emulator keeps all apps in a single panel. The iOS emulator also attempts to configure the right aspect ratio of the apps for maximum visual clarity. Check out the video below and let us know what you think!Discuss this video in the forums

T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9900 FREE for Father’s Day (June,2012)

T-Mobile in the US is having an all 4G smartphones free promotion for Father’s Day. This means if you’ve been holding out on getting a BlackBerry Bold 9900, this coming weekend might be the best time for you or a family member. The promotion runs from Saturday June 16th to Sunday June 17th.  A recap of the Bold 9900′s specs: 5MP camera, BlackBerry OS 7.1, up to 8 hrs talk time, and more.Check out the full details of this promotion here.Thanks Ashley!

ShutUp Camera Pulled by RIM, Available in the N4BB Mobihand Store (June,2012)

Devcellent Solutions has released a cool new app called ShutUp Camera. The application uses the actual BlackBerry app to take photos without any shutter sounds, so you still get to use all the features you know from the native app but with a muted shutter. ShutUp Camera was pulled from App World by RIM, we don’t know why yet but in the meantime you can still get it from the N4BB Mobihand Store!