How to Disable BBM Group LED and Sound Alerts (September,2012)

Last tuesday I wrote a guide on how to create BBM groups and fellow BlackBerry user told me on Twitter that I now I should do a guide on how to disable BBM group notifications so users won’t want to quit BlackBerry. If you have BBM groups that are constantly writing, the LED and sound alerts will most likely drive you insane to the point you’ll want to smash your BlackBerry. We don’t want you doing that, so here’s a guide to disable BBM group LED and Sound notifications. Thanks @xAshley1983x for the idea!1. Go to Options and select Sounds and Ring Tones from the menu.2. Once there, choose Profile Management.3. You’ll see a list with all your sound profiles. Choose the one you would like to edit, the one you normally use.4. Go over to the Instant Messages section and select BBM Groups.5. Set the Volume to Silent and the LED to Off.6. Press the Back button and save changes. That’s it!This should disable all BBM Group notifications, but you will still get the notification icon so you won’t miss any messages. If you have any questions or suggestions for our next how to, leave them in the comments below!

Marine Navigation App With Voice Prompts for PlayBook Released (September,2012)

A new app for the PlayBook has been released. Marine Navigation app is a, like the name says, marine navigation app with built in voice prompts. The application is also fully functional without an internet connection. Here are some of the feautres:Voice Prompts for marine navigationRoute Editing/CreationChart folios covering multiple countries Offline NOAA charts Tide & CurrentsSeamless chart quilting of marine chartsDistance Bearing toolCreate custom way pointsPOI layer for marine chartsPan/Zoom/My Location Record Marine GPS tracks View tracks overlay Live track animation Track analytics/stats Export GPX trcks. Auto Follow Mode (Course up)The app is now available for download and you can find it in the BlackBerry App World.

HTC Not Denying Possible Licensing of BlackBerry 10 (September,2012)

While RIM is working hard to execute a major transition to a new QNX-based platform for its mobile devices, rumours  of potential BlackBerry 10 licensing deals with other manufacturers have sprung up.  When asked about a deal with RIM, director of product management for EMEA at HTC, Graham Wheeler, stated:“I don’t have any knowledge but that is not to say we are not looking at it. But from my point of view we are not saying we are closed to a new operating system. We will review each one to make sure it’s the best for our customers.”While this is far from a concrete statement and is most likely just a diplomatic answer, the chance that HTC licenses BlackBerry 10 isn’t zero.  While most manufacturers faced with the question would likely reiterate their commitment to the Android platform, HTC has clearly expressed their openness to other platforms if they are in the company’s and their customers’ best interests.  If HTC does indeed license BlackBerry 10, the chance of success for the new platform should increase.HTC and RIM are both known for their build quality, however HTC uses the free Android operating system provided by Google.  HTC has also released Windows 7-powered devices in an effort to reduce their dependency on Android amid decreasing sales.Would you use an HTC BlackBerry 10 smartphone?  What if it relied on RIM leaving the hardware game?  What if it was the only way for the platform to survive?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!Source:  MobileToday

BlackBerry 10 to Have Most Apps at Launch Than Any Other New OS (September,2012)

Some have speculated that the launch of the BlackBerry PlayBook was ultimately a large-scale beta test for the QNX operating system. What ever the fact may be, it will be in Research In Motion’s favor. In an interview with CNET, Alec Saunders, VP of developer relations at RIM said, “RIM intends to launch its [BlackBerry 10] OS with more apps than any other first-generation operating system.”At this stage, Windows phone is the only contender for the title. Since iOS and Android barely had app stores at their launch. This is why Alec and his team have been hosting BlackBerry Jam sessions throughout the world to pull in new developers to the BlackBerry 10 platform.Microsoft is definitely RIM’s largest threat at this point in time. Wireless carriers are urging for a third mobile ecosystem in the market, with BlackBerry and Windows Phone meeting neck and neck. Let’s hope RIM can reach their goal by gaining the title of the most apps at launch for a new operating system.

RIM Publishes Patent For Selectively Performing Proxy Services (September,2012)

RIM has published a patent describing a way to improve the way your smartphone retrieves data from the network.  To maintain fast data speeds on a BlackBerry with low signal stength is difficult with increasing data usage today.  With less-than-optimal speeds, the experience begins to suffer as uncompressed data needs to be pulled through multiple servers and processed.  RIM is proposing that if smartphones were able to provide details information about the state of the connection, this could help improve the browsing experience with a low speed connection.More specifically, it is proposed that mobile browsers can send their connection strengths and types to a web server using http headers.   For example, you may be able to connect over LTE in the city, but only with EDGE in another more remote location.  You wouldn’t want to wait longer to open the webpage if you’re on EDGE.The headers might look something like this:[0091] X-Network-Status: <2G/3G/4G/Wi-Fi>; ;
[0092] X-Network-Status: ; 
[0093] X-Network-Status: 
[0094] X-Network-Status: ; 
[0095] X-Network-Status: <802.11a/b/g/n>  You can check out all the details of the patent in its full description here.Depending on your network speed, the data can be compressed accordingly.  How do you think this idea will impact how we use mobile browsers?  Sound off in the comments below! Thanks Denis!

RIM to Release Personal BlackBerry Bluetooth Speaker and HS-250 Headset in Multiple Colors? (September,2012)

Research In Motion has had many OEM accessories built. Many include their own designed cases, bluetooth headsets, and more. MacBerry.de has apparently gotten a hold of a PDF showing some of the allegedly new accessory products coming this year.The first product is a “personal audio speaker” dubbed the ‘PS3′. This Bluetooth speaker has a clip, which allows you to put it on a seat belt, laptop bag strap, and much more. The source claims that, ”Tests conducted in Waterloo suggest that the sound quality is at the level of other brands in the price range of 100 euros or more.” This accessory is said to become available for the 2012 holiday season.The next accessory RIM is said to release is the HS-250 Bluetooth headset, which will come in multiple color options. Not much was said about this accessory other than showing the six color options and revealing the HS-250 can connect to 2 devices with 5hr talk time and up to 200hrs standby time.What do you think of these new accessories supposed to be coming soon? Are you interested in the BlackBerry Bluetooth speaker? Perhaps it will allow for a direct connect to any BlackBerry like the BlackBerry Music Gateway? Let us know if you’d buy any of these.via BerryReview

If You Bought BlackBerry Apps from MobiHand: Re-Download Them Now!! (September,2012)

You may recall our report last year about MobiHand allegedly withholding payments to developers who sold their apps via the MobiHand portal? Turns out it was true and one developer who was owed over $140,000 took MobiHand to court.Since their business model was rapidly dying, it seems MobiHand has decided to finally end its app distribution service (so glad they had the testicular fortitude to let us know in advance). The company offered this statement on their site:What a fabulous ride we had!From San Francisco to Indonesia, from Brazil to Moscow, for eight years we served millions of worldwide customers with their app needs and delivered hundreds of millions of downloads. We enjoyed the rise of many different platforms. BlackBerry and then Android were the biggest. And we suffered through the fall of others. Goodbye Palm and maybe BlackBerry? Remember when we downloaded apps onto a PC and then sideloaded them through a cable to our phones? Today, our apps are discovered, downloaded and updated with very little effort right onto our devices (phones and tablets that we could not have imagined when we started). We are proud to have pioneered many of the innovations that all mobile users enjoy today. We lived through all of these changes, including the entry of some very large companies into the app industry. These companies changed the industry with their massive resources and easy access to existing customers (which some of them vigorously protect by closing their app systems). Domination of mobile app distribution by a relatively small number of large companies has made participation increasingly difficult for independent app distributors. While it was very hard to reach this decision, we have concluded that we have to discontinue our current services. We can only hope that the assets we built over the years will find a new purpose. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you over all these years. The MobiHand Team P.S. Customer accounts will be accessible for a few more days. Customers will be able to re-download purchased apps or get their activation codes, but no upgrades, new codes, or swaps will be available.If you had previously purchased BlackBerry apps on N4BB or another MobiHand portal, you MUST re-download them immediately. Otherwise, it might be too late and it’s highly unlikely the developers of the apps will honor anything that has to do with MobiHand.

BlackBerry 10 Phones – What Material Would You Want Them to be? (September,2012)

So far we’ve seen a healthy amount of leaks to give you an idea of what the L-Series will look like. From what we’ve heard, the image above is the consumer version we’ll see go on sale in Q1 2013.Additionally, we’ve heard it will have that same rubberized plastic we’ve come to know on the BlackBerry PlayBook and Dev Alpha. Perhaps the N-Series will be made from the same material?If you could choose the material used on the BlackBerry 10 phones, what would you pick? Vote in the poll, if your option isn’t available tell us what it would be in the comments!Take Our Poll

BlackBerry UK Teases Gold BlackBerry Bold 9900 (September,2012)

Remember when we told you about the Olympic gold medalists who got a free gold BlackBerry? Well it seems like they won’t be the only lucky ones.BlackBerry UK posted a video teasing the gold Bold 9900, the same given to the medalists, and it seems like there will be either offering or giving them away. Guess we will have to wait until September 10th to find out! You can watch the video below. What do you guys think (or hope) it’ll be? On a BlackBerry? Click here for mobile video viewvia CB

Glutton Xonix Updated with 8 New Level Packs (September,2012)

Ximad has let us know that they have released a new version of their game Glutton Xonix. The update includes new features such as 8 new free level packs. Glutton Xonix is game where the user has to cut the field into pieces revealing beautiful pictures and avoiding enemies trying to hit you.As you get through the levels, the complexity of each increases making it a lot more entertaining. Glutton Xonix is currently available for free in the BlackBerry App World.Download Glutton Xonix from App World >>

The Mystery App Now Available For PlayBook (September,2012)

Who doesn’t love a little mystery? This app has got the mystery your PlayBook needs. Lunars Edge Design has just released their new app called The Mystery App for PlayBook. What is it? What does it do? Is it a game or an app?We don’t know, and you won’t know until you buy it! For only US$0.99, you must find out and whatever it is, you’ll probably love it.Find out what The Mystery App is for only $0.99>>

Cascades Native SDK Coming to Linux (September,2012)

The @BlackBerryDev twitter account has revealed that the Native SDK is coming to Linux.  In a tweet to @alketbihamad, RIM confirmed that the Linux version should be arriving with the third Beta version of the SDK, right before the Gold version.  This is welcome news as RIM focuses on catering to the needs of developers in order to bring apps to the new BlackBerry 10 platform.This is contrary to developer tools on other platforms, such as iOS, which are exclusive to OS X on a Mac.Source: Twitter

BlackBerry Theme Studio 7 in the Works (September,2012)

Themes were a staple of the BlackBerry experience.  The lack of a Theme Builder application for BlackBerry 7 made the theme development process difficult.  Some persistent and clever developers have managed to find a way around this issue.  However, there is good news.  In a Twitter message to @tw820, RIM stated,“Theme Studio 7 is en route and we are looking to release ASAP.”A Time frame for release remains unknown as “ASAP” could imply pretty much anything at this point.  Despite having themes for BlackBerry 7 already, there could have been much more had Theme Studio 7 been released earlier.Are you excited to see more themes come to BlackBerry7?  Sound off in the comments below!Source: Twitter

BlackBerry 10 will be Supported by Verizon Wireless, says CMO (September,2012)

Have you been wondering if the largest US carrier would be supporting BlackBerry 10? Verizon Wireless’ Chief Marketing Officer, Tami Erwin, told CNET that the company wants to give consumers more options.Rather than focus primarily on one or two devices, Verizon would like there to be a third ecosystem for its customers to choose from. Erwin confirmed that Verizon Wireless will carry the BlackBerry 10 smartphones when they are released in Q1 2013.It is nice to see that carriers understand there is room for a third or even fourth mobile ecosystem on the market. This gives credence to what Thorsten Heins had previously said why RIM was not worried about missing the holiday season.via PhoneDog

RIM to Announce Second Quarter Fiscal 2013 Results on September 27 (September,2012)

RIM has just announced that will be reporting on their second quarter fiscal 2013 result on September 27, 2012.  There will be a conference call and a live webcast at 5PM ET on that day. That’s just a couple of weeks away, and we hope to hear some good news for RIM. Full press release and link for the event can be found below. What do you guys expect to hear?Press ReleaseWATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – September 05, 2012) – Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX: RIM) will be reporting results for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 on September 27, 2012 after the close of the market. A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at 5 pm ET, which can be accessed by dialing  1-800-814-4859 or through your personal computer or BlackBerry® PlayBookâ„¢ tablet at www.rim.com/investors/events/ index.shtml . A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 7 pm by dialing  (+1)416-640-1917 and entering pass code 4501367#. A replay of the webcast will be available on your personal computer or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet by clicking the link above. This replay will be available unt il midnight ET October 11, 2012.Scheduled Quarterly Results Conference calls for FY 2013 Q2: September 27, 2012, after markets close Q3: December 20, 2012, after markets close Q4: March 28, 2013, after markets closeAbout Research In MotionResearch In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ:RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com orwww.blackberry.com.Research In Motion, RIM and BlackBerry are trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. Research In Motion and RIM are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, products and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Six BlackBerry 10 Phones – What Are They? (September,2012)

Research In Motion’s CEO, Thorsten Heins, recently stated there will be six BlackBerry 10 phones released in 2013. However, these six devices may not be completely different devices.I believe the six BlackBerry 10 phones will include multiples of the same device. The same as it has been for every other BlackBerry, where RIM will have a separate model for the GSM and CDMA variant.This theory has been hinted in the 2013 RIM roadmap that leaked a few months back. In this roadmap, it was shown there will be three variations of the BlackBerry 10 N-Series: Nevada, Nashville, and Naples. This is also true with the L-Series as there are two known models: London and Liverpool.Now that’s only five models, where’s the sixth? Most likely, the sixth device will be the M-Series (Milan), which is a BlackBerry 10 slider. Unless, there is another L-Series model that we’re missing.Nevertheless, this is my thinking into what Heins meant when he said RIM would release six BlackBerry 10 phones. It won’t be six individual devices, but the number of the line-up for the consolidated brands. What do you think might be the six devices?

BlackBerry Services Gaining Popularity Among Tigo Subscribers (September,2012)

Tigo has the most flexible and affordable BlackBerry Internet services and their subscribers are starting to notice. BlackBerry services have been gaining popularity among the telecommunications company due to the reasonable prices and variety.“We are a company that continually has our customers in mind in everything we do. This is reflected in our continuous drive to provide innovative services at best in class value to enable people in Tanzania to stay in touch with those that matter most to them,” said General Manager of Tigo.Tigo initially rolled out BlackBerry Internet packages in October 2010 starting with unlimited access to Internet, e-mail and BBM  and in November 2011 introduced a package designed specifically for those who require short-term connectivity. They have also offered free streaming to all customers who purchase any BlackBerry Internet package.Seems like Tigo knows how to keep their customers happy. Tell us, are you a Tigo subscriber? Are you happy with the service?via IPPMedia

How to Create and Invite Friends to a BBM Group (September,2012)

We’ve all at some point needed to have a conversation with several BBM contacts at a time. Whether it was to plan a surprise party or a hang out, or just a school project. But what happens when you’re constantly creating group chats with the same people? Just create a BBM group, and problem solved. Here’s how to do it:1. Open BlackBerry Messenger and scroll down to BBM Groups.2. Press the New BBM Group button to create a new group. You can also go to Menu, New Group. 3. Type in the Name and Description of the group you are creating. You can also change the icon and select whether or not you’d like to let other users invite contacts to the group.4. Hit the Create button to create the group.5. After it’s done, all you need to do is invite your contacts. Go back to BBM Groups on your BlackBerry Messenger and open the group you just created.6. Tap on the Members to see who’s in the group and select Invite to BBM Group to invite others.7. A list of all your BBM contacts will show up. Add a check mark next to the contacts you’d like to add.8. Hit the Send button and you’re all set. All you have to do is wait for them to accept the invitation.This comes quite in handy to stay in touch with your family and friends or even increase productivity among your coworkers. If you have any questions or suggestions make sure you leave them in the comments below! 

BlackBerry Curve 9320 Leaps Up The Bestselling List in the UK (September,2012)

While the world drools over the latest and greatest smartphones with their fancy pants 6.23″ screens, hex-core cpus, 1.7 x 10^54 apps, and almost as many sensors as the Curiosity Rover, they aren’t always the most popular option to buy for most people.  The new BlackBerry Curve 9320 is a great example of this.  In fact, it is the sixth best-selling handset in the UK at the moment after rising 8 places in August 2012.  At a contract/tab price of “free” a very affordable £13 per month, its a pretty tempting offer.  With that, you get BlackBerry 7 and a dedicated BBM button.Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com mentions, “In light of no new and flashy releases in August, one of the faithful stalwarts of the mobile scene, BlackBerry, has been able to make its return to the top ten, thanks to discounted deals and a loyalty to features such as the eminently excellent BlackBerry Messenger (BBM),”Despite a little back-handedness in the comment, Mr. Doku does state that the price and BBM are major factors in the Curve 9320′s success.  I would, however, argue that the Curve 9320 does not compete directly with the the flashy new smartphones, which are typically not high-end smartphones.With the introducing of entry-level BlackBerry 7 smartphones, RIM is tackling the lower-end of the smartphone market, competing with entry-level Android smartphones.  Despite all the news about RIM’s financial and marketshare woes in the USA, which I’m sure everyone has read about already, BlackBerry smartphones and BBM is still very popular in the UK.   Where the Android platform sells on the basis of apps, the complete social messaging service still remains the key selling-point for BlackBerry smartphones as well as its QWERTY keyboard.Source: GoMoNews

RIM Building BlackBerry Tablet with Concealable Keyboard (September,2012)

Ever wonder if Research In Motion would be working on a BlackBerry Laptop? Well, according to a recently filed patent, RIM might be working on a ‘Windows Surface’ -type tablet, which is arguably a cross between tablet and laptop.However, RIM’s idea takes it a step further by adding a concealable keyboard to the mix. The patent gives the following abstract on the idea:An electronic device having a concealed keyboard includes a first housing, a second housing rotatably coupled to the first housing, and a concealment cover coupled to a rear of the first housing. The first housing has a coupling edge and two sides that are substantially perpendicular to the coupling edge of the first housing. The second housing has a coupling edge and two sides that are substantially perpendicular to the coupling edge of the second housing. A receiving portion is formed on a rear surface of the first housing and is configured to receive the second housing. When the second housing is in the receiving portion, each respective side of the first housing and the second housing are co-terminal with one another. The concealment cover is exteriorly positioned with respect to the second housing when the second housing is in the receiving portion.Though nothing concrete on it ever coming to fruition, would you be interested in a hybrid BlackBerry laptop/tablet? The concealable keyboard design looks genius. It would be far easier to use than having to lug around their Bluetooth keyboard. Sound off in the comments if you’d use a BlackBerry product like this.

Daily Quote App for BlackBerry Updated to Version 3.0 (September,2012)

S4BB Limited has let us know that they just released version 3.0 of their Daily Quote app for Blackberry Smartphones. The new update includes thousands of new quotes, sayings, proverbs and thoughts.  It also includes audio notification which you can setup whenever you want to start the day with a quote. The app has also received a UI change which you will love. It is currently available for free in the App World for BlackBerry smartphones running OS 5.0 and up.Download Daily Quote 3.0 from App World >>

Mega Millions Ticker for BlackBerry Now Available (September,2012)

If you’re one of the millions of people that play the Mega Millions lottery and are still hoping to win, then this application is for you. Mega Millions Ticker is an awesome app that’ll let you know what the jackpot amount is in just one click. These are some of the features:Mega Millions jackpot in one-clickKnow when to play. Gives you exact date.Last 25 draw results for the Mega Millions gameJackpot & nums updated every drawBBM Connected, Invite FriendsShare Jackpot and draw info to Twitter, SMS, PIN, Social Feeds, BBM Chat/Groups, or via emailThe application is now available in the BlackBerry App World for OS 6 and OS 7 devices. The app price is only $1.99 so hurry up and get it.Buy Mega Millions Ticker for $1.99>>

The OSBBx bbUI.js Challenge: Win a PlayBook! (September,2012)

If you’re a mobile app developer familiar with HTML and Web technologies, OpensourceBB.com is hosting an app development contest.  The Grand Prize is a BlackBerry PlayBook, OSBBx hoodie and OSBBx t-shirt.  There are tons of other prizes as well.  All apps are expected to use the bbUI.js framework, which is RIM’s HTML5 development kit for BlackBerry10 apps.—————————————————————————————————————————Contest prizes as described here:Grand Prize for Best Overall Application (Total approximate retail value for this prize package: $270) :New 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook, donated by Research In Motion (approximate retail value $200)OSBBx Hoodie (approximate retail value $50)OSBBx T-Shirt (approximate retail value: $20). 
Best Implementation of bbUI:First Place: a $100 Visa Gift card from BlackBerryUnlocking.US, courtesy of 312 Holdings, INC. (an OSBBx Partner). Approximate retail value: $100.Second Place: An OSBBx T-Shirt (approximate retail value: $20).Third Place: An OSBBx Keychain (approximate retail value: $15).Best Application by a New DeveloperFirst Place: 8 (eight) hours of consultation and coding help from Justin Tokarchuk, an author of the bbUI JavaScript framework (approximate retail value: $240).Second Place: 4 (four) hours of consultation and coding help from Justin Tokarchuk (approximate retail value: $120).Best Developer Alpha PortFirst Place: a a $50 Gift Certificate courtesy of FileArchiveHaven (an OSBBx Partner). Approximate retail value: $50.Second Place: An OSBBx T-Shirt (approximate retail value: $20).Third Place: An OSBBx Keychain (approximate retail value: $15)Note: Other prizes may be added at the discretion of the OSBBx Team.——————————————————————————————————————–If this contest is right up your alley, you can head over here to register and find out more information about the contest. 

RIM Announces “The 10k Developer Commitment” for BlackBerry Developers (September,2012)

RIM initially introduced a $10,000 guarantee to developers back in May during BlackBerry World and BlackBerry Jam.  Today, RIM just outlined the details and marketing of the “10k Developer Commitment”  and “Built for BlackBerry” program.  If you’re a small developer, RIM is making an app-development offer that is hard to refuse.The program will launch in the Fall of 2012.  Essentially, if you make an app for BlackBerry 10, RIM will guarantee you $10,000 in revenue.  There are some hoops and details, of course.In order to qualify, you must:agree to the 10k Developer Commitment Terms and ConditionsBe approved by the “Built for BlackBerry” programKeep the app available for sale on BlackBerry App World with the Built for BlackBerry brandingApps must have at least 100 unique downloads over the 12 month period.Make at least 1,000 USD in a 12-month period from one appSubmit your app before January 21, 2013You can find more details at the official BlackBerry website here.

Clear BlackBerry 10 L-Series Image Surfaces! (September,2012)

The floodgates literally are wide open now. Here is yet another glimpse at the BlackBerry 10 L-Series. Though, this is the clearest of the most recent images that have surfaced.What do you think of the BlackBerry 10 L-Series? It definitely resembles a much polished version of the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha. It also seems to be gun metal in color and sport that rubberized plastic that has been used on the PlayBook.Source: @TyC4allThanks Martin! via BBOS

RIM Acknowledges BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha Expiration Issue (September,2012)

Last week we told you about an issue developers were facing with their BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha devices. Some where, somebody at RIM forgot about the Mayan calendar they created for the Dev Alpha program. That is, many Dev Alpha devices started to ‘end’ their own life cycle.However, in a forums post, RIM acknowledges it was merely a bug and gives a simple solution. Here’s what RIM states:ProblemThe BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha reports the following message:“Thank you for participating! The BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device program has ended. For details on what to do next, please visit developer.BlackBerry.com.”CauseThe BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha has erroroniously detected that the alpha program has ended.Workaround Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to reboot the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha. Note:  Out internal development team is aware of this issue, which will be fixed in a future release of the BlackBerry 10 OS for the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha.

Mike Lazaridis, RIM Co-Founder, Copied Bill Gates (September,2012)

As the title alludes, for this WTFact we tell you how Mike Lazaridis, Research In Motion’s co-founder, took a page right out of Microsoft founder, Bill Gates’, life story. That is, like many of the successful visionary Billionaires of today, Mike Lazaridis dropped out of college to pursue his ventures.However, following the success of RIM and BlackBerry, Mike later earned an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree from McMaster University’s Faculty of Engineering in 2000.“Mr. Lazaridis’ achievements are an inspiration,” said Mo Elbestawi, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University. “He reflects what can be accomplished through vision, inventiveness, dedication and determination. He also demonstrates the role engineering plays in developing a strong and vibrant society. RIM has been a strong supporter of the faculty.”Perhaps, you truly do not require a college degree, but merely innovation and the drive to be successful? Where do you think RIM and Mike Lazaridis would be today if he had stayed in University? Sound off in the comments!

BlackBerry Airtel App Now Available (September,2012)

Indian carrier Airtel has just lauched its own official app for Blackberry users.  With the ability to check your bill statement, recharge amounts, make payments, and submit complaints all on their BlackBerry, subscribers should be able to manage their mobile and fixed telephone lines directly from their smartphones.  With the rapid rise of smartphone usage in India, mobile apps are becoming more attractive solutions than the traditional browser-based account management.In a statement from K Srinivas, the President of Consumer Business, he stated,“Data consumption in India has seen a sharp uptake. Today, Indian customers are increasingly accessing online content through cool apps as opposed to the conventional route of logging through browsers. In tune with these changes, we are pleased to launch our intuitive ‘my airtel’ app that has been designed to empower our customers and help them manage all their airtel services, effortlessly. The app comes with a smart layer of intelligence that will allow our customers to discover, access and self-manage a slew of services.”The free app can be downloaded directly from BlackBerry App World or by SMSing ‘myairtel’ to 54321.  The app allows the management of multiple devices upon registration when the app is first launched.The app has been released for Android and Symbian platforms as well, with iOS support coming later on.  With Android, Nokia and RIM being the top smartphone suppliers in India, the decision to support these platforms first makes sense.Source: NDTV

RIM Isn’t the Only Successful Tech Company in Waterloo (September,2012)

Despite difficult times for the makers of the BlackBerry, Research in Motion, other tech companies based in Waterloo are going strong.  Waterloo startup Desire2Learn has just raised $80 million in funding through venture capital in order to expand their already profitable business further.  Desire2Learn is an company specializing in online education tools to teachers and students in an effort to improve the educational experience inside classrooms.  The funding was led by New Enterprise Associates Inc., which will help Desire2Learn’s plans to hire at least 150 people by the end of the year.With the money raised, Desire2Learn is also planning to focus on research and marketing to expand the company.Desire2Learn’s CEO and Founder, John Baker, stated, “We didn’t raise the money because we needed it but because we wanted to accelerate our growth. We were a profitable high-growth company prior, and we’re hoping to remain a profitable high-growth company going forward.”While typically in the shadow of RIM, Canada’s second largest tech company OpenText has been growing its business software business.  Being a veteran in the field, it employs over 4,500 workers internationally.  They have reported a 17% increase in revenue for the last fiscal year for a total of $1.21 billion.  While much less than RIM’s yearly revenue, OpenText continues to expand its business.  This provides jobs not only in Waterloo, but around the world as well.These successes in RIM’s hometown show promise for a region considered to be Canada’s Silicon Valley without the crucial dominance of RIM.Source: Bloomberg 

Summer Infant Peek Plus Monitor and BlackBerry App (September,2012)

Some of you may remember last month my wife and I welcomed our first child.  One of the first items we were told we needed was a baby monitor. I decided to do some research and get one that fits our needs the most. One of the main features I looked for was the support for a mobile app. I wanted to have the option to peek in and look at my little one when I am at work or out of the house. After a long search I came across a brand new product from Summer Infant called the Peek Plus Monitor. The monitor system itself sells for 349.99 exclusively at Babies R Us. I originally thought the price was outrageous but looking at other less capable monitors I realized the price was more than fair.The Peek Plus monitor system came with a camera, an internet router and a handheld monitor. Also, you can download the app on your smartphone, whether you have a BlackBerry, Android or iOS. Installation is quite simple, just set up your camera, connect the Internet router to your existing Wi-Fi router then visit the website and create your account. Once completed you can enjoy your bundle of joy from anywhere! Another cool thing is that if family is not near by, they can too check in and see how your little one is doing.I really love this item and I wanted to share with you and also remind you that even with the bad press and all the doom and gloom surrounding BlackBerry we do have apps and companies still see a need to support our plattform. And remember this,  ”IT WILL ONLY GET BETTER WITH BB10″

NEW BlackBerry 10 L-Series Images; Confirms BBM Video Chat (September,2012)

The BlackBerry 10 floodgates have now been opened, after the first live image of L-Series. The latest images show the settings menu, which we can clearly see an option for the rumored BBM Video chat feature. The rest of the menu items are in Thai, which we sadly cannot translate.The remaining images below show off the keyboard, which you can see shows the Thai language quite well. It is also different from when RIM originally demoed the keyboard at BlackBerry World. You can also see that the third image confirms the device will come at 16GB variant with the option for expandable memory via MicroSD.What do you think of BlackBerry 10 so far? There’s no telling just how old the version of BB10 OS is running on these units, but you at least get the initial idea. Sound off in the comments!via PDAMobizThanks Cam & Kojita!

RIM South Africa Gives Limited Edition GOLD 9900′s to Olympic Gold medalists (September,2012)

RIM prepared a pretty awesome gift for South African olympic gold medalists. RIM’s Managing Director of South Africa, Alexandra Zagury, awarded gold BlackBerry Bold 9900s to Cameron van der Burgh, Chad le Clos, James Thompson, Matthew Brittain, John Smith and Sizwe Ndlovu olympic gold medal winners.The phones look amazing, even better than they already did, and I’m sure you’d all like to have one too. What do you guys think?via N4BB forums

Exclusive: BlackBerry 10 L-Series Smartphone Photo (September,2012)

Hot off the N4BB tip line, we just got sent this image of the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone. This device is what we outed as the BlackBerry 10 L-Series, which will launch first then followed by the N-Series.As seen previously in a video leak, the L-Series (London, Liverpool) will rock a 1800mAh LS1 battery. What was kind of shown in concept art from a leaked PDF, we can now confirm that the L-Series will be gun metal in color (looks like the rumored iPhone5).Quick look through the apps, you can see BBM, DocsToGo, Facebook, and the most interesting: StoryMaker. We’re guessing this will be the equivalent of iMovie (but don’t quote us on it). Additionally, we see the many different panes for apps, with the grid icon being the window for the last four apps opened.Nevertheless, we’re super eager to see this device go live. From what we’ve heard ourselves and within the media, the first two BlackBerry 10 devices are nearly complete. Which BB10 device are you most interested in – N or L series?Thanks you know who!

Opera Mobile Web Data Shows BlackBerry Growth in Asia (September,2012)

With smartphones rapidly replacing feature phones, mobile data usage as increased.  This is especially pronounce in Asia, where smartphone growth is in the hundreds of percent. Despite Nokia having a dominant role in the Asian mobile market, BlackBerry has a strong presence when it comes down to smartphones, suggesting that there is significant growth in BlackBerry smartphones sales and usage.  With BlackBerry smartphones being especially popular in Vietnam, Indonesia and other South-east Asian countries, the use of Opera Mobile and Opera Mini browsers has correspondingly increased.As an example, in Indonesia, the number of Opera Mini users has increased by 460%.  In July alone, over 205 million people in Asia have used the Opera Mini or Mobile browser.With RIM’s new efforts to introduce entry-level smartphones into Asia such as the BlackBerry Curve 9220, 9310, and 9320, BlackBerry usage is set to grow using the BlackBerry 7 platform until BlackBerry 10 smartphones can be introduced.Source: Opera

Listen to Your Favorite Music on Youtube with StereoTube (September,2012)

Listen to lots of music on Youtube?  Are you’re getting tired of mashing repeat or clicking on new songs? Thankfully, there is a new app called StereoTube in App World that is just what the doctor ordered.Available for the BlackBerry PlayBook for $3.99, this app comes complete with an intuitive, well-designed media player interface that pulls in the music from Youtube videos into playlists so you can listen to them like you wish you could with Youtube.  For your money, you get to make unlimited playlists with  unlimited songs!   You are also able to browse through millions of songs.On top of this, Andrei Avram, the developer for this app has kindly guaranteed you free updates for life, unlike somewhat less-generous apps (not to mention any names like BeBuzz, Angry Birds Space).   So your $3.99 should go pretty far as far as value is concerned.   He is known for creating the app “Animated Weather App” also available for the PlayBook.  You can also get refunded if you are not satisfied with the purchase should you decide so.For more information and to purchase the StereoTube, click here.

BlackBerry Peer: The Perfect BlackBerry Accessory for Your Kids (September,2012)

Imagine you’re on a vacation with your young kids and you’ve got your BlackBerry (of course). You want to let your kids have fun, run around, and even take their own pictures while you savor the moment.What about their very own BlackBerry device of their own?  We’re not talking about a full-on BlackBerry Curve or anything expensive like that, but a camera linked to your BlackBerry device. With lots of funny and cool filters, your kids would have hours of fun.  An integrated GPS would let you know exactly where your kids are so you don’t lose them (you should still keep an eye on them at all times).  The device would also be able to take videos as well.This a concept from Yankodesign which actually has been developed in collaboration with RIM.With a super-simple interface that no kid could resist, it could be a hit.  Full control of the BlackBerry Peer would be in the hands of the parent at all times.  Charging by Micro-USB and wireless syncing with your actual BlackBerry device would allow you receive any of the pictures taken.The BlackBerry Peer is still in the development stages at the moment, but it would be great to see it appear on retail shelves in the future.To get more information directly from the source, click here.Do you think its a neat idea?  Sound off in the comments below!Source:  YankoDesign

How to Port iOS Game to BlackBerry 10 (September,2012)

The successful developer of the popular iOS game, Pop Corny, has given a step-by-step guide for porting iOS games to BlackBerry 10. Pop Corny’s developer, Charilaos Kalogirou, claims it was super easy to port Pop Corny to the BlackBerry 10 platform in as little as three days. Here’s a reprint of the tutorial from his blog:Continuing after my latest post about porting existing iOS games written in C/C++ to the Android platform, here I am again writing about my latest porting endeavor that brings Pop Corny to the third platform! Ever thought of porting your iOS game to the Blackberry Playbook? Well, here I will share some insight of what to expect.The basicsIf you are like me you will probably think that the Playbook has something to do with the tech that used to run Blackberry’s phones. This misconception was so strong in me that I didn’t even consider a port to it. The truth is however, that the Playbook is based on the new platform that Blackberry is creating based on the QNX operating system, and will also be used on the BB10 phones.Things started to look better on the porting front with these info, but there is always a fear that Blackberry could be Google and force everything to Java and only support native after a long time has passed. It turns out that things are much better than I expected. Not only Blackberry allows you to write native apps, but its Native Development Kit (NDK) is a complete solution for developing on the platform. Not like Android for example, where the NDK is just a crude exposure of the native Android’s build system, supports minimal functionality and requires Java calls for most stuff. On Playbook you can write a full native app and never look at Java again. The NDK will provide C level APIs for all that you are going to need. From screen handling and input, to in-app purchases.The Blackberry provided development environment is QNX Momentics, which is based on Eclipse, but also you can easily do everything with command line tools if you prefer. I chose to go with Momentics even though I find Eclipse slow and sluggish, because it is very nicely setup for native C/C++ development (with debuggers, profilers, etc) and I wanted to see how far it will get me until I started missing the command line. Surprisingly, it did all the way. Had no problem with it, which is a first for me and Eclipse.You also get an emulator for trying out your, code which is based on VMWare. This didn’t strike me a good thing because you have to buy VMWare to run it. Sure there is the VMWare Player version that is free, but you can use that only on Windows and Linux. The Mac users, like me, will have to use the 30-day trial of VMWare Fusion, or buy it.Next I will go through the major porting areas to keep this consistent with my corresponding article for Android.InputHandling input on Blackberry QNX is very straightforward, and in correspondence with the way iOS does it, so you shouldn’t encounter any problem. Like every other event on the system, touch events are represented by the bpseventt structure that you pull with bpsgetevent(). The event belongs to the “screen domain” and you query its data using the screengeteventproperty*() set of functions.int touch_state;int id;int position[2];screen_get_event_property_iv(screen_event,SCREEN_PROPERTY_TYPE, &touch_state);screen_get_event_property_iv(screen_event,SCREEN_PROPERTY_TOUCH_ID, &id);screen_get_event_property_iv(screen_event,SCREEN_PROPERTY_SOURCE_POSITION, position);The above snippet is all you need to get the basic touch info. The touchstate can be one of SCREENEVENTMTOUCHTOUCH, SCREENEVENTMTOUCHMOVE and SCREENEVENTMTOUCHRELEASE. Which you can map to the touches began, moved, ended events of iOS. There is no canceled event here like iOS. Also since you poll for the event you get it on the thread you like and you will not have any issues like I had on Android.There are no hardware buttons to handle.SoundLike on iOS, OpenAL is also supported on Playbook. If you have sound coded in OpenAL (which you probably do) you will have nothing to do here. Even ALUT is included in with the platform in case you rely on it.GraphicsAs you might expect the Playbook supports OpenGL ES with no problems. Both 1.1 and 2.0 versions are supported. There is a sample OpenGL application included with the NDK that handles all the details of setting up your screen, and because of the simple, yet effective, way the API is designed, it is self explanatory of what needs to be done.The device sports a 1024×600 pixels screen resolution, which is almost 16:9 and hence much narrower than what the iPhone and of course the iPad have. Depending on your game, you will have to either rearrange the UI to fit the resolution or add black bars. For Pop Corny I support aspects from 1,33 to 1,50 with the UI adjusting automatically for this. So for the Playbook it adds some bars to bring the 1,7 aspect down to 1,50.The number of pixels per screen are equivalent to that of iPhone 4 and iPad 2 so if you have artwork for these it will be ok for the Playbook without changes. If your game uses iPad 3 resolution artwork you will probably have to scale down, or you will be wasting space.AssetsLoading assets is also as simple as it should be. No poking in zip files, disabling compression on specific extensions or using unnecessarily over-engineered asset managers (Android I am looking at you). Applications are distributed as .bar files that are just zip files in essence. During the installation the .bar file contents are extracted and the application can access the file system in any POSIX compliant way you know and love.If you want to load files that were shipped with the application’s .bar file (textures, sounds, etc) you will find them in: ./app/native/If you want to create files and save data for your application you do it in:./data/As simple as it should be.Leaderboards / AchievementsOpenFeint (now Gree) is not available and Game Center of course is not too as it’s an Apple only network. Blackberry offers it own network called “Scoreloop” that supports leaderboards, achievements and chalenges.Closing wordsFor me this was the easiest platform I ever ported to. After a long time, I really enjoyed working on a platform with “sane” software design decisions. Hat off to the engineers at Blackberry that pushed for a POSIX compliant platform that supports all the open frameworks we as game developers came to love. For most platforms you must bundle all the libraries you use with your executable. On Playbook libpng, libjpeg, freetype, and more are all included in the system and you can link to that. No compiling hassles and making your executable fat with static linking of libraries that are already there anyway.Support from third parties is still not that good as on other platforms. For example for analytics on iOS I use the awesome service of flurry.com, but they don’t have native support for Playbook yet. They support Blackberry through Java that might work with Playbook but I didn’t want to mess with Java at all this time.You will not require a fee to publish your game on App World after you have ported it, like there is on iOS and Android. As long as you have a game ported you can register, get your signing keys and put it out there. However there is a review process similar to that of Apple.Closing, I must admit that the overall feeling was that of things working effortlessly. The whole porting effort took 2-3 days, with one of the days working with a fever! I would suggest that all indie developers take a look at this platform. Also given the fact that the iOS and Android app stores are so saturated with apps, this might be a good opportunity to get more exposure for your game. At the time of writing this its been 4 days since Pop Corny got released on App World and it is still visible on the “New Arrivals” section. If you are indie, you know that this exposure is gold for you. And this just gave me the idea for my next post about my experiences in AppStore, Google Play, Amazon Store and AppWorld! Until then, happy porting!!!

Jaguar Land Rover MENA Launches BlackBerry App (September,2012)

Jaguar Land Rover MENA today announced the launch of a BlackBerry app for existing and potencial customers. The app is available in English, Arabic and French. The default language is to be determined by the devices’ language. Some of the features are:CatalogueBook a Test DriveDirectory ListingsSOS and Smart Service RequestSurvey function, latest news and promotionsThe app is currently available free of charge in the BlackBerry App World.via Albawaba

Watch Madonna, Coldplay, or Katy Perry Live via Globe and BlackBerry (September,2012)

Globe and BlackBerry have started a nice promotion for their suscribers. From July 2 to October 31, if you pick either a BlackBerry Curve 9220 or a Curve 9320 under a Globe postpaid plan as a new line or re-contracting, you get 100 raffle points for the Curve 9220 and 200 for the 9320. You can also earn points by downloading ringback tones, true tone, full track songs and by referring friends. Each point is equal to a raffle entry so the more points you earn, the better your chances are of winning.Twelve  winners will be chosen to take a trip abroad with one  friend each to watch one of the concerts: three to see Katy Perry on September 23 in Singapore, four winners to watch Madonna on October 11 in Los Angeles, and five winners to watch Coldplay on November 17 in Sydney, Australia. The prizes include roundtrip airfare, accommodations, concert tickets, and an exclusive send-off party. Pretty awesome promotion, right? Which concert would you choose?via Philstar

What Do You Want to See RIM Show at BlackBerry Jam Americas? (September,2012)

BlackBerry Jam Americas will be an interesting event. It will be taking place September 25 – 27th in San Jose, California. This event is about 4 months away from the projected release of the first two BlackBerry 10 smartphones. Do you think RIM should unveil the devices at BlackBerry Jam Americas?Or host a separate unveiling event closer to their launch? Remember how we saw the PlayBook unveiled so many months before its actual release? Vote in the poll and let us know what you’d like to see at BlackBerry Jam Americas.Take Our Poll

RIM’s Initial Focus Wasn’t Telecom (September,2012)

For another edition of WTFact, did you know Research In Motion’s initial focus was not in the telecommunications market? Instead, one of RIM’s first projects was to build networked LED display terminals for General Motors’s assembly line.How do you think the mobile industry would be today if RIM had never branched into telecom? Imagine if there was never the Inter@ctive Pager 900! This was RIM’s big break-through device – the first ever pocket-sized, two-way pager.

5 Things You May Not Have Known About the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha (September,2012)

Siri-like Voice CommandsDespite disappearing with the latest update, the Dev Alpha had a Siri-like voice command system in place.  It was not complete by any means, but it did seem to have support for updating Twitter and Facebook statuses, and messages contacts.  None of the functions worked, but it does provide strong evidence that we will a better voice command system with BlackBerry 10.New text CursorsSimilar to what is implemented in iOS at the moment, when pressing and holding text on the screen, a large circle appears to make it easier to select text.  It doesn’t do much and doesn’t magnify the text at all, but this is understandable in a developer device.  There is a slight vignette inside the circle.  It may provide clues to how RIM will be implementing text editing in BlackBerry 10.  In addition, the latest Dev Alpha update also added a new text selection cursor that resembled a large tear drop.          You can Receive Phone CallsDespite being a developer device, there is a way to receive phone calls on the Dev Alpha if you have a SIM card inserted.  To get around the lack of any “Phone” app, connecting a Bluetooth headset allows you to answer incoming calls.BlackBerry 10 Apps Recently, RIM has allows the submission of BlackBerry 10 apps in App World.  With the latest update, there is an App World icon that allows you to download apps just like you would on the PlayBook.  Obviously, only developers can access these apps and they are not available on the PlayBook either.Ultra-sharp ScreenWith a “pixels per square inch” (ppi) of 355, the Dev Alpha’s display decisively beats the “retina” display of the iPhone and any phone you can think of.  If you took the Galaxy Note 2, added over 61,000 more pixels, and then shrunk it down to a 4.2 inch screen, you’d have the sharpest screen on a smartphone in the world, the Dev Alpha’s.What other cool things have you heard/seen on a Dev Alpha?  Sound off in the comments below!