Blackberry Development Talk

Is BlackBerry Cyclone The Apple TV Competitor?

Jul 15, 2011 News

Research In Motion- The Canadian based smartphone company has been rumored to be releasing a media box similar to that of Apple TV. According to a report by NERDBERRY, this media player is said to be codenamed ‘BlackBerry Cyclone’.

According to the report, the BlackBerry Cyclone will connect to a TV via an HDMI cable and will be Wi-Fi enabled. Other features of the media player are said to include YouTube and the ability to access media devices through Wi-Fi.

The Cyclone is expected to be launched later this year.

Tags: Blackberry Development

BlackBerry PlayBook Launched In India (Priced At Rs.27,990)

Jun 23, 2011 Blackberry Development, News

Research In Motion’s (RIM) BlackBerry PlayBook was launched in India on Wednesday.

“BlackBerry PlayBook comes in an ultra-portable design and features industry-leading performance with real-time multitasking and symmetrical multiprocessing,” the company said in a statement.

The much awaited rival to Apple’s iPad, the 7-inch tablet from BlackBerry feels solid, well constructed, a note book type appearance, with no button in the front and equipped with Wi-Fi support. The UI is refreshing and idiot proof.

“It delivers high-fidelity web browsing including support for Adobe Flash, as well as spectacular high-definition (HD) multimedia, advanced security features and out-of-the-box enterprise support,” the company statement added.

It will be distributed nationally through Redington India and Ingram Micro, initially in 1000 retail stores across eight cities and will then expand to other parts of the country.

In India, the BlackBerry PlayBook will cost Rs. 27,990 (16 GB), Rs. 32,990 (32 GB) and Rs. 37,990 (64 GB).

• Screen- 7-inch LCD

• Processor- Arm Cortex dual-core A9 1GHz

• Memory- 1GB (expandable to 64GB)

• Battery- 5300 mAH

• Front Camera- 3MP

• 4G- Yes

• Wi-Fi- Yes

• Bluetooth- Yes

Tags: Blackberry Development, BlackBerry Launched

RIM joins hands with China Telecom to offer BlackBerry services to small businesses in China.

May 16, 2011 News

Research In Motion (RIM) and China Telecommunications Corporation (China Telecom) today announced their plans to launch BlackBerry services for small businesses in China.

China Telecom will offer BlackBerry Internet Service to small businesses for RMB89 per month. BlackBerry Internet Service will enable mobile users to send and receive email from up to 10 supported work and personal email accounts.  In addition, the RIM and China Telecom services will also bring BBM and a range of Instant Messaging services for the users. The internet service can also support a range of third-party apps ranging from business productivity to personal entertainment.

China Telecom will also offer BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express that provides small businesses advanced management and security features with no additional software or user licensing fees.

Tags: BlackBerry services, China Telecom, RIM

Engadget Reports About 1000 BlackBerry Playbooks Being Recalled By RIM

May 16, 2011 News

Technology blog Engadget reported that about 1,000 RIM’s (Research In Motion) Playbook tablets were found flawed and are being ‘recalled’ back.

According to the report, 935 of the 16 gigabyte PlayBook tablets sold through Staples Inc. are affected by the recall. Engadget has posted a list of 935 SKUs or product identifier numbers that will reportedly be included in the recall. It’s unclear whether the recall was for Staples sales in the U.S., Canada or both.

The problem has been sited in CrackBerry.com, where users complained that who purchased PlayBook units from Staples reported having difficulties loading the user agreement screen, which PlayBook owners must complete to be able operate the device.

Officials with RIM and Staples did not respond to requests for comment Sunday.

Tags: blackberry playbook

Now, you can run Android apps on BlackBerry playbook with Android app player.

May 9, 2011 News

If you wanted to buy a BlackBerry playbook and couldn’t do it because of fewer app choices then here’s some good news for you. Research in Motion has announced that Android app player will be soon available which will make it possible for Playbook users to run Android apps on their device. The Android app player will make it possible for you to download Android apps and run it in your Tablet device. And so you now have a bigger app collection to choose from.

RIM’s latest strategy may give Apple’s recently released iPad 2 a run for its money. Apps are increasingly becoming a key factor in purchase decisions and limited app choices for BlackBerry playbook in compared to iPad 2 would have turned away many users. But with the Android app player, playbook can surely give a tough fight to Apple’s iPad 2.

Tags: android app player, Android apps, blackberry playbook, Rim Playbook, run Android app on playbook

Bing To Be Default Search Engine on BlackBerry

May 5, 2011 News

Another step by Microsoft Corp. ‘to step’ up the competition with Google. Microsoft’s search engine Bing will now be the default SE and map application on RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones.

Bing will create “unique experiences for millions of BlackBerry customers,” Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer said at the annual BlackBerry World trade show in Orlando, Florida. He said that the partnership will be in effect later this year during the holiday season.

Microsoft is trying to catch up with Google’s US search market share, which is more than 4 times larger than Bing.

Microsoft has stepped up the marketing of Bing and teamed up with former rival Yahoo! Inc. to increase its market share. Google had 65.4 percent of searches in February, compared with Bing’s 13.6 percent (according to ComScore Inc.)

Tags: blackberry, Blackberry Development

Research In Motion Acquires Tungle

Apr 28, 2011 News

Tungle, the Canada based social calendar company, has been acquired by makers of BlackBerry – Research In Motion (RIM) for an undisclosed amount. Tungle’s website has announced that the entire Tungle team is joining the ranks of RIM.
“By working with Tungle to add cloud-based, cross-platform calendar capabilities to the BlackBerry platform we can further enrich our customers’ experience with BlackBerry and continue to help them get things done,” says Tom Goguen, RIM’s VP of collaboration and social networking.

The basic service of Tungle is free, but for companies who want a brand experience, their service costs are $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year.

Image Courtesy: Tungle.me

Tags: blackberry

RIM’s First BlackBerry World Conference In Orlando

Apr 19, 2011 Blackberry Development, News

The Canada based mobile phone giant Research In Motion will host the first BlackBerry World Conference from May 3-5, 2011 in Orlando, Florida, USA.

Industry experts will provide with first-hand advice and an in-depth view of BlackBerry products and services. It will feature keynotes from some of today’s leading mobile thinkers, over 100 breakout sessions, Hands-on Labs, BlackBerry training, certification opportunities and more.

The conference attendees will also have the opportunity to have valuable hand-on experience with the latest BlackBerry products like the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

Tags: blackberry

RIM’s PlayBook hits store shelves in United States and Canada.

Apr 19, 2011 News

RIM’s PlayBook will hit store shelves in US and Canada on Tuesday. The PlayBook was touted as RIM’s response to Apple’s iPad. According to reports, around 20,000 stores across the US and Canada will sell PlayBook.

Experts say that RIM is banking heavily on the success of PlayBook and is desperately hoping to win customers with its latest Tablet. Pre-order figures from retailers do indicate pent-up demand for the device. However, the latest device has been welcomed with some harsh reviews.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is priced at at $499, $599 and $699 for 16GB, 32GB or 64GB models respectively.

Tags: blackberry playbook, BlackBerry Playbook price, Rim Playbook

Free access to MobileCloud for BlackBerry developers from Perfecto Mobile.

Mar 31, 2011 Blackberry Development, News

Perfecto Mobile, provider of cloud-based testing, automation and monitoring solutions for mobile apps and websites, has announced that it will provide free access of its MobileCloud services to BlackBerry developer groups.  BlackBerry app developers will get access 30 free hours of Perfecto’s MobileCloud usage for remote testing and collaboration between group members.  Blackberry developers who want to acquire more hours of MobileCloud services or wish to subscribe to advanced testing services will get discounts up to 30 percent on their purchase.

“Perfecto Mobile’s MobileCloud helps developers test their applications and websites on a wide variety of BlackBerry smartphones from virtually any location around the world,” said Tyler Lessard, vice president of Global Alliances & Developer Relations, Research In Motion.

“MobileCloud can help BlackBerry developers test that they are delivering reliable user experiences with apps that take advantage of unique capabilities and run consistently across different BlackBerry smartphones around the world,” he added.

MobileCloud for BlackBerry developers is a web-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that enables easy access to a large number of mobile handsets and tablets connected to mobile networks. It allows BlackBerry developers to simplify development, testing, support and monitoring processes.

Tags: BlackBerry app developer, BlackBerry app development, BlackBerry app testing, blackberry developers