Blackberry Development Talk

President Barack Obama’s BlackBerry Security Team Develops ‘Ultimate Armor’- An Anti Phone Hacking App

Jul 12, 2011 Blackberry Development

The Los Angeles based developer, Michael Franco and his team who developed the NSA-approved version of the firmware for the US President Barack Obama’s BlackBerry has launched a new company Safe and Secure Mobile.

Michael Franco is the former head of The National Security Agency Advanced Secure Communication Lab where he was responsible for writing specifications for what became the Presidential Secure BlackBerry.

Secure Mobile’s first ever app for Android and BlackBerry is an anti phone hacking app called Ultimate Armor, which is completley invisible to the user but is residing on the device. Ultimate Armor will not be displayed in the application list or user menus, but is there in the device undetectable even against sophisticated voltage monitoring methods. The software repeatedly blocks all attempts to open data ports.

If a user has installed Ultimate Armor in his smartphone, any type of intercepting and monitoring of the smartphone is practically impossible.

“The software is setup in such a way that it can immediately identify any surveillance program and instantly remove the program and further block and close the phone’s leaking data ports”, Michael Franco said.

Tags: blackberry, Blackberry Development

The Ultimate Smartphone App Store Infographic from [x]cubeLABS

Jun 9, 2011 Blackberry Development

Surely, we have seen app store infographics before, but this is somewhat special. Created by the [x]cubeLabs team and available in full glory here: Smartphone App Store Infographic, the infographic provides a lot of insights, facts and figures of the major App Stores.

Click on the image to get a bigger view:

Tags: blackberry, blackberry infographic, blackberry statistics

Mobile Voice System 5 For BlackBerry

May 10, 2011 Blackberry Development

Research In Motion (RIM), the manufacturer of BlackBerry smartphone will develop a Mobile Voice System 5 for corporate phone systems and communication applications.

The application, which already exists on the Cisco Unified Communications Manager, can be made available for companies using Avaya Aura 6.1 and Avaya CS1000 Communication Server.

“Working with RIM, Avaya customers have expanded options to increase their mobile productivity. By using BlackBerry Mobile Voice System 5 with Avaya Aura and Avaya CS1000, enterprises can more fully exploit investments previously made in BlackBerry solutions to benefit their IT organizations, end users and customers”, said Eric Rossman, vice president, Developer Relations and Alliances, Avaya.

The BlackBerry Mobile Voice 5, which connects with RIM’s BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), makes remote management easier as users can efficiently take office landline calls from around the world. In fact, it allows corporate users to use a single BlackBerry smartphone to answer calls placed to their desk-phones.

Tags: blackberry, Blackberry Developer, Blackberry Development

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 urges BlackBerry users to disable Java script.

Mar 17, 2011 News

With the unexpected problems unearthed from the Pwn2own hackers, Reasearch in motion (RIM) urges BlackBerry users and IT departments to turn off the Javascript in their mobiles.

If the users visit “maliciously designed” web site from the BlackBerry browser then hacker can access user’s data. BlackBerry OS 6 is designed in such a way that it can access the data in devices that utilize the WebKit browser engine. So devices with OS 6 installed in them are vulnerable to the virus.

According to RIM, hackers can get access to data stored on device’s media cards and built-in media storage but data on the application storage portion of the phone, such as user data stored by e-mail, calendar and contact applications will not be accessible. Till now no complaint has been reported.

Specific guide lines to disable Javascript are given to IT departments and users for BlackBerry devices including recent releases like Torch 9800,  Bold 9700 Curve 9300. If disabling Javascript doesn’t work,RIM has recommended its customers not to use BlackBerry browser till the vulnerability is patched.

Tags: blackberry, BlackBerry users, RIM

Alternative Technologies for the BlackBerry Encrypted Messages Keep the Security Threats Alive

Sep 5, 2010 Blackberry Developer, Blackberry Development, News

You must know by now that Research In Motion, in front of a combined pressure from different nations’ government, has admitted a lawful access for the security agencies to its services; like BlackBerry Enterprise Services and the BlackBerry Messenger Services. RIM has provided a technical solution which will allow India’s intelligence agencies to monitor the BlackBerry services to prevent terrorist activities.

But we doubt whether it can really stop the misuse of the encrypted messages. Well there is a number of other software which can avoid the security monitoring. These solutions are freely downloadable and can be efficiently used for the encryption of the messages. In that case is it a mere compromise in data security which is like the by-product of national security?

To name a few alternative solutions to guard the emails and the messages sent over a wireless network, we can take the example of Google’s Android. You can run a strong encryption algorithm named as Android Pretty Good Privacy (APG) on any Android phone. Another effective encryption solution is the Secure Email from JADS Ltd. Both of them are freely available.
Do you need an even greater privacy?

Use steganographic packages; such as MobiStego, which conceal secret messages within a video, an audio or the picture files. The SMSs can be encrypted on a number of phones using a free application called CryptoSMS.
So we would like to observe in near future what next. Definitely we understand the importance of the security of human lives in a growing scenario of global terrorism, but data security is also equally important. So is it Android encryption or all other software which will see a ban in near future? Or the BlackBerry app developers will get a chance to step in and come up with some innovative solutions?

Time will answer, but as of we see a challenge for the app developers and of course expect a brilliant app in near future which will poise both the sides.

Tags: Android, Android Pretty Good Privacy (APG), blackberry, BlackBerry encrypted messages, CryptoSMS, JADS Email, MobiStego

BlackBerry Breaths up to October 31 in India

Aug 31, 2010 News

Finally a ray of hope for BlackBerry!!!

Yesterday, Research in Motion, the BlackBerry maker, has agreed to provide some technical solution to the Indian government. It has been learned that the solutions will allow the Indian security agencies to monitor the BlackBerry messenger and the enterprise services.

The government agencies will check out the effectiveness of the solutions for next 2 months and will give the feedback, on which the Government of India would decide the fate of BlackBerry in India by October 31. If this technical solution fails to satisfy the security requirement of the country, RIM may be asked to set its server for transferring the secured messages, in India.

It’s definitely a breathing moment for RIM, the 1.1 million BlackBerry users in India and the BlackBerry application developers world wide. However the question will again arise after two months if the technical solution is proved not up to the mark. Then again the government may ask the Canadian giant to allow full access of the encrypted messages of BlackBerry.

However there is no concrete details on the ‘technical solution’ provided to the Government of India by RIM, but the experts in the industry and media speculate that RIM has probably agreed to provide an internal tool with which the text and other information in the message can be tracked down. Earlier CNN-IBN has quoted the ‘highly placed sources in RIM’ and reported that a tool is under development to give easier and lawful access to the security agencies across the globe.

Tags: blackberry, BlackBerry security issue, BlackBerry users, Govt. of India & BlackBerry, India, RIM

Prepaid Verizon plans for Blackberry users

Aug 23, 2010 News

Still rumor has it that the new plan will require a $30 a month BlackBerry data plan just like regular customers. No word on if this plan will be limited to the BlackBerry Curve 8530 like other carriers or how much the device will cost upfront.

What do you think? Are you on a prepaid BlackBerry plan? I know a couple people considering it for a spare device or just to save on the taxes paid on post-paid contract plans.

Release Date 8/22/10

RT 802616 – Prepay 3G Pricing & Devices
Systems Impacted: EROES (internal & external)

Overview:  Enables 3G & Blackberry devices with an email and web plan feature/bundle to be supported on Prepay. Prepaid customers will be billed for data similar to postpaid – i.e. mandatory data plan requirements for prepaid customers. (only pulls up monthly plans, brochure view)

RT 800992 RIM Blackberry – PREPAID
Systems Impacted: EROES (internal & external)

Overview:  Enable the offering of a Blackberry device and a email and web plan feature/bundle for Prepay customers  (defaults to monthly plans , brochure view)

Tags: blackberry, blackberry news, verizon Blackberry, verizon news