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- What Do You Make of RIM's Latest Announcements?
When Alec Saunders and Chris Smith got on stage at BlackBerry 10 Jam 2012 in May they sang "The Waiting is the Hardest Part." I thought we knew what that meant with RIM reiterating until a few days ago that BlackBerry 10 would be the savior platform transition coming later this year. Now Thorsten Heins has broken the news that the waiting has been delayed, yet again, to Q1 of 2013. That means 6-9 months of waiting which has demoralized many of the BlackBerry faithful. I am not sure what it has done to you but today will go down as a sad and disappointing day in BlackBerry history.
If you ask me why I have used a BlackBerry over any other device for the last decade or so there are so many reasons I could give. Truthfully no other platform offers the "BlackBerry Flow" that many of us cling to. Heins is taking the high road in ensuring that we are not disappointed by a half baked release of BlackBerry 10 but we cannot help but feel disappointed by yet another delay in its launch.
Heins reiterated during the earnings call that BlackBerry 10 is a platform for RIM to create a whole new future. He plans on making RIM a lean machine that is laser focused on delivering an awesome BlackBerry 10 experience. The waiting is painful but the signs are pointing to an awesome platform that will embody many of the features we love about our current BlackBerry handhelds. He is correct in ensuring that BlackBerry 10 is "do or die" for RIM and they have to get it right out the door. That means that while this decision is the correct one for RIM it will be a bitter pill to swallow.
I have been contacted by many devs today asking about BlackBerry 10 and if they should stick to the platform. They have been on a high since BlackBerry World and the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour with RIM promising a platform that was coming soon and had the potential to take the mobile world by storm. That has not fundamentally changed but what Heins has made clear is that BlackBerry 7 will have to hold out as RIM preps their new "Mobile Computing" platform.
The next 6-9 months are going to be extremely painful for RIM and their users. Our dedication will be tested yet again as RIM goes through another quarter of losses in Q2 of fiscal 2013. The teams I have spoken to at RIM since the announcement assure me that RIM is still wholly dedicated to delivering an awesome BlackBerry 10 experience and they need our help to make it a success. RIM is going to take a beating from the press and wall street for the rest of 2012 but they are determined to come out ahead in 2013. They have $2.2 billion in the bank and bank guarantees to give them the cash to fuel their roadmap and hopefully that will be enough for them to reach their goals. RIM's cash flow is still coming in from BlackBerry 7 devices especially in international markets which will hopefully hold them out during this transition. Now more than ever they need to make sure that BlackBerry 10 is the platform and hardware that will be strong enough to pull them out of this spiral.
No one knows how this story will play out but I wanted to reach out to all of our readers and ask you what you make of RIM's latest announcements. Will RIM be able to trim themselves down to a lean mean startup and deliver a BlackBerry 10 experience that will embody all of what we expect in a BlackBerry with a platform that can thrive for the next 10 years? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think the next year holds in store for RIM and the future of BlackBerrys.
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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 10:10 pm. | What Do You Make of RIM’s Latest Announcements? | 10 comments |
Переслать - RIM Q1 2013 Earnings Call Recap
In what can certainly be considered an overall negative set of announcements today, RIM revealed some bad news about its current state in a few different areas in its conference call to investors. And while good news was hardly expected from RIM, the extent and number of poor indicators was rather significant.
Perhaps the biggest letdown of the conference call to investors was the updated release date of the highly-anticipated BlackBerry 10 – not later this year, as had been previously announced but, instead, sometime in the first three months of 2013. While they tried to temper the negativity of this news by insisting that they have no intention of releasing a product which is not ready to "meet the needs of [their] customers," it is certainly bad news if the product which is supposed to revive interest in the BlackBerry is to be released behind schedule.
Other news which may be less likely to affect most BlackBerry users was negative in nature as well. In what was called a necessary move in aligning RIM's cost structure, it was announced that RIM would swiftly reduce its workforce by 5,000 people by the end of the fiscal year. (Though this is clearly discouraging news, they claim that it should not affect “key programs” like BlackBerry 10 and customer support.)
On the financial side, the news was equally bleak. Revenues were down in both the US and international markets, though the US declines were said to be modest. The net loss for the quarter was over $500 million and a net loss is expected for next quarter, as well.
Though the overall impression given off was hardly positive, there were some encouraging statements made. Despite all of RIM's challenges, their global subscriber base grew to 78 million users. Additionally, they have shipped about 250,000 Playbooks and 7.8 million smartphones. Also, the interest in the BlackBerry 10 is apparently quite real, as the BlackBerry 10 Jam Tour for developers sold out in its locations in Montreal, London and New York as well as other locations.
Moving forward, RIM will be focusing on four areas: Keeping the product development focus on enterprise and BYOD; a streamlined – but more limited – product line (including a full QWERTY BlackBerry 10); licensing opportunities for the BlackBerry 10 platform (including, possibly, an expansion to other segments, i.e. beyond smartphones); and building on its 78 million person customer base.
Though bleak, the prospects for RIM are hardly dead. The interest in the BlackBerry 10 is encouraging and they do have cash stored away for such a rainy day; but if the anticipated product will not come to fruition soon, then the anticipation will evaporate, as well.
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Posted by Shlomo for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 8:56 pm. | RIM Q1 2013 Earnings Call Recap | One comment |
Переслать - RIM Lowering Headcount to 11,500 By End of Fiscal 2013
Thorsten Heins was blunt but compassionate when he detailed the reduction of headcount that RIM announced today. He said that RIM currently has about 16,500 employees globally and will be reducing it by at ~5,000 to somewhere in the 11,500 range. He stressed that RIM is trying to be responsible and respectful especially to the different cultures and uncertainty that these employees are experiencing. Heins explained that a function of this may be outsourcing certain functions to other companies that have a better economies of scale for that function but are not central or core to the business. All of this is set to happen by the end of Fiscal 2013 which gives them less than 9 months.
RIM has already started doing this by outsourcing key parts of the companies Global Repair operations including management of device level repairs. Here are the key initiatives in this CORE program:
-- a reduction in the number of layers of management to drive better clarity, efficiency and accountability across the organization; -- the continued streamlining of our supply chain, which includes the consolidation of our manufacturing footprint from 10 external manufacturing sites to three, and working closely with our suppliers and other partners to identify ways to drive further efficiency; -- outsourcing key parts of the Company's Global Repair operations, including management of device level repairs; -- targeted use of resources in our sales and marketing initiatives to more effectively leverage marketing windows and prioritize our marketing efforts and spend in regions that offer the highest opportunity and return; -- further outsourcing of non-core functions as determined during the implementation of the CORE program; and -- a global workforce reduction of approximately 5,000 employees, which is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal 2013.
To all of you who will no longer be working at RIM I wish you the best of luck in future endeavors. Our thoughts are with your and your families. Hopefully this sacrifice will allow RIM to lean down for the tough road to the BlackBerry 10 launch and rollout.
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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 6:07 pm. | RIM Lowering Headcount to 11,500 By End of Fiscal 2013 | Leave a comment |
Переслать - BlackBerry 10 Devices Now Expected to Launch in Q1 of 2013
Everything else in RIM's Q1 2013 report would have had a chance of blowing over if it was not for this one tidbit. Thorsten Heins issued a BlackBerry 10 device update that essentially pushed off the release date of BlackBerry 10 devices to the first quarter of 2013. That means BlackBerry 10 devices are 6-9 months away. That is going to be an extremely bitter pill to swallow for many though RIM does explain why they were forced to change their estimates:
The successful launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform and the delivery of high quality, full-featured BlackBerry 10 smartphones remain the Company’s number one priority. Over the past several weeks, RIM’s software development teams have made major progress in the development of key features for the BlackBerry 10 platform; however, the integration of these features and the associated large volume of code into the platform has proven to be more time consuming than anticipated. As a result, the Company now expects to launch the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones in market in Q1 of calendar 2013.
"RIM’s development teams are relentlessly focused on ensuring the quality and reliability of the platform and I will not compromise the product by delivering it before it is ready. I am confident that the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones will provide a ground-breaking next generation smartphone user experience," said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO. "We are encouraged by the traction that the BlackBerry 10 platform is gaining with application developers and content partners following the successful BlackBerry Jam sessions that we have held around the world since the beginning of May. Similarly, the reception of the BlackBerry 10 platform by our key carrier partners has been very positive and they are looking forward to going to market with BlackBerry 10 smartphones in the first quarter of calendar 2013."
The RIM conference call is about to start and I am sure we will be hearing more about this shortly. I am hoping there is a silver lining in there somewhere.
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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 4:56 pm. | BlackBerry 10 Devices Now Expected to Launch in Q1 of 2013 | 8 comments |
Переслать - Research In Motion First Quarter Fiscal 2013 Results Are In
RIM just published their First Quarter Fiscal 2013 Results and it is not looking good. The highlights immediately stick out so expect some analysis soon. Check out the full report below:
Research In Motion Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2013 Results
WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – June 28, 2012) – Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM), a world leader in the mobile communications market, today reported first quarter results for the three months ended June 2, 2012 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP, except where otherwise indicated).
Highlights:-- Cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments increased to $2.2 billion at the end of the first quarter -- Cash flow from operations was approximately $710 million in the first quarter -- Revenue of $2.8 billion in Q1, down 33% from $4.2 billion in the prior quarter -- GAAP net loss in Q1 of $518 million or $0.99 per share diluted; adjusted net loss of $192 million or $0.37 per share diluted -- Shipments of BlackBerry smartphones were 7.8 million and shipments of BlackBerry PlayBook tablets were approximately 260,000 -- BlackBerry 10 smartphone launch now scheduled for Q1 of calendar 2013 -- Restructuring efforts underway that will include a workforce reduction of approximately 5,000 employees as part of RIM's efforts to realize over $1 billion in cost savings, based on RIM's Q4 FY2012 run rate -- Launched World Tour BlackBerry Jam developer sessions in 23 countries resulting in strong adoption and support by application and developer partners for BlackBerry 10 platform -- BlackBerry App World continues to grow with over 89,000 applications available -- The overall BlackBerry subscriber base continued to grow, and the subscriber base grew in all regions except for North America -- RIM names Steve Zipperstein, former General Counsel of Verizon Wireless, as Chief Legal Officer
Q1 Results
Revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 was $2.8 billion, down 33% from $4.2 billion in the previous quarter and down 43% from $4.9 billion in the same quarter of fiscal 2012. The revenue breakdown for the quarter was approximately 59% for hardware, 36% for service and 5% for software and other revenue. During the quarter, RIM shipped 7.8 million BlackBerry smartphones and approximately 260,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.GAAP net loss for the quarter was $518 million, or $0.99 per share diluted, compared with a GAAP net loss of $125 million, or $0.24 per share diluted, in the prior quarter and GAAP net income of $695 million, or $1.33 per share diluted, in the same quarter last year.
Adjusted net loss for the first quarter was $192 million, or $0.37 per share diluted. Adjusted net loss and adjusted diluted loss per share exclude the impact of pre-tax charges of $335 million ($326 million on an after tax basis), which are predominantly non-cash related to the impairment of goodwill. This charge and its related impact on GAAP net loss and diluted loss per share are summarized in the table below.
"Our first quarter results reflect the market challenges I have outlined since my appointment as CEO at the end of January. I am not satisfied with these results and continue to work aggressively with all areas of the organization and the Board to implement meaningful changes to address the challenges, including a thoughtful realignment of resources and honing focus within the Company on areas that have the greatest opportunities," said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO. "Our top priority going forward is the successful launch of our first BlackBerry 10 device, which we now anticipate will occur in the first quarter of calendar 2013. In parallel with the roll out of BlackBerry 10, we are aggressively working with our advisors on our strategic review and are actively evaluating ways to better leverage our assets and build on our strengths, including our growing BlackBerry subscriber base of approximately 78 million, our large enterprise installed base, our unique network architecture and our industry leading security capabilities."
The total of cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments was $2.2 billion as of June 2, 2012, compared to $2.1 billion at the end of the previous quarter, an increase of approximately $100 million from the prior quarter. Cash flow from operations in Q1 was approximately $710 million. Uses of cash included intangible asset additions of approximately $285 million, capital expenditures of approximately $155 million and a business acquisition of approximately $100 million.
BlackBerry 10 Update
The successful launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform and the delivery of high quality, full-featured BlackBerry 10 smartphones remain the Company’s number one priority. Over the past several weeks, RIM’s software development teams have made major progress in the development of key features for the BlackBerry 10 platform; however, the integration of these features and the associated large volume of code into the platform has proven to be more time consuming than anticipated. As a result, the Company now expects to launch the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones in market in Q1 of calendar 2013.
"RIM’s development teams are relentlessly focussed on ensuring the quality and reliability of the platform and I will not compromise the product by delivering it before it is ready. I am confident that the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones will provide a ground-breaking next generation smartphone user experience," said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO. "We are encouraged by the traction that the BlackBerry 10 platform is gaining with application developers and content partners following the successful BlackBerry Jam sessions that we have held around the world since the beginning of May. Similarly, the reception of the BlackBerry 10 platform by our key carrier partners has been very positive and they are looking forward to going to market with BlackBerry 10 smartphones in the first quarter of calendar 2013."
Organizational Update
RIM today also announced the appointment of Steve Zipperstein, former General Counsel of Verizon Wireless, as its Chief Legal Officer. Prior to joining Verizon, Mr. Zipperstein previously served as Deputy General Counsel for GTE Corporation and was employed with the United States Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor. Mr. Zipperstein joins Kristian Tear, Chief Operating Officer and Frank Boulben, Chief Marketing Officer as the latest additions to RIM’s executive management team.
CORE Program
The Company announced its CORE (Cost Optimization and Resource Efficiency) program in March of this year. The program is focused on delivering operational savings through various initiatives, with financial objectives for the program targeted to drive at least $1 billion in savings by the end of fiscal 2013, based on RIM’s Q4 FY2012 run rate. As a result of the shift in BlackBerry 10 launch timeline, the increasingly competitive environment, as well as the identification of additional cost saving and efficiency opportunities, the Company may increase the scope and magnitude of these programs, and considers these original estimates as minimum numbers it will be pursuing.
To date, the Company has started implementing a number of these initiatives including:
-- a reduction in the number of layers of management to drive better clarity, efficiency and accountability across the organization; -- the continued streamlining of our supply chain, which includes the consolidation of our manufacturing footprint from 10 external manufacturing sites to three, and working closely with our suppliers and other partners to identify ways to drive further efficiency; -- outsourcing key parts of the Company's Global Repair operations, including management of device level repairs; -- targeted use of resources in our sales and marketing initiatives to more effectively leverage marketing windows and prioritize our marketing efforts and spend in regions that offer the highest opportunity and return; -- further outsourcing of non-core functions as determined during the implementation of the CORE program; and -- a global workforce reduction of approximately 5,000 employees, which is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal 2013.
The Company expects to incur restructuring related charges of approximately $350 million by the end of fiscal 2013, primarily associated with the global workforce reduction. Other charges and cash costs may occur during this process, and the Company intends to share more details throughout the year regarding its progress as programs are implemented or changes are completed.
OutlookThe Company expects the next several quarters to continue to be very challenging for its business based on the increasing competitive environment, lower handset volumes, potential financial and other impacts from the delay of BlackBerry 10, pressure to reduce RIM’s monthly infrastructure access fees, and the Company’s plans to continue to aggressively drive sales of BlackBerry 7 handheld devices. The Company expects to report an operating loss in the second quarter of fiscal 2013, as RIM continues to invest in marketing programs and continues to work through the transition to BlackBerry 10, as well as the Company’s fixed costs being allocated over a lower volume of shipments. This outlook excludes the impact of charges related to the CORE Program.
Reconciliation of GAAP net loss and diluted loss per share to adjusted net loss and adjusted diluted loss per share: (United States dollars, in millions except per share data) Three months ended June 2, 2012 ---------------------------- Net Loss Diluted EPS (net of (net of income tax) income tax) ---------------------------- As reported $ (518) $ (0.99) Adjustment: Impairment of Goodwill(1) 326 0.62 ---------------------------- Adjusted $ (192) $ (0.37) ---------------------------- ----------------------------
Note: Adjusted net loss and adjusted diluted loss per share do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and thus are not comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other issuers. The Company believes that the presentation of adjusted net loss and adjusted diluted loss per share enables the Company and its shareholders to better assess RIM’s operating results relative to its operating results in prior periods and improves the comparability of the information presented. Investors should consider these non-GAAP measures in the context of RIM’s GAAP results.
(1) During the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company performed a goodwill impairment test and based on the results of that test, the Company recorded a pre-tax goodwill impairment charge of approximately $335 million, or $326 million after tax.Conference Call and Webcast
A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at 5 pm ET, June 28, 2012, which can be accessed by dialing 1-800-814-4859 (North America), (+1)416-644-3414 (outside North America), or through your personal computer or BlackBerry(R) PlayBook(TM) tablet at www.rim.com/investors/events/index.shtml. A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 7 pm ET by dialing (+1)416-640-1917 and entering pass code 4501363#. 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 until midnight ET, July 12, 2012.
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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 4:34 pm. | Research In Motion First Quarter Fiscal 2013 Results Are In | One comment |
Переслать - iSpeech Announces Over 1.6 Billion Uses and Adds Siri-like Web API to SDK
iSpeech announced today that they are updating their Smartphone SDK to include Siri-like features to its web API for BlackBerry and other smartphones. Another mile stone for the company is having over 13,000 developers using their technology, and they just recently reached over 1.6 Billion uses. Most of you might be familiar with Some of the Apps power by iSpeech voice recognition and text to speech platform. Some of those apps include DriveSafely, iSpeech Translator, and iSpeech Obama. With the update to their developer SDK devs will be able to provide better apps, with a better voice recognition solution.
Checkout the full press release below:
iSpeech Cloud Now Largest Mobile Speech Platform at 13,000 Developers and 1.6 Billion Uses
iSpeech voice recognition and text to speech platform expands capabilities with increased accuracy, speed and custom speech recognition
Newark, NJ – June 28, 2012 – iSpeech, Inc. today announced the iSpeech development platform has been used over 1.6 billion times in mobile apps made by over 13,000 developers, making iSpeech the largest mobile speech development platform in the world. iSpeech also released updates to its Web API, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry SDKs that provide faster performance and optimized speech recognition for Siri-like personal assistant applications and other popular speech recognition use cases.
"This is an exciting milestone and we're thankful to our developers for making it happen," said Heath Ahrens, Founder and CEO of iSpeech. "We will continue to work hard to eliminate all barriers to adoption of speech technology for developers such as cost, quality and difficulty of integration."
The platform, launched less than 10 months ago, is used by top brands and apps across lifestyle, food, travel, retail, finance, gaming, messaging, dictation, translation and social including Hearst, Telenav, SpeaktoIt, iTranslate, Vocre and many more. With iSpeech's cloud model, developers can quickly and affordably integrate human quality text to speech and speech recognition into their applications. iSpeech's technology and developer-friendly pricing and support has led to its rapid growth.
"iSpeech offers unparalleled quality and the voices sound very natural," said Ilya Gelfenbeyn, CEO of SpeaktoIt. "The level of service and technical support that the iSpeech team has provided and is continuing to provide has helped us deliver a great product to our customers."
iSpeech voice recognition and text to speech is available in over 25 language and accent combinations and accessible through both a self-serve platform and a direct sales and professional services team. Developers who work with iSpeech's sales and service team may leverage custom statistical language models designed for common use cases such as virtual assistants, translation apps, navigation, e-learning and dictation, as well as custom language models designed specifically for the customer's application. iSpeech's custom solutions help ensure the highest possible recognition accuracy rates for its customers.
About iSpeech, Inc.
iSpeech is a leading provider of speech technology and mobile apps, including the award winning app, DriveSafe.ly.
Founded in 2007, the company began as a vision to help college students learn by enabling them to listen to text-based study materials. Today, consumers, developers and businesses worldwide choose iSpeech for its high quality, scalable and easy to use text-to-speech (TTS), automated speech recognition (ASR) and voice to text solutions. The iSpeech Cloud has been used over a billion times. iSpeech is a privately held company headquartered in Newark, NJ with offices in San Francisco, CA and Cambridge, UK.
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Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 4:00 pm. | iSpeech Announces Over 1.6 Billion Uses and Adds Siri-like Web API to SDK | One comment |
Переслать - How Many BlackBerry 10 Model Lines Should RIM Create?
One of the things I find myself discussing often about BlackBerry 10 is what RIM's strategy is for the BlackBerry 10 family lineup. The current RIM lineup is way to cluttered in my opinion but on the other hand it is much better than the thousands of Android models and the lonely iOS line. Just to give you an idea, RIM's current BlackBerry 7 lineup includes the:
- Bold 9900/9930 high end touchscreen QWERTY keyboard
- Torch 9810 Touchscreen slider with QWERTY keyboard
- Torch 9850/9860 High end full touchscreen only
- Bold 9790 Mid range touchscreen QWERTY keyboard
- Curve 9380 Mid range full touchscreen only
- Curve 9350/9360/9370 Mid range QWERTY keyboard
- Curve 9310/9320/9220 Very low end QWERTY keyboard
Personally I think that is just a bit crazy with way to much overlap and marginal differentiation. We currently know that RIM is working on a first BlackBerry model that will be touchscreen only (L-Series) with a follow up device that will have a touchscreen and RIM's signature keyboard (N-Series). My question to you is if RIM should leave it at that and limit fragmentation or start going down the road with other options like a BlackBerry 10 slider with QWERTY keyboard or lower end Curve style models to hit the lower market.
Originally Thorsten said they would keep the BlackBerry 7.1 devices for the lower end market but I am not sure how relevant they will be in 6 months from now. This really has me wondering how big or small the BlackBerry 10 device family should be. What do you think?
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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 1:39 pm. | How Many BlackBerry 10 Model Lines Should RIM Create? | 20 comments |
Переслать - RIM Q1 Fiscal 2013 Earnings Call Today at 5PM EST
Wall street is not looking forward to RIM's Q1 2013 earnings call tonight at 5PM. Thorsten Heins said that RIM has some challenging quarters ahead until BlackBerry 10 during the last earnings call. His follow up update hinted that RIM might even post an operating loss for Q1 2013 which would be their first since BlackBerry really took off. Most of what we are looking for is if RIM will be able to keep things together until they launch BlackBerry 10. That would give them a strong fighting chance but they need to be in a strong financial position to make it a success.
Stay tuned on BerryReview for the details as they come out or feel free to listen in to the conference call yourself with RIM's webcast.
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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 1:19 pm. | RIM Q1 Fiscal 2013 Earnings Call Today at 5PM EST | Leave a comment |
Переслать - Javatek MP3 Ringtone Creator Now $1.99 to celebrate 500,000+ Downloads
Javatek let us know that they have lowered the price of their MP3 Ringtone Creator BlackBerry smartphone app to $1.99. I was actually more impressed with the reason they did this instead of the actual sale. Javatek let us know that they are celebrating 500,000+ downloads of MP3 Ringtone Creator which is super impressive since I think the regular price was $2.99. In other words even after RIM's cut that is a nice chunk of change. I am not sure exactly when the app was released but I remember seeing it as far back as 2009 or so.
Check out Javatek MP3 Ringtone Creator on sale for $1.99 in App World.
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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 11:56 am. | Javatek MP3 Ringtone Creator Now $1.99 to celebrate 500,000+ Downloads | One comment |
Переслать - Get a Look Behind the Scenes at MMMOOO's Dev Offices
I am really digging this latest round of articles getting to know developers on the BlackBerry DevBlog. Their latest one takes us behind the scenes at MMMOOO which has developed over 375+ BlackBerry applications and remains dedicated to making many more. RIM's dev relations team was at GSMA Mobile Asia Expo 2012 in Pudong, Shanghai and were invited by MMMOOO to come tour their offices.
What they found was a 500 square-meter open office space with 30+ developers and designers coding away. They had a well used ping pong table in the center of the room and achievements on the wall but all of them were focused on work. They have devs working on WebWorks/HTML5 apps along with Native and QT apps.
I am really hoping RIM does more of these features. Its nice to put a face to the developers/designers who create our apps like MMMOOO's BBM GIF Avatar creator and Talking Monkey. If you are a veteran or new BlackBerry dev and want to share your story let us know!
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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 10:54 am. | Get a Look Behind the Scenes at MMMOOO’s Dev Offices | Leave a comment |
Переслать - Free Slots King Beta from Magmic with BBM & Pretzil Integration
Magmic has just released another one of their games that is following up on their previous King Casino titles. Slots King is similar to Texas Hold'em King Live and Blackjack King with Magmic's casino style gameplay with BBM and Pretzil social gaming integration. The game essentially offers up a five reel video slot machine with bonus rounds and a minigame thrown in for good measure.
Features include:
- Full animations and sound effects
- BBM and Pretzil integration
- Share your scores and invite friends via Facebook and Twitter
- Customize your slot machines with downloadable game themes (Coming Soon!)
You can find the Slots King beta free in App World. If you run into issues let Magmic know at www.magmic.com/support
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- Free Texas Hold’em King Live Beta Now on the BlackBerry PlayBook!
- Magmic Blackjack King Chip Sale Going On Now
- Free Texas Hold’em King LIVE v1.1.0 Adds OS 7.0 Support & More!
Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 10:00 am. | Free Slots King Beta from Magmic with BBM & Pretzil Integration | 3 comments |
Переслать - T-Mobile to Offer "Back-to-School" Promotion as of the 1st of July
It looks like T-Mobile will be bringing back the family plan goodies again this year. According to TmoNews, starting July 1st new and existing T-Mobile customers will be able to avail themselves of a "Back-to-School" promotion. This promotion, which can be adopted anytime between July 1st and November 13th, will reduce the price of certain family plans by $5 a month until January 2014.
To make this promotion kick in, existing customers will have to extend their contract with T-Mobile for 2 years (for all the phones in the plan). On the other hand according to TmoNews this rate plan change does not affect your upgrade date for a new phone. For more details, you can look at the coverage on the TmoNews site by clicking here.
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- T-Mobile Value Plans Offer Better Rates if You Prepay your Phone
Posted by Shlomo for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 8:45 am. | T-Mobile to Offer "Back-to-School" Promotion as of the 1st of July | One comment |
Переслать - Official OS 7.1.0.523 Released for Bold 9790 & Torch 9860
BlackBerry Torch 9860 and BlackBerry Bold 9790 users should be happy to learn about this OS update. Don let us know that both of the devices have had OS 7.1.0.523 released officially by carriers. No word on what is new but .523 has been pretty decent so far.
Download the updates at:
- Official OS 7.1.0.523 for the BlackBerry Bold 9790
- Official OS 7.1.0.523 for the BlackBerry Torch 9860
Warning: This OS will NOT install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above. If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry OS please start by reading this step by step guide. Don't forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in c:program files>common files>research in motion>apploader to install it on a different carriers device. Don't forget our usual warnings: do not download and install these updates if you don't know what you're doing. Incorrect procedure or just bad luck could render your BlackBerry inoperative or unstable.
If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:
- Rogers Makes BlackBerry Bold 9900 Torch 9860 & 9810 Prices Official
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- First Official OS Released for BlackBerry Bold 9790 & Curve 9380 by Telkomsel
- OS 7.1.0.205 for BlackBerry Bold 9900, Torch 9810, & Torch 9860 Found Online
- Official OS 7.0.0.362 Released for Bold 9930 Curve 9350 & Torch 9850
Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 28, 2012, 5:13 am. | Official OS 7.1.0.523 Released for Bold 9790 & Torch 9860 | 2 comments |
Переслать - BlackBerry 10 App World Possible Mockups & OLED Screen Details
The early details of BlackBerry 10 devices continue to leak with design and hardware decisions coming out. BBOS scored what they are hearing are mockups for App World on BlackBerry 10 devices. It looks pretty generic though I am really just hoping for an "Update All" button at launch.
Also worth noting is another slow leak from N4BB detailing just a little bit more about RIM's design decision for using an OLED screen in BlackBerry 10 devices. It describes how the screen benefits from battery saving when it shows black themes or backgrounds and looks like a unified surface. Worth a read if that is your thing though OLED technology is not exclusive to RIM.
If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:
- New BlackBerry PlayBook OS 1.0 Bridge Vulnerability & App World Bug Details
- RIM Officially Details How To Clear BlackBerry App World Cache
- Devs: More Details Released For BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour
- RIM Releases Details on App World and Carrier Billing
- BlackBerry World Keynotes, Special Speaker, & BlackBerry Party Details!
Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 27, 2012, 4:40 pm. | BlackBerry 10 App World Possible Mockups & OLED Screen Details | 3 comments |
Переслать - BlackBerry Bridge 2.0.0.35 Released With Small Issue Fixed
Usually whenever I see a BlackBerry Bridge update I hope to see a PlayBook OS update but this time it does not look like it will be the case. Jason let us know that RIM has pushed out a tiny update to BlackBerry Bridge bringing it to v2.0.0.35. according to the change log this fixes an issue that I have never heard anyone really complaining about. Supposedly this update:
Addresses an issue where eligible users saw an error that the Bridge Browser was not supported by their wireless service provider.
I personally blame AT&T but I have no proof for that.
You should be able to find the update here in App World.
If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:
- BlackBerry Bridge Gets Small Update to v1.0.7.5 To Fix Specific Bug
- PlayBook Native & Bridge Browser Working Over AT&T BlackBerry Bridge Connection?
- RIM Rolling Out BlackBerry Bridge v1.0.7.4 – PlayBook OS Update Coming Soon?
- BlackBerry Bridge v1.0.7.4 Update Change Log
- SmrtGuard v1.65 Released – Fixes Backup DNS Issue
Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 27, 2012, 4:07 pm. | BlackBerry Bridge 2.0.0.35 Released With Small Issue Fixed | One comment |
Переслать - BlackBerry Curve 9310 Coming to Boost Mobile with Unlimited BBM, Talk and Text Plan
RIM is bringing their low cost FM radio BlackBerry to the states with the new BlackBerry Curve 9310. It is launching first on Boost Mobile as a prepaid phone with a special plan. Boost will be offering a unlimited BBM, Talk, and Text plan for $30 a month which is not bad at all and kind of fits with the dedicated BBM key on the device.
Key features of the Curve 9310 include:
- Instant messaging made easy – A dedicated BBM™ key and full QWERTY keyboard makes real-time chat with friends and family that much easier.
- Social networks in real time — Preloaded apps for Facebook® and Twitter® and the new Social Feeds 2.0 app allow you to update multiple social applications simultaneously, and see feeds/updates from multiple sources in one consolidated view.
- Integrated camera – A 3.2MP camera with flash and support for video recording.
- Built-in FM radio — With an integrated FM radio, listen to your favorite local FM radio stations on the go.
- Long lasting battery life – On one single charge, you have up to 8 hours of talk time or up to 70 hours of music playback.
Boost will be launching the Curve 9310 on July 10th for $99.99 at Boost stores and online at www.boostmobile.com with free shipping.
If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:
- Boost Mobile Prepaid Unlimited BlackBerry Plan – Verizon Also Getting Prepaid?
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- Boost Mobile Lowers Prepaid BlackBerry Curve 8530 to $199.99
- Boost Mobile Shipping BlackBerry Curve 8330 With OS 5.0.0.438
Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 27, 2012, 3:50 pm. | BlackBerry Curve 9310 Coming to Boost Mobile with Unlimited BBM, Talk and Text Plan | Leave a comment |
Переслать - BlackBerry Curve 9310 Simulator Available – RIM Asks Devs to Prepare Apps
Its no big secret that RIM was working on a BlackBerry Curve 9310 and now it is official. They have announced the specs on the BlackBerry DevBlog and emailed all developers asking them to prepare their apps. Devs will have to login and specifically confirm their apps support the device. Due to similarities with the Curve 9320 and Curve 9220 devices they should be able to adapt apps from there to run on the 9310 just fine.
Devs can find the simulator for the Curve 9310 here along with the specs below (source):
BlackBerry 9310 smartphone – Device Info
- 320 x 240 resolution, 164 dpi
- Application Icon size: 46 x 46 pixels
- Memory: 512 MB Internal Persistent Storage, 512 MB RAM
- 3.2 MP Camera, 4 X digital zoom
- QWERTY keyboard
- Networks: EVDO, CDMA
- FM Radio
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
- Autonomous and Assisted GPS
- Browser User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9310; en-GB) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.1.0.396 Mobile Safari/534.11+
PS: Has anyone figured out if this is the BlackBerry Curve 9315 that was found in the Device.xml files?
If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:
- RIM Releases BlackBerry Curve 9320 Simulator to Devs
- BlackBerry Curve 9310 & 9320 Make Their Way Through the FCC
- Devs: BlackBerry Curve 9220 Simulator Now Available
- RIM Wants Developers to Prepare for Unannounced BlackBerry 9380 & 9790
- RIM Releases BlackBerry Curve 9320 Simulator & Updates Others
Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 27, 2012, 1:50 pm. | BlackBerry Curve 9310 Simulator Available – RIM Asks Devs to Prepare Apps | Leave a comment |
Переслать - Orangepixel Brings Six 8-Bit Pixel Art Games to the PlayBook
We can thank the PlayBook Android player for six more addictive games for us. Orangepixel has ported six of their 8-Bit pixel art 2D games to the PlayBook and the Android Player mostly handles them fine. This includes a game called INC that has been pointed out to me a few times as a comic book style game. There is also Neoteria which is a classic side scrolling shooter that makes me want to punch in the Konami code. Then there is Stardash which reminds me of Mario Bros on the Gameboy back in the day.
Check out Orangepixels full line of PlayBook games in App World and let us know what you think
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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 27, 2012, 1:38 pm. | Orangepixel Brings Six 8-Bit Pixel Art Games to the PlayBook | 2 comments |
Переслать - Fuzzy Cubes HD is 3D Tetris With Cute Creatures & Bombs
When Workhorse Bytes first let us know about their Fuzzy Cubes HD game it made me laugh. You set the bar pretty high when you describe your game as an "insane 3d mixture of Tetris and Rubik's Cube with cute furry creatures and bombs." The game offers up 40 levels of gameplay that is a bit hard to describe but works well on the PlayBook though it can be aggravatingly frustrating. Instead I will show you the cross platform trailer they put up:
Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link
Fuzzy Cubes is available now for $1.99 in App World
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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 27, 2012, 12:05 pm. | Fuzzy Cubes HD is 3D Tetris With Cute Creatures & Bombs | Leave a comment |
Переслать - Top Dev Motek Mobile Shares Their Experience With BlackBerry Development
Motek Mobile is a top BlackBerry developer with apps like Screen Muncher, Color ID, and more. They just sat down with Jesse Ariss (@jesseariss) on the BlackBerry dev blog and shared some of their experiences with BlackBerry development currently and over the years. I was impressed to learn that Motek sees a daily average of 150,000 and 200,000 downloads with nearly seven million daily unique users and even more if they include themes. They also counted over 387 million Screen Munchies in the past year all of which was made possible by their 12 in house developers.
I always find it interesting to hear why developers are developing for BlackBerry and this interview does not disappoint. Motek seems extremely excited about BlackBerry 10 and the benefits gained by App World. Definitely worth a read to see what a major developer thinks of the platform and the direction it is heading. Check out the full interview on the BlackBerry DevBlog.
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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 27, 2012, 11:08 am. | Top Dev Motek Mobile Shares Their Experience With BlackBerry Development | One comment |
Переслать - McDonalds Canada Behinds the Scene Photo Shoot Stars a PlayBook
You may have heard or even seen this video McDonalds Canada created which goes behind the scenes at one of their photo shoots. They were trying to explain to a Twitter follower why a cheeseburger in the store does not look the same as the one in the photo shoots. Since I don't eat cheeseburgers I avoided watching the video but Jason pointed out (via BerryReporter) that it features a BlackBerry PlayBook. In the video McDonald's Canada Hope Bagozzi shows off the Twitter users question on a BlackBerry PlayBook (With the BlackBerry Logo blurred out).
Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link
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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 27, 2012, 10:05 am. | McDonalds Canada Behinds the Scene Photo Shoot Stars a PlayBook | One comment |
Переслать - Free "Oh the Huge Manatee" Flash Game for the PlayBook
A friend at RIM pointed out a new game to me that stuck in my head so I had to download it. It turns out that I had read about the "Oh the Huge Manatee" meme awhile back on a security forum. Turns out that Dig Your Own Grave (Aka Little Grey Media) created a game for the meme. The gameplay is pretty simplistic with you hiding from bouncing Manatees but it definitely gets challenging and there are some curve balls that I won't ruin.
You can check out Oh The Huge Manatee free in App World or simply play the non PlayBook optimized version on their website. Let me know what your high score is!!!
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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 27, 2012, 8:55 am. | Free “Oh the Huge Manatee” Flash Game for the PlayBook | Leave a comment |
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