The guys over at Hedone Design let us know that they updated their Windows 7 replica theme, B77, and it now supports all BlackBerry 7 devices! The theme was built on the original BlackBerry 7 theme and has Windows 7 graphics and icons. This upgrade also includes some bug fixes so if you already had it, you should update.

B77 is available for only $6.99. Get it here.

Verizon Wireless’ CFO, Fran Shammo, said the company is planning to eliminate their unlimited data plan, still available for 3G customers who were grandfathered into the plan. Verizon will be migrating these users to their shared data plans so, eventually, everyone will be on data share once they move to LTE. Shammo made the announcement at the 40th J.P. Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference saying he believe it will make it easier to connect multiple devices.

The data share plan is scheduled to launch in mid-summer, no pricing details have been announced yet. For more information listen to the full webcast here.

via Engadget

Generation Media Group has just released their new app called beExecutor. This fun little app has 8-bit sound effects similar to the ones in the Executor Keychain. Sound effects go from Bomb, Explosions, Siren, Machine Gun, Phasers, Lasers, Falls and a Gatling Gun. The app is now out and available to download from the BlackBerry App World for just $0.99!

Buy beExecutor for $0.99>>

Smarter Apps let us know that they are running a special offer on Vampires vs. Hunter with the release of that “Summer Vampire” movie. They have put Vampires vs. Hunter ON SALE for a limited time! For only $1.99, that’s 60% off, you can have hours of blood-thirsty battles defending your castle from the Vampire Lord and his demonic creatures! Check out some of the features:

• Engaging audio and visual experience
• 3 unique game boards
• 45 levels of intense vampire hunting gameplay
• Progress and earn new weapons and defences to fend off more challenging enemies

Don’t miss out on this great offer, head over to App World and get Vampire vs Hunter now!

Over two weeks ago I had the honor of joining my fellow BlackBerry enthusiasts and businessmen for a week full of BlackBerry! When I arrived in Orlando for BlackBerry World and BlackBerry 10 Jam, I expected to find a bunch of older businessmen in signature suits and fresh polished shoes, with the same attitude of the past, “we are strong, we have 77 million subscribers, our browser is competitive , etc.” To my surprise, I encountered the opposite.  I saw youth , cool jeans and blazers , eagerness and hunger to prove a point, prove that we aren’t just the 3rd platform but we will be THE platform of the future. I saw executives walk up to me and say “hello” and strike conversation. When an issue came up in our conversation the answer I received was “I’m so sorry , give me your card, I will look into it and let you know”.

Lucas and I sat in a session for press about developing for BlackBerry10. In the back of the room quietly I saw Anders Jeppsson who is the head of gaming for Research In Motion.  After the session, I just wanted to introduce myself to him. Jeppsson’s immediate response was “Hey what’s up, come let’s sit down. I want to show you some awesome stuff we are working on, and love to hear some feedback.” Both Lucas and I were shocked.  We didn’t ask for an interview, we didn’t have to harass RIM PR, but a high level RIM exec wanted to eagerly show us some cool stuff on his PlayBook. To our surprise, RIM sure has some cool gaming stuff coming soon.

After an awesome slide show we proceeded to have a quick little chat about the overall state of RIM and Jeppsson told us two things I never thought I’d hear out of a RIM exec. First, he said, “I own an iPad and I look at our competitors. If we didn’t acknowledge they are doing something right we would be blind.” Jeppsson added, “Look at my Converse shoes, they are so cool and they have a Peace sign on them.” To understand why the Converse-wearing-shoes statement is so awesome, you need to understand the fundamental change within RIM. He was proud that he didn’t have to suit up. He is the head of the Gaming department and is all about fun, youth, energy, and his shoes symbolize that. He acknowledged that he “heard” in previous BlackBerry World events (or WES as it was before) that it was all about a suit and tie with a pair of black polished shoes. Mr. Jeppsson, keep staying awesome and you are everything that is right within BlackBerry!

Walking around the rest of the convention, I had the privilege to meet more and more of RIM’s youth. From the awesome BlackBerry App World Team to RIM’s awesome and very talented, revamped PR team. It was great to see BlackBerry evangelists such as Patrick Mollins, and the HTML guru Adam Stanley. The best part was to finally shake hands with the one and only Mr. “Stay Calm and Be Bold” himself, Alec Saunders. The BlackBerry team is focused with one goal and a new sense of urgency! Actually, the best part is the team finally feels like “A TEAM”! I have a brand new feeling for this company and can sense the “fun” surrounding those who are striving to win.

Press Release

Announce plans to launch the first, secure mobile payment solution of its kind to Canadians

TORONTO, May 15, 2012 /CNW/ – CIBC and Rogers Communications today announced an agreement to launch Canada’s first joint mobile payment solution, allowing Canadians to pay with their CIBC credit card at the checkout counter using their Rogers “Near Field Communications” (NFC) enabled smartphone. Beginning later this year, customers will be able to use this payment capability at merchants across Canada where contactless credit card payments are accepted.

This announcement represents the first time a bank and a wireless carrier have joined forces to offer a commercially available mobile payments solution to Canadians that leverages the secure SIM card inside an NFC-enabled Rogers smartphone. This new solution aligns to guidelines announced yesterday by the Canadian Bankers Association for mobile payments in Canada, as well as those developed by respected international associations such as the GSM Association (GSMA), the association of mobile operators and related companies dedicated to standardizing and supporting GSM technology.

“As the leader in delivering mobile financial services innovations in Canada, we are pleased to introduce yet another innovation in the market that will shape the payments experience of the future,” commented David Williamson, Senior Executive Vice President, Retail and Business Banking, CIBC. “By teaming with Rogers, CIBC clients will soon enjoy the convenience of paying at the checkout with their mobile device while enjoying the existing benefits of their CIBC credit card, including loyalty rewards.”

“Canadians are embracing new technologies at an accelerated pace and we know they’re interested in using their smartphone for mobile payments,” said Rob Bruce, President of Communications, Rogers Communications. “We’ve been laying the foundation for mobile commerce and the ecosystem is ready to give Canadians the convenience, security, and peace of mind they deserve,” said Bruce. “Today’s announcement with CIBC represents an important first step toward a whole new world of mobile transactions which is a key growth area for the company.”

Some of the key features of the new mobile payments solution include:

• Full access to a client’s existing CIBC credit cards on their smartphone at no extra cost – whether Visa or MasterCard – this gives clients the opportunity to earn loyalty points on purchases as they do today.
• Multiple layers of security – Paying with your NFC-enabled smartphone will be as secure as using your credit card today. Clients will receive the same fraud protection they do with their contactless credit card, and secure encryption technology will add to the layers of security already in place on credit card purchases. Clients will also have the option to set additional password protection.
• No “stickers” on your phone – this new payment capability will leverage the secure SIM card inside a mobile device for payments, meaning clients can manage their credit card credentials on a secure platform, and won’t need to worry about stickers attached to their phone.

This new CIBC mobile payments capability will be available on select BlackBerry® smartphones on the Rogers wireless network when the solution launches later this year, with additional device choices for clients available following launch.

MasterCard’s Mobile Payments Readiness Index ranks Canada ahead of the United States and second out of 34 countries.  A key finding emphasizes that partnerships among the key players in the mobile payments ecosystem – financial institutions, payment networks, telcos, governments, technology providers – are essential to accelerate the commercialization of mobile payments.

Today’s announcement builds on CIBC’s leadership position in delivering mobile innovations to clients. CIBC was the first bank in Canada to launch a mobile banking App in 2010, and more recently became the first bank in Canada to deliver an App that allows clients to trade stocks on their mobile device through the CIBC Mobile Brokerage App. The bank also offers the CIBC Home Advisor App, free to all Canadian homebuyers, giving them access to information about housing prices and other key neighbourhood data in an area they may be considering. CIBC was named “Best in Mobile Banking” globally by Global Finance magazine in 2011.

In 2002, Rogers launched its GSM wireless network, and last year was the first carrier in Canada to launch LTE, bringing the largest and fastest network and a global wireless standard to Canada. Today’s announcement builds on this foundation of world-class networks, Rogers history of innovation and mobile commerce expertise, specifically in the area of mobile proximity payments. Over the past six years, Rogers has worked with the GSM Association, including the “Pay-buy-Mobile” initiative to get industry standard payment cards – like MasterCard or Visa – on industry standard GSM devices. In the past year, the GSM Association further named Rogers as one of many operators worldwide committed to SIM-based NFC solutions and services.

“The GSMA congratulate CIBC and Rogers on the launch of their mobile NFC services and we look forward to many more markets following Canada’s lead in bringing exciting and interoperable NFC services to life,” said Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA. “This is the year when mobile NFC is set to take off and the GSMA will continue to support our members around the world who will be launching their mobile NFC services later this year.”

CIBC (CM: TSX;NYSE) is a leading North American financial institution with nearly 11 million personal banking and business clients. CIBC offers a full range of products and services through its comprehensive electronic banking network, branches and offices across Canada, and has offices in the United States and around the world. You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Press Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.

Rogers Communications is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. We are engaged in wireless voice and data communications services through Wireless, Canada’s largest wireless provider. Through Cable, we are one of Canada’s leading providers of cable television services as well as high-speed Internet access and telephony services. Through Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, and sports entertainment. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit www.rogers.com.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited

via CIBC

RIM has been focusing on a lot more that just BlackBerry 10. Another patent shows what RIM has been working on, besides the new OS. The patent shows what seems to be a battery charging holster that can recharge your phone’s battery on the go. It also has its own speakers which it’ll use for your BlackBerry’s alerts. Looks pretty cool right? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

via Engadget

• National Weather Service
• Federal Aviation Administration
• My TSA
• Alternative Fuel Locator
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• National Hurricane Center Mobile
• The White House
• Find your Embassy
• USA.gov
• Member Guide
• Gobierno USA
• MedlinePlus Mobile
• AIDS.gov
• Department of Education
• Collections Search Center from the Smithsonian
• Environmental Protection Agency Waste Reduction

At BlackBerry 10 Jam, Alec Saunders, RIM’s VP of Developer Relations and Ecosystem Development, spoke on what’s possible with the upcoming BlackBerry 10 platform and what’s coming for BlackBerry developer communities.

Before BlackBerry 10 Jam, we had the exclusive opportunity to interview Alec on BlackBerry 10 and ways they’re working with developers to bring their apps the the BB10 platform. You can find that interview here.

If you did not make it to the BlackBerry 10 Jam conference, you’ll be glad to know that RIM has posted the entire keynote of Alec Saunders. Check it out below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7EAmJfEIlg

On a BlackBerry? Click here for mobile YouTube video

Niko and myself had a great time while at BlackBerry World 2012 and BlackBerry 10 Jam. RIM gave out some small swag (a BlackBerry notepad and Enterprise customer-branded cantine) with the best thing being pins with the BlackBerry World and BlackBerry 10 Jam logos and dates.

We have enough great memories ourselves of what might have been the most important events in RIM’s history (Showcase of BB10 features). To share these historical events with you, we’re giving away two BlackBerry World and BlackBerry 10 Jam pins. Here’s how to enter:

• You must be a registered member of N4BB. When you comment, you’re name will appear in green and it will link to your profile. If you’re not logged in and comment, your entry will not be valid. Make a comment to this post signalling your entry, and state which pin you’d like to win.

BlackBerry Curve 9320 users are receiving an official update today. OS 7.1.0.398 is now available to download from Brightpoint Australia. If you previously installed the leaked version, there is no need to update. Nonetheless, let us know if you find anything nice in this build.

• Download Curve 9320 OS 7.1.0.398 from Brightpoint Australia

Make sure you join our community to share your thoughts on this!

• How to: load an OS on your BlackBerry

Developers get ready for an impending OS update to the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha. Alex Kinsella tweeted out via the @BlackBerryDev account that “[RIM] We’re getting the update for BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha ready”.

There’s no word on what will be added/fixed in the Dev Alpha OS update. Although, developers are able to directly send RIM feature requests and issues through the Developer Issue Tracker. The Developer Issue Tracker is a web application that provides third-party developers with several new capabilities:

• Submit new issues and feature requests for consideration by Research In Motion (RIM)
• Track submitted issues and feature requests from start to finish to understand when those issues are resolved and in what releases
• View issues submitted by other developers and vote on issues that also affect your application
• Receive full notifications of changes to the state of any issue you submit or add to your watch list
• Leverage the comments section of the application to understand workarounds and helpful tips for submitted issues

Get started submitting any issues or feature requests in the Developer Issue Tracker here.

Research In Motion is constantly issuing Knowledge Base articles to help users get the most out of their BlackBerry devices. The latest article shows how you can pair a BlackBerry smartphone to a Mac computer using Bluetooth. You can do so by the following:

To use Bluetooth® technology to pair a BlackBerry smartphone with a Mac computer, complete the following steps:

1. Open System Preferences on the Mac computer and select Bluetooth.Note: To have the Bluetooth icon appear on the menu bar of the Mac computer, select Show Bluetooth status in the menu bar.
2. Click the + button.
3. Click Continue on the Bluetooth Setup Assistant Welcome screen.
4. On the Select Device Type screen, select Mobile Phone from the list, then click Continue.
5. On the Bluetooth Mobile Phone Setup screen, wait until the Mac computer completes a search of Bluetooth devices within range, then select the BlackBerry smartphone from the list and clickContinue.
6. When the Mac computer completes gathering information about the BlackBerry smartphone, clickContinue.
7. When prompted to Enter numeric passkey for <Mac Name>, type the passkey that is displayed on the Bluetooth Setup Assistant.Note: There is a limited amount of time for this step. If necessary, click Continue and then try again.
8. When prompted to Accept connection request from <Mac Name>, click Yes.
9. Click Quit.

You can also then configure your BlackBerry smartphone to trust connections from the Mac computer.

1. On the Home screen of the BlackBerry smartphone, click Options and select the Bluetoothoption.
2. In the Paired Devices area, select the connection to the Mac computer. Then, press the Menukey and select Device Properties.
3. Select the Trusted option and set it to Yes.
4. Press the Escape key and select Save.

Today marks a disappointing time in Research In Motion’s history as a publicly traded company. RIM’s shares has hit an 8 year low, with its shares dropping to $11.32 a piece. “When will the sinking of RIM’s stock end? Will BlackBerry 10 make a big impact? Should I sell now or hope it goes back up?” are just a few of the question many shareholders must be pondering at the moment.

If RIM’s stock hits the $10 (or lower) per share mark, they might be an attractive purchase to many. RIM is especially attractive given that they have zero debt, quite a bit of cash left, and an ever growing patent portfolio. Vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments to let us know how you’ve been managing your RIMM stake.

Take Our Poll

Research In Motion’s Anders Larsson, Product Manager for Cascades, and Christopher Smith, VP Handheld Application Platform & Tools, demonstrate the Cascades UI framework for BlackBerry 10 during the Jam keynote session.

You can see just how powerful and fluid the Cascades UI framework is for developers. This will be just like this out-of-the-box, allowing developers to utilize all aspects. Check out the video demo below and let us know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szU-8e3OurI

On a BlackBerry? Click here for mobile YouTube video