At the BlackBerry Live 2013 event in Orlando, Florida, BlackBerry formally announced BBM Channels. The new feature allows BlackBerry Messenger users the ability to create their own channels, which act like a Tumblr page within BBM.

Since using the service for the N4BB channel we’ve seen an uptick in user engagement and article views. Despite the service only being in beta we’ve garnered thousands of subscribers.

Though, as previously mentioned, BBM Channels is still in beta. Therefore, it currently is a fairly simple service, to say the least. Here’s my top 5 features request for BBM Channels to be a success.

1.) Spam killing

Since it’s introduction, anyone and their grandma can create a BBM Channel. It’s a great open platform. However, most brands running a BBM Channel can agree there needs to be spam management.

While it’s likely impossible for there to be spam bots, as the service requires a legitimate BBID account in order to post a comment, it does not stop individuals from making spamming comments.

For instance, we’ve seen countless amounts of users post their PINs for chatting, the PIN for their own channels, and other erroneous comments completely unrelated to the channel post.

Perhaps BlackBerry can introduce it’s own version of ‘Spam Assassin’ or ‘Akismet’ that allows comments to be thrown into a moderation queue based on certain strings found within the comment. If having no way to thwart spam will almost certainly be the downfall of the service.

2.) Multiple Admins

At the current time, whomever creates a BBM Channel is its sole administrator. I’m sure BlackBerry is actively working on allowing multiple admins for Channels. This is an essential feature for brands.

It shouldn’t be too hard to allow multiple admins in the same fashion that BBM Groups allows the creator to toggle additional admins to manage the group.

3.) BlackBerry Advertising Service

In our article detailing why BBM will be free for iOS and Android users we discussed service revenue from the feature. BlackBerry will likely have tiered versions of BBM Channels.

This means larger brands like Nike, etc can have a robust BBM Channel with advanced analytics and so forth. Though, how can these brands make an ROI?

Allow me to suggest BlackBerry integrate their BlackBerry Advertising Service into BBM Channels. If a brand is leveraging their content into BBM Channels they should be able to determine whether or not they want advertising on the channel. Like an app, they should be able to utilize the BlackBerry Advertising Service or be able to integrate some of the many 3rd party ad agencies like Google Adsense.

4.) Content Feeds

For channels of a news website, like N4BB, it would be a huge help to allow for RSS feed integration. We have many, many articles we’d love to get on the BBM Channel, but currently with one admin it makes it tough.

The easiest way for a brand to get their content publishing to their BBM Channel would be to allow the adding of RSS feeds. This would be in conjunction with the standard publishing option now available to allow for custom articles specifically for the BBM Channel.

5.) Article Sharing

Currently, when viewing an article on a BBM Channel, the only social interaction is to comment directly within the article. Eventually, BlackBerry plans to roll out a reactions and chat feature.

BlackBerry should also allow users to share the articles between other BBM users. This will indirectly help individuals and brands to gain more subscribers to their channel. Users would first have to subscribe to the channel before being able to view the article that was just shared to them.

Additional social sharing options should be added, allowing for BBM Channel articles to be shared on Facebook, Twitter, etc. I’m not familiar with the extensiveness of BBM Channel APIs, but I imagine BlackBerry could surely offer this in some way.

These are my top 5 features request for BBM Channels. I have plenty more, but they’re more nitpicking than standalone features request. Do you have any features you’d like to see in BBM Channels? Sound off in the comments with your ideas.

The post BBM Channels Top 5 Features Request is from N4BB.COM

Apple’s iTunes has become the pinnacle in digital sales for music. However, BlackBerry could be well on their way to reaching closer and closer to iTunes marketshare.

“20 per cent of overall purchases on BlackBerry World is music,” Charlie Miller, BlackBerry’s Director of Alliances said to TrustedReviews, he added: “That’s just music, not movie and TV and that’s a lot higher than some.”

“The breakdown of sales is a really interesting trend that we follow,” Miller said. “Right now, we see a higher proportion of album sales than is typical. Still the primary purchase is singles but we do see a very high number of album sales coming through.”

Miller says their music sales are notably higher than some of their competitors. “I can’t comment on the other guys, but what I can say is that proportionally that is a very high number,” said Miller.

As the BlackBerry 10 operating system and its adjacent devices grow in popularity, it should only mean for greater sales. Do you think BlackBerry World could ever grow to the size of Apple’s App Store and iTunes?

The post Look Out iTunes, BlackBerry World Does 20% Music Sales is from N4BB.COM

DBrand makes vinyl skins for the BlackBerry Z10. I personally don’t use skins on my phone and I am hesitant to do so because I am very specific and precise with these types of things. That being said I was nervous applying the skin, but the first thing that was a positive was that the skin removed easily when I was refitting the device with the skin. There was no sticky residue which was positive as well. One suggestion I would make is for the skin piece for the top and bottom to cover the full piece because part of the skin is cut a little smaller for the screen itself, which I can understand but looks a little odd. I think it was noticeable because I was putting it on a black z10. The skin is easy enough to put on without following any instructions which was provided by DBrand.

The skin I had was the white leather skin. It was a nice look on the device something I could definitely carry around. The feel of the back piece was not bad and gave the device a little bit of a grip to it. That is nice especially if you have the skin on a red or white z10 which has a smooth back. I personally don’t like white especially if it gets dirty but I didn’t see that with the white leather skin. It does not add any bulk to the device which is a great for me, I do not like bulk because I put my phone in my pocket. For anyone who wants a nice white look to their z10, I definitely recommend getting the white leather skin for the z10. I did try removing the skin like a week later for another skin to test and I had issues removing it. This may be because i dont really have much fingernails but I was able to remove it after a few tries.

You can find this and more skins at DBrand.

The post White leather DBrand skin review is from N4BB.COM

AT&T fans get ready as today we are on step closer to the Q10 releasing in the US. Today the Nations 2nd largest mobile provider launched their Q10 ” Coming Soon” page that allows you to sign up by email for all the latest Q10 news. I for one have been using a Q10 with AT&T for a couple of months now and I absolutely love it.

Are you an AT&T customer ? If so go sign up for the latest Q10 news here.

The post AT&T Q10 Sign Up Page Goes Live, Sign Up Now is from N4BB.COM

Since the playbook originally released BlackBerry faithful have been praying and wiating for Netflix to bring their popular streaming app to their devices. With BlackBerry10   now available and off to a good start we have seen apps like Skype , Kindle and many more make their way to BlackBerry World. Unfortunately Netflix still remains the holy grail for the US markets along with Instagram. At least Instagram has said they will support Blackberry 10 which leaves Netflix as the odd man out.

In an interview with CTVNEWS,  Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said he has never used a BlackBerry 10 and that people with BlackBerry devices don’t interact with their smartphones as an entertainment device. I was so shocked to hear such a moronic and idiotic comment like that from a CEO of a company with stature. I am not going to explain to someone who has never used the device why its a pretty damn good entertainment device but for us who own a Z10 know first hand how much entertaining our phones are, hence why no Music Label or Movie Studio has turned BlackBerry down.

Any how here is the direct quote from Netflix CEO

CP: You’ve been quoted as saying that you’re always trying out a new smartphone or tablet to keep up on new technology. Have you tried one of the new BlackBerry 10 devices yet?

Hastings: No. Like many people I was a BlackBerry addict from 1997 or 1998 through to the iPhone but I haven’t tried it. We don’t currently support streaming on the BlackBerry, it’s a unique operating system you have to target, and unfortunately there’s just not enough volume for entertainment (apps). It’s a great device for getting work done but people don’t interact with it as an entertainment device the same way they do with say an iPhone or Android phone.

Via  CTVNEWS

The post Netflix CEO Hasn’t Used BB10 Yet , Says People Don’t Interact With It As an Entertainment Device Like iOS or Android. is from N4BB.COM

Last week in Orlando, BlackBerry took the stage to update the state of the company and give us a flurry of new announcements which included the Q5 mid-tiered smartphone, BBM channels , 10.2  and of course BlackBerry Messenger for iOS and Android. Do you think BlackBerry Live was a success? Did you expect more? Maybe less? Vote Below and make sure you leave a comment telling us why!

The post BlackBerry Live Is Now Behind Us, Do You Feel Like BlackBerry Delivered? is from N4BB.COM

These days, the term ‘smartphone” usually implies a full-touchscreen device with a virtual keyboard.  After all, almost all of the recent mid- and high-tier smartphones have no physical keyboards.  There is a reason for this of course.  And let’s face it. What most people want are smartphones with large screens on thin devices along with apps that they can use to entertain themselves or get things done.  Of course, nobody wants a phone that is inconveniently large, but generally the larger the screen the easier it is to create software that brings a superior experience.

But it is all set for all-touch?  Not quite.  The demand behind the BlackBerry Q10 has shown that there is still a solid market for that good ‘old BlackBerry with the front-facing keyboard. At the end of the day, the fundamental physical limitations of a solid sheet of glass to act as a traditional keyboard makes it unable to deliver the intricate feel and experience of mechanically functional keys. Smartphones with hidden, retractable keyboards don’t quite make for a thin device with a quality keyboard too, which is probably why you don’t see a BlackBerry 10 device with a sliding keyboard.  These days though, no matter how great the BlackBerry Q10 may be, it is working against a massively strong trend toward the larger screens.

The QWERTY market has steadily been taking a smaller and smaller slice of the smartphone pie.  Is the market forever doomed to swathes of slabs of glass, giving fewer and fewer options to those who stand by all that is QWERTY?  Maybe, just maybe, all is not lost. The fate of the physical keyboard smartphone may rest in BlackBerry’s hands.

BlackBerry, as we all know, is here today because of their iconic QWERTY keyboard smartphones.  It takes a brave soul to argue against the supremacy of BlackBerry in the QWERTY keyboard smartphone market.   On the other hand, the BlackBerry Z10 is a small fish in a big pond as it stands.  BlackBerry will very likely do decently well anyway with their all-touchscreen offering. Though against my strong advocation for the virtual keyboard, I believe that BlackBerry is in the best position to deliver the second coming of QWERTY with their hardware keyboard pedigree.

The trend towards larger smartphone screens is extremely strong and is largely independent of preference towards physical or virtual keyboards.  In fact, the proportion of smartphone users who prefer a physical keyboard remains very significant despite the migration towards touchscreen smartphones.  Compile all this information and you end up at the inevitable conclusion that QWERTY smartphones need larger screens.

With flagship smartphones like the Galaxy S4 and HTC One (and even ridiculously huge phones like the Galaxy Note 2) selling quite well, it just shows there is a market for larger smartphones. At only 3.1 inches diagonally, the BlackBerry Q10 is obviously in a different league.  But with the benefits of the physical keyboard, it is obviously not practical for the Q10 to match these other all-touchscreen smartphones in terms of screen size.  But there is definitely room for improvement!

Alas, I propose my vision for the BlackBerry Q11!

A 720x 960 portrait screen QWERTY device, designed to give that large screen experience with the same solid Q10 keyboard.  With an aspect ratio of 3:4, you’re able to cram more onto the display, which is great for browsing, BBM, email, Twitter, FaceBook, pictures, documents, and pretty much everything else that people do on smartphones.  Games should be easier to port onto the Q11.  User interfaces of apps will also be easier to tweak to work as well.  I firmly believe that this type of QWERTY device is the kind that will draw people back to QWERTY.  Many of those who are hesitant to switch from all-touch smartphones to QWERTY smartphones are worried about losing the big-screen experience.  In my opinion, there is no reason why so much screen real estate has to be sacrificed.  Why not make that decision easier and give them the best of both worlds?

The Q10 has screen dimensions of approximately 2.2 by 2.2 inches.  The change would result in the Q11 having a screen size of 2.2 by 2.9 inches, a vertical increase of about 0.7 inches or 18mm. To put this in perspective, this is about the height of the bottom navigation bar on the Z10.  This increase in display height makes it easier to accommodate such a navigation bar.

Now, of course there can be some issues with the design.  Firstly, the balance of the phone is a potential issue. But considering how it will still be shorter than the Z10, and perhaps only 1 cm taller than the present Q10, I doubt it will be a problem at all.  Secondly, it will be difficult to cram the multitude of smartphone components inside such a frame.  The earpiece speaker, cameras, sensors, power button, and perhaps another microphone will have to be squeezed into a narrower top bezel.  While this could be an issue, it’s more of an excuse.  This is a potential problem that can be solved with the excellent engineering we know BlackBerry is capable of.   There even may be more drawbacks, but to be brutally honest, I doubt they will justify keeping a square display.  The advantages are simply huge cannot be realized without an increase in display height.  The Q10 may be “great” and “good enough” to some who prefer having a smaller form factor, but this larger screen can be integrated into the present Q10 with very little change to the size.  There is plenty of space on the front of Q10.  Even if it is technically difficult to do, BlackBerry should aim to accomplish it.

With that taken into account.  If BlackBerry is to truly give a ‘no compromises’ experience, the Q-series cannot remain as is with a square display.  Going to a 3:4 aspect ratio will make for a better experience with apps, better content consumption, and perhaps even more room for an even larger battery.   The market has spoken, and it is about time to redefine the QWERTY experience into something better suited to the times we live in.  BlackBerry now has the chance to resurrect the QWERTY segment of the smartphone market with a hybrid device that can take full advantage of the BlackBerry 10 experience while delivering a solid physical keyboard.  I firmly believe that this type of device is one that can truly compete with other touchscreen smartphones while maintaining a fundamental advantage with a hardware keyboard. BlackBerry should not aim to create the best QWERTY smartphone, but the best smartphone.  Period.

The post How BlackBerry Can Drive the Resurgence of the Physical Keyboard is from N4BB.COM

Apple’s MacBook’s sleek and simplistic look has always captured my eye. The classic silver with black accents is very appealing to me. After seeing the first BlackBerry Z10 ‘Oreo’ on CrackBerry, I just had to do something similar.

Though, I didn’t want it exactly the same. I needed mine to be original and with a little more flair. Enter dbrand. The company makes very high quality vinyl skins for electronic devices.

A fellow Canadian company, dbrand, saw it fit to support the BlackBerry Z10. They offer multiple skin variations, such as leather, titanium, and carbon fiber.

The skins are made of authentic 3M vinyl, so there’s never any adhesive residue left on your device. The company says they’ve “meticulously measured each of the cutouts on our skins for the BlackBerry Z10 hundreds of times, down to the micro millimeter. It literally isn’t possible to find a better fitting, higher quality BlackBerry Z10 skin than the one you’ll find at dbrand inc.”

The best part about dbrand vinyl skins are their quality. They are not just images printed on the vinyl. They feel exactly as they look. Everyone, including myself, who had the opportunity to feel the Carbon Fiber Z10 Oreo was quite impressed that you could ‘feel’ the design.

It was quite easy to apply the skin on the Z10. I’ll admit, I applied it during the BlackBerry Live 2013 keynote, in the dark. I have a knack for detail so I did have a few tries before the cut-outs lined up perfectly. Though, the best part about the application process is there’s no messy spray or the use of a squeegee to rub out any bubbles.

Each dbrand skin covers nearly the entire right parts of the device. This ensures the design looks natural. It certainly fooled people into thinking I had a custom-made BlackBerry Z10.

To accomplish the ‘oreo’ effect, I simply used a white OEM battery door. Ross will likely use this same carbon fiber skin from dbrand to make a “Limited Edition Carbon Fiber Z10″ for his red Z10.

You can even mix and match the skin’s colors. For instance, there is white and black carbon fiber designs. I could have gotten black carbon fiber for the front and back of the device, while using a white carbon fiber for the sides. This comes at no additional cost.

The vinyl skins at dbrand are top-notch and priced very, very reasonably. You can pick from three different styles with different color variations at a price of only $20.

dbrand makes customizing your BlackBerry Z10 a breeze, without having to send it away for the customizations. Check out all of the dbrand vinyl skins for the BlackBerry Z10 at dbrand.com.

The post Presenting the Carbon Fiber BlackBerry Z10 Oreo is from N4BB.COM

During the BlackBerry Live 2013 general keynote session, BlackBerry unveiled a new commercial aimed at the success of the QNX operating system.

QNX Software Systems has spent the last 30+ years perfecting its ultra-reliable software, now used everywhere reliability, performance, and connectivity matter. It’s actively being used in places like the international space station, next-generation smartphones, and more.

To capture this success, BlackBerry has a 1 minute commercial to display. It’s quite possibly the best commercial they’ve ever made. It’s also their most egotistical, but it works so well in their favor. Hey, BlackBerry marketing, get this commercial on the air!

Check out the crazy good commercial below:

The post Space-grade Technology… in the Palm of Your Hand is from N4BB.COM

Samsung has been on the forefront of flexible displays. However, BlackBerry looks to be making some of its own similar innovations.

BlackBerry 10 devices are slowly creeping out this year. We have the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 already, with the mid-tier Q5 on the way. However, what about a slider?

There were rumors of an M-Series, which would be a BlackBerry 10 slider. Though, it was swiftly put on hold. A new patent from BlackBerry looks to touch on a new envision manner for a slider.

The patent reveals a smartphone that ”will be able to maintain a minimum bend radius of the folded flexible display when the smartphone is in the closed configuration…”

The initial design as outlined in the patent doen’t look entirely user friendly. However, the patent could be used for something slightly different, as the final products rarely look anything like the patent figures.

Check out the fuller detailed description below. Would you be interested in a folding display for a BlackBerry smartphone?

via PatentBolt

Thanks James!

The post BlackBerry Patent Shows Future Flex Screen Slider Design is from N4BB.COM

As expected BlackBerry is has released the BlackBerry Q10 Battery Charging Bundle. The Battery Charging bundle for the Z10 is extremely popular so when I saw this bad boy up for sale I jumped on it right away, 1 because I need it for my Q10, and 2 because seeing them in the wild isn’t an easy task. Watch the obligatory unboxing video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8F4OfSZTfw

The BlackBerry Battery Charging bundle comes with a fully charged Battery so buy it and you’re ready to go. I like to use my Z10 Charging Bundle in my pocket when I am at the movies to charge up my phone so when I take it out of my pocket it is fully charged, I do the same on Airplanes. I use it far more to keep my device charged than I do switching batteries.

While at BlackBerry Live this past week These Battery Charging bundles came in handy,  I had the pleasure of chatting with a representative of PixelMags, the makers of BlackBerry NewsStand and while chatting in the beverage line the rep noticed his phone was about to die,  I pulled out my charging bundle from my pocket and let him plug his phone into it while we waited in line, which gave him the juice boots to keep him connected for the remainder of the concert.

This was a regular occurrence through out the week,  and as a result of my always available power boost even some non BlackBerry using attendees told me they purchased the Q10  Blackberry Charging Bundle for their Android devices.

Get the Z10 Charging Bundle at our store https://shop.n4bb.com/blackberry-z10-battery-charger-bundle/

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BlackBerry is baking in direct 3rd party game controller support in Unity. This allows game controllers from MOGA and SteelSeries to be used with a BlackBerry Z10 when playing a supported game.

The controllers do sync to the BlackBerry Z10 via USB, but exhibit no latency. For the MOGA controller, there is a dedicated “holster” to enclose the device.

We sat down with BlackBerry’s gaming R&D guru, Sean Paul Taylor, to give a full walkthrough of the currently supported 3rd party gaming controllers. Check them out in the video below:

The post 3rd Party Game Controllers for BlackBerry 10 Phones (Video) is from N4BB.COM

While perusing through Groupon today I saw a familiar looking product and was pleasantly surprised to see the BlackBerry PlayBook on sale for only $149.99. This isn’t the first time Groupon has had the PlayBook for sale at a great price, but this is the first time I’ve seen the 32 GB version for this low.

You can visit the site and grab a 32 GB for $149.99, or shell out a few extra bucks and get the 64 GB model for $189.99. If you’ve been in the market for an extra PlayBook to have around the house, you won’t find a better deal than this one! Make it quick though, because the deal expires in 14 hours, as of the time I’m typing this.

The post Get a 32GB BlackBerry PlayBook for $149.99 from Groupon is from N4BB.COM

BlackBerry announced today the recipients of this year’s BlackBerry Achievement Awards at BlackBerry Live 2013. The awards were classified into five categories: App of the Year, Putting Customers First, Mobile Innovation of the Year, Making the World a Better Place, and Entrepreneur of the Year.

App of the Year Award

Winner: PriceCheck Pty Ltd — The app accesses pricing for more than 30 million products on sale through the Internet and online stores in South Africa.

Finalists:

– Cooklet

– Cine Hoyts

Putting Customers First

Winner: ING DIRECT Canada — ING DIRECT offers today’s financially conscious customers a unique mobile banking experience on their BlackBerry 10 smartphones. As well as making it convenient and secure to conduct transactions, the app focuses on increasing savings with “Orange Alerts” that push notifications to the BlackBerry® Hub when balances reach pre-determined levels.

Finalists:

– MMMOOO

– LoyaltyMatch Inc.

Mobile Innovation of the Year

Winner: DIRECTV — Their app for BlackBerry smartphones allows their 4,000 technicians to manage an entire service call and work order process from their phones, and supports Bluetooth® technology to validate and adjust satellite signal strength.

Finalists:

– Mippin (Refresh Mobile Ltd.)

– WaytagO

Making the World a Better Place

Winner: e-Cycle LLC — e-Cycle LLC has a simple, but meaningful mandate: offer enterprises a way to retire millions of mobile devices responsibly, by protecting data security, preserving the environment, and generating buyback revenue.

Finalists:

– University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB)

– Sussex Police

Entrepreneur of the Year

Winner: Nobex Technologies Inc — Nobex Radio for BlackBerry 10 continues its inventiveness with a newly designed app. It adds podcast functionality that allows people to search and subscribe to thousands of podcasts, with notifications sent to the BlackBerry Hub when new episodes are available.

Finalists:

– EducationApps Limited

– SkyPark Cafe

For more information on the BlackBerry Achievement Awards program, please visit blackberrylive.com/special-programs/achievement-awards/.

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BlackBerry announced today a diverse range of sectors, including high tech, banking, retail and government in North America that have adopted BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 as part of their mobile strategy. The number of organizations that are adopting BlackBerry as their Enterprise Mobility Management solution is growing bigger. Some other organizations include BMO Financial Group and they said:

“We are placing BlackBerry 10 orders with our North American carriers,” said Claudette McGowan, Vice President, Digital Workspace Services, BMO Financial Group. “BlackBerry remains our enterprise standard and we’ve begun deploying within our environment.”

BlackBerry has always proven to be the #1 choice for business and enterprise, and North America know this is true. What do you guys think?

The post BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 Continues to Gain Momentum in North America is from N4BB.COM

Yesterday, we showed you a hands-on walkthrough of the new BlackBerry Q5. We then gave you a first impressions of the first BlackBerry 10 entry level device.

We’ve since caught up with BlackBerry Director of Handheld Software Product Management, Michael Clewley, to further discuss the BlackBerry Q5.

Check out the video below for a second look at the BlackBerry Q5:

The post BlackBerry Q5 Second Look with Michael Clewley is from N4BB.COM

Otterbox was on hand at BlackBerry Live 2013 to showcase their new cases for the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10.

The company has brought their signature cases such as Defender and Commuter. Defender series is for some serious protection, while the Commuter case is for more mild protection.

Otterbox has been a longstanding supporter of BlackBerry devices. The Defender cases price at $49.99 and Commuter priced at $34.95. Check out the Otterbox cases for BlackBerry 10 devices here.

The post Otterbox Showcases BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 Cases at BlackBerry Live 2013 (Video) is from N4BB.COM

Vox Mobile VoIP has been solely on Android, but the company intends to expand to other platforms. One of the planned platforms is BlackBerry 10.

However, the company says the mobile VoIP app wouldn’t be released until late 2013, or early 2014. The company wants to develop its WebRTC framework before building out to the additional platforms.

via TruTower

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In addition to the BlackBerry Live keynote speech, developers have been treated to another keynote speech by VP Developer Relations Alec Saunders which focuses on the upcoming features features for the development side of BlackBerry 10.  While the latest update for BlackBerry Z10 brings the version number to 10.1, the features for OS 10.2 is set to bring more features later on in June.

Headless apps

Headless apps will be able to run in the background or be triggered instead of showing up and running as a pane.

USB Host Capability

This should allow you to connect usb sticks to BlackBerry devices and transfer files.

WiFi Direct and Miracast

This will allow Wi-Fi connectivity directly between devices instead of going through a router.  This will essentially act like Bluetooth, but use the Wi-Fi radio for faster transfer speeds. Miracast will use Wi-Fi Direct for high bandwidth transmission of video to an external display.

Flurry Analytics

BlackBerry will support the analytics solution called Flurry which can help developers understand their customers better and create better apps via analytics solutions.

Smart cards

Smart card support will allow BlackBerry 10 devices to act as access cards to physical buildings/rooms via NFC.

Altimeter

The altimeter would allow developers to make apps that can use altitude information.  This is either access to an existing barometer in the Z10, or simply a way to obtain altitude information from a GPS location.

Geofencing

Geofencing on BlackBerry smartphones will allow developers the ability to create apps which work or respond depending on a precise area you’re in.  This can be useful for securing smartphones for business within a complex, or an application for notifying whether your child leaves a certain virtual area.

Android Jelly Bean Support

Along with OS 10.2, BlackBerry should be rolling out support for Android Jelly Bean Apps.  This should bring in many new high-quality Android apps that are designed for the latest Android smartphones.

WIth all these announcements, BlackBerry 10.2 should be a solid upgrade to existing BlackBerry 10 devices.  There are likely be tons of new features as well I haven’t mentioned here as well.  What else would you like to see in the next OS update? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Today we bring you App Wednesday live from Orlando. We found out yesterday from Marty Mallick that the store now has over 120,000 apps and more and more are added every day. Check below for latest apps for both the Z10 and Q10

BlackBerry Z10 Apps:

Gaming:

• Doodle Kingdom (JoyBits Ltd)
• Dead Space for BlackBerry 10 (Electronic Arts Inc.)

Navigation & Travel:

• P$ Service (Medias Transcontinental S.E.N.C.)*
• Asia Air Deals (TONY GML)*

Lifestyle:

• SG Lottery (sh2sg)*
• Ocado (Ocado Limited)
• Funky Pigeon (Funkypigeon.com)

BlackBerry Q10 Apps:

News & Information:

• News24 (24.COM ONLINE STUDIO)

Photo & Utilities:

• Magnum Photos (Magnum Photos)
• Nedbank (Nedbank Limited)

Lifestyle & Entertainment

• CineTrailer (DDM Srl)
• E! Online (E! Entertainment Television Inc.)
• Cineplex (Cineplex Entertainment)

Navigation & Travel:

• Waytag (Waytag)
• Wisepilot for Q10 (Appello Systems AB)
• Rocketman (2028990 Ontario Inc.)

Sports:

• Sports Tracker for Q10 (Sports Tracker)

*Also available on BlackBerry Q10

BlackBerry Dev Picks of the Week:

Here are the top 5 ‘must-haves’ apps according to our developers here at BlackBerry:

1.      Little 3 Kingdoms “Safe to say I am addicted to this game”

2.      Who Am I: Hidden Object Adventure “My kids really enjoy this, neat clues and also has 3D graphics”

3.      iChangi for BlackBerry 10 “Love this! Perfect for travelling”

4.      Bonfire Reader “A must have for lovers of eBooks”

5.      Art Camera Native “The filters on this are stunning”

Latest App News: Keep an eye out for BNL Mobile Banking, Wikitude, H&M and Endomondo apps which will be available on the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 in the upcoming weeks.  Also coming soon to the BlackBerry Q10: BBVA, LFP, Zara, and CNBC Alarm Clock apps!

The post App Wednesday Live From Orlando is from N4BB.COM

BlackBerry today announced that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) is currently deploying BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the largest sheriff’s department in the nation, has tested the advanced mobile computing and communication features of BlackBerry 10 and is now deploying BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. “Technology is moving fast, and the BlackBerry 10 platform is a viable secure platform that can help us keep up,” said Commander Scott Edson of the Technical Services Division. “I have personally tested devices on many smartphone operating systems and I think the BlackBerry 10 platform is a homerun. It’s very secure right out of the box, a great benefit to government and business, and is designed to make your various communication methods more efficient.”

An existing BlackBerry customer, LASD employees throughout the organization typically use their BlackBerry smartphones for messaging, calendar, access to the Department’s intranet, and access to documents stored in a shared or private server. A move to BlackBerry 10 leapfrogs the organization’s mobile computing capabilities giving users unmatched security with no compromise to their intuitive and efficient user experience.

The combination of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 and BlackBerry® Balance™ technology gives employees the functionality and rich user experience they want, without compromising security. “BlackBerry Balance offers our customers the most seamless and user friendly way to satisfy both user and corporate needs without compromising on either,” said Richard Piasentin, Vice President and Managing Director for the U.S. at BlackBerry. “We’re pleased to provide innovative solutions to our customers – like BlackBerry Balance – to enable organizations to protect critical content and applications, while letting their users get the most out of their smartphone”.

BlackBerry 10 is a robust and reliable platform that is smooth and responsive. It has a modern design and a gesture-based interface that is highly discoverable. It is designed to support, learn, and adapt to the way you work. BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 builds on more than a decade of the BlackBerry enterprise mobility management expertise. It offers mobile device management, mobile application management and secure mobile connectivity, and delivers a cost-efficient and reliable solution for business and government customers.

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BlackBerry has announced that they’ll be heading to Europe and Asia with the BlackBerry Jam conference. BlackBerry Jam Asia will be taking place in Hong Kong on September 26 and 27, and the BlackBerry Jam Europe conference will be taking place in Barcelona, Spain on January 21 and 22, 2014. Awesome way to start the year, if you ask me.

For more information and to signup for updates, just headover to blackberryjamconference.com. Let us know if you’ll be attending either conference, maybe we’ll see you there!

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Well this has been an exciting day for BlackBerry, after all the announcements we heard today we thought nothing else would surprise us, but we were wrong. One of the most wanted applications on BlackBerry has been found online. Instagram version 3.4.4 has been leaked for the BlackBerry Z10. Since it’s a leak, it has it’s bugs but you’re still able to post pictures and view your stream without any trouble.

If you do try it out, make sure you let us know what you find and how you like the app.

Download Instagram 3.4.4 BAR

via NerdBerry

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Earlier today, BlackBerry announced the availability of BBM going cross-platform. When first launched, BBM on iOS and Android will only allow messaging and groups.

Over time, BlackBerry intends to open up the more robust features current BlackBerry users have come to love. BlackBerry also announced that BBM will be free for those platforms.

But why would they make one of the pinnacle features to a BlackBerry a free app on a competing platform? It comes down to the newly released BBM Channels.

While BlackBerry won’t be getting service revenue from BBM on other platforms, the company intends to make BBM profitable by targeting brands. BBM Channels is essentially a “Tumblr” extension for BlackBerry Messenger.

This will allow for an added revenue streams from BBM Channels. There are allegedly other features that BlackBerry intends to offer subscriptions for on the competing platforms.

BBM Channels is still in infancy, but it’s already taking off. In it’s first day, we’ve seen a few thousand subscribers. We’re certain the BBM Channels innovation will fair out much better than BBM Music.

Let us know in the comments if you think making BBM free on other platforms was a good or bad idea. Should BlackBerry make BBM a paid app?

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BlackBerry just launched a new smartphone today, the BlackBerry Q5.  At first glance, its very similar to the Q10, but with chicklet-style keys.  This is a device aimed squarely at the mid-tier smartphone device, allowing you to get the BlackBerry 10 experience while keeping your wallet happy.  But is it worth it?  I’ll give you my first impressions of the BlackBerry Q5, BlackBerry 10′s first foray into the mid-tier.

Straight to the Specs

- Full QWERTY Keyboard

- BlackBerry OS 10.1

- 2GB RAM

- 1.2 Ghz Dual-Core Snapdragon CPU

- 720×720 pixel LCD screen

- 8 GB internal memory

- 5MP Autofocus camera

- Micro SD Card Slot

- GPS/Bluetooth 4.0/NFC

- 2100 mAh battery

-Comes in Red, White, Black and Pink

Gone are the words “Curve”, “Bold”, “Torch”, and “Storm”.  BlackBerry has decided to go with a simpler marketing scheme.  One number and one letter. The BlackBerry Q5, where the Q stands for QWERTY and the 5 stands for, er–less than 10.  The device is slightly thicker than the Q10, slightly less good-looking, and should be quite a bit cheaper.  You’ve got the same screen size, but with a completely different screen technology, which in my opinion is superior to that of the Q10 in terms of colour balance and brightness.  The power consumption of the OLED may be less though.  The keys are surprisingly well made, giving a softer feel than the previous curve devices.

You’ll also notice that the materials used are not as premium as the ones found on the Q10, but make no mistake, this is a quality device.  In order to enhance that value play, BlackBerry has removed the HDMI port and stepped down the camera megapixels (which has no direct effect on image quality).

The operating system flows with ease without any stuttering or lag, which could have been a factor considering the cpu is a little slower than the one you’d find on the Q10.  Overall, the Q5 is a solid phone.  Take a Q10 and remove the bells and whistles and you’ve got the Q5.  It will be interesting to see how BlackBerry prices the Q5, which will have a big impact on its success. But this is a personsal device.  You be the judge by checking out the pictures below.

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Looking to start your own BBM Channel? You can! BBM Channels is now available in beta at BlackBerry Beta Zone. BBM Channels has the following features:

• Channel Profile - View personalised channel profiles for each BBM Channel including additional content helping to bring the channel to life such as a welcome messages, images, maps and more.
• Receive Posts - Stay up to date on the things that matter to you with instant updates from your subscribed channels. Receive notification when new posts are available and chose whether you would like to be notified.
• Engagement options - Get involved in conversations with your favourite communities by commenting on and liking posts from the Channels to which you have subscribed.  Or share interesting posts with your BBM contacts.
• Chat (Coming Soon) - Get more personal with one to one conversations. Many BBM Channels allow subscribers to enjoy private conversations via BBM.
• Discovery - Easily find and share your favourite communities on BBM Channels.   Check out which Channels are currently featured on the carousel.  Channel invites can be shared between BBM contacts or add a Channel via PIN or QR code.
• User Controls - Be in control of your notifications with the BBM Channel mute button. It allows you to select exactly which subscribed channels you would like to receive notifications from.

Download BBM Channels for your BlackBerry 10 and legacy devices from Beta Zone here.

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Today during the BlackBerry Jam Keynote, Songza announced that due to overwhelming support and demand from BB10 users they will develop a native version of their popular streaming app. They app will be a BBM connected application and allow use of NFC.

That brings us to the following question. Is the Android strategy for BlackBerry Working? It certainly seems so. First Songza, next maybe Skype or Kindle. Personally from speaking to developers and users, I can clearly see the approach is working and I am intrigued to see how this plays out. Also a lot of respect to Songza for building native for BB10

So let us know in the comments what you think?  Is the Android approach paying off  or you wish it was gone from your BB10 device?

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BlackBerry has officially announced the BlackBerry Q5 for emerging markets. The Q5 is essentially a low-end version of the Q10. Hence, the name reflecting it is half of the Q10.

Specs for the Q5 show it will have 2GB RAM, 2MP front-facing camera, 5MP rear camera, 1.2GHz Dual-core Processor, 8GB internal memory, an LCD versus OLED, and no HDMI out port.

The Q5 will be available in color variations pink, red, white, and black. Check out our hands-on of the Q5 below:

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Today we heard Thorsten Heins and his executive team announce a plethora of new features and even a new device. The biggest announcement today was the soon to be availability of BBM to Android and iOS devices. The subject of BBM on other platforms has been often debated with no clear winner. BlackBerry took a huge step today and I hope it works out. I will let this marinate before I put the my final thoughts in a post but I want to know what does #TeamBlackBerry think about today’s announcement..

Please vote in the poll below and make sure you leave me some comments.

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Thorsten Heins announced at BlackBerry Live 2013 that BlackBerry Messenger will being going cross-platform.

BBM will become available on iOS and Android. Plans for BBM cross-platform will launch this summer and available for free.

At first, BBM on cross-platform will have limited features, such as chats and groups. Eventually, BlackBerry will roll out the rest of the features.

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