BBX - The Next Generation BlackBerry Platform

Research In Motion (RIM) showed off its next generation operating system called BBX that blends the company's BlackBerry 7 OS and the QNX OS that powers the PlayBook tablet at the BlackBerry DevCon in San Francisco.

The next-gen OS includes HTML5 support, bolstered security and a commitment to open standards, the RIM said. BBX will power all of its future smartphones, mobile devices and embedded systems.

More Info.

RIM Offers Free Apps After BlackBerry Outage

After three-day outage Blackberry user experienced last week, RIM is offering up a selection of 12 premium apps and games for free, available to download from Blackberry App world  starting from Wednesday and will remain available free until December 31st, 2011.


See  full press release below:

Research In Motion Offers Free Premium Apps to Customers Following Service Interruptions

Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced today that a selection of premium apps worth a total value of more than US $100 will be offered free of charge to subscribers as an expression of appreciation for their patience during the recent service disruptions. The apps will be made available to customers over the coming weeks on BlackBerry® App World™ and will continue to be available until December 31, 2011.*

“Our global network supports the communications needs of more than 70 million customers,” said RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis. “We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers.  We’ve worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we’re committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future.”

The complete selection of premium apps will become available to download at BlackBerry App World over a period of four weeks beginning Wednesday, October 19th.  The selections over this period will include the following (with more to come):
• SIMS 3 - Electronic Arts
• Bejeweled - Electronic Arts
• N.O.V.A. - Gameloft
• Texas Hold’em Poker 2 - Gameloft
• Bubble Bash 2 - Gameloft
• Photo Editor Ultimate - Ice Cold Apps
• DriveSafe.ly Pro - iSpeech.org
• iSpeech Translator Pro - iSpeech.org
• Drive Safe.ly Enterprise - iSpeech.org
• Nobex Radio™ Premium - Nobex
• Shazam Encore - Shazam
• Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant - Vlingo
RIM’s enterprise customers will also be offered one month of free Technical Support.  Current customers will be offered a complimentary one month extension of their existing Technical Support contract, and customers who do not currently have a Technical Support contract will be offered a one month trial of RIM’s BlackBerry Technical Support Services - Enhanced Support, free of charge.  Additional details about the program and information about how to register will be available at www.blackberry.com/enterpriseoffer.

“We are grateful to our loyal BlackBerry customers for their patience,” added Lazaridis. “We have apologized to our customers and we will work tirelessly to restore their confidence.  We are taking immediate and aggressive steps to help prevent something like this from happening again.”

Note to Editors:
Last week, many customers experienced service interruptions and delays over a period of approximately 3 days in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, 1.5 days in Latin America and Canada, and 1 day in the United States. Global teams worked around the clock to contain the issue and minimize the impact to customers as much as possible. As of Thursday, October 13, service levels returned to normal.

* Please note that the availability of this offer will depend on the type of device, operating system version, access to BlackBerry App World and local conditions and/or restrictions.
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Source: RIM Press releases

Blackberry outage saga continues

As is yesterdays outage was not bad enough, RIM's BlackBerry Internet Services are back down again for many users around the world, just hours after the end of an outage that lasted the best part of a day yesterday. Tens of millions of users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa suffered a second day without BIS services.

RIM also revealed that the areas affected now include South America, with users in Brazil, Chile and Argentina suffering loss of service.

This is no good for RIM's reputation as BIS and BBM platforms are all that Blackberry has going for. With these service performing poorly, many of its users will considering moving to other platforms, such as Android phones or Apple's iPhone, which are not reliant on centralized service for connectivity.

Blackberry BIS on a Glitch

BlackBerry users have been hit by a major outage reportedly affecting the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) across parts of Africa, the Middle East and Europe, including the UK.

The extent of the problem isn’t yet clear, but BlackBerry owners and service providers in the UK are blaming Research In Motion (RIM)for the problem, and the Canadian company confirmed the downtime in a short statement  earlier today.

"We are working to resolve an issue currently impacting some BlackBerry subscribers in Europe, Middle East and Africa," RIM said. "We're investigating, and we apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused whilst this is resolved."

The glitch began disrupting services from 11am (GMT). Users have been unable to browse the web, send or receive emails, or use the BlackBerry Messenger instant messaging service (BBM).

Google Docs app updated

Good news if you use Android tablets  as Google Docs app for Android which was unveiled earlier this year, now it's been updated to work better with Honeycomb tablets.  It now spot a new design, customized to make the most of the larger screen space on tablets. The layout includes a three-panel view, which allows you to navigate through filters and collections, view your document list, and see document details, all at once.


Google Docs app is available on Android Market  for free.

Source:  Official Google Enterprise Blog

Android Hotmail app available to download from the Android Market.

It looks like Microsoft is trying to modernise Hotmail with free Android app offering push email, contact and calendar syncing and the chance to integrate multiple accounts. To be honest, this former king of web-based email is now considered uncool. Most of its users have abandoned their accounts due to an overwhelming amount of junk mail and lack functionality.

Key features include: - With push email get messages on your phone without delay - Synced calendar and contacts - View your folders in Hotmail, including sub folders - Send pictures from your phone using Hotmail - Supports multiple Hotmail accounts - Send, receive and view attachments Hotmail for Android is now available to download from the Android Market.

Steve Jobs, co-founder and former chief executive of Apple has died.

Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and former CEO, has died at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer. RIP Steve Jobs....a true genius and innovator whose products revolutionised the world of technology.

Flickr Android App and Photo Session Feature Unveiled

Photo-sharing service Flickr unveiled Photo Session and the Flickr Android app on Thursday. Available for free on the Android Market, the app allows users to upload photos directly to Facebook, Twitter or Flickr from their own handset. 

Photo Session allows friends and family to share photos at the same time, no matter where they are in the world. You can browse through images with your friends in real-time, all you have to do is set up a Photo Session and then invite whoever you like to browse the photos at exactly the same time. Every time you move on to the next image, your friends will too. You can also chat with each other while viewing the photos. Checkout the source links below for more details.

Source: Flickr

Toshiba Thrive 7 tablet revealed

Toshiba has announced its new Thrive 7 Android tablet. This is a 7-inch version of its older 10.1-inch Thrive slate, offering similar functionality but in a less chunky form. Like its big brother, it runs on Tegra 2 dual-core processor under the hood and come preloaded with Android 3.2 Honeycomb. It also packs twin cameras, 5 MP rear-facing camera with an LED flash  and 2 MP front-facing cameras. Unlike its big brother, Thrive 7  rocks micro SD and micro HDMI. The device will come in 16 GB and 32 GB models.

See Press release Below 

TOSHIBA EXPANDS TABLET FAMILY WITH NEW 7-INCH MODEL
Thrive 7" Tablet, Powered by Android, Features Brilliant Hi-Res Display in Compact, Lightweight Design for Consumers On-the-Go
IRVINE, Calif. - Sept. 27, 2011 - Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the addition of the Thrive 7" Tablet to its expanding line-up of consumer tablet devices. Featuring a brilliant hi-resolution seven-inch diagonal touch display1, the Thrive 7" Tablet offers a complete tablet experience with entertainment-optimized features in an incredibly portable design that weighs under a pound2 and fits comfortably in the palm of your hand.

"This is a seven-inch tablet done right," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "The Thrive 7" Tablet is the first seven-inch tablet in the U.S. market to offer a true HD display that when combined with the selection of ports, premium audio, and a better, more robust Android experience make it a great choice for on-the-go consumers looking for a no-compromise tablet."

Optimized for HD Entertainment
The Thrive 7" Tablet's LED backlit AutoBrite multi-touch display features a stunning 1280x800 resolution, putting bright and crisp images from movies, photos, books and games right in your hand. The tablet also incorporates Toshiba's exclusive Adaptive Display and Resolution+®3 video enhancement technologies. The tablet includes stereo speakers tuned with sound enhancement technologies from Toshiba and SRS® Labs that deliver richer audio in music and movies with more natural sound and enhanced clarity.

Powered by Android 3.2 and the NVIDIA® Tegra 2 platform, this tablet delivers a dual-core processor4 for blazing-fast performance for web browsing and multitasking, plus NVIDIA GeForce® graphics5 for console quality gaming. A built-in Gyroscope offers hands-on motion control for the latest Android games. The tablet also includes two HD cameras: a five megapixel camera with an LED flash on the back for capturing high-quality pictures and video on the go, plus a two megapixel camera on the front for video chatting. Toshiba will offer the tablet in two configurations, 16GB or 32GB.

Compact, Lightweight Design
The Thrive 7" Tablet weighs only 0.88 pounds2 and measures just under half an inch thin (0.47 inches), allowing it to fit easily into a bag or jacket. Not just lightweight and easy to carry, the tablet is built for handheld comfort and on-the-go durability, featuring Toshiba's stylishly durable and slip-resistant Easy Grip finish.

Better Connected
Designed for continuity with other digital devices, the Thrive 7" Tablet includes a selection of built-in ports, including Mini USB, Micro HDMI® and a Micro SD card slot, giving consumers the ability to easily sync and share their content. The tablet also includes Toshiba's exclusive File Manager utility that gives users the power to easily move and manage files.

Offering convenient Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity, the Thrive 7" Tablet delivers all the essentials needed to stay connected at home or away. Users can browse the web with Adobe® Flash support, take advantage of maps and location-based apps with integrated GPS and enjoy the full suite of popular Google Mobile Service applications and Android apps via the Android Market.

Availability
The Thrive 7" Tablet will be available in December at major U.S. retailers, e-tailers and ToshibaDirect.com.

Google+ iPhone app update

Google+  app introduced  Hangouts functionality to iPhone users, this bringing iOS user up to speed with Android users. This update also re-brands Huddle as Messenger, its now supports photos, as well. Other tweaks includes the ability to +1 comments from iPhone and new settings for push notifications.


Below are changes in the latest update:

• Join Hangouts from the mobile app
• Huddle is now Messenger
• Send photos in Messenger
• +1 on comments
• Reliability improvements in Messenger
• Granular push notification settings
• Map view in profile for places you've lived
• Improved +mention support
• Share a post with individuals
• Improved public search for people
• Various bug and performance improvements

Source Engadget, iTunes

OnLive has officially launched in the UK

Streaming game firm OnLive has officially launched in the UK, bringing its cloud-hosted gaming method to PCs, Macs and TVs, with tablet and phones support in the pipeline. Around 150 titles are accessible for UK gamers at launch, with a unique offer creating the initial just £1, and either per-title or subscription offers are offered.  UK gamers can select the £6.99 per month OnLive PlayPack Bundle software, which contains over a 100 titles. Meanwhile, BT broadband and BT Infinity subscribers will get three months of access to the PlayPack Bundle free. For those not opting for the PC/Mac software package consumer, the OnLive Video game Technique hardware – which plugs into a TV – is priced at £69.99 and will be supplied with the wireless controller.

Source: SlashGeaear

Apple to unveil iPhone 5 on 4th Oct?

No official word on this yet, but Sources close to the situation say 4th of Oct 2011 is the day Apple will hold a big media event where Apple's new CEO Tim Cook is expected to unveil the new iPhone 5. The site's sources went on to say that the next generation iPhone will be available for purchase "within a few weeks"of the announcement, though All Things Digital acknowledges that the exact date of its unveiling is still subject to change.  We'll  keep you posted.


Source: All Things Digital

Facebook users not happy with the new changes

So Facebook made changes to users page layout by introducing new features and many of its users are not happy about it.

The news feed no longer appears in just chronological order but is displayed based upon factors as which friends you interact with most and which friends' posts have the most comments and "likes" on them.

 Developer Mark Tonkelowitz said in a post on Facebook blog that the idea is to help people who may not log in to the site all the time find the best content, not just the newest.

“When you pick up a newspaper after not reading it for a week, the front page quickly clues you into the most interesting stories. In the past, News Feed hasn’t worked like that.  Updates slide down in chronological order so it’s tough to zero in on what matters most.
Now, News Feed will act more like your own personal newspaper. You won’t have to worry about missing important stuff. All your news will be in a single stream with the most interesting stories featured at the top. If you haven’t visited Facebook for a while, the first things you’ll see are top photos and statuses posted while you’ve been away. They’re marked with an easy-to-spot blue corner.”

If you check Facebook more frequently, he said, you'll see the most recent stories first.

Facebook also introduced new feature called  "Ticker," a bar on
right side of the home page that stream friend's activity real-time.

Facebook said: “Ticker shows you the same stuff you were already seeing on Facebook, but it brings your conversations to life by displaying updates instantaneously. Now when a friend comments, asks a question or shares something like a check in, you’ll be able to join the conversation right away. Click on anything in ticker to see the full story and chime in – without losing your place.”

The problem with the Ticker at the moment is that when a friend interacts with a non-friend (say, likes or comment the status update of someone you're not friends with), clicking on that activity will show the original post.

Tonkelowitz's blog post said the Ticker "shows you the same stuff you were already seeing on Facebook." But, Wednesday morning, clicking on a few items there seemed to show updates and other posts by non-friends, even when those users' privacy settings appeared to make their posts private.

In the past users complained every time changes are made by Facebook and threaten to leave the site but then eventually learn to live with.  But this time may be a bit interesting since Google rolled out its rival social networking site, Google+ and many unhappy user are threating to leave and join Google+ if things aren't changed back.  Well, Time will tell.

Blackberry Curve 9360

RIM released another member of it's Curve family this month.  The Blackberry Curve 9360 will be available from carriers on the 28th September. The Curve 9360 is sporting a full QWERTY keyboard, 5MP, BlackBerry 7 and more.

Keep reading for the full press release.

T-Mobile announces the BlackBerry Curve 9360

Today, T-Mobile announced the upcoming availability of the BlackBerry Curve 9360, which combines powerful new BlackBerry features with an attractive price point. The new BlackBerry smartphone will be available in two stylish color finishes - black and merlot. Running the latest BlackBerry 7 operating system and utilizing the powerful BlackBerry 7 Webkit-browser, the BlackBerry Curve 9360 provides an intuitive smartphone experience, perfect for those who depend on their smartphone to keep their personal and work lives organized. The new BlackBerry Curve is designed to address a large and important segment of the global mobile phone market where customers are looking to upgrade their existing feature phone or existing BlackBerry Curve with an affordable, easy-to-use, full-featured and socially-connected smartphone.

Encased in a sleek package, including a wide 2.4-inch screen, full QWERTY keypad and navigation track-pad, the BlackBerry Curve 9360 is ideal for efficient mobile communications. The new smartphone is also equipped with essential smartphone features such a 5-megapixel camera with flash, video recorder and Wi-Fi connectivity for voice and data for a premium smartphone experience. The next generation BlackBerry Curve smartphone delivers the world's best mobile communications and social experiences with the latest release of BBMTM (BlackBerry® Messenger) pre-loaded and now extends the real time BBM experience to a range of other apps, such as Foursquare, allowing users to easily interact with each other from within the ‘BBM connected' app.

The BlackBerry Curve 9360 is expected to be available in an exclusive pre-sale for T-Mobile business customers beginning today, Sept. 21. The smartphone will be available in the black color finish at T-Mobile retail stores and at select dealers and national retailers nationwide starting Sept. 28 and is expected to be available in an exclusive merlot color finish starting Oct. 12.

Google+ open to all

Google has opened up its Google Plus social network to everyone after testing it with a limited audience for 12 weeks. Check it out .Google+

The ecobutton

A computer power saving device that aims to reduce your PC power usage. You simply press the eco button when you are away from your desk and your computer is put into the most efficient energy saving mode available called 'ecomode'.  It then records how many carbon units and how much power and money you have saved by using the ecobutton.

For more info see ecobatton website

Logitech Wireless Solar Powered Keyboard

The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 is a solar powered keyboard that powers itself whenever there’s light, even indoors. It charges through its integrated solar panel — no power bricks or charging cables needed and it stays charged for at least three months in total darkness. It also features a solar power app lux meter to help you get the necessary light, making it easy to get at-a-glance information about battery levels. It even alerts you when you need more power.

Beats Mixr Headphones

Dr Dre has teamed up with producer and DJ David Guetta for a new set of headphones aimed at DJs. The Beats Mixr Headset has been designed entirely with DJs in mind, with a compact form factor and ear cups that can swivel 180 degrees for both portability and listening to the live audio while mixing.


Coming in October to the UK, the new headphones feature many of the audio properties of their stable mates, but take into account loud, high noise environments, such as a club, a recording studio or "on the street" (presumably in New York, where you can't hear yourself think sometimes).
David Guetta himself had major input with the headset's creation: "The process of creating the Beats mixr headphones was completely collaborative between me and Beats by Dr. Dre," he said.
"Our vision was to create the perfect world class headphone for DJs and music lovers alike and the outcome is truly amazing! I use headphones every day in the studio and every night at gigs, so I know how important the difference in quality is and want to share that.
"The sound is better than anything I’ve experienced before because it doesn’t distort no matter what volume I am playing music at. They’re easy to travel with because they’re so light and compact. I can’t wait to start using them when I’m DJing, creating music or just when I’m listening to music on the move."

The Beats mixr will be available in the UK in white or black for around £250.

PlayBook update coming October

RIM has promised a big update for its PlayBook tablet in October. The update wil include the long promised native email, calendar, and contacts as well as the Android App Player which will allow PlayBook users to access hundreds of thousands of Android apps.

Hopefuly RIM will be able to deliver as all of these were promised for "the summer."

In addition, RIM has promised improved BlackBerry Bridge support, enhanced Web browsing, and the launch of a BlackBerry Video store that would offer TV shows and films that can be viewed on users' TVs powered by the HDMI port on the PlayBook.

HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio

HTC's latest smartphone, the HTC Sensation XE, boasts the integration of Beats Audio technology; a faster processor than its predecessor, the HTC Sensation, and improved battery life.
The Beats Audio technology combines Beats by Dr. Dre headphones with specially-built software that overlays a sound profile to ensure that the music you listen to is tuned specifically for the headphones. HTC claims that this makes audio crisper and clearer and gives it a fuller bass. The in-ear headphones have a remote control so you can pause, play or skip through tracks and answer and end calls while the phone stays in a pocket.

HTC Sensation XE will be available across Europe From late September.

Sony PlayStation Vita will be region-free

 Good news for gamers waiting to get their hands on Sony's upcoming PlayStation Vita handheld: Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed via Twitter that the device will be region-free, meaning that games released earlier in i.e Japan will play on European and US devices.
PS Vita will be available early 2012.

Best smartphones out now

iPhone4.  No point  beating around the bush, I'm not a fun of Apple but the iPhone 4 is one of the best smartphone on the market right now.

 Samsung Galaxy S II. The Samsung Galaxy S II is better than any other Android smartphone to have hit the market so far.

HTC Sensation. Its excellent design and user experience, coupled with its solid performance, make the HTC Sensation one of the best Android phones yet

Blackberry Bold 9900. The superb keyboard is reason enough to buy the BlackBerry Bold 9900. Add in the touchscreen and blazing processor, BlackBerry 7 OS and a great web browser, make it the best BB ever made, Period.

Microsoft drops Flash from IE on Windows 8 tablets

One of the web's most widely used technologies is going to be absent from some versions of Windows 8. Microsoft is to drop support for Adobe Flash from the web browser that works with the Metro interface on Windows 8.

The Metro user interface is most likely to be used on tablets as it displays applications and programs as easy to touch coloured tiles. Flash will still be supported in the Windows 8 desktop interface and the desktop version of IE.

Turns your phone into a valet parking service

Assisted parking's all the rage these days -- because the car parks itself, it seems trivial to remain in the car at all. That, friends, is the crux of why Valeo has produced Park4U: an iOS / Android app that remotely parks your car. Enter the app and begin the reversing process, and boom -- much like Houdini's best -- it takes care of the rest. The system's currently available on a limited number of Volkswagen-group models including the Touran, Sharan, Audi A6, Audi A7 and the Seat Alhambra, and the company is planning to have 38 models equipped with the tech by year's end. Practical considerations aside -- and there are several -- at least you won't need a friend to stand behind your car and holler before you hit the rear wall. Not buying it? Perhaps the video below will drive it home.

BBM Music v1.0.0.93 now available in the BlackBerry Beta Zone

BBM Music v1.0.0.93 now available in the BlackBerry Beta Zone. Only available for those taking part in the BBM Music beta

Google expands Voice Actions across Europe, with multi-language support

Google has now expanded its Voice Actions service to France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Beginning today, smartphone and tablet users will be able to place calls, send texts and conduct Google searches by speaking into their devices. To use Voice Actions, tap the microphone button on the Google search box on your home screen, open the Voice Search app, or press down for a few seconds on the physical search button on your phone to activate the “Speak Now” screen. You can see how it works in this video.

RIM stock dropped after Q2 Earnings report.

Research In Motion reported a sharp drop in quarterly profit on Thursday, hurt by an aging lineup of BlackBerry smartphones that was only refreshed very late in the quarter and tepid sales of its PlayBook tablet computer, and its shares fell sharply.

RIM said it expects profit and BlackBerry shipments to rebound in the current quarter as upgraded, touchscreen versions of its Bold, Torch and Curve smartphones, plus a Torch-branded touchscreen-only device, start selling in volume across the world.