Skype coming to BlackBerry 10 devices

Skype coming to BlackBerry 10 devices

These days, an OS is only as good as its ecosystem, and it’s one of the biggest question marks circling around the brand new BlackBerry 10. Without a solid selection of apps and entertainment options, RIM BlackBerry will have a difficult time persuading Android and iOS users to give the smartphone platform another chance. The company is currently in the middle of announcing a load of app and media partnerships for the nascent OS, and fortunately Skype is showing up on the grid of icons at the keynote.

Update: We just received official word from Skype. “We are excited about our plans to bring Skype to smartphones running the brand new BlackBerry 10 platform,” said Bob Rosin, VP & GM of Business Development for Microsoft’s Skype division. “We are working closely with BlackBerry to ensure Skype runs great on BlackBerry 10 devices. This will give BlackBerry 10 users a great Skype experience, including free voice and video calling, sending instant messages and text messages, sharing photos, videos and files, and calling to landlines and mobiles at Skype’s low rates.”

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Blackberry users suffer fresh server chills across UK, Europe, Africa (update: it’s a Vodafone problem)

Blackberry users get server chills in UK and Europe

It’s 2013 and RIM’s BlackBerry servers seem to be as grumpy as ever — and totally oblivious to the need for happy headlines in the run up to January 30th. We’re hearing from multiple readers that BB servers are down in the UK, while Vodafone has confirmed that its customers are having problems, with the biggest casualty being push email. Meanwhile, BlackBerry UK’s Twitter feed says the outage is the result of “Vodafone service issues” and is affecting “some customers” across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. We’ll update if we hear more.

Update: An early statement from Vodafone gave no hint that it was responsible for the outage, and merely said it was “working closely” with RIM to fix it. However, this does now look like a Vodafone problem. The company’s African offshoot, Vodacom, has seen fit to apologize on Twitter and has said services in that continent are now being restored, though a backlog of data could cause delays.

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Source: Reuters, BlackBerry UK (Twitter), Vodacom (Twitter)

RIM taps 7Digital to power official BB10 music store

RIM taps 7Digital to power official BB10 music store

RIM is already well acquainted with 7Digital thanks to joint efforts on smartphones and tablets, and now its chosen the firm to power the official music store of BlackBerry 10. Not only does 7Digital bring its tech and catalog of downloads to the table, but the duo are promising to integrate the service with BB10 to provide features including recommendations and social integration. When RIM’s fresh slate of devices launch next year, folks in the Americas, Australia, Europe, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa will be able to purchase tunes from the new storefront.

Continue reading RIM taps 7Digital to power official BB10 music store

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RIM taps 7Digital to power official BB10 music store originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry rep shows off L-Series smartphone, forgets it’s meant to be a secret (video)

Mexican BlackBerry rep shows off Lseries BB10 smartphone, forgets it's meant to be a secret video

While the rest of us are chasing after dev phones and blurrycam shots, BlackBerry representatives in Mexico seem to be happy to wave honest-to-goodness L-Series handsets around on video. Website Hola Telcel filmed the sequence after the break, in which we’re given a shaky tour of BB10 — including the camera app’s interesting “best shot” feature — but with virtually no attention given to the hardware itself. Nevertheless, we can just about make out the previously-noted design, with the screen panel sandwiched between slightly rounded matte black plastic top and bottom parts, and a big silver BlackBerry logo emblazoned across the bottom. Also, unless we’re reading way too much into it, the way people hold the device suggests it could be nice and thin.

Continue reading BlackBerry rep shows off L-Series smartphone, forgets it’s meant to be a secret (video)

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BlackBerry rep shows off L-Series smartphone, forgets it’s meant to be a secret (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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