Hasta La Gadget!

The MLB At Bat app has always been the go-to source for baseball fanatics while on the go. Currently, the app is only available for iOS and Android devices, but Major League Baseball has announced today that the app will also be heading to BlackBerry 10 sometime before the sport’s Opening Day on March 31.

The league announced the news via Twitter, and linked to the MLB At Bat webpage on MLB.com. Unfortunately, the website doesn’t mention anything about a BlackBerry 10 app, but we should definitely be hearing more about it sooner or later. Either way, pending BlackBerry 10 users will be able to enjoy the game through their new phone starting this spring.

Currently, MLB At Bat has dedicated apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad, select Android smartphones and tablets, and the Kindle Fire. The app allows you to follow scores throughout the league, as well as keep up with standings and statistics of individual players. You can also watch games on your mobile device or listen to them with the radio feature.

Since Android devices were given the shaft early on, meaning that Android users couldn’t stream live games right away, we’re hoping that BlackBerry 10 users don’t receive the same fate, although it’s very possible it could happen — the MLB might not want to dive deep into BlackBerry 10 right away, and may hold off on some features for a little while, but only time will tell.

MLB At Bat coming to BlackBerry 10 by Opening Day is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

About a week ago, RIM launched their Last Chance Android Port-A-Thon event where the Canadian company promised developers $100 for every app that was approved with a maximum of 20 apps per developer. The last time RIM held such an event, a whopping 15,000 apps were submitted, although it looks like round two managed to nab close to 20,000 apps. According to the reports, 19,071 apps were submitted, meaning that based on these two events alone, RIM has about 35,000 apps submitted for the Blackberry 10 platform. Of course not every app will be approved, but it’s safe to assume that based on the sheer volume, RIM will have plenty of apps to choose from and it is possible that they will be able to keep to their promise of at least 70,000 apps at Blackberry 10’s launch which will be taking place on the 30^th of January.

Of course volume isn’t everything, especially with platforms such as iOS and Android who not only have RIM beat in terms of volume, but they also have a huge selection of quality titles to choose from. After all what good there to have 70,000 apps but none are which you have heard of before? Either way we guess RIM will most likely take advantage of their event on the 30^th of January to share some of these details with us, so check back with us then to see if your favorite app (or apps) have managed to make it onto Blackberry 10!

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Samsung Ativ Odyssey Set For Verizon Debut Tomorrow, BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 Launched,

On January 14, we reported that the BlackBerry 10 had garnered 15,000 app submissions in just 36 hours after RIM launched its port-a-thon. Due to the overwhelming response, having received 19,000 submissions over the past weekend, Research in Motion decided to extend the deadline for its event, giving developers more time to get their apps in.

As of now, developers have until 8PM EST, January 21st, to submit apps as qualification for RIM’s $10k Developer Commitment. Likewise, devs can apply for the offer in addition to Built for Blackberry review by February 18th, also by 8PM. Meanwhile, qualifying sale dates are now 12:01am/March 4 2013 to 11:59pm/March 3 2014.

The Port-a-Thons are to encourage developers to port their mobile apps for the BlackBerry 10 system. There’s a $100 incentive for any approved app, which is no doubt responsible for a part of the massive submission load. Early developers that participated also had free BlackBerry hardware, including a PlayBook, as incentive as well.

While the app submissions certainly won’t be what makes or breaks BlackBerry 10, having such a large base of apps for the system will provide a substantial boost in the right direction. We’ve seen enthusiasm and dedication by RIM in regards to its platform, and the company is investing heavily into the app porting events, shelling out what could amount to over a $1 million to developers, depending on how many of the submissions are approved. Only time will tell if its investment pays off.

[via BlackBerry]

RIM extends Port-a-Thon due to overwhelming submissions is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

You know something? When the chips are down, it makes sense to try just about anything, and I am quite sure that RIM, while they are rather optimistic about their upcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system and slew of devices which will run on it, might just look towards the Windows Mobile model by licensing BlackBerry 10 to interested hardware manufacturers. This was shared with a German newspaper by RIM’s CEO Thorsten Heins, and who knows, eventually RIM might even bail out from the hardware business entirely and focus on software development.

Do you think that this will be a route that RIM takes should BlackBerry 10 be an unqualified success? Perhaps, and it does free up resources by folks over at RIM to devote entirely to the software side of things, and I am quite sure that sometime down the road, should no one else want to build BlackBerry hardware, they can always wipe the dust off the old production shelves and churn out their own devices. Perhaps it is best to spread their eggs in as many baskets as possible, no?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Smartphone Dock Bowl Helps You Slurp Ramen While Keeping Your Eyes On Your Phone, Samsung Targets iPhone, BlackBerry In Business-Focused Commercial,

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has admitted the Canadian company is considering selling off its smartphone hardware division after the launch of BlackBerry 10, one of a range of options that hinge on the reception the new OS gets in the market. “[Our] strategic review is still running” Heins told German paper Die Welt, “we do not want to limit our options.” Also on the table is the possibility of licensing BlackBerry 10 to rivals, something Heins has been open to since taking on the role of chief exec, though he warns that the new platform would need to prove itself before that was viable.

“There are several options, including the sale of the hardware production is as much as licensing our software” Heins told the newspaper [via Google translate]. “But there is no reason for us to decide in hectic [sic]. It is important first of all, BlackBerry 10 successfully putting them on the market. Then we shall see.”

Interestingly, two versions of the interview are currently offered on Die Welt’s site. One includes the comment on future options post-BlackBerry 10 launch, while a second version, slightly shorter and seemingly borrowed from the print edition of the newspaper, makes no mention of the possibility of selling off the hardware division.

Although RIM is undoubtedly playing catch-up with iOS, Android, and Windows Phone, Heins argues the company made the best decisions for its future. RIM has $2.9bn in cash reserves, he points out, and has developed a platform fit for the next decade, not only suited to phones – for both business and the growing proportion of consumer users – but to in-car applications and other projects.

Heins is obviously enthusiastic, but the comments on a potential sale are perhaps ill-timed given BlackBerry 10 is set to launch in just over a week’s time. Whether investors see the CEO’s willingness to consider all options as admirable evidence that “decisions are made ​​faster” – something which has buoyed the company’s share price of late – or as a note of discord, remains to be seen.

[via TechCrunch and via Reuters]

BlackBerry 10: RIM could sell off hardware division post-launch says CEO is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.