Hasta La Gadget!

BlackBerry’s tentative step into the world of feed-based social networking, BBM Channels, is at last leaving beta. As of 3PM Eastern, those with BlackBerry 10 and classic BlackBerry OS devices can use the Tumblr-like service for themselves, subscribing to content feeds from both major providers and their friends. Android and iOS users, meanwhile, will have to sit tight — BlackBerry says that Channels support for their platforms is arriving in the “coming months.”

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: CrackBerry

BlackBerry hasn’t said exactly when the Z30 will reach North America, but we now know that it’s getting close — a GSM variant with compatible LTE has reached the FCC. The smartphone supports 4G on both the 1,700MHz and 2,600MHz bands, suggesting that it will soon launch through bigger Canadian carriers like Bell, Rogers and Telus. We’ll still have to wait for an American model, however. Despite the US-friendly 1,700MHz LTE, this Z30 is missing both the 700MHz LTE needed for AT&T as well as the 1,700MHz 3G that T-Mobile would want. The promised Verizon model also hasn’t received FCC approval. The news won’t satisfy everyone wanting a big BlackBerry, but those who want to explore the Z30 in depth can check out both the Canadian phone and its just-launched European counterpart at the source links.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry

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Via: CrackBerry

Source: FCC (1), (2)

There have been rumors that BlackBerry would introduce a touch-only parallel to the Q5, and we may have just glimpsed that smartphone in the wild. Both BBin and CrackBerry have photos of what’s reportedly the “Americano,” the first device in the low-end C-series. The handset appears to be a smaller, more rounded counterpart to the Z30. There’s nothing to support claims that the “Americano” will use the Q5’s Snapdragon 400 processor and 5-megapixel camera, but there is a Verizon logo hinting at the possibility of a US launch. We also haven’t heard of a release date for the phone, assuming it’s released at all. We won’t be surprised if it launches relatively soon, however; when BlackBerry is discounting the Z10, there may be a hole in the lineup before long.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon, Blackberry

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Source: BBin, CrackBerry

Bored, BlackBerry toters? Flipboard is now on BlackBerry World to save your commute, but wait: there’s a rather big catch. It’ll only work with BlackBerry 10.2 OS (since it’s an Android port), and that version isn’t out yet, unless you’re okay with a leaked copy. If so, you’ll be able to use its magazine-style interface to share on up to 12 social networks, save stories for later perusing, curate your own editions (with help from your friends) and more. There are also customized versions for 15 countries, including the UK, Australia and Canada. If and when you get the right OS, you can grab it at the source and starting maxing out on content — including this very tech site.

Update: It turns out the app — while a fully-functioning Android version — was in fact a counterfeit, according to N4BB. That means an illegitimate company managed to slip the version past BlackBerry World gatekeepers, and Flipboard had nothing to do with it. That seems like a rather large oversight on BlackBerry’s part, considering the stature of such an app, but it’s now been pulled from the store. If you managed to grab it, it goes without saying that it’s not a good idea to install it on your device.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry

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Via: N4BB

Source: Blackberry World

If you didn’t get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we’ve opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a free TV streaming service for Bell subscribers, the arrival of NFL Mobile to BlackBerry 10 and little bit of Windows Phone love from General Motors. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that’s happening in the mobile world for this week of August 19th, 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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