Aug 02
RIM is finally releasing a 4G LTE PlayBook. The company announced today that it will debut in Canada next week and it will be available in the U.S. “in the coming months,” which hopefully isn’t code for “never.” More »
Aug 02
RIM Reveals The 4G LTE PlayBook, Plans For A Canadian Debut On August 9 (Updated)
Posted in: Today's Chili
FCC filings, leaked roadmaps, and comments from RIM’s top brass all pointed to the existence of an LTE-capable BlackBerry PlayBook — the only question left was when the thing would finally launch. The answer, according to a new statement released by RIM, is very soon.
RIM’s LTE PlayBook will launch in Canada on August 9 (with support from a handful of Canadian carriers), where it will remain for the time being. The company hasn’t provided any specifics on when the 4G-capable tab will trickle into other markets, saying only that it will be available in “the coming months from carriers in the US, Europe, South Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Interestingly enough, there’s very little word on what (if any) changes RIM made to the tablet aside from the inclusion of an LTE radio and a microSD card slot. All that RIM has revealed as far as the refreshed tab’s spec sheet is that it sports 32GB of internal storage — not much of a shock considering RIM killed the 16GB PlayBook line back in June. Also notably absent from today’s announcement are any specifics when it comes to pricing for the tablet, though that’s probably the sort of detail that’s best left for RIM’s carrier partners to disclose.
UPDATE: RIM representatives have just confirmed to me that the LTE PlayBook indeed sports a new 1.5GHz processor, instead of the 1GHz chip seen in the original models.
While the 4G PlayBook’s existence has been an open secret for months now, it’s sort of heartening to see RIM getting ready to push it out the door. If the roadmap I previously alluded to is accurate, then the refreshed tab looks appears to be the last major bit of hardware RIM was planned before the first BlackBerry 10 devices make their debut in early 2013.
Considering how much the company has riding on a successful launch, it’s probably good for them to be able to take one more thing off their already-loaded plate. That said, the market for a RIM tablet appears to be slowly drying up — RIM reported that it shipped 260,000 PlayBooks in its most recent earnings statement, down nearly 50% from the previous quarter — and the inclusion of an LTE radio may not be enough to turn that trend around.
Aug 02
RIM has launched the 4G LTE version of the BlackBerry PlayBook, adding high-speed wireless data connectivity to the 7-inch QNX tablet. Much rumored over the past year, the LTE PlayBook will arrive in Canada on August 9 initially, before broader availability follows “in the coming months” in the US, Europe, South Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Initially it seems only one version of the PlayBook will be offered with 4G LTE, packing 32GB of storage. It will drop on Bell, Rogers and TELUS, though other “high speed” variants will follow on; that’s presumably going to include LTE for Verizon and/or AT&T in the US, and whatever HSPA+ or LTE carriers are on offer in the other launch countries.
Aside from the LTE support, the new PlayBook is functionally identical to the existing model we reviewed last year. That means HDMI output, a dual-core TI processor, front and rear cameras and stereo speakers. The PlayBook OS 2.0 update also addressed some of the early criticisms, such as the tablet’s reliance on a tethered BlackBerry phone for email and other data.
Pricing for the 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook is yet to be confirmed, and will likely depend in no small part on what carrier subsidies are on offer. Meanwhile we’re also expecting a 10-inch version, though that’s yet to be officially announced.
4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook official: Canada on August 9 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Aug 02
RIM tips August 9th BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE Canadian release (update: faster, too)
Posted in: Today's Chili 
The wait for a quicker PlayBook is nearly over — for our neighbors to the north, at least. RIM let it be known via the official BlackBerry blog that the followup to its business-minded slate will be hitting “select” Canadian retailers on August 9th. Not convinced that you need the BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE in your life? RIM’s got four, count ’em four, reasons to pick up the verbose slate — speed, size, web browsing and movies and TV — which can be found in moderate detail at the source link below. The tablet features 32GB of storage and OS 2.0.1 pre-loaded — the aforementioned software is also currently available as a maintenance update for owners of the old fashioned WiFi model. The slightly souped-up PlayBook is hitting Canada first, but will be coming to additional areas including the US, Europe, South Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America in “coming months.”
[Thanks, Ruben]
Update: As had been hinted before, the 4G PlayBook also ramps up to 1.5GHz from the original 1GHz — that’s a nice leap for customers who wanted more than just a cellular link before leaping in.
Update II: Looks like Telus will be first to get it.
Filed under: Tablet PCs
RIM tips August 9th BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE Canadian release (update: faster, too) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Aug 02
The Telegraph is reporting that Thorsten Heins, CEO of RIM, has said that the company plans to license outs its new BB10 operating system to other hardware manufacturers when it’s launched, taking a lead from Android to make itself relevant again. More »
Aug 01
RIM has just confirmed that a particular render of a yet unreleased (needless to say, it remains unannounced) BlackBerry device which was leaked by accident on the RIM’s developer website is the real deal. The device is known as Dev Alpha B, where it was obviously named that way as it is a successor to the existing Dev Alpha device. It will no doubt be used to test out the yet unofficial BlackBerry 10 operating system, albeit the render was removed from the site in a jiffy. According to Twitter user @NerdBoss514 who approached the folks at @BlackBerryDev concerning this mysterious device, the response he received was that the Dev Alpha B will be an eventual hardware update to the current Dev Alpha.
It does seem to indicate that the Dev Alpha B will come with a slightly different inner layout, and for instance, the micro SIM card slot, would alter its location on the new developer device. The Dev Alpha A device will feature a 4.2″ display at 1280 x 768 pixels, 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal memory, a microSD memory card slot and a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 (which could see an upgrade in due time, who knows?) chipset within.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: BlackBerry 10 gets a fancy photo editor, New York Times drops BlackBerry App ,
Aug 01
ComScore: Android back above 51 percent of US share, iOS still growing briskly
Posted in: Today's Chili 
We’re starting to see a distinct shift in US smartphone market share that leaves Android having to share the spotlight. ComScore’s results for this past June have Google hitting a new high of 51.6 percent share, which still gives it something to crow about — that’s both a small increase over a month earlier and a return to the 51 percent mark. However, Android is still competing with an iOS platform that’s been growing at a healthy rate, reaching 32.4 percent of the American space. The fuel for both sides comes from an all too familiar decline in BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows share. Samsung is still in the top spot as far as manufacturers, although it’s shrinking where Apple and HTC are on the way up. We’ll be looking to see how much the Galaxy S III affects the numbers during the summer, but less patient observers can get the manufacturer results after the break and the full scoop on current market share at the source.
Continue reading ComScore: Android back above 51 percent of US share, iOS still growing briskly
Filed under: Cellphones
ComScore: Android back above 51 percent of US share, iOS still growing briskly originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 
ComScore | Email this | Comments
Aug 01
Samsung is the top mobile device brand of Q2 in the US, according to new research, while Android continues to dominate the smartphone market, though Apple’s iOS is growing faster than Google’s platform. Samsung cellphones comprised 25.6-percent of US device ownership between April and June 2012, comScore‘s research found, with LG in second place with 18.8-percent and Apple in third with 15.4-percent. However, it’s not all good news for the Koreans, whose market share is headed in the wrong direction versus Apple’s.
In fact, Samsung’s mobile position dipped 0.4-percent quarter-on-quarter, while LG’s dropped 0.5-percent. In contrast, Apple’s share rose 1.4-percent – despite the fact that the company only offers three devices and no low-cost smartphones.
Looking at smartphones specifically, Android maintains its lead, growing 0.6-percent to 51.6-percent of the 110m devices in the US. Apple’s iOS, however, rose more – up 1.7-percent – to take 32.4-percent of the smartphone market and extending its lead over third place RIM, which dipped 1.6-percent. Microsoft still struggles in forth place, dropping 0.1-percent to just 3.8-percent share.
comScore bases its figures on more than 30,000 surveyed mobile device owners in the US. The company also found that mobile app downloads and listening to music rose in popularity the most among usage patterns, though text messaging remains the most popular activity.
Samsung top US phone firm but Apple growing fastest claims research is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Aug 01
TAT founder Hampus Jakobsson leaves RIM for startup land (update: not as much of a blow)
Posted in: Today's Chili 
RIM just can’t seem to avoid staff shakeups. Hampus Jakobsson, The Astonishing Tribe founder and a key factor in BlackBerry 10’s interface design, has signaled that he’s leaving the smartphone maker. He cites an itch to launch another startup as the impetus behind the move, although he hasn’t said what he’ll be doing. We can certainly tell that Jakobsson is aware of the climate in which he’s leaving — the veteran has been quick to note that others at RIM are taking his role and that he doesn’t expect an upheaval as he heads through the door. There’s at least a grain of truth to the reassurances, we’d say. With BlackBerry 10 devices appearing in January on RIM’s current schedule, most of the hard work on the software will likely have already been done. Nonetheless, we’re sure some fans will be disappointed that a guiding light won’t be around to influence any followups.
[Image credit: Media Evolution, Flickr]
Update: We’ve learned that Jakobsson had been a Director of Strategic Alliances at RIM since TAT was acquired; while the company he brought into the fold is clearly working on BlackBerry interface design, he hasn’t been guiding the work himself. The departure still has an impact — it’s just at the corporate level rather than in design.
Filed under: Cellphones
TAT founder Hampus Jakobsson leaves RIM for startup land (update: not as much of a blow) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 06:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
N4BB | The Astonishing Tribe (Twitter), Hampus Jakobsson (Twitter) | Email this | Comments
Jul 31
The Sun may be setting on the final day of July, but it’s also setting on the second day of the patent trial between Apple and Samsung. Today Apple gave its opening arguments while successfully getting a Google employee off the jury. Apple’s lead attorney seemed to think that Samsung would be taking a “devil made me do it” approach to its defense, while the Galaxy S manufacturer (which has a lot at stake in this trial) instead said that the iPhone was “inspiring to everyone.” Though it initially seemed that this trial would be nothing but boring patent talk, it now appears that it will be quite entertaining, so long as Apple and Samsung continue taking swings at one another like they did today.
Next up we’ve got some Apple and Samsung news that isn’t related to the trial, with Hulu Plus landing on Apple TV today (along with our examination of why it took so long), and Samsung reportedly working on a 11.8″ 2560 × 1600 tablet codenamed “P10.” Samsung Music Hub also launched in the US today, and the company is giving Galaxy S III owners a free 30-day trial. Be sure to check it out if you recently picked up Samsung’s latest flagship device.
Microsoft launched Outlook.com earlier today, and we’ve got a hands-on with the new service so you can learn all about it. Meanwhile, we caught wind of Sony’s new Xperia tablet thanks to some leaked presentation slides, and those who pre-ordered the Google Nexus Q found out they are being treated to a free device as the company halts Nexus Q sales in order to take some time to improve it. Unfortunately, today brought more bad news for RIM, which is reportedly gearing up to lay off 3,000 employees on August 13. The bad news doesn’t stop at the reported layoffs, however, as it was also revealed that TAT founder Hampus Jakobsson has left both the company and development on Blackberry 10 behind.
Got $150,000 burning a hole in your pocket? Maybe you should drop it all on this Legend of Zelda prototype cartridge. Today Ubisoft discussed the recent controversy over the security holes discovered in its UPlay launcher, telling gamers that it takes their security very seriously. Finally, by far the biggest piece of gaming news from today is the announcement that Star Wars: The Old Republic will soon be going free-to-play. That’s right: soon you’ll be able to ride Ewoks without paying a monthly subscription fee (you can ride Ewoks in this game, right?).
That’s all for today’s evening wrap-up folks. Now, go off and enjoy your Tuesday night!
SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: July 31, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Who's in charge here?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.