Mar 25
The phone that could save BlackBerry is remarkably easy to take apart, thanks in part to its easily removed back cover.
Mar 25
Screws and a little glue — that’s all that stood between an intact BlackBerry Z10 and the curious hands of those iFixit folks. And the results? Well, it’s nothing you didn’t know already: a motherboard, some Samsung flash memory, a Snapdragon S4 and camera modules. So, if you’re the type that needs a little tech carnage to help seal your purchase decision (and, yes, the Z10 is finally on sale in the US), go ahead and click on the source.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Blackberry
Source: iFixit
Mar 22
BlackBerry Z10 Review: A New Hope
Posted in: Today's Chili
The zippy new smartphone won’t dethrone Android or put a major dent in Apple’s iPhone dominance, but it will make current BlackBerry users happy enough to lay down some cash.
Mar 22
If you picked up the latest and greatest from the smartphone maker of the north, it may take a little while to figure out all the features hidden in the OS’s nooks and crannies. We dug up 10 helpful tips …
Mar 22
BlackBerry CEO Talks Testing Smartphone-Powered Notebooks and Tablets, Will Share More Info In May
Posted in: Today's Chili
BlackBerry is launching the Z10 today in the U.S., but it’s already looking ahead to what comes next, according to an interview between ABC’s Joanna Stern and BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins. The company is working on ways that BlackBerry software can power your laptop or tablet, too, and all from your smartphone. Heins sounds like he’s describing an Asus PadFone, and revealed a dream of a personal computing world focused on just a single device.
Heins said, referring to the new BlackBerry smartphones, that we’ve now reached the point where you’re now carrying around a full-fledged computer in your pocket with “the power of a laptop.” He emphasized that BlackBerry wants to be the one to finally figure out how to truly consolidate all of a user’s computing devices into one, though when asked directly whether this would take the form of a laptop or tablet that supports and is powered by a docked smartphone, Heins told Stern that the company is working with a number of different options.
We’ll know more about BlackBerry’s unification plans at BlackBerry World in May, Heins said, when he plans to “talk about a few of those concepts” the company is working on. Another subject up for discussion at the event will be additional BB10 phones beyond the currently announced Z10 and Q10 handsets, he told ABC.
Hybrid tablet/PC/smartphone devices have a bit of a checkered past. The Asus PadFone has seen success in some international markets, but failed to make a splash in the U.S. And Samsung launched a Smart Dock for the Galaxy Note II that supposedly converts your smartphone into a mini desktop computer, but we’ve heard relatively little about that device and nothing about its popularity since its launch.
Another reason for skepticism is BlackBerry’s track record with the Playbook tablet. The Playbook was the first BlackBerry device to ship with a QNIX-based operating system, a clear precursor to BB10. It didn’t fare well: facing extremely low consumer demand, BlackBerry ran a number of fire sales and eventually stuck with a permanent, drastic price drop to get people buying.
Does that mean BlackBerry can’t pull off a tablet/notebook/smartphone unification? Not necessarily, but it also doesn’t necessarily instill courage. Still, it’s good to see the company aim for the kind of solution that’s seemed so promising in the past, even if it might be the proverbial Fountain of Youth of the tech industry – eminently desirable but ultimately mythical.
Mar 22
The American BlackBerry faithful have been waiting and while those with business (and T-Mobile) intentions got there a little early, the Z10 is now available to the more typical pay-monthly masses from AT&T. Priced up at $200 on a two-year contract, you can pick it up from Ma’ Bell’s for-real stores and online today, just click on that source link for all those carrier details.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry
Source: AT&T
Mar 22
Well, the day maybe probably at least a few people have been waiting for is finally here. And excitement levels are, unfortunately for BlackBerry, relatively low if not nonexistent, so the chances of you and yours actively choosing to offer real American currency in exchange for one of these bad boys are equally bleak. More »
Mar 20
Rogers clears Suretap NFC payments on some Android and BlackBerry 10 devices
Posted in: Today's Chili 
While Canadians got a major NFC payment system through Rogers’ Suretap service late last year, it was largely defined by what it couldn’t do: there was only one platform to use, in only some places, with only one bank. Those horizons are at last broadening, as the carrier just certified a much wider range of phones for Suretap-capable apps. Android at last joins the party with approval for Suretap use on LG’s Optimus G, as well as Samsung’s Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. BlackBerry fans also won’t have to cling to older devices now that the Z10 is good to go. More than a few pieces of the NFC puzzle are still missing, of course. Beyond waiting for the apps themselves, there’s no certification for Windows Phone 8 or a broad range of Android devices, and customers still don’t have the freedom to choose their banks or carriers. Still, we’re glad that there will be at least some choice in hardware for future wallet-free trips to Tim Hortons.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, LG, Blackberry
Source: Rogers
Mar 20
The new BlackBerry ecosystem has failed the UK government’s high security testing. James Bond isn’t getting a Z10 any time soon. More »
Mar 18
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we’re using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.
Is saying you need to keep track of six timezones a humblebrag? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but either way, don’t expect an apology from Mr. Darren Murph — the man is positively giddy about his new $3 Clocks app. You know who else won’t be issuing any apologies? Jon Fingas, our resident Canadian smartphone nerd, who says the BlackBerry Z10 isn’t half bad.
Filed under: Misc, Blackberry
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