Ten Reasons Why BlackBerry Is Screwed

RIM, the maker of BlackBerry, was absolutely destroyed yesterday in the stock market. But that’s just part of the story. RIM is screwed. More »

Blackberry Bold 9900 coming to Three UK in August (updated: coming in September)

We got the lowdown last month on the Blackberry Bold 9900: 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, 640 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, and looks that say “it’s business time.” Back then RIM said we could snag a svelte new Bold sometime this summer. Then came word that the handset wouldn’t be available until September. Now, Three UK has put the Bold 9900 up on its “Coming Soon” page and indicated it’s set for an August debut. Whew, we’re glad that’s settled, but there’s one more thing we’d like to know — how much is it going to cost?

Update: Well, it turns out that September is still the launch date for the Bold, as Three UK has changed their website to reflect the later debut.

Blackberry Bold 9900 coming to Three UK in August (updated: coming in September) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM announces Q1 earnings, says it’s shipped 500,000 PlayBooks (update: 4G PlayBooks delayed)

RIM announces Q1 earnings, says it's shipped 500,000 PlayBooks
RIM’s just announced its Q1 earnings, including $4.9 billion in revenue and $695 million in profit. Perhaps even more anticipated than those numbers, however, are the ones involving actual devices, and the company’s now revealed that it “shipped” around 500,000 BlackBerry PlayBooks during the quarter, while phone shipments totaled 13.2 million — it didn’t get specific about actual sales to consumers. Those earnings are on the low end of forecasts, and RIM says that the slowdown it saw in the first quarter will continue into Q2, which will apparently result in an unspecified number of layoffs and a lowered forecast for the rest of the year. Head on past the break for the official press release, and hit the source link below for some more detailed numbers.

Update: On the earnings call, co-CEO Mike Lazaridis painted a bright future for his company’s tablet, but then said, “We’re soon to release native email and BBM and our Android player later in the summer, to be followed in the fall with 4G PlayBooks for WiMax, LTE, and HSPA+.” Did you catch that? In the fall. We hope this doesn’t put a damper on anybody’s summer plans.

Continue reading RIM announces Q1 earnings, says it’s shipped 500,000 PlayBooks (update: 4G PlayBooks delayed)

RIM announces Q1 earnings, says it’s shipped 500,000 PlayBooks (update: 4G PlayBooks delayed) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dolby sues RIM over alleged patent infringement, seeks injunction in 7.1 surround

There’s a new patent war brewing on both sides of the Atlantic, now that Dolby has filed a set of lawsuits against RIM. At issue is the audio compression technology RIM uses in its BlackBerry phones and PlayBook tablets. Dolby claims this intellectual property is protected under patents that several other smartphone makers have already licensed, and that RIM should be forced to do the same. The company’s lawsuits, filed yesterday in both the US and Germany, seek financial damages and an injunction that would stop all sales of allegedly infringing products. RIM declined to comment on the suit, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted as the battle unfolds. Head past the break for Dolby’s press release.

Continue reading Dolby sues RIM over alleged patent infringement, seeks injunction in 7.1 surround

Dolby sues RIM over alleged patent infringement, seeks injunction in 7.1 surround originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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O2 UK spurns BlackBerry PlayBook, cites issues with ‘end to end customer experience’

Today is the PlayBook’s official launch day in the UK, but one of the island kingdom’s biggest mobile players won’t be taking part. O2 has apparently been reaching out to subscribers who’ve expressed an interest in acquiring RIM’s 7-inch tablet on the network with word that the company “will not be selling the device.” The communiqué to those users states that “unfortunately there are some issues with the end to end customer experience,” though O2 continues to work with RIM on future PlayBook products and releases and doesn’t rule out carrying this particular slate in the future. We reached out for an official statement and the company confirmed that it has no plans to sell the PlayBook at this time. Maybe once it gets a native email client, eh?

[Thanks, Stephan]

O2 UK spurns BlackBerry PlayBook, cites issues with ‘end to end customer experience’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry PlayBook hits UK one day ahead of schedule

BlackBerry PlayBook hits UK one day ahead of schedule

We already knew that RIM’s PlayBook was on its way to the UK on June 16th, but antsy BlackBerry fans can now get their hands on the tab one day early. Phones 4u has just announced that it’s stocking the 7-inch slate in two brick-and-mortar stores today — one day ahead of the official release. If you just can’t wait another second, and happen to be in the vicinity of either the retailer’s Tottenham Court Road or Oxford Street locations in London, you could have a PlayBook in-hand in moments. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook hits UK one day ahead of schedule

BlackBerry PlayBook hits UK one day ahead of schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bing Mobile updated, news and maps get minor facelifts

How can you “be what’s next” without having what’s next on your phone? Bing is here to help you fulfill its tagline by updating its mobile site for any device that runs HTML5. If the update had a highlight reel to show off the newest features, here’s what would be on it: a carousel-like interface in the news section that lets you swipe your finger left or right to switch to other categories; maps that show directions together in split-screen format; a search history complete with trending topics; and the ability to share images and links on Facebook. The new enhancements are now available to iOS, Android, and BlackBerry, so it’s an easy jaunt over to your browser to check it out. Or, if you’re reading this on your phone, give the ol’ More Coverage link a quick tap.

Bing Mobile updated, news and maps get minor facelifts originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Jun 2011 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Primed: What is NFC, and why do we care?

Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day — we dig deep into each topic’s history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com.

engadget primed

The introduction of Google Wallet felt a little too good to be true, didn’t it? It’s magical, like the tech equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. In reality, the tech behind mobile payments has been around since 2003 on a much smaller scale using near-field communications, more commonly known as NFC. The idea behind Wallet (amongst other services, like ISIS) is contactless pay — using your phone as a credit card — and is just one of the many ways NFC can be useful in our everyday lives. In fact, we’re only scraping the surface of what’s theoretically possible.

Google is definitely not the first company to dabble in NFC, but it appears to be poised and ready to push the tech’s adoption forward at a rapid pace with the advent of Wallet and Offers. Until now the coals have been hot; but if a fire’s going to start, someone monolithic has to throw a few newspapers in as kindling — and Google volunteered. But what good is NFC if it’s just an acronym that causes our eyes to glaze over? Is El Goog the only instigator? After the break we’ll focus on what NFC is capable of, and why we want it on our phones as soon as yesterday.

Continue reading Engadget Primed: What is NFC, and why do we care?

Engadget Primed: What is NFC, and why do we care? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry PlayBook rolling out internationally over the next month

Here in the US and Canada, we’re already worrying about things like recalls, while the rest of world is still waiting for its crack at the original BlackBerry PlayBook. RIM today announced that its enterprise-friendly tablet will be hitting 16 more markets over the next 30 days — though some of the locations, like the UK, have already been announced (you guys will be getting the thing in a mere six days). Recipients include Hong Kong, India, and Australia — check out the full list in the form of a press release after the break. And when you’re done let’s start talking next-generation specs.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook rolling out internationally over the next month

BlackBerry PlayBook rolling out internationally over the next month originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry PlayBook gets updated with new power menu, better Facebook app, and more

PlayBook power menu

The PlayBook isn’t even two months old yet and it’s already scored a second update to its QNX-based OS. First up from BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5 is an upgraded Facebook app, which is now a preloaded part of the system software and can do some really neat things… like delete unwanted messages. Devs will be happy to hear that they can include in-app payments, while our European friends should be excited about the expanded language support. There are a few other welcome changes, including some enterprise-friendly tweaks to video chat, a new pop-up power menu (pictured above), and the ability to charge even when the device is turned off — a constraint we’re sure had at least a few owners pulling a Picard-like facepalm. The update is available now and, while you wait for it download, check out the source link for more details.

BlackBerry PlayBook gets updated with new power menu, better Facebook app, and more originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Digital Trends  |  sourceBlackBerry Blog  | Email this | Comments