RIM: BlackBerry PlayBook battery life is still being optimized, won’t cause delays

If you’ve been keeping an ear to the techie ground, you’ll probably have heard some analyst chatter suggesting RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook may be delayed due to issues relating to its supposedly poor battery life. That scuttlebutt has now turned out to be mostly unfounded, with RIM clarifying the situation through a communiqué sent to Erictric:

“Any testing or observation of battery life to date by anyone outside of RIM would have been performed using pre-beta units that were built without power management implemented. RIM is on track with its schedule to optimize the BlackBerry PlayBook’s battery life and looks forward to providing customers with a professional grade tablet that offers superior performance with comparable battery life.”

To be sure, it’s not an outright denial that there may be PlayBooks floating about with disappointing battery performance, but the immaturity of the software on them is clearly such as to invalidate any conclusions drawn. Perhaps more important than the imprecise discussion of battery longevity (what does “comparable” even mean in this context?) is the note that the company is still on track to complete its software optimizations and deliver its first tablet on schedule. Guess we can all quit worrying now.

RIM: BlackBerry PlayBook battery life is still being optimized, won’t cause delays originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 04:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceErictric  | Email this | Comments

Just got a BlackBerry? The best apps, accessories, and tips

So you just got a BlackBerry, huh? First off, welcome to the world of glorious hardware keyboards and the holy grail of mobile messaging we mortals call BBM. Once you get past the novelty of sending the obligatory “mypin” texts to everyone you know, you’re probably thinking to yourself — what now? Luckily for you we’ve compiled a list of our favorite apps and accessories, as well as some veteran tricks of the trade, so head past the break for a crash course in doing more than just playing BrickBreaker on a BlackBerry.

Hey Android friends, we got you covered, too! Did you get an iPad? Check out our guide here! Found an iPhone in your stocking? Read our list of must-haves!

Continue reading Just got a BlackBerry? The best apps, accessories, and tips

Just got a BlackBerry? The best apps, accessories, and tips originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

AT&T, Verizon, RIM get serious about security for mobile devices

As commonplace as smartphones have become, it’s about time that carriers and manufacturers start getting serious about mobile security (and no, we don’t mean iPhone tethers). According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Verizon is currently working with Lookout, a San Francisco-based company known for remote backup and geolocation apps for BlackBerry, Android, and Windows Mobile devices, while RIM has recently announced a little something called BlackBerry Protect, which promises to lock or even wipe a misplaced phone, pinpoint the thing on a map, and make regularly-scheduled wireless backups. By far the most ambitious plans in the article, however, belong to AT&T, which — aside from recent deals with MobileIron and McAfee — is currently opening a new mobile security lab in New York City. From here, the company will research malware, worms, viruses, and other threats as they develop in the mobile sphere. “Everyone is realizing that this is an uncontrolled environment,” said AT&T chief security officer Edward G. Amoroso. “We don’t want to have the same problems that we had with PCs.”

AT&T, Verizon, RIM get serious about security for mobile devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

BBC comedians ridicule tech naming schemes, make us laugh along the way (video)

They say all good comedy has a modicum of truth to it, and there’s no denying that the jargon that’s built up around technology is littered with opportunity for mockery, fun-poking, and general satire. Leave it to two old pros from the UK, then, Harry Enfield and Ronnie Corbett, to summarily dispatch Apple, BlackBerry, Orange, Microsoft and everyone in between in one of the better tech-related sketches we’ve seen. See them do their thing after the break, but be warned: the video contains (a lot) more than your recommended daily allowance of fruit puns.

[Thanks, Thanasis]

Continue reading BBC comedians ridicule tech naming schemes, make us laugh along the way (video)

BBC comedians ridicule tech naming schemes, make us laugh along the way (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBBC  | Email this | Comments

BlackBerry Desktop Software 2.0 for Mac OS brings WiFi music sync, broader iPhoto / iTunes support

About time, eh? Wintel users have been enjoying the spoils of WiFi music sync on their BlackBerry handsets for the past few months now, but if you’re still stickin’ with RIM (through the thick and thin), and you just so happen to roll primarily on OS X, there’s a new piece of software that you should consider. BlackBerry Desktop Software 2.0 for Mac OS has just been let loose, and it’s a pretty substantial update. Aside from supporting WiFi music sync in official fashion, there’s also a new device switch wizard and the ability to import and sync photos and videos with iPhoto and iTunes. She’s waiting for you there in the source link — all 39.713 megabytes. You know what to do.

BlackBerry Desktop Software 2.0 for Mac OS brings WiFi music sync, broader iPhoto / iTunes support originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceBB Support Forums, BB Software Downloads  | Email this | Comments

BlackBerry PlayBook will ship in March, assuming inertial momentum

RIM dropped an intriguing hint about a likely release date for the BlackBerry PlayBook during its Q3 earnings call this week — namely, that the company expects the first revenue from the dual-core tablet to arrive in the first quarter of the company’s fiscal year. “There are no PlayBook revenues included in our Q4 guidance, and we expect the first revenue impact from PlayBook will be in RIM’s first quarter,” a RIM spokeswoman said, adding that the PlayBook is still slated to ship in the first quarter of the calendar year. If that still sounds like financial gibberish, let us clarify a tad — RIM’s first fiscal quarter doesn’t start till March, which happens to be when the first calendar quarter ends. Oh, RIM can certainly revise its guidance to shareholders and launch the BlackBerry PlayBook earlier or later if that’s what execs deem fit, but if both of RIM’s statements remain true, then March is when the PlayBook will ship. Isn’t logic wonderful?

BlackBerry PlayBook will ship in March, assuming inertial momentum originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceRIM  | Email this | Comments

RIM beats earnings estimates, falls just shy on subscriber growth; co-CEOs now co-chairmen, too

For now, RIM’s looming mindshare problem is more theoretical than it is practical — as far as Wall Street’s concerned, at least — on today’s news that they’ve beaten the consensus estimates for fiscal Q3 revenue and income with $5.49 billion and $911.1 million, respectively. The company also shipped a record 14.2 million units in the three-month period, up a whopping 40 percent year-over-year, but subscriber additions fell a bit short — 5.1 million versus the 5.2 million that analysts had counted on. Interestingly, RIM has elected not to report adds anymore, which means they’re not offering guidance on adds for the next fiscal quarter, either — which certainly doesn’t seem like a good sign. Be that as it may, Waterloo’s confidence in its long-running leaders seems stronger than ever before, because co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis have just been made co-chairmen of the board… presumably just so they can crack jokes about running “dual-core” board meetings. Anyhow, they’re looking at revenue for the next quarter of $5.5 to $5.7 billion and earnings per share of $1.74 to $1.80, both of which outstrip estimates, on device sales of 14 million. Any PlayBooks in that figure, do you suppose?

RIM beats earnings estimates, falls just shy on subscriber growth; co-CEOs now co-chairmen, too originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Business Insider  |  sourceRIM  | Email this | Comments

Fossil Connected watch concept displays vital info from your Android or BlackBerry handset, looks great doing it

Sure, companies haven’t had too much success with connected watches — remember SPOT? But don’t lose hope! The Fossil Connected watch concept shows that at least somebody is still trying to bring wrist-based chronometers into the 21st century. This timepiece is designed to pair with your Android or BlackBerry handset via Bluetooth to display weather, caller ID info, text messages, so on and so forth. And unlike a lot of the watches we see in this space, it actually looks pretty damn good. It remains to be seen exactly when these will make it to market (currently the company is hashing out the concept and “showing them around Silicon Valley,” according to Robert Scoble), but when they do they should sell for around $200. Get a closer look after the break.

Continue reading Fossil Connected watch concept displays vital info from your Android or BlackBerry handset, looks great doing it

Fossil Connected watch concept displays vital info from your Android or BlackBerry handset, looks great doing it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Geeky Gadgets  |  sourceScobleizer  | Email this | Comments

Editorial: RIM seems to be as lost as my BlackBerry

The only way to open this editorial is to admit something I’ve been rather shy about on the pages of Engadget: I’ve been an avid BlackBerry fan and user for about six years now. I mean a real addict — the kind who wakes up each morning looking for a blinking red LED, the kind who’s refused to give up push email and BlackBerry Messenger in favor of more powerful, polished, and progressive mobile operating systems like iOS, Android, and webOS. In fact, when my Verizon contract was up last year I opted to get a Curve 8530 instead of the Motorola Droid or Palm Pre — to say nothing of making the leap over to AT&T for the iPhone.

There were lots of reasons I didn’t want to give up my BlackBerry, but five days ago I lost that very Curve in a San Francisco cab. Then coincidentally, a day later I saw RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis speak at the D: Dive Into Mobile conference, where he almost embarrassingly avoided every question about the company’s immediate smartphone strategy. I had always known that RIM was behind the curve (always a great pun!), but I also always had hope that the company would catch up with modern smartphones of today. Sadly, watching Mike dodge questions on the D stage took that hope away from me — it’s crystal clear that RIM won’t have a solution to compete with those powerful smartphones anytime soon. So, what happens to a BlackBerry diehard like myself? Where do I go from here?

Continue reading Editorial: RIM seems to be as lost as my BlackBerry

Editorial: RIM seems to be as lost as my BlackBerry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Amazon MP3 app hits BlackBerry phones

It may not quite be enough to bring non-BlackBerry users into the fold, but RIM has finally scored one long awaited coup to keep its current users happy — it’s just announced that the Amazon MP3 application is now available for download from the BlackBerry App World. While still technically in beta, the app will let you purchase and download music both over WiFi and over the air, and it includes plenty of BlackBerry-specific functionality, including sharing via BBM in addition to the usual social networking features, and full integration with BlackBerry’s Universal Search and Media Library. Hit up the link below for a closer look, or simply download it yourself to try it out first hand — it is free, after all.

Amazon MP3 app hits BlackBerry phones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBlackBerry  | Email this | Comments