We've written a few posts in the past about UK Police Forces taking up the BlackBerry solution in order to aid them in getting more Police Officers out on the streets policing instead of constantly being in the Police Stations filing paper work. One Police Force had even added the a fingerprint scanner attachment to their BlackBerry devices to be able to ID perps they've stopped on the streets a lot faster.

It seems that India is following suit in the city of Bangalore, where the police computer wing of Karnataka state police put up the proposal. It differs to the UK in that this BlackBerry solution is for the traffic police in order to help them produce on the spot fines for violating motorists.

There are currently 750 police officers in the traffic wing of Bangalore city police who have been issued with BlackBerry devices. They have also been provided with Bluetooth enabled printers so that documents can be printed on the spot. It is said that the implementation of this BlackBerry solution will also add another 250 police officers to aid in manning the traffic in the busy city.

News like this is just another testament to how reliable the BlackBerry solution is in providing people with the tools they need to carry out tasks without being tied to the desk.

Source: Times of India

The latest BlackBerry smartphone in the Curve family has made its way into the Philippines. The BlackBerry Curve 9320 was launched last night in Taguig City at a joint event by RIM and Globe Telecom.

The BlackBerry Curve 9320 comes preinstalled with BlackBerry OS 7.1 which also brings an FM Radio for the device. It also has the dedicated BBM button which essentially brings back the left-convenience key, that RIM took away when the Torch 9800 came along. The Curve 9320 is a great upgrade to the Curve 85xx/9300 line that has been very popular with the teens and is also a great option for the budget conscious or even those looking to take the step towards the world of BlackBerry smartphones.

You can pre-order the BlackBerry Curve via the Globe Telecom website. The Curve 9320 is free on the BlackBerry Unli Surf 999 plan. This will get you unlimited surfing plus a P400 consumable every month for 2 years. In terms of calls and texts, with this plan you 200 texts and 10 mins to Globe Telecom numbers. It is pretty obvious this plan is aimed at those to consume more data than callls. Delivery is stated for mid-June and postage is free nationwide.

For more information and to pre-order the Curve 9320 from Globe Telecom
Check out our hands-on video with the Curve 9320

Source: Tech Pinas

If you're planning to attend one of the BlackBerry 10 Jam Road Shows, then you'll be pleased to know that registration has now opened for North America and Europe. Latin America dates have yet to be announced and registration will open soon for the Asia locations.

Remember there is a limited a supply of BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha devices and while non-developers are welcome to the event, only developers will be eligible to receive a Dev Alpha. Minors are also welcome, as long as they are accompanied by an adult and they register as a minor as per the terms and conditions.

The agenda for the event looks full-packed, seeing the afternoon go into the breakout sessions. These are separated into Native and Web sessions, so you'll have to decide whether you're going down the WebWorks route or Native route as you'll have to register for these sessions before the event.

If you're a developer it would be an event I'd recommend attending. It's free for one and there's a chance of you getting a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha. I have already registered for the London event and I am very much looking forward to the day.

Which locations are you planning to attend? Let us know in the comments.

Register for BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour

We recently saw the BlackBerry 7 OS get approved for use by the UK government, now the same OS, along with OS 7.1 has been approved for use by Australian and New Zealand governments. It certainly is reassuring to know that our beloved BlackBerry operating systems is secure enough to get government approval. While not many consumers are hugely concerned about security, I, for one, like this about BlackBerry so I always like hearing news like this.

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While many are awaiting the release of BlackBerry 10 devices, there are still parts of the world where BlackBerry 7 smartphones have yet to land. RIM's current flagship device, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 has made its way into Russia. However, if you're a consumer wanting to get hold of the device you're out of luck as this launch sees it only available to business customers on the Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) and Vimpelcom carriers.

There is no indication on whether it will be available to consumers in the future. For more information on purchasing the BlackBerry Bold 9900 in Russia, contact visit or contact Mobile TeleSystems or Vimpelcom carriers.

Press Release

Moscow, Russia - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the BlackBerry® Bold^TM 9900 smartphone will be available for business customers in Russia through RIM authorised carrier partners Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) and Vimpelcom.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet and the first to offer the perfect union of a high-performance keyboard and touch display integrated within the iconic BlackBerry Bold design. It supports high-speed networks around the world as well as Wi-Fi® connectivity. With its industry-leading keyboard, responsive high-resolution touch screen and high-speed browser capabilities, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 continues the tradition of delivering the world's best mobile communications experience with a highly refined and integrated suite of phone, email, messaging, social and business apps to keep customers connected and productive throughout the day.

The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to include built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), a new technology that is enabling many new and exciting capabilities, including the ability to make mobile payments, pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.

"We're excited to launch the BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone in Russia together with our partners MTS and Vimpelcom," said Paul Lucier, Managing Director for Russia at Research In Motion. "The Bold 9900 features the new BlackBerry 7 operating system and provides users with an outstanding communications, web browsing and multimedia experience. IT managers will also benefit from the renowned enterprise-grade features of the BlackBerry solution."

Next-Generation BlackBerry 7 OS

The BlackBerry® 7 operating system introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser that is among the best in the industry. Combining the dramatically improved performance of the advanced WebKit browser engine, together with the powerful hardware enhancements of the BlackBerry Bold 9900, means that browsing results are up to 40% faster than BlackBerry® 6-based smartphones and up to twice as fast as BlackBerry® 5-based smartphones*. Additional enhancements to this next-generation BlackBerry browser also include optimized zooming and panning for smoother web navigation and optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences.

For information about pricing and availability, please contact: Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) or Vimpelcom.

* Testing was performed by RIM and measured average page load speeds using pre-release BlackBerry 7 software.

About Research In Motion

Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

A lot of BlackBerry developers who travelled to Orlando to attend BlackBerry 10 Jam were left feeling excited for the future of BlackBerry development after the event. Alec Saunders gave the keynote speech for BlackBerry 10 Jam but recording was not allowed within the auditorium. However, RIM themselves filmed the keynote but have only previously released snippets of it.

If you've been wanting and waiting for the whole keynote to be released, you'll be happy to know that it is now available to watch in it's entirety. I have just watched it and it definitely gets my pumped up for the upcoming BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour. 

In Stuttgart, Germany a few days ago the BlackBerry Porsche P'9981 was honoured at the Plus X Awards by receiving the gong for Smartphone of the Year 2012. The Plus X Awards celebrate innovative technologies, as well as sports and lifestyle products that are "viable for the future and possess at least one 'Plus X' factor" (as quoted from the Award's website).

The BlackBerry Porsche P'9981 won the award for combining the Porsche Design's classic and 'puristic' design with RIM's own innovative BlackBerry technologies. Axel Kettenring, Managing Director RIM Germany, says: "We are very proud to receive this seal of quality. Receiving the Plus X Award for the Porsche Design P'9981 smartphone confirms we are operating at the cutting edge with our demand for design and quality."

Even if the Porsche P'9981 isn't a BlackBerry device that the majority of our readers will own, it's nice to see it win quite a prestigious award. Don't forget there contest is still open to those who would like a chance of winning CrackBerry Kevin's very own Porsche Design BlackBerry. Today is the last Day to enter, so if you'd like a chance to win check out the link below.

For a chance to win CrackBerry's Kevin's Porsche P'9981

Source: Porsche Design Press Release, via: @BBEMEABusiness

We have reviewed a lot of BerrySet apps here on the CrackBerry blogs the past year, occasionally teaming up with them to give our readers the opportunity to win some of their awesome apps. This month marks BerrySet's 1st birthday and to celebrate they are holding a discount on all their premium apps by putting them into one box and giving it to you at a low, low price.

All seven of BerrySet's premium app can be yours for a package deal of $4.99. That's right! As opposed to $16.93 when bought individually. The package deal includes:

• SuperWallpaperChanger - rotating wallpaper
• XWeatherPro - DIY homescreen weather widget
• XAppLock - password protect specific apps on your BlackBerry
• CallAssistant - send custom SMS and ignore messages automatically
• MP3CutterPro - create ringtone spinnets out of your songs
• MP3Knife -ability to edit the ID3 tags of your MP3s
• SuperPuzzlePro - a huge collection of puzzle for your BlackBerry

The offer ends at the end of the month, so get these apps now before it ends.

For more information and to purchase the package

RIM has plans to open up to 15 premium stores in India by the end of the year. The first store open in Delhi last month, with a second store newly opened last Friday in Gurgaon. RIM plans to open these stores in major locations around India, including Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bangalore.

The stores will feature special areas which will showcase both consumer and enterprise applications, complete with live demos. Sunil Dutt, Managing Director of RIM India says, "These stores will offer holistic consumer experience on BlackBerry consumer and enterprise services."

Asia, where RIM has a high subscriber base has already seen stores open in Indonesia and Thailand, so it comes as now surprise to see them set up shop in India where it BlackBerry smartphone usage is also high and has seen a big increase in subscriber numbers in the past months, especially within the youth market. 

It's nice to see RIM building these premium stores in places where there is high demand, even the Middle East saw a flagship store open in Dubai last month. I would like to see them bring these stores to the Europe in the near future, perhaps in the U.K. first? One can only hope.

Discuss more in the forums

Source: Times of India, image credit

Update #3: Registration is now open for Europe and North America - Register Now!

Update #2: Registration is now open for Milan and Barcelona. For further information use the links below.

Update: New York and California dates now confirmed. See below

Excitement is building in the BlackBerry developer community as RIM prepares to take the BlackBerry 10 Jam Tour around the world. With locations for the tour already confirmed, people are eagerly waiting for the dates to be confirmed. Today, RIM has confirmed those dates and it looks like they have added a couple more cities. Keep reading for the full list...

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It seems like RIM wants BlackBerry 7 owners to get downloading BlackBerry OS 7.1. While many carriers across the globe are releasing the OS update, there are also many that have yet to do so. RIM looks to be helping those BlackBerry 7 owners on carriers that haven't yet released it.

We've previously seen this happen in the UK, where only Three and O2 UK were the only carriers to have officially released BlackBerry OS 7.1, then RIM went and released it for the most of the BlackBerry 7 devices. RIM has gone across the world and have made BlackBerry OS 7.1 available in the Philippines. This time around it is only currently available for BlackBerry Bold 9900 owners, Torch and Curve owners are out of luck for the time being. That being said, if you don't mind installing unofficial OS updates you can drop by our forums or check out our BlackBerry 101 on installing leaks and update today.

If you're a BlackBerry Bold 9900 owner in the Philippines visit the Philippine BlackBerry website today to update your device.

More information or to update you Bold 9900 

Following yesterday's launch of the BlackBerry Curve 9320, more UK networks have added the newest member of the Curve family to their roster of BlackBerry smartphones.

Yesterday we saw T-Mobile UK and O2 add the listing to their websites, while Three confirmed that they will stock it but have no release date. Orange has also joined in on the Curve 9320 fun. Carphone Warehouse also have it listed on their website and sell it on O2, Orange, T-Mobile as well as Vodafone, who have yet to confirm any pricing details on the Curve 9320.

Here's a rundown of the current network's pricing details on the Curve 9320:

• T-Mobile UK - Free from £15.50 per month on a 24 month contract. Also on pay as you go for £149.99
• O2 UK - O2 currently have it available on pay as you go for £149.99
• Orange - Free from £20.50 a month on a 24 month contract and also  pay as you go for £139.99

If you are interested in other BlackBerry smartphones you can check out our UK BlackBerry Buyer's Guide using the links below.

UK BlackBerry Buyer's Guide - Pay Monthly
UK BlackBerry Buyer's Guide - Pay as you go

Update: O2 UK also have the BlackBerry Curve 9320 available through their website. You can get the Curve 9320 on O2 UK for free on all tariffs.

Today RIM officially announced the BlackBerry Curve 9320. Straight off the mark T-Mobile UK and Three UK have both announced through their respective Twitter accounts that the latest Curve model is available on their network. T-Mobile UK, usually a network that releases BlackBerry smartphones a lot later than other UK networks, had previously outed the Curve 9320 by showing that it was coming soon to the network before RIM even made an official announce of the device.

T-Mobile UK already has the BlackBerry Curve 9320 available to purchase through their website. You can get it for free from £15.50 per month on a 24 month contract. Three UK on the other hand lets you get your mitts on it for £140 on pay as you go, although it is yet to appear on their website.

The BlackBerry Curve 9320 comes preloaded with BlackBerry 7.1, has a 3.2 megapixel camera and an FM Radio, to name a few of its features. Don't forget it also brings back the left convenience key in the form of a dedicated BBM key, though it does seem like this is configurable to launch any application you want. Three UK gives a video sneak peak which you can watch above.

For more information and to buy from T-Mobile UK
For more information and to buy from O2 UK  

BlackBerry 10 Jam and BlackBerry World 2012 are now over and it has been quite an event with lots of exiting things to look forward in the coming months. For developers, the event brought about a lot of good vibes and a BlackBerry 10 Alpha device to boot. As a novice developer it would be have been great to be able to have attended BlackBerry 10 Jam but for other developers like myself who weren't able to get to Orlando for the event, RIM had said that they would take the BlackBerry 10 Jam on tour to reach more developers.

The BlackBerry 10 Jam tour is more of a condensed version of what was seen in Orlando but it will give developers a taste of what went on and give them a chance to connect with BlackBerry development experts.

Here's a few things that you can see on the BlackBerry 10 Jam Road Show:

• Get a snapshot of the new things you can do with the BlackBerry 10 development platform. Learn about the unique capabilities of BlackBerry 10 to set your application apart.
• Collaborate with your community. Learn, share and network with your peers. Make valuable connections that will make you even more successful with BlackBerry.
• One-on-one expert guidance. Jam with BlackBerry platform experts and build a better app.

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A few weeks ago BlackBerry 7.1 became official in the U.K. through two networks. O2 UK were the first to drop it and then Three UK promptly followed suit. While customers have of those networks have been enjoying the updates, there hasn't been any follow up with the other three major networks in the UK. Of course, there are some BlackBerry users who don't mind installing other network udpates but there are some who prefer stock updates and sometimes those users can be left in the lurch when networks don't release them quickly enough.

It looks like RIM has helped to fix that issue and has released BlackBerry 7.1 in the UK for the following BlackBerry 7 smartphones - Bold 9900, Torch 9860 and 9810, Curve 9360 and 9380. For the Curve owners the update brings about and FM Radio app to utilise the built FM Radio on those Curve models. So, if you've been waiting to get your hands on the BlackBerry 7.1 update, get downloading now.

For more information and to download BlackBerry 7.1

Source: Tracy and Matt