We've seen plenty of threads in the CrackBerry forums lately about members praising the BlackBerry Q10. With the US release finally upon us (come on AT&T and Sprint!) more and more BlackBerry users are getting in on the Q10 fun. I've also been a huge fan since I picked up my device and haven't looked back since.

When it comes to loving or hating a device, everyone has their own reasons. It's hard to make judgment on a device from other people's reviews, and you really just need to pick one up to try it out and judge for yourself. You can read reviews all day long but until you actually put it through your own "real world" test, you'll never know if it's right for you. We always say that you need to use a new device for at least two or three weeks before you can ultimately decide.

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That's enough of the iOS talk for now. We have better things to discuss and as we mentioned earlier, BlackBerry needs to keep moving. That said though, we know that's exactly what they're doing as it's no secret that BlackBerry 10.2 is already being worked on with several changes already having been confirmed and even more information appearing pretty much on a daily basis.

It's true, many folks are still waiting for BlackBerry 10.1 to arrive but that's no reason for BlackBerry to slow down. Slowing down and resting on their laurels, some would say, put them in the position they're pulling themselves out of currently. The real question however is what can BlackBerry do to make BlackBerry 10.2 better? What can be added or improved in BlackBerry 10.2 to push it even further?

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By now anyone who has internet access is aware Apple announced and showed off iOS 7 at WWDC in San Francisco. Even my mother was asking me questions about it and whether or not I had tuned into the event. Honestly, it's a bit weird to have so much conversation surrounding it here on CrackBerry but a lot of folks in the forums are discussing it and keep comparing it to the various other platforms out there, so it's clearly a hot topic even among BlackBerry users.

One thread that caught my attention was posted by donnation, just giving his general impressions of the beta version he installed onto his iPhone 5 and doing a little comparison to BlackBerry 10. Of course, he took some flack for posting his thoughts on it but that's OK.  It's a pretty insightful thread for folks who may not have access to iOS 7, as it's only available through the Apple Developer Program. 

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The rumors have already begun about BlackBerry's next flaghsip device, the A10. It was reported that the device will be available later this year and offer up many improved specs over that of the BlackBerry Z10. The A10 is rumored to be a larger device (think close to a 5" screen) with plenty of storage, processing power and RAM.

While we don't really know many specs of the A10 just yet, forums member craiggger did claim to get a look at the device. He says it's comparable to a Galaxy S4 with the same back design as the BlackBerry Q10. 

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The Porsche Design P'9981 was a pretty interesting device but it's now a little bit outdated even with it having arrived in gold. Arguably, it was outdated at the time of release but that didn't matter to a lot of folks. Personally, I wanted one but I couldn't justify the cost for what essentially broke down to a dressed up BlackBerry Bold 9900. A Porsche Design BlackBerry Q10 though, that's something I could possibly go for.

Sadly, the likelihood of that device being a reality is unknown at this point, but we can at least imagine what one would look like thanks to CrackBerry forums member, DYLANHABKIRK. He rendered up the above image just to see what it may look like if it was to ever be created and I have to say it looks pretty badass. Again, not a real device but what do you guys think of it? Put it into production?

A movement started earlier today in the CrackBerry forums... pissed off BlackBerry 10 owners are canceling their Netflix services over their lack of support for BlackBerry 10. Will it help? We're not sure. But it sure feels good.

Just in case you haven't noticed, BlackBerry users can be very passionate individuals. Especially those who hang out in the CrackBerry forums. Along with that passion, they're also very vocal, and when word came down that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings had never even used a BlackBerry 10 device but had zero interest in making Netflix for BlackBerry 10, the CrackBerry forums sort of blew up, and rightfully so.

Obtuse thinking deserves to be commented on. One thread in particular that has gained plenty of traction has a pretty simple concept. If Netflix won't support BlackBerry, as a BlackBerry user it's also your choice to not support Netflix. Cancel all your accounts. We've actually seen this concept surface several times in the forums already these past few months, but given the timing of Hasting's comments and the lack of mention of Netflix coming to BB10 at BlackBerry Live last week, this thread is gaining traction quick.

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With BlackBerry Live 2013 now over, it's time to look back at some of the things the CrackBerry Community was hoping for and did not get

For BlackBerry PlayBook owners, it's not looking good right now that a BlackBerry 10 update for the PlayBook is coming anytime soon. Hell, it's starting to feel like it may never come. Just as the word "PlayBook" never surfaced during the BlackBerry 10 launch event in January, PlayBook never made it into last week's BlackBerry Live keynote. This didn't go unnoticed by CrackBerry's PlayBook community, setting off a good deal of our members into a Hulk-like rage ever since.

Thinking back to the BlackBerry 10 launch event in January, word came via a Q&A press session that the PlayBook would be receiving an update to BB10 "later this year." This set an expectation among anxious PlayBook owners that BB10 is coming, and BlackBerry Live would have been the perfect time for the update -- or at least more word on the pending update -- to drop. That didn't happen in a proactive nature. Instead, we had to prod for answers.

My number one disappointment was no PlayBook news. They could have given us some kind of update on the status of the PlayBook development. BBFanatic4Life, CB Member

To be fair, nobody from BlackBerry told us straight out at BlackBerry Live that BB10 is not coming to the PlayBook, but the answers we received whenever we asked about the PlayBook didn't give us warm and fuzzy feelings either. The standard response received was typically along the lines of "we don't have any new information to share about the PlayBook at this time." This isn't entirely bad news in and of itself, given that the last official word was that BlackBerry 10 would make its way onto the PlayBook. In other words, no news could be taken as good news - but you have to keep waiting to find out more.

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This post comes from CrackBerry Forums user VancityAllie

The CrackBerry Forums have been buzzing with plenty of BlackBerry Q10 goodness over the last few weeks, but one particular thread stood out to me recently. A post from a new member VancityAllie ... so new that she registered for the forums just to make this post. 

VancityAllie has been a long-time BlackBerry user and was anxious to upgrade to a new Q10. It wasn't all smiles through the first 24 hours of BlackBerry 10 however. Just like most of us do, she obsessed over her new device - the good and the bad - and wasn't sure she had made the right choice. There were a few hiccups at the start with things like gestures, Hub settings, profiles and Bedside Mode,  but over the course of the day (and night) things began to pan out. 

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From the CrackBerry Forums

"It's great that BlackBerry is starting this comeback."

- CrackBerry Member dmsbang

As a BlackBerry user, these are exciting times. A new platform, two new devices so far with more on the way and things are looking pretty solid for BlackBerry. Because of that, there is a lot of excitement in the CrackBerry forums.

Finally, after months of waiting BlackBerry users have some new hardware to show off and they're doing so proudly and the best part about it all is that others are starting to notice 'Hey, this isn't the same BlackBerry I know' from days long gone.

iPhone to me, is boring and retro by now with it's old interface that does not ever change.dannejanne, CrackBerry Member

Some folks in the forums have noticed the glaring eyes from iOS and Android users when showing off their BlackBerry 10 devices. Those glares of jealousy watching a demo of BlackBerry Hub, peeking into messages, the exceptional web browsing experience and that oh so beautiful BlackBerry 10 keyboard.

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Right then, here we go again. After having saw the device leak out in white, then red we now have a more visually pleasing black version to look at. Yes, the BlackBerry R10 as its known, has popped up once again and this time it has some specs to go along with it. They're certainly not on the same level as the BlackBerry Q10 or the BlackBerry Z10 but that's been pretty much known for a while now and was expected. Here's what's been tossed around for specs:

• 3.1-inch display, 720 x 720 resolution
• 5MP rear camera, front camera
• Support to shoot up to 2560 x 1920 resolution photos
• 2GB of RAM
• 8GB internal storage
• 1800 mAh non-removable Battery
• BlackBerry 10.1 OS

Many folks had questions about the red version because there were some obvious errors but as these images clearly show, the device is live and not just a dummy unit. You can jump below to see some more images in the gallery but do keep in mind we still don't know when this device will get an official unveiling, pricing or what markets it is even intended to be released to.

The funny thing about Instagram is that a lot of folks post things to it without giving it a second thought really. If you go looking, you'll find all sorts of things that people most likely should have kept to themselves instead of broadcasting. Such is the case with this unannounced BlackBerry 10 device more commonly known as the R10 or R-Series.

We've seen it before a few times now but it's always nice seeing unreleased devices pop up. Perhaps, the interesting thing here though isn't really the device, it's what was said about it when the poster was asked about its possible availability. "Scheduled Q3, but it's a mid tier... Plastic and all.. Nice though" Interesting. I like that red though. Also of note, there's a white one sitting in the back there and they both appear to be dummy units.

Discuss more in the CrackBerry Forums

As of April 19th, there was a server side fix applied to help with this issue. If you're still experiencing it, please review the BlackBerry Knowledge Base article found here - http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/KB34132

Looks that way. We've been seeing a lot of reports from folks on Twitter and in the CrackBerry Forums where BlackBerry World is no longer working as expected. In other words, it's just basically not loading any content at all for some folks. Interestingly enough, all of the devices we have tested it on are working perfectly fine and many other users are reporting no issues as well. As right now, we're not sure what the situation is but we've reached out to BlackBerry to see what we can find out. In the meantime, you can keep your eyes on the situation by visiting the CrackBerry Forums and we'll update this post when things get resolved or we find out more about what's going on.

BlackBerry 10.1 will be the next major update to the BlackBerry 10 platform

Now that the BlackBerry 10.1C SDK OS (10.1.0.1483) OS has landed for developers, we're getting a small look at some of the changes that will make their way to BlackBerry 10.1 as a whole. As mentioned previously, the 10.1C SDK OS (10.1.0.1483) is suggested to only be used by developers as it's not a full OS and will not really satisfy the needs of the everyday consumer. With that small disclaimer out of the way, there is already an ongoing list in the CrackBerry Forums of folks sharing what has changed. Some of the stuff was already known to be coming with BlackBerry 10.1 while some of it wasn't really mentioned before. It's far from a complete list and of course, some of it may only be for testing purposes but in any case, have a look at what has been spotted:

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The BlackBerry Z10 has been available in the UAE for some time now but it wasn't until very recently that I discovered that BlackBerry 10 users there are missing a couple of the new OS's best features. BBM Video and BBM Voice are currently blocked in the region so those folk who have picked up a Z10 don't get the full BlackBerry 10 experience that the rest of us have been accustomed to.

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It's been a hot topic in the forums - Add your thoughts on the matter

With the BlackBerry Dev Alpha C now being handed out to developers there has been a bit of speculation surrounding the device in the CrackBerry forums, especially when the battery cover is removed. As you can see from the image above posted by mdarr, the device looks just like a BlackBerry Q10 in disguise.

Of course, this isn't the first time we saw this happen. As we noted long ago, the BlackBerry Dev Alpha B units were pretty much what ended up in the hands of BlackBerry Z10 owners aside from a few internal changes.

So we have to ask. Is the Dev Alpha C a BlackBerry Q10 in disguise? Maybe some other unmentioned device? Drop your comments below or head on into the CrackBerry forums for some more discussion.

Discuss more in the CrackBerry Forums

Putting in some Saturday overtime this morning, Twitter user @KyleRyan_ hit me up to show off this sweet BlackBerry 10 Twitter header and background. We already helped you deck out your Facebook profile in support of BlackBerry 10, and if you're a Twitter user, now you can show your love on your Twitter profile page as well. This matching header and wallpaper set look pretty sweet on your page and lets everyone know that you are ready and waiting for January 30th. Hit up the links below to download. Thanks @KyleRyan_!

Download the BlackBerry 10 Twitter header
Download the BlackBerry 10 Twitter background 

Are you as excited about BlackBerry 10 as we are? If not, you darn well should be. We're only 19 days away from the global unveiling on January 30th and couldn't be more excited. It seems like we've been waiting forever but launch day is only a few weeks off.

If you're looking for a great way to show your support for BlackBerry 10, check out this awesome Facebook cover photo by forums member Suyash Srijan. The image looks great on Facebook and will let everyone know how passionate you are about BlackBerry and the January 30th launch event. If this cover isn't quite your style, head over to Pootermobile to grab one of many BlackBerry Facebook covers. Grab the full size image from the link below, then head into the forums to say thanks! 

Download the BlackBerry 10 Facebook cover photo
Discuss more in the CrackBerry forums 

"There are two types of people: BlackBerry users, and all the others." -Brian Williams

Chances are you've heard about a little publication called the New York Times and one columnist's article earlier this week that regarding BlackBerry users and how most of us are ashamed of our devices and that we're the Black Sheep of the mobile world.

In the video above you'll see a clip from Brian Williams on Rock Center last night. Mr. Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network here in the United States. He makes a statement I think many of our readers would agree with: "There are two types of people: BlackBerry users, and all the others."

He goes on to speak a bit about keyboards and touchscreens, but I'm not going to spoil the ending for you. You'll have to watch and see what happens. Be sure to jump over to the forums at the link below and or leave a comment here letting us know what you think! Thanks mchahine91!

Discuss in the forums

As posted in the CrackBerry forums by member pg101 earlier this week:

"Just got off phone with an IT gal at my employer. I work for one of the "big 5" banks in Canada... They are preparing to go BB10 from day 1....both phones and PlayBook. The gal who has a personal iPhone even says the BB10 has a better experience, the ideal BYOD product, and keyboard's ability to learn your typing errors and predict/correct is amazing. Every third word from her mouth was "sexy" when she was describing the features to me. She sounded very excited to talk about it.

On a side note, my bank tested Apple already as a replacement, and concluded that Apple still has significant hurdles to go through before it can be as safe and secure at BB. Needless to say, every other bank and insurance company here in Canada will likely come to the same conclusion, and will still continue to use BB over Apple. That is the bottom line! "

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It's always fun to see what creative ways CrackBerry readers come up with for customizing their devices and accessories to fit their needs. We've seen several custom car mounts and installations and custom snake skin cases, and now we've got a CrackBerry member who has crafted his own BlackBerry PlayBook skin.

After creating a template, backsidetailslide cut some 3M brand vinyl including the BlackBerry logo on the back of the PlayBook. Since this is the same material used on car decals, it's durable yet won't leave any residue if/when it's removed. It fits like a second skin (as it should) and doesn't interfere if the tablet is placed into a charging dock. It really looks nice and is a fun way to spice up the look of the PlayBook. If you'd like to see more pictures or join in the conversation, feel free to stop off in the forums at the link below. And as always, you can check out the skins at ShopCrackBerry as well. 

For more pictures and to join the conversation

Sitting down at my computer this morning, I shuffled through endless Tweets and news posts regarding the iPhone 5 - just as I have been all week. I read about how the iPhone 5 pre-orders sold out and how excited all the Apple fans are to get their new phones next week. I also got a chance to check out some insight from CrackBerry readers that took time to hit up the forums with their thoughts on the Apple event and the iPhone 5. There seems to be a pretty good mix of those both for and against Apple, but it does make for an interesting conversation (and a long one at that). 

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Here's some Friday fun. As forums member kjjb0204 spotted, Sprint looks to be cheating a little bit in one of their newest commercials. Seen here from the TV ad is a Motorola Admiral - however that's not Android on the screen. If you look closely you can see that the display is indeed showing a BlackBerry settings screen - oops!. Granted the average user probably wouldn't be able to spot the difference while watching the ad, but you're not fooling anyone here, Sprint! We've seen plenty of goofs like this in ads, posters and print over the years, but this could be the first one from a TV ad. Rest assured it most likely won't be the last time it happens either. 

Discuss more in the CrackBerry forums 

We have no shortage of great car kits and mounts in the CrackBerry store, but sometimes that's simply not enoughc. Take for example CrackBerry member Mark PPG. He was inspired after watching the video of the QNX Jeep and set out to complete a similar project on his car, modifying the dash a bit so he has a home for his 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook. By relocating the existing car stereo into the space previously occupied by the air vents and altering the stock radio trim, and building custom brackets to hold the PlayBook, Mark now has the perfect setup for his car. The mount tilts out so that the tablet can be inserted/removed and so that he can plug in an audio jack to play music through the car stereo. He says future plans may include a BlackBerry Music Gateway and a power source for the PlayBook.

Mark currently has just a few applications installed on the PlayBook, including a music player and a couple of navigation apps. He's looking for more so if you have any suggestions that you think would be great on a 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook in a car mount, feel free to leave them in the comments or in the forums at the link below.

Interested in mounting your BlackBerry PlayBook in your vehicle, but not comfortable making alterations like this to your dash? Head on over to ShopCrackBerry and check out the car kits and mounts; you're sure to find something that will suit your needs.

Discuss Mark PPG's customization in the forums

Our friend Bastian had Big Blue for BBWC this year (seen here with Kevin's P'9981)

Cruising through the forums today I came across this thread and it got me wanting more. Forums member wait63 came across an old BlackBerry and asked for other members to post some pictures of their own vintage devices. Currently there aren't too many additions to the thread, but I know there are plenty of you that still have some old school devices kicking around. So if you find some time today, snap a photo of those old Berries and post them up in the forums for everyone to see. Let's see who has the oldest devices out there.

Show us your old BlackBerry! 

CrackBerry member eve6er69 recently took a look at the Seidio SURFACE Extended Battery Case and holster for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and was kind enough to post his thoughts in the forums for anyone that may be interested in picking one of these up. This post comes from our Community Reviews forums. Post your review and if we promote it to the blogs you'll receive a coupon for free accessories. Read on for his review!

Seidio has gone ahead and released a welcome addition to their extended battery design for the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 and it is in the form of their SURFACE line of products. Now I will warn you this case is not for the faint of heart. I have read many comments here on the forums complaining that the added size of the battery alone is too much for them, but to some people like myself I just need something that will last me through a rough day and then some. Like I said it is not for the faint of heart because it does add some bulk to your device; not enough to complain about but enough to notice.

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Your BlackBerry addiction started somewhere, and we want to know where. Odds are that through the years you have changed BlackBerry smartphones like socks, leaving behind the old faithful for the new shiny one. My journey has included just about every single model that ever hit Verizon Wireless since the BlackBerry 8703e. The amazing people in the forums are usually here to discuss issues, help you solve things that are going on and inform us of new apps, but every now and then we get some unique ideas.

Forums user ajst222 came up with the idea for everyone to share their first BlackBerry device with the rest of the CrackBerry community, and the idea is quite fantastic. So, what was your first BlackBerry? Be sure to hop into the forums and share your pictures with the community, so we can all know just where your addiction began.

Discuss more in the forums 

Earlier this month Bla1ze passed along a story about a mother looking for a used BlackBerry smartphone on Kijiji for her daughter Claire's 13th birthday. The mother works in marketing, and passed along some suggestions for RIM, poking a bit of fun at teenagers and apps in general while doing so. Shortly after posting the story, the woman's ad quickly received over 20,000 hits, drawing quite a bit of attention to the family and the girl's birthday wish.

Well, Claire has had her wish granted, but not in the way you might imagine. Research In Motion contacted Claire's mom and gave her a brand new BlackBerry to give her daughter for her birthday! “Her birthday gift would have been delayed. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it for a little bit longer, so you know, RIM just made her 13th birthday for her,” Cynthia told CTV News. I'm sure it's a birthday that Claire and her mom will never forget.

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We want to know what your BlackBerry home screen looks like!

If you've been around the CrackBerry forums for a while, you've most likely seen our *huge* What does your BlackBerry screen look like thread. Retired forums mod naviwilliams started the thread wayyy back in 2007 and it's been going strong ever since. It's now filled with pages upon pages of BlackBerry screens - everything from plain old stock to crazy themed out creations.

The great thing about BlackBerry is the ability to customize nearly everything to fit your needs, and that all starts with the home screen. I personally like to use the stock theme and just change up the wallpaper every few days (or every Wednesday!), but I know tons of you prefer to use a custom theme to give your device that special look. So if you haven't yet seen the What does your BlackBerry screen look like thread I encourage you to check it out and post your own home screen (grab Capture It if you need something for screenshots). It's a great resource for new ideas on how to arrange your own device, and also a bit of a trip down memory lane if you check out the older (and I do mean older) screens from years back. Let's see those screens!!

What does your BlackBerry screen look like?

It looks like if you want to pick up a 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook you'll want to do so sooner than later. Forums member ubermanx received an email from Research In Motion yesterday that made it pretty clear that they will not be offering the 16GB model in the future, though the 32GB and 64GB will still be available. Of course, this doesn't mean that the 16GB will immediately be pulled from shelves and become impossible to buy. Plenty of retailers currently have stock both in-store and online. It just means that the stores likely won't be replenished when they sell through this stock. When we reached out to RIM for a statement, we were told "In regards to your question about the 16G PlayBook -there is more value for our customers in the higher capacity models (32 GB, 64 GB), and as such we have decided to focus our efforts there."

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When a disaster strikes, fast and efficient communication, organization, and teamwork are vital to managing relief efforts for a successful outcome. Forums member CrackBerryTorch9800 learned this first hand recently when his town of Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario, Canada was declared a state of emergency after record amounts of rainfall and flooding devastated the city. The flooding washed away roads and filled basements, but on top of that the sewage plant failed and as a result sewage backed up and filled people's homes causing even further damage. With thousands of people now without food, water, and shelter and desperate for help, the city pulled together and volunteers began running a command center from a local church. One of those volunteers was CrackBerryTorch9800 (whose real name is Mitchell).

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