CrackBerry.com - BlackBerry

BlackBerry Z10 claims Red Dot Award for Product Design 2013

Bla1ze — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:28:00 +0000

The Red Dot Award is recognised worldwide and is one of the most sought-after quality marks for excellent design.

As if all the other BlackBerry related news wasn't enough to get excited over, there is a another piece of great news coming out of Waterloo today. Each year products are submitted to win the Red Dot Award in over 19 different categories and this years entries reached nearly 5,000.

From that list of entries, the jury of 37 members pick the best of the best in each category and this year, the BlackBerry Z10 has taken the Red Dot Award for Product Design 2013.

"The BlackBerry Design Team is honored to have been awarded the prestigious red dot award: product design 2013 for the BlackBerry Z10," said Todd Wood, Senior Vice President of Design at BlackBerry. "I am extremely proud of our world class design organization and look forward to bringing our customers more BlackBerry 10 products in the future.”

The Red Dot Award is recognised worldwide and is one of the most sought-after quality marks for excellent design. So, with that being said a huge congrats goes out to the BlackBerry Design Team on the recognition. If you're looking for more details, you can jump below to read on through the full press release.

BlackBerry goes high-tech on their YouTube ad for the BlackBerry Z10

Zach Gilbert — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:21:39 +0000

BlackBerry had said on many accounts that with the launch of the BlackBerry Z10 they would be increasing their marketing efforts like never before. Today I received an email from a CrackBerry reader showing a style of advertising that I've personally never seen. The ad was for the BlackBerry Z10 and was featured on the YouTube homepage, nothing crazy here, but wait. The advertisement was asking you how fast you are on your BlackBerry Z10 on-screen keyboard.

BlackBerry may have downsized for Mobile World Congress this year but they are there - loud and proud.

James Richardson — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:28:12 +0000

If you are into smartphones and tablets in general you may well have seen from other sites that Mobile World Congress (MWC) is currently taking place in Barcelona, Spain. In previous years BlackBerry have had two large separate areas at the expo but as we detailed a couple of months ago things are a little different for them this time around. Due to the HUGE global launch of BlackBerry 10 that started on January 30th, BlackBerry made the decision a long time ago to not go big at MWC this time around. They are there though and as you can see from the images they have a nice demonstration booth for visitors to the show to come and use BlackBerry smartphones and the PlayBook tablet.

BlackBerry will announce Year-End and Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2013 results on Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Bla1ze — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:15:51 +0000

It's getting close to that time again where BlackBerry will speak on matters surrounding their financial status and this time around, it's also expected BlackBerry will share some further details covering the ongoing BlackBerry 10 launch. The date for the Year-End and Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2013 results is set for Thursday, March 28th, 2013 and you can check out below how to tune in if you're interested in following along. We'll put up a reminder post as well as we get closer to the event date.

The BlackBerry Z10 gets priced in India. Is it too expensive?

James Richardson — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:58:21 +0000

It seems that over in India the pricing for the BlackBerry Z10 that has been announced today is getting some stick from consumers. I've seen numerous people on Twitter and in our own comments/forums stating that the Rs 43,490 ($800) price for the new BlackBerry 10 handset is too expensive. If I have done my calculations correctly that equates to roughly the same price as the Z10 is here SIM free in the UK.

BlackBerry India wants your BBM love stories

James Richardson — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:34:26 +0000

All eyes in India may well be on today's BlackBerry Z10 launch which is taking place in just a few hours, but BlackBerry are also getting loved up about BBM. Over on their Facebook page, BlackBerry are offering the good people of India the chance to win dinner for two and in addition, the romantic liaison will be filmed and premiered exclusively on the Facebook page.

Twitter for BlackBerry gets a small update to version 4.0.0.17

James Richardson — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:21:14 +0000

Just a quickie for the majority of BlackBerry users - yes, you without the BlackBerry Z10. Twitter for BlackBerry has today received a minor update to version 4.0.0.17. While the changes seem to be all back end stuff it's worth grabbing the update anyway.

BlackBerry Workspace demoed on iOS and Android devices

Zach Gilbert — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:41:07 +0000

A few days ago at the BlackBerry Enterprise Forum one of the key announcements made by BlackBerry was the introduction of the Workspace for iOS and Android devices.

Type and Go style actions heading to BlackBerry Z10 with BlackBerry 10.1 update

Richard Devine — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:00:21 +0000

As time passes, we're gradually beginning to learn more and more about the BlackBerry Q10, such as the new Type and Go feature that Vivek Bhardwaj kindly demonstrated for us. As a souped up version of Universal Search, Type and Go brings actions to key words typed onto the Q10. It's a fantastic feature, and sure to excite the heavy communicators among us.

Photo Gallery: Team Mercedes 2013 Formula 1 car with BlackBerry branding

Kevin Michaluk — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:05:23 +0000

The #TEAMBLACKBERRY hash tag was given a little extra meaning this morning with the announcement that BlackBerry is now the official technology partner and sponsor of Mercedes 2013 Formula 1 car. BlackBerry officially involved with a Formula 1 team is something I've been wanting to see for literally years. With BlackBerry 10 hitting the market globally, and Formula 1's reputation for engineering, innovation and speed, it's the perfect venue with which to associate the BlackBerry brand.

For the all the details on the new BlackBerry / Mercedes partnership, hit up the press release we posted earlier. And to feast your eyes on all the BlackBerry goodness that will grace the Mercedes F1 W04, the drivers, crew and even the timing board, scroll down.

I'm especially loving the driver's uniform. If anybody out there is reading this and knows how to get their hands on one, send it down to CrackBerry HQ. I'll proudly wear it all day while writing. I bet wearing it would make me type up articles like this even faster.

CrackBerry readers get some BlackBerry love

James Richardson — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:05:09 +0000

While I was at the UK BlackBerry 10 launch earlier today I was chatting with BlackBerry's UK Managing Director, Rob Orr and he suggested sending out a short video message to our beloved CrackBerry readers. Clearly Rob is super excited about BlackBerry 10 going live tomorrow morning here in the UK but what I wasn't expecting was that he wanted to use this opportunity to thank the loyal CrackBerry readers for their support.

What more can I say. Nice one Rob.

Waterloo buildings start getting new BlackBerry branding!

Michelle Haag — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:59:09 +0000

New logo on Blackberry building. #bb10 @ctvnews @ctvkitchener twitter.com/nicolelampa/st…
— Nicole Lampa (@nicolelampa) January 30, 2013

With the announcement today of Research In Motion officially changing its name to BlackBerry, we're already starting to see the buildings in Waterloo getting new signage! Nicole Lampa of CTV News tweeted the above image, showing off the new logo. What do you think of the change?

T-Mobile confirms they will carry the all new BlackBerry Z10

Zach Gilbert — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:35:36 +0000

On the heels of today's introduction to the BlackBerry Z10 T-Mobile has opened up a signup page for the new device. The signup page will allow you to be notified when the new device is ready for preorder, as well as offer launch date information. Currently BlackBerry has stated that American carriers will start selling the all touch device in March of 2013. CrackBerry Nation, if T-Mobile is your carrier of choice grab the link below and be the first to know when it’s available.

T-Mobile BlackBerry Z10 signup page

Rogers, Telus, Bell, and others confirm February 5th availability for the BlackBerry Z10

Zach Gilbert — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:33:02 +0000

There you have it Canada, BlackBerry has announced the Canadian carriers for the launch of the all new BlackBerry 10 powered, BlackBerry Z10. All the major Canadian carriers including Rogers, TELUS, Bell, Koodo, Fido, Sasktel and many others have confirmed that they will have the BlackBerry Z10 available on February 5th. If you’re looking to get a head start most of these carriers will also be offering preorders starting today. Continue reading for links to the various Canadian carriers.

Alicia Keys is the new Global Creative Director at BlackBerry

Adam Zeis — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:13:58 +0000

In a totally surprising move, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins announced a new position in the company today while on stage unveiling BlackBerry 10. The new Global Creative Director role at BlackBerry will be filled by none other than Grammy winner Alicia Keys. In her new role, Mrs. Keys will be talking with carriers and other partners about BlackBerry and taking things to a whole new level. Awesome to have such a big name on board and we hope that there are plenty of good things to come from it.

Research In Motion rebranded to BlackBerry

Michelle Haag — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:31:11 +0000

Thorsten Heins has just announced on stage at the BlackBerry 10 launch event that Research In Motion will now be called simply BlackBerry.

One brand, one promise. -Thorsten Heins

Re-designed, Re-engineered, Re-invented. Awesome! Full press release below.

Plants vz. Zombies now available to download for BlackBerry smartphones

James Richardson — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:10:48 +0000

PlayBook owners are probably already familiar with Plants Vs. Zombies as it has been around for some time now and offers a great gaming experience. The game has now made its way to BlackBerry smartphones and although it will never be as good to play as on the tablet or when (if) we have it on BlackBerry 10, it will cure your Zombie needs if you so desire.

How to follow the CrackBerry team on social networks

Zach Gilbert — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:41:10 +0000

With the launch of BlackBerry 10 as well as the CrackBerry.com site redesign right around the corner, you’ll want to make sure you’re following the whole CrackBerry team. Whether it be on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or Facebook, there is always one of us around to help you get the most out of your BlackBerry smartphone or tablet. Of course, you’ll always want to check out the CrackBerry Forums for help on any topic.

We've taken the time to compile a list of everyone on the team and the many of the social networks that they are affiliated with.Be sure you follow all of us because things are about to get crazy here at CrackBerry in the next few weeks and this is the quickest way to get all the breaking news - besides just refreshing the home page of course. Keep reading for the who's-who of CrackBerry.

RIM takes BlackBerry 10 development to new heights - quite literally

James Richardson — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:18:42 +0000

Just days before the BlackBerry 10 launch event a group of BB10 developers are going to build an app up a mountain. Yes, you did read that right! On January 20th a team of ten developers will be heading for a swift walk up Mount Kilimanjaro. That's some feat by itself, but in addition, once they reach the summit they will endeavour to build a BlackBerry 10 charity application.

Linkedin for BlackBerry smartphones updated - but we need more from it

James Richardson — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 17:43:05 +0000

LinkedIn got a welcome update over the weekend to version 2.1.0.37 but unfortunately the improvements were pretty minor. The new features just include contact sync & login improvements and although this is a step in the right direction it isn't quite enough for me.

While it is great that we now have a LinkedIn application for BlackBerry smartphones it's still lagging behind in terms of functionality compared to the Android and iOS versions. What I need from the app is proper notifications. If I have the app on my BlackBerry I don't want to get and email telling me I have message - I want the app to tell me and give me a Splat.

BlackBerry celebrates the MassKara Festival in the Philippines and they sure know how to throw a party

James Richardson — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 07:18:34 +0000

We've seem some exciting news come out of the Philippines recently and this latest video that BlackBerry have released keeps up the trend. Each year the people of the Philippines celebrate MassKara, a festival that is held in the third week of October. RIM got involved this year and as you will see from the above video they really know how to throw a party over there.

By the looks of things, the attendees to the party had an absolute whale of a time and many of them managed to win themselves BlackBerry smartphones to take away. Prizes apart, the party looked to be super fun, with drinks flowing, plenty of dancing and entertainment, along with the opportunity for guests to get hands on with BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBooks.

Maybe it's time for another BBM party here in the UK soon to celebrate BlackBerry 10? Actually, we should wait until the summer. The MassKara party looked great fun in the outdoors with their warmer climate. Does anyone at RIM want to send me over for the next party in the Philippines?

The BlackBerry Barkada go flashmob crazy in the Philippines - A must see

James Richardson — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 18:48:40 +0000

I'm rather partial to a flashmob dance and the one that has emerged from the BlackBerry Barkada in the Philippines is as good as they get. The event took place at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium where a BlackBerry mall show was due to take place, but in true flashmob style the BlackBerry Barkada took to the floor and surprised the shoppers who were going about their daily business.

Barkada is Filipino street slang that means a group of friends and that's something that Team BlackBerry have adopted over in the Philippines recently. And why not? It suits the bond that us BlackBerry users have perfectly.

BlackBerry in the Philippines is already huge but we have seen more and more marketing recently coming out of the country. Maybe this is something that needs to be adopted over here in the west too? It certainly wouldn't do the BlackBerry brand any harm.

RIM teams up with Esquire Magazine in the Philippines

James Richardson — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:14:21 +0000

Research In Motion has been getting some publicity in the Philippines recently when they teamed up with Esquire Magazine and had a night of extravagant fun and glamour .

Esquire Magazine celebrated their first anniversary in the Philippines with a ball gathering some of Manila's biggest celebrities and VIPs. RIM's Philippine team arranged to be one of the co-presenters of this event. It had its own BlackBerry Alcove, where it showcased devices like the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the Porsche P'9881. Prior to the ball, it ran a Facebook draw where lucky fans won a make-over and tickets to this exclusive event.

It's great to see RIM getting involved in some events which are not technology based to help boost their market presence.

FCC offers up ten steps to smartphone security with new Smartphone Security Checker

Bla1ze — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 03:57:20 +0000

Launching today, the FCC in collaboration with numerous partners including RIM have unveiled their new Smartphone Security Checker. The Smartphone Security Checker is your one stop solution for finding out how you can keep your mobile device safe and secure. Best of all it's free, easy to use and offers 10-step solutions each respective operating system out there including BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and iOS.

If you're interested in finding out how to keep your device safe and secure, be sure to check out the solutions available with the Smartphone Security Checker. Just because BlackBerry smartphones are known for their security doesn't mean you can avoid precautionary measures. As noted by the FCC, mobile security tips can help you reduce the risk of exposure to mobile security threats, something that is currently on the rise.

Learn more about the Smartphone Security Checker

New York Times DealBook conference attendees get the full hands on experience with BlackBerry 10

Zach Gilbert — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 03:42:45 +0000

Over the past few months BlackBerry has been on a world tour showing off the new BlackBerry 10 operating system to celebrities, carriers, people of the media and other influential members of the public. Their latest stop was at the New York Times DealBook: Opportunities for Tomorrow Conference in New York City.

During the conference, BlackBerry CMO Frank Boulben and Vivek Bhardwaj, Head of Software Portfolio at BlackBerry, took the stage to demonstrate the new operating system. After the presentation conference attendees were eager to get their hands on the future of BlackBerry. Check out the video to hear some of their great responses.

Christmas BlackBerry bargains from O2 in the UK

James Richardson — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 19:39:23 +0000

Whilst perusing the O2 UK website the other day I came across an interesting offer they currently have running on the lead up to Christmas. If you purchase any of their BlackBerry smartphones on pay as you go you will also receive a £20 voucher that can be used in a variety of stores, including - Argos, M&S, Debenhams, Next as well as at amazon.co.uk.

The biggest seller this Christmas will more than likely be the BlackBerry Curve 9320 and although priced at £109.99 it isn't the cheapest we have seen it, combined with the voucher it makes for a real bargain.

So Mums and Dads of the UK - if you are buying a BlackBerry for your child this Christmas you may want to consider O2 as you can treat yourself with the voucher at the same time. You don't have to tell the kids this of course!

The deal also applies to the following devices:

BlackBerry Curve 9360
BlackBerry Bold 9900
and they even have a refurb option of the Curve 9320 if you want to save a bit of extra cash.

You can order your BlackBerry smartphone plus voucher here from O2

Google drops Exchange ActiveSync. What does it mean for BlackBerry?

Bla1ze — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 03:02:18 +0000

In what Google referred to as 'winter cleaning' they announced that, effective 30 January 2013 they will be shutting down new set-ups for their Google Sync service via its Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol. Instead, they'll be offering access through access via IMAP, CalDAV and CardDAV. Because of this, we saw that the Google Sync app for BlackBerry finally give up the ghost but what does it really mean for BlackBerry, the BlackBerry PlayBook and the upcoming BlackBerry 10?

Keep an eye on your SMS allowance with Text Count Alert for BlackBerry smartphones

James Richardson — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:47:52 +0000

Text Count Alert is a very simple application designed to keep a tally of your outgoing text messages to prevent incurring additional charges. However, it has plenty of customisation included.

I can't speak for other countries, but here in the UK most folk have a certain SMS allowance whether on a contract or using pay-as-you-go. The problem is that once the allowance has been used up your network provider will then bill you for any additional messages.

That's where Text Count Alert comes in handy because as well as just keeping track of how many messages you have sent there are a whole host of notification alerts that can be set up - such as when you exceed your limit or alert once at a certain count. These numbers can all be customised so you can give yourself a warning when you are close to your limit. You can even set the app to prevent you sending text messages once you get to your allowance - clever stuff.

For $0.99 Text Count Alert is a bargain if you ask me - especially for teenagers who may be relying on mum or dad paying the phone bill each month. A great application.

More information/Download Text Count Alert for BlackBerry smartphones

LinkedIn for BlackBerry smartphones updated to version 2.1

James Richardson — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:23:36 +0000

Good news for you LinkedIn fans out there. The BlackBerry smartphone app has been updated to version 2.1 bringing some nice new features to the business persons social network.

We have only had this new and improved LinkedIn app for about six weeks so it's great to see an update so soon. I would imagine that with the deep LinkedIn integration in BlackBerry 10 we may see further improvements to the BB6/BB7 version in the future.

Foursquare updated to version 5.5.8 for BlackBerry smartphones

James Richardson — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:27:35 +0000

Our favourite 'check in' app Foursquare has received an update today to version 5.5.8. Don't get too excited though as this latest version just brings us some bug fixes relating to location issues across all supported BlackBerry devices and OS levels. Need the latest and greatest? Hit the link below to get it downloaded.

Download Foursquare version 5.5.8