Now that BlackBerry 10 Jam and BlackBerry World 2012 are history, many developers have returned home from sunny Orlando, Florida with a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device in their hands. Some have been quietly working on their apps, some have been digging through the device to see how exactly it all works and some are just adoring their new exclusive phone.

RIM has always made developer devices available to folks though not really in this fashion, so the interest in the device itself is quite high. That said; many folks who have checked the device out found some interesting things hidden beneath the covers. Join me as we take a look at some of the goodies found within.

Read More »

* Update: It looks like NYTimes is updating their story to make it more accurate - they've already updated the headline. *

It's one thing for a journalist, analyst, or investor to have an opinion on something. But it's unacceptable for a writer to completely miss basic facts and pollute a story so badly, as the New York Times did with respect to the BlackBerry World news today.

Check out this opening paragraph and try not to laugh or cry. 

Research in Motion unveiled Tuesday morning the new BlackBerry 10 phone and operating system that the company hopes will be its salvation, in a form that looked quite rough around the edges. Among the features missing on the prototype phones given to software developers was the ability to actually make phone calls or access wireless networks.

Hello? McFly? Is there anyone home? How can a news source that is supposed to be as credible and authoritative as the New York Times completely miss the concept behind a developer alpha unit?

RIM was very careful to repeatedly and consistently use the nomenclature "developer alpha device". In fact, here is what Alec Saunders, RIM's VP of Developer Relations said at the time of the announcement:

Read More »

Starting Wednesday, May 2nd developers will be able to collect their BlackBerry 10 Alpha Dev device while attending BlackBerry 10 Jam. Just in case you're wondering the specs exactly though we have a full run down of the device.

• OS: BlackBerry 10 Developer Preview V 10.0.4.197.
• Display: 4.2-inch 1280x768 HD LCD (356dpi) touch screen.
• Storage: 16GB Internal.
• Network: Quad Band HSPA+, No LTE support enabled. microSIM.
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, NFC
• Cameras: Front Facing with no flash. Rear Camera with Flash.
• Ports: 3.5MM Headphone Jack, microHDMI, microUSB.
• Battery: Non-Removable.

Most of the stuff listed here will carry over to actual BlackBerry 10 devices, however the non-removable battery has become a pain point for some with many users hoping RIM does not release a consumer device with a non-removable battery. Also notable is the fact that RIM only has the camera and web browser loaded onto the device, in other words it's barebones but will be opened up with OTA updates as development progresses.

Hands-on photos and first impressions of the BlackBerry 10 Alpha Device - the developer test device that will allow developers to get their apps ready for the release of BlackBerry 10 phones later this year!

Read More »

With the previous leaked photos of the BlackBerry 10 Alpha Developer device having already been shown off and confirmed by Research In Motion, we're now seeing a new batch of images fresh from the CrackBerry tip line. They don't show off much more than the previous leak but, they're of higher quality and you do certainly get a better look at the device. We're not seeing any signs of the OS it is running nor are we seeing the display turned on, but alas, we're not that far off now before it'll be officially unveiled this week at BlackBerry Jam and BlackBerry World. Enjoy the pics and stay tuned for lots more from BlackBerry World 2012!

PS. REMEMBER FOLKS... this is a developer device, for developers to test out their BlackBerry 10 apps. This isn't what the first BlackBerry 10 phone will look like, so don't start making comments on it as if it were such. Thanks :)

Read More »