CTIA 2008: Jim Balsillie Keynote Live Blog!

Well that was fun! CrackBerry.com's first ever live blog went off without a hitch. Big thanks to Dieter who was on the keynote floor typing furiously, and a huge thanks to the over 2,000 CrackBerry Addicts who tuned into the feed. We hope none of you lost your jobs in the process! :)

We were hoping for some BIG device announcements (to chants of storm Storm STORM!!!) which didn't come (look for that one at the Developer's Conference next month), but there was still a lot of BlackBerry goodness packed into RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie's fast and furious speech. TiVo for BlackBerry, a new MySpace app, a partnership with Slacker to provide personal radio on BBs and a partnership with Microsoft to make Microsoft Live Search the default BlackBerry search services were among the topics covered. As for devices, Jim reassured us that the Bold IS coming to AT&T (eventually) and stated with the Pearl 8220 RIM was the first to crack the smartphone in a flip phone code.

We've got Live Blog Highlights after the jump, so read on for more info, press release links, video and lots of images (thanks Joel!!) from the keynote!!!!

Live Blog Highlights

9:35
Kevin Michaluk: We're still waiting on Big Jim to take stage.... patience...
9:36
dieterbohn: Video promoting BlackBerry is on

9:36
dieterbohn: Showing Bold, Kickstart...
9:36
    dieterbohn: thumping techno BlackBeats!
9:36
    dieterbohn: doom doom doom doom doom doom!
9:37
    dieterbohn: Showing Kickstart -- facebook app on kickstart looks fine on the portrait screen.   There is it in red again (CB had it first, YO!)
9:37
    dieterbohn: Jim Balsillie takes the stage!!
9:37
    Kevin Michaluk: w00t!!!!
9:38
    dieterbohn: Mike and Jim been in wireless world for almost 20 years.   Wants to share a walk though of what they've seen in the past 15 years.   time for memory lane.
9:38
    dieterbohn: This week we've announced 3 new devices.   We're not going to talk too much about adevices, but services.
9:39
    dieterbohn: sprint nextel version of the curve, 8350i, the bold, and the pearl flip 8220
9:39
    Kevin Michaluk: the BOLD?! Didn't they announce that at WES back in May?? :)
9:39
    dieterbohn: "Cell phone market in North america has been flat for the past 5 years," but the smartphone market keeps accellerating.
9:40
    dieterbohn: Chart showing growth in smartphone market.   expecting to hit 35% in 2009 (it's 25% this year)

9:40
    dieterbohn: "every phone will be a smartphone"
9:40
    dieterbohn: RIM at 54% in the US, q2 2008
9:41
    dieterbohn: Palm 11, samsung 9, moto 9, apple 7, htc 3, other 7.

9:41
    dieterbohn: Talking about the pager.   They called the first BB a 'Pager" because pagers were cooler back then and they kind of regretted giving in because they couldn't shake the name. ;)
9:42
    dieterbohn: Talking about different wireless technologies.   Paging (one way), one-way wireless (tv, radio), two way (voice and data as we know it today)
9:43
    dieterbohn: Talking about how having paging experience actually helps with current data models.   They get 'push' is what he's hinting at.
9:44
    dieterbohn: only a "little bit of a peekaboo" at what's coming.   Most of what he'll talk about are services that are available today.
9:44
    dieterbohn: We set the gold standard in email.   (DUH!)
9:45
    dieterbohn: Diversity of messaging 'payloads' (i.e. payload is some piece of data you deliver.)   Right now we're seeing a huge diversity of payloads --im, social, sms, etc etc, but how they get delivered is still a bit of a mess.

9:45
dieterbohn: talking about the 4 screens (home, cell, internet, tv)... stole that idea from Nokia I think, but it's a good metaphor.

9:46
    dieterbohn: but nokia has the movie screen as one of those screens.   weird.   anyway, moving on to talking about services.
9:46
    dieterbohn: BlackBerry unifies all these different kinds of 'payloads' in one device.
9:47
    dieterbohn: BlackBerry supports up to 10 email accounts.   Secure enterprise, notes, exchange, groupwise, aol, gmail, microsoft, etc etc.

9:47
    dieterbohn: On IM BB supports office mobile im, im lotus, google talk, yahoo, msn, aim, icq.   all able to be secure and within enterprise.
9:48
    dieterbohn: recall the recent aol/BB announcment
9:48
    dieterbohn: ....yeah, services services services.   It's not as excting, I guess, but on the other hand -- folks, this is really where stuff is accelerating fast right now -- even faster than the crazy-fast hardware market
9:49
    dieterbohn: BB supports social networking.   Facebook, Quickr, myspace, flickr, and the enterprise social network Lotus Connections
9:49
    dieterbohn: 2.5 mlllion facebook app downloads
9:50
    dieterbohn: OO. new myspace app coming!

PRESS RELEASE: MySpace and RIM Usher in New Era of Mobile Social Networking

9:50
dieterbohn: instant push of myspace messages, browse photos, update status and mood, view profiles, browse, read, send messages and comments

9:50
dieterbohn: myspace push. This just might make myspace not .... suck. :)
9:51

Live POLL Posted:

Would you use myspace more with a BB app?

YES! ( 27% )
Nah ( 30% )
No, Facebook is where it's at ( 38% )
I never left Myspace in the first place... ( 5% )

9:52
dieterbohn: Talking about the future -- more multimedia, define 'your social self.' mmkay
9:52
dieterbohn: Talking about BlackBerry Media Sync. Big ups to BB from me for supporting iTunes sync. http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/features/media/mediasync.jsp

9:52
    dieterbohn: (no ETA on myspace app)
9:53
    dieterbohn: They're going to finally bring Windows Media Player support soon.   Very deep in the development of remote playlist management
9:53
    dieterbohn: They just announced relationship with slacker music service

PRESS RELEASE: Slacker and RIM Partner to Provide Personal Radio on BlackBerry Smartphones

9:54
dieterbohn: slacker app on the bb. 100 stations, 10k artist station. free access to millions of songs (ad supported)

9:54
    dieterbohn: I've never heard of slacker -- guess they're like pandora and last.fm
9:54
    dieterbohn: there will be a subscription service
9:54
    dieterbohn: oh sweet, it supports caching!   you don't need to be connected to use the app to get the music you get from Slacker
9:54
    dieterbohn: yes, there's plenty of DRM to make this happen
9:55
    dieterbohn: Seamless updates of WiFi and USB -- looks like it won't happen over the network.   boo-urns
9:55
    dieterbohn: ...next up: work with dipdive
9:55
    dieterbohn: "Band to Hand"   instant push, connect to bands, entertainment, music, social networking...
9:56
    dieterbohn: more coming about this at the dev. conference next month.   for now it's just "very soon"
9:56
    dieterbohn: ....ok, next up is content relationships

9:56
    dieterbohn: MLB.com app
9:56
    Kevin Michaluk: App or homescreen icon that launches a website?
9:56
    dieterbohn: oh just ....ok I lie, not an app
9:57
    dieterbohn: NFL mobile live now too.   More people went to NFL.com via mobile than did via desktop during the superbowl.

9:57
Kevin Michaluk: yeah...i don't think the mlb "app" (launcher) is "new".. just recycling
9:58
dieterbohn: relationship with microsoft -- Microsoft Live Search is now the default search in BB Browser!!

PRESS RELEASE: Microsoft and RIM to Launch Live Search for BlackBerry Smartphones

9:58
dieterbohn: that's a big score for MS.
9:58
dieterbohn: Now talking about gaming. Thousands of games...

dieterbohn: TIVO!
9:59
dieterbohn: Access and control Tivo from your BB

PRESS RELEASE: RIM &TiVo Partner to Provide TiVo Mobile Entertainment Services on BlackBerry Smartphones

9:59
dieterbohn: schedule recordings from BB.

9:59
    dieterbohn: comign soon: software applications that further smplify mobile access to video content
9:59
    dieterbohn: (my connection is getting stuttery, everybody)
9:59
    dieterbohn: (tivo streaming without the slingbox.   Sign me UP.)
9:59
    dieterbohn: Take content with you with Tivo Desktop Software
10:00
    dieterbohn: you can sync tivo shows to your blackberry
10:00
    dieterbohn: ...via the desktop client.   that's now.   the mobile streaming is 'coming soon'
10:00
    dieterbohn: man he's blasting through this stuff.   next up: UMA and T-Mo and Rogers at Home
10:01
    dieterbohn: And he's already done with UMA.
10:01
    dieterbohn: Next up: partnership with Ticketmaster.

10:01
    Kevin Michaluk: Here's the Press Release for the Tivo announcement. Came out earlier today:
10:01
    dieterbohn: Buy, browse, serach, special access to advances tix and promos, oneclick shopping, express checkout integration with BlackBerry Wallet
10:02
    dieterbohn: "Push tickets to your BlackBerry"
10:02
    dieterbohn: BlackBerry Unite - http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/blackberryunite/
10:02
    dieterbohn: Free for PC -- sync with your family content.   secure family message. etc.   Already available.
10:03
    dieterbohn: Playing to the wireless industry crowd -- you can make money with this stuff. ;)
10:04
    dieterbohn: btw: family unite and secure, corporate calendar can co-exist on the BB without corrupting either data set.   Good of him to mention that.
10:04

Live POLL Posted:

Do you use BlackBerry Unite!?

Love It ( 7% )
Hate It ( 2% )
What is it? ( 82% )
Tried it and uninstalled it. ( 9% )

10:04
    dieterbohn: now talking about BES very quickly (as though he's spending a ton of time on the other stuff.)
10:05
    dieterbohn: Security, scalability, managability, rich MAPI interface, lowest TCO (ORLY?), etc etc.
10:05
    dieterbohn: more than 150k BES installed.
10:05
    dieterbohn: MVS: read me anwhere.   built into bb.   Works with PBX and IP telephony
10:06
    dieterbohn: MDS -- works natively with SAP
10:06
    dieterbohn: any other acronyms I can throw at y'all?
10:06
    dieterbohn: OMGBBQ!
10:06
    dieterbohn: OK, FINALLY
10:06
    dieterbohn: BB Flip 8220
10:06
    dieterbohn: ...has all the spec points on the screen

10:06
    dieterbohn: 70% of cell phones are flip
10:06
    dieterbohn: innovative drop-hinge design
10:07
    dieterbohn: cracked the code of a smarthpone in a flip.   it was uncrackable before.
10:07
    dieterbohn: that 70% flip preference had been untapped.   T-Mobile in a good poition
10:07
    dieterbohn: sales of Bold in other countries has been remarkable.   perfomance has been great (browser? cough)

10:07
    Kevin Michaluk: hahaha...
10:07
    dieterbohn: The screen is the killer app.   Agreed, the screen is awesome
10:08
    dieterbohn: e're hopeful will launch on ATT in early OCT
10:08
    dieterbohn: "Hopeful" said with a laugh in refrence to Bold launch date
10:08
    dieterbohn: onto the BB Curve 8350i .. push to talk, first PTT with wifi.

10:08
dieterbohn: no external antenna.
10:08

Live POLL Posted:

Which New BlackBerry Device are you most interested in?

Bold ( 23% )
Pearl FLIP( 2% )
Javelin ( 18% )
Storm ( 57% )

10:08
    dieterbohn: he sort of chuckled a little bit when he said he was hopeful the Bold would launch on att in early oct.
10:09
    dieterbohn: Talking up BB dev conference.
10:09
    dieterbohn: and he's out.
10:09
    dieterbohn: reactions?
10:09
    Kevin Michaluk: That's IT?!?!!?!
10:11
    [Comment From smaug]
I think the coolest part about this keynote was this live coverage. ha
10:12
    Kevin Michaluk: Yeah, I agree. The coolest thing about this speech was the CrackBerry Live Coverage. We'll definitely be doing this again!   I'll be attending the BlackBery Developers Conference next month. We'll do it up.. Hopefully we'll see the Storm and a BlackBerry App store get announced there.
10:12
    Kevin Michaluk: I think that's it folks...
10:13
    dieterbohn: Yep, thank YOU everybody for checking in!!
10:13
    Kevin Michaluk: Keep Crack'n!!!!