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The Daily Roundup for 12.28.2012
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency planning to test BB10
Thorsten Heins' tearful late-night calls to the head of the US Customs and Enforcement Agency (ICE) seems to have done the trick. While the well-named bureau won't confirm if BlackBerry 10 has convinced it to abandon its well-publicized switch to the iPhone, it has admitted that it'll test RIM's new offering when it launches next year. Perhaps those forgetful G-Persons had their heads turned when they saw how deeply Evernote was baked into the new operating system.
RIM releases 'gold' build of its BB 10 SDK toolkit
RIM's reached yet another milestone in the slow-going march to its big January 30th BB 10 reveal: its SDK toolkit has gone 'gold'. Now, developers that've been courted by the Waterloo-based company at one of many BB Jam conferences around the globe can start building apps for the next-gen BlackBerry platform using final versions of APIs. As we learned back in May, devs interested in BB 10 will have the option to code natively for the unreleased OS using the Cascades framework, create HTML5-based "rich web applications" with WebWorks, or use the included toolset for Adobe AIR apps or Android ports. And just in case you were questioning industry support, RIM's also included stats in its associated PR (furnished by Five Points Research) that paint a positive picture, claiming 58-percent of those surveyed would "recommend BlackBerry 10 as a development platform." While it's nice to have those numbers as backup for its bravado, the company still has a ways to go turning the tide of consumer perception and elbowing past that other third place platform. Windows Phone 8, we're looking at you.
The Engadget Interview: RIM CEO Thorsten Heins on BlackBerry 10, QWERTY keyboards and changing cultures (video)
January 30th, 2013 marks the beginning of a new era for RIM. It will put to rest those doubters who questioned whether the company could survive long enough to complete its painful transition away from BlackBerries past and onto BlackBerry 10. The question then becomes what the market will do with this wholly new OS -- whether RIM can be more successful at regaining its former smartphone stature than Microsoft has thus far proven to be with its own mobile OS reboot. If there's one person who has put more thought into that situation than any other its RIM President and CEO Thorsten Heins, a man who will be celebrating something else in January: his first anniversary at the top. How has culture changed at RIM over that year and what can we expect from the company in the weeks and months to come? Answers to those questions and more in our full interview below.
RIM's latest milestone: BlackBerry 10 now being tested by over 50 carriers
Not much is going to make us excited about the BlackBerry world until RIM's latest devices actually ship, but today's announcement from Thorsten Heins is certainly good news in that regard. Today, he revealed that BlackBerry 10 units are now in the testing labs of more than 50 carriers, a necessary milestone that suggests the first BlackBerry 10 devices are still on track for a Q1 2013 debut. Naturally, it's a shame that the company is going to miss the holiday season, but if you have a BlackBerry fan in your life, we suppose there's always room for an IOU in their stocking. In the meantime, you'll find the full statement from RIM's CEO after the break.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement drop Blackberry for iPhone, employees get early Christmas bonus
RIM may be banking on the release of BB10 and new devices to rejuvenate the flagging brand, but the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) isn't waiting around, opting to end their contract after eight years together. ICE stated that RIM "can no longer meet the mobile technology needs of the agency," and that it intends to purchase over 17,000 iPhones for its personnel at a cost of $2.1 million. Android was also interviewed for the role, but the agency decided that currently, Apple's closed ecosystem was the best choice, offering "reliable, mobile technology on a secure and manageable platform." While this isn't the first group (or likely, the last) to drop the Blackberry, we're wondering if the remaining million government customers in North America will stay loyal after this official stamp of disapproval. We imagine employees from other agencies might also care to make a case for switching -- nothing to do with free iPhones, of course.
RIM taps 7Digital to power official BB10 music store
RIM is already well acquainted with 7Digital thanks to joint efforts on smartphones and tablets, and now its chosen the firm to power the official music store of BlackBerry 10. Not only does 7Digital bring its tech and catalog of downloads to the table, but the duo are promising to integrate the service with BB10 to provide features including recommendations and social integration. When RIM's fresh slate of devices launch next year, folks in the Americas, Australia, Europe, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa will be able to purchase tunes from the new storefront.
RIM opens BlackBerry 10 app submissions
Any BlackBerry 10 developers sufficiently entranced by their Dev Alpha units can now make good on the work they've accomplished so far. As promised, RIM is accepting app submissions for the platform ahead of its launch early next year. Fast-acting teams who jump in today should see their titles at the front of the queue when BlackBerry App World starts supporting the modern platform. They'll have to focus on full-touch hardware rather than mixed QWERTY and touch devices, however. There's no guarantee that RIM will see a flood of apps after opening its doors, but the company reminds us that there's incentives to move quickly -- 10,000 incentives, in fact.
RIM's PlayBook disappearing from online retailers in the US
If you want to get your hands on RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, you might be running out of time. It seems that the QNX-based device is no longer available in the US from retailers like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, RadioShack and Staples, with Amazon and RIM's own online store being the exceptions. We're wondering if this means newer PlayBooks are in the works -- we've already seen updated 4G LTE models out in the open and recent OS updates indicate the company hasn't given up on the much-maligned PlayBook. Potential upgrades include the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS, and hardware improvements wouldn't be a bad idea (Perhaps a flip-out keyboard addition a la Microsoft Surface?). In any case, RIM might want to move fast if it wants any chance of competing in the increasingly crowded tablet space.
RIM: first BlackBerry 10 devices to focus on mid-range and up, entry-level may be ready in 2013
RIM's Q2 earnings details have had a common theme of a silver lining to darker clouds, and that edge may have grown a bit brighter with hints of the company's longer-term BlackBerry 10 roadmap. When asked about the release strategy, CEO Thorsten Heins said that the first BB10 devices would focus on both the mid-range and high-end of the market, a bit wider than the chiefly high-end approach that has been rumored so far. While shy on details, he confirmed that the full-touch smartphone would have a screen with an HD resolution -- that's higher than on the iPhone 5, the executive was eager to point out. More intriguingly, Heins teased the prospect of an entry-level BB10 device arriving as soon as 2013. Although development was in the early stages, the new starter phone just might be ready next year if all goes well. There's a lot of questions left to answer about RIM's strategy, so we won't get too excited yet; even so, the statements are signs that the BlackBerry designer doesn't want to leave any product gaps open for very long.
RIM posts Q2 earnings: $2.87 billion in revenue, softer $235 million loss
RIM may have given us hope that its transition to BlackBerry 10 has turned a corner, but that doesn't mean the dark clouds have entirely broken just yet. The company's second fiscal quarter saw it generate $2.9 billion in revenue, a slight gain over last quarter, while it posted a net loss of $235 million -- again better than expected, but not the best news it could deliver. Waterloo's main challenge was holding on to its smartphone base. While RIM did expand the total BlackBerry user base to 80 million, its phone shipments dropped from 7.8 million to 7.4 million and were braced by shipments of just 130,000 PlayBooks, or half as many tablets as were delivered in the spring. The sunshine is mostly found in the total picture. RIM says it's still on track to deliver the first BlackBerry 10 phones in early 2013; while the smartphone maker is bracing for an operating loss in its ongoing third quarter, the higher revenue and reduced losses suggest to CEO Thorsten Heins that RIM is getting its fiscal house in order before BlackBerry 10 (hopefully) renews interest. Full details of the company's financial performance are available after the break.
The Engadget Interview: RIM's T.A. McCann on how BB10 is going social
In case you missed Thorsten Heins keynote yesterday, RIM's betting on BB10 becoming the next big thing in mobile computing. Part of Thorsten's plan to put BB10 on top involves deep integration of third party social apps like Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare into the new OS. BlackBerry has always been a productivity platform first and foremost, but with RIM touting BB10's abilities as a social platform, we wanted to know more about the plan to make it happen. So, we sat down with T.A. McCann, RIM's VP of BBM and Social Communities, to find out how he's going to reach his CEO's goal of a flowing, social OS and the challenges of getting there.
BlackBerry App World to sell music and movies, open to BB 10 app submissions on October 10th
In addition to sharing new details about its forthcoming BlackBerry 10 OS, RIM used today's BlackBerry Jam keynote to make an announcement about App World. The company just revealed that in addition to applications and games, the store will sell music, movies and TV shows -- a move that brings it more in line with rival stores like Google Play and Apple's App Store. That should please App World's 80 million subscribers (a nice little figure RIM dropped in its keynote just now). Another stat: there are currently 105,000 apps in the store, with 3 billion downloads logged since the store's opening. And, RIM says, BB 10 applications will join the herd soon: the company will begin accepting submissions on October 10th. Get it? BB 10 on 10/10? Clever, Thorsten.%Gallery-166503%
BlackBerry's new Dev Alpha B handset runs BB10, we go hands-on
BlackBerry's Dev Alpha handset proved to be quite the popular item when it was revealed earlier this year. It was so popular, in fact, that the company ran through the 5,000 it constructed in short order. So, it had to build a whole new batch of developer handsets to meet the demand, and thus was the Dev Alpha B born. We got our mitts on this new bit of kit and had a chance to see how it handled RIM's latest incarnation of BB10, so join us after the break for our impressions.
RIM puts BlackBerry 10 on display: new alarm, Peek gesture and more
At today's RIM event, the BlackBerry maker gave us a closer look at BB10, with CEO Thorsten Heins talking up the operating system as "all about getting things done" and coining the interface "BlackBerry Flow." He demoed a new Peek feature that lets users access the message notifications screen with a right angle gesture. The function can be used in any app: performing the swipe takes users to the BlackBerry Hub where they can view Tweets, messages and other notifications. There's also a new clock and alarm system, which works by the user holding their fingertip on the bezel and sliding it to the appropriate time to set an alarm. There's also the business-friendly Balance feature we already knew about, which will let users' IT departments access corporate email and perform remote wipe without affecting the rest of the phone. With Balance, BlackBerry phones essentially have two profiles, one secured for the work environment and one for personal use. It just so happens that we already got a hands-on look at the software running on a Dev Alpha B handset: take a look here.
BBM for BlackBerry 10 gets a retooled UI, predictive keyboard with language detection
Everyone's favorite messaging service, BBM has broke from cover in its new BlackBerry 10 digs at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012. The software is sporting a redesigned UI, which places the focus on your contacts' photos instead of the regular ol' list of names. Speech bubbles that we've all become familiar with are still here and emoticons get cozy as well. Another new feature is the predictive keyboard that's capable of detecting the language that you're typing in and offers the appropriate suggestions that you may need -- even if you're switching back and forth.
RIM: BlackBerry 10 carrier testing starts in October, OS remains on schedule
Worried that RIM might face any further delays of BlackBerry 10? Don't be. CEO Thorsten Heins just confirmed at his BlackBerry Jam presentation that carrier testing for the new OS should begin this October, and that the platform launch is still slated for early 2013, as we were told this spring. As he's mentioned in the past, Heins believes carriers are "excited" about the BlackBerry update, implying that this is what's driving the certification process months in advance. Whether or not optimism is alive and well among providers, the news could be a relief for carriers and BlackBerry developers alike, either of which is likely keen to minimize the shift towards an Android-and-iPhone duopoly in the smartphone space.
Live from Blackberry Jam Americas 2012!
Details about BlackBerry 10 have been trickling out for months now, but BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 is finally here, and we're hoping to get a longer look at RIM's next-gen OS. Company CEO Thorsten Heins is kicking things off with his keynote this morning, so join us after the break as we bring it to you live. September 25, 2012 11:30 AM EDT
BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 starts tomorrow, get your liveblog here!
You may think that RIM's down and out, but Thorsten Heins thinks he has the Canadian mobile giant back on track, and he'll be telling us why at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012. The show starts at 8:30AM Pacific Time tomorrow, so keep it locked on our liveblog and see what he has to say as it happens. We can't say for certain precisely what he'll be talking about, but we've got a sneaking suspicion that BlackBerry 10 will be heavily involved. Tune in tomorrow to find out!
RIM licenses Microsoft's exFAT file system to stuff extra-large files into BlackBerry devices
RIM has big ambitions for media on BlackBerry hardware -- really big. Accordingly, it just reached a patent licensing deal with Microsoft that lets it use the exFAT file system on "certain BlackBerry devices." We have a hunch that's a reference to future BlackBerry 10 phones and tablets rather than retrofits of existing (and likely incapable) mobile gear. The move will let any devices that do recognize exFAT handle much larger files, such as long videos, in addition to streamlining transfers between computers and other gadgets. The conditions of the deal haven't been given out, but we suspect RIM's negotiations with Microsoft were on more voluntary terms than those faced by Android supporters.