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Mike Lazaridis apologizes for BlackBerry outage: 'We've let many of you down' (video) (Update: full services restored)
Now that BlackBerry services are returning to full functionality, RIM founder Mike Lazaridis has decided to issue a public apology for this week's mysterious global outage. In a video address published today, Lazaridis acknowledged that RIM dropped the ball this week, but assured that his company is working hard to remedy the situation. "I apologize for the service outages this week," Lazaridis said. "We've let many of you down." The executive went on to say that services are approaching normal levels across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, but could not give an estimate as to when RIM may see full global recovery. "It's too soon to say that this issue is fully resolved," Lazaridis explained, adding that there may be some instability as the system returns to normalcy. He reiterated, however, that his company is "working tirelessly" to restore services and, perhaps more important, consumer trust. Skip past the break to see the full video for yourself. Update: RIM is holding a conference call now and Mike just said "we have restored full services." That's said to be the status globally, so go ahead, spend a few minutes and get that BBM backlog out of your system. You deserve it. If you're still not receiving messages, RIM suggests pulling your battery and rebooting the phone. And those RIM folks probably need some sleep... "nobody's gone home since Monday," following "the largest outage we've ever experienced."
RIM to launch 6.1 update as BlackBerry 7 OS at BlackBerry World next week? (update: yes)
CrackBerry has just dropped word via "numerous sources" that RIM will be revealing the next iteration of its mobile OS at the fast approaching BlackBerry World conference -- and no, it's still not QNX. Despite consistent rumblings that upcoming devices like the Bold Touch, and Monaco would be launching with OS 6.1, it seems that RIM has decided to re-brand the update completely as BlackBerry 7, perhaps to increase the value proposition and differentiate new devices being announced along with it. However, the site also speculates that current phones running BB6 may not get any BB7 action right off the bat -- which could make sense, given that new features like NFC are only present in upcoming devices. All this is naturally unconfirmed, but if this is indeed yet another version of the BlackBerry OS, well, that certainly won't help the platform get any more developer love. Update: It's offficial. CrackBerry is reporting that RIM Co-CEO Jim Balsillie has informed investors of the new nomenclature on its earnings call, adding that "It's such a big update from 6." We can't wait to see for ourselves.
Editorial: Dear RIM, I'm your customer and I don't wear a suit
Like Joanna shamelessly admitted in her editorial a few months back, I was a BlackBerry addict. I'm also a 20-year old college student / tech-head whose phone serves every purpose from communications device to music player to TV remote. I tried to switch cold turkey and bought an iPhone 4 in August, but somewhere around Thanksgiving I gave in and picked up a Verizon Bold. I've been double fisting ever since -- using the BB almost exclusively for BBM, and my iPhone for everything else.Fast forward to late last week when I attended a meeting in New York with Tim Stevens and RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis to get the latest dish on the PlayBook. As Lazaridis demoed myriad features from HDMI presentation mode to the built-in music player on the company's hotly debated tablet, it hit me: the one question I've been pondering since getting a real look at the device. Who is it for? At that moment, I realized the problem that's been plaguing RIM as of late -- and not just in its tablet strategy, but its phone strategy as a whole: it doesn't know who its products are for and subsequently can't deliver. Am I crazy? Read on after the break and hear me out.
Editorial: RIM, we've been here before
By now you've no doubt read or at least heard about the New York Times interview where RIM's co-CEOs wound up asking most of the questions and challenged conventional wisdom about the company, or seen the BBC interview that Mike Lazaridis put an abrupt end to (see below, if you haven't). Those both offer plenty of juicy morsels for folks like us to chew on, but they're also indicative of a broader sense of frustration from the company that's getting difficult to ignore. One that is strikingly similar to what we've recently seen from another company that grew to dominate on the world stage, became a figure of national pride in its home country, and is now struggling to reinvent itself in the face of stiff competition: Nokia.
RIM called the iPhone 'badly flawed' before launch
If you were one of the iPhone's early adopters way back in 2007, you were the proud owner of a "badly flawed" device. Well, you were according to BlackBerry manufacturer RIM, anyway (see image for RIM's advice on how to best use your iPhone). A Reuters report on RIM's future (PDF) quotes an anonymous former employee as saying RIM thought the iPhone was "so badly flawed from day one. [...] Users wanted great battery life, great security, great mail handling, minimal network use, and a great keyboard experience." Two years before the iPhone launched, Mike Lazaridis, RIM founder, refused to develop a web-enabled smartphone with a larger screen. Instead, he insisted on concentrating on the BlackBerry's main strengths, its keyboard and email capability. Luckily for us, Apple struggled on with its badly flawed device, and for quite some time afterward, RIM still failed to see the desire users had for getting the full web experience on their smartphones. You can take your iPhone back out of the wastebasket now, by the way. [via Boy Genius Report]
Editorial: RIM seems to be as lost as my BlackBerry
The only way to open this editorial is to admit something I've been rather shy about on the pages of Engadget: I've been an avid BlackBerry fan and user for about six years now. I mean a real addict -- the kind who wakes up each morning looking for a blinking red LED, the kind who's refused to give up push email and BlackBerry Messenger in favor of more powerful, polished, and progressive mobile operating systems like iOS, Android, and webOS. In fact, when my Verizon contract was up last year I opted to get a Curve 8530 instead of the Motorola Droid or Palm Pre -- to say nothing of making the leap over to AT&T for the iPhone.There were lots of reasons I didn't want to give up my BlackBerry, but five days ago I lost that very Curve in a San Francisco cab. Then coincidentally, a day later I saw RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis speak at the D: Dive Into Mobile conference, where he almost embarrassingly avoided every question about the company's immediate smartphone strategy. I had always known that RIM was behind the curve (always a great pun!), but I also always had hope that the company would catch up with modern smartphones of today. Sadly, watching Mike dodge questions on the D stage took that hope away from me -- it's crystal clear that RIM won't have a solution to compete with those powerful smartphones anytime soon. So, what happens to a BlackBerry diehard like myself? Where do I go from here?
All Things D posts full Mike Lazaridis video from D: Dive Into Mobile
By now you've no doubt heard about Mike Lazaridis' recent appearance at the D: Dive Into Mobile conference, where the RIM co-CEO arrived with his own personal reality distortion field and made statements like the surprising fact that RIM "arguably" invented the smartphone, and that the BlackBerry Torch is actually fast. Don't believe us? Well, thanks to All Things D, you can now watch the complete 40-minute appearance for yourself, which just so happens to also include a fairly lengthy demo of the PlayBook. Check it out after the break.
BlackBerry PlayBook demoed courtesy of RIM's Mike Lazaridis and Adobe's Kevin Lynch
RIM has now uploaded the full video of its PlayBook's brief stint in the limelight during Adobe MAX yesterday, where Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch and none other than Mr. BlackBerry himself, RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, take the "professional tablet" through its very first public test drive on the keynote stage. The duo run through an MRI scan viewing app -- presumably in an attempt to woo the lucrative medical market -- along with the PlayBook's Air-based video player and browser-embedded Flash player, both of which seem to work pretty well. We also get a quick look at the tablet's multitasking cards, where we see that apps continue to function even from within their card views; it looks pretty nice, but at a glance, it doesn't do any tricks webOS wasn't pulling off a year ago. Interestingly, the edited video has a number of cuts -- some seem like harmless attempts to cut out boring parts, but there are a couple suspicious ones where we suspect something unsavory happened on the PlayBook or it ran just a little slower than RIM would've liked (of course, with the PlayBook's release still months out, they've got plenty of time to tighten that up while they wait for developers to submit their wares in exchange for a free PlayBook of their own). At the end, Lazaridis expertly skirts Lynch's question of when exactly the device will be released... and he didn't even need a seasoned PR rep standing next to him to deflect it! Follow the break for the full demo.
BlackBerry Devcon 2010 keynote now ready for your streaming pleasure
Can't get enough PlayBook in your life? We understand how it is. After all, it's not every day that you hear of ultraslim 7-inch tablets that promise to take your BBM life to another level. RIM must sympathize with your eagerness as well, since it's now made its Devcon 2010 keynote available for streaming online -- replete with Mike Lazaridis' impassioned speech about a "no compromise" tablet that's enterprise-ready, multimedia-friendly, and even comes with "a full gigahertz of RAM" (19 minutes into the video). It's stirring stuff, and you might even learn a bit more about the QNX-built BlackBerry Tablet OS underpinning the whole thing. The source link is where you'll find the full 142-minute show. [Thanks, Moazam]
RIM's Lazaridis: if goverments can't deal with the internet, 'they should shut it off'
RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis has made some pretty bold statements in the past, but he may just have topped himself in responding to the recent issue of countries banning or threatening to ban BlackBerrys -- to which you can now add Indonesia to the list. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal in what's described as a "fiery" interview, Lazaridis said that "this is about the Internet," and that "everything on the Internet is encrypted. This not a BlackBerry-only issue," before adding that if "they can't deal with the Internet, they should shut it off." But that's not all. Lazaridis further went on to saying that "we're going to continue to work with them to make sure they understand the reality of the Internet," noting that "a lot of these people don't have Ph.Ds, and they don't have a degree in computer science." Despite those statements, however, Lazaridis seems confident that the situation will get sorted out, saying that it "will get resolved if there is a chance for rational discussion."
RIM co-CEOs pull no punches responding to Apple's antenna statements
Thought Nokia's statement was strongly worded? That was nothing compared to the little tirade put together by RIM co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie -- a pair of dudes known for having some of the bigger mouths (and bigger egos) in the wireless industry -- in direct response to Apple's Friday press conference on antenna issues. Of course, unlike Nokia, Apple made it personal for RIM because it used the Bold 9700 as a demonstration device in its attempt to prove that signal loss was a problem for phones and manufacturers from all walks of life, but Mike and Jim are having none of it. Phrases like "self-made debacle" and "deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding" should give you an idea of the statement's overall flavor, but basically, they're saying that RIM puts a lot of time, money, and energy into avoiding dropped call issues and that you don't need a case to use any of their phones. Snap! Here's the full statement: "Apple's attempt to draw RIM into Apple's self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple's claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM's customers don't need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple."
This day in Engadget: RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis talks about his first 'touch product'
Welcome to 'This day in Engadget', where we crack open the archives and take a whimsical look back at the memories and moments of our storied past. Please join us on this trip down random access memory lane. Earlier today, RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis laid down a doozy when he implied that full touchscreen phones aren't that popular -- but last year at this time (on April 16th!) he was scrambling to explain why the BlackBerry Storm failed to live up to high expectations. Speaking to Laptop, Mike explained that the Storm was RIM's first "touch product," explaining that "nobody gets it perfect out the door." RIM's head honchos are well known for their candor, so it's no surprise that he's now talking trash on tablets. Still, you have to admire any company that proclaims buggy software the new reality, right? Also on this date: April 16th, 2009: Apple hit back at Microsoft's Laptop Hunter ads, Nokia's profits were reported to have dropped 90 percent in the first quart of the year, a hellraising carrier pigeon was reported to have been caught red handed smuggling cellphone parts into a prison, and a new atomic clock claimed to be the most accurate in the world. April 16th, 2008: Microsoft hatched a Bruce Springsteen-laden promo vid for Vista, Republican lawmakers accused Google of gaming the 700Mhz auction, and a computer synthesizer gave voice to Neanderthal man. April 16th, 2007: A few screenshots of Leopard Beta 9a410 shocked the internet, Microsoft admitted it was possible the Xbox 360 was scratchin' discs, Vonage admitted it was pretty much screwed, and the RED ONE got a hands-on. April 16th, 2006: Noelle the Robot gave birth (sort of), a Darmouth professor was reported to have invented instant de-icing film, and the Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player got disassembled, possibly predicting its death. April 16th, 2005: Future-minded peeps started thinking past Tiger, the AirScooter II was shown off, and a disgusting Hello Kitty (seriously, this thing couldn't have been officially licensed) BE@RBRICK set was unleashed. April 16th, 2004 : Phil Torrone showed us how to read RSS feeds on an iPod, the man behind Nokia's N-Gage got interviewed, and mobile social networking seemed like something that could take off.
RIM's Mike Lazaridis makes the case for QWERTY keyboards on phones, says market for tablets not 'clear yet'
Both of RIM's co-CEOs have reputations for being pretty opinionated dudes, and we feel like Mike Lazaridis in particular would go to the ends of the Earth to support BlackBerry's business model -- but at the cost of one of his own products? Speaking at a tech conference in Toronto today, Lazaridis apparently said that the long-term viability of the tablet market (iPad included) is in doubt, especially as smartphones get more powerful; that would probably serve to quash the rumors from a few days back that the company is working on its own large-display device for release later this year. More interestingly, though, were his comments that full touchscreen phones like the iPhone "aren't that popular" -- that's news to us -- and that many that end up buying them ultimately go back to a physical keyboard handset. You know, like a Bold or a Curve, for instance. Whether Lazaridis is conveniently forgetting the existence of his own Storm and Storm2, suggesting that touchscreen devices don't have a long-term future at RIM, or just saying that they'll remain a niche play for the company going forward is unclear -- but any way you slice it, we'd say it's a pretty significant dis for the Storm series and its owners. Looking at the bigger picture, it might also be a sign that these guys are still very much on the fast track to becoming the next Windows Mobile -- dinosaurs paralyzed by their own past successes -- but who knows? Maybe there'll always be limitless demand for an endless array of barely iterative hardware paired to a decade-old user interface. Update: We've received the full transcript of Mike's session from the conference relating specifically to the touchscreen phone and tablet comments, and the reality is quite a bit different from the summary we'd been working from before. As tablets go, he says that "you can't say what's the market for tablets in exclusion of... other devices" -- a fair argument, considering that the iPad's ultimate target demographic still isn't totally fleshed out -- and actually never disrespects touchscreen phones outright, instead saying that the "QWERTY push messaging experience" is still "really, really important" while acknowledging that the company "[continues] to evolve with the research and [investment] in the Storm technology to make sure we get those right." Follow the break for the transcript.
RIM CEO claims we are staring 'down the barrel of a capacity crunch,' should all get BlackBerrys to prevent it
Capacity crunch, isn't that a breakfast cereal? RIM's Mike Lazaridis seems to have been a real grouch at MWC this week as apparently he hasn't stopped talking about the doom and gloom awaiting mobile carriers over the next few years. Focusing on the bandwidth-hungry North American market, Lazaridis has criticized the apparently irresponsible network saturation growth, which he sees as being primarily driven by app-centric operating systems. If you're wondering who he could possibly be referring to, let Mike clarify it -- according to him, you could carry five BlackBerry devices for each iPhone on a network. As evidence of his firm's focus on efficiency, he points us to that freshly demoed WebKit browser, which he claims uses a third of the bandwidth required by the competition from Apple and Google. If only he wasn't implying that owning a BlackBerry would save the internet, Mike's sales pitch would be rather compelling -- those are mighty impressive numbers he is citing.
BlackBerry Storm 2 up to something "this week," socially promiscuous in November
The New York Times has a lengthy piece on RIM's and Verizon's failed attempt to upset the iPhone's dominance with the BlackBerry Storm launch. Interesting, but not as interesting as this little nugget: "This week, Verizon and R.I.M. are trying again with a Storm do-over, the Storm 2." What that means, isn't exactly clear but it would seem to point to an official Storm 2 announcement this week, possibly today. Mike Lazaridis, RIM's co-CEO was also paraphrased as saying that RIM was "about to release" version 5.0 of its BlackBerry software. Meanwhile, RIM's other CEO, Jim Balsillie, boasted of plans to "shake up the market" in November when it opens it private communication network to social network updates and entertainment content from outside sources. A move that could swiftly bring an end to the BlackBerry's "for suits only" reputation, like, totally forever.[Via Phonescoop]
Research In Motion CEO Mike Lazaridis live from D7
We're snug in our plush, comfortable seats at D7, waiting patiently for RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis to take the stage. Sit tight and the show should begin momentarily. No word on what's coming up, but you never know...Thanks to our editor-at-large and gdgt co-founder Ryan Block for handling photo duties during the show!
RIM CEO on BlackBerry Storm: "nobody gets it perfect out the door"
If there's one two things we love, it's hearing RIM's own Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis open their gaping traps. While the former was sufficiently panned back in January for exclaiming that buggy smartphone software was simply the "new reality," his partner in crime may have just done him one better. In a recent sit-down with Laptop Mag, Mike was specifically asked to address that aforementioned quote. His response? "That's our first touch product, and you know nobody gets it perfect out the door. You know other companies were having problems with their first releases." If you're struggling to translate that into layman speak, allow us: "Tough luck, early adopters!"As the interview progressed, the co-CEO took the opportunity to snub Apple on its inability to get Push Email out early on, noting that BlackBerry OS has "constantly been underestimated" and was "designed to multitask from day one." He also stumbled all over himself when it came to speaking about the BlackBerry's web browser, stating that "by writing our browser in Java, that provides our CIOs and wireless managers the assurances they need, to allow the browser to access internal information at the same time it accesses external information." We've literally meditated on that for a solid half-hour, and we still have absolutely zero idea what it means in English. Nevertheless, the whole thing is a pretty great -- if not comical -- read, so give it a look and share your colorful opinions in comments below.
SEC charges, settles with RIM executives over backdating issue
Well, it looks like RIM's top executives weren't about to get off the hook after just paying a little fine to the Ontario Securities Commission over that backdated stock options issue, as the US Securities and Exchange Commission is now getting on the act with some charges of its own. In a bit of a twist, however, the SEC has simultaneously announced that it has already reached a settlement with the four top RIM executives in question (co-CEOs Balsillie and Lazaridis, plus Chief Operating Officer Dennis Kavelman and former vice president of finance Angelo Loberto), who have agreed to pay $1.4 million in fines and give back the more than $800,000 they made in profits. No more shakeups on the board, it seems, although there's only so many times you can step down from your position before you start to look silly.
RIM reaches settlement with Ontario Securities Commission over backdating shenanigans
Gearing up to close another chapter in its tale of cooked books, RIM announced this week that the company and "certain of its officers and directors" have reached a settlement with the Ontario Securities Commission over backdating stock options. Those certain officers are more than likely co-CEOs Jim Balsillie, who also serves as a director, and Mike Lazaridis. Both men were fingered in a report last month that suggested the commission would seek a record-breaking $100 million fine. The deal is still subject to approval by a panel of OSC officials, who are scheduled to meet on Thursday. No word on what penalties they'll incur, but we'd be surprised if RIM didn't manage to skirt at least some of that record-breaking amercement.
Ontario Securities Commission seeks $100 million fine against RIM's co-CEOs
Uh oh. Remember that RIM backdating controversy from 2007? The Ontario Securities Commission sure does, and according to ReportonBusiness, it's seeking a record $100 million Canadian (that's about $79 million US) fine against co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis. If approved, that'll be the largest penalty ever to be paid by individuals to the OSC, with Balsillie expected to pay the bulk of the penalty. As usual, none of the parties involved are commenting on the case, but we reckon this won't be the last we hear about it.[Via Mobile Syrup]
