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RIM reports Q3 2011 earnings: $5.2b revenue, $265m net income and 14.1 million handsets shipped
News out of Waterloo isn't all bad today, as Research in Motion has revealed its financial results for the third quarter of 2011. While the company previously had to scale back its earlier earnings projections of $5.6 billion in the quarter, it's apparent the firm came close to meeting that mark. After close of the markets today, RIM reported $5.2 billion in revenue with $265 million in net income and 14.1 million handsets shipped. The company was only able to eke out 150,000 PlayBook tablets during this time frame, however, which no doubt contributed to these reduced numbers. Unfortunately, the market hasn't taken so kindly to the revelation, as RIM's stock has fallen seven-percent in after hours trading. In a small bit of positive news, the firm reports that its subscriber count is up 35-percent year-over-year, which now totals 75 million subscribers. Looking forward, the company expects to bring in between $4.6 and $4.9 billion in revenue for the next quarter, where it hopes to ship between 11 and 12 million units. Co-CEO Jim Balsillie referred to the last few quarters as among the most trying in the company's history, and promised to re-evaluate RIM's product portfolio, R&D strategy and to "leave no stone unturned" as it seeks to regain prominence in the smartphone world. Meanwhile, co-CEO Mike Lazaridis reaffirmed the commitment to the PlayBook OS 2.0, which remains on track for a February launch. As for the QNX-based BlackBerry 10 smartphones that we've been looking forward to, Lazaridis said to not expect anything until late 2012. Apparently, its availability will be hampered by a critical chipset supply that's not expected to become available until mid-next year. In other words, unless consumers develop a love for BlackBerry 7 OS real quick, 2012 may sadly be another ugly year for the folks in Waterloo.
DingleBerry breaks PlayBook free from RIM's chains (again), Android Market access makes a comeback
To root or not to root? For savvy PlayBook owners running beta 2.0, that should no longer be a question. With the recent release of DingleBerry, users comfortable with command lines have been enjoying superuser privileges on the slate, but the fun could've been short-lived. RIM moved swiftly to issue an update that addressed the security hole, effectively crippling the exploit. But as hacker Chris Wade made known via Twitter last night, a new workaround has already been finagled. Full Android Market access has, once again, been restored to the tab, although there's still no fix for Hulu just yet. So, if you're keen to reap the unintended fruits of Waterloo's 7-incher, you'll likely want to sidestep any further OTA updates. Or, y'know, you could actually just buy a proper Honeycomb tablet.
RIM loses BBX trademark battle, next OS is named BlackBerry 10
Die-hard fans of RIM's mobile efforts should put those BBX tattoo plans on hold, as the US Federal Court has blocked the company from using the BBX trademark, favoring the existing use by BASIS International for its software. As a result, the boys from Waterloo just announced at BlackBerry DevCon Asia that the new name for its next phone OS is BlackBerry 10 (and the Roman numeral for 10 is... ah, we see what you did there.) Let's hope RIM's plans for pulling its tablets and phones into a single unified platform are better executed than its naming process -- next time, they should probably just leave it up to the machines.
DingleBerry jailbreak hits beta, frees PlayBooks until tomorrow
Been awaiting the release of a PlayBook jailbreak with bated breath? Well if you've got Canada's favorite tablet and are rocking Windows, you're in luck as DingleBerry has just gone live. While beta 0.2 of the tool won't re-enable web access to Hulu, the haxors responsible are adamant it'll come in due time, as will a Mac version. The team pushed up the release schedule as RIM informed them their exploit will be plugged in an update tomorrow -- so we'd skip that OS upgrade if you like being rooted. Want to break the biggest BlackBerry free from the clutches of QNX? Hit the source and let us know how it works out in the comments.
RIM takes $485 million hit on the PlayBook in Q3
Just how much is the PlayBook costing RIM? The BlackBerry-maker revealed that it will be taking a $485 million hit in the third fiscal quarter, thanks to the QNX-packing tablet. The charge reflects flagging sales on the PlayBook, which moved some 500,000 units in its first quarter, followed by 250,000 and 150,000 in the following two. In spite of such numbers, the Canadian smartphone manufacturer remains committed to the tablet, which has seen some healthy price drops in recent weeks, in hopes of staying competitive amongst new crop of budget tablets.
RIM: 'We're committed to the keyboard'
With all the gossip about BBX screens becoming more tablet-like and the rumored BlackBerry 'London' being QWERTY-less, lovers of the physical keyboard can be forgiven for getting antsy. Hey, we feel it too -- after all, a BB's thumb pad is as quintessential as Québécois poutine. So, we put the question straight to one of our buddies at RIM. His unhesitating (yet not totally unambiguous) reply? That RIM will "maintain choice within its product portfolio" and is "absolutely committed to building more great keyboard-based smartphones." There you have it. Now, did someone mention cheesy fries?
Appcelerator developers warm to Windows Phone, give BlackBerry the cold shoulder
As the year winds to a close, it seems that developer sentiments have shifted since we last checked in with Appcelerator and its opinionated community of coders. In a survey performed in conjunction with IDC, the results suggest a steady interest to develop for smartphones and tablets of the iOS and Android variety, but also reveal a punctuated surge in enthusiasm for Windows Phone. The platform experienced an eight percent uptick since last quarter, with developers citing Nokia's involvement as a primary motivating factor. While Microsoft's OS still lags significantly behind the front-runners, it has significantly separated itself from other competitors. For instance, interest in BlackBerry smartphones fell by seven percent, to roughly half that of Windows Phone. It should be noted that this survey doesn't reflect the development community as a whole, but merely of Appcelerator Titanium users -- if you're curious, the product is a cross-platform development environment for mobile apps. While the 2,160 respondents may not perfectly represent reality, we wouldn't be surprised if they were darn close.
QNX-based BlackBerry 'London' purportedly shown off, dummy unit-style
If the above image is to be trusted, what you spy with your little eye may be the very first BlackBerry smartphone to sport RIM's QNX-based operating system, known more recently as BBX. With bold angular lines that smack heavily of the P'9981, this touchscreen slab (code-named "London") is said to be thinner than the iPhone 4 and will dutifully stand tall when placed on its side. Before you get too excited, however, keep in mind that the above image could very well be a concept, prototype -- or, even a masterful forgery. For what it's worth, The Verge was informed that this model is merely a dummy unit, although the actual device is alleged to contain a 1.5GHz dual-core TI OMAP processor with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of on-board storage. An 8-megapixel rear camera is also said to be in the mix, along with a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter and a June 2012 release date. Sure, it's easy to be excited about Waterloo's forthcoming wares, but sadly we're forced to take this one with a heapin' spoonful of skepticism. So, who's hoping Mr. London becomes a reality?
Mystery BlackBerry smartphone pops up at FCC, teases us with REA71UW model number
REA71UW. Mean anything to you? Us either. What we do know, however, is that this is indeed a RIM-made BlackBerry smartphone, and so far as we can tell, it'll ship with BlackBerry 7 OS onboard. It's also clear that this guy's rocking the requisite bands for use on AT&T's 3G network (850 / 1900), but outside of that, most everything else remains a mystery. Hit the source link to dig into the associated SAR reports, and keep it locked for more as it turns up.
RIM to forge ahead with Flash on the BlackBerry PlayBook, even if it's dead
Adobe may have killed off Flash for both TVs and mobile devices, but that isn't stopping RIM from continuing to support it on the PlayBook. In a statement provided to All Things D yesterday, the BlackBerry manufacturer confirmed that it's not giving up on the dream just yet, because it's one of the Flash Player source code licensees that Adobe will continue to support post mortem: "As an Adobe source code licensee, we will continue to work on and release our own implementations. RIM remains committed to delivering an uncompromised Web browsing experience to our customers, including native support for Adobe Flash Player on our BlackBerry PlayBook tablet (similar to a desktop PC browser), as well as HTML5 support on both our BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook browsers. In fact, we are pleased that Adobe will focus more efforts on the opportunities that HTML5 presents for our developers, and shares our commitment to HTML5 as we discussed together at DevCon Americas." It certainly sounds strange for RIM to issue such a ringing endorsement of an ostensibly moribund platform, though it's not entirely unreasonable, considering the fact that Flash is a major component of QNX. Still, it's hard for us to see RIM expanding the medium much further, at a time when virtually everyone else seems committed to an HTML5 future.
RIM: BBX smartphones will have same resolution, aspect ratio as PlayBook, BES support, too
Wondering what RIM's got up its sleeves for its forthcoming lineup of BBX-based handsets? According to the company, it's derived at least some of its inspiration from its very own BlackBerry PlayBook. Speaking to PC Mag, VP of Developer Relations and Ecosystem Development Alec Saunders confirmed that the manufacturer's next generation smartphones will boast the same 1024 x 600 display resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio that you'll find on the PlayBook, all squeezed into a smaller frame. He also reassured developers that apps designed for the tablet will be compatible with BBX handsets. "Look, if you build [an app] for the PlayBook, then it will run on BBX," Saunders explained. "We have maintained aspect ratios, BBX also has the ability to upload multiple dimension graphics... [and the standard resolutions] are the same as PlayBook." Oh, and as for those rumors that RIM's first BBX phone (Colt?) would lack BES support? Pure hogwash, according to Saunders, who said the phones will also feature a native e-mail client, and that users shouldn't expect BBX "to be behind the PlayBook."
RIM releases BBM SDK for WebWorks, injects some chatting flavor into your apps
This year's BlackBerry DevCon might have come and gone with nary a mention of BBM's flagrant promiscuity, but RIM did give us some other BBM news. The Canuck company's BBM Social Platform SDK is now up for general availability after recently hitting version 1.0. The release extends its venerable messaging protocol to WebWorks developers, allowing their wares to initiate chats and incorporate BBM statuses, avatars and personal messages from the service. Also on the docket is "application-to-application background communication," which we presume enables a smorgasbord of behind the scenes cross-application chattiness. Finally, Crackberry developers will be able to start file transfers over the protocol, including virally sharing apps between users. Sounds like the 'Berry of the future is gonna be much more reliant upon Waterloo's messaging platform, so let's just hope there aren't any more outages.
RIM confirms PlayBook OS 2.0 delayed until February, still no BBM in sight
Well, we hope you weren't expecting to have PlayBook 2.0 up and running on your BlackBerry tablet any time soon, cause it's been officially delayed till at least February. Word has come straight from the mouth (well, keyboard) of David Smith, senior vice president for the PlayBook project. In a blog post Smith announced that RIM would be holding back on the release to ensure many of the new features, including native email and enterprise app deployment, work as advertised. The OS update will be getting a decently long beta test, with it rolling out to some in the Early Adopter Program "shortly." Sadly, it seems that some features have fallen by the wayside with the focus on polish -- namely, BBM. Since the messaging service relies on a one-device per-PIN model, getting it on the tablet has proved troublesome. For now users will have to rely on BlackBerry Bridge and their RIM handsets to get their BBM fix. Considering the company's track record, we wouldn't be shocked if the OS update slips even further into the future -- remember an email client was promised within 60 days of launch... that was back in April.
RIM announces PlayBook 2.0 Developer Beta and Runtime, marries Android to BlackBerry
Research in Motion announced the developer beta of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 today at its annual DevCon event. The new beta will be released today, and has a few goodies that we've been waiting a long time for: namely, BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the BlackBerry Plug-In for Android Development Tools, which will give developers the opportunity to bring their Android apps to the PlayBook. Also coming along for the ride is support for Adobe AIR 3, Flash Player 11 and WebGL, a new tech that enables hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to show in the browser without needing additional software. Needless to say, this changes the ballgame a bit for Waterloo. Sounds great, but is it enough to keep the company's head above water? Remains to be seen, but check out the press release after the break to get the full scoop, and head over to the Runtime site to get started.
Research in Motion announces BBX, 'combines the best of BlackBerry and QNX'
And it's real, folks -- RIM has made BBX, its latest mobile platform, official at its DevCon keynote. Dan Dodge, President of QNX, mentioned that the new OS -- designed for smartphones and tablets alike -- is a "single, unified platform for the whole world," incorporating Enterprise, NOC and cloud services. BBX will offer over 100 open source libraries and is certified for POSIX, which should entice more developers to use the new platform. It'll support HTML5 (which "acts as a bridge between old BlackBerry versions and BBX"), NativeSDK and Adobe AIR / Flash, as a few examples. Finally, the OS will offer a new advanced graphics framework called Cascade UI, enabling Super Apps that provide smooth 3D animations and deep integration with BBM and Push services on the device. Make your way to the presser below to get all of the details.%Gallery-136850%
BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011 keynote liveblog!
RIM's hit a bit of a rough patch lately, but that doesn't mean the company can't thrill us here at DevCon Americas 2011. Mike Lazaridis is in the house, and we're expecting some good news to come out during his keynote. What's DevCon got in store? All will be revealed in due course, so bookmark this page and tune in at the times below for the big show. Feel free to throw your time zone and day in the comments below, you know you want to. 05:30AM - Hawaii (October 18th) 08:30AM - Pacific (October 18th) 09:30AM - Mountain (October 18th) 10:30AM - Central (October 18th) 11:30AM - Eastern (October 18th) 04:30PM - London (October 18th) 05:30PM - Paris (October 18th) 07:30PM - Moscow (October 18th) 12:30AM - Tokyo (October 19th)
BlackBerry DevCon starts today, get all the liveblog action right here!
It's only hours away from starting, so all you BlackBerry fans should be good and hyped for DevCon 2011. Will we finally see the promised Android app player for the PlayBook? Could those oft-rumored QNX handsets show up in the flesh? There's only one way to find out, so bookmark this page right here and tune in at the times below to see what RIM reveals to the world in sunny San Francisco. Feel free to throw your time zone and day in the comments below, you know you want to. 05:30AM - Hawaii (October 18th) 08:30AM - Pacific (October 18th) 09:30AM - Mountain (October 18th) 10:30AM - Central (October 18th) 11:30AM - Eastern (October 18th) 04:30PM - London (October 18th) 05:30PM - Paris (October 18th) 07:30PM - Moscow (October 18th) 12:30AM - Tokyo (October 19th)
QNX shows off its versatility, powers OnStar accessories as well as floundering tablets
Back in April of 2010, RIM snatched up a little known property called QNX, which primarily powered in-car infotainment systems. As we all know, that little OS eventually became the platform on which the PlayBook was built -- but QNX hasn't left the dashboard behind completely. Turns out the software inside OnStar's FMV, which went on sale in July, is actually QNX's Neutrino RTOS. Why are we only finding out about it now? Who knows, but maybe there's some sweet BlackBerry and OnStar integration coming once RIM puts QNX in phones. Check out the PR after the break.
RIM's Q2 earnings report: $329 million in net income, not enough to fend off critics
The first quarterly earnings report post-Wake Up Call have just been published for Canada's own Research in Motion, and while the cash is still flowing, investors and analysts alike aren't feeling too rosy about the future. Despite Q2 revenue of $4.2 billion and a GAAP net income of $329 million, RIM's stock plummeted nine percent following the news. Why? That reality was at the lowest end of estimates, and as we've seen, it takes a blowout quarter to please the folks on Wall Street. Nevertheless, the company's touting a subscriber base that ballooned 40 percent year-over-year (surpassing 70m total), and while it's quick to trumpet the rollout of seven new smartphones, not a one of them managed to astound the QNX-desiring critics. The report also notes that 10.6 million handsets were moved in the quarter, around $780 million was invested as "part of a consortium of companies that successfully bid to acquire intellectual property assets from Nortel," and it's forecasting that BlackBerry smartphone shipments in Q3 will grow between 27 percent and 37 percent compared to Q2. Sadly, the company only "shipped" 200,000 PlayBook tablets, with the prevailing thought being that it actually sold far fewer. Moreover, nary a forecast was given for future PlayBook sales.As for thoughts from the head honcho(s)? Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO, stated that "overall unit shipments in the quarter were slightly below our forecast due to lower than expected demand for older models," further noting that his firm will "continue to build on the success of the BlackBerry 7 launch to drive the business as we focus our development efforts on delivering the next generation, QNX-based mobile platform next year." Next year is a long, long way away, though, and there's no doubt whatsoever what kind of competition will be in place by the time 2012 rolls around. We'll be hopping on the analyst call here in a few, and you can look beyond the break for any notable mentions.
Citrix Receiver comes to PlayBook, RIM maintains enterprise credentials
RIM has always been a business thoroughbred, and this lineage continues with the release of Citrix Receiver for its PlayBook slab. Currently in beta, the remote access / virtualization tool is available via the BlackBerry App World, and boasts a smorgasbord of features sure to keep even the most tortured of Sys-Admins happy. Like? The ability to control which of your company's applications are available, multitasking, single sign-on access, and of course secure access to your enterprise systems. This ain't the first slate to offer up the service -- HP's now-defunct TouchPad had it months ago -- but at least it's keeping the enterprise happy while dodging that consumer-focused firestorm.