BlackBerry App World more profitable than Android, says RIM
Showing that it’s not quite dead yet, Research in Motion aimed to “bust a few myths” about its BlackBerry app ecosystem at the company’s Europe BlackBerry DevCon today.
RIM VP of developer relations Alec Saunders pointed out that the company is now seeing over 6 million daily downloads from its App World store, reaching 174 million per month (and over two billion downloads in total). But most importantly, Saunders wanted to dispel the notion that … Continue Reading
Dylan’s Desk: It’s the season for Monday-morning quarterbacking
If you subscribe to my newsletter you can read these columns a whole day before they appear on our website. And check out my other essays in the Dylan’s Desk series.
As the San Francisco 49ers fumbled their shot at a Superbowl appearance on Sunday, you could almost hear the Monday-morning quarterbacks warming up their complaints.
It’s no different in Silicon Valley, where the competitive sport is tech business instead of slamming heads together. Just … Continue Reading
New RIM CEO squashes Android rumors for good, promises little change
You’d think that with a new chief executive in charge, BlackBerry maker RIM would be making some sweeping changes to revitalize its ailing smartphone business.
But, in a conference call new CEO Thorsten Heins held with the press this morning, he reiterated his position on sticking with RIM’s current strategy for the foreseeable future. The big takeaway, which will surely disappoint many Android fans, is that he outright refuses to break up RIM’s control of … Continue Reading
BlackBerry’s leadership failure: The symbol of software’s triumph over hardware
The decline of Research in Motion‘s Blackberry smartphone, reflected in the resignations tonight of co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, represents the admission of failure — finally — by a leadership regime that had been in place for a decade.
More significantly, it represents the official triumph of software over hardware.
RIM has been killed by the guys in the valley, who offer superior software platforms, Apple and Google. But it’s entirely another question whether … Continue Reading
RIM co-CEOs will step down Monday…what took them so long?
After years of struggling to keep up with Apple and Google’s smartphone supremacy, Research in Motion co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis have said they will step down from the troubled phone maker on Monday.
RIM will replace the co-CEOs, who have jointly headed the company for 20 years, with COO Thorsten Heins (pictured). He has been at RIM for four years and previously worked for Siemens AG as CTO. He timidly said in an … Continue Reading
Samsung would be crazy to buy RIM (updated)
Imagine you’re a Samsung executive. You’ve just emerged from yet another Consumer Electronics Show, where your products and press conference were among the hottest tickets at an otherwise dull affair. Your televisions and phones have consumers drooling — hell, even your home appliances are popular.
What better way to top off all of your success than to buy the struggling BlackBerry maker Research in Motion?
If you think that sounds crazy, I’m right there with … Continue Reading
DeanBeat: Game companies went on a $2.8B buying spree in 2011
The social and mobile games gold rush inspired lots of investments in 2011, as venture capitalists tried to find the next Zynga. But the year was also a big one for acquisitions, particularly as big companies such as Electronic Arts tried to outmaneuver the social game giant via acquisitions.
In 2011, 77 game companies were acquired for at least $2.827 billion, according to research by VentureBeat and other sources. We didn’t count the numbers for … Continue Reading
RIM drops most-expensive BlackBerry PlayBook models to $299
Research in Motion appears to be celebrating the new year with an extraordinary price drop on its struggling BlackBerry PlayBook tablets, with all models now ringing in at $299.
RIM had already cut the price of its 16GB PlayBook model to $199 during the holiday season, but now it is taking the cost cutting further by making its more-expensive 32GB and 64GB models $299. The 16GB model is also listed at $299, but with all … Continue Reading
RIM may oust co-CEOs as co-chairmen, says report
In what will likely be the first of many major power struggles at BlackBerry maker Research in Motion over the next year, the company is reportedly considering ousting co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie as co-chairmen of the board.
In their place, RIM is considering anointing Barbara Stymiest, a former COO of the Royal Bank of Canada, who has been on the company’s board since 2007, sources tell the Financial Times. That would make Stymiest … Continue Reading
Texting still king for the 234M US mobile device users
There are 91.4 million people in the United States who use smartphones, according to a new report by comScore, but how are they using their phones? Texting, app usage and listening to music top the charts.
For three months ending in November, over 234 million mobile devices were used by 13 year olds and older, says comScore. Smartphones make up around 39 percent of that group. Android is still winning smartphone market share, up 3.1 … Continue Reading
Acer not pulling the reins on tablet development, according to founder
Computer hardware manufacturer Acer will not be letting go of its tablet division, the company’s founder Stan Shih confirmed today, after rumors circulated that the company just couldn’t keep up in the mobile world.
Companies from all walks of digital technology, such as HP, which makes PCs like Acer, e-commerce giant Amazon, smartphone manufacturer Research in Motion, e-reader company Kobo, bookseller Barnes & Noble, and more have turned to making tablets. But, like many ventures … Continue Reading
Surprise! BlackBerry 10 OS is already being called a failure
Research in Motion has become the mobile industry’s punching bag lately and today is no exception, with a new report saying its upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS is all-around awful.
A new report from Boy Genius Report asserts that the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS, which has already been pushed back until late 2012, is basically a failure and won’t be able to compete with other smartphones operating systems. This is especially true when you consider more … Continue Reading
Microsoft and Nokia considered a joint bid for ailing RIM
Amazon wasn’t the only company interested in snapping up BlackBerry maker Research in Motion.
Microsoft and Nokia, now close partners thanks to Nokia’s adoption of Windows Phone 7, also considered a joint bid for RIM, the Wall Street Journal reports. It’s not clear if the discussions were anything more than a pipe dream, as the WSJ notes executives from all three companies often get together to discuss other partnerships.
With both Microsoft and Nokia struggling … Continue Reading
RIM: First BlackBerry 10 phones coming end of 2012
You’re going to have to wait almost a year to get your hands on a new BlackBerry 10 phone.
RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis announced today that, due to the delayed availability of the chipset chosen for BlackBerry 10 devices, its next-generation phones won’t appear until the end of 2012. He delivered the news during RIM’s Q3 earnings call.
Previously, we expected RIM to deliver its BlackBerry 10 phones — formerly called BBX, and which are … Continue Reading
RIM sings a happy tune for Q3 despite falling revenue, dismal PlayBook sales
Once again, Research in Motion’s attitude towards its dismal quarterly earnings sound inexplicably positive.
For the third quarter of 2011, RIM reported profits of just $265 million on $5.2 billion in revenue. That’s down from $329 million last quarter and $911 million (!) a year ago.
But it’s hard to tell that the company is in dire straits, given the tone of its earnings release. “RIM continues to have strong technology, unique service capabilities and … Continue Reading
Apple partners with patent troll Digitude Innovations — and wow, what a deal
Apple has partnered with a patent troll company called Digitude Innovations, VentureBeat has confirmed, allowing that company to attack the world’s largest phone manufacturers of smartphones.
In a clever deal that effectively gives Apple immunity from attack by the troll, Apple agreed to some cross-licensing deals that gave Digitude the ammunition for a heavy attack against Apple’s rivals. Digitude recently filed suit against RIM, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, Amazon, and Nokia. It did so … Continue Reading
Poor RIM: Loses BBX trademark dispute, settles on “BlackBerry 10″ for new OS
It seems that Research in Motion can’t even name an operating system properly without stumbling along the way.
The BlackBerry maker has been fighting a legal battle over the BBX trademark for its latest operating system, but today a US federal court ruled in favor of existing trademark holder BASIS International. The official name of RIM’s new OS will instead be BlackBerry 10, the company announced on its BlackBerry Developer Relations Twitter account tonight.
It’s … Continue Reading
RIM to take a $485M hit on dismal BlackBerry PlayBook, lowers guidance
Research in Motion will write off an astounding $485 million from lowering the price of its underperforming BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, the company revealed today.
RIM has greatly struggled to keep up with its mobile device peers, especially Apple and Google’s various Android manufacturing partners like Samsung and HTC. The company has said repeatedly that its PlayBook tablet and a new smartphone OS, called BBX, would help lead the company to a new phase of innovation, … Continue Reading
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion brings RIM’s enterprise expertise to iOS, Android
In yet another blow for BlackBerry loyalists, Research in Motion announced BlackBerry Mobile Fusion today, a tool that will allow businesses to make employee iOS and Android devices just as secure as RIM’s own smartphones.
The announcement likely comes as a relief to IT managers, who have had to juggle multiple security solutions for corporate and personally owned mobile devices. RIM’s BlackBerry is far from its heyday as the only worthwhile enterprise mobile device — … Continue Reading
Best Buy sells out of PlayBook, cancels Black Friday orders (updated)
Best Buy sold out of Research in Motion’s PlayBook tablets this Black Friday, leading to speculation that the company was canning the tablet altogether.
Best Buy confirmed to VentureBeat that it is not canceling the PlayBook; it’s just temporarily sold out.
After purchasing PlayBooks for the sale price of $199 on Best Buy’s website, customers reported having credit cards charged, with e-mails following soon after stating Best Buy was not going to deliver the tablet. … Continue Reading
