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

Android users are more likely to have sex on first date

A recent survey by Match.com has revealed Android users need lovin’ a little quicker than iPhone and Blackberry users.

The survey was broken down by Match.com’s “Relationship Insider” Kimberly Moffit, who revealed that 75 percent of Canadian singles believe e-mail and texting have significantly improved their dating life. “More so than zodiac signs or astrology, smart phones are the new way Canadian singles can decode their dating style and determine if they’ve met their match,” … 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

iPhone, iPad owners are optimists, BlackBerry buyers extreme pessimists

The mobile devices and tablets we choose to tote around speak volumes about our attitudes and outlooks on life, should you believe the findings of a new study.

iPhone and iPad owners are the most optimistic group within the mobile device-carrying population — 29 percent of iPhone owners and 60 percent of iPad owners expect the best in uncertain times — and they’re also the least likely to get upset easily, according to a survey … 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

iPhone owners likely to invest in Apple, but not even Blackberry users want RIM stock

You may love your phone, but do you love it enough to invest in the company that makes it? Well, if you own an iPhone you are more likely to also own Apple stock, a recent survey reveals.

SigFig, an investment tracking and advice website, conducted a survey of its 300,000 members to find out how loyal mobile customers are to the brand behind their phone. The results show that 16 percent of iPhone owners … 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

Watch out Path, here comes Touch: a new messaging platform for close friends

Enflick, the Canadian creator of popular apps like TextNow and PingChat, is taking a big step forward today with the launch of Touch, a new mobile messaging platform to help you keep in touch with your closest friends and family.

Yes, that sounds a bit similar to Path, the year-old mobile social network that recently received a major update. But Touch, available for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry, is more focused on real-time chat rather than … 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

Hold onto your mustache! Foursquare gets Scoutmob location-based deals

Two great mobile apps have gotten together to make deal-hunting and city exploration an even better experience, as Foursquare has integrated Scoutmob deals.

Scoutmob is a deals app for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry that lets users claim deals only once they’ve reached a destination. Two things make Scoutmob distinctive: One, customers don’t pay Scoutmob to get these deals, they just press a button and receive the deal as an e-mail coupon; and two, the designers … 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

Apps for occupiers make organizing, communicating and sharing easier

The smartphone has been at the center of the Occupy Wall Street movement, just as it has played a pivotal role in the Arab Spring. And while the cameras in phones have recorded some of the movement’s most searing images, a growing number of apps are helping protest participants communicate and coordinate with one another.

Occupy Wall Street encampments across the U.S. have been dismantled by police actions, and as cold weather sets in, the … Continue Reading

iPad has 88% of global tablet web traffic, but Kindle Fire could start eating it

To the surprise of absolutely no one who’s been paying attention, the iPad is the clear leader in global tablet web traffic, with an astounding 88%, far greater than all Android tablets and afterthoughts like the BlackBerry PlayBook, according to Pingdom.

But while the iPad has such a sharp lead in tablet web use, almost certainly because it’s the most popular tablet, the upcoming Kindle Fire, which costs $300 less than the iPad and features … Continue Reading

Here’s what RIM’s next-gen BlackBerry “London” may look like

Zune says what? What we have here is a potential glimpse at Research in Motion’s first BlackBerry to run the next-generation BBX operating system — but honestly, it just looks a lot like Microsoft’s Zune HD to me.

It’s called the BlackBerry London, and it’s reportedly headed for release in June 2012, reports The Verge. While the image is still unconfirmed, it gives us a decent sense of where RIM could be headed.

According to … Continue Reading

Spotify brings the jams to Windows Phone 7

Music streaming startup Spotify has launched an application for Windows Phone 7, a move that will help it maintain momentum across the web and mobile platforms.

Spotify joins fellow on-demand streaming services Rdio and Rhapsody, which also offer Windows Phone 7 apps. While Spotify has captured the most headlines, it has lagged in the mobile space by not fully fleshing out its iOS and Android apps. It also recently launched an app for a limited … Continue Reading

RIM’s BBM Music app finally goes live, emphasizes song sharing

Research in Motion has finally launched its BBM Music app out of beta, giving its BlackBerry users a social way to listen to music on their devices, the company announced Wednesday.

RIM first showed-off its new BBM Music app back in late August, but it is just now rolling out to all users. The service costs $5 a month and works differently than other music services.

Each paid user of BBM Music can pick 50 … Continue Reading

RIM tries to stay afloat with 3 new AT&T BlackBerrys, including Bold 9900 and Torch 9860

Research in Motion will launch three of its latest BlackBerry smartphones in November on AT&T, the company announced today.

Research in Motion has had a tough year, with declining market share, a massive worldwide outage that angered customers, and a tablet that looks more outdated by the day. While it’s trying to stave off its doom and any further degradation of its brand, the least RIM can do is release some new phones.

AT&T will … Continue Reading