BlackBerry

Microsoft, RIM ink patent deal on storage tech

Microsoft and Research In Motion today said they have signed a patent licensing agreement that gives RIM access to Microsoft file system technology.

That technology is called Extended File Allocation Table -- or "exFAT" for short -- and Microsoft says it optimizes files for use on flash storage, which is overwhelmingly the storage of choice on smartphones and tablets.

"Today's smartphones and tablets require the capacity to display richer images and data than traditional cellular phones," David Kaefer, the general manager of intellectual property licensing at Microsoft said in a statement. "This agreement with … Read more

Which phone should you buy?

This story, originally published September 14, 2012, updates often to reflect the arrival of new phones.

"Which phone should I buy?" This is the single most common question readers like you ask us phone reviewers every day. With the launch of a new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone and upcoming BlackBerry Q10 joining the Apple iPhone 5, a legion of excellent Android handsets, and the rise of Microsoft's Windows phones, the choices are more numerous than ever before.

On the bright side, options are a good thing -- if you're armed with the knowledge necessary to make smart shopping decisions. Sit tight as we lay out what you need to find the right mobile platform and model for you.… Read more

BlackBerry sinks to zero sales in 'a meaningful number' of stores

Research In Motion has several things to worry about. But who knew shelf space was one of them?

Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette told All Things Digital in an interview published today that his retail checks indicate "BlackBerry sales were largely unchanged in August versus July; however, we detected meaningfully lower inventory levels versus a month ago." Translation? Carriers are content with fewer BlackBerrys, since they might not sell many of them.

In fact, Faucette said that he found "a meaningful number of carrier retail locations which had not sold a single BlackBerry in over a month.&… Read more

RIM: BlackBerry 10 to have biggest app-etite at launch

RIM may be months away from its first BlackBerry 10 OS offering, but the ailing BlackBerry-maker wants you to know that it's committed to a thriving app market at launch.

In fact, Alec Saunders, RIM's vice president of developer relations and ecosystem development, told CNET that RIM intends to launch its OS with more apps than any other first-generation operating system.

The pressure on Saunders and team to perform explains why RIM has been hitting app creators hard since May hosting BlackBerry Jam developer sessions around the world, including two here in the San Francisco Bay Area.… Read more

BlackBerry 10 London leaked photo shows touch-screen phone

A new leaked photo of the BlackBerry 10 smartphone, or the "London," promises a completely different looking BlackBerry than the world is used to.

According to the BlackBerry news site N4BB, a photo of the device (which is designed by Porsche) shows a slender touch-screen phone that is the color "gun metal." Several apps are shown in the photo, including Facebook, BBM, and DocsToGo.

Another leak posted by BlackBerryItalia.it shows a video (see below) of the smartphone with a removable 1800mAh LS1 battery.

The London is the first BlackBerry 10 and is slated to have … Read more

BlackBerry 10 road show: Can it revive RIM?

Research in Motion CEO Thorsten Heins said the company is planning to take its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones on a road show to woo carriers, developers and ultimately consumers.

In two separate interviews with CNET News' Roger Cheng and ZDNet, Heins outlined RIM's product cadence, roughly six new devices and smartphones that look and feel better than previous efforts.

RIM has two devices that will launch almost in tandem---a touchscreen only device similar to a test device unveiled in May as well as QWERTY version similar to the Bold. Heins said the hardware is largely complete, but the software &… Read more

Mobile market shrinks; Gartner blames economy, iPhone 5

The worldwide mobile phone market shrank in the second quarter of this year, with sales falling by 2.3 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago, according to research company Gartner.

The reason for the decline was the "challenging economic environment," Gartner said, as well as phone owners holding out for high-profile device launches later this year such as Apple's iPhone 5.

Gartner warned that the third quarter may be "weaker than usual" for Apple depending on when exactly the iPhone 5 is released. The device is expected to be announced in September … Read more

RIM chief: BlackBerry 10 could be licensed to handset rivals

Research In Motion's upcoming operating system, BlackBerry 10, could soon be made available for non-BlackBerry devices, according to the company's chief executive, Thorsten Heins.

Heins told Bloomberg that QNX, the software that BlackBerry 10 is based on, is "already licensed across the automotive sector... we could do that with BlackBerry 10 if we chose to."

"The platform can be licensed," he added -- but did not confirm the software would be licensed. Samsung, which was recently rumored to be considering using BlackBerry 10, said last week it had not considered buying any licenses for the software. … Read more

RIM CEO: Health care, smart-grid markets interested in BB10

If you take CEO Thorsten Heins' word for it, the next Research in Motion operating system -- BlackBerry 10 -- isn't intended just for mobile devices, and is already drawing interest from other industries.

In an interview with CNET, Heins said businesses in the health care and smart-grid fields have already expressed interest in using the operating system. The company likes to tout that QNX, the software BlackBerry 10 is based on, powers a number of different systems, including cars.

Eventually, BlackBerry 10 will power devices and equipment in multiple industries, Heins said. For instance, he said, the auto … Read more

RIM looks to offload NewBay in bid for cash

Research In Motion is trying to find suitors for a cloud-services provider it bought back in October, according to a report.

According to Reuters, citing sources, RIM is trying to find buyers that would take NewBay off of its hands. NewBay, which RIM acquired back in October for a reported $100 million, offers cloud services to operators and device makers trying to deliver multimedia to handsets, PCs, tablets, and televisions. Reuters' sources didn't say how much RIM might be trying to fetch in a sale.

RIM's reported NewBay move is just the latest rumor to fly about its … Read more