RIM says will still make keypads for BlackBerrys

Research in Motion Ltd. says future BlackBerry models will still offer physical keyboards.

Some reports suggested RIM would ditch the physical keys favored by its users, but CEO Thorsten Heins said Wednesday that RIM won't lose the focus on physical keypads.

Heins unveiled a prototype touchscreen BlackBerry on Tuesday.

Read more: IBNLive

Read more »

Blackberry maker posts $125m loss

Blackberry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) has reported a quarterly loss, due in part to falling revenues on the back of weak smartphone shipments.

The Canadian company made a net loss for the three months to 3 March of $125m (£78m), compared with a profit of $934m a year earlier.

Revenues fell to $4.2bn from $5.2bn. The firm also suggested it would refocus on the corporate market rather than on individual consumers.

Read more: BBC News

Read more »

Amazon weighed buying RIM but interest cooled

[ via Reuters ] 20 Dec

Research In Motion Ltd has turned down takeover overtures from Amazon.com Inc and other potential buyers because the BlackBerry maker prefers to fix its problems on its own, says Reuters.

Amazon hired an investment bank this summer to review a potential merger with RIM, but it did not make a formal offer, said one of the sources. It is not clear whether informal discussions between Amazon and RIM ever led to specific price talk, or who else had approached RIM about a takeover.

read Reuters for more

Read more »

The Royal Pursuit: Prince Harry in BlackBerry mugging drama

[ via Mail Online ] 17 Dec

Prince Harry became embroiled in a real-life crime drama when he came to the rescue of one of his best friends after he was mugged on a London street.

Prince Harry (L) becomes the first Royalty to walk into Police Station to report a crime  - Friend  Thomas (R)

According to police records, the Prince was on the phone to Thomas van Straubenzee at the exact moment a robber took his friend’s BlackBerry mobile.

Harry heard the scuffle taking place and immediately drove to the scene with his protection officer. Fearing 28-year-old Mr van Straubenzee had been hurt, the Prince circled the streets of Battersea, South-West London, looking for him.

When he could not find his friend, he  drove to the nearest police station where he found Mr van Straubenzee reporting the crime. Because he had overheard the mugging taking place, Prince Harry was required to give a police statement, which is now part of an ongoing investigation.

Read more.

Read more »

Blackberry 10 launch delayed

[ via BBC News / Business ] 15 Dec

Research in Motion (RIM), which makes Blackberry phones has announced a delay to the launch of its new Blackberry 10.

The Blackberry 10 phones were supposed to be on sale in the first three months of 2012, but RIM now says that Blackberry 10 won't be available until late in the year.

It blamed the advanced chips for the phones not being available until the middle of the year.

There was also disappointment at the prediction of sales of between 11 and 12 million smartphones in the current Christmas quarter, down from 14.8 million in the same period last year.

Read more »

Hackers jailbreak BlackBerry PlayBook

The News 1 Dec

Three hackers in Toronto say they have exploited a vulnerability in Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet to gain root access to the device, a claim that could damage the BlackBerry maker's hard-won reputation for security.

In a response to queries, RIM said it is investigating the claim, and if a "jailbreak" is confirmed will release a patch to plug the hole.

Read more »

RIM Announces BlackBerry Bold 9790 and Curve 9380

Full Story Mashable 15 Nov (1 hour before)

RIM has announced two new BlackBerry smartphones, both sporting BlackBerry OS 7 – the Bold 9790 and Curve 9380. The price of both the sets is still unknown.

Read full story for more on the new release.

Read more »