Smartphones – making our lives easier, every day

What is meant by a smartphone? 

A smartphone is a mobile phone that has multiple capabilities and possesses many of the same functions of a desktop computer. 

There are currently just under 7 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide, with smartphone subscriptions sitting at over 1 billion. The most popular are Android and iPhone smartphones, which contributed to 90% of smartphone sales in 2013. 

What are the key developments in smartphone improvements?

Some of the key developments in smartphones over the years include faster processors, increased camera resolution, increased variety, bigger storage space and larger screens. 

Have they become smarter since they were first released?

Certainly. Smartphones have rapidly developed and improved since their inception in 1996, and continue to make people’s lives easier with each new development. The smartphone market is heavily competitive, with each operating system designed to support quicker and better features than the smartphones before. 

Let’s take a look at the history and development of the BlackBerry smartphone. The first BlackBerry smartphone was developed in 2003, and it has been a transformative presence in the world of communication, drastically improving the way people communicate and the technology capabilities of smartphones. 

When the BlackBerry smartphone was introduced, the possibility of sending and receiving emails on a smartphone was realised. It also enabled web browsing, thereby opening up a whole new platform of possibilities and options for users. People were no longer limited to accessing the internet on their desktops, and could now connect to the internet wherever they were, at whatever time they chose. 

These are some of the improvements BlackBerry has made over the years:

• The improvement of third party apps, which means that apps can run faster. For example, if you are a fan of mobile casinos, you can download Royal Vegas Casinos Online quicker and easier than ever before 
• The short battery life of smartphones is a thorn in the side of many smartphone users. However, the battery life of the BlackBerry has seen over 60 battery saving improvements since 2003 so that users can enjoy longer usage. 
• Increased camera resolution 
• A perfect example of the improvement of smartphone features is the Blackberry Z10. It has a 4.2 inch screen, USB and HDMI connectivity, a dual core processor of 1.5 GHz and an 8 megapixel camera as well as 2GB of RAM

Devices for People Who Never Switch Off

The modern smartphone generation seem to be constantly attached to their gadgets and more clued up than ever before about the latest developments in the tech industrythat would have blown many of us away ten years ago, because we simply didn’t have any idea what they were on about.

Such has been the advancement in technology over such a short period of time, businesses are now able to encourage – and almost expect – their employees to use the devices at their disposal to stay on top of work-related issues even when they’re away from the office. Some people just naturally stay ‘switched on’ with emails coming through to their own devices and taking calls even when at home, while others have been allowed to get involved with the latest enterprise trend, Bring Your Own Device to help boost productivity. 

BYOD – as it is also known – is an innovation that lets employees use their own range of smartphones, tablets and laptops in the workplace rather than having to use those provided by the company, meaning that they can be much more productive because they’re not having to deal with different platforms and operating systems every time they work in a different location. Cloud computing and enterprise mobility have opened the door to all kinds of mobile business possibilities, and people who were struggling to handle technology – in any form – ten years ago, are now embracing whatever they feel can be beneficial in their professional and personal lives.

A lot of people are criticised for working too hard, sending and receiving emails at all times of day and night, but it can be argued that they’re committed to their job and trying to go above and beyond the call of duty. If they’re going to be working at all hours, they want to take advantage of the latest technology and security to make sure that they’re fully equipped, and that their data is safe. Devices would include:

Laptops

Laptops started this trend, with people able to access their files and emails from wherever they wanted to. Whether it was an important news article they were working on, a spreadsheet to present to the board, or a presentation that would help to seal a new contract for the company; employees were now able to do their work from a mobile device rather than having to sit at the office PC late into the night which ruined their family life.

Smartphones

The development of the smartphone changed a generation, quite simply. All of a sudden users were able to do just about anything from one small, handheld devicewith the BlackBerry among the first smartphones designed for business with access to emails, instant messaging and the Internet. Mobile security has had to be developed in the same way to anti-virus and firewalls on computers because of the digital data trail left behind when emails and messages are sent between devices, which has actually proven to be a huge challenge to administrators in recent years with BYOD playing a key role.

Tablets

The latest of the great innovations, tablet computers are being used in business for a variety of purposes, with apps and programmes enabling people to work from any location and even to control presentations using their device.

After Numerous Delays, BlackBerry Messenger for iOS to Launch Today

Five months after it was initially announced, and after an unplanned delay due to unexpected demand, BlackBerry Messenger is finally launching on iOS. The app, which is similar to Apple’s own iMessage, was first announced back in May. It should launch on the App Store later today. 

Back in September, the BBM for Android and iOS apps were delayed after an unreleased version of BBM was leaked that "caused issues" with the BBM servers...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

BlackBerry to go private at $9 per share? Not so fast

Fairfax Financial might not take BlackBerry private for $9 per share after all.

Analysts speaking to All Things Digital in interviews published on Tuesday said that the chance of BlackBerry going private for $9 a share -- or $4.7 billion -- seems unlikely. In fact, Fairfax Financial could come in as low as $5 per share.

"I would think Fairfax would want a lower bid if they're the only one at the table looking to buy it," Ironfire Capital founder Eric Jackson told All Things Digital. "After seeing their earnings, I think a price between $5 and $7 is more likely than $9..."

Read the full story here... Source: CNET

BlackBerry Launches Q10 for Younger Audience

Waterloo, ON – BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) today introduced the BlackBerry® Q5, a new youthful and fun BlackBerry® 10 smartphone for selected markets. The BlackBerry Q5 smartphone features a QWERTY keyboard with discrete keys in a stunning youthful design that is confident, fun, and bold. Every feature, every part of the BlackBerry Q5 has been built to provide a fast, effortless experience that flows and moves with you to help you explore, create, and share while on the go.

“BlackBerry is excited to bring a new BlackBerry QWERTY smartphone, the BlackBerry Q5, to our customers in selected markets around world,” said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry. “The BlackBerry Q5 gives you the best of everything with its cutting-edge BlackBerry 10 functionality and a physical QWERTY keyboard. It is for youthful fans that are passionate, confident and bold, and it makes it easy for them to have fun, create, share and stay connected.”

As part of the BlackBerry 10 experience, the BlackBerry Q5 smartphone offers a powerful and unique mobile computing experience that continuously adapts to your needs. Features and apps work seamlessly together, allowing your every move to flow into the next. Highlights of the BlackBerry Q5 smartphone include:

The evolution of the classic BlackBerry Keyboard

The BlackBerry Q5 features a classic BlackBerry Keyboard with discrete keys that has been re-engineered and elegantly designed to help you type fast, accurately and with the least amount of effort. Plus with Instant Action shortcuts you can type to perform tasks faster. The BlackBerry Q5 smartphone gives you the best of both worlds – a classic QWERTY keyboard for optimized communications and a 3.1” touchscreen for all the rest.

Create the perfect shot with BlackBerry Time Shift mode and Story Maker

Create the picture perfect shot with BlackBerry® Time Shift mode, then create and share your story, weaving together your photos, videos and music into a movie with BlackBerry® Story Maker.

Share and be seen with BBM Video with Screen Share

Instantly switch your BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger) chat to a BBM Video conversation and catch up face-to-face. You can even share your screen, whether it’s a photo, a page in the browser, an idea, or a view from your camera.*

Stay close to what’s important to you with BlackBerry Hub

With BlackBerry® Hub, all of your messages and social conversations are only one swipe away. There’s no need to stop what you’re doing. Simply peek into the BlackBerry Hub from anywhere with a swipe to effortlessly flow in and out of your messages and conversations.

BlackBerry World delivers a rich, thriving app and content ecosystem

Discovering and sharing great apps and content is easier than ever with recommendations based on similar purchases, and access to more than 100,000 apps on the BlackBerry® World™ storefront.

Pricing and Availability

The new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone will be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America, with expected availability beginning in July.

BlackBerry CEO: We Won’t Sell $50 BlackBerry Devices

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins recently said that his company does not have any interest in selling devices in the $50 range. We’re a bit shocked, mainly because the company already does sell handsets priced well below that mark. They are, admittedly, the company’s older BlackBerry 7 devices. Still — Heins has reiterated his intentions to compete aggressively in emerging markets, such as China, where competing handsets are often sold well below that price point.

“Understand where you are playing and resist being talked into segments that you know will not serve your purpose and will not result in shareholder value,” Chief Executive Officer Thorsten Heins explained to Bloomberg. “You will not see us getting into the 50-, 60-buck phone segment. This is not BlackBerry.”

Au contraire. Sprint has two BlackBerry devices selling at $19.99 and $0 with a contract, AT&T is selling three devices under $30, Verizon has one priced at $49.99 and T-Mobile is selling one under $50, too. I understand that those are with a contract, so perhaps Heins specifically means that he won’t be selling unlocked, contract-free devices at that price point.

I think, perhaps, Heins’ statements are a bit misleading. BlackBerry may not sell unsubsidized phones at the $50 price point. In fact, the company’s Z10 costs about $800 in India unlocked. But we’re wondering how BlackBerry plans to make its big emerging market push without selling low-cost devices.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Yahoo to close 7 products, including BlackBerry app

Yahoo is taking a leaf out of Google's business book, and closing down seven products that aren't bringing home the bacon.

These are: Yahoo App Search, Yahoo Sports IQ, Yahoo Clues, Yahoo Message Boards, Yahoo Updates API, Yahoo Avatars, and the Yahoo app for BlackBerry.

Yahoo announced the closures on its company blog. It said it was regulating its product line-up, and would do so regularly. "The most critical question we ask is whether the experience is truly a daily habit that still resonates for all of you today," Jay Rossiter, Yahoo's executive vice president of Platforms, wrote on the blog.

It's the second batch of products that have been given the heave-ho since Marissa Meyer took over as CEO. Mayer was previously at Google, where "spring cleaning" announcements -- in which it nixes products and services that aren't performing well -- are a regular occurrence.

Mayer also banned Yahoo employees from working from home recently, sparking a debate over whether it was more productive to go to an office every day.

More cuts are on the way, too. Mayer told a conference last month that Yahoo would reduce the number of mobile apps it offers from its current total of between 60 and 75 to a more manageable 12 to 15.

Yahoo's Blackberry app won't be available for download, or be supported, after 1 April. It shows Yahoo doesn't have much faith in the platform, seeing as its apps for other mobile operating systems will continue as they are.

Yahoo Avatars tend to be quite popular, with many using custom avatars on the Yahoo Answers boards. If you want to keep your avatar, you'll have to download it and manually re-upload it as your profile picture.

[Source: CNET]

BlackBerry Opens BlackBerry Live Registration

BlackBerry on Friday announced that developers and partners can now register for its annual BlackBerry Live developer conference, formerly known as BlackBerry World. The conference kicks off on May 14th and continues through May 16th at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida.

Pricing starts at $449 if you register by March 22, otherwise you can register for $599. BlackBerry is also offering companion passes for access to breakfast and the welcome reception for $199. A certification exam is available for $75 and an education package that includes a two-day training course and more costs $799. Attendees who attended specific past events can save up to $150, too.

We’re hoping to hear more on BlackBerry 10, especially on the apps and hardware front, and additional information on the company’s full-QWERTY BlackBerry Q10 smartphone.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Staying Alive: BlackBerry's survival in the modern smartphone war

January ended with the return of a dinosaur: After eighteen months without releasing a handset, there's a new BlackBerry on the market. The phone, made by the company formerly known as RIM but now just called BlackBerry, is part of a new period of reinvention that the Canadian company hopes will allow them to challenge Microsoft's Windows Phone for the number 3 position in the global smartphone market. 

The new phone, the BlackBerry Z10, launches with a new modern operating system that makes use of gesture-based, button-less controls and sports a number of interesting software additions based around BlackBerry's traditional target markets - government, industry and teens. 

For example, there's a toggle between home and work modes (which BlackBerry are calling Balance), video calling and screen sharing have been added to BlackBerry Messenger, and all notifications and messages are collected in a unified BlackBerry Hub. There's even a camera mode called TimeShift that allows you to shoot a burst of photos, then choose the best face for each person in the photo to ensure that no one is blinking or pulling a weird expression. It's a surprisingly capable operating system that feels as modern as any of the other big players in the market.

I think that BlackBerry has caught up a massive amount with BlackBerry 10. When you consider how dated their operating system was, BlackBerry 10 is a massive technical achievement. Their decision to rename themselves is a good indicator too that they're giving it their all to make this thing work. But despite a pair of strong launch devices, BlackBerry are still behind Windows Phone - and way behind Android or iOS.

In order to challenge Windows Phone for that third place spot, BlackBerry is going to need to continue to focus on their traditional strengths: business, security and messaging. We've already seen some of that, with the excellent software keyboard, the new additions to BlackBerry Messenger and being able to switch easily between sandboxed home and work modes, but they need to keep having good ideas and keep refining those features. It's here that they'll win over users from competing operating systems, and regain former BlackBerry users too.

The app situation will also need to be improved. I think that this will largely come with time, particularly if BlackBerry can encourage developers that it will be easy to port their apps over. Still, it seems like the vast majority of their apps are badly designed - even core apps like messaging and email look shoddy, with wonky fonts and bad spacing, and lack the beautiful design reflected in the hardware and accessories of the Z10.

The Android emulation layer is also badly in need of an update; at the moment running an Android app in a virtual 2.3 Gingerbread environment is incredibly outdated and doesn't mesh well with the rest of the BlackBerry experience. I understand the need to allow Android apps to be ported easily, but I feel that BlackBerry would be stronger without these apps at present.

Finally, the BlackBerry Hub also needs work. I feel that the lack of a distinction between notifications and the actual content you're being notified about is an interesting design choice, but right now it isn't implemented well - The Verge highlighted a lot of issues with moving from one notification to another and also the inability for users to dismiss notifications on things that don't require immediate attention, like Twitter mentions.

If BlackBerry can fix these problems, they may have a shot. While they are incredibly late to the modern OS party, they've shown a remarkable rate of improvement that hopefully will be only be hastened in the crucible of public opinion. That number 3 spot is within reach, but this is the Canadian company's last shot to challenge for it. If we don't see improvements before the next cycle of Apple, Android and Windows Phones then BlackBerry may rapidly disappear from the mobile landscape.

-William Judd

BlackBerry: 70,000 Launch Apps, Including Skype, Twitter and Facebook

BlackBerry is listing off apps leading the charge on its new platform, with Skype, Whatsapp, Angry Birds, Twitter, and others all on board. The company said there will be 70,000 launch apps—a pretty impressive launch figure, showing that developers are committed to ushering BlackBerry onto the same plane as iOS and Android as far as selection goes.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Vodafone UK launches its first ‘4G-ready’ phone, the BlackBerry Z10

• Coming to Vodafone UK: the first smartphone powered by BlackBerry 10
• BlackBerry Z10 just £29 on a £42 a month deal with unlimited calls, texts and loads of internet
• The first ‘4G-ready’ phone from Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is launching the BlackBerry® Z10, the first smartphone powered by the re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry® 10 platform and the first of Vodafone’s ‘4G-ready’ handsets. The new BlackBerry Z10 is the fastest and most advanced BlackBerry smartphone yet and offers customers a powerful new mobile computing experience.

The new BlackBerry Z10 will be available from January 31, in-store, online and through telesales. The smartphone is just £29 on the £42 a month Vodafone Red Data plan, which comes with unlimited calls and texts as well as 2GB of internet. It is free on the £47 a month variant of Vodafone Red Data and costs £69 on the Vodafone Red Plan, which offers unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 1GB of internet for £37 a month. All new and upgrading Vodafone pay monthly customers also get as much internet as they want, for whatever they want, for the first three months, with Vodafone Data Test Drive.

For small business customers, the BlackBerry Z10 is available free on Vodafone Red Business from £40.83 (ex VAT) per month. Vodafone Red Business gives business users the freedom to talk and text as much as they want, enjoy loads of internet and get a landline number on their mobile so they can answer any calls when out and about. For more information, visit vodafone.co.uk/redbusiness

The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is the first handset from Vodafone that is ‘4G-ready’. Getting one of our 4G-ready phones means a customer will be good to go as soon as Vodafone 4G arrives, bringing them ultra-fast internet and the best mobile video they’ve ever had from us. Once a customer has got their new phone, we’ll let them know the moment Vodafone 4G is available in their area. Then we can talk about adding Vodafone 4G to their monthly plan. For more information, visit vodafone.co.uk/4G-ready. We are planning to launch 4G services later this year and we intend to use a signal that travels further into a customer’s home than any 4G signal that’s available now.

RIM Reveals BlackBerry 10 Movie, TV and Music Partners

RIM will reveal the final version of BlackBerry 10 on Wednesday and it’s already starting to provide new details on what to expect. The company on Monday revealed its music, TV and movie partners for BlackBerry World, the firm’s new ecosystem that includes apps, videos, music and more.

On the movie front, you can expect films from: 20^th Century Fox, Entertainment One (eOne), Lionsgate, MGM, National Film Board of Canada, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (U.S.), Starz Digital Media, STUDIOCANAL, The Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures (U.K.) and Warner Bros.

TV shows will be available from: ABC Studios, BBC Worldwide, CBC/Radio-Canada, CBS, DHX Media, ITV, National Geographic, NBCUniversal (U.K.), Nelvana, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (U.S.), Starz Digital Media, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Univision Communications Inc. and Warner Bros. Unfortunately it looks like shows from HBO and Showtime are off the list for now.

Finally, music will be available from “all major and independent” record labels, including: 4AD Records, Domino Recording Company, finetunes, Matador Records, [PIAS] Entertainment Group, Rough Trade Records, Sony Music Entertainment, The Orchard, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, XL Recordings and Zebralution.

RIM’s music store will only be available in 18 countries at launch and videos will only be available for purchase or rent in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Be sure to check out our in-depth video of BlackBerry 10 for a closer look at what to expect.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]