BlackBerry 10 beta release gets Siri-like voice command feature

Research In Motion (RIM) recently released an update to their developer alpha devices for BlackBerry 10 OS. One of the biggest features in the new build of BlackBerry 10 was the voice command feature with an operator whose voice sounds very similar to Apple’s Siri.

The new voice command feature is accessed by pressing the voice command button set between the two volume buttons in the developer alpha devices. It is still an early beta build so the voice command has limited functionality, but N4BB demonstrates that it has a universal search function, apart from calling and sending text messages. It may not yet be ready for prime time use, but it sounds very similar to Siri from Apple’s iPhone.

The voice command technology is speculated to be powered by Nuance, the same company that Apple acquired Siri from.

According to earlier reports, RIM had confirmed that BlackBerry 10 will include a video chat feature through RIM's popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service. This didn’t come as a surprise, considering that the BlackBerry PlayBook also has a Video Chat feature and the Dev Alpha devices being handed out to developers had front facing cameras. This was the first time RIM confirmed that there would be Video Chat available on BBM.

BlackBerry PlayBook To Run Android Apps

In a move that indicates its strategy of cross-platform integration, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has officially announced that its upcoming tablet, the PlayBook, will run BlackBerry Java as well asAndroid apps! This essentially means that all PlayBook users will have access to over 200,000 apps of the Android app store. Surely, this is a sweet, sweet deal for all prospective PlayBook owners.

However, access to all the Android apps will be available through the BlackBerry App World only, meaning that developers will have to sign and resubmit their “ported” apps first, should they choose to do so. Also, RIM has mentioned support only for Android 2.3 apps so far, with no mention of Android 3.0 yet. Simultaneously, RIM will be releasing the native PlayBook SDK soon, meaning that developers can start creating apps exclusively very soon.

Gokivo app for BlackBerry, advanced GPS navigation system

The day’s when we relied on old fashioned maps went years ago with the availability of Sat Nav’s that are either built into our cars, or purchased as standalone device. Times are changing again though with the explosion of the smartphone market, which has brought a huge range of applications that can offer similar functions at a fraction of the cost. Today we have news of the Gokivo app for BlackBerry, which offers an advanced GPS navigation system.

Gokivo is a free downloadable application that will turn your BlackBerry smartphone into a powerful sat nav tool. The application features audible turn by turn driving directions, maps, and local search just like an advanced GPS navigation system, but inside you handset.

This great application gives users turn by turn directions to any destination, and users can perform a local search by address, postcode, business category, intersection, and then call found locations with a simple press of the send key.

It also features colour maps that have pan and zoom options that will show you where you are located at any given time. That is not all as the application will remember up to 100 of your most recent searches and also save up to 75 of your favourite destinations.

4 Secrets Behind Blackberry Keypad Buttons

Black berries is the organization that is putting together the phones for that business class people. The keyboard utilized in the black berry phone is same such as the keyboard from the computer. Those who are habited for implementing the pc keyboard don't have to face any difficulty when using the black berry phone. The typing speed continues to be same in eth black berry phone as compare to the pc and laptop. Within this written piece we'll talk about the various strategies of the black berry keyboard. Similar using the key pad as possible find numerous from the cutting corners within the key pad black berry keyboard gives you most of the shortcut navigation in browser along with other mobile usage.

Strategies Of The BlackBerry Keyboard

These cutting corners from the black berry wise phone are classified as the strategies of the keyboard. You will find many cutting corners that the people cannot examine so they have to search on the internet for that keyboard secrets. For instance while reading through your email, for a moment press the important thing button “N” then your next email made an appearance on screen. Correspondingly you should use the important thing “Q” for that previous email and “U: for that unread emails within the mailbox. Furthermore such as the computer you should use the further short cuts using the “shift” key and “alt” key, for a moment press the alt key “A” “space” then you'll visit the top scroll. However you will find a number of other short cuts which you'll discover using the phone by searching out at any web site.

BBC Launches Olympics App for BlackBerry, iOS, Android

As the London Olympics draw near, the battle for audience attention is shaping up to be waged not on television but on the tiny screens of smartphones and tablets. Yesterday NBC announced its partnership with Adobe to roll out Olympics streaming apps for the Android and iOS platforms in the U.S. Today, the BBC has announced its own Olympics app for the two mobile platforms as well as BlackBerry devices.

The main function of the app will allow users to receive up to 24 live streams of Olympics coverage over Wi-Fi and 3G signals. Also included will be editorial text from BBC news commentators, dedicated pages for every athlete, country, and sport, schedule information, and a medals chart to allow users to keep track of the winners.

"We needed to ensure everyone could access our coverage," BBC News general manager Phil Fearnley said in a statement. "The BBC Sport Olympics app ensures that everything you need to keep up-to-date with the action is right there at your fingertips. Even when you're out of range of 3G or wireless, we'll still be able to deliver the latest news to you offline."

New BlackBerry smartphone simulators available, including the new BlackBerry 9320

We have a new batch of BlackBerry® smartphone simulators ready to download. There are multiple previously released models with new operating system versions and one brand new model with this group – the BlackBerry® 9320 smartphone. We also have a BlackBerry® Curve™ 9220 smartphone simulator that includes the keyboard and plastics. Here is the list of the latest simulators:

• BlackBerry® 9320 7.1.0.405
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 9220 7.1.0.405
• BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 (Japanese) 7.1.0.318
• BlackBerry® Bold™ 9650 6.0.0.707
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 9300 6.0.0.723
• BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 6.0.0.723
• BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 7.1.0.219
• BlackBerry® Torch™ 9860 (Asia) 7.1.0.267
• BlackBerry® Torch™ 9810 7.1.0.342
• BlackBerry® Torch™ 9860 7.1.0.342
• BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 7.1.0.342

Indonesia will stop blackberry service

Indonesia Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring reiterated for Research In Motion (RIM) as a provider of BlackBerry services in Indonesia to immediately block pornographic content.

"Within a few this week, RIM should have closed the pornographic site content or if not, we will close," said Tifatul after inaugurating the first echelon Ministry of Communications and Informatics (Kemkominfo) in Jakarta on Friday (07/01/2011).

According to him, closing it will be done if the rim does not abide by and comply with legislation that has been prevailing in Indonesia. He also stated, that there are a number of service operators in Indonesia have also been informed about it and not objected.

A New BlackBerry For Verizon

Remember Research in Motion? They used to make BlackBerry phones that everyone wanted to own.

That was two or three years ago. A lifetime ago in smartphone history.

Ancient history aside, RIM has just announced a new BlackBerry coming to Verizon this week. The BlackBerry Curve 9310.

Already being sold by Boost Mobile, the 9310 boasts a new 3.2 megapixel camera, VZ Navigation (turn-by-turn instructions) and Social Feeds 2.0 with instant access to Facebook/Twitter/RSS feeds.

The Curve 9310 runs on BlackBerry OS 7.1. New BlackBerries which run on OS 10 are promised early next year.

Verizon announced the new Curve will cost customers $49.99 after a $50 rebate (and a two-year service agreement). The 9310 officially goes on sale this Thursday, May 12^th.

source from:thestreet.com

25 essential BlackBerry tips and tricks

You probably bought a BlackBerry for the keyboard and fantastic battery life but there's more to it than that.

You can just pick a BlackBerry up and start using it, because all you need to do is press the Menu key to get the main options on every screen - but the BlackBerry OS hides a huge number of clever tricks and shortcuts that make it faster and simpler to get things done.

There are some tips you won't need often - like pressing Alt, Del and the right-hand Caps key at the same time to reboot instead of just restarting; others you'll use all the time, like pressing the red 'hang up' key to get back to the home screen and clicking the spanner icon on the home screen to open Options. Here are our top 25 Blackberry tips.

1. Use the keyboard less

BlackBerry has always had a QWERTY keyboard and you can type everything out in full - but you can save time with the built-in shortcuts. Press space twice at the end of a sentence to get the full stop and an automatic capital on the next word.

Don't bother with apostrophes in words like I'm and isn't (type im and the BlackBerry will correct it for you); there are other handy abbreviations like 'wel' to get 'we'll' and 'il' to get 'I'll' and you can add your own with Options > AutoText.

The complete guide to Pandora for BlackBerry

Remember back in the day when the general thought was that radio rocked…except for the commercials? Then along came MP3 players, and we finally had that. The only problem, of course, was being limited to the music we owned. Without radio, there’s less room for experimentation. Then along came Pandora, the streaming Internet radio service which breaks songs down into their most fundamental attributes and plays songs based on what you like. After a long wait, we finally got the BlackBerry Pandora app about three months ago. I’ve been using it constantly ever since, and it’s high time we posted a walk-through and review of the application.

Once you launch the application you’ll be asked if you’re an existing Pandora user or if you’re new to the service. If you’re new you’ll go to a quick account creation page, where you’ll enter your email, password, birth year, gender, and ZIP code. You can opt into emails, but I’d recommend unchecking that box. Once you fill in all the above information and check the box noting that you agree to the terms of use, you’re ready to get started. If you already have a Pandora, enter in your email address and password (which you might forget — I did, because the website never logs me out).

Creating a station

Once you create your account, Pandora will prompt you to name a band, song, or composer you like. This is used as the base for your station. So just think of your favorite band in the world (mine’s Led Zeppelin). After entering in the name you’ll see a screen with some options for matching artists and songs. Click the one you want and Pandora will take you to your new station. More often than not, this will kick off with a song from the band you selected.
From here you can do a number of things. First, you can rate the song up or down. If you rate it up Pandora makes a note in its database and the computer learns a bit more about your musical likes. It will attempt to play more songs with the attributes of the song you like. Second, you can find out why Pandora picked the song for you. For instance, when Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix came up, Pandora explained:

Must Have Apps for Your BlackBerry Smartphone

There is no smartphone without apps these days. They make our life so easy. RIM has worked hard lately on developing apps on their platform. BlackBerry doesn't have the following as Apple or Android does, but when it comes to business or quality apps they are second to none. For latest BlackBerry devices, check BlackBerry 9900,BlackBerry 9810, BlackBerry 9790, BlackBerry 9850 and BlackBerry 9360. 

For apps for BlackBerry PlayBook check Must have apps for BlackBerry PlayBook. 

To download new Blackberry App World click Blackberry App World from your BlackBerry Browser. The following are my top apps for current BlackBerry devices in 2012. 

BlackBerry Messenger – This is the must have app for your BlackBerry. You can chat and share funny stories, pictures, videos and more with individual contacts or groups of friends or family instantly. Share your pin or unique barcode to connect with friends and family anywhere, anytime in the whole world. Take comfort in knowing that you are only a BlackBerry Messenger message away.

Facebook for BlackBerry – Stay on top of your social life with Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones. This free application makes Facebook services – like sending messages, poking friends, writing wall posts, inviting friends to join and uploading photos – available on the go! Take Facebook wherever life takes you and don’t miss a beat!

How to Improve Battery Life of BlackBerry Devices?

Smartphones are powerful tools that many people use on a daily basis, but their ever-increasing functionality has meant that battery life often fails to last the distance. No matter if the battery capacity of your phone is less or more, it drains at the same pace because of the hardware which runs on that battery. If you are a BlackBerry user, there are a number of things you can do to improve battery life.

Rogue Apps

If you own a BlackBerry device, you certainly have used the App World service to download one or more applications to help improve the features of the phone or keep you entertained while you are out and about.

Of course, the most prolific app down-loaders could have accumulated hundreds of little programs, many of which they use on a regular basis. It is worth noting, however, that different apps will consume different amounts of energy by dint of what resources they are harnessing.

3 things that doomed BlackBerry maker RIM

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — As Research In Motion Ltd. tries to reverse its slide, it’s tough to find anyone betting on its ability to recover.

From software developers to Wall Street, RIM’s(US:RIMM) long-term viability is in real doubt since the news last week that its next generation BlackBerry 10 software and devices won’t be available until next year. This could be a near-fatal blow for the pioneering company, as its smartphone competitors continue to leap ahead with new devices for the holiday season. RIM is also laying off 5,000 workers. 

So as many start to analyze where the company went wrong, new business-school case studies are likely in the works. Here’s a look at what some of them might conclude:

1) Doomed by co-chief executives

This column was among the early advocates for investors who asked whether or not RIM’s dual-CEO structure was one of its core problems, and possibly a cause or contributing to its product delays and other issues.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal quoted former executives about RIM’s many missteps, including its “split personality in the executive suite,” noting that the offices of the two former co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis were a 10-minute drive apart in Waterloo, Ontario, and that they were each focusing on a different strategy.

Those two executives no longer lead the company but Lazaridis is still on the board. Under its new CEO, Thorsten Heins, RIM continues to pursue his strategy around a whole new operating system, based on software developed by a company it purchased, QNX Software, in 2010.

Heins told investors last week on a conference call that he realized he had “delivered a lot of tough news today,” and highlighted some of RIM’s plans to address its issues, including its job cuts, management changes, and its continuing discussions for strategic opportunities, such as alliances or licensing assets.

“When we come out of this transition period, we want to move forward with a lean and nimble organization that can act quickly and is aligned with our growth opportunities,” Heins said.

2) Developing yet another system

After Apple Inc. (US:AAPL) began to become a serious leader with the iPhone and its iOS software, app store and developer ecosystem, Google Inc. (US:GOOG) followed suit with its Android software and a more open approach to software developers, and it also quickly garnered support.

Even as it became clear that RIM was going to have to compete with Microsoft Corp.(US:MSFT) and the now-defunct Palm Inc. for the No. 3 slot in smartphones, it continued to back its plans to develop a whole new software and hardware system around QNX software, which was not even originally developed for mobile phones. QNX originally was developed as an embedded operating system for automotive entertainment systems.

From:articles.marketwatch.com

Top 10 Free BlackBerry Themes For Free Download

1 Evolution Free

Features: 4 Сustom icons; 15 Locked quick access icons; Weather slot; 16 HotKeys; Background on all screens; All application icons ; Menu colors, highlights, alert icons and buttons; Fonts and colors; Profile icons;

2 Sakura i7 Free

Features: Explorer Home Screen; 6 Сustom icons; 24 Locked quick access icons; 16 HotKeys; Background on all screens; All application icons ; Menu colors, highlights, alert icons and popup buttons; Fonts and colors; Profile icons;

3 Explorer i7 Free

Features: Explorer Home Screen; 6 Сustom icons; 24 Locked quick access icons; 16 HotKeys; Background on all screens; All application icons ; Menu colors, highlights, alert icons and popup buttons; Fonts and colors; Profile icons;

4 BlackBerry Exclusive Spring Theme - Roots of Spring

Celebrate the arrival of spring with a FREE BlackBerry® Spring Theme. Created exclusively for BlackBerry customers, these two fresh, lighthearted themes evoke the promise and joys of spring, allowing you to customize the look of your home screen, icons, menus, and more. If you can’t decide which one you like best – Spring Blossom or Roots of Spring – download both. After all, we’re springing for them – so they won’t cost you a cent! And, they’re only available to valued BlackBerry customers like you. Connect With BlackBerry and Get More Stay in the know with special offers, latest news, feature stories and even new apps tailored to you. 

5 Imagining - OS7 Wallpaper Friendly

The luxury imagining theme reflect the prosperous of modern city life! Now supports all OS7 devices and wallpaper friendly!! The dedicated background is officially and authorized from world class art designer, Javier Ocasio from StudioTwentyEight. On the road from 99% to 99.99% perfect! :) We just updated the theme with new web link inside, which will lead to all our contents at App World directly. At the same time, we make some details improved. Guarantee satisfaction: If you find a bug or have a feedback, kindly write email to us, we can assist you well or provide revision asap, because we could not reply App World Reviews. Let's make a great app together! :)

6 3D Hearts Animated Theme with Hidden Dock

Such a lush confection! Luminous, shimmery hearts nestle amidst a swoosh of rich 80’s inspired colours. A gorgeous swirling cocktail of a theme!

7 3D Icons Theme

★ Update supported devices - OS 5 and OS 6 are supported. - Does not support OS 7. Screenshots are of the 9700 devices. All supported devices are identical. To activate the theme after downloading: Navigate to Options - Theme- Select the desired Theme and activate it. To uninstall a Theme please delete it in the application list. All of the new versions upgraded is free Background on all screens 7 home screen icons full set of custom made 3d icons ▶ 3D icons are 2D graphic images create by 3D rendering software on PC. and they don't make your BlackBerry slower at all. so please feel free to try out our great themes NOW!! ▶ After downloaded and please reviews

8 BlackBerry Exclusive Spring Theme - Spring Blossom

Celebrate the arrival of spring with a FREE BlackBerry® Spring Theme. Created exclusively for BlackBerry customers, these two fresh, lighthearted themes evoke the promise and joys of spring, allowing you to customize the look of your home screen, icons, menus, and more. If you can’t decide which one you like best – Spring Blossom or Roots of Spring – download both. After all, we’re springing for them – so they won’t cost you a cent! And, they’re only available to valued BlackBerry customers like you. Connect With BlackBerry and Get More Stay in the know with special offers, latest news, feature stories and even new apps tailored to you.

9 Sakura Blossom Theme - OS7 Icons Included

Enjoy spring anytime with this Cherry Blossom theme. An amazing theme that gives your handset a beautiful, lovely look and feel! Our "Sakura Blossom Theme” is a cherry blossom theme that has long been considered a symbol of happiness, love and hope. Enjoy! Features: 1. High quality background pictures for vertical and horizontal directions. No stretch on background when the phone is in horizontal view 2. Clean and beautiful New Os7 Icons 3. Separate images for vertical and horizontal theme elements. No stretch on interface elements when the phone is in horizontal view 4. No unwanted Web-link icon on your home screen 5. Beautiful focus with a cute little flower branch 6. Universal Search works perfectly 7. Well tested and adjusted for easy to use and best performance 8. Custom Incoming Call Screen 9. Custom In Call/Outbound Screen 10. Awesome looking lock screen Please note: You may need to reboot your BlackBerry if icons are not 100% changed after installing a theme. To reboot the handset, please remove the battery and put it back or press the “alt-aA-del” at same time. Guarantee satisfaction: We welcome all your feed-backs.

10 The Birds - Now supports all OS7 devices

Features:1. Vivacity and cute; 2. Paper-cut patterns style; 3. Soft and comfortable Color; To activate the theme after successfully downloading: Navigate to Options - Theme - Select the desired Theme and activate. To uninstall a theme plz delete it in the application list.

You can see these are really beautiful themes, you can download all these free blackberry themes at appworld.blackberry.com. This will make your blackberry smartphone a fresh and attractive appearance, of course, it will let you involved in a good mood.

How to get unlock codes for blackberry

Blackberry unlock code used to unlock blackberry phone. A large open Blackberry phones will allow some useful opportunities in the telecommunications sector. For one, open the phone will not reduce your chances of getting service from your cellular phone networks, instead, you can use the GSM network is available around you and never worry about connection problems.

Frequent travelers will find this characteristic is very useful, because they are not required to get a brand new phone if they visit a different country, or whether there is a need to cover substantial roaming charges when you explore other countries. If you are using a Blackberry phone is open, you do not have to have a blackberry locked wherever you go. Also, you will get many benefits from an open smart phone.