RIM

BlackBerry Z10 may sell in U.K. starting January 30

While we've known for a while that RIM plans to launch its newest mobile operating system, BlackBerry 10, on January 30, new leaked documents report that the first handset running the OS (dubbed the BlackBerry Z10) may be available for the U.K. market on that same day as well.

According to The Verge, an employee working at Vodafone UK leaked a photo of an in-house memo stating that the carrier will start selling the device at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

The notice also said Vodafone will only sell a black version of the Z10 first, and will … Read more

Lenovo downplays RIM acquisition rumors

Lenovo has backed away from speculation that it is planning to acquire Research In Motion.

In an interview last week with Bloomberg, Lenovo Chief Financial Officer Wong Mai Ming said that his company is "looking at all opportunities" as it pertains to acquisitions and that a dialogue is open between RIM and Lenovo.

Soon after, the Web erupted with claims that Lenovo and RIM are talking about a buyout.

However, in a statement e-mailed to CNET today, a Lenovo spokesperson said that Wong's comments were taken out of context:

We are aware that Lenovo's CFO...was … Read more

RIM to lower price tiers for BlackBerry apps

BlackBerry users should start to see lower prices for mobile apps, thanks to BlackBerry 10.

To push its upcoming mobile OS, Research In Motion is kicking off a new global pricing plan in its BlackBerry World store.

As described in a RIM blog post yesterday, the new pricing tiers used in the store will incorporate currency exchange rates and value-added tax requirements. The idea is to make sure that app prices stay consistent and competitive across the globe.

The new pricing tiers will first reach the U.K. and Europe, affecting the British pound and euro. RIM promises it will … Read more

Meet the man who would make BlackBerry apps cool

LAS VEGAS -- Alec Saunders needed a little bait.

Soon after Saunders took over the developer relations team, he asked Research In Motion's then co-CEO Mike Lazaridis in October 2011 for 25,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. When Lazaridis asked why, Saunders said he intended to give them away.

"His jaw just dropped to the floor," Saunders told CNET. "He stood there flabbergasted."

Lazaridis ultimately agreed, and Saunders began giving PlayBooks out to developers. He followed that up by giving away more than 8,000 units of RIM's Dev Alpha devices, which ran an early … Read more

RIM girds for big Super Bowl ad

RIM really needs to makes waves, and good ones at that. The company hopes a splashy Super Bowl spot will do the trick.

The long-awaited launch of BlackBerry 10 software, along with the heavily anticipated phones meant to run it, is less than a week away. That hasn't stopped RIM from pushing for more buzz, though. It just distributed communication via e-mail that it plans to run a big-budget ad during the upcoming Super Bowl as well.

Unfortunately RIM hasn't released any teaser footage or even pictures of what we can expect. The mobile device maker made it … Read more

Lenovo considers possible bid for RIM in smartphone boost

PC manufacturing giant Lenovo may be mulling a bid for Research In Motion as part of efforts to bolster its own smartphone unit. 

According to a report by Bloomberg, the PC maker -- currently ranked second only to HP, according to the latest IDC figures -- is "assessing potential acquisition targets and strategic alliances," as it seeks to expand its post-PC business.

In an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Lenovo's chief financial officer, Wong Wai Ming, said that the company was "looking at all opportunities," adding: "We'll … Read more

BlackBerry Enterprise Service updated for BB 10 smartphones

Research In Motion has released a new version of its mobile device management software, BlackBerry Enterprise Service.

The software, available to download from today, is designed to manage devices running BlackBerry 10, as well as rival devices running iOS or Android operating systems. The release will also play a key role in the potential success of RIM's forthcoming BlackBerry 10 handsets. BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 "supports our existing line of devices, BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and soon to be released BlackBerry 10 smartphones," Pete Devenyi, senior vice president of enterprise software at RIM, told ZDNet.

In addition to … Read more

RIM CEO says licensing of BlackBerry 10 'conceivable'

Research In Motion will launch devices running BlackBerry 10 at the end of the month, but the handset maker is still playing with the idea of licensing its new operating system to other manufacturers.

When asked whether RIM might license the new platform as Microsoft did with Windows Phone, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins told German newspaper Die Welt that it's not out of the realm of possibility.

"Before you licensed the software, you must show that the platform has a large potential," he said, "First we have to fulfill our promises. If such proof, a licensing … Read more

RIM launches final BlackBerry 10 'Portathon' event

Research In Motion will hold its apparently final BlackBerry 10 "Portathon" this weekend.

Running from 9 a.m. PT today to 8:59 p.m. PT tomorrow, the event will allow developers to port their applications available on other mobile platforms to BlackBerry 10. Each approved app will net the developers $100, up to a maximum of 20 applications. To sweeten the pot even more, RIM will enter all developers who submit five or more apps into a drawing for a free BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device.

RIM has been running Portathon events for the last several weeks … Read more