BBM

Can BlackBerry move past 'solid ground' to recapture past glory?

ORLANDO, Fla.--If there's one message BlackBerry wanted to convey at its annual confab, it's this: "We're back."

"It hasn't been that easy, and there's still a lot of work to do, but man, have we reached solid ground with this company," CEO Thorsten Heins said during his keynote address at BlackBerry Live on Tuesday.

BlackBerry was busy Tuesday, offering a smorgasbord of news. There was the device announcement in the form of the budget-friendly BlackBerry Q5. There was the updated BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10.1 for the business-minded. There was … Read more

BlackBerry Messenger jumps to iPhone, Android

CNET Update busts out the Breakout:

Lots of news around BlackBerry in today's roundup. Not only is BlackBerry expanding the popular Messenger service as an app for Android and iOS, but it also is giving Messenger a social-media twist with BBM Channels.

BlackBerry keyboard fans in the U.S. are finally able to own the Q10 this summer when it arrives at T-Mobile, Verzion and Sprint. (Get the full Q10 review here.) Considering the phone was unveiled at the end of January, BlackBerry fans in the U.S. have had to wait awhile for any availability details. But as … Read more

BlackBerry takes on Twitter with BBM Channels

ORLANDO, Fla. -- BlackBerry wants to take on Twitter by creating its own social network through its BlackBerry Messenger service.

The company on Tuesday unveiled BBM Channel, which allows users and brands to create a BBM profile that other users can follow, similar to how people can follow brands and users on Twitter.

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins, speaking at the BlackBerry Live conference here today, touted the strength of the BBM network, which has 60 million users, and 10 billion messages sent and received each day.

More importantly, Heins said that half of the messages received are read within 20 … Read more

BlackBerry to shutter its BBM music sharing service on June 2

BlackBerry's BBM music sharing service will be no more.

As of June 2 the service will be shuttered, according to Mobilesyrup. BlackBerry sent out a mass e-mail to all of its BBM Music subscribers today informing them of the news.

Here's a portion of BlackBerry's e-mail, according to Mobilesyrup:

BBMT Music service will be discontinued as of June 2, 2013*. For paying customers, April is the last month that you will be billed. In May, as your BBM contacts stop using the service, songs in your playlists will begin to turn grey and will no longer be … Read more

Rumor Has It: Who wouldn't wear an Apple iWatch?

Happy new year!

This week, we've got a few rumors that are sure to turn heads. Apple is supposedly working on an accessory that could make Karyne's dream of being a secret agent finally come true: a smart watch! What features should it have? Leave us a comment!

Also this week, the next iteration of BlackBerry Messenger is rumored to come with a feature that other phones have had for quite a while; Toshiba is possibly working on a new technology that could be a game changer; and a Russian news site has a very unlikely video of … Read more

Leaked images suggest BBM video chat coming to BlackBerry 10

According to leaked slides posted to CrackBerry's reader forums, RIM's upcoming device running BlackBerry 10 will include video chatting and screen sharing through BBM. The images have since been removed, but the folks at BGR were able to snag one with screenshots and a few details on the speculated features.

According to RIM, BlackBerry 10 is slated for its official launch on January 30.

BlackBerry Messenger 7 lets you make phone calls via Wi-Fi

Research In Motion users can now text or talk with their BlackBerry Messenger contacts via version 7.

A new voice feature in the latest version allows you to make free phone calls to your BBM contacts over a local Wi-Fi connection. Beyond calling someone initially, you can start off the conversation by texting and then switch to a voice call if needed. You can also tell when your BBM contacts are available for a voice call.

RIM kicked off the new BBM voice calling through the app's beta last month and said the feature received a positive response from … Read more

Facebook adds job-search tool

Wednesday's CNET Update is working overtime:

Need a job? Log on to Facebook. The social network launched a jobs board with the Social Jobs Partnership app. It pulls in job listings from several services, including BranchOut, Jobvite and Monster. Facebook says half of U.S. employers are using the network during the hiring process.

Also in today's tech news roundup, Pinterest is letting existing profiles be turned into business accounts. Companies will be able to promote their content with the added benefit of verification badges and widgets for sharing.

There's a rise in malware disguised as daily deal e-mails. … Read more

BlackBerry Messenger gets support for voice chats over Wi-Fi

BlackBerry Messenger is adding voice call support, Research In Motion announced today.

Upon downloading the free BlackBerry Messenger update, customers will find that they can place voice calls to other BBM customers whenever they're on a Wi-Fi connection. In order to connect to BlackBerry Voice, customers must already be a BlackBerry service plan customer. According to RIM, the calls can be placed at no charge.

The new feature allows users to switch between talking and texting at will. In addition, RIM says that customers will be able to text message and call at the same time. BlackBerry Voice has … Read more