BlackBerry App Roundup - 25 copies of Weather Plus by MMMOOO to give away!

Welcome to this week's BlackBerry App Roundup! This week we have 25 copies of Weather Plus by MMMOOO to give away! We have searched high and low and found some neat apps to share with you this week, so head on past the break to check them out and enter the contest! If you have an app you want to see featured in the roundup be sure to check the end of the post for information on submitting it to us.

GPS Trackdown for BlackBerry by: Rainium Research

GPS Trackdown is a social networking application that makes it easy to find and share your location.  It's a great tool to have In Case of Emergency. The Remote Trackdown feature can help you locate a lost phone or a missing person.  The Panic Trackdown feature can help you send your location history to a trusted emergency contact.  Share your location on FaceBook, Twitter, by Text or by Email.  The Remember Location feature can be used to help find your car at the mall.  Because GPS Trackdown uses local search you can get Weather, Movies, Maps and more.  Also, because GPS Trackdown can utilize GPS coordinates you can get directions to locations that don’t have a registered street address.

Most importantly, GPS Trackdown fully respects your privacy.  Your personal and location information is never sent to their website.  This application was not designed to replace an in-car GPS System and it does not support voice turn by turn directions. GPS Trackdown is FREE with versions for BlackBerry 7 devices as well as those on OS 5-6.

More information/screenshots and to download GPS Trackdown for BB7 devices

More information/screenshots and to download GPS Trackdown for OS 5-6

 

BlackBerry EMail Remote by MagMedia jSoft

Create tasks and memos and share them with other BlackBerry users that have this app installed. Create the memo or task, and BlackBerry EMail Remote will send it via email to those you specify, automatically creating the same memo or task on the recipients' device. You can even have the email marked as read automatically so your inbox doesn't get cluttered. BlackBerry EMail Remote is available on sale for $1.49 (reg. $2.99) for most BlackBerry smartphones.

More information/screenshots and to purchase BlackBerry EMail Remote

 

3D Draw by Robert McAuley

A unique drawing program for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Draw a picture, then spin it, rotating around the center point. Inertia mode allows you to continue drawing as the picture rotates, and ribbon mode keeps the drawing line a fixed length. A great drawing app that is both easy to use and fun. You can purchase 3D Draw for your BlackBerry PlayBook for $1.99.

More information/screenshots and to purchase 3D Draw

 

Orb It! and Orb It! Lite by Rotten Ogre

Tap and link orbs to destroy them before they collide. Three different endless game modes (Classic, Arcade and Waves) provide variations on the gameplay, including special orbs and power-ups. You'll have to be quick with your fingers to get a high score! The lite version of Orb It! is free and lets you play the Classic game mode and submit high scores of up to 50,000. To play the other game modes and to submit high scores of any amount, please buy the full version for just $.99.

More information/screenshots and to download Orb It! Lite

More information/screenshots and to purchase Orb It!

 

eBuddy XMS now available for BlackBerry and hoping to win you over

We know what you are thinking -- cross platform messaging clients are like a dime a dozen now a days, and with so many options, what makes this one any better? With clients like Kik, LiveProfile and WhatsApp available already, the folks at eBuddy XMS knew they had to step it up a level beyond the others and they feel they have done so very well. Features of eBuddy XMS include:

Knowing that not everyone can be tied to their mobile device at all times, or folks at the computer don't always want to pick up their device to respond to a message, having a web-based companion is a huge help that definitely sets it apart. Unfortunately eBuddy XMS is not available through AppWorld, but it is available through their site for download. More images after the break.

More information / download of eBuddy XMS

 

Weather Plus by MMMOOO

Weather Plus is an advanced weather application which adds push weather info to your BlackBerry's home screen and the app icon. If you don't have a theme with a "weather slot" but you still want to see your current conditions, this is a great app for you. Recently updated to include BlackBerry 7 devices, Weather Plus now features more polished icons, deluxe home screen badges and layout, improved connection and lots more! Weather Plus is available for $6.99 and is compatible with most BlackBerry smartphones running OS 5.0 and greater.

Features:

Contest: MMMOOO has given us 25 free copies of Weather Plus to pass on to you guys this week! To enter, leave a comment below. One entry per person, and the contest ends Sunday at midnight PST.

More information/screenshots and to purchase Weather Plus

 

Well there you have it folks! Be sure to check out New BlackBerry Apps, Updated BlackBerry Apps and Free BlackBerry Apps available at ShopCrackBerry.com. If you are a developer and want to have your app shown in the roundup or you're interested in having us host a contest for you, drop me an email at cbmichelle[@]crackberry.com. See you all next week!

Hey AT&T! Where is our BlackBerry Bold 9900?!

Soooo ... it's September 17th today, and if you remember from our 2nd to last podcast we declared today AT&T picket day if the BlackBerry Bold 9900 didn't show up. Following up on our petition to AT&T, I took matters into my own hands and blocked my day off to do my CrackBerry duty. With my Verizon Bold 9930 and Rogers Bold 9900 in hand and the power of the CrackBerry nation behind me, I set out for my local AT&T store to get my picket on. As you can see in the video above, the store was totally dead (because they don't have the Bold 9900 .. duh) and unfortunately they wouldn't let me film inside. I did do some solo picketing for as long as I could though. I don't know if it helped our cause or not, but regardless ... come on AT&T ... give us the BlackBerry Bold 9900!!!

Did you head out to your local store and picket today? Did you rally the troops? If not you still have time! Let us know in the comments -- and if you haven't signed our petition yet, what are you waiting for?!

CrackBerry Podcast 076: Talking RIM Q2 Earnings and the State of BlackBerry Nation!

Following up Thursday's RIM earnings report and investors call, we fired things up Friday afternoon for a CrackBerry Podcast to discuss the fallout and current state of BlackBerry Nation. Joining Adam, Bla1ze and myself for the discussion is former RIM analyst, Chris Umiastowski. Chris wrote an awesome piece here on CrackBerry with his thoughts on the RIM Q2 earnings, so we get into the numbers and what they mean and a whole lot more on this show.

There's a lot of interesting discussion on this episode, from the fate of the BlackBerry PlayBook to RIM's apparent strategy to balance two platforms for the forseeable future. Despite covering the gloomy stuff, we keep it an upbeat show. Take a listen!

Mobile Nations Podcast 007: Video Beta

Phil, Rene and myself beta test a new video rig, survive technical problems, and talk RIM results, BlackBerry striking back, next generation Android phones, Windows 8 tablets, and a tale of two iPhones. Technical glitches caused us to lose out most of the BlackBerry discussion that was in the first twenty minutes of the show (sorry!), but don't worry, as we recorded a CrackBery Podcast too that goes into detail on all the financial news. This is Mobile Nations!

Got something to say? Agree or disagree with something we said? Have something you want us to discuss on a future show? Don't just sit there yelling at the screen, dammit, let us know!

Our music is pROgraM vs. Us3R by by morgantj. Introduction by Joseph Holder.

Thanks to the Smartphone Experts network of store for sponsoring this podcast, and to our fantastic live chat members for keeping us honest and making us smart!

Mobile Nations LIVE Podcast! (now finished)

Deal of the Day: Get the iGrip Custom Fit Sturdy Swivel Mount for BlackBerry Bold 9650 and Tour 9630 for just $14.95

The Lost Komodo - Help the baby Komodo in this beautiful game for BlackBerry PlayBook

A baby Komodo got lost on a deserted island, far away from his family. He needs to survive in the wild all by himself - finding his meal, avoiding the predators , avoiding dangerous traps, evolve and hunt the ex-predators - then finally make his way home, to the Komodo National Park.

The Lost Komodo is a beautifully illustrated game for the BlackBerry PlayBook. You are the tiny green Komodo lost on the island all alone. Tilt your PlayBook to control his path and eat prey to help him grow. Health and shield power-ups will help him along the way, as well as extra time and bonus coins. As you progress through the levels the little Komodo grows and and his story is told. The illustrations in the game are vivid and colorful, reminiscent of water color paintings. You can grab this game FREE for your PlayBook and help the tiny Komodo on his quest for home. Check out a few screenshots after the break, and download at the link below.

More information and to download The Lost Komodo for BlackBerry PlayBook

Dev Explains Why Marmalade SDK is Great for Cross Platform Games & Apps

I have been really loving the Marmalade SDK since it was released with beta support for the BlackBerry PlayBook. To me it really is a sign of what is to come with the other engines RIM is bringing to the PlayBook including the Unity game engine and Android/Java Players. DrMop of VisualDreams does a great job on his blog explaining why developers should use the Marmalade SDK for cross platform app development. Here is a bulleted rundown of why:

By choosing to develop your products across multiple platforms:

• You benefit from a much wider audience for your apps and games
• You save a lot of money and time on development, testing and updating
• You can perform updates to your existing apps quickly and easily
• You can share the same unified C / C++ code base across all devices and platforms
• No need to learn (or hire professionals that know) multiple languages, UI’s or SDK’s
• Regularly updated SDK with new platforms and features
• Some of the smaller app stores offer increased visibility and more stable long term sales

And by choosing the Marmalade SDK you also get:

Check out the full details here and let us know what you think!

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Accessory Roundup - Win a BlackBerry 7 phone accessory of your choice!

All the new BlackBerry 7 smartphones are out and CrackBerry abusers everywhere are sporting new devices. I'm loving my BlackBerry Bold 9900 as I know many of you are as well. The one thing I hate when getting a new device is having to rebuild my accessory stash. I can't seem to live without my BlackBerry charging pod as well as a few cases and a spare battery or two. If you're in the same boat then don't worry. We have a full supply of all the best accessories for your BlackBerry 7 phone. Be it cases, chargers, batteries or whatever you need -- we've got you covered. If you can't quite decide what accessory to pickup for your device, keep reading to check out all the available accessories and details on how to win an accessory of your choice.

 

BlackBerry Bold 9930 / 9900 Cases

 

BlackBerry Torch 9810 Cases

 

BlackBerry Torch 9850 / 9860 Cases

 

BlackBerry Curve 9350 / 9360 / 9370 Cases

 

 

 

Contest: To enter to win a BlackBerry 7 accessory of your choice just leave a single comment on this post telling us what you'd choose for your device and why. Contest ends this Sunday at midnight PST.

BellShare Starts UserVoice Forum for User Feedback – All Devs Should Do This!

Jack let us know that BellShare has launched a new feedback and feature voting tool powered by UserVoice. This lets users make suggestions and feature requests for BellShare’s apps. I am a huge fan of their BerryReader app and this is our chance to make it better. UserVoice lets anybody post feedback or suggestions for BellShare’s BerryReader, BerryPopup, BerryWeather, BeBuzz, and SmartAlerts.

Just head on over to www.bellshare.com/feedback. Personally I think all devs should have a way for customers to suggest features like this and vote on them. It would be really cool if RIM could add that kind of social flexibility to App World… Sometimes forums and App World “reviews” are just not the right place for it.

More on BerryReview

Slider Lock – Slide To Unlock for Your BlackBerry

Slider Lock is an application that automatically locks your device on screen time out, and allows for you to use slide to unlock on Torch devices.  The app also works on non Torch devices. You can read more about it and purchase it from BlackBerry AppWorld.

More on BerryReview

Profile Assist Changes Your Settings Based on Location, Time, or Battery Level

I am always on the hunt for a better app to automatically manage my BlackBerry settings and radios based on my location or time. The latest I have spotted in Profile Assist by Craig T. The app lets you easily set events based on your customizable triggers on location, time of day, or battery life level. That lets you change your ringer profile, Bluetooth settings, Wi-Fi, wallpaper, and GPS settings based on those triggers.

The best part is that Profile Assist is selling for a very reasonable $0.99 in App World. The main downside I see so far is that it looks like the app uses GPS instead of cell phone tower triangulation for location events but hopefully they will update that. There is also a platform limitation that cannot change your profile or Bluetooth settings while holstered but the app will vibrate and change the settings as soon as you unholster or unlock your phone. Let us know what you think of the app if you give it a spin!

More on BerryReview

Three Slick Free PlayBook Wallpapers from Paul Leroux @QNX

Paul Leroux usually keeps us up to date on what is going on with QNX on their On Q blog but this time he has posted three really nice wallpapers for the PlayBook. I am actually using the cat version on my PlayBook and it looks SLICK. Now I just need to take one of my cat like that…

Here is how to get the wallpapers:

More on BerryReview

Mobile Nations LIVE Podcast!

BlackBerry Bold 9980 R47 Caught Fraternizing with a Bold 9900

The odd BlackBerry Bold 9980 R47 concept phone has reared its head again in China. It now has a photoshoot next to a T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9900 for comparison. Nothing really new here but you can now see how similar or different the devices look. Let us know if you spot anything!

via MaxPDA via PocketBerry

More on BerryReview

RIM Confirms BlackBerry PlayBook Premium Charger Charges Phones 2X Faster!

 

There has been a bit of confusion about using the BlackBerry PlayBook Premium charger and charging BlackBerry smartphones. Kevin @CrackBerry speculated a few months back that the Premium Charger that ships with the Playbook charges phones faster but RIM was mum on the subject and we speculated on our own. Now RIM has confirmed on their Shop BlackBerry store that:

It’s (BlackBerry Premium Charger) designed to work with your BlackBerry® smartphone—charging twice as fast as standard BlackBerry chargers.

From what I have been able to tell by using the BlackBerry Engineering Screen the PlayBook Premium charger pumps ~1250mAh charge into my BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9800. That is compared to 750mAh from the new standard BlackBerry Charger Plug that RIM ships with new phones. It is also higher than the 700mAh that the older model Folding Blade Travel Charger pushed out. The PlayBook Premium Charger on the other hand seems to be able to push 1800mAh though from what I can tell my phone is only reporting 1250mAh so it could be the numbers are a little less than two times the regular charger.

Still its nice to see RIM come out and confirm that the PlayBook Premium Charger is “designed to work with your BlackBerry smartphone” instead of just happening to work. This means that RIM has probably tested it with the smartphone capacitors to make sure you are not frying the charging circuitry.

PS: I am still trying to figure out what the story is with the BlackBerry PlayBook Rapid Charger. For a rapid charger it seems to only be pushing out 2000mAh which is not much higher than the Premium chargers 1800mAh. I am not an electrical engineer by any count but let us know if you figure it out!

More on BerryReview

Deal of the Day: Save 60% on the BlackBerry Skin Case for Tour 9630 - Only $3.95!

BlackBerry Bridge updated to version 1.0.6.5

BlackBerry Bridge has again been updated and now sits at version 1.0.6.5. No word on what's new or changed this time around, so if you come across anything fancy then let us know. Previous releases have tweaked things up a bit and made the app a bit smoother all around, so hopefully this does more of the same. This could also be a good sign that a PlayBook software update is on the way as well, since the last few Bridge updates were closely followed by a new PlayBook OS (but don't hold us to that). BlackBerry Bridge can be updated via BlackBerry App World.

More information/download of BlackBerry Bridge

BlackBerry Bold 9980! de aspecto horrible pero si trabaja bien se acepta :)

BlackBerry Bold 9980 (R47) Hands-on Walk-throug

RIM Extends DevCon America $699 Rate Until September 23rd Using This Code

RIM’s early bird $699 rate for BlackBerry DevCon Americas expired on August 26th which brought the price back up to $849. They have now extended the discount to App World vendors offering the $699 rate back until September 23rd which is nice of them. To get this rate you simply register now using the code DSRPA5.

Let us know if you are coming!

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BlackBerry Torch 9860 becomes available in UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar

 

RIM's newest full touchscreen BlackBerry smartphone, the BlackBerry Torch 9860 has made its way to a handful of middle eastern countries - United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. The BlackBerry Torch 9860 is RIM's first all-touch device, following in the Storm2's form factor but comes without SurePress. A feature both loved and hated by some users. And it still comes with the option to use the SureType keyboard when in portrait mode as well as a wide landscape QWERTY onscreen keyboard.

The Torch 9860's large 3.7 inch touchscreen is great for watching videos and browsing the internet with its HTML optimised browser for better gaming. And of course it comes with BlackBerry 7, a 5MP camera, and 1.2Ghz processor and Liquid Graphics technology. 

Read the full Press Release

For more information on the BlackBerry Torch 9860 

Quick Review: Jewel Breaker for BlackBerry smartphones

For some, games are a necessity on their BlackBerry smartphones. They’re great time killers and they make you look extremely busy (unless someone is looking over your shoulder). Toysoft Development Inc recently brought their version of one of my favourite types of games to the mobile platform; Jewel Breaker. More than likely, you’ve probably seen a game like this before; a screen full of different coloured gems and you have to side-swap them in order to make a vertical or horizontal line of 3 or more. They disappear and more fall from above to fill in the gaps. I personally enjoy this type of game, as its mindless fun, and allows me to grab as many gems as I want without having to run away from a Jewellery store security guard.

Jewel Breaker has three game modes to choose from; Standard, Timed and Infinite. You cannot switch between games modes once one has been selected – you have to exit the game and start again. The colours and graphics used for the game are quite vivid, although there were a couple of small glitches found. At times, a gem would be replaced by a black square or the white border used to indicate a selected gem, which would appear on several gems simultaneously. On my Bold 9900, I would only see these when playing the game using the trackpad; touch screen play was flawless. Speaking of BlackBerry models, the game can be played on the BlackBerry Curve 9350/9360/9370, Bold 9700/9780/9900/9930, Torch 9800/9810/9850/9860, Tour and Storm 1 and 2. I should also warn youjojij that the sound effects are loud by default, so you had better use that volume rocker to turn that down so to not disturb your classmates or colleagues. If you’d like to pick up Jewel Breaker, you can buy it for $0.99 from BlackBerry App World.

More information/download Jewel Breaker

Check out more games and applications from Toysoft Development Inc

Tracking packages from your BlackBerry Smartphone

I'm a tech geek -- I like gadgets. More often than not I find myself ordering "stuff" just for the sake of getting something new. It's pretty much always been this way and there is really no solid explanation for it, it's just how I am. It can be anything from a new phone to an accessory to a video game or what have you. Right along with that, I'm also a fan of tracking my stuff. I love to watch it move along its route and know right when it will land at my door. When I'm away from my computer that is sometimes a struggle, but thankfully there are a few ways to keep track of your stuff right from your BlackBerry. Most big name carriers provide easy to use mobile sites that you can access from your BlackBerry browser and some even have apps. You can also grab one of the many third-party apps that lets you drop in tracking numbers from multiple carriers so everything is in one spot. Keep reading for some of my favorite tracking methods.

 

The easiest way to track your packages is through the BlackBerry browser. Most carriers have a mobile site that allos for easy viewing on BlackBerry where you simply enter your tracking number and you're good to go. This is a great solution for those who don't want an extra app they won't use often as there is nothing to install on the device. Some favorites include:

UPS: m.ups.com

FedEx: m.fedex.com

USPS: m.usps.com

Canda Post: canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/default.jsf?mobile=true

Other carriers like DHL and Purolator don't seem to have "streamlined" mobile sites for tracking, however with the ease of the browser on new OS 6 and OS 7 devices the full sites seem to do an ok job and are just a bit tougher to navigate. You can always check with whatever carrier you choose as most will redirect to the mobile site when using your BlackBerry browser if available. 

 

Plenty of carriers offer mobile apps for BlackBerry that let you track items as well as find stores, creat labels and more. These are great tools if you want to easily track packages or make use of a carriers services often.

UPS Mobile

UPS Mobile is a free download that lets you track packages, locate stores, create labels and even estimate shipping costs. It's free through BlackBerry App World.

More information/download of UPS Mobile

 

FedEx Mobile

FedEx Mobile lets you track packages and keep an eye on important shipments. With the mobile app you can even sync to your account at fedex.com.

More information/download of FedEx Mobile

 

Canada Post Corporation

The Canada Post app gives you package tracking as well as the ability to create personalize stamps, find locations and postal codes and more. 

More information/download of Canada Post Corporation

 

Of course if you track packages quite often you may want to go with a paid, third-party app that allows you to track multiple shipments in one place. If you use any international carriers these are a great alterantive as they offer and all-in-one solution. There are plenty of these available for download and each offers the ability to save and track packages.

Package Tracking

This app gives you access to over 40 carriers including USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Canda Post, Purolator and many more. For international carriers this one is a great solution. Available for $3.99 in BlackBerry App World.

More information/download of Package Tracking

 

Mobile Package Tracker

Mobile Package Tracker http://crackberry.com/node/162844/editnot only gives you the option to track packages, but also to name shipments,  email tracking info and more. Supports UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, Royal Mail, Purolator and many more. Available for $3.99 in BlackBerry App World.

More information/download of Mobile Package Tracker

 

So if you're like me and want to keep tabs on all of your traveling packages from your BlackBerry, there are plenty of great options. Casual trackers may prefer to just stick to a carriers mobile site, while others may splurge for an all-in-one tracking app. No matter which you choose you'll be able to keep up with just where your packages are at all times so no more guessing when you'll get that shiny new BlackBerry on your doorstep :-)

 

 

From the Forums: Staples fails at advertising, Adam Schefter loves his BlackBerry, and is it time to upgrade from Curve 8330?

RIM had their earnings call today, with some interesting announcements about the BlackBerry PlayBook and QNX phones. You can check out all the details in the blogs, and then head on over to the CrackBerry forums and see what's up with your fellow CrackBerry addicts. Below is a sample of some interesting threads you won't want to miss.

Found an interesting article you want to share with CrackBerry Nation? Have a burning question about that feature you just can't figure out? There is ALWAYS more happening just a click away in the forums. You can always head over and join in the conversation, search for answers, or

lend your expertise to other members of our community. If you aren't already, take a moment to get registered in the CrackBerry forums today!

RIM Reports Q2 Fiscal 2012 Results – Ships 10.6 Million BlackBerrys & 200,000 PlayBooks

RIM is going to have a field day in the press tonight and tomorrow. They just announced their second quarter fiscal 2012 results and while the numbers are not bad they show a definite slump. They have sold 10.6 million BlackBerrys and 200,000 PlayBooks this past quarter. Revenue is down though they grew the subscriber base to 70 million which is 40% up from last year this time.

The big message in the results report is that BlackBerry 7 sales are expected to rebound next quarter with shipments growing 27-37% over this quarters 10.2 million. As Jim Balsillie says:

“We will continue to build on the success of the BlackBerry 7 launch to drive the business as we focus our development efforts on delivering the next generation, QNX-based mobile platform next year."

Check out the press release here or below. More analysis as it comes!

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Sept. 15, 2011) – Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM), a world leader in the mobile communications market, today reported second quarter results for the three months ended August 27, 2011 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP, except where otherwise indicated).

Highlights:

Q2 Results:

Revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 was $4.2 billion, down 15% from $4.9 billion in the previous quarter and down 10% from $4.6 billion in the same quarter of last year. The revenue breakdown for the quarter was approximately 73% for hardware, 24% for service, and 3% for software and other revenue. During the quarter, RIM shipped approximately 10.6 million BlackBerry smartphones and approximately 200,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.

"We successfully launched a range of BlackBerry 7 smartphones around the world during the latter part of the second quarter and we are seeing strong sell-through and customer interest for these new products. Overall unit shipments in the quarter were slightly below our forecast due to lower than expected demand for older models," said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "We will continue to build on the success of the BlackBerry 7 launch to drive the business as we focus our development efforts on delivering the next generation, QNX-based mobile platform next year."

The Company’s GAAP net income for the quarter was $329 million, or $0.63 per share diluted, compared with GAAP net income of $695 million, or $1.33 per share diluted, in the prior quarter and net income of $797 million, or $1.46 per share diluted, in the same quarter last year. Adjusted net income for the second quarter was $419 million, or $0.80 per share diluted. Adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share exclude the impact of a pre-tax one-time charge of $118 million for the Company’s cost optimization program that was implemented in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Details on the cost optimization program are available in the Company’s press release dated July 25, 2011 as well as in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the fiscal period ended August 27, 2011, which will be filed shortly. This charge and its related impacts on net income and diluted EPS are summarized in the table below.

Note: Adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and thus are not comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other issuers. The Company believes that the presentation of adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share enables the Company and its shareholders to better assess RIM’s operating results relative to its operating results in prior periods and improves the comparability of the information presented. Investors should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in the context of RIM’s GAAP results.

⁽¹⁾ During the second quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company implemented a cost optimization program to streamline operations across the organization. The Company incurred approximately $118 million in total pre-tax charges related to the cost optimization program. Substantially all the pre-tax charges are related to one-time employee termination benefits and the identification and elimination of redundant facilities, with the charges included in the relevant line items in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. During the second quarter of fiscal 2012 pre-tax charges of approximately $13 million were included in cost of sales, charges of approximately $19 million were included in research and development, and charges of approximately $86 million were included in selling, marketing and administration expenses. Additional charges for headcount related costs associated with our cost optimization program may also be incurred in subsequent quarters.

The total of cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments was $1.4 billion as at August 27, 2011, compared to $2.9 billion at the end of the previous quarter, a decrease of $1.5 billion from the prior quarter. Uses of cash included strategic purchases of intellectual property assets associated with RIM’s participation in a consortium of companies that successfully bid to acquire Nortel Networks Corporation’s patent portfolio, of which RIM’s cost is approximately $780 million, capital expenditures of approximately $285 million, and working capital requirements.

Q3 and FY2012 Outlook

Revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2012 ending November 26, 2011 is expected to be in the range of $5.3-$5.6 billion. Gross margin percentage for the third quarter is expected to be approximately 37%. BlackBerry smartphone shipments are expected to be between 13.5 million and 14.5 million units. Adjusted earnings per share for the third quarter, excluding the impact of charges related to the Company’s cost optimization program, is expected to be in the range of $1.20-$1.40. Adjusted diluted earnings per share for the full year fiscal 2012, excluding the impact of charges related to the Company’s cost optimization program, is expected to be towards the low end of the previously guided range of $5.25-$6.00.

More on BerryReview

RIM Q2 Fiscal 2012 Conference Call Wrapup – More Details!

RIM didn’t go into much detail in their press release before but both Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie were on the investor conference call that just ended. They had quite a bit to say including the fact that 35% of sales for Q2 were for BlackBerry 7 devices in the last few weeks of Q2.  They were also talking quite a bit about the PlayBook, BlackBerry 7, and the QNX phone transition. Here are the bullet points I wrote up from the call:

Let me know if I missed anything!

More on BerryReview

RIM Reports Q2 Fiscal 2012 Results – Ships 10.2 Million BlackBerrys & 200,000 PlayBooks

RIM is going to have a field day in the press tonight and tomorrow. They just announced their second quarter fiscal 2012 results and while the numbers are not bad they show a definite slump. They have sold 10.2 million BlackBerrys and 200,000 PlayBooks this past quarter. Revenue is down though they grew the subscriber base to 70 million which is 40% up from last year this time.

The big message in the results report is that BlackBerry 7 sales are expected to rebound next quarter with shipments growing 27-37% over this quarters 10.2 million. As Jim Balsillie says:

“We will continue to build on the success of the BlackBerry 7 launch to drive the business as we focus our development efforts on delivering the next generation, QNX-based mobile platform next year."

Check out the press release here or below. More analysis as it comes!

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Sept. 15, 2011) – Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM), a world leader in the mobile communications market, today reported second quarter results for the three months ended August 27, 2011 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP, except where otherwise indicated).

Highlights:

Q2 Results:

Revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 was $4.2 billion, down 15% from $4.9 billion in the previous quarter and down 10% from $4.6 billion in the same quarter of last year. The revenue breakdown for the quarter was approximately 73% for hardware, 24% for service, and 3% for software and other revenue. During the quarter, RIM shipped approximately 10.6 million BlackBerry smartphones and approximately 200,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.

"We successfully launched a range of BlackBerry 7 smartphones around the world during the latter part of the second quarter and we are seeing strong sell-through and customer interest for these new products. Overall unit shipments in the quarter were slightly below our forecast due to lower than expected demand for older models," said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "We will continue to build on the success of the BlackBerry 7 launch to drive the business as we focus our development efforts on delivering the next generation, QNX-based mobile platform next year."

The Company’s GAAP net income for the quarter was $329 million, or $0.63 per share diluted, compared with GAAP net income of $695 million, or $1.33 per share diluted, in the prior quarter and net income of $797 million, or $1.46 per share diluted, in the same quarter last year. Adjusted net income for the second quarter was $419 million, or $0.80 per share diluted. Adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share exclude the impact of a pre-tax one-time charge of $118 million for the Company’s cost optimization program that was implemented in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Details on the cost optimization program are available in the Company’s press release dated July 25, 2011 as well as in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the fiscal period ended August 27, 2011, which will be filed shortly. This charge and its related impacts on net income and diluted EPS are summarized in the table below.

Note: Adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and thus are not comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other issuers. The Company believes that the presentation of adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share enables the Company and its shareholders to better assess RIM’s operating results relative to its operating results in prior periods and improves the comparability of the information presented. Investors should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in the context of RIM’s GAAP results.

⁽¹⁾ During the second quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company implemented a cost optimization program to streamline operations across the organization. The Company incurred approximately $118 million in total pre-tax charges related to the cost optimization program. Substantially all the pre-tax charges are related to one-time employee termination benefits and the identification and elimination of redundant facilities, with the charges included in the relevant line items in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. During the second quarter of fiscal 2012 pre-tax charges of approximately $13 million were included in cost of sales, charges of approximately $19 million were included in research and development, and charges of approximately $86 million were included in selling, marketing and administration expenses. Additional charges for headcount related costs associated with our cost optimization program may also be incurred in subsequent quarters.

The total of cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments was $1.4 billion as at August 27, 2011, compared to $2.9 billion at the end of the previous quarter, a decrease of $1.5 billion from the prior quarter. Uses of cash included strategic purchases of intellectual property assets associated with RIM’s participation in a consortium of companies that successfully bid to acquire Nortel Networks Corporation’s patent portfolio, of which RIM’s cost is approximately $780 million, capital expenditures of approximately $285 million, and working capital requirements.

Q3 and FY2012 Outlook

Revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2012 ending November 26, 2011 is expected to be in the range of $5.3-$5.6 billion. Gross margin percentage for the third quarter is expected to be approximately 37%. BlackBerry smartphone shipments are expected to be between 13.5 million and 14.5 million units. Adjusted earnings per share for the third quarter, excluding the impact of charges related to the Company’s cost optimization program, is expected to be in the range of $1.20-$1.40. Adjusted diluted earnings per share for the full year fiscal 2012, excluding the impact of charges related to the Company’s cost optimization program, is expected to be towards the low end of the previously guided range of $5.25-$6.00.

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Actualización de BlackBerry Bridge a versión 1.0.6.5

Nueva actualización del cliente de BlackBerry Bridge para Smartphone BlackBerry, y si sigue la tónica de las últimas actualizaciones la misma vendrá acompañada de una actualización de OS de BlackBerry PlayBook, el tiempo nos dirá.

Aunque la verdad sea dicha no creo que sea la esperada versión 2.0 que presumiblemente será la que vendrá con el Player de Android, más cuando tenemos confirmación de que saldrá el mes que viene por un Twit de Eduardo Fernandez, director general de RIM España. Y al referirse al mes que viene supongo que se sacará durante el BlackBerry DevCon que se celebrará en San Francisco del 18 al 20 de Octubre.

El link a la App World: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/screenshots/19435

NFC BlackBerrys Will Open HID Doors in 2012

Now this is what I am talking about when it comes to NFC being a game changer. Many people are familiar with HID and their proximity keycards. Many buildings and offices use their badges or dongles to tap a sensor and open doors and HID is one of the most common. Until now people have been sticking the HID cards to the back of their BlackBerrys or under the battery door to combine the two. Now NFC enabled BlackBerrys including the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 and Curve 9350/9360 will be able to do this with NFC. Talk about a cool use of NFC.

HID announced that they worked together with RIM to make this happen and it should be available in early 2012. Here is what they have to say about it from the press release:

Instead of using keys or smartcards, BlackBerry smartphone users will be able to use iCLASS digital credentials that can be presented for authentication by simply holding their NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone in front of a reader, just like they do today with a physical iCLASS smartcard.

“NFC technology will enable many new and exciting capabilities for BlackBerry smartphones and we are very pleased to be working with HID Global to be the first to bring a host of secure identity and mobile access control capabilities to NFC-enabled smartphones,” said Andrew Bocking, vice president, Handheld Software Product Management at RIM.

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RIM Looking for Two BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps Engineers

RIM is clearly working hard on getting Android apps running on the PlayBook but one of our writers pointed out two positions RIM has posted on their LinkedIn page that are very telling. RIM is looking for a “BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps – System Software Engineer” and a “BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps – Compliance Engineer” in the San Francisco Bay area. It even has some cool responsibilities with the software engineer responsibilities:

The compliance Engineer Responsibilities include:

• Systematically identifying categories of content compliance issues for BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps
• Identifying root causes for non-compliance of Android applications on the Playbook platform
• Creating workarounds and alternate implementations for compliant behavior
• Devising content guidelines for developers to inform them of compliance related pitfalls

Check out the full job descriptions below:

Research In Motion – San Francisco Bay Area

POSITION SUMMARY

The Handheld Application Architecture team is searching for the most creative, innovative and motivated individuals in the technology space to focus on building RIM’s next generation device platform based on Playbook technology and QNX. 

This exciting role involves responsibilities for building and optimizing the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Applications. You must be at home with Java and C/C++ development in addition to other managed runtime APIs.  Your impressive experience in leading embedded mobile smartphone platforms will catch our attention, specifically, iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Palm WebOS. Additionally, knowledge of Java platforms outside the smartphone space is highly attractive!

If you want to work with the best in the business, join us as we build the next generation BlackBerry!

RESPONSIBILITIES

ADDITIONAL ASSETS

If you’re driven to take wireless technologies to the next level, it’s time you join the team at RIM. We offer a challenging environment that fosters creativity and rewards excellence. Employees also have use of our award winning BlackBerry!

Research In Motion – San Francisco Bay Area

The Handheld Application Architecture team is searching for the most creative, innovative and motivated individuals in the technology space to focus on building RIM’s next generation device platform based on Playbook technology and QNX. 

This exciting role involves responsibilities for building and optimizing the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Applications. You must be at home with Java and C/C++ development in addition to other managed runtime APIs.  Your impressive experience in leading embedded mobile smartphone platforms will catch our attention, specifically, iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Palm WebOS. Additionally, knowledge of Java platforms outside the smartphone space is highly attractive!

If you want to work with the best in the business, join us as we build the next generation BlackBerry!

RESPONSIBILITIES

ADDITIONAL ASSETS

If you’re driven to take wireless technologies to the next level, it’s time you join the team at RIM. We offer a challenging environment that fosters creativity and rewards excellence. Employees also have use of our award winning BlackBerry!

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Files & Folders v2.3 Released for the PlayBook

Files & Folders by Innovatology has been updated to V2.3.

The main features in the upgrade are:
-E-mail a file via your mail server (experimental)
-works with Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Windows Live, MSN, many Exchange and other SMTP servers
-support for plain SMTP, authentication, SSL and StartTLS

It also does a lot more, and can be found in BlackBerry AppWorld for $2.99

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Could RIM Announce PlayBook OS 2.0 Tonight During Earnings Call?

This is a ton of wishful thinking sparked by readers talking about it after the BlackBerry Bridge update earlier this morning. Still analysts are trying to hammer RIM before their earnings call tonight with speculated PlayBook sales in the half a million for the quarter. The question is if RIM will be able to shut them up with some amazing PlayBook news. The best thing for RIM to quell naysayers would be to launch both the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 and the Android Player tonight. We know that the Android Player is at least coming in some form before DevCon in mid October so maybe it will come out a bit early? Alternatively this could just be a small OS update for the PlayBook since the Bridge did not go up to v2.0… I just feel we would have seen some more leaks before an official OS 2.0 update.

Who knows but isn’t it fun to speculate?

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BlackBerry Bridge Updated to v1.0.6.5 – PlayBook OS Update Coming Soon?

RIM has quietly started rolling out an update to the BlackBerry Bridge app today to v1.0.6.5. This is an update to the previous 1.0.5.6. The thing is these BlackBerry Bridge updates are practically always a harbinger of an upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook OS update since it takes 24 hours for App World to propagate them so they need to plan early.

No word on what this version of Bridge adds or what PlayBook OS update we will be seeing but anybody secretly hoping it is PlayBook OS 2.0 with an Android player? You can try to pick up the updated Bridge app in App World here.

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Official OS 7.0.0.362 Released for Bold 9930 Curve 9350 & Torch 9850

Usually CDMA BlackBerrys do not get as much OS love when they launch so its nice to see that changing. Lucas @N4BB spotted Panhandle Communications launch of OS 7.0.0.362 for the BlackBerry Bold 9930, Curve 9350, & Torch 9850. This is the latest OS we have seen yet so if you are having issues with the previous OS 7.0.0.353 you may want to give this one a spin.

Download OS 7.0.0.362 @ BlackBerry.com

Warning: This OS will not install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above. Don’t forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in c:program files>common files>research in motion>apploader to install it on a different carriers device. If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry OS please start by reading this step by step guide.

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