The Canadian Press has named Research In Motion “Canada’s Top Business Newsmaker of 2012.” They conduct this survey annually using various editors and broadcasters from across Canada to determine the top newsmaker and stories of the year. RIM garnered 37% of the vote in a large victory over the Canadian Economy, which only got 24% of the votes.

This is both good and bad news for RIM. The year started off well with the introduction of the PlayBook, but slow sales and empty promises quickly turned the PlayBook news to negative. We saw the stock price tick lower and then BlackBerry 7 and the Bold 9900 hit store shelves. Out of the gate, BlackBerry 7 was doing well and global adoption was at an all-time high. But then sales stalled and once again, the stock price fell rapidly. RIM and the BlackBerry brand ended 2011 with the announcement that BlackBerry 10 would be delayed till late-2012 and they would be relying on BlackBerry 7 devices to keep the company afloat till then.

So, it seems like RIM being the biggest business newsmaker of 2011 was from lots of negative stories and the company’s rapid decline. However, there is still hope for RIM as the calendar flips to 2012. They still have a huge customer base across the world and they own more of the market in Canada than any other device maker. The PlayBook tablet sold extremely well with the deep holiday discounts RIM was offering to close out 2011 and PlayBook OS 2.0 is due out in February. This update will bring the PlayBook up to par with the iPad and Android tablets, bringing native Email and PIM, the Android app player, and an overall improved tablet experience. RIM is also hard at work on both the BlackBerry ecosystem and BlackBerry 10 OS.

2012 is shaping up to be an even more “Year of the BlackBerry” than 2011 was. RIM’s betting the farm on the QNX-based, BlackBerry 10 OS, and judging from the previews we have seen, it’s a pretty good bet. BlackBerry’s new slogan going into 2012 is “Be Bold,” and that’s something I know the company plans to be in the coming year. We’ll be bringing you all the news throughout 2012 as we  hope to see the resurgence of RIM and the BlackBerry brand in consumer hands all across the globe.

Source : N4BB

We know that RIM has a few BlackBerry devices on the horizon, and many of which should be passing through the FCC. Engadget spotted that RIM had submitted a new device for FCC testing, and it’s sporting the frequencies needed to run on the AT&T network. While there is a lot that we don’t know about this device, there are some things we do know. Things like this device supports AT&T as a stated above, and that the device is running the BlackBerry 7 operating system. So let the speculation begin, my guess is that this is the Bold 9790 or all curve touch.

Source: Engadget

It’s been a Bold 9790 hail storm these past few weeks with more than enough images making their way onto the web, also the love and hate for the new button style that has seemingly made their way onto this new QWERTY BlackBerry. BlackBerry Indonesia has place a holder on their site (above image) which seems to be none other than the BlackBerry Bold 9790, after all it has the same profile as the 9790 and it is on the official BlackBerry website. Heres to hoping we hear more about the new phones in the coming days.

Source: CrackBerry

Last September RIM came to the table with the all-new BlackBerry Torch 9800, a device that was greeted with less than stellar reviews from the tech community and consumers alike. Just under a year later RIM launched what they hoped to be a powerhouse upgrade, a new phone, a new beginning. The big question is, did the Torch 9810 live up to its hype, did RIM deliver with the new BlackBerry 7 OS and hardware accelerated graphics? Follow me after the break and find out.

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BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Available in the Philippines on 6 August

Manila, the Philippines – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet will be available in the Philippines from 6th August 2011. The BlackBerry PlayBook will come in three Wi-Fi® models, featuring 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of memory storage, and will be available nation-wide from authorized retail stores and mobile operators with a 12-month warranty.

“The BlackBerry PlayBook is an incredibly powerful and feature-rich tablet that is ideal for both business and personal use,” said Gregory Wade, Regional Managing Director at Research In Motion. “You really need to hold the BlackBerry PlayBook in your hand to fully appreciate how much it stands out in terms of power and portability, and so we encourage customers to visit a retail store and try it out for themselves,” added Wade.

The BlackBerry PlayBook features an ultra-portable design and delivers industry leading performance, uncompromised web browsing with support for Adobe® Flash®, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a robust development environment.

BlackBerry PlayBook specifications include:

• 7″ 1024×600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen
• Ultra-portable at less than a pound and less than one-half inch thick: 0.9 lbs (425g) and 5.1” x 7.6” x 0.4” (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• BlackBerry® Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
• MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback
• Support for high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV)
• 1080p HDMI output
• Dual 1080p HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture (3MP front and 5MP rear)
• 1 GB RAM memory
• Up to 64 GB internal storage (16, 32 and 64 GB models)
• GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)
• Stereo speakers and stereo microphones
• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity
• Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR support

When the PlayBook launched there was a strange absence of…well any social media apps, mainly twitter. Fast-forward to today and we have a small gathering of social apps, and the biggest one so far seems to be Blaq. Today Blaq has been update to version 1.1 brining a slew of new and welcomed features, check then out below.

• Scroll to top by double tapping respective icon
• Show lock when account is protected
• Maximize Web view
• Delete tweet
• Pull-down Options Menu (non-functional)
• Search
• Trending topics
• Link hashtags to search
• Better support for non-english languages when displaying tweets
• Progress bar for image upload
• New reply icon
• In-app notification system
• Link @ mentions to profile card
• Lists
• Multi-account
• New search icon to toolbar

If you haven’t picked up Blaq head over to App World and check it out today.

• Check out Blaq for the BlackBerry PlayBook

News…

• BlackBerry Bold 9900 gets fully reviewed online
• Best Buy BlackBerry PlayBook Advetisement
• Twitter for BlackBerry updated to v2.0.0.15 in BlackBerry Beta Zone
• Foursquare for BlackBerry updated with AmEx deals support
• BlackBerry smartphone hardware versus the competition
• RIM introduces BlackBerry WebWorks Tablet OS SDK v2.1
• Calling all developers – Please check your PlayBook apps against Flash 10.3 and Air 2.7
• BlackBerry PlayBook debuts in India
• OS 7.0.0.176 Leaked for the BlackBerry Bold 9900
• OS 6.0.0.600 for the BlackBerry Torch 9800 leaked
• BlackBerry PlayBook OS 1.0.6.2390 update now available
• RIM releases screen resolution chart for unreleased and unannounced 2011 BlackBerry devices
• BlackBerry 7 device simulators now available for the 9810, 9360 and 9850
• RIM to transition WebWorks development from Visual Studio and Eclipse to Ripple Emulator
• PlayBook Game Review: Kick It Up!
• BBM Avatar Builder updated to v1.0.1