You’ve seen that BlackBerry has introduced a huge, new feature for BBM today at BlackBerry Live 2013, BBM Channels. Now you’re wondering how you can sign up for this new service. Well, all you have to do to get BBM Channels is sign up for it in the BlackBerry Beta Zone. BBM Channels works on both legacy BlackBerry OS devices and BlackBerry 10 devices. Signing up will give you access to the Beta version of BBM Channels through the Beta Zone, then you can upgrade to the full version when it officially launches later this year. Hit the link below to head over to the BlackBerry Beta Zone and get in on the BBM Channel action.

• Get BBM Channels from the BlackBerry Beta Zone

This is something we didn’t see coming! But BlackBerry is about to take on Twitter and Facebook with BBM Channels. BBM Channels is a place for brands and people to connect, and interact. A place for you to feel more involved. TheBerryFix.com will be launching our own BBM Channel in the coming days, so stay tuned.

Currently BlackBerry has opened this new feature up to a small group of beta testers, with full rollout expected in the coming weeks. Who would you like to see create a BBM Channel? Your friends? Or a celebrity? Comment below, I’m interested to hear your thoughts.

• Learn More About BBM Channels Beta Access Here

Press Release

Waterloo, ON – For the times when you want to share experiences beyond your friends or engage the communities you care about, BlackBerry® is taking its globally popular mobile social network, BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), up a notch with new functionality called BBM Channels. BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) today announced the beta launch of BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow people to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about.

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BlackBerry announced at BlackBerry LIVE 2013 that their carrier partners would be launching BlackBerry OS 10.1 on the Z10 starting today. Well, TELLUS customers, get ready as the update is now available. OS 10.1.0.273 can now be downloaded and installed via the over the air updates on your BlackBerry Z10 smartphone.

The rollout will begin today, and continue throughout the week. Let us know if you’ve got the update on your Z10, and what carrier you are on.

While BlackBerry told us that Modern Combat 4 would launch back at the world-wide launch event of the BlackBerry Z10, we hadn’t heard anything since. Well, as of today BlackBerry Z10 owners can download the latest HD game from GameLoft for only .99 cents. Modern Combat 4 features HD graphics, intelligent UI, and a captivating story line. Grab the link below to get in on the action and download Modern Combat 4 for the BlackBerry Z10.

• Download Modern Combat 4 for the BlackBerry Z10

T-Mobile has announced that the BlackBerry Q10 is coming to their network. This device is available for order today for business customers at a price of $119.99. Consumers will be able to get their hands on the Q10 beginning in June for $99 down with 20 additional monthly payments of $20. The Q10 will be available in T-Mobile retail stores, online at T-Mobile.com, and at various retail partners. Interested customers can register for updates on the Q10 at the link below.

• Register for updates about the T-Mobile BlackBerry Q10 Here

Today at BlackBerry Live 2013, Thorsten Heins announced that BlackBerry OS 10.1 for the Z10 will start rolling out today. The updates will be rolling out pending carrier approval.

New BlackBerry 10.1 Features:

• BlackBerry Hub: The BlackBerry Hub lets you access all your messages and notifications in one place. With BlackBerry 10.1 support for PIN to PIN messages for direct communication between BlackBerry smartphones has been added to the BlackBerry Hub. Plus, improved attachment support in the BlackBerry Hub makes it easier to view emails which have been sent as attachments to other messages.
• Notifications: With BlackBerry 10.1 you can personalize the notifications for your accounts and contacts so you always know what is happening around you. Customize ringtones, vibration and the LED light by contact or by account for more personalized notifications.
• Fine Cursor Control: BlackBerry 10.1 makes it easier and more accurate to pinpoint exactly where you want to type. Tap once to bring up the cursor. Grab the blue circle and drag it around to place it exactly where you need it. Tap either side of the circle to move left or right by just one character. It’s easy to move around with speed and precision.
• Camera: BlackBerry 10 lets you create the perfect shot by moving parts of your picture backwards and forwards in time with Time Shift mode. BlackBerry 10.1 adds an HDR shooting mode for beautiful images in tricky lighting conditions. A standard image takes a picture at one exposure level. Where you have high contrast between light and dark areas of the photo, fine details can be lost. High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode takes multiple pictures at different exposure levels and layers them automatically to produce a single photo that combines the best of the dark and light areas.

• Lots more to discover: You’ll find lots of new improvements across the BlackBerry 10 OS like landscape support for the calendar, easier international dialing, improved red eye reduction in the picture editor and much more. The first step to discovering these new features is to update your BlackBerry 10 software.

How to update to BlackBerry 10.1:

Updating to BlackBerry 10.1 is free and easy to do. To update your BlackBerry Z10 smartphone to BlackBerry 10.1 look for the alert in the notifications section of the BlackBerry Hub. You can also check for software updates through the settings menu by visiting the software updates section. The download will happen in the background and the update will be applied without needing to back up your smartphone. All of your information remains safe. As always, we recommend you have a current backup of your BlackBerry Z10 smartphone readily available. For more information on how to update your BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, visit www.BlackBerry.com/update

On stage at BlackBerry Live 2013, CEO Thorsten Heins has just announced the BlackBerry Q5. This is a budget-friendly device meant for emerging markets. This device will begin rolling out globally in the summer. The Q5 will come in four colors; red, black, white, and pink. Check out the Press Release on the Q5, starting below and continuing past the break.

Press Release

BlackBerry Introduces a Youthful and Fun BlackBerry 10 QWERTY smartphone, the BlackBerry Q5, for Selected Markets

May 14, 2013

Waterloo, ON – BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) today introduced the BlackBerry® Q5, a new youthful and fun BlackBerry® 10 smartphone for selected markets. The BlackBerry Q5 smartphone features a QWERTY keyboard with discrete keys in a stunning youthful design that is confident, fun, and bold. Every feature, every part of the BlackBerry Q5 has been built to provide a fast, effortless experience that flows and moves with you to help you explore, create, and share while on the go.

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We’ve had this game on the BlackBerry PlayBook for some time, but as of today UNION and Unity have made the game available on the BlackBerry Z10. Samurai Vengeance is now available for download from BlackBerry World for FREE! Yep, free. So hit up the link below and get to slicing those evil doers.

• Download Samurai Vengeance for the BlackBerry Z10

You do not need to refresh. Page will update live. Blog begins at 9am.

Macadamian Accelerates BlackBerry® 10 App Development Pace by 85%

Gatineau, QC. (May 13, 2013) – Macadamian has increased its rate of BlackBerry® 10 app development by 85 per cent to keep pace with accelerating customer demand. The user-experience-design and software-development firm has averaged about one new app every two weeks since the launch of the BlackBerry® Z10 smartphone on January 30, 2013. The Maxim app for BlackBerry® 10 is among Macadamian’s latest design and development credits.

“We were one of the first to get behind the BlackBerry® 10 platform and we’re seeing results,” said Macadamian CEO Frédéric Boulanger who has dedicated a quarter of his company’s workforce to BlackBerry® 10 development. “Stellar user experiences drive business value for our clients and that’s been critical to our success.”

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Today, BlackBerry has released updates to both the native Twitter and LinkedIn applications for BlackBerry 10. Both updates bring some new enhancements and features to the apps, plus speed and performance enhancements. Here’s what’s new in each update, click the app name for the link to download the update for free in BlackBerry World.

Twitter version 10.0.3/10.1.3

• Enjoy more content with Universal Search – Twitter 10.0.3/10.1.3 allows you to see more content when you’re searching. You’ll be able to view related profiles, tweets and top tweets, photos and relevant searches all on one page.
• Always Fresh Content – The latest Twitter update ensures all of your content is always fresh and up to date. Automatic caching gives you the current information at your fingertips without having to manually refresh your tabs.

LinkedIn version 10.0.3/10.1.3

• Finding Your Contacts – Quickly make connections by importing and inviting your current contacts from your personal address book through the ‘Add Connections’ wizard.
• Enhanced Inbox – On the Inbox page, you can easily view the number of unread messages and invitations waiting for you.
• Refreshed Design – Check out the updated application design for an enhanced LinkedIn experience.
• Follow and Learn About Companies – With LinkedIn 10.0.3/10.1.3 you can now view details of the companies you follow as well as details of the companies suggested for you to follow.
• Delete and Archive Messages – On the Inbox page, you can now choose to delete or archive your messages.
• Change Profile Picture – There are three new and easy ways to change your profile picture.  Change it from the ‘You Page’, the ‘Full Screen View of your Photo’ or from the ‘Native Picture Viewer’.

RBC and Bell have teamed up to bring a new mobile payments solution to market. This new service will harness the security and power of BlackBerry, along with various other Android devices, to allow users to make credit and debit payments directly from their smartphones. The BlackBerry devices included on the service at launch will include the Z10, Q10, Bold 9900, Bold 9790 or Curve 9360. The service will be utilize NFC for making payments. Look for it to launch towards the end of the year and read on below and past the break for the full Press Release regarding this upcoming release.

Press Release

RBC and Bell to launch secure mobile payments solution

Canada’s largest bank and Canada’s largest communications company to offer efficient and secure mobile way to purchase goods and services with credit and debit

MONTREAL AND TORONTO, May 9, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ – RBC and Bell today
announced the upcoming availability of an easy, fast and secure way for
RBC mobile banking customers to purchase goods and services with debit
or credit by simply using their compatible Bell Mobility smartphones.

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Golf fans, rejoice! The official PGA Tour app is now available on BlackBerry 10 for the Z10. This app brings you all the latest news from the Tour, including scores, videos, and current rankings. The PGA Tour app is integrated with BlackBerry 10′s native Peek and Flow, so your updates will show up in BlackBerry Hub. The full feature list includes:

• Native BlackBerry® navigation (“peek”) for easy access to all your favorite sections
• Live scoring & leaderboards for all PGA TOUR events, including “favorites” to follow the players you care about
• Highlights & other videos
• News & blog posts from PGATOUR.com writers & talent
• FedExCup standings
• Searchable player profiles & statistics
• Course overviews and hole-by-hole information for PGA TOUR courses
• Twitter feeds from PGA TOUR staff and players

Get it free in BlackBerry World using the link below and start enjoying the PGA Tour on-the-go.

• Download PGA Tour in BlackBerry World

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for some more BlackBerry 10 App Wednesday Selections. BlackBerry Live is only a week away and the BlackBerry 10 app catalog is filling up quicker than ever. We’ve got tons of awesome games, utilities, and even the best BlackBerry Twitter client available, Blaq. From now on, the App Wednesday selection will be double the size, including apps for both the Z10 and Q10. Follow on past the break for all the amazing new apps available for BlackBerry 10.

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Last week we had the leak of the upcoming BlackBerry R10 in Red. Today, we’re bringing you a new photo, featuring the R10 in Black, plus a bunch of the specs on this next-generation Curve device. The R10 will be like the little brother to the Q10, the same form factor but with a smaller design and lesser specs. This is the BlackBerry 10 device that is slated to take the place of the BlackBerry Curve. The rumored specs for this new device include:

• QWERTY keyboard
• 3.1-inch display, 720 x 720 resolution
• 5MP rear camera, front camera
• Support to shoot up to 2560 x 1920 resolution photos
• 2G of RAM
• 8G internal storage
• 1800 mAh non-removable Battery
• BlackBerry 10.1 OS

3G connectivity and HSPA+ is a given on the R10, LTE may or may not make it into the first iteration of this device. We can also assume that the body of the R10 will be a bit smaller, and possibly thinner, than the Q10. Read on past the break for more pictures of the R10 in Black.

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