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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Aerize WiFiX v2.0.0 has been released for BlackBerry 7.1, 7.0, 6.0, 5.0 and 4.5. Force apps to use WiFi and other network connectivity, like magic. Utilize BlackBerry networking’s full potential with Aerize WiFiX. Available now at a very low introductory price or $2.50. At 50% off SRP, this price will not last, so hurry up and get your copy now!

—– Notable Features —–

• Route cellular network connections over WiFi.
• Route WiFi connections over various cellular networks.
• Route WAP connections to and from TCP, BIS, and BES connections.

Check out the Press Release for all the details of this amazing program past the break.

• Download Aerize WiFiX v2.0 Here

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It’s that time of year when people come together to celebrate the holidays. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanza, or some other holiday, everyone’s celebrating and giving gifts. When thinking about what gifts you want to give this year, don’t forget about BlackBerry devices. And more importantly, don’t forget the BlackBerry Porsche P’9981.

This exclusive device is customized inside and out for a premium look and feel. Crafted with the highest quality materials, the P’9981 features a forged stainless steel frame, hand-wrapped leather back cover, sculpted QWERTY keyboard, and crystal clear touch display. Enjoy the exclusive Porsche Design UI and a customized Wikitude World Browser augmented reality app experience. To connect with like-minded users, the Porsche Design P’9981 includes premium, exclusive PINs that help easily identify another P’9981 smartphone users.

The Porsche Design P’9981 offers a fast, fluid web browsing experience, HD video recording, the capability for augmented reality applications, and built in NFC support for sharing content and information with a simple tap of the BlackBerry. It also comes with 24 hour VIP tech support, world battery chargers, custom screen cloth and leather and forged stainless steel charging pod.

This holiday season, join celebs and socialites like Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Piers Morgan and Jay-Z in the upper echelon of smartphone luxury—Porsche Design P’9981 smartphones from BlackBerry are available at Porsche Design stores for $1,800. Click the link below to check out the Porsche P’9981 and find a store near you.

• Check out the Porsche P’9981 Here

RIM has had Theme Studio for BlackBerry 7 in Beta for a while and we haven’t heard much else about it, until today. RIM has just announced on the Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog, via a post entitled “One Door Closes, Another Door Opens,” that they will not be releasing Theme Studio for BlackBerry 7 and that BlackBerry 10 WILL NOT have a theme option.

First, let us take a look at Theme Studio for BlackBerry 7. The Beta is out there but it’s not being very widely used and developer feedback on the software has been bad. There will not be an official release of Theme Studio for BlackBerry 7. The blog post cites the following specifically for Theme Studio 7:

“Once we looked at the final product, it was clear to us that it didn’t address theme developer needs or asks. In addition, feedback from our Theme Studio beta testers showed us that the quality of the tooling would not be acceptable.”

Now, on to BlackBerry 10. RIM has no plans to release a Theme Studio for BlackBerry 10, and even if they wanted to, themeing may not even be possible with the custom interface that BlackBerry 10 runs on. Here is more from the blog on why there won’t be themes for BlackBerry 10:

“there will be no Theme Studio product for BlackBerry 10 and there will be no theme support in the BlackBerry 10 OS. We’ve worked diligently over the last year and a half with our design team to create a new user interface – focused around the idea of “flow”. While there are some great themes built for the current BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10 is designed to provide users a unique experience that can be personalized in other ways, but will have a consistent look and feel in iconography and settings.”

So, there you have it. Direct from RIM, confirmation that themes on BlackBerry are a thing of the past. Theme developers need not be discouraged; however. Building applications for BlackBerry 10 requires little to no additional knowledge above what you currently possess for themes. Take a little time to check out developing for BlackBerry 10 and you may find a new outlet to keep the revenue flowing in and your love for BlackBerry flowing out.

Source : Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog

RIM has sent over a piece entitled “Unspoken Words: BlackBerry Keeps Conversations Alive.” The article highlights some of the best features that BlackBerry has to offer and some of the apps that help maximize the BlackBerry’s effectiveness. Here is “Unspoken Words” direct from RIM:

Your BlackBerry smartphone offers numerous ways to have a conversation without uttering a word. With your busy, on-the-go lifestyle you may not have time for a lengthy conversation. No matter how busy you are, here are some ways you can use your BlackBerry to keep conversations alive!

• Instant Messaging: With 60 million BBM subscribers out there, use this popular BlackBerry messaging app to stay connected with friends, family members and significant others. Communicate in real time with the ability to see when your message is delivered and read. You can also create group chats through the BlackBerry Groups feature. Plus you can take advantage of Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, IM+ and WhatsAppas well for real time communication. With so many options at your disposal, it’s no wonder BlackBerry users use Instant Messaging services more on a daily basis than Apple or Android users (GFK Group, North American In-Market Tracker Data).
• Social Networks: Your BlackBerry comes equipped with the most popular social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter. Stay in touch by sending out a tweet or posting on someone’s wall. Have a more personal message? Send a direct message that others can’t see. For an added bonus, Facebook and Twitter are both BBM connected apps! Automatically share your Facebook status or latest tweet with your BBM friends right from within the app. LinkedIn will also be a BBM connected app on the upcoming BlackBerry 10 platform launching early next year.
• Email: If you don’t want to limit yourself to a certain number of characters, try email, an option synonymous with BlackBerry. Receive alerts when messages are sent to any of your personal and/or business emails. You can also receive Facebook and Twitter notifications to your email. RIM will take this another level with BlackBerry 10 where users will be able to view every message, including BBMs, texts, emails and social media updates from a shared interface called BlackBerry Hub.
• Photo: They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Through various photo apps on BlackBerry, use images and captions to get your message across. Foto Cards, Photo Notes and MOLOME each simplify communications by letting you add captions and other information to a photo for distribution.

When you need to get your message across quickly, BlackBerry is renowned for its QWERTY keyboard. Type fast and accurately so you can truly get your message across! If you are a touchscreen fan, BlackBerry 10 will feature a touchscreen keyboard that will adapt to your typing style. A new predictive text function will detect commonly used words and display them above, needing just a quick upwards swipe onto the text box for blazingly fast one handed typing.

BlackBerry 10 has been heavily touted as the savior for the BlackBerry brand since it was first discussed. As 2013 inches closer, BlackBerry fans are anxiously awaiting what RIM has in store for the next generation. RIM is being slow and deliberate with their reveal, only releasing a few details while hyping up the OS and devices so heavily that, if they somehow don’t meet expectations and match up with iOS, RIM is finished.

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has added some more fuel to the BlackBerry 10 fire in his latest  interview. Heins stated that ” Nothing from BlackBerry 7 is in BlackBerry 10, Nothing,” and “the DNA is still there so the experience will still feel intuitive to longtime BlackBerry users.” To me, this is great news. With BlackBerry 10, RIM plans to leave behind everything that people currently think about BlackBerry; that it’s a dying brand, the phones are slow, the OS is laggy, everything negative will be left with BlackBerry 7.

RIM plans to build not only the BlackBerry 10 Operating System and six BlackBerry 10 Smartphones, they plan to build an ecosystem that can compete in the long term with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. Though times are tough, sales are down, and the company’s stock is on the verge of collapse, RIM plans to stick it out till sometime in the beginning of 2013 when they can unleash their final attempt to remain relevant in today’s mobile landscape.

The analysts say it can’t be done and that RIM is finished. Some say RIM won’t make it to the BlackBerry 10 launch and those that do say it’ll be the biggest failure in history in technology. We, however, have a different opinion. BlackBerry 10 is going to be a whole new adventure for RIM. As Heins said this week, the old BlackBerry stays with BlackBerry 7 and the company moves forward with BlackBerry 10. Get ready, because RIM is coming to change the game. Read the full interview with Heins at the source link below, where he says a lot more about BlackBerry 10 and the corporate experience.

Source : eWeek

RIM has recently released another device running BlackBerry OS 7.1 to hold us over until the launch of BlackBerry 10. That device is the BlackBerry Curve 9310, and it has just recently launched on the Boost Mobile network. The Curve 9310 is another solid device from Research in Motion. The software, OS 7.1, runs smoothly and efficiently. The hardware is superb, especially for a device that will run you less than $100. The 9310 has all the features you would expect from a BlackBerry; BBM, a solid QWERTY-keyboard, a vibrant screen, all packed into this little device. Follow me past the break for a closer look at the Curve 9310 and see why it’s one of the best BlackBerry devices available today.

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Earlier this month, RIM released the BlackBerry Music Gateway. This device was based on the previous BlackBerry Stereo Music Gateway but it was a total, ground-up, redesign. The original Gateway was clunky and pairing required a few steps. Both of these issues had been remedied with the all-new BlackBerry Music Gateway. We unboxed this device a few weeks back, and I had nothing but good things to say about it in my initial impressions video. I have now spent some in-depth time with the Gateway and my full review of this great, new device can be seen past the break.

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The BlackBerry OS dam burst this morning and out came leaks for a “bunch” of BlackBerrys! The OS build that has leaked is OS 7.1.0.402. There’s no word on what has changed in this build, so if you find something, let us know what device you’re and what changes you see. This leaked OS is now available for the following BlackBerry devices, just click on the name of your device to download the corresponding leak.

• BlackBerry Bold 9900
• BlackBerry Bold 9930
• BlackBerry Torch 9810
• BlackBerry Torch 9850
• BlackBerry Torch 9860
• BlackBerry Curve 9370

**WARNING: This is not an official release for BlackBerry and therefore has not been fully tested and may contain bugs. TheBerryFix.com cannot be held responsible for any issues that may arise ether during or after installation. You are installing the leak by choice. To help the BlackBerry community please don’t forget to post your findings in the comments.

I was just tipped off by one of our readers, @RaySivley, about Verizon’s Online Workshops and Tutorials. They have some pretty good ones up there about BlackBerry 7, the Bold 9930, and the Torch 9850. The tutorials are 60-minute workshops that you can complete anytime you want and it looks like the only requirement is that you’re a Verizon Wireless customer. If you want to learn more about your BlackBerry, these workshops are a good place to start, along with our helpful BlackBerry School Lesson section. They even have a getting started tutorial for those that speak Spanish. Let us know if you check any of these out and what you think.

• View Verizon’s BlackBerry 7 Workshop
• View Verizon’s BlackBerry Bold 9930 Workshop
• View Verizon’s BlackBerry Torch 9850 Workshop
• Ver Verizon’s Taller de BlackBerry 7 en Espanol

We all know that RIM is focused to two things, security and enterprise. The latest title they have claimed is that of the “Most Secure Mobile OS for Enterprise.” This attests to RIM’s two main strengths and reaffirms their commitment to security excellence as they move forward to BlackBerry 10. In the survey, conducted by the independent firm Trend Micro, RIM’s BlackBerry 7 rated consistently higher than iOS, Windows Phone, and Android. This is largely attributed to BES and other IT management features that are built into BlackBerry’s DNA. You can check out more details of this survey at the source link below.

Source : SC Magazine

We have another BlackBerry OS 7.1 leak for you today. This one is for the BlackBerry Curve 9350 and 9370 and the OS version is 7.1.0.340. This is the same version number that has been leaking for many other BlackBerry OS 7 devices and users have been seeing good results with this build. We don’t have any word on the changes present in this update, so if you see anything new or different, let us know in the comments.

• Download OS 7.1.0.340 for the Curve 9350/9370

**WARNING: This is not an official release for BlackBerry and therefore has not been fully tested and may contain bugs. TheBerryFix.com cannot be held responsible for any issues that may arise ether during or after installation. You are installing the leak by choice.

Source : N4BB

Today, Research in Motion announced their earnings for Quarter 4 of the 2012 Fiscal year. The full Press Release starts below and continues on past the break.

Press Release

Research In Motion Reports Year-End and Fourth Quarter Results for Fiscal 2012

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – March 29, 2012) – Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM), a world leader in the mobile communications market, today reported fourth quarter results for the three months and fiscal year ended March 3, 2012 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP, except where otherwise indicated).

Highlights:

$2.1 billion in cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments at the end of the quarter, which increased by approximately $610 million in the quarter
Cash flow from operations of approximately $1.1 billion, up from approximately $900 million in Q3
Revenue of $4.2 billion, down 19% from the third quarter
GAAP net loss in Q4 of $125 million or $0.24 per share diluted; adjusted net income of $418 million or $0.80 per share diluted
BlackBerry smartphone shipments of 11.1 million in Q4, down 21% from Q3
RIM to discontinue providing specific quantitative guidance
RIM provides update on organizational changes

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If you’re rocking a Bold 9930 and are looking to upgrade to the latest possible OS 7.1 build, then this post is for you. OS 7.1.0.340 for the Bold 9930 has leaked and is now available for download. There’s no word what has changed in this update, so let us know what new features you find along the way.

• Download OS 7.1.0.340 for the Bold 9930

**WARNING: This is not an official release for BlackBerry and therefore has not been fully tested and may contain bugs. TheBerryFix.com cannot be held responsible for any issues that may arise ether during or after installation. You are installing the leak by choice. To help the BlackBerry community please don’t forget to post your findings in the Comments.

Source : CrackBerry

RIM has teamed up with HID and Iris ID Systems to develop and deploy some new Biometric security options for BlackBerry OS 7 Smartphones. This new technology will utilize the NFC technology that is embedded into BlackBerry 7 devices and will help companies in numerous ways. Check out the Press Release, which starts below and continues past the break, for all the details on this new functionality.

Press Release

Iris ID Systems Inc. Announces Interoperability Between Its IrisAccess Platform and NFC-Enabled BlackBerry Smartphones Equipped with HID Global`s iCLASS Digital Keys