Recently in BlackBerry Category

BlackBerry Live 2013: BES 10.1 - Security updates

By Caroline Baldwin on May 15, 2013 8:02 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

BlackBerry Live kicked off in Orlando, Florida this week with a bang; a new QWERTY Q5 handset and significant updates to its messaging tool BBM stole the spotlight. However, BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) also had a few updates with the operating system's upgrade to BlackBerry 10.1 this week. I've spoken to Michael Brown, VP security product management and research to get his two most important updates.

BlackBerry's latest operating system BB10, was launched at the end of January this year. At the same time, the company dropped its Research In Motion name in order to refocus its brand and bring the company out of the misery of plummeting profits. Followed by sleek new handset launches, including BlackBerry's first touch-only device the Z10 which shipped one million in its first quarter, the company's future is looking considerably more hopeful than this time last year.

Along with the BB10 operating system, the company also updated its mobile device management solution to BES 10. During the keynote, BlackBerry announced that it had issued 12,000 BES 10 server connections since its launch, which is already more than any other MDM solution available according to Jeff Holleran, senior director of enterprise product management.

Brown's BES 10.1 important security updates:

Security update: Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) regulated mode

With BlackBerry 10 came BlackBerry Balance, a clever way for users to keep their personal and work life separate on the one device. With the added EMM regulated mode in the 10.1 upgrade enterprises which need an additional higher level of security have the option to lock down communications and disable hardware functionalities (such as the camera). With the EMM mode, the user no longer has a personal side of the device, this function is aimed at corporations such as banks, government and defence organisations who have to be aware of an employees data and where it is coming from.

The beauty of this feature is that can co-exist on the BES server, incase you only needed to implement the extra security to a portion of users. This functionality reminds me a lot of Mobile Now MDM solution by AppSense that I review a little while back, it too can lock down a device from a central portal.

Compatibility update: 10.11 Android and iOS secure workspace solution

When BES 10 was announced, a major feature was that BlackBerry would now be able to accommodate Android and iOS devices as part of its MDM solution. Companies which are not restricted to just one device could use BES to leverage controls within the BES platform.

However, in the 10.1 upgrade, the company has added more management capabilities to include Android and iOS, as well as more security features including secure storage email, pin entry, and connectivity using BlackBerry transport as a mobile VPN.

It seems as though BlackBerry has no plans to include Windows Phone in its roadmap at the moment. Holleran said that the company had listened to its customers who were pushing for Android and iOS, but if the landscape was to change and customer would want to include Windows as part of BES, BlackBerry would explore this as an option.. However, at the moment there is no demand.

BlackBerry Live 2013: Hands on with the BlackBerry Q5

By Caroline Baldwin on May 14, 2013 10:36 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

BlackBerry's third handset to sit on the BlackBerry 10 operating system was announced today at BlackBerry Live in Orlando, Florida. The mid-range Q5 device sports a QWERTY keyboard and is aimed primarily at users in emerging markets, however, UK MD Rob Orr told me that its roll out in the UK and Europe will be significant for the enterprise. Orr said that the Q5, (which claims most of the features of its big brother Q10 device, but at a lower price point) will be another option for corporations wanting to roll out significant numbers of mobile devices.

The device has of course cut a few corners in order to lower its price (which has not yet been disclose, but as a mid-range device, I doubt it would come at under £150). The device has not cut corners on BlackBerry 10, all the features available on the OS will be available on the Q5.

First impressions with a Q10 in my left hand and a Q5 in my right, was that the Q5 did feel lighter and the material wasn't as high quality. However, I was expecting it to feel really cheap, and I was surprised that it didn't. I don't know if that is the familiarity of the QWERTY keyboard which automatically adds on a few BlackBerry pounds, but it certainly didn't feel as cheap as many mid-range Androids out there at the moment.

While I agree to some degree with guest blogger, David McClelland, that the Q10 is a "refined, understated and handsome handset" with an "air of familiarity", the Q10's pulling power is all under the hood. Therefore lacking the Q10's processing power would be one of the cut backs.

The device runs the update to BB10 - BB10.1 which was launched at the event today. It weighs a mere 120g (the Q10 139g), and stands at 120mm x 66mm x 10.8mm (10.5mm for non-NFC model).

I noticed a difference in the screen, the Q5 was not as sharp as the Q10, which I can only put down to the LDC display (the Q10 has a Super AMOLED), as both devices have 720 resolution at 329 PPI. The Q5 has a downgraded camera to 5MP, it also has less memory at 2 GB RAM, 8 GB Flash with a microSD slot (up to 32 GB), and the battery is not swappable like the Q10.

However, it is 4G ready and has NFC to support file exchanges and mobile payments, which suggests that this device will not be purely aimed at the emerging markets.

Available in the traditional black and white, as well as red and pink, this again suggests that BlackBerry is hedging its bets over who to aim the device at: consumers or enterprise? I think the device will slide into the place of the BlackBerry Curve which did really well across the board, I can see kids BBM-ing about the weekend's riots, oh sorry, I mean party; while enterprise users will be able to use all the exclusive functionalities of BB10 including BlackBerry Balance and BlackBerry Enterprise Services on a lower cost device.

At the end of the day, when comparing the two devices it is extremely difficult to say which is worthwhile until we have a price, which BlackBerry should be announcing in July. If the Q5 does ship at a sensible £200-£300 mark, it would be very competitive for enterprises looking at £500 for a smartphone these days (BlackBerry Q10 is shipping at a pricey £580). However, if it launches at more the £350-£400 mark I'm not sure if the Q5 specs would be worth the downgrade.

Hands-on with the BlackBerry Q10

By David McClelland on April 29, 2013 12:17 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

David McClelland (@DavidMcClelland, www.davidmcclelland.co.uk) spends a weekend with the BlackBerry Q10, the brand new handset pivotal to the Canadian giant's future. But will the QWERTY-packing phone be enough to complete RIM's big reboot?

Forget the fanfare and flamboyance of the BB10 operating system unveiling and Z10 handset launch back in January: the Q10 is the device that will define BlackBerry's year and perhaps its future.

BlackBerry President and CEO Thorsten Heins will be hoping that by bolstering his new handset with a physical keyboard -- eschewed by the iPhone-esque Z10 and generally something of a novelty among smartphones nowadays -- he can quell the big BlackBerry exodus and tempt back the hoards of disillusioned corporate users so pivotal to RIM's successful reinvention.

Yet, for all of the rhetoric around the future of the company, there's an inescapable irony that BlackBerry's future-facing handset looks -- from the outside at least -- rather similar to the RIM's devices of old.

Generally available from today following an exclusive deal with Selfridges over the weekend, you might easily be forgiven for not giving the Q10 a second look when you first see it nestled in a fellow-commuters' grip, such is its air of familiarity.

However, a second glance rewards you with the realisation that the BlackBerry Q10 is a refined, understated and handsome handset which discretely hides far more power and many more features than any of RIM's previous corporate workhorses.

The Q10's carbon fibre-like glass weave rear is grippy and sits securely in the hand. The back unfussily slides off to reveal an NFC sensor, a large 2100 mAh removable battery, micro SIM and easy-access microSD slots. Unlike on today's phablet devices one-handed typing and navigation so crucial for commuters is a cinch on the Q10. A stainless steel outer frame completes the casing and, reassuringly, the feel is that of a solid, workman-like handset.

Also under its hood is 16 GB of onboard storage and 2 GB of RAM to support the 1.5 GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4+ processor, along with 4G/LTE connectivity. With such brute force behind it the BB10 OS feels nippy and lag-free even when switching between apps and browsing image-rich emails and websites.

The Super AMOLED touchscreen display is bright, responsive and punchy, but there are compromises when sharing a handset's valuable real estate with a 35 button keyboard.

While its 330ppi display is technically more retina than any of Apple's and delivers screenfuls of crisp and clear text, the 3.1 inch screen may feel achingly small to anybody now more accustomed to full-sized smartphone touch screens such as the Z10. I found watching video through the Q10's YouTube or BBC iPlayer app quickly became irksome as footage failed to fill the 720x720 square screen, rendering instead in a squintsome 2.5 inch letterbox window.

On the plus side for the Q10 the keyboard which forces this screen estate compromise is nothing short of stunning. If the Q10 is to live or die by its keyboard then its designers have certainly given it a fighting chance by fitting one of the best I've used on a BlackBerry, or indeed any smartphone.

The Q10's keys are firm, rattle-free and well-spaced thanks to the four frets which provide one of the handset's defining design features. Seasoned BlackBerry users who may have strayed onto handsets sporting touchscreen keyboards may initially miss the trackball/nipple control of previous BlackBerrys but will be reassured to learn that it takes no time at all to get back into the BB speed-typing groove.

As you'd expect from its heritage, email is simple to set up and incredibly easy to use on the Q10. Also rather admirable are its organisational and productivity features and apps: the Evernote-aping Remember app looks useful for reminders and note taking; apps including LinkedIn and Dropbox come pre-installed, and the omnipresent BlackBerry Hub pulls into one place all of your email, calendar and social news feeds and is never more than a peek gesture away from whatever else you're doing on the phone.

In comparison to the daily charges demanded by my iOS and Android devices I found the BlackBerry's battery life to be impressive, with plenty of juice remaining after a day's reasonable use, although perhaps still not enough for two days on the go.

Rounding off the Q10's feature list is a capable 8MP camera on the rear and a 2MP front-facing camera both of which benefit from BlackBerry's handy Time Shift feature which lets you choose from a burst of images, promising practically perfect smiles.

***

The BlackBerry Z10 release in January was a showcase for the long-awaited BB10 OS, using its full-sized touchscreen to show off its brand new user interface and multimedia capabilities.

By cramming a cracking keyboard into the Q10 and harnessing BB10's Balance software, BlackBerry will hope its newest handset can combine multimedia mogul and corporate workhorse into a single slab. However, the effective screen size when viewing video is unavoidably small in comparison to other current smartphone displays which may be a turn off for some.

Nevertheless, if your morning commute is less about catching up on last night's TV and more about firing off fifty emails per minute and organising yourself to within an inch of your life then the Q10's keyboard/screen size compromise will be one well worth making.

***

BlackBerry Q10, £579.99 RRP, available from free on contract.

I think BlackBerry might have got it right - BB Z10 is The Daddy

By Caroline Baldwin on April 16, 2013 3:59 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

A guest post from Computer Weekly's services editor, Karl Flinders.

I work for Computer Weekly, but believe me that doesn't mean I am very good with technology. Writing a blog post about a new piece of technology is not my usual forte, I prefer the controversy that IT outsourcing causes.

So here I am, out of my comfort zone writing about smartphones...

About four years ago I upgraded my basic Nokia handset for a real life smartphone - an Apple iPhone 3G to be precise. It changed my life; email and web browsing on the move - what could be better? But being terrified of change and a tight fisted 'so-and-so' I still had the same phone until last week.

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

I knew I had to change and not being a member of the Apple's dogmatic fan club, and I thought I would go for something cheaper. A Samsung Galaxy type device was favourite but I was always put off by the frailty of many devices. The Apple 3G was a solid lump of metal that would seemingly last forever. But the Samsung Galaxy felt that it would break the first time I dropped it (at least once every two months).

I was close to moving to a Samsung one Friday afternoon, while on Tottenham Court Road, but I thought I would give it another week after eyeing up my colleague's new BlackBerry Z10.

I had always seen BlackBerry as the phone that a salesperson would carry around so never really thought about it. I didn't used to like the look of the devices. But when my far more mobile-savvy colleague teased me with her Z10 I knew it was the phone for me - a solid yet tablet-like device.

So I went for it. As much as O2 tried through its crappy customer service (setting up a new account rather than transferring the existing one) to convince me to call the whole thing off, I stuck with it.

I have to say after two days using it, the BB Z10 is The Daddy. I can't compare it to anything really if I am honest because my Apple was pretty old and congested.

My colleagues have watched me with amazement as I discover all these clever ways to make my life easier. The BlackBerry Z10 is worth it just for the finger flickingly good Swipe To Type feature on the keyboard. It recommends words and learns from experience and you just flick your finger above the letter you are already typing and you are there. I can write articles on it and sending a text is no longer a pain.

Then you have the touch screen, which you learn through osmosis. If you ask me how I get to email I couldn't tell you but if you give me the phone my fingers know what to do.

My phone had become a phone and never lived up to the business tool I hoped for. But I am beginning, after only two days, to see what all the fuss is about.

In the past my 3 and 6 year olds would pester me for my iPhone. One for angry birds and the other for writing stories. But now that I offer them the iPhone to play with whenever they wish, they are not interested. Because the Z10 is sitting in the corner unaccompanied.

Anyway there is a point to this blog other than I really like my new phone. When I got the Apple iPhone 3G there wasn't really much choice unless I wanted the newer model. But now there are loads. Apple has pioneered the market and educated users, who can now select from an ever increasing range of smartphones.

Verdict: Blackberry Z10 is a great piece of hardware and meets my work needs. However, it needs more apps to truly make it as an iPhone killer - I am lost without my Barclays mobile banking app.

BlackBerry 10 hijacks your iOS and Android device thanks to Blippar

By Caroline Baldwin on January 31, 2013 12:34 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

This week BlackBerry are shining in the spotlight of the press in the mobile world, thanks to the launch of its new operating system, BlackBerry 10, and early indications seem that it is reviewing quite well.

Clever marketing from augmented reality company, Blippar, has allowed iOS and Android users to experience the BlackBerry 10 experience right on their handsets.

Using the Blippar app, I "blipped" a landing page, which then swirled and whizzed through space while loading. After about ten seconds I was redirected to my web browser which then offered me an interactive experience.

While BlackBerry 10 technically doesn't "hijack" your iPhone or Galaxy, it does provide a good insight into the perks of the new operating system.

If you want to experience BlackBerry 10 first hand, without paying out the big bucks (yes, the handset does seem to be quite pricey), download Blippar on your handset, open www.bbtakeover.me on your desktop, and Blip away.

T3 Gadget Awards sees the iPhone 4S winning Work Gadget of the Year

By Caroline Baldwin on October 9, 2012 11:34 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

I was lucky enough to attend the T3 Gadget Awards last night, a lavish affair, I was told to "dress to impress" and was welcomed with endless champagne and a slap up three course meal.

But enough with the bragging - it was all to celebrate the best technology with twenty categories including Innovation of the Year, Work Gadget of the Year and App of the Year.

The iPhone and business

The iPhone 4S won Work Gadget of the Year (the iPhone 5 was released too late for consideration in this year's award), much to my dismay and confusion. Last year the BlackBerry Bold won this category. And this year the iPhone 4S managed to edge out the competition of the Epson PX830FWD, Logitech Performance MX Mouse, ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime, BlackBerry Bold 9900 AND Samsung Galaxy Note.

What continued to baffle me was that with the other category winners, as the person representing the gadget made his or her way up to the stage, there was a short announcement explaining why the product/company/person had won the award. With the iPhone 4S winning the Work Gadget of the Year, there was no announcement. Obviously everyone would just instantly accept that Apple would win. Apple can do no wrong. No questions asked.

Now I understand that BlackBerry as a company hasn't had the best year, but what advancements has Apple made from the iPhone 4 to 4S which makes it a better business device over the BlackBerry Bold?

You could argue that BlackBerry has taken too long to release BlackBerry 10 which has seen its use as a business gadget decline. Now Computer Weekly has been told that it will launch in January 2013, will this shake up next year's awards?

T3 justified Apple as the winner of this category due to the apps and accessories available for the product (see below), but shouldn't the winner then be all the third party companies who have been beaten into submission to comply with Apple's rules and regulations in order to release apps and accessories? And the business user also has to BUY these extras, they don't come with the £500 device. And now that the iPhone 5 has been release with a different connector, accessories must be bought all over again.

T3 Award for Work Gadget of the Year: Apple iPhone 4S

Despite being superseded by the iPhone 5, Apple's iPhone 4S has been one of 2012s standout gadgets and, as a testament to its versatility it picked up the T3 Award for Work Gadget of the Year. The Retina Display might trounce the displays of other smartphones but what makes this the best business accessory is the sheer amount of apps, accessories and extras available for Apple's smartphone.

Other winners

A stand out from the crowd winner was certainly, Asus. The company won the Computer and Tablet of the Year with the Asus Zenbook UX31 and the Google Nexus 7 by Asus respectively. Additionally, Asus secured the Design Award Winner category with the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime as well as the Tech Brand of the Year award. The overall Gadget of the Year was also awarded to Asus with the Google Nexus 7 impressing the judges and T3 readers to win its second award, demonstrating that there is certainly room for a 7 inch tablet in the market.

BBC's technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, swept away with the Tech Personality of the Year award, while the Outstanding Contribution To Technology Award was handed out to Lord Alan Sugar.

Rory Cellan-Jones posted this picture

to Twitter last night after winning his award

Great night T3, thanks very much, there were some very worthy winners including the Google Nexus, Rory Cellan-Jones and the Samsung Galaxy S3 for Phone of the Year, but I'm sorry I can't agree with you that the cool consumer brand of the year, Apple, deserves the award for the best business product.

Check out Computer Weekly's ideal shortlist for the best work gadget!

Yahoo! Smart Phones, Smart Fun! - Not so fun for BlackBerry

By Caroline Baldwin on September 18, 2012 1:47 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer, has offered every Yahoo! employee a smartphone. "Choose from Apple, Samsung, Nokia, or HTC", she said, but specifically says "No!" to BlackBerry.

It's another setback for BlackBerry which is trying desperately to cling onto its place in the smartphone market as the phone of choice in the corporate world.

The memo which was leaked and picked up by the Business Insider, stated:

"We have a very exciting update to share with you today - we are announcing Yahoo! Smart Phones, Smart Fun! As of today, Yahoo is moving off of blackberries as our corporate phones and on to smartphones in 22 countries*. A few weeks ago, we said that we would look into smartphone penetration rates globally and take those rates into account when deciding on corporate phones. Ideally, we'd like our employees to have devices similar to our users, so we can think and work as the majority of our users do."

In response to the news that Yahoo! was going to spend a few million dollars on smartphones for all of its staff, a PR person for Nokia announced over Twitter that it would throw in a wireless charging plate with every Lumia 920 the company bought, claiming the phone is "worth the wait" - desperate not to be left out hey Nokia?

Mayer has called the programme, Yahoo! Smart Phones, Smart Fun!, but I can't see RIM's board of directors chuckling over their morning lattes.

Mayer's move shows the direction that businesses could potential go in when kitting out their staff with the latest technology. And this is in the completely opposite direction to BlackBerry.

However, among reports of doom and gloom for BlackBerry creator, Research In Motion (RIM), there is a small ray of hope behind Mayer's thinking.

In her memo, she stated: "Ideally, we'd like our employees to have devices similar to our users, so we can think and work as the majority of our users do." This is clearly the reasoning she didn't want BlackBerry included in the line-up because its popularity with consumers has been dwindling significantly.

As a consumer device, BlackBerry hasn't been able to keep up in the race, but it is still a key communication device in the business world and shouldn't be brushed aside as a has-been. That all said and done, it would be great to see some innovation from RIM in the next quarter, but with dramatic revenue losses and job cuts left, right and centre I'm not holding my breath.

*Computer Weekly can confirm that while according to Business Insider all of Yahoo's full time and part time employees in the US, were sent the memo, the staff in the UK are still patiently waiting for their emails from Father Christmas, er, I mean Marissa Mayer.

Four years in the making: The best of the best.

By Faisal Alani on June 15, 2012 12:02 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

Having created this blog and nurtured it for the past four years, I've decided to put the best blog posts/videos from the best on one page.

Diary of an outcast: Apple's Special iPad 2 Event
I will start with my favourite post, the infamous Apple event. I had been invited to Apple events before but somehow started getting missed off the list. I hate Apple so it was no surprise that they didn't want me there. Safe to say that after this post not only was I missed off the list but Computer Weekly never received an invite from Apple ever again.

iPhone Vs N97
This was the first big video project that me and David (video editor) put together. At the time I was so happy that I'd got the N97 I decided to make a video pitting it against the iPhone while mocking Apple's advertising campaign. Little did I know that the N97 would prove to be the worst purchase I've ever made in my life.

HTC Desire HD Review
David (who stars in this video) and I wanted to do something different and create a cool video review. This is what we came up with.

Sadly once we started recording David (and the department he worked for) were made redundant. It didn't effect the video but it wasn't a happy time for us. Having cleared out his desk he set up at home the next day to finish it. This was our last hurrah and the last video I made. Very proud of it.

What is the best mobile OS around?
At this point, no one wanted to be in any of my videos. The company was starting to cut back on them and so I tried to play four roles with four outfits and a moustache before I got told that what I was doing wasn't a productive use of my time. Honestly, how could they say that?

This video used to have a voting element that has since been removed because we couldn't afford to pay for the server the flash sat on.

The most ambitious video we ever tried.

Video: The future of business cards, I'm not taking the Poken
There was a girl I was desperate to go out with at my work. I needed to do a video to have a reason to talk to her but the only thing I'd been sent was a Poken. No phones or cool gadgets. Somehow I persuaded her to help me make this video. We're still together :)

Video review of the wiimote like Gyration Air Mouse
This video is pretty much when I realised that I can be funny. What people don't realise is that filming didn't take long but discussions between David and I on what was funny took forever.

He would stand there saying "That's not funny" every time I cracked a joke or did something stupid. Or one of my favourite lines of his was "You might think that's funny, but it isn't".

Video: Palm Pre vs the iPhone - The big debate
I had 2 weeks before Christmas to do a video armed with my wit and a white wig that was left over from a very bad 'Back to the future' spoof I'd made where I played the Doc. That video was so bad that the company we producd it for sent us a letter saying that if the video ever saw the light of day, they'd sue my a** off.

David went on holiday with a week left of editing/filming to do so I didn't have anyone to tell me that what I was saying wasn't funny and some of the editing is a bit off. It's still a good video but we felt it was rushed.

Video: I heart iPad - Dating website matches man to iPad
What do you do when you get your hands on an iPad before the UK release? Write a review. Then what? Make a video about having a special relationship with it. Yep, not sure why.

The HTC and Google story: A love affair and a tragedy
Lord knows what compelled me to write this. Had I taken more time to craft it, I think it could've been great but when I read it now I feel it's rushed. Still good, where the idea came from I'll never know.

Video: Flip Mino HD review
This video took 84 takes. For no reason at all I couldn't stop laughing during recording. We got in trouble because it was meant to take a couple of hours but took almost two weeks.

Video: Zeemote review - Is this the future of mobile gaming?
I did this video because Zeemote said that they'd give me a free phone if I reviewed it. So...

GeeklyWeekly Sexy Halloween Special
Wow, how bad is this video? It doesn't even have anything to do with gadgets!!

Can businesses stand to gain from free real-time messaging apps?

By Matt Scott on May 24, 2012 10:31 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

The digital marketplace is becoming increasingly flooded with apps in general, making it harder for users and businesses alike to filter and determine the best choice for their needs.

iPhone apps Photo credit: dougbelshaw)

Here, I'm going to do a quick rundown of some of the biggest real-time, "free" - in that they don't consume the SMS allowance, only using data through either 3G or Wi-Fi - messaging apps.

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is probably the most well known real-time messaging application but it appears to have been labelled the preferred communication method for youths and "hoodies", with the app even being singled out for criticism during the London riots. The other downside to BBM is that it is only for BlackBerrys, so unless all your workforce or friends own BlackBerrys, this one is out of the picture.

The same can be said for Apple's equivalent, iMessage. The majority of iPhone owners I know aren't as attentive as they could be when it comes to the latest updates so they haven't even experienced iMessage and, even worse news for Tim Cook and co, those that have, have disabled it.

FaceTime, however, has been a lot more successful. Free video calls across Wi-Fi and possibly 3G in the near future were always going to be an attractive proposition for businesses.

Skype Technologies S.A. logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Microsoft-owned Skype has dominated the VoIP landscape for a number of years but despite being one of the first real-time messaging apps to be released for iPhone and Android handsets, it hasn't experience the same level of adoption in terms of smartphone uptake.

WhatsApp, one of the top selling apps in the iTunes store, must be experiencing increased adoption as it has consistently remained one of the top 10 paid apps for over 6 months. I would describe WhatsApp as a blend of all three of the above.

Another reasons for WhatsApp's success is that it is available on Symbian, iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry handsets, allowing for communication across all devices regardless of their operating system.

It offers real-time messaging, photo, video, audio, contact and location sharing.

Once a message is sent the sender is given a tick to let them know everything is okay. Then, they receive a second tick when the recipient reads the message. This and the fact you can see when your recipient is typing mean you don't need to bombard them with emails on deadline day. The ability to remove the ol' "Oh, I didn't see that message" excuse is surely an attractive one.

WhatsApp (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This page details how all sorts of businesses from e-commerce to editorial and customer service are rolling out and utilising WhatsApp as either an email replacement or alternative.

Finally, Telefónica recently unveiled their first foray into the real-time messaging application market in the form of TU Me. Billed as a new VoIP and social communication app it offers free calls, texts, voice messages while storing data in the cloud. TU Me is currently only available for iPhone but an Android app is in development.

Given that WhatsApp is so established, even TU Me's timeline and history won't help it.

Although, should TU Me switch its focus to the business sector, offering document attachments, multiple messaging and a built in appointment builder it could well take off as it seems businesses are increasingly open the possibility of using out-of-house/third party apps to manage communications while lowering costs.

5 of the weirdest phone patents

By Matt Scott on April 20, 2012 3:23 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

| More

Following the publication of a patent filed by BlackBerry makers RIM back in 2010, I thought it would be fitting to compile a list of 5 of the weirdest phone-related patents filed in recent times.

It's strange to think that right now companies could be working on and filing numerous patents for innovations and advancements that may not enter the market or even production until a couple of years from now. I don't know about you but it certainly leaves me feeling like we're missing out.

I'll kick things off with the RIM patent I used to introduce this post, it concerns a rotating keypad.

Here, the keypad is fixed in one corner meaning it could be used whilst partially covering the screen, completely below the screen in portrait and landscape or, alternatively, entirely behind the screen. Everyone knows RIM killed off its consumer business recently following huge losses and there is 0% chance that this is the innovation that could save it, seems more of a novelty.

Potential usefulness: 4/10

Chance of being rolled out: 5/10

Another recent patent application that received a lot of attention involved Nokia and vibrating tattoos.

The patent for this potential futuristic haptic innovation explained that the "tattoo" would transfer a stimulus to the skin to notify the user of an incoming call or message. The whole proces would work through the use of magnetic field detection. The marketing potential for this product could be huge but I, sadly, just can't see it taking off any time soon.

Potential usefulness: 7/10

Chance of being rolled out: 5/10

I wrote about this third entry late last year, Microsoft's sliding modular bay.

Now that Nokia seem to be the flagship manufacturer for Windows phones I can't see Microsoft utilising this patent. Anyway, it is basically a magnetised storage tray housed in the back of a handset.

The patent listed examples such as an extra battery, gaming controller or keypad. Despite being pretty rudimentary in principal, this patent actually appeals to me. It's a shame that I just can't see Nokia putting this patent to use nor can I see Microsoft going it alone.

Potential usefulness: 8/10

Chance of being rolled out: 4/10

Next up is a mobile airbag from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

This patent, which was personally signed off by Bezos, is entitled "damage avoidance system". The theory behind the patent is that the case is able to detect when it is rapidly falling, using any smartphone accelerometer, and release jets of air before impact, thus reducing any damage.

I hate to admit it, because it looks so stupid, but if it were to work properly this could be the best protective case on the market. That said, the silence that followed the publication of this patent is probably a sign of its chances of hitting the high street.

Potential usefulness: 9/10

Chance of being rolled out: 5/10

Finally, this is only weird depending on what you use it for. Confused? Good. Let me explain, it's a patent for a textured touchscreen by Senseg. Understand how it could be a tad strange now?

In the run up to the release of the, frankly disappointing, new iPad many blogs reported that the latest Apple tablet could feature Senseg's E-touch textured touchscreen technology. Obviously we all know it now doesn't.

Trying to explain this as simply as possible, E-touch works using the Coulomb force, effectively it is the same principle as rubbing a balloon against your hair and getting it to stick to a wall. Two reasonably non-conductive objects can have a charge difference created between them and this then allows for the feeling of differing sensations.

Not only could it allow tablets and smartphones to offer braille for the blind, it would also just make the experience much more fun. As long as it's done properly, I can see widespread adoption of this technology by mid 2013.

Potential usefulness: 8/10

Chance of being rolled out: 8/10

« Audio | Main Index | Archives | Camera »

Recently in BlackBerry Category

BlackBerry Live 2013: BES 10.1 - Security updates

BlackBerry Live 2013: Hands on with the BlackBerry Q5

Hands-on with the BlackBerry Q10

I think BlackBerry might have got it right - BB Z10 is The Daddy

BlackBerry 10 hijacks your iOS and Android device thanks to Blippar

T3 Gadget Awards sees the iPhone 4S winning Work Gadget of the Year

Yahoo! Smart Phones, Smart Fun! - Not so fun for BlackBerry

Four years in the making: The best of the best.

Can businesses stand to gain from free real-time messaging apps?

5 of the weirdest phone patents

Search

Subscribe to blog feed

About this Archive

CW blogs