The news that foundering smartphone maker BlackBerry is going to be taken private by one of its largest shareholders has made big waves across the technology and business communities alike. If you're struggling to get up to speed on the news, here's a quick primer to help you along:
BlackBerry today reported a return to operating profit for its fourth quarter amid sales of 1 million Z10 smartphones. But there was also a decline of 3 million global subscribers, down to 76 million.
The newly rechristened BlackBerry delivered on its promise to breathe new life into an aging, iconic product line, but it still faces an uphill battle in a market dominated by Apple's iPhone and devices based on Google's Android operating system.
Despite some caution about the fortunes of BlackBerry, Facebook and Apple, solid financial results from tech vendors coupled with positive reports about the economy are boosting confidence in IT, with share prices of computer, consumer electronics and Internet companies rising this week.
Our initial glimpse at RIM's (er, make that BlackBerry's) attempt to claw its way back into the smartphone market
Many reasons exist for why you might want or need to "security wipe" a BlackBerry, or completely erase all personal data stored on your handheld: You got a new smartphone and plan to retire the older device; you're trading in your existing BlackBerry for a new one from your wireless carrier; you and a friend are swapping devices; you loaded too many applications or media and just want to start over from scratch; etc.
This post has been a long time coming. I started covering Research In Motion (RIM), now BlackBerry, for CIO.com in 2005. That was less than 10 years ago, but the world was a different place, especially when you're talking technology.
Yes, BlackBerry's smartphone market share is small, but it's bigger that Apple's was when it launched the iPhone, and BlackBerry has commitments from carriers. Rob Enderle says BlackBerry's rebranding and its laser-like focus on just two new devices, the Z10 and Q10 phones, position the firm to have a good 2013.
Mobile phone competition intensifies. Linux-based platforms are gunning for iOS and Android, and Chinese companies want to price the iPhone and the Galaxy S line out of the market.
'Not dead yet' could well be the new BlackBerry marketing theme, as the world prepares to hear about two new two new BlackBerry 10 smartphones to be announced Wednesday.
'Not dead yet' could well be the new BlackBerry marketing theme, as the world prepares to hear about two new two new BlackBerry 10 smartphones to be announced Wednesday.
