Blackberry

BlackBerry calls upon US government to force Apple to port iMessage to its smartphones

Disregarding for a moment the fact that Apple has never actually made any promises regarding bringing iMessage to other platforms (unlike FaceTime, but that's a topic for another story), the embattled smartphone maker BlackBerry wants Apple's messaging platform on its smartphones so badly that it's calling on the United States government to intervene and do something about it.

It's not a joke: BlackBerry CEO John Chen penned a post over at the company blog proposing just that.

In a nutshell, rather than let the market dictate what any company should do, he's demanding that the Cupertino firm make iMessage cross-platform.

BlackBerry’s official Twitter account accidentally tweets from iPhone

Someone at BlackBerry made a hilarious mess up on Tuesday when plugging the new BlackBerry Classic in a tweet that was sent on an iPhone.

While Twitter's first party apps don't show what device a tweet is sent from, third-party apps like Tweetbot show the crime committed in BlackBerry's case. You'd think its new QWERTY-touting phone would be perfect for typing a tweet.

BBM updated with stickers in group chats, iPhone 6 and iOS 8 compatibility improvements and more

Following last month's preview of a major new update to its BBM for iPhone messaging software, BlackBerry today released BBM 2.6.1.31 featuring an improved support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus alongside additional iOS 8 compatibility updates and other enhancements.

There's a new timer option and you'll also notice certain improvements for the message retraction feature and refinements to timed pictures and messages.

BBM gains iOS 8 and iPhone 6 support, stickers in group chats and more

BlackBerry is rolling out a new version of BBM for iOS with support for Apple's latest iOS 8 mobile operating system, native display support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screen sizes, the ability to send stickers in a group chat and more.

“You can’t help but notice the sleek and modern design updates like a flat UI and attractive transparencies,“ boasted Canada's embattled company. The overhaul makes the app look sharp across supported Apple devices.

BlackBerry wants you to trade up from your iPhone to BlackBerry Passport

BlackBerry, whose market value is less than one hundredth of Apple's (AAPL passed $700 billion this morning), is enticing Apple users to switch to its Passport phablet in a new Blackberry Trade-Up Program. The promotion is offering Apple customers up to $550 to trade in their iPhone 4s or higher towards the purchase of a BlackBerry Passport.

“Trade in your iPhone 6 to a Passport and BlackBerry will give you up to $400 in trade-in value, plus an extra $150 'top up' for U.S. residents,” noted the firm in a blog post announcing the attractive bait.

BBM updated with revamped UI for adding contacts

Today, BlackBerry pushed an update to its BBM for iPhone application (also known as BlackBerry Messenger) featuring an all-new contact-adding experience.

In addition to the obligatory bug fixes and performance improvements, BBM version 2.3.0.12 makes it easier to add new contacts by PIN, email, SMS and barcode.

Among other new features, the revamped software also permits you to search for BBM users, as well as review and accept invites from other people using the cross-platform messaging service...

BlackBerry, Dell not concerned about Apple-IBM deal

You would think hearing that Apple is teaming up with IBM to push further into the enterprise space would be worrisome for competitors. But both Dell and BlackBerry, who are each in the process of reshaping their businesses, say they're unfazed.

In an interview this week, Dell's John Swainson said that while he thought the announcement "made for a good press release," he fails to see how the pair can prosper. Likewise, BlackBerry CEO John Chen likened the deal to "two elephants dancing."

BlackBerry ends partnership with T-Mobile following iPhone promo feud

In a rare, but perhaps not-so-surprising move, BlackBerry announced late last night that it will not renew the T-Mobile (US) license to sell its products when it expires later this month, effectively ending the 10 year (or longer) partnership between the two companies.

The announcement comes after a spat broke out between the sides following the carrier's iPhone offer that suggested BlackBerry users trade-in their phones for Apple handsets. T-Mobile tried to reconcile the matter with the Canadian firm, but it obviously didn't work....

BBM updated with stickers, large file transfers and image sharing in multi-person chats

The Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry is launching a new version of its BBM instant messaging software for iOS, Android and BlackBerry.

As previously reported, this BBM edition enables popular stickers and includes a couple feature additions, such as the ability to share images with multiple parties in multi-person chats and send larger files to others.

Various sticker packs can be purchased from the new BBM Shop, with some stickers like the legacy BBM emoticons offered free of charge. It's interesting that BlackBerry partnered with brands on themed sticker packs like CosCat, Gilbert’s Tales, Bubble Bot and many more.

The new BBM 2.1 will be launching in the App Store later today...

BlackBerry wins injunction against Typo keyboard case

BlackBerry won a key victory yesterday in its fight against Typo. A federal judge agreed with the Canadian company that the iPhone keyboard case likely infringes on their patents, and issued a preliminary injunction late Friday to halt sales.

For those that missed it, back in January BlackBerry sued the makers of the Typo iPhone case over patent infringement. The case features a built-in battery, and a physical, backlit keyboard that looks nearly identical to those used in BB devices...