Use your smartphone to purchase donuts at Tim Horton’s
When you’re in a hurry to get that much needed sugar fix, you can’t be bothered to futz with things like actual currency or debit cards. Thankfully, Tim Horton’s now allows mobile payment options from iOS, Android and of course, BlackBerry devices for nabbing up a half-dozen quickly. A select few locations will accommodate those handset-driven payments via NFC while others allow scanning a receipt barcode to deduct monies from a the virtual Tim Card. iPhone users can also add the donut and coffee outfit to Passbook for easy access when the need arises. As you might expect, useful add-ons like restaurant locator, reloading funds, accessing nutritional information (which we recommend you just ignore, it’s donuts!) and others are baked right in.
You can now scan to pay on your mobile in restaurants with the TimmyMe[TM] App. Also supporting Apple Passbook. Details: http://t.co/kZu6l6pacE
– Tim Hortons U.S. (@TimHortonsUS) May 22, 2014
Via: TechnoBuffalo
Source: Tim Horton’s
BlackBerry’s ultra-secure chat gives each message its own security key
Chat systems like BBM and iMessage are typically very secure, since they’re encrypted end-to-end. However, they still have a glaring flaw: if intruders do crack the code, they can see everything you’ve said. That’s where BlackBerry’s soon-to-launch BBM Protected comes in. As the company showed at its BlackBerry Experience Washington event (CrackBerry‘s video is below), the new service makes it extremely difficult to spy on an entire conversation. Each message has its own random encryption key; even a very clever data thief would only get one tidbit at a time, so it could take ages to piece together a full chat.
BBM Protected will only be available for corporate-controlled BlackBerry devices when it launches as part of an enterprise suite in June, although that will include anything running the now-ancient BlackBerry OS 6 or higher. The chat client won’t be available for personal phones running BlackBerry Balance until early fall, while Android and iOS users will have to wait until late fall or early winter. All the same, it might be worth holding out if you’re really, truly worried that someone is watching your private discussions.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Blackberry
Via: BGR
Source: CrackBerry
Google Buys Divide, An Enterprise Android Company
Divide, an enterprise Android company which is known for its work in in putting your work-life onto your smartphone, has recently been acquired by Google. This comes just after the Twitch acquire.
After Divide announced they were bought by Google they also stated, “Divide will work as it always has.” They also reminded fans of Divide that, “Divide was founded with a simple mission: Give people the best mobile experience at work. As part of the Android team, we’re excited to continue developing solutions that our users love,”
The enterprise Android company is known for it’s apps in the Play Store and App Store, along with it’s version of the Android OS. Divide’s products were designed to easily read work email, get better use from your calendar, easy access and use for contacts.
Bring your own device (BYOD) has been trending in the workplace throughout the world, and this must be Google’s way of getting a piece of the trend. BYOD has been fatal to a couple of smartphone companies, especially BlackBerry. BlackBerry was the standard phone that companies had given their employees due to it’s security and work-friendliness but nobody wants a BlackBerry anymore and because of BYOD companies aren’t buying them for their employees anymore.
This leaves the question, who will be the heir to the workplace smartphone company throne? With Google buying Divide, it is a huge signal that Google is making its attempt for the throne.
The post Google Buys Divide, An Enterprise Android Company appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Engadget Rewind 2008: BlackBerry Storm
Smartphone makers were still reeling from the arrival of Apple’s touchscreen-only iPhone when 2008 rolled around. Research in Motion (RIM), a mobile manufacturer best known for its BlackBerry line and QWERTY keyboard prowess, was at the top of its game and primed to jump into this emerging form factor. That year, it launched the BlackBerry Storm smartphone — a direct rival to Apple’s handset. As RIM’s premier effort in touchscreen smartphones, it offered an interesting spin on the interface with what it called SurePress. This was a touchscreen you could depress or click; an innovation RIM hoped would bridge the gap between the company’s current physical keyboard-accustomed clientele and the next generation of smartphone buyers. The Storm was RIM’s attempt to solve the “problems associated with typing on traditional touchscreens” and leverage its longtime experience with clickable keys. While the phone had a sleek and solid build, a vibrant 3.25-inch display and was backed by Verizon’s network, that SurePress technology ended up doing more harm than good.
Touch-typing on a screen that required a tactile click for each letter put a damper on the fluidity and speed of the messaging experience — a con echoed in many reviews. Not only that, but also the software, BlackBerry OS 4.7, wasn’t built from the ground up for touch-style navigation, making the experience far from intuitive. It was just a hopped-up version of the previous operating system that had powered QWERTY- and trackball-based devices like the Bold. It did have some impressive media capabilities, though, offering unparalleled Microsoft Office functionality on a smartphone for RIM’s enterprise customers.
Out-of-the-box, however, the Storm failed to include a way for Mac users to sync their audio and data, a glaring omission that would have otherwise helped lure back potential iPhone converts. RIM was forced to hurriedly address this, as well as other issues, with software updates to the phone and even pushed out an improved model a year later called the Storm 2.
RIM, as they say, was “once bitten, twice shy,” and it wasn’t until 2013 that it once again ventured to release an iPhone-like competitor with the touchscreen Z10. The company even used that device’s launch event to rebrand as BlackBerry. While the Z10 had an OS that was custom-tailored to the touch experience, the effort ultimately failed to ignite a comeback. And the results of that misstep have been haunting the company ever since.
Did you own a BlackBerry Storm? Add it to your Engadget profile as a device you had (or still have) and join the discussion to reminisce or share photos of your device with other like-minded gadget fans.
Filed under: Cellphones, Blackberry
How would you change Blackberry’s Z10?
With the advent of touchscreen smartphones, BlackBerry lost its position as king of the mobile world. In response, the company bought QNX and hibernated, plotting a reinvention centered around BlackBerry 10. When the business emerged with the Z10, everyone knew that this was the device that the company’s future relied upon — and we know how that ended up. When we reviewed it, we found that every element of the hardware was solid, adequate and pleasing. Unfortunately for BlackBerry, nothing stood out as being better compared to the devices that launched in its stead, nullifying any attention the handset’s big launch had garnered. It’s been just over a year since the Z10 launched, so we thought we’d ask all of you what it’s been like living with this device. Hop over to the forums and let’s chat some BlackBerry.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry
Source: Engadget Product Forums
Daily Roundup: Getting to know Xbox’s Phil Spencer, Nintendo’s rarest game and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Google will protect your phone by looking for sketchy apps you’ve already installed
Google has been alerting users when downloading apps of questionable origin for some time. But now the company’s taking its security a step further by checking up on your apps after you’ve already installed them.
Getting to know Microsoft’s new Xbox lead, Phil Spencer
There’s a new sheriff in Xbox town, and his name is Phil Spencer. While most of us know him as the E3 guy who speaks about games during Microsoft’s keynote, Spencer is a longtime Redmond employee who worked his way up from the bottom.
Facebook is trying to save you from embarrassing posts
In an effort to keep you on top of your privacy settings, Facebook’s giving its existing controls more visibility. By rolling out a new “Privacy Checkup” box in the near future, the company hopes people will become more aware of their sharing habits.
Play Nintendo’s rarest game on your Wii U
Back in the 90s, Nintendo released 90 copies of a three-part, competitive play cartridge called Nintendo World Championships. In the spirit of nostalgia, the company’s adding said game into its next iteration of NES Remix for the Wii U.
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Filed under: Misc
BlackBerry’s about money first, phones second (and that’s just fine)
BlackBerry’s future as a phonemaker came into question yesterday when Reuters reported that CEO John Chen would consider selling its handset division. Naturally, the company sought to set the record straight… with a blog post from Chen himself published earlier today.
“I want to assure you that I have no intention of selling off or abandoning this business any time soon,” he wrote, noting that his comments were taken out of context. So what exactly did he mean? Chen quietly crashed a reporter’s roundtable with BlackBerry enterprise chief John Sims this morning (apparently in search of a cup of coffee) — here’s what he told us about the Reuters interview and the future of BlackBerry’s phones.
“I’m working very hard to find a way to make money in the handset business. Then the question is ‘if you don’t make money in the handset business, what are you going to do?’ I said, well, being a businessperson, if you try long enough and you can’t make money, I mean, I’m in the business of making money. If I can’t make money in the handset business, of course I can’t do the handset business. That’s kind of like an obvious thing.
But they — some people at Reuters loved that last statement. That became the big news. There was no news here. The only news is that we’re committed to the handset business, and we’re going to make it work.”
Here’s the thing about Chen: He’s a pragmatist. He’s confident that the company can make money while making phones, but he admits that he’d have to rethink that stance if BlackBerry can’t turn its handset fortunes around. That’s it. Sort of a no-brainer, right? Sims added that there isn’t really a point of no return in this situation, either — BlackBerry will keep monitoring the situation and cranking out phones until it’s clear it doesn’t make any more sense to. That milestone could take months, maybe years to hit. Maybe BlackBerry won’t hit it at all, if they get sales up and unit costs down.
There’s something a little troubling about the fact that plenty of people took the headline at face value and just ran with it. To many, BlackBerry has already died; its fight already lost. That’s not entirely fair — there are still at least a few handsets barreling down the pipeline, and there’s still over $2.5 billion tucked away in Waterloo’s coffers. But it is possible that the nature of the relationship consumers have built with BlackBerry — one based on having a physical thing in their pockets — may eventually have to change, not that anyone particularly wants it to. And that’s the truth.
Filed under: Mobile
Source: Inside BlackBerry
T-Mobile offers BlackBerry subscribers $100 credit toward any other phone
T-Mobile head honcho John Legere’s assuring its BlackBerry-toting subscribers they’ve got nothing to worry about despite the companies’ falling out. But, just in case they are worried (or just want to try other platforms), he’s also offering them a $100 credit toward any device. Legere made the announcement in an open letter posted on T-Mo’s blog, where he also reminded folks they can stay with the carrier and still use BlackBerrys if they bring their own unlocked devices.
While the $100 credit gives subscribers the chance to give other phones or platforms a try, they can also use the money to get a Q10 or a Z10, assuming they didn’t take advantage of that controversial $250 trade-in promo last time. The offer’s good until the end of the year, but those who prefer upgrading from an older BB phone to one of the Canadian company’s newer offerings might want to decide soon. T-Mobile’s license to sell BlackBerry devices in the US will expire on April 25th, and it doesn’t look like BB CEO John Chen is changing his tune.
PS: Legere also mentioned that T-Mobile has more in store for BlackBerry subscribers: “Stay tuned for another Un-carrier offer that gives you more value and even more reasons to stay with America’s fastest growing wireless company.”
Hey, I hear ya. You want the newest #BB devices with @TMobile. Tell @Blackberry and #Chen you’re unhappy with his decision! #BBSpeakUp
– John Legere (@JohnLegere) April 3, 2014
Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, Blackberry, T-Mobile
Via: CNET
Source: T-Mobile
T-Mobile will no longer carry BlackBerry devices
By the looks of it, BlackBerry chief John Chen wasn’t appeased by T-Mobile’s attempt to make peace — in fact, things have only escalated: T-Mobile will no longer carry any BlackBerry device. In a press release today, the company formerly known as RIM announced that it has chosen not to renew T-Mobile’s license to sell its products when it expires on April 25th, 2014. If you’re wondering what exactly happened between the two companies, it all started when T-Mobile offered customers discounts on other phones if they trade in a BlackBerry. Obviously, that didn’t sit well with Chen, so the magenta network launched a similar promo for existing BB owners, giving them $200 to $250 if they’re upgrading to another BlackBerry device. Those who decided to do so need not worry, though: the two promise not to let this nasty divorce get in the way of supporting their current customers.
Filed under: Mobile, Blackberry, T-Mobile
Source: BlackBerry
BlackBerry updates BBM with stickers and group photo sharing
Admit it: Sometimes what you need to say is best expressed through the image of a WWE character. Now you can send that wrestler, or a picture of Shaun the Sheep (if you’re feeling a little less hostile) to friends via BBM. Following rumors we heard a few weeks ago, today BlackBerry launched stickers for the messaging app, similar to what all some other messaging apps have been doing for a while now. The company is opening a new BBM Shop where you can pick up a variety of sticker packs (with 20-25 icons each) now for $1.99 or less a pop, with more expected to come on a regular basis. If the addition of stickers isn’t quite enough for you, today’s update also brings the ability to share photos with friends in multi-person chats, so you can make sure the whole crew gets that #groupie at the same time.
Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, Blackberry
Source: BlackBerry
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