08.M.W.C. - Honorable mentions:

Huawei's circular Android Wear watch is fine, but nothing special. Unless! Unless it turns out to be dirt cheap. We'll see!

Huawei's Android Wear Watch Is Handsome, But Still Too Bulky

Huawei is launching not one but three wearables this year at Mobile World Congress, and the new…Read more

Sony's Xperia Z4 tablet is about as slick and slim as 10-inch Android tablets get, if you are still into 10-inch Android tablets. Also, it's vaguely Surface-y with its new keyboard accessory!

Xperia Z4 Tablet: Slick and Slim, With Laptop Aspirations

There's a new tablet in town. It's the new Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet and yeah, it's…Read more

LG's mid-ranged smartphones are going to have slightly curved screens, which is a way to make mid-range a little more fun.

LG's Bringing Curved Screens To Its Cheaper Phones, Because Why Not

That curve on LG Flex's screen might seem like a total gimmick, even if it's pretty rad.…Read more

Meanwhile, Sony's new Xperia M4 Aqua is everything a cheap phone should be. Waterproof and two day battery, count me in. 

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Hands-On: Proper Waterproofing, Two Day Battery

With the Xperia Z4 smartphone nowhere to be seen at MWC 2015 (even if its tablet cousin is knocking …Read more

BlackBerry teased a phone with curved edges and a slide out keyboard. OK! Sure!

Blackberry Is Bringing Back the Slider Phone Because Sure Why Not

When square phones don't quite work and suing Ryan Seacrest is taking too long, what's a…Read more

HTC's new One M9 seems like a fine little improvement on its existing flagship, but with nothing super special or exciting to speak of.

HTC One M9: Definitely Better But So Much the Same

This is the new HTC One, the third in a line of phones that got Android devices to adopt metal…Read more

You can read about allllll of our Mobile World Congress coverage here.

09.Blackberry goes cross-platform as it unveils new devices

Handset maker Blackberry has unveiled an "affordable" smartphone and announced plans for three other devices including a dual curved-screen "slider" phone and luxury smartphone.
The 5-inch $275 BlackBerry Leap will be rolled out in April and is designed for "rising stars" in business, the company said at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday.
The company's CEO John Chen also showed off a not-yet-finished "slider" phone.

Blackberry's "slider" phone
BlackBerry, has been struggling to gain any significant smartphone market, has also opened up a number of its key software assets to Android and iOS devices as it looks to widen the adoption of its services.

The Canadian firm already released its BlackBerry Messenger service to the other mobile operating systems last year but is now releasing its security and enterprise apps as well.

"We are committed to make software as a business...We are also going to make sure our software technology roadmaps addresses everybody's phone," Chen told reporters.




More@
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102470999

09.BlackBerry rises on deal with Google

BlackBerry Ltd.’s stock jumped after it announced a partnership with Google Inc. to allow the search giant’s suite of mobile productivity tools to run on the smartphone maker’s device management system.

The agreement lets businesses and governments running BlackBerry’s BES12 software integrate Android for Work, which Google rolled out today, BlackBerry said in a statement.

The news sent BlackBerry stock up 2.3 percent to $10.51 at the close. Google, based in Mountain View, California, rose 1.5 percent to $543.87.

As more businesses allow employees to use their own phones for work, BlackBerry is trying to increase its ability to manage devices and tools from multiple technology providers. In November, the Waterloo, Ontario-based company inked a similar deal with Samsung Electronics Co.

Android for Work allows users to separate work and personal applications on their smartphones, letting a company’s information-technology department secure and manage only work- related content.

The partnership shows BlackBerry’s reputation for security is still strong, said Kevin Stadtler, president of Stadtler Capital Management LLC.


Source:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/02/25/blackberry-rises-deal-with-google/oNpQvZdzWxYVE7UNb8nVvK/story.html

10.BlackBerry working with Google to secure Android devices

(Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd said on Wednesday that it is working with Google Inc to enable its software to manage and secure some of Google's Android devices, a move that builds on BlackBerry's recent partnership with Samsung Electronics Co.

In November, BlackBerry announced partnerships with Samsung and other high-profile technology industry players, broadening the reach of its revamped mobile-device management and security platform.

BlackBerry said it is offering a "highly secure mobility solution" for Samsung's Android devices. The new system weds BlackBerry's security platform with the South Korean company's own security software for its line-up of Galaxy devices that are powered by Google's Android operating system.

On Wednesday, BlackBerry outlined a similar tie-up directly with Google, to manage devices equipped with Android for Work - Google's own solution to securely separate business and personal data and applications.

BlackBerry shares rose 4.3 percent to $10.71 on the Nasdaq following the announcement.

(Reporting by Euan Rocha; editing by Andrew Hay)

Source:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/25/us-blackberry-google-idUSKBN0LT28N20150225

GalaxyBerry? Samsung-BlackBerry rumor is back

BlackBerry and Samsung both shot down rumors last week that Samsung was interested in buying BlackBerry. But investors are ignoring those denials.

Shares of BlackBerry (BBRY, Tech30) soared nearly 6% Thursday following another report suggesting that Samsung really wants to do a deal.

In that document, Evercore suggested that Samsung try to get influential BlackBerry shareholder Prem Watsa to support a deal, The Financial Post reported.

Watsa is chairman and CEO of Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings (FRFHF), an insurance and investment firm.

Fairfax owns a nearly 9% stake in BlackBerry, making it the second largest investor in the company. Fairfax is often compared to Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB) and Watsa has been described as Canada's Warren Buffett.

Source:
http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/22/investing/blackberry-samsung-rumors/

BlackBerry’s “net neutrality” plan: Force Apple to make a BlackBerry app

BlackBerry CEO John Chen laid out a net neutrality plan of his own yesterday in a letter to US lawmakers and in a post on the Canadian company's blog. One part of his proposal in particular has garnered attention: Chen thinks net neutrality rules in the US should force Apple and Netflix to make apps for BlackBerry hardware.

Net neutrality proposals generally focus on Internet service providers, banning discrimination against Internet content and applications. Chen wants makers of software to have to follow neutrality rules as well.

While BlackBerry makes its own messaging service available for multiple platforms, Apple has not returned the favor. Netflix has also "discriminated against BlackBerry customers" by not releasing a BlackBerry app. Chen wrote:

Source:

http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/01/blackberrys-net-neutrality-plan-force-apple-to-make-a-blackberry-app/

WhatsApp Web launches without iOS support owing to Apple 'limitations'

Ante Scriptum: Please click on the ads on this blog and let me know if i can improve their display.








Chrome client instead arrives with Android, BlackBerry and Windows support

MESSAGING APPLICATION WhatsApp is now available via Google's Chrome browser, unless you're an iPhone user.

WhatsApp founder Jan Koum announced WhatsApp Web on Facebook, naturally.

The web client will allow users to send and receive messages within the desktop Chrome browser.

But Koum is keen to point out that WhatsApp Web is only an extension of the service's mobile apps, so you'll still need your phone nearby to take advantage of it.

"Today, for the first time, millions of you will have the ability to use WhatsApp on your web browser," he said.

"Our web client is simply an extension of your phone: the web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device. This means all of your messages still live on your phone."

However, while iPhone users are typically the first to get their hands on new apps, WhatsApp announced that - for now at least - WhatsApp Web won't be available on iOS, citing "Apple platform limitations".

Instead, WhatsApp Web currently plays nice with Android, BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone.

WhatsApp explained in a blog post how to get started with the service:


Source:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2391494/whatsapp-web-launches-without-ios-support-owing-to-apple-limitations

Samsung not planning BlackBerry takeover: Repor

Samsung Electronics wants to "develop its partnership" withBlackBerry, but has no intention of acquiring the Canadian handset maker, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal on Monday.

J.K. Shin, the head of Samsung's mobile phone business and co-chief executive of the company, said Samsung was in talks about increasing the use of Blackberry technology in its devices, but did no want to "acquire the company."

Last week, the two companies denied market reports that they were locked in potential tie-up talks. BlackBerry's stock price tumbled 17 percent on Thursday after it denied it was a target for a takeover.

Source:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102348453#.

BlackBerry sticks to business as it unveils IoT plans, AT&T-exclusive Passport phone

BlackBerry is taking the same approach with its Internet of Things platform, launched Wednesday at International CES, as it is with its handset business: Aim at its core markets.

In IoT, the struggling mobile vendor has found an emerging area of technology where it may have the right combination of strengths. The company signaled as much last May when it announced Project Ion, a future cloud-based service it said would make it easier for enterprises to develop IoT software.

The results of that project, which involved beta testing by several customers, have been folded into a product called simply the BlackBerry IoT Platform, set for availability in April. The cloud-based system was announced at the biggest consumer technology show in the world along with some device and messaging news closer to the spirit of CES. But apart from some plans for messaging on wearables, the company’s IoT story steered clear of Las Vegas gadget fever.

Source:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2866652/blackberrys-iot-plans-start-close-to-home-cars-asset-tracking.html