WhatsApp to add voice calling later this year : CEO

WhatsApp, the popular messaging service for smartphones acquired this week by Facebook, will soon be offering a voice service.

CEO Jan Koum said the voice service will be developed by Android and iPhones this spring, with Blackberry and Microsoft and Nokia Phones coming later.

"We are going to introduce voice in WhatsApp in the second quarter of this year," Koum said at the Mobile World Congress in the Barcelona, Spain. "I think we have the best voice product out there. We use the least amount of bandwidth."

WhatsApp currently has voice function but only in note. This new service will be live.

On Wednesday, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for 1.9$ billion in a deal that is by far the biggest by the social networking company and any other done by Google, Microsoft or Apple.

Wearing a gray shirt, jeans and a black jacket, the 38-year-old koum quipped- "last week we added a new Facebook friend. I don't know if you guys heard."

The Blockbuster deal made serious waves with those in the telecommunications industry who gathered this week in the Catalan city, but also sparked concern among users that Facebook would introduce advertising to WhatsApp.

Koum insisted that there are no designs to add "marketing" to the messaging service.
" said koum. "Our vision and mission are aligned. We both want to make the world more connected."

Facebook is paying $12 billion in stock and $ 4 billion in cash for WhatsApp. koum along with fellow founder Brian Acton their 55 employees were also granted restricted stock worth $3 billion that will vest over four years after the deal closes.

Koum said that he didn't expect that WhatsApp's staff would grow in number very much, saying that "we want to operate as a startup."

WhatsApp has 465 million monthly users and 330 daily users, according to koum, and costs users $1 a year after a first free year.

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Update to BlackBerry 10.2 OS .

BlackBerry has detailed the rollout for the 10.2 OS update. This one will be heading to those with a BlackBerry Z10 or Q10, and coincidentally, will have these handsets going to the same version that we saw the BlackBerry Z30 announced with back in mid-September. The good news here, the BlackBerry 10.2 OS update is set to begin rolling out this week.

The downside of that good news is that not every Z10 and Q10 user will see the update actually arrive this week. To that point, those in the US market appear to have the longest wait. Details coming from BlackBerry point towards that update “starting this winter.”

Otherwise, the update rollout will begin this week for those in Africa, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and Canada. Additionally, those in Latin America will see the BB 10.2 update starting sometime in November. When available, users will be notified by way of the BlackBerry Hub. Users will also be able to check manually by heading in to the System Settings and visiting the Software Updates section.

Along with news of when the update can be expected, BlackBerry has also offered a bit of detail in terms of what can be expected. The list includes the Priority Hub, BBM Video with Natural Sound, the BlackBerry Keyboard and Instant Previews of BBM, SMS and Email (from any app). There will also be some enhancements in terms of copy and past as well as sharing that is said to be faster and easier.

BlackBerry users will also have some calendar enhancements, lock screen notifications and a Reply Now feature. The Reply Now feature means the ability to respond to incoming calls even when you cannot actually answer the phone. Those responses will be sent using BBM, SMS or email and users will be provided with a list of automated messages or be able to craft something personal.

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CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings LTD Prem Watsa deals with BlackBerry for 4.7 B$

Well as before Nokia was undertaken by Microsoft and now this is time for Blackberry to step off.

Many people were in  shock that Blackberry is on sale for 4.7 B$.The person who offered the deal is Mr. Prem Watsa CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings LTD.

Mr. Prem Watsa's Profile:

Toronto-based Fairfax is a financial holding firm engaged  in property, casualty & life insurance and re-insurance,  investment management and insurance claims management.

Watsa, born in 1950 in Hyderabad, India, and trained as a chemical engineer, has a public profile that has at times bordered on the reclusive since he took over Fairfax in 1985.

For his first 15 years at the company, he barely spoke to a reporter, and he only started holding investor conference calls in 2001.

Fairfax has generally not been known as an activist investor, but Watsa has not shied away from a fight, launching a $6 billion lawsuit against a group of hedge funds in 2006, accusing them of conspiring to the drive the company's shares down so they could be shorted.

A short position enables an investor to profit when a stock drops.

Coming to the point Prem Watsa offer to buy BlackBerry Ltd. for $4.7-billion (U.S.) sets out a potential rescue plan for a company that is losing the fight for smartphone customers.

The $9-a-share bid, announced Thursday, puts at least a temporary halt to the deluge of bad news surrounding the Waterloo, Ont.-based company. Late Friday, BlackBerry issued a grim set of financial results, saying it lost nearly $1-billion in the second quarter, is writing off a large inventory of unsold phones and will cut 4,500 jobs.

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Blackberry officially announces BBM on Android devices on September 21

Hey BlackBerry fans, here’s a bit of good news: BBM will officially land on Android devices starting on September 21, with the iOS version going live the next day.

Hey BlackBerry employees, here’s a bit of bad news: there’s a decent chance that you or some of your co-workers are going to lose their jobs.

Those two stories broke within minutes of each other today, and together they paint a peculiar portrait of a company that was once the de facto ruler of the smartphone roost.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the layoffs earlier today, claiming that the company could ultimately cut up to 40% of its total workforce (which equates to thousands of employees) by the end of the year in a bid to cut costs and keep itself afloat. These larger waves of layoffs were preceded by a smaller spate of firings earlier this summer which saw 250 employees let go from the company’s Waterloo R&D and product testing facility. The last great BlackBerry exodus started in earnest over the summer of 2012, when it was revealed that some 5,000 employees would be fired by the end of that year.

Now it seems that process will begin anew, though at the time the remnants of the company were hopeful that the impending launch of BlackBerry 10 would finally move the needle in a more positive direction. Here were are some eight months later and BlackBerry still hasn’t managed to regain its former stature (especially now that Windows Phone finally seems to be picking up some steam).

Meanwhile, BBM has always been a cornerstone of the BlackBerry experience, and its migration to other platforms is being looked at by some as a harbinger of bigger and better things. When CEO Thorsten Heins revealed that tentative BBM launch window at BlackBerry Live back in May, he said it was because of a “state of confidence.”

“The BB10 platform is so strong and the response has been so good that the time is right for BBM to become an independent mobile messaging platform,” he continued.

While it’s heartening to hear that iOS and Android users clamoring for yet another messaging app won’t have to wait too much longer, BBM’s chances of striking a chord with the masses are questionable. There’s the sheer pervasiveness of the competition — there’s WhatsApp, Viber, Imo, Tencent, LINE, and KakaoTalk just to name a few. And now for the certain subset of BlackBerry users (I’m sure there are at least a few) that cling to their devices because of BBM, well, they’ve got an exit strategy that didn’t exist before.

BBM’s more secure approach to messaging and its future support for Channels (which will allow for smoother brand-consumer communication) may win it some fans, but it remains to be seen how much of a splash BBM can make outside of the company’s own hardware ecosystem. And that’s to say nothing of the rumors that BlackBerry as a company will be cut up into slivers and sold (with the BBM business possibly being one of them), which kind of makes these new waves of layoffs look like a bid to appear more comely to potential buyers by lightening up the ol’ balance sheet.

In the end, both stories depict a company that is scrambling to survive. It may be that the scrappiness of a smaller team and a wider audience of people who appreciate a service BlackBerry has created may be enough to turn the tides for the beleaguered smartphone player, but I suspect for now things will continue to get worse before they get better.

I’ve reached out to BlackBerry for comment, and will update this post if/when I get a response.

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BlackBerry Messenger for iPhone waiting for Apple's approval

So Summer is about to end in a few weks and we're yet to see the cross-platform version of BlackBerry's BlackBerry Messenger or BBM service.

However, it appears that the wait could be over soon as a BlackBerry representative has confirmed that the BBM app for iOS was submitted for Apple's App Store approval two weeks ago.

Alex Kinsella of BlackBerry posted on Twitter that BBM for iPhone was submitted for review two weeks ago. This implies that the app could arrive anytime on the App Store, provided Apple approves it.

BlackBerry had announced plans to extend BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) to Android and iOS in May, saying that the app would be available before the end of summer.

Just a few days back, a walkthrough video revealing the features of the BBM Android app had appeared online. The video suggested that the BBM app would sport features similar to the BlackBerry Messenger's BlackBerry OS version, and that it would also include NFC-based sharing through Android Beam.
However, the video was pulled down by the site on the request of the Canadian handset maker.

It was also reported that the BlackBerry Messenger app would be official by the end of this month and that it would be available through respective app stores for both Android and iPhone users.

Prior to that, a landing page dedicated to BBM surfaced on the official site of the company, claiming that the BBM service had arrived for both, Android and Apple platforms. The dedicated page for the service said, "BBM for Android and iPhone is here." This page was also pulled and was replaced with a launch page that said, "BBM is coming to Android and iPhone" and included an option to get notified when the service launches through an email prompt.

Presently, BlackBerry Messenger or BBM allows BlackBerry users to seamlessly exchange texts, audio, videos and pictures with each other. However, a number of cross-platform mobile messaging apps including WhatsApp, WeChat and Line have taken over as preferred choices since they are available on a variety of platforms. When it comes to the iPhone, BBM would also compete with Apple's own iMessage platform that allows users who own Apple devices to send each other free messages over a data connection.

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BlackBerry PlayBook

With more price drops for the BlackBerry tablet, we've taken yet another look at the Playbook to see if it's finally worth the cash, in light of a 4G PlayBook ..

It's probably fair to say that the BlackBerry Playbook had something of a rocky start to life. Hailed by many as as the first worthy successor to the iPad when it was announced, it eventually arrived with a bit of a crash landing, pulling in average reviews and failing to really attract customers.

In no small part, the problem was that it didn't come across as the kind of complete package that the iPad - released about the same time did. Its lack of third-party apps was a shame, but the fact that it lacked its own email and calendar apps, relying on a BlackBerry phone to provide this functionality, really dragged it down.

It's something of a serious tablet when compared to the competition running software from Apple and Google and, while it certainly has games, its biggest strengths are rather more boring. It does a really great job at displaying Power Point presentations, for example, and has the security chops to keep last quarter's dismal sales figures from falling into the wrong hands. Exciting stuff? No, but useful features for sure, and regardless of whether you find those intriguing or boring this is RIM's seven-inch, Flash-having but 3G-lacking tablet clad in an unassuming but extremely sophisticated exterior. 

Features :

BlackBerry Tablet OS ,Chip -TI OMAP 4430, CPU - Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 , GPU-PowerVR SGX540

with Non-removable Li-Po 5300 mAh battery,Camera-5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, autofocus, Video-Yes, 1080p@30fps,Display- 7" TFT capacitive multi touchscreen.


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Detailed Technical Specification of BlackBerry Curve 8530

          

   

                                                               

PRICE Rs. 7,150

ADVANTAGES GENERAL Has A Qwerty Keypad Qwerty keypad allows you to type faster. CAMERA Supports Video Recording You can record videos of beautiful moments, sceneries and watch them later. TECHNICAL Supports Memory Card upto 32 GB Memory cards give your device more storage capacity. So you can store more songs, photos and videos. CONNECTIVITY Supports 3G 3G Enabled Handsets give you more download speed and a faster internet experience. Supports WiFi You can connect to wifi hotspots in your area to experience a superior internet experience. Supports Bluetooth v2.1 Bluetooth enables you to wirelessly listen to music and calls using bluetooth headsets. Supports GPS GPS is used for determining your location. You can get directions to a place with the help of GPS. Has A 3.5mm Headphone Jack Having 3.5mm Jack enables you to connect to large number of other devices (such as speakers) having 3.5mm Port. EXTRA Supports Video Player Watch your favourite video songs and movies in video player. It supports MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV file types. Supports Music Player Listen to your favourite songs in music player. It supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WAV, AMR etc. file types. DISADVANTAGES CAMERA Low Resloution Camera 2 MP (Average: 2.42 MP) Low resolution camera will not take very sharp and clear photos. No Front Camera Front Camera enables you to take your own photos and do videocalling (on supported phones). TECHNICAL Limited Storage Capacity 256 MB (Average: 169 MB) Considering this phone's level of use, it has less amount of memory to store songs, videos, photos and applications. Slower CPU 528 MHz (Average: 571.7 MHz) Slower CPU has trouble in running graphics rich applications. CONNECTIVITY Slower Download Speed On 3G 2 Kbps (Average: 5.8 Mbps) A slower internet experience while browsing on 3G network. Can't Output To TV You can't connect your smartphone to a TV. EXTRA Doesn't Have A FM Radio You Can't Listen to your favourite radio stations on your phone. BATTERY Short Battery Talk Time 4.5 hours (Average: 6.4 hours) With short battery talk time, you won't be able to talk continously on the phone for a lo General Information
Brand	Blackberry
Model	Curve 8530
Weight	105 G
Form Factor	Bar
Dimensions	109 x 60 x13.90 MM
Operating Frequency	CDMA 800 / 1900 / CDMA 2000 1x EV-DO Mhz
Key Pad	Yes, Qwerty Keypad

Display Details
Display Color	2.46 inches, TFT 65K colors
Display Size	Blackberry Curve 8530 has a display size of 320 x 240 px
Display Features	Touch-sensitive optical Track pad

Camera
Camera	Yes, 2.0 Mega Pixels Camera with Geo Tagging
Camera Res.	1600 x 1200 Pixels
Zoom	Yes, 5 X Digital zoom
Video	Yes
Video Recording	Yes
Video Player	Yes, Yes, Video Formats : MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV9

Software
Games	Yes + Downloadable
Java	No
Browser	Yes, HTML, BlackBerry Browser, RSS
Operating System	BlackBerry OS 5.0

Call Records
Phone Book	Yes, Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Missed Calls	Yes
Received Calls	Yes
Dialed Calls	Yes

Battery
Stand By Time	Up to 17 days
Talk Time	Up to 4.5 hours
Li-ion	1150 mAH

Memory
Internal Memory	Yes, Internal Memory : 256 MB ROM
External Memory	Yes, Up to 32 GB
Memory Slot	Yes, Micro SD Card

Message
SMS	Yes, Threaded View
MMS	Yes
Email	Yes, Supports IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, Blackberry Connect
Instant Messaging	Yes
Social Networking Services	BlackBerry maps

Music
Ring Tone	Vibration, MP3, Polyphonic, MIDI
FM	No
Music	Yes, Music Formats : MP3, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCELP EVRC, AAC-LC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA9, Windows Media 10 Standard/Professional with 3.5 mm audio jack, Dedicated music keys
Speaker	Yes
Headset	Yes

Data
GPRS	No
Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
Wirless Protocol	Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Port	Yes, MicroUSB Cable
Edge	No
Infra Red	No
3G	Yes, Rev. 0, up to 153.2 Kbps
GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
CPU	Yes, 528 MHz processor
Salespack	Handset, Battery, Charger, Earphone, USB Cable, User Manual, Warranty Card
Other Facilities	Ring ID, Picture ID, Multiple numbers per contact, Alarm, Calendar, To-Do / Tasks, Calculator, Notes.

Others

Colors : Black, Purple

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