Would you ever have thought that a house would have been a key inspiration for the BlackBerry 10 experience? Neither did I! The house viewed above is the Farnsworth House and it has won many design awards for its open concept, and how you can move from room to room without boundaries as one space. It is viewed as flow in horizontal movement, and is in the core fundamental architecture of BlackBerry 10.

Some of the other design elements were taken from their experience working the Porsche Designs, like the edge to edge glass.  This eased with the problem of the in and out paradigm, and working with a no home button experience, creating convenience within the design and gestures. We see this a lot on the Z10, with sloped ends for comfort, and jewellery like buttons.  All this was made possible with computer aided design, allowing them to push the envelope.

This is even taken one step further with the subtle additions of the soft touch grip on the back that almost feels silky, to the Canadian designed font called Slate Pro. Creating a clean pure modern design, that is easy for everyone to live with.

A lot of the focus was then shifted to the Q10, where their goal was to reclaim the bottom of the homescreen, to having a straight keypad because there was no trackpad.  All the keys are now equal size with bigger text on them, maximizing the QWERTY experience to the best ever on a BlackBerry device.

The details delivered are all purpose driven as well.  They explained that the physical attributes that we all love are also function.  From the iconic Bold style frets that are actually dove tailed in to the bezel for stability, to the back fret being slightly raised to protect the camera lens.  Even the smallest details, like the woven glass door, because of how thin they can make, all this to fit in a bigger battery.

The focus was then switch to the Q5, the newest member for the BlackBerry family, a simple lower end device enabling consumers of every income to afford a BlackBerry 10 device.  They wanted a beautiful expressive device, and reached this goal by making small changes.  Some of them being they used an LCD not an AMOLED.  They also switched to cheaper plasticts, no HDMI port, 5MP camera, and a first for BlackBerry handsets, a non removable battery.

They used a rounder shape or the device, again focusing on comfort.  With the subtle design and shape of the device, it influences the harmony of the combination to be seamless.

“One master brand, with one experience” no matter which device you pick up.

From the Z10 to the Q10, there were a few major changes they focused on, one was enhancing the QWERTY experience, continued to make it the best they could.  One of the obstacles they were faced with was the addiction of predictive text.  Trying to make it feasible and attractive for the users, placing it right along the bottom bezel, and only at a thumbs reach away.  With this, they want to still emphasize the one hand experience even on a QWERTY device.

Another iconic QWERTY device feature for BlackBerry is keyboard shortcuts, to enhance efficiency and productivity.  In the past, if you didn’t know about the shortcuts you really only heard of them via word of mouth, this time the shortcuts are displayed right in the onscreen menus beside the feature you want to use. The other feature is the home screen search, a type and go experience, that the more you type the smaller the scope of results displayed are, autofilled in real time.  Both to ultimately increase homescreen efficiency.

With both the Q10 and Q5 another issue was  how to re deliver solutions on the Z10 to the smaller screen.  You will notice small things like how media is displayed, from a Z10 with grids of 3×4 to a Q series with the grid being 4×3, tightening the UI.  Next was understanding the tasks of the user, baking the functionality right in to the OS.  Interpretive scrolling when searching, the bottom bar disappears.  With no action bar, the emphasis is put back on content.

Over all, it was really exciting to see all of the details even to the smallest one, and how it was incorporated. Learning that even the finite details serve a purpose, or they would not have made it on the device.  I will definitely be looking for future sessions like this in the future, and seeing all of the features that we take for granted explained in detail.

Posted by Ricky Lakeit for ©BerryReview | The Design of the BlackBerry 10 Experience, UI and Device

Download Links:

LINK ONE

LINK TWO

Install at your own risk, we are not responsible if you brick your device in the process. Below are some instructions on how to install the leaked OS.

Installation Instructions if needed:

Turn off your BlackBerry Z10.

Run the file that you just extracted.

Connect your Z10 to your usb cable and quickly turn it on.

The autloader should connect to your Z10 and start the process.

Sit back, have a coffee or a tea and wait until the process is finished.

When the autoloader has written 100%, the program will terminate and the window will close.

Disconnect your BlackBerry Z10 and wait for it to reboot.

Your BlackBerry Z10 will now be in the position that it was in when you purchased it, so set it up as you normally would.

Source and Installation Instructions: RapidBerry

Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview | Leaked OS 10.1.0.1880 For BlackBerry Z10 Model STL100-2 & 3

We told you that the Bleacher Report Team Stream was coming to BlackBerry 10 and as BlackBerry promised it is now available for the Z10 & Q10. The app seems like a native port but not exactly a Cascades native app. Not sure what the story is with that.. either way it acts like a native app.

Team Stream from the Bleacher Report gives you your teams latest news on your BlackBerry. They get some rave reviews beyond what I am hearing from ESPN so it is definitely worth checking out if you are a sports fan. Check out Team Stream free in BlackBerry World.

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview | Free Bleacher Report Team Stream Released for BlackBerry 10

ZeptoLab has brought their popular Cut the Rope game to BlackBerry 10. Sadly it is not available for the Q10 yet but I am really curious how they could rework the game to work on the square screen. Either way its nice to see Cut the Rope come from the PlayBook to the Z10.

Check out Cut the Rope for $1.99 in BlackBerry World

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview | Cut the Rope Released for the BlackBerry Z10

Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview | HP ePrint Enterprise App For BlacKBerry 10 Coming Soon

BlackBerry 10 is really getting some solid music creation tools with the latest being the award winning Animoog. Animoog is a synthesizer app from Moog Music that is popular on iOS and a big player to be supporting BlackBerry 10 especially before Android. They are running a promotion offering the app for an intro price of $0.99 after which it will go up to $9.99. It seems like a few readers are having issues getting the app so we held off mentioning it but others seem to be working just fine. Let us know if you pick up Animoog in BlackBerry World.

Check out the Animoog on BlackBerry 10 demo below:

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview | Award Winning Synthesizer App "Animoog" Comes to BlackBerry 10

I have been waiting for some of the big hitter games to come to the BlackBerry Q10 and they are coming along. My latest favorite is The Great Big War Game which is simply an awesome strategy game. It has you controlling the general and his army in a tactical strategy game to conquer the opponents. I cannot recommend the game enough especially at the very reasonable price of $2.99. Let me know what you think!

Check out the gameplay trailer below:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview | The Great Big War Game Comes to the BlackBerry Q10

In case you were living under a rock this week BlackBerry rolled out a new beta of BBM Channels in BlackBerry Messenger. The BBM Channels fun is available for legacy BlackBerrys running OS 5.0+ and both the Q10 and Z10 devices. The only catch is that during the beta you have to install the latest BBM update through the Beta Zone (details here).

If you are on this latest beta of BBM I invite you to join in on the BerryReview BBM Channel. You can join the channel by either adding us via our PIN:C0009A126, searching for BerryReview, or using the QR code below. I am hoping to be able to run some giveaways once we figure out how that can work… See you there!

PS: Sorry for the delay rolling our Channel out but I was offline for the Jewish Holiday of Shevuot

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview | Join the Official BerryReview BBM Channel!

The BlackBerry Z10 has almost completed its global roll out and while it is a sleek and nice device, chances are, you will want to protect it with a case. The latest case I have been testing out is from Poetic, who have been making mainly Apple accessories till now. The Poetic Atmosphere Case is their offering for the BlackBerry Z10 which offers a middle of the road level of protection for your Z10. Read on for the details!

The Poetic Atmosphere case is a snap on case that aim to provide a pretty decent protection for your BlackBerry Z10 without a lot of bulk. Protecting the sides, and back, indeed, a well rounded protection is formed.

As you can see, it has a very snug, or precise fit all around the device, which of course meant that it would be very hard to take it out. But this is not a bad thing – it just really means that your BlackBerry Z10 would really be much protected if it takes a fall.

On the top, you can see that the case is taller than the phone by a bit, which meant that facedown, the phone should not come in contact with the ground on surface.

The back of the case is made of frosted plastic, so you will still get to see the BlackBerry logo on the battery door. This also meant that you get to make more mix and match of colours to spruce up your device. The fact that it comes in a variety of colours, it means that you get to change it depending on your mood or dress code, giving yourself a fashion statement as well.

However, the back, being a smooth feeling plastic, meant that essentially the case is grip-less against situations where your hands are wet, unlike those ‘tough’ case series offerings which uses more rubber.

The media buttons as well as the lock button is covered, with a dedicated silicon covering the buttons. First use, the buttons are really hard to press on. It needs some real tough conditioning before it loosens up, which just shows its quality of the case.

Overall, an almost all rounder case, giving you a pretty good and classy look to the device. Although I would have liked it to be more grippy, but for the price, it does give a pretty good protection. Available in 6 different colours, namely Blue, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple and of course white, you can grab it at us$24.95 from Poetic.

Posted by Terrence T for ©BerryReview | Review: Poetic Atmosphere Case For BlackBerry Z10

*Please note this is by manufacturer, and not by OS.

Source: MobileSyrup

Posted by Ricky Lakeit for ©BerryReview | BlackBerry Making a Solid Comeback in Canadian Marketshare

Currently when streaming media we use DLNA over a network, or we connect our devices directly to the HDMI port on the device, and remained tethered during the experience.  Using DLNA, it is a pull experience  you are on the streaming peripheral connected to the media storage on your device, and streaming off of it, but using the peripheral as the brain.  With WiDi you would still connect to the SmartTV or peripheral like a PS3 or Roku, but this time, you are in control from the device. Sitting on your couch, and controlling the output, right on your phone, and not worrying about anything else.

There are already a few other companies doing this, but it is never truly branded as WiDi, they always give it a proprietary name so the end user truly doesn’t know that this is exactly the same thing.  With the API for this being built in the BlackBerry 10.2 SDK’, support for everything is baked in.  This will not mean being locked in to the experience the other companies are using or only doing it their way.  Developers will have the freedom of showcasing 2 screens at once, one can have one display like media controls while your TV plays a video of your last vacation.  Imagine walking in to a conference room and having your Z10 as the presentation remote, and everything streams seamless with you in control.

BlackBerry showcasing this feature solidifies their moving forward with the multimedia experience they have tried to create ever since the PlayBook.  It is moving forward with mobile computing, and enhancing the customer experience.  Keeping the device in their hands for longer periods of time with dedication to one platforms.  I welcome it with open arms, and using the z10 screen as the game pad while playing some of the heavily developed games in HD on a large screen!

Posted by Ricky Lakeit for ©BerryReview | Wireless HDMI and What It Means to Us

I am still reeling a bit from the announcement that BBM is going cross platform. While we don’t have a solid release date yet, we know that it is coming this Summer. In an interview with TrustedReviews, Vivek Bhardwaj stated that the initial release will not be compatible with tablets. This does make sense since there isn’t even a dedicated BBM for BlackBerry’s own PlayBook tablet right now. Vivek also hinted at future plans to expand the reach of BBM even more.

I think when you look at things like Smart TVs and desktops, those are definitely areas for exploration.

BlackBerry has had an internal BBM desktop client for years, so I don’t see why this can’t happen soon.

What do you think about BBM popping up on your friends’ iPhones and Androids? I love the idea. Everyone knows it is the best instant messaging solution around. It is excellent marketing and I believe it could become the most popular IM client around, especially once voice and video capability are enabled for all devices.

Via: engadget

Posted by Jay Harker for ©BerryReview | BlackBerry to Focus Exclusively on Smartphones When BBM is Released for iOS and Android

There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what the BBM Channels is all about. Yesterday they had a BBM Mobile session which touched softly on the subject but today they held another session which defined the latest feature which is newly added as a beta version for BBM. There was quite a bit of information regarding BBM and the new announcements as explained by Andrew Bocking, the Executive VP of Software Management & Ecosystem for BlackBerry.  Let’s take a closer look.

With BBM you can manage the channel you create per the app or the web portal. The way that it came about was because a BBM group can only have 30 people in the group. BlackBerry was noticing a large number of groups and customers wanted to add more to their groups. After careful watching and consideration, the idea for BBM Channels was conceived.

They also touched on iOs and Android versions of BBM. The version for those platforms will be the core chat and group functionality. This will be pictures as well. Voice and Video Chat will not be included until later.

The beta is in extended beta through the summer to see how people respond and utilize the feature. There are many ways to use this feature in BBM. At first they were talking more about the business aspect but today it was more apparent that the feature will be great for information and business. There are 60 million BBM users, and because of that BlackBerry with that large base can use the fundamentals of BBM, and brands and business will find it’s inherent value. The beta is for evaluating, trialing, and discovering opportunities.

Channels can create connections and facilitate more by managing a larger number of users than a group. It’s great for mobile marketing and advertising. After all, the world is primarily mobile and people spend more time on smartphones, and needing to reach people requires a mobile-centric app.

One of the questions BlackBerry addressed was whether or not they were worried about losing customers with BBM becoming available on other platforms. They aren’t worrying about that. They feel the timing is focused and that BlackBerry has been reinvented and they are positive that there’s great interest in BBM.

Currently Channels is limited to 400 characters and photos. Video is next. Spam will not be an issue as you have to opt in. There a few questions as to why Windows was not mentioned. It’s simply because customers have neither requested or shown interest for a Windows version. There are also no plans for the web-based client version.

Posted by Susan for ©BerryReview | BBM Channels Explained and Defined.

If you are attending BlackBerry live and just received your brand new Z10 from the conference, come find either Susan or myself I, or send us a message on Twitter @BerryReview and will hook you up with dbrand skin. First come first serve while supplies last.

You can also check out my review here. 

Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview | You At BlackBerry Live? Find Us and Get a dbrand Skin For Your Z10

A new accessory that is shipping with the Q10 is a brand new set of headphones that actually stay in your ears easily, it features a small loop that holds them in place. BlackBerry had them on sale for about $15-$20 dollars at their BlackBerry store here at BlackBerry live. I bought myself some and I have to say they are a decent pair of headphones for the price. They also feature a noodle like cord that makes it less likely to tangle up. The clip also makes it easier to roll it up or fold, and keep it secure.

Some of this should eventually make their way to the Shop BlackBerry Store. 

Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview | BlackBerry Q5 Accessories Round Up

BBM channels is a new feature that will roll out with BBM later this summer which also includes support for legacy devices. BBM channels is allows brands to create their own channel for fans to follow, comment, and interact with content published through it.

Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview | BlackBerry Q5 and BBM Channels Walkthrough

Endomondo was a really popular application for sports and outdoor activities with legacy BlackBerry users,  and now it has made its way to BlackBerry 10 devices. The application is available for download from app world free of charge. This is one of the first versions but it is loaded with features including:

·          Track any outdoor sport including duration, distance, speed and calories

·          Enter a workout manually, e.g., a treadmill run or weight training

·          Get audio feedback for every mile or km while exercising

·          Get live peptalks from friends – they write a short text on our website which is then read out loud to you seconds later

·          See your route on a map

·          View history of workouts and study split times per km or mile

·          Set a distance goal and have the audio coach speak to that as your target

·          Sync workouts across multiple platforms (web entry, certain watches, file import – signup required)

·          Share workouts on Facebook Timeline

·          See your friends’ latest workouts in real-time

·          Race against a friend’s time and have the audio coach help you perform better

·          Compete on a specific route nearby and race against the route champion

·          Study routes nearby and use the map to navigate your way around

·          Set the app to pause automatically when you are not moving

·          Enable countdown * Customize the main screen to show the information that you find most valuable

·          Access all your online settings: Profile, subscription, sharing, privacy, workout and audio

·          See how much you need to drink during and after your workout to stay hydrated and perform at your best  

·          Get the full Endomondo experience with all app and web features and say goodbye to external ads in app and on web! 

o     Weather info in workout summary 

o     Interval programs: Choose from three programs or create your own and let the audio coach guide you

o     Graphs: View graphs with your lap times, speed and altitude throughout the workout

o     Beat yourself: Set a previous workout as your goal and the audio coach will help you perform better this time

o     Low power mode: Increase the battery standby time by using this feature for long workouts

o     Pedometer: Use the step counter feature to track workouts when you don’t have GPS coverage, e.g., indoor

o     Customized Audio Coach: Customize how often you get audio feedback and what information is read aloud to you 

o    Time goal: Choose a duration for your workout and the audio coach will help you reach the time goal

o    Calorie goal: Set a calorie goal for your workout and the audio coach will guide you  If you sign up, all data is sent automatically to your personal training diary and the social fitness network at www.endomondo.com. This is the place to analyze your training, compete against your friends, follow others live and communicate with active people throughout the world, no matter what GPS phone or tracking device they are using. Time to free your endorphins! NOTE: We are asking for permissions to access your personal information and read contacts. We ask for this to make you able to connect with your friends, challenge them and follow them directly on your phone. We will read names and email addresses from your contacts ONLY if you actively choose to do so within the app.

To download this application visit BlackBerry World at this link.

Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview | Endomondo Sports Tracker Now Available for BlackBerry 10 (Android Port)

• Wireless HDMI
• Geofencing
• Headless App Support
• USB Host
• Altimiter
• Wifi Direct
• Miracast
• Smartcard Support
• Analytics (Flurry)

Some of the features are long over due, promises and wants… and if they all come to fruition with the release of the rumoured phablet for Christmas, we are a good.  (Now I said Christmas, because the SDK Beta might take a few months to get all the kinks worked out.)

Posted by Ricky Lakeit for ©BerryReview | BlackBerry 10.2 SDK Beta Coming in June

 The goal is to support all current features and APIs available on the Android runtime today and evaluate new features and APIs for inclusion, such as fragments, embedded fragments and the animation framework.

If this update does what it is supposed to do, a lot more apps should work instead of force closing.  It can help close the gap on applications as well as development hurdles from smaller companies. You can head over to the Developer site for more info.

Let us know what you think down in the comments.

Posted by Ricky Lakeit for ©BerryReview | Android Runtime getting Expected Update to 4.2.2 Soon

Posted by Tim Newcomb for ©BerryReview | Press Release: Flurry Analytics Announced For BB10

Download here

Posted by Ricky Lakeit for ©BerryReview | New Working Instagram for BlackBerry 10

The keyboard on the Q5 harkens back to the Curve family (of which this would surely be considered a member), but has a few improvements, in my opinion. While I would still consider this a “chiclet”-style keyboard, the keys are flatter and wider than those of Curves past, making them easier to to type accurately on. They are still separated with a generous amount of space, and lack the frets of the Bold/Q10 piano-style keyboard. Mechanically, they have a shorter throw and lack the familiar *snap* you may be used to hearing from the Curve family. This should mean less thumb fatigue from extended typing sessions.

Device performance seems noticeably slower coming straight from a Z10, but not distressingly so. The UI is still smooth and responsive, but animations just don’t seem to have that same *POP* that you get swiping around on a Zed.

Thor mentioned the importance of entry-level devices for emerging and developing markets, and the Q5 is positioned nicely to provide the full BB10 experience at a more affordable price point. According to InsideBlackBerry,

“The new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone will be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America, with availability beginning in July.”

The BlackBerry Q5 will be available in black, white, red, and yes, PINK.

Posted by Tim Newcomb for ©BerryReview | Q5 Pretty In Pink

harmon.ie Enables Office 365 Workers to ‘Use Their Own Device’

harmon.ie Office 365 Client App Now Available for BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10

May 13, 2013

BlackBerry Live 2013, Orlando, FL – May 13^th, 2013 – harmon.ie, the user experience  company for the mobile enterprise today announced a native Office 365 and SharePoint app for the BlackBerry® Z10 and BlackBerry® Q10 smartphones is available on the BlackBerry® World™ storefront.  harmon.ie for BlackBerry 10 will be offered as part of the harmon.ie 4.0 product suite, also announced today.  These apps will be showcased at BlackBerry Live in Orlando, May 13-15 in Orlando, booth 263. Follow the show events on Twitter at #BlackBerry4Biz.

The harmon.ie app provides full-featured Office 365 and on premise SharePoint functionality, including secure connectivity and offline document access. By combining the productivity of Office 365 with a native BlackBerry 10 app user experience, harmon.ie is enabling executives using a BlackBerry Q10 or the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone to be productive in the workplace and to use the phone as a business tool. Busy executives can now work on contracts, spreadsheets and presentations securely accessing Office 365 from their BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

Users also get real-time updates as colleagues update important documents then follow those documents with an intuitive activity stream of collaboration activities. Workers can save Office 365 documents on their device so they will be available off-line, and upload documents received as email attachments onto Office 365 to device and from device to Office 365, keeping the device secure.

This new level of mobile productivity elevates the message of “bring your own device” to “use your own device” and brings a tangible ROI to the BYOD enterprise trend.

“BlackBerry has always been invested in providing enterprise customers with effective tools to get business done,” said Martyn Mallick VP of Global Alliances and Business Development at BlackBerry. “We are thrilled to have harmon.ie bring both SharePoint and Office 365 to the BlackBerry 10 platform and are confident BlackBerry customers will appreciate the social nature of these business solutions.”

harmon.ie presentations at BlackBerry Live:

What:    “Enabling Collaboration with BlackBerry Work Drives, Cisco WebEx and Microsoft SharePoint”
Who:     Andrew Short, Manager, Enterprise product Management at BlackBerry
When: Wednesday, May 15^th, 2:15pm-3:15pm

Learn about how to increase productivity with the harmon.ie collaboration that brings Microsoft® SharePoint® to BlackBerry 10.

What:    “Q&A Panel: Unified Communications & Collaboration Tools”
Who:     David Hanson, Andrew Short, Robert Bowerman, Jeff Kuckelman, BlackBerry
When: Wednesday, May 15^th, 4:45pm-6:15pm

Have questions about leveraging Unified Communications & Collaboration (UCC) tools in your organization? This is the session for you!  Join this session to ask our expert panel about managing BlackBerry® Mobile Voice System, BlackBerry® Enterprise Instant Messaging, Microsoft® SharePoint, BlackBerry® Work Drives and much more.

“We are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with BlackBerry as they continue to enhance their enterprise app offering,” said Yaacov Cohen, CEO of harmon.ie. “Users demand the same productive experience from their applications wherever they are, and on whatever device they are using. With these newest BlackBerry 10 smartphone apps, harmon.ie is targeting the busy information workers who want to actually ‘use’ their device and not just ‘bring’ it to work. Now, these workers can securely and efficiently access, edit and share documents from the cloud and collaborate in real-time in a social environment.”

Availability

The harmon.ie app for BlackBerry 10 is now available for download on BlackBerry World. More information about system requirements and features is posted here:. The app works with any current SharePoint credentials; no need to make any application changes and no server-side configuration is required.

About harmon.ie

harmon.ie, the user experience company for the mobile enterprise, delivers a consistent experience across multiple social and collaboration platforms from different vendors such as Microsoft, Yammer and IBM. Thousands of businesses including Citi, DuPont and BAE Systems use harmon.ie across mobile, desktop and cloud to evolve into more socially powered enterprises.  For more information, visit http://harmon.ie/.

BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third party products or services. All trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies.

Posted by Tim Newcomb for ©BerryReview | Press Release: harmon.ie Brings Native Office 365 Client To BB 10

Posted by Ricky Lakeit for ©BerryReview | BlackBerry Jam Keynote Live Blog

Thorsten Heins mentioned a few games during the keynote and I am glad to report some of them are now available. EA has released SimCity Deluxe for the BlackBerry Z10. Gameloft did not want to be outdone so they also released SimCity Deluxe. Sadly both are not available on the Q10 yet due to its screen aspect ratio but the Z10 is golden.

• Buy SimCity Deluxe for $2.99 in BlackBerry World
• Buy Modern Combat 4 for $0.99 in BlackBerry World

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview | Modern Combat 4 & SimCity Deluxe Released for the BlackBerry Z10