[bungaboy]

Most of the BlackBerry users here are guys lighting up houses. . It's a demographic for sure albeit a smaller one when compared to legit biz in TO.

Posted with my gorgeous Z30

No. Same types. Just in Toronto they wear suits and ties. LoL

[bungaboy]

Article from Calgary Herald today.

Internet connected 'things' worth billions to Canada

By Lee Rickwood, WhatsYourTech.ca June 10, 2014 1:30 PM

Internet connected 'things' worth billions to Canada

These ‘things’ will be worth trillions of dollars – as much as $500 billion in Canada alone.
They include machines, devices, gadgets, livestock and people - almost anything that is connected by the Internet.

The tech market is exploding with products and solutions designed to power the ‘Internet of Things’, be they smart TVs, empty refrigerators, hungry cattle, bottled medication that needs to be taken or city streets that need illuminating.

Right now, there are more than 10 billion things connected to the Internet. The tech giant Cisco predicts that by 2020, the number will grow to 50 billion!

These things are in our homes, at our work, in our cars or worn on our clothing.

They all have some kind of embedded sensor technology that connects them to the Internet, and allows them to report on their operational and environmental status by sending detailed data back to an online home location or reporting hub for analysis and action.

That data is seen as a gold mine, in terms of being able to improve customer service, enhance product performance, analyze market trends more accurately and deliver needed services when and where necessary.

Cisco believes the value of the Internet of Things to be some $19 trillion over the next decade - including some $500 billion in Canada alone.

That’s one reason why the company has opened a new tech centre in this country (one of just four worldwide), where connected technologies and supportive infrastructure will be developed.

Home-grown tech company BlackBerry wants to solidify its connection to the IoT, too, so it has launched Project Ion – actually a series of projects and partnerships for building secure, connected devices.

The company has long focused on enterprise security and data privacy, and its expertise in working with physical devices is an added advantage when developing other connected things.

BlackBerry is already thinking about some of the risks involved with sharing data, and it is developing software intelligence that understands what information to give up and to whom.

"Billions of connections, generating trillions of transactions and exabytes of data daily, will require platforms that can operate securely on a global scale,” BlackBerry CEO John Chen said as he announced Ion.

The Internet of Things presents great potential for product users and service providers, but also to those who seek to benefit from it in more illicit ways.

"Obviously, there are lots of benefits of connected devices, but there can also be complications," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a non-profit research and advocacy group. "When you worry about computer viruses, you can unplug your computer. When your house gets a virus, where do you go to hide?"

Another thing to think about when thinking of the ‘Internet of Things’.

[bungaboy]

Here is the Financial Post's slant on the same data.

Is BlackBerry Ltd dead? Not in Toronto, new third-party sales data shows | Financial Post

iPhone 5s and Galaxy S4 were the top-selling phones in Canada over the past 6-months, BlackBerry popular in Toronto | MobileSyrup.com

iQmetrix Releases Sales Stats for Most Popular Mobile Phones in North America [INFOGRAPHIC] | iQmetrix
"VANCOUVER, BC ? June 9, 2014 ? iQmetrix, the leading provider of retail management software for the North American wireless industry, today released statistics on the phones sold in North America (U.S. and Canada) in the past six months (December 2013-May 2014).

iQmetrix sampled data from 15,000 store locations across North America, identifying interesting trends for the most popular mobile phone manufacturers in a variety of cities, and also for North America as a whole.

iQmetrix collects data from its RQ Retail Management system, utilized by independent wireless retailers across North America to process an estimated 14.5 million handset transactions each year. Information gathered from this substantial database provides a unique look into mobile phone, plan, add-on and accessory purchasing trends.

Key Findings (view full infographic below):

Apple and Samsung dominated sales across North America during the past six months. Cities with the highest percentage of Apple and Samsung sales were:
- New York City: 61.1% of shoppers purchased Apple phones.
- Philadelphia: 47.8% of shoppers purchased Apple phones.
- Spokane, Wash.: 46.1% of shoppers purchased Samsung phones.
- Seattle: 45.5% of shoppers purchased Samsung phones.
Of all the major cities in North America, Toronto had the highest percentage of BlackBerry phones purchased during the period, at 22.6% of total phones purchased.
Glendale, Ariz. had the highest percentage of LG phones (33%) and HTC phones (21%) purchased during the period.
Colorado Springs had the highest percentage of Nokia phones (7.2%) purchased.
Across North America, based on all phones sold via RQ during the past six months:
- Samsung: 39% of phones
- Apple: 28%
- BlackBerry: 6%
- LG: 5.4%
- HTC: 3.9%
- Motorola: 3.2%
- Huawei: 2.9%
- Sony: 1.9%
Overall, the top-selling phone models across Canada and the U.S. were:
1. iPhone 5s
2. Samsung Galaxy S4*
*Note: The Samsung Galaxy S5 was released on April 11, 2014, whereas the rival iPhone 5s was released on Sept. 20, 2013.
In Canada:
- Vancouver: Samsung (35%), Apple (22%), BlackBerry (9%), other (34%)
- Toronto: Samsung (33%), Apple (20%), BlackBerry (23%), other (23%)
- Montreal: Samsung (41%), Apple (20%), LG (16%), other (23%)"

Posted using Z30. Best of the best Smart phone in the world.

[rarsen]

OT but related:

Bank of Montreal ATM hacked with weak password | ZDNet

All this lack of security will eventually drive me to drink, getting closer and closer. Not that long ago it was Target's being easily hacked, on top of all the other multi$$$ financial losses and other fiascos, who is eventually paying for these?

[neteng1000]

Just seen this on TV. Found it on YouTube. At the 0:20 mark. Hilarious



Posted via CB10

[bungaboy]

Security

How iOS 8 will vastly expand Apple’s collection of your data

MATTHEW BRAGA
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Jun. 10 2014, 7:00 AM EDT
Last updated Monday, Jun. 09 2014, 3:11 PM EDT


How iOS 8 will vastly expand Apple�€™s collection of your data - The Globe and Mail

[Corbu]

OT but related:

All this lack of security will eventually drive me to drink, getting closer and closer.

[Bacon Munchers]

Most of the BlackBerry users here are guys lighting up houses. . It's a demographic for sure albeit a smaller one when compared to legit biz in TO.

Posted with my gorgeous Z30

Hey! Speak for yourself!

[Superfly_FR]

One wonders what the approach will be with the phones in the fall. Will BlackBerry go for a somewhat diluted blanket approach to marketing/selling the phones, or will they look to bombard key places like Toronto and London, UK, and let the buzz spread outwards from there?

Join the Cause @ BlackBerry Bootleg Marketing Channel - C003483F4

Until this year end, I don't expect any consumer marketing (or promotion). so yes, I believe they'll rely on the hype like you've mentionned in Key areas. I've been "evangelism" a trend leader here in France last week. He's a movie producer and was back from Hollywood. What he reported me (quoting discussions with several people in the movie industry) was interesting. When he put his BlackBerry (9320) on the table, most were reacting like this : "oh, yeah, you have a BlackBerry, seems to be the hype lately, like apple is now 'has been".
Take it with all the salt you need, but definitely seems to be a strong underlaying trend there.

[Superfly_FR]

Whatever they do, I'd be very disappointed if they price it wrong again (like they have a track record of doing). I'd like to see pricing like this (off contract, without subsidy prices)

High end qwerty (q30?): $500
High end touch (z30's successor): $475

and if you turn in your old BlackBerry (BlackBerry 7 device or any other device, even an iphone or galaxy), you get $200 off. So, high end qwerty for $300 and high end touch for $275

This exchange offer will allow them to keep higher MSRP officially and yet sell for lower price. Anyone can find a used phone - simply exchange that phone for BlackBerry 10 and get $200 off.

Posted via CB10

Sorry but no.
They cannot fight on the volume front and have to preserve a reasonable operational margin (SIM free devices).
I for one like and support the idea of a spectacular trade-in program but I'm affraid it's too early now.
IMHO we won't see anything similar (unless subsidized by carriers) for consumers before they are EPS positive ... i.e next calendar year, hopefully.

BUT, I expect spectacular bundles for enterprises signin in / trading to BES12 and the "classic".

"Focus on enterprises" : They won't change the plan anytime soon.

[Superfly_FR]

Yeah, I do agree that the new phones should overkill on the spec front. Some say it isn't necessary because unnecessary specs don't do much, but that isn't true: they sell phones. Anyway, let's give them a chance and see what they come up with i guess.

Join the Cause @ BlackBerry Bootleg Marketing Channel - C003483F4

IMHO, specs will improve but not in a spectacular proportion. In the enterprise world, you don't buy a Ferrari to go to the bakery. Acting otherwise than providing a proper TCO (durability/reliability) will do no good, neither for sales than image.

[Superfly_FR]

FTR : Pre-E.R mark.
Here are some "analyst estimates" as of today. Let's see how the E.R will go against them.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ae?s=BBRY+Analyst+Estimates

[Shanerredflag]

Just spreading a decent read:
http://www.technologyx.com/phones/bl...t-competition/

Posted via a Device with Z and a 30

[bungaboy]

Just spreading a decent read:
BlackBerry Z30 Review - Smartphone Without Competition | Technology X

Posted via a Device with Z and a 30

BlackBerry Z30 Review – Smartphone Without Competition

Thanks for posting this. Great article.

[Shanerredflag]

And, appears a 16 year old was behind the iPhone Australian hack:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/russian-hac...rested-1452186


Posted via a Device with Z and a 30

[bungaboy]

And which smartphone has the best virtual keyboard you ask?

Read here to find out.

SmartPhone Diaries – Keyboards | GlebeNerd

[Shanerredflag]

And which smartphone has the best virtual keyboard you ask?

Read here to find out.

SmartPhone Diaries � Keyboards | GlebeNerd

Well thought out article...loved this part:
Final Comments

When it comes to smart phone keyboards, be they physical or virtual, Blackberry wins hands down.� Its predictive text coupled with positioning the words just above the letter you would be about to type and using a flick up to choose the suggested words puts it ahead of all the others.� Also the text substitution feature is very usefull.

Posted via a Device with Z and a 30

[3_M4N]

http://seekingalpha.com/article/2263...?uprof=45&dr=1

Nice article. I liked that they mention that BB10 runs android apps now, but the article seemed to be unknowingly (or maybe knowingly) focused on the handset business and didn't mention anything about BES adoption, BBM sticker sales, QNX revenues/partnerships, or project Ion developments. Perhaps it's the handset reports that investors will be more interested in for the moment. I think media misses the bigger picture if they continually focus on just the one business unit though.

Posted while peeking and flowing on my incredible BBQ10! ?

[Shanerredflag]

http://seekingalpha.com/article/2263...?uprof=45&dr=1

Nice article. I liked that they mention that BB10 runs android apps now, but the article seemed to be unknowingly (or maybe knowingly) focused on the handset business and didn't mention anything about BES adoption, BBM sticker sales, QNX revenues/partnerships, or project Ion developments. Perhaps it's the handset reports that investors will be more interested in for the moment. I think media misses the bigger picture if they continually focus on just the one business unit though.

Posted while peeking and flowing on my incredible BBQ10! ?

Absolutely agree with you, I recently read somewhere that mass media focuses on old, stale (proven) catch words and phrases...hence the one dimensional mind set of many. The same article also stated that the trade press has a much broader, more balanced approach, in fact many applaud BlackBerry and it's new approach to innovation/OS/MDM and it's rebuilding initiative.

I remain in the "couple quarters away" camp....think there is still too much negative spin, spin doctors and nay sayer press. But...would love to see a bounce and hold on the stock price next week.

Posted via a Device with Z and a 30

[kfh227]

Hmm...not exactly. when a person walks into a shop to buy a laptop, but doesn't know much about laptops, they revert to common sense and begin weighing up the specs, which they may only have a vague grasp of, and the price, and of course they look at design. It's a perfectly rational thing to do in the circumstance, and the same goes for phones. In both cases, the person also likely speaks to a sales rep, who is looking to sell what sells, and also relies somewhat, if not entirely, on specs, price, and design.

To curse the 'masses' for being 'sheep' or fools or whatever is kind of silly. Not everyone has a passion for mobile technology. They want a phone and leave with the phone that ticks the right boxes - design, price, specs, coolness, etc. Asking or expecting customers to think too much is always dumb. You don't really want to be appealing to their 'thinking brain' primarily anyway. You want to appeal to their emotional brain, and that means keeping things simple, and being cool on top of it.

Design, price, and specs will matter far more than security unless something utterly huge happens to frighten people. Because the customer will still face some resistance from sales reps and the media, I think price needs to be the trigger.

If we've got great design and great specs and a high price, they are going to skip BlackBerry for not having native Instagram, or because the sales person says something negative. If we've got great design and great specs, and a lower price that compensates for the lack of key apps, and the uncertainty around the brand, people will be far more likely to go for the BlackBerry, especially if they know they can get a lot of the Android apps running on it anyway.

Next time around, BlackBerry can price the devices high, with great design and specs, but this time around they need to prioritise selling the phones and breaking the back of the 'failure story'. Market share will bring the apps, the news will be more rosy, enterprise folks won't have any doubt that BlackBerry is alive and well, and that their staff actually want the phones, and all will be happy in BlackBerryland.

Join the Cause @ BlackBerry Bootleg Marketing Channel - C003483F4

Ya, but most people go in intending to buy a windows laptop or apple product.

Posted via CB10

[leafs123]

Well thought out article...loved this part:
Final Comments

When it comes to smart phone keyboards, be they physical or virtual, Blackberry wins hands down.� Its predictive text coupled with positioning the words just above the letter you would be about to type and using a flick up to choose the suggested words puts it ahead of all the others.� Also the text substitution feature is very usefull.

Posted via a Device with Z and a 30

BB needs to start offering some of its features/apps cross-platform as well. Keyboard one, on Android and now iOS....I would pay $3-4 for it. BB Travel is another. Get these apps out to the users, get numbers and create a mini cross-platform app ecosystem. I recall Chen mentioning something in relation to offering BB specific stuff to other platforms.

[morganplus8]

BB needs to start offering some of its features/apps cross-platform as well. Keyboard one, on Android and now iOS....I would pay $3-4 for it. BB Travel is another. Get these apps out to the users, get numbers and create a mini cross-platform app ecosystem. I recall Chen mentioning something in relation to offering BB specific stuff to other platforms.

That's a very good idea, I never thought of them offering their keyboard to other platforms. It is a killer piece of engineering and I could imagine a very large number of iPhone users as well as Android junkies downloading that solution. BlackBerry has one thing that none of the competition has, that is the ability to turn things over/around fast. Apple takes forever to launch an iOS update and often it is an extension of their 2009 technology. BlackBerry can make a ton of money bringing Apple into the present.

[leafs123]

That's a very good idea, I never thought of them offering their keyboard to other platforms. It is a killer piece of engineering and I could imagine a very large number of iPhone users as well as Android junkies downloading that solution. BlackBerry has one thing that none of the competition has, that is the ability to turn things over/around fast. Apple takes forever to launch an iOS update and often it is an extension of their 2009 technology. BlackBerry can make a ton of money bringing Apple into the present.

I miss the BB10 keyboard greatly on Android. I currently have Swiftkey which I purchased but it is still not on par. Also, with Apple opening up custom keyboards, there is a big opportunity there. The BB10 keyboard is easily the best and most fluid one out there.

[Shanerredflag]

Agree, and agree ^^^


Perhaps bundle into an incentive for large BES12 migrations and make salable for general public....why not, could only help.

Posted via a Device with Z and a 30

[jake simmons3]

That's a very good idea, I never thought of them offering their keyboard to other platforms. It is a killer piece of engineering and I could imagine a very large number of iPhone users as well as Android junkies downloading that solution. BlackBerry has one thing that none of the competition has, that is the ability to turn things over/around fast. Apple takes forever to launch an iOS update and often it is an extension of their 2009 technology. BlackBerry can make a ton of money bringing Apple into the present.

I dont think they should offer there keyboard as an app. It is one of the major selling points for bb10 i think the money lost due to decreased handset sales would far out weigh the money made from selling a dollar or 2 app to even 100 million users

Apple has done a great job of keeping there features apple specific. You want to make it as hard as possible on the user to switch from your platform not the easiest. We need unique features to draw in new users and keep the existing ones.

The only way that idea would make financial sense for blackberry is if they were going to key log there keyboard app and selling that information to a 3rd party and well i think we can all agree that wont happen