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BlackBerry 10 Phones Safe From ****-Dials Thanks To New App
Posted By: Aman Jain
Posted date: July 31, 2015 11:15:09 AM


BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) 10 handset users can now be assured of no more accidental or "****-dialed" calls with the PocketSafe app, says a report from Phone Arena. By making use of the proximity sensor in BlackBerry 10 handsets, the screen is turned off when the phone is close to a user�s ear to prevent accidental dialing and conserve battery life.

Why such an app is needed

In Cincinnati, a federal appeals court ruled that so-called "****-dialers" cannot claim full privacy because they are aware of the fact that keeping their phone in their back pockets may lead to a ****-dialed call. The court stated that there is no right to privacy in this situation. The court said that the case can be compared to a homeowner who keeps a window open allowing others to peep in, says Phone Arena. But now with the PocketSafe app, ****-dialers are safe.

When the PocketSafe app is activated on a BlackBerry 10 handset, it detects something that is in proximity with the phone, say, less than an inch from it. There is always a chance of accidental dialing or a nonsensical text message when something remains that close to the phone.

How the app works on BlackBerry 10 handsets

To restrict such dialing, the app will show a pop-up on the screen that will �consume� accidental touches. The accidental touches on the screen, instead of touching the dialer, will contact a decoy that does nothing. The app consumes very little battery, and with the battery-saving mode, the app is even more economical.

�PocketSafe shows a popup on screen to 'consume' false touch events, if ever they occur. As soon as your phone will get out of the close environment, the popup will disappear by itself, letting you use the device,� explains the developer.

PocketSafe is compatible with BlackBerry OS 10.3 and higher. The app has been developed by CellNinja, which previously has come up with apps like Silent Keys, ProtectMe, Volt, Hub2Watch and many more. Users can download the app for 99 cents. The cost is very minimal considering the pain it can save you from sending a wrong message to the wrong person.

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OT:

189.7 million people in America own a smartphone


By David H. Deans
31 July 2015, 10:10 a.m.



If you followed the evolution of the mobile communications sector, then you would notice that strategic blunders have humbled several large multinational companies - including dominant telecom system manufacturers, mobile handset makers and proprietary software vendors.

In all cases, companies once recognised as leaders in their respective field had to accept defeat. Most of the remaining industry players knew that their relative position in the mobile ecosystem was tentative and subject to ongoing change. That said, CEOs that believe their company is "to big to fail" is the folly that tends to be repeated, over and over again.

The absence of strategic foresight at Microsoft has led to a somewhat predictable result - a retreat from the battle for a sizable piece of the mobile marketplace, leading to an inevitable total surrender. It's an unfortunate outcome. However, there is still opportunity - even in the most saturated markets.

American mobile marketplace update

comScore has released data about the key trends in the U.S. smartphone industry for May 2015. Apple ranked as the top smartphone manufacturer with 43.5 percent OEM market share, while Google Android led as the number one smartphone platform with 52.1 percent platform market share.

Once again, Facebook ranked as the top individual smartphone software application, and Facebook Messenger has risen to the third most used app.

Smartphone OEM market share

189.7 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (76.8 percent mobile market penetration) during the three months ending in May. Apple ranked as the top OEM with 43.5 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers (up 1.8 percentage points from February).

Samsung ranked second with 28.7 percent market share (up 0.1 percentage points), followed by LG with 8.2 percent, Motorola with 4.9 percent and HTC with 3.5 percent.

Smartphone platform market share

Android ranked as the top smartphone platform in May with 52.1 percent market share, followed by Apple with 43.5 percent (up 1.8 percentage points from February), Microsoft with 3 percent, BlackBerry with 1.3 percent and Symbian with 0.1 percent.

Top smartphone software applications

Facebook ranked as the top smartphone software application, reaching 70.2 percent of the app audience, followed by YouTube (59.1 percent), Facebook Messenger (52.4 percent) and Google Play (52.1 percent).

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Intel expected to take hit on sale of Belfast tech firm
By Margaret Canning

Published
31/07/2015 | 09:04

Indian IT giant Persistent Systems is to buy Belfast tech firm Aepona Holdings from US chip giant Intel - which is selling on the business only two years after buying it for around �80m.
$600K Before He Turned 18

The sale by Intel, which had revenue of $13.2bn (�8.5bn) for the second quarter of the year, is expected to be finalised in six to eight weeks.

No figure has been disclosed for the deal - though it's understood to be for less than was paid for it.

An Intel statement said: "Intel has signed a definitive agreement to divest Aepona to Persistent Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Persistent Systems.

"Going forward, we expect to collaborate with Persistent and other third parties for the type of capabilities that Aepona offers...while we sharpen our focus on the internal development of software and services that differentiate our platforms for these segments."

Invest NI, a former shareholder in Aepona that sold on its shares after Intel's acquisition, refused to comment.

Aepona is based at The Soloist at Lanyon Place but also has offices in Sri Lanka, Dublin and the US. Its general manager Michael Black received an OBE last month for services to the Northern Ireland ICT industry. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.
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In an interview with Business Standard this week, Persistent Systems chief Anand Deshpande said it had a "nice formula for acquisition and we acquire them at a reasonable price".

Aepona was founded by Dublin entrepreneur Gilbert Little. In its time it attracted tens of millions of dollars in financial backing from the likes of BlackBerry and software giant SAP.

Aepona has its roots in a firm called Aldiscon, founded by Mr Little and Larry Quinn. The sale of Aepona was one of the largest-ever sales of a technology firm in Ireland, with Belfast becoming an Intel "service division centre of excellence for greater Europe and Asia/Pacific".

Speaking at the time, the then-Enterprise Minister said Aepona had become a "competitive and respected firm".

"It is no surprise therefore, that it has attracted the attention of one of the most well-known technology companies in the world."

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BlackBerry pursues Greatness: The sequel


30 Jul 2015 08:38 Arthur Goldstuck



BlackBerry may be yesterday's smartphone but at its annual Security Summit in New York, it was looking a lot like tomorrow’s mobile security leader.

John Chen steps out on the stage at the BlackBerry Security Summit in New York not vastly unlike Tom Cruise at the climax of a Mission Impossible movie. Truth is, he has already achieved a mission far more absurd than Cruise at his worst. He took over the running of BlackBerry 21 months ago, tasked with rescuing a company that had become an afterthought in the smartphone world.

The previous incumbent, Thorsten Heins, fell disastrously short through a strategy focused on fixing the hardware platform. He did a great job, technically speaking, getting the BB10 operating system out of the gates. Problem was, it took so long, the world lost interest. BlackBerry as a smartphone brand was so, like, 2011.

But Chen has already met his first goal, and one that many had assumed unlikely: he has brought the company back to operational profitability, with a few billion dollars spending money in the bank and taking business away from major competitors. But that’s not smartphone business.

BlackBerry remains a world leader in securing mobile communications and the only handset manufacturer that routinely receives military clearance for its devices to be used in the field. Its security software and platform extends well beyond its own devices, including a partnership with Samsung, and the underlying operating system for the “connected car” interface on new Ford vehicles.

Now Chen is embarking on the second mission; building the brand back to its former greatness.

“From day one I recognised the company had some greatness in pursuing privacy and security, and that this market was developing rapidly,” said the company’s chief executive and executive chairperson. “Last year we spent more than $100-million in creating more product for security. All our operational units are focused on that number one priority and principle. Then we want to acquire capabilities to fill in the gaps.”

It is a mark of the both the capability and confidence Chen has brought to the business that few would contradict his core message at the event: “BlackBerry has the most secure mobile platform the industry has to offer.”

And never has it been more needed. David Kleidermacher, BlackBerry’s chief security officer, explained how the advent of the Internet of Things is opening numerous backdoors into enterprises and critical systems.

He gave the example of smart hospitals, which not only aim at making access and updates of patient records smarter through the use of handsets, but can also automate many medical processes, like administering drugs.

At this point, the BlackBerry team demonstrated how a malicious hacker could easily gain access to the controls of a standard drug infusion device. The device is linked to the hospital network either through a network port or via wi-fi. Its IP address – a unique identifier that all Internet-connected devices have – is published in the device manual for all to see. In most cases, there is no password protection and the security configuration is usually not up to date.

As a result, basic hacking tools can expose all the information on the device. Not only can this allow for the hacker to change the dosage and kill a patient, but also potentially access other hospital systems through following the links up the chain.

“We are creating additional surfaces of attack,” said Kleidermacher. “These become the soft underbelly of corporate access. One of the problems with security is, if it is too complicated, it gets circumvented or ignored.”

Ironically, then, precisely because we are adding more complexity to our security world, enterprises are losing the security battle.

BlackBerry’s solution, outlined at the Security Summit, is based on five principles: an end-to-end solution; a priority on productivity for both users and administrators; security at the heart of the network; a data-centric approach which means protection moves with the data; and a proactive approach that prevents vulnerabilities rather than patches them after the fact.

Not surprisingly, BlackBerry is pushing hard on the first of those principles, which corporate strategy vice-president Jeff Holleran summed up as “a single solutions track from single trusted vendor”. However, he put this thrust neatly in context by describing BlackBerry’s role of intrusion detection and handling access requests as “acting as the bouncer in the sky”.

That may be convincing for customers who experience the benefits, but can BlackBerry convince the broader market that it’s in a position to provide protection in a rapidly evolving mobile environment?

For chief operating officer Marty Beard it isn’t a question of if, but why the company wins this particular battle: “We’re not aspirational about getting into this world; we’re in it. We’ve got deep decades of expertise in managing devices. The world of sensors and machines will not be a surprise.”

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Cash rich company buys WatchDox

BlackBerry's incredible WatchDox acquisiton secured almost 170 employees and vaulting products simply further bolster the raison d'tre.



Founded six and half years ago, WatchDox counts private-equity giant Blackstone Group L.P., Nike Inc., the well- known running shoe maker, and the California Department of State Hospitals among its customers. It won�t say if it generates a profit.

The deal gives WatchDox access to BlackBerry�s 160 carrier partners to help its boost sales of its file security technology.

�BlackBerry can really help us accelerate our reach into markets,� Moti Rafalin, WatchDox�s chief executive and founder, said in a telephone interview.

WatchDox also operates a research and development center in Petah Tikva, Israel, where slightly more than half of its 85 employees work. Israel is a well-known technology center for security and BlackBerry hopes the R&D center will allow it to take advantage of this opportunity.

The WatchDox acquisition �is the best way to get to that market and to get access to the talent,� BlackBerry�s Mr. Mackey said.

[BACK-2-BLACK]

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BlackBerry 10 Phones Safe From ****-Dials Thanks To New App
Posted By: Aman Jain
Posted date: July 31, 2015 11:15:09 AM


BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) 10 handset users can now be assured of no more accidental or "****-dialed" calls with the PocketSafe app, says a report from Phone Arena. By making use of the proximity sensor in BlackBerry 10 handsets, the screen is turned off when the phone is close to a user�s ear to prevent accidental dialing and conserve battery life.

Why such an app is needed

In Cincinnati, a federal appeals court ruled that so-called "****-dialers" cannot claim full privacy because they are aware of the fact that keeping their phone in their back pockets may lead to a ****-dialed call. The court stated that there is no right to privacy in this situation. The court said that the case can be compared to a homeowner who keeps a window open allowing others to peep in, says Phone Arena. But now with the PocketSafe app, ****-dialers are safe.

When the PocketSafe app is activated on a BlackBerry 10 handset, it detects something that is in proximity with the phone, say, less than an inch from it. There is always a chance of accidental dialing or a nonsensical text message when something remains that close to the phone.

How the app works on BlackBerry 10 handsets

To restrict such dialing, the app will show a pop-up on the screen that will �consume� accidental touches. The accidental touches on the screen, instead of touching the dialer, will contact a decoy that does nothing. The app consumes very little battery, and with the battery-saving mode, the app is even more economical.

�PocketSafe shows a popup on screen to 'consume' false touch events, if ever they occur. As soon as your phone will get out of the close environment, the popup will disappear by itself, letting you use the device,� explains the developer.

PocketSafe is compatible with BlackBerry OS 10.3 and higher. The app has been developed by CellNinja, which previously has come up with apps like Silent Keys, ProtectMe, Volt, Hub2Watch and many more. Users can download the app for 99 cents. The cost is very minimal considering the pain it can save you from sending a wrong message to the wrong person.

The app is currently available for all BlackBerry 10 smartphones and costs $0.99. However, you can get yourself a free copy with a promo until August 1st, 2015. Follow the instructions below to get a free copy.

Open up BlackBerry World
Swipe down from the top and tap Redeem
Enter promo code POCKETSAFEFREE
Tap the green FREE icon

[zyben]

Happy long weekend to our Canadian friends, and happy weekend to BlackBerry lovers everywhere!

[bungaboy]

.

OT:

189.7 million people in America own a smartphone


By David H. Deans
31 July 2015, 10:10 a.m.

snip . . . Top smartphone software applications

Facebook ranked as the top smartphone software application, reaching 70.2 percent of the app audience, followed by YouTube (59.1 percent), Facebook Messenger (52.4 percent) and Google Play (52.1 percent).[/I]

OT: Would like to see their rankings by Data Mining and Sales of Personal Usage and Information.

[Corbu]

OT:
Glimmers Emerge on Apple Watch Sales, and They?re Not Pretty - Digits - WSJ

[Shanerredflag]

OT:
Have a great, safe and wonderful long weekend one and all.

Classically Posted.

[BACK-2-BLACK]

OT: Would like to see their rankings by Data Mining and Sales of Personal Usage and Information.

Tell me about it !!


Side note, 2/3 of the American population has a smartphone...

but lets look at the population in the 2100... areas where BB seems to be planting their seeds now...

estimated 10.5 billion

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-file...ations_WEB.pdf

[BACK-2-BLACK]

The app is currently available for all BlackBerry 10 smartphones and costs $0.99. However, you can get yourself a free copy with a promo until August 1st, 2015. Follow the instructions below to get a free copy.

Open up BlackBerry World
Swipe down from the top and tap Redeem
Enter promo code POCKETSAFEFREE
Tap the green FREE icon

Happy long weekend to our Canadian friends, and happy weekend to BlackBerry lovers everywhere!

Zyben !!

I post about an app to prevent Pocket Dialing.....and then you follow up with that ...

counter productive I would say.... !!



well...so much for that app !

LOL

[b121]

Market Cap is not the same as a selling price... if it were, BlackBerry could be had for only $4 Billion... and even I think it's worth much more than that.

And unless MobileIron had some technology that BlackBerry wanted... just buying customers wouldn't be a good use of that amount of cash.

I agree a buy out would require a premium, but still could be worth it.

They have some tech, but I'm not sure buying the customers wouldn't be enough on its own. If the segments are right, it potentially opens up cross sell & up sell too (as well as harmonize the offerings).



Posted via CB10

[BanffMoose]

Market Cap is not the same as a selling price... if it were, BlackBerry could be had for only $4 Billion... and even I think it's worth much more than that.

And unless MobileIron had some technology that BlackBerry wanted... just buying customers wouldn't be a good use of that amount of cash.

Not just buying customers. It's sending a message.

A successful takeover of MOBL would be a reminder to Wall Street who is the leader in the EMM field. It'll send a message to Gartner that they should start showing some respect to BlackBerry, because a Gartner "niche" player takes out a "market leader." It's a big FU to Faucette and Morgan Stanley that their pet just got had. It's a "welcome back" to all the financial institutions and hospitals that chose MOBL for their "secure" BYOD programs only to have their EMM platform EOL'd sooner than they anticipated. It'll leave Good Tech in a worse position since they will be the only major independent EMM provider other than BlackBerry, and the only one that isn�t a public company. Good would become smaller in the industry and probably start bleeding cash faster and may never go public unless they too got bought out. And lastly, Chen can put Tinker in his place...jobless.

Posted via CB10

[Shanerredflag]

OT: Windoze 10 security concern.
http://www.scmagazine.com/wi-fi-sens...rticle/429703/

Classically Posted.

[b121]

Not just buying customers. It's sending a message.

A successful takeover of MOBL would be a reminder to Wall Street who is the leader in the EMM field. It'll send a message to Gartner that they should start showing some respect to BlackBerry, because a Gartner "niche" player takes out a "market leader." It's a big FU to Faucette and Morgan Stanley that their pet just got had. It's a "welcome back" to all the financial institutions and hospitals that chose MOBL for their "secure" BYOD programs only to have their EMM platform EOL'd sooner than they anticipated. It'll leave Good Tech in a worse position since they will be the only major independent EMM provider other than BlackBerry, and the only one that isn�t a public company. Good would become smaller in the industry and probably start bleeding cash faster and may never go public unless they too got bought out. And lastly, Chen can put Tinker in his place...jobless.

Posted via CB10

Well said. I think there is a lot of merit to this.

Posted via CB10

[kfh227]

We can wait to buy MOBL. Just wait for bankruptcy. Get the customers for nothing.

Posted via CB10

[Shanerredflag]

We can wait to buy MOBL. Just wait for bankruptcy. Get the customers for nothing.

Posted via CB10

Kind of a "sum of the parts" argument...lol.

Classically Posted.

[bspence87]

We can wait to buy MOBL. Just wait for bankruptcy. Get the customers for nothing.

Posted via CB10

I agree. Steal as many customers as you can for free first, lower the value of MobileIron and get them for cheap.

A buyout right now is still too much of a victory for MobileIron. Let them feel the crunch that BlackBerry investors have, because of their lies. I want Faucette to be standing there, scratching his head as BlackBerry picks up the pieces of his little precious.

[bspence87]

OT: Security related

Secret document obtained by NBC shows all of the Chinese cyber-attacks on the US.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...argets-n401211

Some terrifying tidbits in there:

"And the prizes that China pilfered during its "intrusions" included everything from specifications for hybrid cars to formulas for pharmaceutical products to details about U.S. military and civilian air traffic control systems"

"The briefing highlighted China's interest in Google and defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, and in air traffic control systems"

[bspence87]

Happy long weekend to our Canadian friends, and happy weekend to BlackBerry lovers everywhere!

You have a lot of very attractive friends.

[bungaboy]

OT: Kinda Sorta

[theRock1975]

A response to Blackberry's patient security demo?

FDA Issues Warnings To Hospitals Over Hackable Drug Infusion Pumps

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities of Hospira Symbiq Infusion System: FDA Safety Communication

[bungaboy]

Not sure if this was posted before.

BlackBerry Leap is “Like Having a Personal Assistant” says this CEO, Apprentice Winner and Ex-Professional Wrestler

BlackBerry Leap is ?Like Having a Personal Assistant? says this CEO, Apprentice Winner and Ex-Professional Wrestler | Inside BlackBerry

The BlackBerry Leap love just keeps coming in. Last week, we heard from this UK cosmetic doctor who runs her practice with her BlackBerry Leap. And who can forget the praise of these customers and reviewers?

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Ricky Martin, 29-year-old CEO of London-based technology recruiting firm, Hyper Recruitment Solutions. UK readers may recognize this biochemist and former professional wrestler from the 2012 UK Apprentice finale – *spoiler* he wins the �250,000 first prize. Martin says he can’t manage his growing business without his personal assistant – his BlackBerry Leap.

"Running my own business, there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done, so I need all the tools I can get to help enhance my productivity and to help get things done quickly and efficiently.

Using the BlackBerry Leap has been a bit like having my very own personal assistant in my pocket – it enables me to work on the go. Working in recruitment, I am regularly away from my desk for meetings, and having an efficient smartphone that means I can keep up to date most definitely takes the strain off.

Since starting the business in 2012, we have rapidly grown to a multi-disciplinary recruitment consultancy with a number of employees. Therefore, it is more essential than ever that I be in constant communication with my team to make sure that Hyper Recruitment Solutions is continually performing and growing.

My day always begins in the same way – I wake up and look at my smart phone. For me, that flashing red light is something I can never resist, so I read any emails I’ve received overnight, as well as checking my Twitter for latest news and updates. I find the BlackBerry Hub a great feature for keeping on top of emails, social media and messages all in one place as it enables me to read, file and reply more efficiently.

One of the biggest issues I have found with smartphones in recent years is that, the more functionality the device has, the more the battery life suffers – it seems like few phones are built to manage the sheer quantity of apps and functions now available. The BlackBerry Leap however seems to be the exception to this rule. I have been really impressed with its battery life – after a day of emails, meetings, constant phone calls and internet browsing, it is still going strong, which is an a huge advantage for me, as it means I am not having to rush to the nearest power socket to recharge. Therefore meaning I never let my customers down and in turn not let down Hyper Recruitment Solutions’ reputation in quality and professionalism.

The Leap, despite not having one of BlackBerry’s infamous QWERTY keyboards, does have a really good typing experience. I have been really impressed by the intuitive keyboard, which makes writing emails a seamless task and the next-word suggestions are really accurate, with the device learning my frequently used phrases and words, making me more productive on email than ever.

The Leap is also a really slick device when it comes to the photo and video quality. It has a great HD screen that makes it perfect for watching videos online, taking photos and makes reading documents on the go much clearer and easier too.

Hyper Recruitment Solutions is a specialist talent provider of professionals across the science and technology industries. Supporting such innovative sectors means I do need the technology to keep up to date with these companies, and using this phone gives me just that.

All in all, the Leap has proven to be a really handy tool for me to keep my business moving whilst I am on the go. It has enabled me to be efficient outside of the office and I am keen to keep exploring the many features it offers – when I find the time!"

[Shanerredflag]

Thx brother.



Classically Posted.