[Corbu]

10 million fans!

"To celebrate reaching 10 million fans across all @MercedesAMGF1 social channels, we want to celebrate with a huge prize giveaway!"

https://www.mercedesamgf1competition.com/

[smart548]

QNX is like the first,important,big layer. And it has demonstrated to be "secure". Of course, if you put other non secure layers upon it, it is not guaranteed QNX is able to 'guard them' too..

Posted via CB10

[smart548]

I cannot remember if that has been linked already:


If you haven't seen it, you should. It's awesome! I truly believe that when Uncle Chen will find the money for big advertising again, BB should focus their ads on something like that ;-)

Posted via CB10

[sidhuk]

QNX is like the first,important,big layer. And it has demonstrated to be "secure". Of course, if you put other non secure layers upon it, it is not guaranteed QNX is able to 'guard them' too..

Posted via CB10

And that's the whole point. Let BlackBerry work and control rest of the layers. That's why BlackBerry manufacturing their own phone and bb10 is important. Being able to control end to end.
Like bb10?
I never understood what is bb10?
There must be something about QNX that locked systems like nuclear plants use QNX. Otherwise they could use anything else.
Wait. QNX is kernel? Then there is operating system etc.

Posted via CB10

[La Emperor]

And that's the whole point. Let BlackBerry work and control rest of the layers. That's why BlackBerry manufacturing their own phone and bb10 is important. Being able to control end to end.
Like bb10?
I never understood what is bb10?
There must be something about QNX that locked systems like nuclear plants use QNX. Otherwise they could use anything else.
Wait. QNX is kernel? Then there is operating system etc.

Posted via CB10

I actually love that the article from SA continues to gather much attention that it will eventually blows up on the author's face. Been following it and from the looks of it, some backpedaling is going on...

I see some comments are getting deleted and statements like "I never......." coming from some usual bashers.

Personally, I believe that author in particular has gone far too long bashing BBRY with half truths, which is something you would consider slander in other countries. I hope BBRY's chief counsel pens him a case.

[sidhuk]

I actually love that the article from SA continues to gather much attention that it will eventually blows up on the author's face. Been following it and from the looks of it, some backpedaling is going on...

I see some comments are getting deleted and statements like "I never......." coming from some usual bashers.

Personally, I believe that author in particular has gone far too long bashing BBRY with half truths, which is something you would consider slander in other countries. I hope BBRY's chief counsel pens him a case.

the author does have few memberships on this site and this thread. Me think

[smart548]

What the...Wow!!

http://blogs.blackberry.com/2015/08/...a-with-paypal/

Posted via CB10

[bungaboy]

What the...Wow!!

Send and Receive Money with PayPal through BBM ? Q&A with PayPal | Inside BlackBerry

Posted via CB10

Great stuff!

[theRock1975]

Man, I never understood why people pile on Blackberry so much. This company is so awesome.

Transferring money by IM is a such a massive convenience for me.

This news didn't just make my day, it made my month.

Posted via CB10

[audio_Rx]

Wow. So every time I put money into my trading account the stock price jumps. Last time I put money in MS upgraded their position smh

Posted via CB10

[bspence87]

Wow. So every time I put money into my trading account the stock price jumps. Last time I put money in MS upgraded their position smh

Posted via CB10

Just keep buying and then putting more money in everyday. The share price keeps going up, everybody wins!

[rarsen]

OT from the Related Technologies and Security files. Is it possible that people are starting just a we bit to realize the implications of considering having sufficient protection not done right. Not using proven available robust security business tools, can be very scary even ruining some and that has already started. Maybe need a few more blatant examples (numerous previous occurrences didn't provide sufficient pain yet) to seriously change extremely na�ve wishful thinking...


Lax IoT security: Smart TVs and wearables are paving the way for massive privacy breaches | ZDNet
Hackers charged after pocketing $100m from stolen material | ZDNet
BlackBerry's Next Move: Securing IoT | ZDNet

[BanffMoose]

OT: Didn't someone here talk about wanting to take their Passport on runs?

If so, I found an Amphipod running belt that will do the job and then some. Check out the thread at:

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...sport-1033432/

Posted via CB10

[Corbu]

OT:
Apple
With iPad Sales Falling, Apple Pushes Into Businesses - WSJ

With iPad Sales Falling, Apple Pushes Into Businesses
Tech giant is working with more than 40 companies to make the iPad a more appealing work tool

Apple Inc., grappling with swooning sales of the once-blockbuster iPad and sensing an opening in the changing ways of work, is making its broadest assault to date on business computing.

The technology giant is working with more than 40 technology companies�many of them little-known makers of apps for accounting or sales presentations�to make the iPad a more appealing work tool.

The initiative is a bet that Apple, which has never been a big player in the $2 trillion annual spending on workplace technology, can grab a bigger slice of the market by reshaping the nature of work in mobile-friendly settings�where Apple has an edge.

Along the way, Apple is doing unnatural acts for a company that traditionally has charted its own path in the consumer market, without much help from others. Apple is inviting officials from accounting firm Xero Ltd. and other partners in the business-app program to train Apple business specialists. Apple invited some of its allies to present at an Apple sales conference in March in Huntington Beach, Calif., an event that is typically closed to outsiders, said people familiar with the program.

Apple reviews its partners� apps and offers detailed suggestions, down to which words should be shaded in gray, according to meeting participants. Thanks to the partnership, an Apple ally got the company on the phone with an iPad business customer that had never heard from an Apple representative. And Apple has played match maker by encouraging makers of complementary programs such as employee scheduling software and digital cash register systems to create interconnected apps.

Apple first disclosed the business-app alliance in an April call with investors, but it has given few details. Elements of Apple�s strategy were described by more than a dozen people familiar with the project.

Some program details are unclear even to participants, reflecting Apple�s penchant for secrecy. Officials at some partners say they�re not sure of their role in selling apps and don�t know the identities of all the other partners.

The initiative has been referred to as the �mobility partner program,� or MPP, but Apple has discouraged partners from using that name publicly, said some people familiar with the program.

These companies �are developing iOS solutions across industries that will empower employees and usher in a new era of productivity,� an Apple spokesman said.

The efforts are paying off with small business customers like Kelly Barker. In June, she popped into an Apple store in Dallas with a question about using a Mac laptop for her skin-care company. An Apple employee invited Mrs. Barker to a workshop where three software companies pitched a dozen small retailers on running their operations with Apple devices.

There, Apple representatives helped talk Mrs. Barker through replacing her clunky accounting system with apps that work on iPads and iPhones.

Mrs. Barker�s PREP Cosmetics LLC switched to accounting software from Xero, which participated in the workshop. She plans to buy digital-cash-register technology from Vend Ltd., another partner from the workshop.

Mrs. Barker was surprised by how the world�s most valuable company catered to a four-person business. �They really were genuinely interested in my business and in helping me grow,� she said.

The corporate-computing path isn�t without risks. Rivals including Microsoft Corp., Google Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. also are building business-friendly features and courting app developers. Apple doesn�t have the same culture or extensive sales networks of workplace-technology incumbents.

Apple needs business buyers to reverse a sharp slide in iPad sales, which have fallen for six straight quarters. Revenue from iPads declined 24% in the nine months ended June 27, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Business sales have been a bright spot in the sagging tablet market. Forrester Research estimates 20% of tablets used globally in 2018 will be owned by businesses, up from 12% in 2014. Apple also has been going after business customers with a year-old partnership with International Business Machines Corp. to jointly create custom iPad apps.

Long-term, Apple hopes to sell bundles of applications tailored to industries or business functions, such as retailers or accounting services, said people familiar with the project. Apple also has discussed tapping mobile-phone carriers, including AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., to help sell apps and Apple devices to businesses, said some of the people familiar with Apple�s initiative.

The idea is �to come in and offer a curated set of solutions that have been blessed and work together,� said James Maiocco, Xero�s general manager of corporate and business development. �Don�t tell me to just go to the App Store.�

It�s not immediately clear how the participating companies and Apple would sell the business-app bundles, or whether they would share revenue from software sales.

Participants in the program�some of which Apple hasn�t disclosed�include field-service software firm ServiceMax Inc., digital-cash-register company Revel Systems; mobile-security companies MobileIron Inc. and VMware Inc.�s AirWatch; and ScrollMotion Inc. and Showpad NV, which each makes apps for mobile-friendly sales presentations.

Michael Kapil, owner of Toronto restaurant Bindia bought three iPads after Apple partner Moneris Solutions Corp. invited him to a May seminar for restaurateurs. Bindia servers now use Moneris and digital-cash-register service TouchBistro on the tablets, allowing cooks and bartenders to prep dishes and drinks more quickly.

�I was really impressed with the whole experience,� said Mr. Kapil.

Mrs. Barker, the PREP Cosmetics co-founder, said her business already is benefiting from Apple�s initiatives. The new accounting software automates many tasks, so she no longer brings in a bookkeeper every Thursday evening to input paper receipts.

�Instead of worrying about the technology piece, or the accounting, we can focus on the strategy,� Mrs. Barker said.

[Shanerredflag]

OT...not so good for GOOD:
http://www.rightrelevance.com/search...5&query=mobile security&taccount=mobilesecurr


Classically Posted.

[q649]

UTB Blogs - Video of BBM with PayPal in Action!

[video]https://youtu.be/IEJEyjaiu30[/url]

Not too fond of this example transaction. $0.33 fee = 33% !

[theRock1975]

Not too fond of this example transaction. $0.33 fee = 33% !

From a commenter:

A follower commented on the channel that if you connect PayPal to your credit card, PayPal charges 2.9% + $0.33 transaction fee. Apparently if it is connected to your bank account the transaction is free.

Posted via CB10

[Corbu]

OT:
HTC
HTC to Cut Jobs Amid Crowded Smartphone Market - WSJ

HTC to Cut Jobs Amid Crowded Smartphone Market
Taiwanese smartphone maker sets its sights beyond smartphones in latest restructuring

HONG KONG—Smartphone maker HTC Corp. said Thursday it plans to cut 15% of its workforce and slash operating expenses by more than a third, as the company has been struggling to attract customers in a maturing smartphone market.

The company’s latest restructuring efforts come after HTC forecast last week a net loss for the third quarter on sluggish demand and weak sales in China. Once the world’s top smartphone maker by volume, HTC in 2013 dropped out of the top 10 largest handset vendors by shipments. The Taiwanese company has in just a few years seen its global market share dwindle to less than 2% from double digits previously.

HTC said it will cut about 2,250 people by the end of this year as part of its plan to reduce operating expenses by 35%.

The company will also form new business units to focus on growing its key areas of premium smartphones, virtual reality and connected lifestyle products, HTC said in statement.

HTC was once a top Android smartphone maker, but its market share has shrunk significantly in recent years amid intensifying competition from Samsung Electronics Co. and Chinese smartphone makers including Xiaomi Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co.

Chairwoman Cher Wang, who returned to day-to-day operations last year and who has been doubling as chief executive since late March, had said the company is “moving beyond the smartphone business.” It recently introduced a fitness band and a virtual-reality device.

[rarsen]

More information on the Related Technologies and Security files:

32 hackers, traders charged for cashing in on stolen press releases | ZDNet

"Grasping the feel of a market, what analysts have to say on company players and keeping tabs on stock changes and acquisitions can benefit an investor on the stock market. However, as in any industry, there are some that try to fiddle the odds. Some use insider knowledge to make strategic investments in companies due to be acquired by others, for example, and watch as share prices soar -- or jump ship before a disaster is made public and sends prices plummeting.

These practices are heavily frowned upon and generally illegal, but over 30 people have gone a step further in fraudulent insider trading -- by allegedly making use press releases stolen in cyberattacks before their public release date.

In a SEC filing on Tuesday, US prosecutors said 32 individuals have been charged based on an insider trading scheme which allegedly generated over $100 million in illegal profits."

[Shanerredflag]

And, along the same vein...It's becoming very clear more has to be done with dongles and smart devices in vehicles, Another Hack:
http://m.fastcompany.com/3049727/fas...-text-messages

Classically Posted.

[BACK-2-BLACK]

.

BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) CEO Stays Strong on Hardware, Joins NCSA

BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) CEO Stays Strong on Hardware, Joins NCSA

August 12, 2015 By Victor Alagbe

BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), (TSE:BB) is making great strides in its pivot to software as it remains a leader in the mobile security space. News has it that BlackBerry has joined the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), which is a non-profit public-private body that concerns itself with a mission to promote online safety and security.

The firm says, �we�re reinforcing our commitment to keep data secure and information private by announcing that we�ve joined the (NCSA) in the United States�. The NCSA includes players from financial services, media and the tech sector.

he U.S. Department of Homeland Security is also a key player in the NCSA. The firm says its, � have been doing mobile security longer and better than anyone else, and we�re at the forefront of making sure that data remains secure as new threats�.

CEO John Chen looks at BlackBerry change

BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY), (TSE:BB) CEO, John Chen was on FoxBusiness.com in an interview where he discussed the firm�s software pivot, its approach to security and its turnaround plans.

John Chen was asked about the Blackberry change to software as it related to its consumer business. He said that the firm is trying to bridge the gap between the enterprise and broader users. He believes that the firm is doing what it knows how to do in keeping mobile secure and private.

[BACK-2-BLACK]

OT>

Mideast hackers target U.S. gas pumps | Washington Examiner

Mideast hackers target U.S. gas pumps

By John Siciliano � 8/12/15 12:01 AM

Hackers from Syria and Iran are on the prowl to hold a neighborhood or city's gasoline supply up for ransom, or, worse, cause it to spill and explode, with Washington being high on the target list, according to a new report.

The report, issued over the weekend by a group of digital security sleuths, found that a number of groups, including the notorious Syrian Electronic Army � known for hacking news groups � are looking for soft targets they can take control of easily through the Internet, and use to cause a variety of mayhem.

The report shows that retail gasoline stations offer such opportunities, with recent targets showing up in the nation's capital.

The cybersecurity company Trend Micro compiled its attempts to lure would-be hackers out into the open with digital honeypots, or in this case "GasPots," to see how bad actors conduct "reconnaissance" and sabotage over the web.

[BACK-2-BLACK]

Cisco CEO: Cybersecurity acquisitions are coming

Cisco CEO: Cybersecurity acquisitions are coming

Abigail Stevenson | @A_StevensonCNBC
15 Hours Ago

Networking giant Cisco Systems reported its first quarter with CEO Chuck Robbins at the helm, since the retirement of long-time CEO John Chambers. And while the stock has been stalled recently, Jim Cramer thinks that the company is moving in the right direction.

"After looking over Cisco's results today, it seems that the company's strategy is working, and Chuck Robbins is clearly able to execute, delivering a strong quarter right out of the gate," the "Mad Money" host said.

Cisco reported a 3-cent earnings beat from a 56-cent basis, with higher-than-expected revenues and strong guidance for the next quarter. The company continues to move into high-growth areas such as cybersecurity and the Internet of things, while removing itself from low-margin businesses such as their set-top-box division, which it sold for about $600 million in July.

To find out what could be in the pipeline for Cisco, Cramer spoke with Robbins.

The new CEO stated that he sees a strong future ahead in the area of cybersecurity, an area that Cramer considers to be the fastest growing group of any business on Earth. The CEO considers cybersecurity to be a top priority in the face of a world that is connecting everything.

He anticipates that every customer and every company will connect to everything, which will require a network, Cisco's specialty. He said it will also require the network to become a security center.

"We think that security is a tremendous play for us, and we will use all of our leverage for innovation to actually build out that architecture," Robbins said.

In Robbins' perspective, that means the company will continue to innovate and drive research and development, partner where necessary, and make strategic investments and acquisitions where necessary.

And while Cisco has had a presence in China for the past 20 years, that country still contributes just 3 percent of the company's business. However, Robbins does anticipate that it will become the largest economy in the world, so Cisco will remain committed to China for the long term.

"We have spent a lot of time over there recently, and we really understand what is going on. Right now, we have limited exposure, but we are very committed long term," Robbins added

[BACK-2-BLACK]

and of course, fresh off the rumour mill once Cisco claimed to be interested in CyberSecurity....

BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY) Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) Buyout Is Just the Latest Rumor

BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY) Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) Buyout Is Just the Latest Rumor

August 13, 2015 By Paul Shea

BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), (TSE:BB) traders are jumping on the back of a new rumor on Thursday morning. On Wednesday Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) CEO Chuck Robbins said that his firm was going to invest in cyber security. Those with shares in BlackBerry are hoping that means buying into mobile handsets too.

Mr. Robbins made the comments after revealing its earnings for the three months through June. The firm revealed that it earned $0.59 per share, ahead of the $0.56 that Wall Street was looking for. It made sales of $12.8B in the three months, beating Wall Street�s forecast of $12.66B. BlackBerry fans are more concerned about Robbins� future plans, however.

BlackBerry is enterprise security

The idea that Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) will seek to buy Blackberry rests on very shaky ground. Mr. Robbins told shareholders that �We think that security is a tremendous play for us, and we will use all of our leverage for innovation to actually build out that architecture.�

The only reason that those with shares in BlackBerry thinks this might apply to them is that the firm operates in an area Cisco Systems wants to break into. Cisco could likely afford to gobble up BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY), (TSE:BB) in a single bite. The Canadian firm is worth just $4.08B. That doesn�t mean it�s going to happen, however.

There�s lots of other circumstantial support for a deal being put forward on Thursday morning. BlackBerry recently brought Cisco Systems� Carl Wiese on board to take charge of the firm�s global sales, and there�s a miscellany of deals that the firms have worked together on in the past.

Cisco is a huge firm, and it has left a massive mark on the tech world. You�d be hard pressed to find a major tech firm that doesn�t have deals with it, or employ some of its staff at a high level.

BlackBerry rumors keep building

BlackBerry CEO John Chen says that he�s not ready to sell the firm. He said, in a recent interview with Amanda Lang on CBC, �I don�t have any intention to sell BlackBerry.� He said that the firm could be sold in future when it�s much stronger. If Cisco Systems were to offer a high enough price, the decision might not be in his hands.

BlackBerry is failing. Despite the firm�s real success in lowering its losses, it�s not making enough money for Wall Street. Since the start of 2015 shares have fallen by more than 30 percent of their value.

At their current price, and with the firm�s huge collection of patents and software, it might seem like an ideal buy for Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO), but we�ve been down that road many times before.

There�s nothing lost in telling a nice story about BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY), (TSE:BB), but putting money behind that story is a very different thing. There�s lots of rumors about the firm�s future flying all the time.

Putting money behind John Chen�s firm because Cisco might buy it down the line is likely a bad idea, unless you have access to some kind of info about Mr. Robbins� plans that the rest of the market does not.

[BACK-2-BLACK]

we all like seeing pics, charts and graphs... (and hawt pics.....dont lie)


Android Fragmentation Report August 2015 - OpenSignal

Android Fragmentation Visualized (August 2015)

24,093
Distinct Android devices seen this year

18,796
Distinct Android devices seen last year

682,000
Devices surveyed for this report.

37.8%
Samsung's share of those devices.

1,294
Device brands seen this year

Fragmentation is both a strength and weakness of the Android ecosystem, a headache for developers that also provides the basis for Android�s global reach. Android devices come in all shapes and sizes, with vastly different performance levels and screen sizes. Furthermore, there are many different versions of Android that are concurrently active at any one time, adding another level of fragmentation. What this means is that developing apps that work across the whole range of Android devices can be extremely challenging and time-consuming.

This year we see a continuation of the trends seen in previous reports; more devices and more differentiation between the devices out there. One big thing we've noticed this year is the increased fragmentation of brands, with over 1000 brands seen this year that we did not see in 2012 when we first published this report. Samsung, still the market leader, have seen their share of the global Android device market fall from 43% to 37.8% (although the market itself continues to grow). The great strength of the Android ecosystem from a consumer perspective has always been the ability to pick a device that is perfectly tailored to your specifications, as there are so many devices to pick from. This trend has only continued, with more Android devices and brands seen this year than ever before.

Device Fragmentation



This is the best way of visualizing the sheer variety of Android devices that have downloaded the OpenSignal app over the past couple of months. This graph shows the challenge that faces Android developers; over 24,000 distinct devices can immediately use their app, making optimization a real challenge. In two years Android Fragmentation has more than doubled from the 11,868 we saw back in 2013.


Brand Fragmentation



Similar to the first graph, this shows the market divided in terms of manufacturer, with Samsung once again proving dominant. In 2012 we saw Samsung having a 47.5% market share, and this difference can be explained by the rise in competing OEMs, with the above graphic showing 1,294 distinct brands.


Android Operating System Fragmentation



Device fragmentation is not the only challenge that developers face when building for Android; the operating system itself is extremely fragmented. We have, however, seen a slight reduction in fragmentation over the past year, with the market share of the dominant API version (in this case KitKat) having risen over the past 12 months.


Comparison with iOS



Android fragmentation of all kinds is usually illustrated in comparison with iOS. These two pie charts clearly show the difference in API fragmentation between the two competing operating systems.


Screen Size Fragmentation

Key to the success of any app is getting the UI right and Android presents two particular challenges to developers in this regard. Firstly, brands have a tendency to produce their own variants on the system UI (Samsung�s Touchwhizz and the HTC Sense being two such examples) which can change the look of various default elements. Secondly, no other smartphone/tablet platform boasts such a proliferation of different screen sizes. One big change to the graphic this year is the inclusion of the enormous Slate 21 - which absolutely dwarfs all other Android devices we have seen this year (and all iOS devices also).



Designing and coding layouts that work well across all these screens is hugely challenging for any developer. The iOS ecosystem shown in the graphic below makes for a good comparison with Android, as it is much easier to design for the considerably smaller number of dimensions.




Brand Proliferation

This graphic shows the huge expansion in the number of device brands in the last few years, with 1,294 distinct brands responsible for the 682,000 devices we surveyed for this report. The number of brands seen in our sample has almost sextupled since 2012.




Sensor Prevalence

One of the trends we noted last year was the rise of sensors in mobile devices, something which has enabled the development of the mobile sensor network - which includes our own meteorological sensor network WeatherSignal (download the app for Android and iOS and get involved!). The decline of the humidity sensor can be explained by its inclusion in the Galaxy S4, but not in the S5. Interestingly the prevalence of barometers in mobile phones has not dramatically changed over the past few years, remaining almost constant.




Android Market Leaders by Country

This map shows the leading manufacturer for each country where we have significant data and is based on all devices that have downloaded the OpenSignal app in 2015. As is to be expected, Samsung are the dominant manufacturer in many countries around the world, with notable exceptions in Mexico, India and China.




Notes on Methodology

The Device Fragmentation Graphic shows the 24,076 distinct device types that were present in the last 682,000 unique devices to download our app. The reason we chose 682,000 is because we wanted to make a fair comparison with the fragmentation reports from 2014, 2013 and 2012, which were also based on a sample of 682,000 devices.

The Brand Fragmentation Graphic is based on the same 682,000 devices as the device fragmentation graphic.

The API Level Fragmentation Graphic is based on data made publicly available by Google.

iOS API pie chart is based on data made publicly available by Apple.

The Android Screen Size Graphic is based on information from almost 10 million OpenSignal users. In this graphic we are showing physical screen size, not size in pixels. Changes in resolution at the same screen size (for example as between the iPad 3 and iPad 2) present fewer difficulties for developers than changes in physical size. We derive the screen size by dividing the number of pixels of height and width by the pixel density (points per inch - ppi). Ideally we would use separate values for X-density and Y-density as screens are sometimes manufactured with different ppi in different directions, however Android only gives access to one variable. Also worth noting: with rooted devices users are able to �alter� the pixel density - in reality the physical characteristics of the screen stay the same, but the Android OS thinks it�s running on a larger device.

The Brand Proliferation Graph includes only brands that contribute at least 5 devices to the sample of 682,000 (in order to weed out innaccurate data - some devices incorrectly report their manufacturer)

The Market Leaders Map is based on all data from the 3.1 Million devices that have downloaded the OpenSignal app in 2015.