[Corbu]

Thanks, bbjdog.

Let me wish everyone on this thread, and their loved ones, a tremendous 2018.

[W Hoa]

From Barron's on BlackBerry

Therein lies the potential opportunity, according to Brad Lamensdorf. Under the market’s radar, this company is transforming into a leading cybersecurity-software provider, he argues, with applications in transportation, such as self-driving vehicles, as well as finance, health care, and government services....

That’s part of the reason why Lamensdorf, manager of the Active Alts Contrarian exchange traded fund (SQZZ) [ha ha love that name], has made BlackBerry the fund’s largest position. The ETF specializes in buying stocks that have large short positions but strong fundamentals that could cause a short squeeze. Effectively, Lamensdorf is betting that the shorts are wrong on BlackBerry...

The company is receiving accolades for its software products from Forrester, 451 Research, and Gartner Group, which gave it the top rating among 14 competitors for “high security mobile management.” BlackBerry estimates that the global cost of combatting cybersecurity attacks will rise to $1 trillion in 2021 from $80 billion in 2016. BlackBerry should get its share...

Recent results suggest the turnaround is proceeding apace. As more investors notice, the price has more room to run.

For those who may hate Barron's I apologize in advance

CrackBerry won't let me post the link to Barron's

[Corbu]

https://www.barrons.com/articles/so-...OLFeed&tesla=y
So Long 2017—Next Stop, Euphoria

[muhlan]

From Barron's on BlackBerry

Therein lies the potential opportunity, according to Brad Lamensdorf. Under the market’s radar, this company is transforming into a leading cybersecurity-software provider, he argues, with applications in transportation, such as self-driving vehicles, as well as finance, health care, and government services....

That’s part of the reason why Lamensdorf, manager of the Active Alts Contrarian exchange traded fund (SQZZ) [ha ha love that name], has made BlackBerry the fund’s largest position. The ETF specializes in buying stocks that have large short positions but strong fundamentals that could cause a short squeeze. Effectively, Lamensdorf is betting that the shorts are wrong on BlackBerry...

The company is receiving accolades for its software products from Forrester, 451 Research, and Gartner Group, which gave it the top rating among 14 competitors for “high security mobile management.” BlackBerry estimates that the global cost of combatting cybersecurity attacks will rise to $1 trillion in 2021 from $80 billion in 2016. BlackBerry should get its share...

Recent results suggest the turnaround is proceeding apace. As more investors notice, the price has more room to run.

For those who may hate Barron's I apologize in advance

CrackBerry won't let me post the link to Barron's

And the article also mentioned the big problem:

"... ...and the stock is effectively unchanged from 2013."

[rarsen]

In these quiet times a long general history article, where the author at times refutes some negative arguments from his SA colleagues:

BlackBerry: Just How Sweet Is The Reemergence Of This Company?

"Sybase had been one of my better short calls, in a career of some notable successes in that regard. Then under John Chen, Sybase became recognized as an industry leader in key business segments. Along the way, Mr. Chen made lots of money personally and he created enormous value for shareholders (the company’s market cap went from $362 million when Mr. Chen became CEO to the take out value of $5.8 billion). Mr. Chen and his team made many strategic choices over the time he ran Sybase, both in terms of allocating internal resources and in making acquisitions.
At BlackBerry the shares were about $6.60/share when Mr. Chen began his tenure and have just recently reached to $11.60. Last quarter clearly marked some progress in terms of BB’s operational performance. The company beat prior expectations significantly - and did so most notably in terms of revenue. Further, the company enjoyed some significant design wins in what it calls its technology solutions business. The company’s enterprise business saw double-digit billings growth year over year. The company has been able to shrink its operating expenses as part of the process of exiting the market for handheld devices. Overall, GAAP opex declined by 17.5% year on year, and of course gross margins, as reported, rose substantially due to the company’s pivot toward high margined software. The CEO said quite specifically, “By the way it’s not a secret that we also are quite interested in M&A inorganic growth. So, we have got to be careful not to just overload it on the organic expense side…” I think it is reasonable to believe that BB will see a continuation of growth in its non-legacy business, higher gross margins and little or no growth in operating expense.
I think it is a grave mistake to underrate the abilities of John Chen to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. He has done some of that so far during his tenure at BlackBerry, but obviously not enough to completely satisfy all stakeholders. And I think that his ability to present a picture of BlackBerry that might appeal to potential acquirers should not be gainsaid. The odds are that he will finish the job and reward investors who have ridden the course with him."

CB site won't let me post the URL???

[Corbu]

There you go, rarsen. Thanks and all the best for 2018!

https://seekingalpha.com/article/413...rgence-company

[cjcampbell]

Hey all. I hope everyone had a great Christmas or any other holiday you celebrate, if any.

I just sat down for the first time since waking up as I prepped for my new years dinner. I sincerely hope that 2017 was great for all and hope 2018 will be even better.

Happy New Years all!!!

[Redzinaldas]

Greetings from Europe, Lithuania!! Happy New Years for all!!!

[world traveler and former ceo]

Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year from Maui (escaping -15c Toronto weather for a while)... thanks to all valuable contributors to this thread and in sharing their expertise on bbry, sphs, PSDV, and other investments...
BlackBerry has certainly reinvented itself.. although I still hang on to my day one Passport, refusing to accept the new order lol...

Stay safe and warm and best to all in the coming year...

Bpd.

Posted via CB10

[Bacon Munchers]

Well, we knocked another down down, eh?

I was at a Christmas party, where we were discussing how well some did in their portfolio this year. Big braggarts stating a whopping 12-20% returns. When the attention was turned to me on how I did, I just put my beer down and casually said that I was fairly pleased with my 70% reward for this year's increase. The best part was when they asked me what the heck stock I was invested in...

Looking forward to setting a new bar with the merry blokes in this-here thread.

PS - In years to come, I think this thread will be a cool place to visit for a tour through the history of the 'BlackBerry Comeback' for all those that wonder how they did it, because it is all here!

[Superfly_FR]

PS - In years to come, I think this thread will be a cool place to visit for a tour through the history of the 'BlackBerry Comeback' for all those that wonder how they did it, because it is all here!

Happy new year Gang ! Wishing you and relatives the very - I mean VERY - best for 2K18 !
And yes, Bacon Munchers; you guys wrote a piece of history here & your returns are impressive !
SF

[bbjdog]

Happy new year

From my TD alerts
Kontrol Energy expands Blockchain Advisory Board and Appoints Mr. Joseph C. Chen
2018-01-02 06:30:00 AM ET (CNW Group)


Kontrol Energy Corp. (CSE:KNR) (the "Company" or "Kontrol") further to its announcement in the press releases dated Nov. 1, Dec. 20 and Dec. 28, 2017 has established a Blockchain Advisory Board that will assist the company's expansion into blockchain technology solutions. The company now welcomes Joseph C. Chen to the Advisory Board effective immediately.

Mr. Chen is an electrical engineer with a strong background in radio frequency, digital signal processing, VLSI, complex systems, chemistry and physics. Mr. Chen joined Research In Motion (now BlackBerry) in 1999, becoming a senior member of the office of the Chief Technology Officer ("CTO"), where he was instrumental in many of Blackberry's key telephony innovations and patents. While at BlackBerry, the office of the CTO first began looking into blockchain in 2008. Since leaving Blackberry in 2012, Mr. Chen has focused much of his personal research on the state of the art in machine learning, cryptography and quantum computing, and their implications and applications in digitising and automating finance, and the protection of personal information and trust in a digital world. Currently, Mr. Chen is the founder and chief executive officer of Conversance Inc., a Waterloo based private company, focused on developing and marketing proprietary AI supported distributed ledger technologies.

"We are excited to have a Joseph join our Blockchain Advisory Board, as his experience gained during the growth of Blackberry, and his connections to the Waterloo blockchain technology sector will be a great asset for Kontrol, as we evaluate acquisitions and investments in the rapidly growing blockchain technology sector," said Paul Ghezzi, CEO of Kontrol Energy.

[Corbu]

Pretty good first trading day of 2018...

[Corbu]

Thanks, bbjdog.

But I am sure you have noticed that is Joseph C. Chen. Not John S. Chen.

[masterful]

I'm sure he noticed but it's BlackBerry relationship

[masterful]

Anyone have any idea or want to give an insight as to what is driving this up today.
Is the big money is moving in slowly because I need more time to accumulate more cheaper shares...

[cjcampbell]

My guess is new year, new quarter, tax loss selling done and new positions need to be had.

[bbjdog]

From my TD alerts

BRIEF-Blackberry, Baidu Partnering To Accelerate Connected And Autonomous Vehicle Technology
2018-01-03 08:10:31 AM ET (Reuters)


Jan 3 (Reuters) - Blackberry Ltd:

* BLACKBERRY AND BAIDU PARTNERING TO ACCELERATE CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

* BLACKBERRY - CO, BAIDU TO COLLABORATE TO ACCELERATE DEPLOYMENT OF CONNECTED & AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY FOR AUTOMOTIVE OEMS, SUPPLIERS WORLDWIDE

* BLACKBERRY - BLACKBERRY, BAIDU WILL WORK TOGETHER TO INTEGRATE BAIDU'S CARLIFE, SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION SOFTWARE FOR CONNECTED CARS IN CHINA Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

[Corbu]

BlackBerry and Baidu Partnering to Accelerate Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Technology

WATERLOO, ONTARIO and BEIJING, CHINA--(Marketwired - Jan. 3, 2018) - BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB) and Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) announced today that the two companies will collaborate to accelerate the deployment of connected and autonomous vehicle technology for automotive OEMs and suppliers worldwide.

The companies have signed a statement of intent to make BlackBerry QNX's industry-leading ISO26262 ASIL-D certified safety operating system (OS) the foundation for Baidu's Apollo autonomous driving open platform. Also, BlackBerry and Baidu will work together to integrate Baidu's CarLife, the leading smartphone integration software for connected cars in China, as well as its conversational AI system DuerOS, and high definition maps to run on the BlackBerry QNX Car (Infotainment) Platform.

"BlackBerry QNX has established itself as the OS platform for safety-certified production-based systems," said Li Zhenyu, General Manager of Intelligent Driving Group, Baidu. "We aim to provide automakers with a clear and fast path to fully autonomous vehicle production, with safety and security as top priorities. By integrating the BlackBerry QNX OS with the Apollo platform, we will enable carmakers to leap from prototype to production systems. Together, we will work toward a technological and commercial ecosystem for autonomous driving, intelligent connectivity, and intelligent traffic systems."

"Joining forces with Baidu will enable us to explore integration opportunities for multiple vehicle subsystems including ADAS, infotainment, gateways, and cloud services," said John Wall, Senior Vice President and GM of BlackBerry QNX. "Baidu has made tremendous strides in Artificial Intelligence and deep learning. These advancements paired with their high-definition maps and BlackBerry's safety-critical embedded software and expertise in security will be crucial ingredients for autonomous vehicles."

Announced by Baidu this past April, Apollo is an open platform that provides a comprehensive, secure, and reliable solution that consists of cloud services, an open software stack, and reference hardware and vehicle platforms. It supports all major features and functions of an autonomous vehicle. Apollo has now attracted over 70 global partners, including OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, developer platforms, and technology start-ups. The project was named after the historic lunar landing program to illustrate its scale and complexity.

As the leader in safety-certified, secure, and reliable software for the automobile industry, BlackBerry currently provides OEMs around the world with state-of-the-art cybersecurity technology to protect and mitigate, hardware, software, applications and end-to-end systems from cyberattacks. BlackBerry's pedigree in security and continued innovation has led to recent automotive design wins with Delphi, Denso, Qualcomm, Visteon, and others. To learn more about the BlackBerry QNX platform and why it is the most advanced embedded software platform on the autonomous vehicle market, please visit www.blackberry.com/qnx.

[Corbu]

https://venturebeat.com/2018/01/03/b...ving-platform/
BlackBerry’s QNX OS to anchor Baidu’s Apollo autonomous driving platform

[Corbu]

Baidu to Showcase Leading-edge AI Technologies at CES 2018 in Las Vegas - NASDAQ.com

BEIJING, Dec. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU), announced today it will showcase its leading-edge AI technologies, products and a vibrant partner ecosystem built around the company's open and comprehensive AI platforms at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 in Las Vegas.

Baidu brings its newest AI technologies to CES 2018, including autonomous driving platform Apollo and conversational AI platform DuerOS, to be featured across launch event and two booths.

Leading off Baidu's array of activities at CES 2018 is the Baidu World launch event on Jan 8 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Las Vegas, where Qi Lu, Baidu's Vice Chairman, Group President and COO, and various senior Baidu executives and industry partners will take the stage to announce the latest and the most advanced versions of the Apollo open autonomous driving platform and the DuerOS open conversational AI platform.

Apollo provides a comprehensive, secure, and reliable all-in-one solution that supports all major features and functions of an autonomous vehicle. Apollo 2.0, the latest version, will enable cars to drive autonomously on simple urban roads.

In collaboration with its partner, Baidu is also set to launch a brand-new AI hardware powered by DuerOS, China's leading conversational AI platform that is enabling a rapidly-growing community of third party hardware from more than 130 partners. Raven H, a groundbreaking smart speaker with its bold design and leading technology, will also make its US debut at CES 2018, following its initial launch at the Baidu World conference in Beijing in November.

CES 2018 attendees will have the opportunity to experience Baidu's technologies and products at its two booths at the Las Vegas Convention Center. At the Apollo booth in the North Hall of Tech East, attendees can try out a drowsiness detection system that can alert drivers when signs show they are distracted or sleepy, and interact with a cloud-based, voice-enabled in-car assistant connected to your smart home devices. With this system, users will be able to control their vehicles remotely, for example, starting the engine and adjusting the vehicle temperature by just speaking to their smart speaker before leaving home.

The DuerOS booth in the South Hall of Tech East will showcase a select number of DuerOS- powered devices, including mobile phones, smart home appliances, TVs and wearables. Visitors to the DuerOS booth will also have the opportunity to interact with raven H, the smart speaker powered by the latest version of DuerOS.

Baidu welcomes you to join our event and visit our booths at CES 2018 for an exciting first look at Baidu's year ahead.

BAIDU WORLD LAUNCH EVENT: 2:00-4:00pm PST, Monday, January 8, 2018

BAIDU EXECUTIVES PANELS:

• 10:00-11:00am PST, Wednesday, January 10: Mobile Innovation - How 5G Will Enable the Future session with Qi Lu, Baidu's Vice Chairman, Group President and COO. Venetian Palazzo Ballroom

• 10:00-11:00am PST, Wednesday, January 10: Self-Driving Cars - The Future of Personal Transportation session with Ya-qin Zhang, President of Baidu. Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall, N257

[DrPurevision]

This is the clearest sign yet that BlackBerry is going to become iconic again. Thanks for everyone who keeps this forum alive. Once the QNX software is integrated into these systems, it is going to be really hard to displace it. Long and strong !

[ibpluto]

IBM2.0

[morganplus8]

If this is what 2018 is going to look like, I can take that! No need for a chart, it looks like a typical pot chart, straight up. Headwinds are an RSI greater than 70, and of course, we'll be way outside the Bollinger Bands today. Other than that, a push up on sensational news. Sit back and enjoy the ride in 2018! Have you noticed that no one is giving any thought to those few analysts who still think this company is unproven and worth a sub $ 10.00/shr for the next 12 months. Now that's embarrassing for them isn't it?

Oh yeah, thanks to all of you for posting to this thread.

[Corbu]

CNBC:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/03/baid...-software.html
Baidu's self-driving cars will use BlackBerry software, in another auto deal for the smartphone maker