[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

10.2.1 was a major update for BlackBerry users.... For most users of other devices, they will be surprised to learn that we didn't already have many of these features.

BlackBerry was mentioned on the Black List (TV show) last night. It is now a part of Pop Culture That a BlackBerry is a tech decide that is unwanted.

Posted via CB10

[h20work]

Serious question about the fm radio for the non z10 devices, but has anyone else released a device with unused hardware that was only enabled after a software release?

[Sporatic]

Serious question about the fm radio for the non z10 devices, but has anyone else released a device with unused hardware that was only enabled after a software release?

All the time. The HTC Touch had a gps module that wasn't activated and was denied for the longest time until someone hacked it. Then it made its debut in Europe and finally north America.

[RubberChicken76]

It's his job to know it exists or at the very least go looking for more than what is simply in the press release. Like I said, he didn't even need to be a member here, all he had to do was quite literally Google "BlackBerry 10.2.1" and he would have learned more. I don't expect the average person to know and that's the point.. he's paid to tell them what they need to know unless I'm totally mistaken and he's paid to simply re-word press releases.

I'm finding this more and more now with a lot of the tech blogs. At first, it was fun to point out the hole that BlackBerry themselves dug. Then it became fashionable to sneer and twist every story almost like a bunch of school kids ganging up on the nerd in the playground. Now it's a combination of still pick on (because it's fun to do so) with no real effort invested in actually writing anything

[h20work]

I'm finding this more and more now with a lot of the tech blogs. At first, it was fun to point out the hole that BlackBerry themselves dug. Then it became fashionable to sneer and twist every story almost like a bunch of school kids ganging up on the nerd in the playground. Now it's a combination of still pick on (because it's fun to do so) with no real effort invested in actually writing anything

Did they say anything bad about BlackBerry?

Look at the bright side, they could have very easily "bashed" (as the usual suspects so call it) for the z10 not being capable of using the fm radio update. Or wifi direct, or usb host, or miracast.

They gave a "meh" review of a "meh" update.

[Tre Lawrence]

Serious question about the fm radio for the non z10 devices, but has anyone else released a device with unused hardware that was only enabled after a software release?

IIRC, Nook Color had the bluetooth radio hidden. Rooting it enabled it.

[collinc93]

I no longer get involved in these threads....the usual crap always float to the top. On a day of good news for BB fans you find the same people who been throwing cold water and finding faults with BB returning to poo poo the obvious enthusiasm shown by BB fans-as if its not a BB site?! People have a right to take issue with Endgadget's article. Now could you people acknowledge that you have a seriously (obvious bias) negative view of BB and will use every opportunity to push negativity under the guise of being 'neutral' and 'level headed'? The rest of us would appreciate your candor in that regard...

[h20work]

I no longer get involved in these threads....the usual crap always float to the top. On a day of good news for BB fans you find the same people who been throwing cold water and finding faults with BB returning to poo poo the obvious enthusiasm shown by BB fans-as if its not a BB site?! People have a right to take issue with Endgadget's article. Now could you people acknowledge that you have a seriously (obvious bias) negative view of BB and will use every opportunity to push negativity under the guise of being 'neutral' and 'level headed'? The rest of us would appreciate your candor in that regard...

Would probably help if you defined "you people".

I don't recall anyone saying anything bad about BlackBerry, maybe I missed that part?

Maybe the blogger should have went with "Sweet for Jesus, we have vibrate on ping in bbm now!"

[thatplaybookguy]

BlackBerry's latest software update turns smartphones into radios

This review (or lack there of) is an absolutely joke. I do not understand how this website can call themselves a tech site...If Android or iOS launched an update as big as this, with this many features it would be announced only once a year as it would be their MAJOR OS update for an entire year, yet BB has launched 3 in a year...I am shocked (actually not really since it is Engadget and we all know their take on BB) that all they focused on was the FM radio receiver! They actually have NO article, NOTHING stating the press release from BB and showing all of the new and great features...

Just saw this article and am quite peeved off and needed to rant and share this joke of a website and article to the CrackBerry people! Read on and comment the the author who clearly does not want to give credit to BB where credit is due.

Did you like MY First Comment on that article at engadget?

[Omnitech]

Wait a minute, there's no radio for Z10.
They should have mentioned that, otherwise it's an incompetent review.

We already knew it was an incompetent review just from reading the headline.

But incompetent isn't really accurate either. I'd say it's more likely intentionally malicious than incompetent.

Then again, incompetence is the norm in so-called "journalism" these days.

Worse, Engadget is now owned by AOL, and AOL's media arm is now run by Arianna Huffington, who has gained an even lousier reputation in journalism circles than the usual lousiness.

Engadget editors leaving as unrest grows over 'AOL way' | Technology | theguardian.com

[ibmbc]

Yes



They did lots and lots of updates to that OS, but the foundation was the problem. Same issue encountered by Palm OS, Windows Mobile, Classic Mac OS etc.



Not really. There were apps on a BlackBerry for years before there ever was an iPhone. There were developer tools on the BlackBerry for years before there ever was an iPhone SDK. Developers were allowed to put apps wherever they wanted. They quickly came out with an App Store within about a year of Apple doing so (plus carrier app stores), and also launched developer conferences.

However, they did have a difficult platform, and couldn't match Apple's marketing gusto and not all the devices had the same specs, OS version, screen sizes etc.

Listen saying BlackBerry had apps first is true, but the apps that were available at the time were limited in both scope and number. What Apple did was have a central place on the phone users could easily search and download apps. There really is no comparison. It's like saying the original model T is just as good as modern vehicles because they both have wheels. My point was about the Apple app store which launched mid 2008. BlackBerry didn't launch BlackBerry world till over a year later and as anyone who had a BlackBerry for that launch can tell you just how bad that experience was comparatively.

And saying os 5 to os 7 was anything more than minor tweaks would be a lie. They tweaked appearance and features but it was essentially the exact same os and there is no denying it was extremely outdated compared to even early versions of ios and android.

And the reason they are still having sales issues is because nothing has changed. Still missing many sought after apps. (again the average person isn't going to be willing to deal with sideloading or figuring out how to with search for apks)

The equipment is still priced to highly. Although the z10 is reasonably priced, it's just not a compelling device for consumers looking at a slew of android and Windows 8 phones with better specs for less money. Specs aren't everything, But again they have to be perceived as a better value to overcome what people rightfully see as deficiencies elsewhere. The q10 and z30 are still priced way to high. I personally like the z30, but how the hell is the average person going to pay $200 for the z30 when the G2 is regularly under 99 and the HTC one has been running regularly for 50 or free. That's not being in position to succeed.

I love bb, been a stock holder and used a bb device loyally right up till late 2011 and had to give up finally and ditch my 9930. I'm routing for them to bounce back. But they really aren't correcting any if these issues. Bb10 is slick, but it will never go anywhere until they fix this.

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

[anon(4044683)]

What I don't get is why the media is so negative about BlackBerry. I would understand if companies like Apple or Google were pouring money into their accounts, but writing bad things about a company without even being paid for it makes no sense. What do they get out of it?

I don't understand too, the hate. For example Engadget is an AOL company which is related to Apple. Actually its not just "End"gadget, most of the tech sites don't like to see BlackBerry succeed. BlackBerry sadly became a mocking object at-least in the US and the tech sites are trying portray it in such a way to cheer the users from other famous platforms.

[evanmichael]

In my life Engadget does not exist ....so what's the problem.

[Omnitech]

APK is a developer feature, and not meant as of yet for public consumption.

That stance has changed substantially over the last 4 months.

http://forums.crackberry.com/general...elease-877592/

---

"One of the most interesting topics we discussed was the drastic improvements and opening up of the Android runtime. Alec [Saunders, head of BlackBerry developer relations] told me that BlackBerry is listening to their customers and developers who asked for BlackBerry to open up access to all Android applications on BlackBerry 10. This was all about enabling user choice. I followed up with Alec and asked him why BlackBerry did not just open up the runtime and allow users to install APK�s at launch and he had a very frank response. With OS 10.2.1 they are finally seeing that around 90% of applications work just fine without any changes. This is a huge improvement over the original average of 30-50%. They found that a huge portion of the top requested Android apps work just fine on OS 10.2.1 so they decided to simplify the process of making them available to users.

This led me to asking Alec if they have any planned partnerships with any Android App Marketplaces like Google Play, Amazon, Aptoide, and more and he said that he actually recommends using one since they vet the applications to make sure they are legitimate. He reiterated that BlackBerry World remains the first and premier stop for applications on BlackBerry 10 devices and developers should focus on it. This opening of OTA installation is just to assist the chicken and egg problem of getting top shelf Android apps into BlackBerry World."

---

Alec Saunders Talks About Improved & Open Android Runtime in BlackBerry 10.2.1 - BerryReview

[Omnitech]

Would probably help if you defined "you people".

No need, your buddy here did it for us already:

First you people say consumers don't know about BB10 and then you flip it to say all the negative tech blog content affects sales?

Maybe the blogger should have went with "Sweet for Jesus, we have vibrate on ping in bbm now!"

Great choice.

How about just pick 2 or three of these things, this stuff has been public knowledge for over a month at least, the same OS was leaked on December 18 and the features have been discussed for far longer than that:

So this
Remote search of emails older than 60 days
Bluetooth Sharing through Android Runtime
Video Call has the new call screen
FM Radio (Only Q10, Q5, Z30.. Z10 does not support this)
Wi-Fi Direct
Miracast
Share Screen
Direct Install of APK Files on device through File Manager or Browser
Media Volume displays at top of screen
New incoming call screen
Update to Device Monitor app
Update to Data Monitor app
Clock App includes Accuweather information
Flashlight app added (can be accessed from Quick Settings)
Ability to arrange accounts in the Hub
Pinch gesture in the Hub for quick access to specified messages
Changes to battery icon
Changes to charging icon
Battery shows percentage in peek view
Updates to native weather app
New Quick Settings functionality for dropdown menu
Updates to Media Player
Added Picture Password
Speed Dial from homescreen (Q10)
Added Contact Groups
Custom contact profiles for email, SMS, BBM and phone calls
Delete options from Hub (device and/or server)
Face detection toggle in Camera
Airplane-Mode automatically turned on in Bedside Mode
Lockscreen previews open directly to application
New native wallpapers added
Next email toggle inside email messages
Updated Twitter app
BBM adds vibrate on ping and new emoticons
White balance adjuster in display settings
IBM notes traveler in accounts settings
Wolfram Alpha commands
Dropdown Menu now includes:
Flashlight App Button (new app to 10.2.1.xxxx)
Brightness Adjustment
Location Toggle Switch
Device Monitor App Button (new app to 10.2.1.xxxx)
Tethering Toggle Switch
Hotspot Toggle Switch
NFC Toggle Switch
Flight mode Toggle Switch (airplane mode)

Vs

The company's latest software update enables those devices to become FM radios
Version 10.2.1 also brings a series of minor, but welcome, tweaks to the platform, including a
new screen for answering calls,
SMS groups,
offline reading mode and
picture passwords.

[Omnitech]

Maybe BlackBerry should of just told him (or everyone else) for that matter.

Isn't it pretty obvious they aren't advertising this as a feature? Why keep quiet on the biggest new thing in your shinny new os unless you don't want to talk about it (for whatever reason at this point)?

Yes it's obvious, and the reason should be rather obvious to anyone who follows the industry, and who understands the legal, copyright and business issues.

It's no surprise whatsoever, to me, that they are not pushing this functionality, which is why I have been saying for months that I would be awfully surprised if they integrated Google Play into the OS any time soon.

They are apparently hoping that it will appease the minority of power-users and fans without having to take steps publicly that could jeopardize the future of the company.

And that's just what Android/Google Play integration is: a big giant Trojan Horse. They need to be very, very careful how they approach that can of worms.

[Omnitech]

No, the media isn't to blame for anything. The media reports what they're given...

HAHAHAHAH AAAAHAHAAOH HO HO HO HO HO AHAHAAAAHAHAAAHAAHA

Perhaps you should try reading the Engadget article that this thread is about then.

It's also the same people over and over again constantly going on offensives saying how much better BB10 is than everything and how everything else sucks. It goes both ways.

Except this thread is simply about heavily biased, garbage journalism, by ANY measure.

So some people were just discussing that ridiculous so-called journalism, saying that it was unfair to the company (which it most certainly is, and is horrible journalism by any measure), and then the naysayers waltzed-in as usual and wrote stuff like this:

You people cry too damn much.

He's not an average user. He's someone who is paid to tell others about tech and what's relevant to them. I take a ton of crap for using an iPhone, WP and Android device but that's one example why I use them, read about them and learn about them.

If I'm an associate editor of a tech site, there is a certain expectation that comes along with that. Do I know everything? Nope.. but I sure as hell look beyond what is simply in the press release each and every single damn time.

A simple Google search of BlackBerry 10.2.1 would have led him to more information, the first link NOT from today highlights their use of Android. But whatever, he updated.. so there's that. Engadget fell off must read list long ago.

Excellent points.

I like the recently-coined term "churnalism", which refers to so-called journalists whose output is mostly comprised of verbatim or slightly edited press releases.

Journalism as a craft and a profession is at a pretty low point in general these days.

[Omnitech]

Is it pathetic that BB had to basically buy their OS because... [inflammatory spin-doctoring removed]

No.

They couldn't even write a decent browser, they had to buy that, too...

I suggest you read the history of Internet Explorer and Apple Safari then. (And for that matter Google Chrome, which was originally based on code written by Apple and Mozilla and various other companies and organizations)

LOL. Not even BlackBerry itself believes this.

CRYSTAL BALL ALERT!

[anon(3993749)]

Easier to get mad at bloggers, tech sites, etc for not mentioning something BlackBerry doesn't want to talk about

But it wasn't just this one feature. He didn't mention anything from the press release apart from the FM Radio. He didn't even say "for a full list of features click on the source link". Nothing. As if FM Radio was the only change.

[Tre Lawrence]

But it wasn't just this one feature. He didn't mention anything from the press release apart from the FM Radio. He didn't even say "for a full list of features click on the source link". Nothing. As if FM Radio was the only change.

I think it is prudent for us to understand that, right or wrong, BBRY has to do a better job of getting the word out with regards to updates.

[sandman10]

Serious question about the fm radio for the non z10 devices, but has anyone else released a device with unused hardware that was only enabled after a software release?

Google Nexus 4 had a hidden LTE band, that through software hacks, was unlocked, and the phone had LTE speeds.

[egzbuen]

But WHY??? What do they get out of it?

Or, maybe it's because they aren't, indeed, getting any from BlackBerry but they do from IOS, thus, the support they're throwing at them....

Posted via CB10

[thatplaybookguy]

A sock full of soup has more integrity than all of the writers combined on Engadget.

[collinc93]

Would probably help if you defined "you people".

I don't recall anyone saying anything bad about BlackBerry, maybe I missed that part?

Maybe the blogger should have went with "Sweet for Jesus, we have vibrate on ping in bbm now!"

hmmm sarcasm.....awesome. Tis a bit lost on me since my post was in response to some replies in this thread but go on then...I am enjoying this

[dad2bandm]

The Waterloo "Record", the newspaper that covers Waterloo Region, and the "birthplace" of BlackBerry, had this story yesterady:

BlackBerry launches FM radio on Z30, Q10, Q5 phones

They also seemed to concentrate on BlackBerry bringing "Fm radio" in update. Shoddy reporting everywhere.