BlackBerry Messenger Groups: Start One Today!
Need a quick way to keep in touch with family and friends during the busy holiday season? Create a BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) Group!

BlackBerry Style 9670: Meet Product Manager Randy Carson
BlackBerry Torch 9800: Meet Product Manager Annu Dawar
The two newest members of the BlackBerry smartphone family, the BlackBerry® Style™ 9670 smartphone and the BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone, would make excellent stocking stuffers! Get all the details on both devices in these comprehensive interviews with their respective product managers.

BlackBerry PlayBook and iPad Comparison: Web Fidelity (VIDEO)
Here’s the perfect thing to add to your Christmas list next year (or maybe ask Santa for a belated gift?) — the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet! See how it performs in this video post.

Inside the CSO Team!
It’s no secret that the BlackBerry CSO Team is definitely on Santa’s Nice list — they’re always around to help BlackBerry® smartphone users all year long! Read our interview with CSO Community Manager Michelle here, and find out more about what they do!

As for me, my most memorable moment of this year was the Wordle post – so much fun coming from our community! That’s what I’ll remember the most about 2010.

If you’re looking to keep the holiday spirit going, why not update your BlackBerry smartphone with one of these free BlackBerry smartphone holiday themes from Research In Motion® (RIM®)? There are three festive color options to choose from – red, blue and green. (My BlackBerry smartphone is donning the green “Share the Joy” theme!) Also, be sure to check out the hundreds of other great holiday themes available in BlackBerry App World™ for your BlackBerry smartphone.

That’s it from us for now! We’ll be back in full swing (and then some as we prep for the 2011 Consumer Electronics Showcase in Las Vegas) starting January 4th.

We hope all of our readers have a safe and happy holiday. And don’t fret – the @BlackBerryHelp team will be around if you have any questions.

See you in the new year!

Hi Inside BlackBerry® readers! We’ve got a few quick words today from Angela, who’s excited to tell you all about Campus Perks. Read on and get thinking about how you can participate!

We are on a search for Canada’s best campus story to inspire and excite the whole country. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been seeking out the best stories, whether it’s about how you’re making a big-time difference at your school, being a part of the most awesome program, or even throwing the coolest parties that everybody needs to be at.

As with most searches, the best life is all about the journey. This is a chance for students to showcase everything their story represents to thousands of students and friends across Canada and get some well-deserved recognition. It’s all about the best friends, the best moments, the best programs and everything that puts the “best” in the best life.

Of course, there are some awesome rewards too. The top 30 nominees will move on to compete in a series of challenges. The top 20 will each win a BlackBerry® smartphone, and the top 10 will create their own “best life” event in a final run for the top prize: a $4000 scholarship and a chance to have their story featured in our BlackBerry social media channels (like the Inside BlackBerry Blog, our Facebook page and Twitter account). Full details can be found here.

Know someone that you think deserves to win? You can nominate a best life story for yourself, your friends, a campus group or club, or your whole program. Explain your choice with a photo or a 65-second video – be creative and let us know why you’ve chosen your nominee! Hurry though, because voting ends January 15th, 2011, so the sooner you get your nominations in, the better.

If you want to get in on the action by participating, the voting has already begun, so start checking out the stories now at the official Campus Perks website and share your favourites with all your friends to help them get as many votes as possible!

Those interested in participating can fill out the nomination form, and if your nomination is approved, we’re going to shine the spotlight on your story and spread the word from coast to coast. Be sure to check out all the rules and regulations and make sure you agree to them before entering. And remember, there is no purchase necessary to enter or win.

Good luck!

Welcome to our second installment of Inside the BlackBerry® Community, where we highlight the awesome things that Team BlackBerry does!

There’s one thing that we have started looking forward to every day and that’s #teamblackberry photography by @BB_photog. In August @BB_photog (aka Brian Lee), shared more than a dozen photos he’d taken with his BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 smartphone.

Since that first introduction, Brian has sent through some truly gorgeous photography. We were able to catch up with Brian over email last week to learn more about the man behind the camera.

Brian’s passion for photography started from watching classic films such as “The Wizard of Oz” and “Casablanca.” Says Brian: “I became obsessed with ‘the vintage look’ of film and began collecting older 35mm film cameras from local pawn shops that could give a natural vignetting effect, which is a gradual transition from a brighter image center to darker corners. It was during this period that I taught myself the basic technicalities of photography through trial-and-error using film.”

Brian’s first foray into BlackBerry smartphone photography was with a BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 smartphone. “One of the many reasons why I started taking photos with this particular BlackBerry smartphone model was its ability to capture ‘film grain’ or image-noise similarly presented in traditional film. Photos from my BlackBerry Pearl 8100 smartphone were reminiscent of the classic Polaroid instant camera feel. Just as I did with my old film cameras, I could not stop taking photos with my BlackBerry Pearl.”

In 2009, Brian traded in his BlackBerry Pearl smartphone for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone. “This model enabled me to take more interesting photos due to its auto-focus lens. I especially liked the BlackBerry OS version 5.0.0.681 on this model because it had some advanced camera features such as Black & White, Close-Up Mode, and White Balance.”

What are some of the tricks that Brian uses to take stellar photos?

Low-light

“Under low-light conditions, it is important to keep the hand as steady as possible. Otherwise, it could result in shaky photos. I always like to take several shots under low light, usually starting with the flash off. At times, the BlackBerry smartphone camera can pick up enough image noise with its high ISO, giving off a film photo look. I also like to use flash under low light because a vignetting effect is common. But I think flash is a must when taking portraits of people in especially dark places, i.e. parties, clubs, etc.”

Focusing

“For starters, Focus Indicator is the rectangle meter on the screen when the camera is turned on. When the camera button (the Convenience Key) is slightly pressed down, the rectangle turns green when the lens is done focusing. At times, because the length of time for focusing depends on light conditions, it requires some patience and practice. Waiting for the rectangle meter to turn green is the key to a sharp photo.”

Close-Up Mode

“Because the camera focuses on a particular point in the Close-up Mode, I take multiple shots to determine the appropriate distance from the object. I usually hold and release the Convenience Key until I am able to focus on my subject. Although it took me some time to get used this feature, the end result was satisfying.”

BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone specific tips

I would first start by going to the camera menu and adjusting the Autofocus setup since the stock is set as “Continuous.” The focus meter will appear once it is set as “Single Shot.” I found the Scene Modes helpful but setting it as “Auto” captured a wide range of subjects without much trouble.

Other tips

“I also plug my earphones to mute the camera shutter sound in quiet areas. I initially became obsessed with taking photos with my BlackBerry smartphone because it is a ubiquitous device without being too intrusive when taking photos in public places.”

If you’re interested in Brian’s photos, check out his Tumblr® page http://bbphotog.tumblr.com and follow him on Twitter at @BB_photog!

If you’re following @BlackBerry on Twitter®, you may have noticed the initials “^MS” after our tweets recently. The Inside BlackBerry team is very excited to have Mitchell S. join the team and help keep the conversations going on @BlackBerry, our Facebook page, myBlackBerry and the countless other social media places where BlackBerry has a presence. Who knows – in time you might also see him author a blog post or two!

Since you’ll be seeing his shining face a lot more often, we thought we should give him a proper introduction – video style:

Just in case you didn’t catch the places to find Mitchell, we’ve added them here:

• @BlackBerry
• @BlackBerryScene
• @BlackBerryBlog
• facebook.com/BlackBerry
• my.blackberry.com

Leave a comment and say hi to Mitchell!

Here’s a difficult one – sum up your #BlackBerry love in just. one. word. My word is PING!!! (BY)

Here’s what you said:

“Awesomesauce” is by far my favorite (and a word that I will likely overuse for the next few weeks). Thanks everyone for being so awesomesauce! (And if you want to get in on the Inside the BlackBerry Community fun, be sure to follow us at @BlackBerry and @BlackBerryBlog on Twitter, and join up at MyBlackBerry!)

Like the BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone, the new BlackBerry® Style™ 9670 smartphone is a unique device because it combines many BlackBerry® smartphone standards (full QWERTY keyboard, trackpad) into a unique package. I got to sit down with BlackBerry Style Product Manager Randy Carson and talk about what makes Style special. Check it out!

Who are you and what do you do?

As the product manager for the BlackBerry Style 9670 smartphone, I’m responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of the product. I interface with many different teams within Research In Motion® (RIM) to help ensure the product is defined, implemented, and delivered to meet the needs of our customers. Things get very busy and exciting the closer we get to product launch, and it’s my responsibility to help ensure all things are in place for success! Once the product is launched and in the field, we monitor and follow up on any issues that need to be addressed, and collect feedback to make our future products better.

Is the BlackBerry Style an evolution of an existing product, or brand-new?

BlackBerry® Style™ is an extension of the BlackBerry smartphone product line in a new form factor. It’s a premium smartphone with large external and internal displays. For the first time in a BlackBerry smartphone, we have a full QWERTY keyboard and trackpad in a flip design. The device itself is full of great features including GPS, Wi-Fi® b/g/n, a 5 MP camera with video recording, 512 megabytes of internal memory and a 8GB microSD card.

It’s also our first CDMA device shipping with BlackBerry® 6 software, including the much-anticipated Webkit browser, simplified setup and navigation, universal search, and the new Social Feeds application.

The BlackBerry Style isn’t a touchscreen phone, so how does BlackBerry 6 differ on it versus the BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone?

There’s no question that there are differences, but our user experience team has spent a lot of effort on making BlackBerry6 work effectively on non-touch devices. The biggest difference is in the device navigation — the same functionality is all there on the BlackBerry Style, just with trackpad swipes used instead of touch gestures on the screen. One example is zooming: instead of pinch and zoom on as on the BlackBerry Torch, we use a combination of the alt key and trackpad up and down swipes to zoom in and out.

What do you think will stand out when people first use it?

One thing I hear all the time is the difference between seeing photos and descriptions of the device and actually holding it in your hands. When you see and hold the BlackBerry Style you will immediately notice the elegant, premium design. Once the people start to use the BlackBerry Style smartphone, they will be amazed with the browser and other features of BlackBerry 6 – it’s familiar to longtime BlackBerry smartphone users, but also easy for those who are using a smartphone device for the first time.

As a flip phone, the BlackBerry Style has an interesting form factor. Why was this chosen?

Our market research has shown that there are a lot of people that prefer a flip form factor. They feel most comfortable opening the device to answer a call, and closing to hang up. They also like being able to close the device and know they can put it in their pocket or purse and not have to worry about accidental dialing. Being able to discretely check the external display screen to see incoming messages is also a great feature afforded by the form factor.

Why the name “Style”?

Early on in the program, there was much debate as to which BlackBerry product family this device belongs. As we went along, it became clear that there was no best fit – this is a unique device deserving of its own unique name. Our Brand Messaging team worked through a number of options for the name, and they ultimately chose “Style” to reflect the unique and distinctive nature of the device.

Were there any specific challenges with creating such a unique smartphone?

We wanted the full BlackBerry smartphone experience, which meant a full QWERTY keyboard and all the other functionality, but in a flip design. I think our Industrial Design team did a great job in integrating the full keyboard, camera, and dual LCDs into a solid form factor, especially in making sure the upper flip was as thin and elegant as possible. Another unique challenge with flip phones is to ensure that the flip hinge assembly is robust, and I’m really happy with results of our reliability testing on the hinge. We expect it to hold up well in daily use.

Is there a specific demographic being targeted for the BlackBerry Style smartphone?

We see a market for the BlackBerry Style smartphone amongst both male and female users. The BlackBerry Style is a great smartphone for those who prefer the flip form factor, or who may be trading up to a smartphone for the first time.

What’s your favorite feature of the BlackBerry Style smartphone?

My favorite feature of the BlackBerry Style is the form factor – I love being able to flip a BlackBerry smartphone closed. On the software side, universal search and the new browser in BlackBerry 6 are fantastic – I use them all the time.

Interested? Click here to complete our brief profile survey.

Please note that the BlackBerry Market Research Panel engages in legitimate research studies. To ensure your total privacy, personal information is not included in the study results, and all questionnaire responses are aggregated with the responses from the same survey. The information you provide will be used for research purposes only. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the BlackBerry Market Research Panel technical support.

We look forward to your opinions and feedback!

Check it: J. Reyez is a triple threat! He raps, he beatboxes, and he shoots and edits video. No wonder the community ranked him number one!

How Do You BBM?™ Sponsored by BlackBerry® Mobile

Thanks to everyone that participated. We enjoyed seeing all of the entries come through – from heartwarming stories about staying in touch with loved ones to quirky photos of people’s heads on gooseberry bushes, we loved them all!

Now stop reading this and get back to your BBM-ing!

Back in May, as part of the Twitter for BlackBerry® Beta Update, Sean included the handy shortcuts (hotkeys) to help users speed through the app; however, many of the hotkeys apply only to a full QWERTY keyboard. Luckily, there are shortcuts for us condensed QWERTY keyboard users with BlackBerry® Pearl™ 3G 9100 smartphones (please note that these are shortcuts for the 20-key variant of the condensed keyboard)! Check ‘em out:

Twitter for BlackBerry QWERTY Shortcuts

• ! (reply)
• ? (reply all)
• space (page down)
• . (forward)
• , (compose)
• 5 (refresh)

And the Alt-functions work just the same:

• Alt+0 (home)
• Alt+1 (mentions)
• Alt+2 (lists)
• Alt+3 (profile)
• Alt+4 (inbox)
• Alt+5 (find people)
• Alt+6 (search)
• Alt+7 (popular topics)

Craving more fast-typing tips? Check out Mark’s blog post on shortcuts for condensed QWERTY keyboards.

Since I’m also a huge fan of BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) – perhaps an understatement! – I wanted to share the must-know shortcuts for BBM as well:

BBM Shortcuts for QWERTY Keyboards

In a chat:

• ER (go to top)
• CV (go to bottom)
• QW (reply)

In the Group Picture Carousel:

• BN (next picture)
• OP (previous picture)
• DF (mark as favorite)

Other:

• Space (jump from recent updates to chats to contacts etc)

For even more shortcuts for your BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100 smartphone, check out this article: Keyboard shortcuts for the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 smartphone

Also, stay tuned for shortcuts for the BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 smartphone!

Do you have any other shortcuts for the condensed QWERTY keyboards? Let us know in the comments!

[photo care of Kevin Fung]

Earlier this week Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll and His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip honoured Research In Motion® (RIM) with a visit to our manufacturing facility here in Waterloo, Ontario.

The royal couple was greeted by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, RIM President and Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, local dignitaries and hundreds of cheering admirers. After donning their smocks, the Royal Couple was taken on a tour of the manufacturing facility.

(In case you were wondering, everyone who enters onto RIM’s manufacturing production floor needs to wear an electrostatic discharge smock and footwear to help eliminate potential electrostatic charges that can be carried on clothing – even small electrostatic charges could damage the circuit board used in the BlackBerry® smartphones when they are being manufactured.)

During the tour, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh had the opportunity to see how the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 smartphone is made, and to speak with some RIM employees as well.

When the tour concluded, Mike Lazaridis presented The Queen with a white BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone and The Duke of Edinburgh received a black BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone.

The Queen’s BlackBerry smartphone included a picture of children from the Queen Elizabeth Public School in Kitchener, Ontario. The children were all holding flowers and standing in front of a school sign with the message “Q.E. students welcome the Queen to KW”.

The crowd certainly seemed pleased to see The Queen, and I know RIM employees and executives were excited to be able to host this part of her visit to Canada!