Greetings from #BBLive 2013. Hope you’re all having as much fun as we are. This year’s schedule is definitely keeping us busy – so many can’t-miss sessions. If you haven’t already made your way to the BlackBerry Booth, you’ll want to head over and check it out before you leave.

One of the highlights of the BlackBerry Live conference (the amazing keynote, aside) is the BlackBerry booth in the conference showcase. This year is no exception. We’re showing off the best that BlackBerry has to offer, devices, accessories and even the QNX Bentley show-car and special demo vehicle from our partners on the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team.

I had the chance to check it all out this week at BlackBerry Live, so check out the quick video below and see for yourself:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

You can find more info by following @BlackBerry, @BlackBerry4Biz and @BlackBerryDev on Twitter and as always, stay tuned here for updates and the latest info. Were you attending BlackBerry Live this year? What were your favorite parts of the BlackBerry Booth? Let us know in the comments.

I love accessories. Period! It doesn’t really matter if we’re talking shoes, watches, curtains, throw pillows, or garden gnomes, I love them all and my technology is no exception. I’ve recently started using a BlackBerry Q10 and I have really enjoyed choosing my accessories. I get the feeling everyone else does too. The accessory booth is hopping here at BlackBerry Live with people itching to get their hands on this incredible line up of accessories that have been designed specifically for the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone.

Don’t worry if you weren’t able to join us this year. Head over to www.BlackBerry.com/Q10accessories or your local retailer to pick up these awesome accessories.

What’s the first accessory you’d buy for your BlackBerry Q10?

If you’re anything like me, seeing that ‘R’ in a delivered BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) message is like colour to my eyes (see what I did there?). I am obsessed with knowing that my messages have been delivered, read and when they’re being responded to.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Today, BlackBerry takes BBM to the next level with BBM Channels
extending the BBM experience to brands, artists, businesses and communities, you will now be able to connect with individuals and groups in real time. Stay up to date on your favorite things. Receive timely updates and participate by commenting on, liking and sharing posts. Or choose to express yourself and create a channel of your own – and create, edit & publish in an instant.Starting today, BBM customers can connect and share the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team on their BBM Channels.

Top BBM Channels Features:

• Create a channel – Create, edit and publish in an instant, and there are no limits to the number of followers you can have in your channel. Securely manage your channel from either a BlackBerry smartphone or the web.
• Discover channels – BBM Channels includes a carousel that lets you discover new channels. You can share channel invites within a BBM chat, and people can be added or invited using the channel’s PIN or QR code.
• View – View profiles for each BBM Channel you choose to follow.
• Subscribe – Subscribing to a channel allows the channel owner to send you timely and relevant updates, giving the subscriber instant access to your news, deals, events or whatever you want to communicate. Subscribers can choose to receive notifications when new posts are available.
• Participate – Participate and engage in conversations with your favorite people or communities by “Commenting” and “Liking” posts from channels you subscribe to. Channel owners have the option to directly chat one-on-one with a subscriber.
• Monitor engagement – Easily use built-in measuring tools to assess and monitor follower engagement and interaction

Today, BlackBerry also announced plans to bring BBM to iOS® and Android™ users this summer. BlackBerry expects that iOS and Android users will also be able to experience BBM Channels later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.

BBM with BBM Channels is now available in beta for BlackBerry 10 smartphones, as well as BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry 5 OS through 7.1. For BlackBerry OS customers*, BBM Channels is part of the new BBM version 8, which also offers enhanced navigation tools, with tabbed viewing for quick and easy access to contacts, chats, groups, recent updates and BBM Channels. Furthermore, it allows the option to share your enhanced profile information with BBM contacts or within invitations. The beta releases can be downloaded for free on BlackBerry Beta Zone**. Customers can sign up to BlackBerry Beta Zone for free at www.BlackBerry.com/betazone. For more information about BBM, please visit www.blackberry.com/bbm.

*BBM requires a BlackBerry service plan on BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS.
**BlackBerry Beta Zone is not available in all markets.

Every day, women around the world are helping to lead, transform and innovate in the fields of technology and science. BlackBerry and Alicia Keys want to celebrate these leaders and help encourage young women to explore the opportunities presented in the STEM fields.

This morning, BlackBerry and Alicia Keys have announced the creation of  the BlackBerry Scholars Program, a scholarship program designed to inspire women to enter fields of study that will shape the future of technology and mobile computing.

Starting today, women around the world entering four-year degree programs in accredited colleges and universities in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math with an interest and/or aptitude in the mobile computing space are encouraged to submit their application nominations for scholars for the 2013 school year.

The BlackBerry Scholars Program will provide full, four-year tuition scholarships to outstanding women globally who are seeking degrees at accredited colleges and universities in the areas of STEM with a particular interest or aptitude in the area of mobile computing.  This scholarship program is the first step in BlackBerry’s long-term commitment and multi-tiered strategy to engage young women at every step of their education from high school to college, and as they rise through the workforce.

Applications for the 2013 school year will be accepted online only and will be due by 5pm EDT on June 26, 2013. To learn more about the “BlackBerry Scholars” Program and the nomination and application process, please visit www.BlackBerry.com/scholars .

For more information on other projects that BlackBerry’s Global Creative Director Alicia Keys is working on please visit http://www.BlackBerry.com/KeepMoving.

We’re excited to launch the 2013 BlackBerry #BBLive Contest! Every day during the week of April 22nd at 11 a.m. ET, we will be tweeting a question from  @BlackBerry to give you an opportunity to win* a Full Conference Pass to BlackBerry Live 2013. The conference will be kicking off just over a month from today and will take place in Orlando from May 14-16.

The BlackBerry Live conference is our biggest event of the year, and this year we’re taking it to a whole new level. We launched BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 earlier this year, and BlackBerry Live is the ultimate opportunity for you to get hands on experience with the new platform, connect with the BlackBerry business community and experts, and learn about all the exciting developments ahead.

Stay tuned to @BlackBerry on Twitter and make sure to use the hashtag #BBLive to participate in the contest. In addition, take a look at the BlackBerry Live Session Catalog Preview to start considering which sessions you may want to attend. We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

Follow @BlackBerry for contest updates

Check out the Terms and Conditions to learn more.

*Terms and Conditions apply.

I’ve been seen out in public using my BlackBerry Z10 for a while now, and I’ve noticed a trend with my friends, family, strangers on the street—and really anyone who notices me using my smartphone. Everyone wants to test it out. When I was in New York City last week for the U.S. launch, I was even stopped in a restaurant and asked about it.

Here are the most common reactions and questions when giving my BlackBerry Z10 a test drive:

“Wow. The screen is bigger than I pictured and the device feels comfortable in my hand.”

When people get their hands on my BlackBerry Z10, they almost always mention how natural the peek gesture feels when first learning how to navigate through the device. I think many don’t realize how easy it is to truly use this device with one hand.

“Can I test the Time Shift camera?”

I LOVE showing people this feature in greater detail. Many people are shocked to learn that not only can you shift the image of the person’s face, but also on the larger picture too. A lot of my friends have small children, and the general consensus is the BlackBerry Z10 has the best camera for capturing photos of their wiggly little kids.

“Is BBM Video Chat and screen sharing as seamless to use as I saw during the live launch?”

“It sure is,” is how I respond to this question. I typically call fellow Community Manager, Donny to showcase this one. He’s always good for a screen share that features his dog, George.

“Does the keyboard actually learn how you type?”

I love showing off this feature, primarily because it’s very clear this keyboard is already used to my typing patterns. For example, when typing that I’m laughing I always use “ha ha”. So when I type ‘ha’ the suggestion above the “H” is almost always a repeat of ‘ha’. I like to laugh, what can I say?

“What do you think about having all of your messages in one spot? Is it distracting?”

I think people have seen what the BlackBerry Hub can do, but I’ve started wondering how people feel about having literally every message being listed in one area. Many people don’t realize you can pick and choose which accounts are brought into the BlackBerry Hub. It’s also great to see the look on their faces when they see that you can sort by account too. It’s Always a great crowd pleaser.

These are the reactions and questions I get most.

What are you most excited about with your BlackBerry Z10?

Image by fauxto_digit via flickr creative commons

Movie fans, rejoice – this is a big weekend for you. With all eyes on the Hollywood film industry, where will you be tuning in on Sunday night to see who walks home with an award? (Topical: in case you missed it earlier this week, we talked about which BlackBerry apps we would turn into feature films!)

If I could assign a trophy for “best gadget,” it would undoubtedly go to my new BlackBerry Z10. I’m having so much fun with it, and like a lot of you, I enjoy using my BlackBerry device to BBM, tweet and download apps while I’m watching TV. This Sunday will be no exception. With movies on the brain, I wanted to share great apps, wallpapers and music that play into the glamour of this annual event.

I kicked off the award show weekend early by listening to the Academy Studio Orchestra soundtrack. It includes lots of songs from this year’s Best Picture contenders. Next, I downloaded the Popup for IMDb app for quick access to info on actors, directors and movies. Even a film buff like me gets rusty on her trivia! On Sunday afternoon, I’ll start checking out the trending topics on my Twitter app so I can start taking part in the conversation – from the red carpet to the after-parties.

What will you be doing Sunday night? If you’re looking for new media, check out BlackBerry World before the big event. And don’t forget to leave us a comment to tell us what you found!

Today is a day that many Canadians, especially members of Team BlackBerry, will never forget: The BlackBerry Z10 is now available in Canada. To celebrate this exciting day, Thorsten Heins, CEO of BlackBerry, and Nadir Mohamed, President and CEO of Rogers Communications, sold one of the first BlackBerry Z10 smartphones in North America.

Lucky number one on the Rogers Reservation System, Mr. Harp Dhonsi was among the first Canadians to get his BlackBerry Z10 smartphone today, and he is the only one to purchase his BlackBerry Z10 from the two CEOs.

Rogers Communications isn’t the only Canadian carrier sharing in the BlackBerry Z10 excitement: Bell and Telus have also seen BlackBerry 10 excitement in their stores, as they have also introduced BlackBerry 10 to their customers.

We know there are lots of questions from our friends south of the border and around the world about when they can expect to see the BlackBerry Z10 hit the shelves in their stores. For more information on your country’s availability, be sure to check out Donny’s blog post on BlackBerry 10 pricing and availability.

Will you be among the first in your country to get a BlackBerry Z10? Let us know in the comments.

Yes, we took this photo on a new BlackBerry Z10!

We’re here live at the BlackBerry Experience Fan Events in New York City and Toronto celebrating all things BlackBerry 10. You know just how fantastic we think BlackBerry 10 is; now it’s time for you to tell us what you think! Whether you are on the ground in New York City or Toronto or you have checked it out through our video demos, we want to know your first impression.

So, what are you waiting for? Vote now below!

I picked a great time to start blogging for BlackBerry. The anticipation for BlackBerry 10 has been so exciting for us community managers, and we know how excited you are too! We’ve received a lot of questions about BlackBerry 10 recently, and while I’d love to answer all of them, I focused on the five questions that kept coming up.

Here’s a list of the top five questions for BlackBerry 10:

• Question 1: How will BlackBerry10 make our lives easier? What makes it more user-friendly?
• Answer: I’m lucky enough to have had a lot of hands-on experience with a new BlackBerry 10 device. While it took a little getting used to, I quickly became its biggest fan. There are so many features that make using your smartphone easier; BlackBerry Hub and the peek feature are my new best friends!

• Question 2: What is your favorite feature of BlackBerry 10?
• Answer: I love that BlackBerry 10 is customizable enough for mobile techies, but simple enough for beginners. And BlackBerry Balance allows you to use your BlackBerry 10 device for both. It’s a smartphone you (and your IT manager) will love.

• Question 3: Which BlackBerry device will be available?
• Answer: We’ve showed many videos of the BlackBerry 10 touchscreen devices on the Inside BlackBerry Blog. While we love the touchscreen device, we know BlackBerry fans also love the physical QWERTY keyboard. Rest assured, we will have both versions available in the future. We’ll have more info available on January 30th.

• Question 4: What is the one defining characteristic that truly sets BlackBerry 10 apart?
• Answer: The reengineered operating system, or OS! As Thorsten Heins told the world: We went right back to the drawing board to create BlackBerry 10. BlackBerry 7 OS is a great operating system, but we wanted to bring our customers something brand new. And with BlackBerry 10, we have.

• Question 5: What’s new in BlackBerry 10 that you haven’t told the media yet?
• Answer: Oh, there are more features coming, believe me. And the best place to hear about everything BlackBerry 10 is right here on the Inside BlackBerry Blog.

What’s your burning question about BlackBerry 10? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more answers!

Every BlackBerry 10 detail, update, and feature, as soon as it’s released: BlackBerry.com/BlackBerry10. Test out BlackBerry 10 features hands-on, watch exclusive video interviews with the minds behind BlackBerry 10, and receive product and carrier updates straight to your inbox. Sign up today!