Our booth at BlackBerry World™ 2012 featured an experiential home setup to showcase some cool upcoming accessories that help you get the most out of your BlackBerry devices around the house. I took some time to walk through the booth and test drive them for you. Here’s an inside look:
Although the BlackBerry World 2012 keynote presentation is always a big highlight, there’s a lot more going on at the show. Each day is filled with panels, breakout sessions and guest speakers. This year, Spencer West of Free the Children spoke to attendees and shared lessons he’s learned along his inspirational journey.
Spencer is a fascinating guy. Yes, he’s a diehard BlackBerry smartphone user, but he’s also an accomplished speaker. A university graduate. A natural prankster. A former cheerleader. And a young man without legs who refuses to let that stop him from redefining possible. I had the chance to sit down with Spencer at the show and ask him a few questions. Take a look – I’m sure you’ll be as impressed as we are:
It wasn’t all music and photos on stage at the BlackBerry World™ 2012 keynote – gaming was also a huge theme. As a gamer myself, I couldn’t have been more excited to see what Fishlabs have up their sleeves for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Gamers know that graphics and deeply integrated play are must-have game features – looks like Galaxy on Fire HD has it all.
Watch Fishlabs CEO Michael Schade PlayBook demo Galaxy on Fire HD here:
Onstage during the BlackBerry World™ 2012 keynote, we asked a few developer partners to join us and show off what they’re working on for the BlackBerry® 10 platform. Photography buffs, check this out – Occipital used their Panorama app onstage to take a full panoramic shot of the keynote audience. Now that is one good-looking group of people.
Here’s the video of the live Occipital Panorama demo:
Yesterday during the BlackBerry World™ 2012 keynote, we got a chance to see some really cool apps that are already in the works using some of the BlackBerry 10 developer tools announced this week. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one in particular so I can get my beat-match on!
Check out Pacemaker DJ in this video clip:
For all of you out there keeping tabs on BlackBerry World™ 2012 news, we’ve already seen a few apps launch this week. I’ve been able to get my hands on a few of them (including the fantastic Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light!), but if you travel a lot like me, then I have a solid recommendation for you: MyCityWay for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. It’s a free download in BlackBerry App World™, and it’s a great app if you’re into exploring. MyCityWay is way more than a simple city guide — this is a concierge-type service offering real-time updates and a deeper look into the urban scene.
MyCityWay features a customizable hub that gives you the information you want and need and a little special sauce that makes this app alive as the cities themselves. Oh yeah, and as you can see, it looks hot.
The app currently features four cities: New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, and Austin. And we’ve been told by the developer that they have plans to launch many more cities in the coming months.
Make sure you download the free MyCityWay app, and tell us what you think of it in the comments below!
Earlier today, I had the pleasure of being in the crowd as Thorsten Heins delighted BlackBerry World attendees on stage during his first keynote as CEO of Research In Motion.
Touting a strong foundation of people who rely on BlackBerry to help them achieve success, Heins and some very special partners outlined a laser-focused vision for RIM’s future– including a sneak peek into BlackBerry 10 software and beyond. There’s a lot to squeeze in, so check out the highlights below.
Why BlackBerry Delivers Unique Value
[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]
For more than 77 million people across the globe, BlackBerry helps you succeed. CEO Thorsten Heins has spent a lot of time talking to BlackBerry customers and partners. You’ve told him that we empower you to be more successful. You can respond faster with BlackBerry. You can stay ahead with BlackBerry. You use BlackBerry to take care of your business – personal or professional – on your own terms. “This is the core of BlackBerry,” he said on stage today. BlackBerry gives you back time. And “if you give people time, it’s incredible what they can do with it.”
On top of the exciting glimpse at BlackBerry 10 software, Thorsten took some time to showcase the power of the BlackBerry 10 platform with a mobile connected car:
[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]
Salesforce.com® / Cisco®
Thorsten welcomed Clarence So, Senior Vice President, Strategy at Salesforce.com and Chuck Robbins, Cisco’s Senior Vice President of the Americas to join him onstage to discuss success, mobile strategy and security. Later on, others from the RIM leadership team stepped in front of the audience to talk about apps, enterprise-class solutions and where we’re headed. For all the details, swing by the Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog.
So there you have it: our quick recap of the BlackBerry World 2012 keynote. Did you catch the online webcast? Were you there in person? Share your thoughts on what’s next for BlackBerry in the comments below.
RIM CEO Thorsten Heins gave BlackBerry World™ attendees a very special sneak peek into some of what we’re building for BlackBerry 10’s software — live and onstage. Check out this series of videos and get a little taste of BlackBerry 10 in progress.
Perfect flow of information
[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]
Incredibly fast keyboard
[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]
Never miss a moment
[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]
There you have it! Which feature are you most excited for?
(Originally posted on the Inside BlackBerry Developer’s Blog)
We are thrilled to provide every developer who attends BlackBerry® 10 Jam a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device. This is a prototype device created for the purpose of testing BlackBerry 10 applications during development. Did I mention it’s a prototype? The BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha is not a BlackBerry 10 smartphone for end users nor does it run the final BlackBerry 10 software – it’s been created just for our developer partners to help them prepare for the launch of BlackBerry 10.
The BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha has a 4.2″ screen with a resolution of 1280×768. It has Micro USB for debugging and charging. It has a Micro HDMI port for displaying video on a television or monitor with a HDMI port. It has Bluetooth and WiFi radios and is cellular ready (micro SIM).
It’s important to get this prototype into the hands of our partners now so that you can help us deliver the type of high-quality content that will make BlackBerry 10 so special. With the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha, you can test your apps on real hardware to work out interface, ergonomic and usability issues. This device is also a show of our commitment to helping developers build engaging apps for BlackBerry 10. Developers have told us they wanted hardware to test on before the platform launches and we are delivering.
Later, we’ll be posting interviews with some of our partners so you can hear first-hand what it’s like to build for BlackBerry 10
We’re all incredibly excited to be able to share the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha with you. We can’t wait to see the amazing things you’ll build for BlackBerry 10!
Wow. Amazing. Just moments ago, BlackBerry World™ attendees saw RIM CEO Thorsten Heins share some of what we’re building for BlackBerry 10 software, and now we’re sharing it with you, #TeamBlackBerry. How does it look? Well, let’s just say, the sneak peek received a huge reaction from the crowd at the keynote. But don’t take my word for it: See for yourself in the video below.
[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]
For those of us in the room, Thorsten explained that for BlackBerry 10, “it’s all about the flow.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Like what you see? Tell us below, and be sure to share your excitement on Twitter #BlackBerry10, #bbwc and Facebook.
