Onstage at BlackBerry Live 2013, Thorsten Heins said “No one makes keyboards better than BlackBerry.” This could be true whether you opt for the BlackBerry Q10 with a physical QWERTY keyboard, or the BlackBerry Z10 with an innovative onscreen keyboard.

Each keyboard design has its own unique advantages, and each has its own set of fans. So, which camp are you in? Are you all about the accuracy of the physical keyboard, or do you prefer the versatility of the virtual keyboard? I’ll highlight a few of the differences below, but I want to hear about what you think about the two and why your fav is better.

Physical:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

For those of you who just need to have a physical keyboard, the BlackBerry Q10 is designed to offer an unmatched typing experience. Now, you can pick one up in the U.S. and in many other regions around the world. The physical keyboard offers fast action and precise control over your typing. As I mentioned in an earlier post about the industrial design of the device, each key has been crafted with typing mechanics and ergonomics in mind. With the physical keyboard you can build in shortcuts and with software like Instant Action on BlackBerry 10 the keyboard can help you navigate through your phone with ease and fluidity.

Virtual:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

The BlackBerry Z10 has a dynamic touchscreen that is large and perfect for viewing entertainment and browsing the web. This extra screen real-estate means that there are no physical keys to type on, so a keyboard is presented on the touchscreen when input is needed. The BlackBerry 10 virtual keyboard definitely brings some innovative features including in-letter next word suggestion and shortcuts like “swipe left to delete”, which lets you quickly delete the last word you were typing with a gesture.

I still haven’t decided which side I’m on, so I find myself switching back and forth. But this isn’t about me – it’s about what you prefer, so sound off in the comments below with your thoughts and opinions on physical keyboard or virtual keyboard.

Mobile Computing is at risk of becoming the buzz-word of the year, but no one seems to be exactly clear on what it is and more importantly what it means for consumers, enterprises, carriers, partners, and anyone involved in the mobile ecosystem. There’s an incredible opportunity for this space to be defined, and today we’re introducing a solution that begins to do just that.

Here at the Telematics Detroit Conference, we’ve unveiled a solution for automakers that lets them easily manage and securely download software updates to a vehicle. The Software Update Management for Automotive service leverages BlackBerry’s global, secure infrastructure.

Vehicles hold a lot of digital information needed to operate efficiently, and come with sophisticated in-vehicle infotainment systems, apps, media centers, and more. Automakers want to be able to deliver software updates that can offer new, compelling capabilities to their customers, long after the initial sale. With vehicles becoming connected end points, the opportunity is wireless. A secure connection to end points such as this, enabled by BlackBerry technology, will help automakers connect with customers and allow them to bring new features, and potentially diagnose problems remotely.

The development of OTA services is part of BlackBerry’s broader mobile computing strategy. BlackBerry is providing the foundation for a new era of mobile computing by connecting mobile end points securely and creating opportunities for community building, connecting, and sharing.

Personally, I couldn’t be more excited by where this is all going. I’ve become convinced of a very bright future in the form of mobile computing and dramatically increased connectivity to the devices and machines that we use.

To learn more about the BlackBerry solution demonstrated at the Telematics Detroit Conference, head over to www.blackberry.com/m2m.

Use your imagination! What would you like to see in the future of connected end points that would make your life easier, safer, or more enjoyable? Share in the comments below.

The youth of South Africa has once again independently voted BlackBerry as the ‘Coolest Brand Overall’ in the Sunday Times Generation Next 2013 Brand Survey Awards. Young voters also named BlackBerry the ‘Coolest Cellphone’ and voted BBM™ as the ‘Coolest Cellphone App’ for the third year running.

BlackBerry 10 launch

These accolades are a remarkable achievement for the BlackBerry team in South Africa, and shows there is plenty of momentum as we transition to BlackBerry 10.

Even in the face of growing competition, we’re still number one in South Africa. In fact, we have been the leading smartphone brand in South Africa for over 28 months, according to GfK Retail & Technology (March 2013).

Though BlackBerry 7 remains popular among the youth, we are seeing many of our young customers aspire to the new BlackBerry 10 platform. BlackBerry 10 is not only providing a whole new experience, but more choice for South African customers. We’re expecting the upcoming launch of the BlackBerry Q5 to be very popular in South Africa.

BlackBerry 10 builds on many of the strengths that made earlier BlackBerry platforms so popular with the youth .For example, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), which enables users to share text and voice messages, pictures and video clips – provides an even richer experience on BlackBerry 10 as it includes video chat, and introduces the ability to share your screen with other BlackBerry 10 contacts.

Engaging the youth

Alexandra Zagury, Managing Director for South and Southern Africa at BlackBerry says:

“We are delighted that BlackBerry is the coolest brand for the third year in a row and sincerely thank our young fans for their loyalty and support. Smartphones are a lifestyle choice in the youth market, so BlackBerry focuses on designing cool and stylish handhelds that are also packed with excellent features that keep young people engaged and connected, such as BlackBerry Messenger, social networking and plenty of apps.”

“Success in the youth market is not about selling products, it’s about sincere engagement with your audience. Young people want a relationship with the brands that they love and BlackBerry gives South Africa’s mobile and hyper-connected youth the tools to communicate and co-create with the world around them.”

Pictured above: BlackBerry® Youth Campus event

Best Buddies

We have invested in building a genuine relationship with the youth market in South Africa – for example, we launched the BlackBerry Buddies campaign in 2012 to help South African BlackBerry customers to get the most from their smartphones.

We also focus on direct engagement with the youth through campus events, campus ambassadors, secret gigs, extensive advertising and competitions.

Since it launched in market, BlackBerry has established its brand in the youth market, which is strongly associated with mobile cool. Young BlackBerry customers are important to our business and we continue to work hard to bring services and products that are relevant to young users to market.

My first BlackBerry Live conference, and I’m definitely inspired. I’m in the enviable position of having recently joined in the company of a brand with a groundbreaking product platform, a disruptive marketing organization, a stellar social media team, and a global top 10 social fan base — ~32MM followers and fans that are not only rooting for our success in a volatile category, but have armed themselves as ambassadors for our cause.

Say no more than a recent tweet by world champion cyclist Mark Cavendish “Got an hour to relax, so playing around with my BlackBerry Z10. This phone is a monster! I love it! And no, this ISN’T a commercial tweet.”

Got an hour to relax, so playing around with my BlackBerry Z10. This phone is a monster! I love it! And no, this ISN’T a commercial tweet.

— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) May 9, 2013

But there’s an even more specific reason it’s so thrilling to be here at this point in time. Humility and Ambition. BlackBerry has a mega-challenge ahead of it driving adoption of BlackBerry 10, but the organization is humble enough to recognize what we’re doing wrong, curious enough to learn what we don’t know, and ambitious enough to make it right.

Ambition is at the core of the BlackBerry brand. And it’s who BlackBerry customers are — multi-taskers, fast-moving and ambitious. We’re balancing family, friends and professional lives, we’re ‘up to stuff’ in our day-to-day lives, work or play, we’re always on-the-go. More than just a tag line, ‘Keep Moving’ is a promise to support our customers in achieving their ambitions. Be it a personal ambition of climbing Kilimanjaro, spending more time with your kids, or a career goal to build the most social brand ever (yep, that’s mine), our role as the social team is to provide you with what you need to achieve your ambitions. Social Media is integral to what we do at BlackBerry, because while we’re mobile from the ground up, our device is social at its core too — connecting you to the people and information you need to keep moving. Our social marketing needs to reflect that ethos, to behave in the same way our product does, and it’s our commitment to bring you the social connections, experiences, content and even insights you need, to get where you’re going.

More than lip service, we made some announcements that support just this focus at BlackBerry Live this week. Alicia Keys announced the BlackBerry Scholars Program, a four-year scholarship fund to support young women in achieving their ambitions to make a mark on the world, while encouraging women to embrace careers in technology. Our newly announced Keep Moving Projects turns the celebrity endorsement model on its head. Rather than paying artists or celebrities to say what we want them to say about our brand, we’re asking artists to approach us with projects they want to do, and we’re asking them how we can support them in achieving their goals and ambitions. We know we’re going to get more authentic content and experiences this way, people who want to work with us and engage with our product for the right reasons.

Stay tuned for mobile social developments in this space. So glad to be here, and working for you and together with you, be sure to let us know what you’re up to in your lives, and what we can do to keep you moving. We’d love to learn more.

Catch his take on some of the best announcements and the showing of strength from the BlackBerry leadership team. Watch the brief video below for all the details:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Let us know if you have any questions for Jeff in the comments below. For those of you perplexed by the “tie you to a chair” reference — check out this video from early on in the BlackBerry 10 marketing days where Jeff and I show off some features in a fun way. Thanks for being a good sport, Jeff!

For those of you who’ve missed it, we captured all of the action and have broken it up into short segments for you to watch. Aman Bhalla, Product Manager for the new BlackBerry Q5 stopped by the studio to show us all around the fun and youthful new device. Check it out in the video below

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Have you got questions for Aman? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll work to get them answered.

I was fortunate enough to have some time to chat with Lewis about how he’ll be using BBM Channels to connect with his fans and the source of his ambition and drive for greatness. Check out my brief video interview with him below:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

In the interview Lewis talked about how the team is always looking forward to new technologies in social media that allow them to connect to their fans. Fans are a big source of inspiration and with BBM channels, he’ll be able to connect with them in a new and highly engaged way.

BBM Channels allows individuals and groups to create a dedicated channel and share information and updates with the immediacy that BBM offers. BBM customers around the world will be able to connect and share information, broadcast about themselves to their channel, or join their favorite communities and share their experiences of the channel with their BBM contacts.

I then had the chance to talk with Nick Fry about synergies between the BlackBerry and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS brands and how to manage a large team in mission critical operations. BlackBerry is helping the team harness the power of every individual on the team, something that Fry says is essential.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

How will you connect with the brands and celebrities you’re passionate about on BBM Channels? Let us know your thoughts below and be sure to check out the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team BBM channel.

The BlackBerry Keyboard

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Outstanding Design, Specs and Features

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

BBM Video and Screen Share

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

BlackBerry Remember for Photos, Videos, Web Links and More!

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

There you have it for your viewing pleasure, the BlackBerry Q10 in fine fashion. Let us know which of the above are your favorite features? Or, if you’ve got a fav’ that we missed, tip us below.

BlackBerry COO, Kristian Tear speaks at the BlackBerry 10 launch in Mexico

Since January 30th we’ve launched BlackBerry 10 in a number of regions all around the world. One of the top questions I’m getting online is “When can I get my hands on a shiny new BlackBerry 10 device?” Well – if you haven’t already, your first step should be to register here for the latest updates in your region. Your next step is to keep reading!

To help keep you looped in, I’ve decided to compile a list of where and when you can purchase your very own BlackBerry 10 smartphone. With more and more markets launching each week, I’ll be sure to update you with new information, as it becomes available. As soon as we confirm dates with our carriers and are ready to announce them you’ll be able to find them here. We can’t wait to welcome new BlackBerry 10 owners from around the world.

BlackBerry 10 is available for purchase in the following countries:

As of March 26, 2013 the complete list now includes:

• Australia
• Austria
• Bahrain
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Dominican Republic
• Egypt
• France
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• India
• Indonesia
• Iraq
• Ireland
• Italy
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• Nigeria
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Poland
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia (KSA)
• Singapore
• South Africa
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• UK
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• United States

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

The rollout is continuing with a number of other countries planning to release the BlackBerry Z10 in the near future. Stay tuned for future launch dates in regions around the world.

Have you picked up your BlackBerry 10 smartphone? Share your favorite features with us in the comments below.

The modern BlackBerry device user is faced with a very difficult decision: selecting the perfect photo to become their BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) avatar. Sure, it seems easy. The Time Shift Camera on the BlackBerry Z10 is perfect for grabbing that perfect new selfie. For those of you who aren’t shutterbugs, there’s always that family member who constantly sends you awkward photos from the last get-together, and the Facebook app is your gateway to even more options. With all these options, why is choosing one photo so hard?

I toyed with the idea of uploading a photo of myself for quite some time. On the one hand, it would allow my friends to feel like they could really connect with me, since they would see my face as they typed. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure if a solo shot looked self-aggrandizing. So, I scanned through my contact list to see what avatars my friends, family and colleagues chose. The results were fairly consistent – roughly the same number of professional headshots, fun party photos, images of children and loved ones, and cool products/gadgets that people wanted to buy.

But what is the message you want to convey with your avatar? Of course, it’s not just an image you’re uploading; it’s a way to set the stage for your conversations. Team BlackBerry, tell us: how did you choose your BBM Avatar?

* Image has been altered to remove BBM screen names