BlackBerry Curve 9630 OS 7.0.0.224 Found Online

The unreleased devices keep on getting OS updates but now we have unannounced devices getting them at the same time. Ashley pointed out that the BlackBerry Curve 9360 now has OS 7.0.0.244 available. Not much most people can do with this OS but if you guys are looking for one of these prerelease devices let us know.

You can pick up OS 7.0.0.224 for the BlackBerry Curve 9360 @ fileserve.com

Warning: This OS will not install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above and is not an official release.If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry OS please start by reading this step by step guide.Don’t forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in c:program files>common files>research in motion>apploader to install it on a different carriers device. Don’t forget our usual warnings: do not download and install these updates if you don’t know what you’re doing. Incorrect procedure or just bad luck could render your BlackBerry inoperative or unstable.

Via: bbreview

Unimpressed with new BlackBerry phones, analysts cut RIM targets

BGR took hands-on looks at the all new BlackBerry Bold 9900, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 and the BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860 last night, and while we were pleasantly surprised with RIM’s new hardware, several analysts were not impressed. Jefferies & Co.’s Peter Misek and Sterne Agee’s Shaw Wu each cut their price targets on RIM stock Thursday morning, suggesting that the Waterloo, Ontario-based vendor’s BlackBerry 7 phones just aren’t enough to reignite the public’s interest in BlackBerry devices. “Handset shipments will be worse than expected in the November quarter despite the sell-in of new OS 7 handsets,” Misek wrote Thursday in a note to investors. RIM said on Wednesday that the upcoming BlackBerry device releases across more than 225 carriers will be the vendor’s biggest launch ever, but Misek isn’t convinced that the handsets will get enough of a push. ”Preliminary reviews of the handsets cite improved speed but a browsing experience still inferior to Android and iOS. We do not believe carriers will put extensive marketing dollars behind the new handsets,” he wrote. Shaw Wu at Sterne Agee said the devices were “better late than never,” but like Misek, he’s still not convinced the devices will be a hit. Misek cut his price target on RIM stock to $22 from his earlier target of $24, and Wu dropped his target to $23 from $27.

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UBS cuts RIM estimates as company faces steep challenges

UBS analyst Amitabh Passi on Wednesday cut his price target on shares of Research In Motion stock to $30 from a previous target of $41, and reiterated a Neutral rating. Passi stated in his note to investors that RIM is currently facing challenges in the “platform wars” underway between companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft. While the analyst sees the successful launches of RIM’s BlackBerry 7 phones as being important for the Waterloo, Ontario-based vendor in the near term, he says the company’s successful transition to QNX is much more important to RIM strategically. In other words, there’s still hope if BlackBerry 7 devices aren’t a collective home run. In the meantime however, Passi says that UBS’s checks reaffirm RIM’s declining smartphone market share.

“Our store checks also show accelerating market share deterioration for new subscribers during June and July as multiple top-tier Android products have been rolling out and Apple continues to gain market share,” the analyst wrote. As a result, Passi cut his revenue estimates for RIM’s fiscal year to $19.8 billion from $21.1 billion, and he lowered his EPS estimate to $4.82 from $5.81. Also lowered in Passi’s note were his smartphone unit shipments estimate, which dropped to 51.5 million units from 54.9 million, and his estimate for PlayBook shipments, which now sits at 2.5 million units compared to his earlier projection of 3.6 million tablets.

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BGR

Nielsen: Apple top U.S. smartphone vendor, Android top OS in Q2

Android continued on its warpath this past quarter, once again showing gains as it retained its position as top smartphone platform in the United States. Nielsen on Thursday issued its second-quarter smartphone market share data for the U.S., and Android finds itself atop the list again with 39% of the market. IOS remains in the No. 2 spot with 28% and RIM slid to 20% in the second quarter. Windows Mobile and Windows Phone combined to take 9% of the market, while webOS and Palm OS combined to account for just 2% of the market. Nokia’s Symbian OS also held a 2% share in the June quarter. On the list of top vendors last quarter, Apple held its lead by a wide margin with 28% of the total U.S. market. HTC devices accounted for 14% of Android market and 6% of the Windows Phone/Windows Mobile market, making it the nation’s top vendor in both categories and No. 2 overall. Samsung owned 8% of the Android market and 2% of the Windows Phone/Windows Mobile market in the U.S. last quarter, while Motorola topped Samsung’s Android share with 11% to slide into the No. 2 spot among Android device manufacturers.

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BGR

Did RIM lose its BlackBerry software boss just ahead of QNX transition?

BGR has learned that Research In Motion’s head of BlackBerry software may have left the company. Suresh Periyalwar, Senior Vice President of Handheld Software, had been with RIM since April 2001 when he joined as Director of Software Development. He came to the company from Nortel, where he managed CDMA-related development for more than five years. Periyalwar was promoted to SVP at RIM three years ago in May 2008 according to his LinkedIn profile, which still has him listed as a RIM employee. BGR has also learned from a trusted source that several additional key executives have been planning to leave on their own accord. (more

RIM’s stock is down more than 60% from its 12-month high of $70.54, and there is a great deal of unrest at the company’s headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario. BGR exclusively published an open letter from an anonymous senior executive at RIM late last month, which pleaded for the company’s top management to make several strategic changes in order to regain momentum and mind share in the smartphone market. A later expose, also published by BGR, painted a troubling picture of the smartphone vendor that once revolutionized the industry.

If Periyalwar did in fact leave the company as multiple sources have informed BGR, it might not bode well for RIM’s next-generation smartphones. The departure of RIM’s SVP of Handheld Software just ahead of the company’s transition to QNX could imply that the executive did not have confidence in RIM’s brand new platform. On the other hand, Periyalwar may have been pushed out in favor of fresh leadership in its software division ahead of the company’s QNX smartphone launches. RIM declined to confirm or deny the executive’s departure when reached for comment by BGR. Periyalwar could not be reached for comment.

 

BGR

To delete Vendor.xml or not to delete, that is the question

Through the course of many BlackBerry OS announcements here at NHCBBA, many of you have asked about deleting the vendor.xml file. You may have seen it referenced in one of our articles about a carrier releasing an official OS update. You may have come across it several times in the forums. You may be hearing about this file for the first time. The truth is: you only need to delete the file from unofficial updates; that is, updates that are official for a carrier other than your own.

When updating your BlackBerry, oftentimes the first step is to install that Operating System update to your computer. The vendor.xml file is copied to your computer as a part of that process. If you are updating your BlackBerry with the official update supported by your carrier, the information in the vendor.xml file must match similar information in the hardware of your smartphone. If the two don’t match, the update cannot be applied to the phone. This is how the carriers make sure you only load their supported version of the operating system on to your phone.

For the sake of argument, let’s say that Orange in the UK has a BBOS version 6.0.0.999 for my BlackBerry Torch 9800. Since AT&T’s officially supported version is .570 (I think), I wouldn’t mind getting that Orange update. BBOS versions that are supported by a carrier are usually pretty solid. Ah, but that vendor.xml file would prevent me from using it. The file won’t match the hardware on my AT&T Torch. Well then, I’ll have to delete it.

 

That’s right. The only thing standing between you and another carrier’s update is that vendor.xml file. Mind you, if you upgrade to an unofficial OS and later call your carrier’s tech support, the first thing they’ll tell you is to downgrade to the official version. But for many, unofficial updates are a great way to get the latest stable release for their devices.

The only time you’d need to delete vendor.xml is when you’re installing an unofficial update. Official updates have vendor.xml files that already match the hardware on your phone. The update is already official; you won’t need any tinkering to get it to work. The Vendor.xml file on a leaked OS (BBOS versions that are not official for any carrier) is almost always blank. You can delete a blank file, but it won’t change anything.

After installing the unofficial update to your computer, you’ll need to find the vendor.xml file. Depending on whether you have a Mac or a PC or if you run Windows XP or 7, vendor.xml can be in a variety of places. The easiest thing is to search for the file. Likely the file is in a hidden folder, so you’ll need to make sure those are included in your search. Once you’ve found it, feel free to delete. Just make sure you don’t delete any other .xml files.  After that, it’s business as usual.

via:cb

BlackBerry PlayBook OTA Software Loading Error Codes Explained

I’m sure many of you know that updating software doesn’t always work out as smoothly as we’d like it to, whether it’s from personal experience or you’ve seen someone else run into some issues. Like any device, software or platform, the BlackBerry PlayBook can also run into issues while updating its software. If you’ve had a problem loading the software on your PlayBook you probably got an error code but had no idea what it meant. Thanks to KB26732 in the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center, we now have descriptions for a bunch of those error codes.

Check out the full chart of error codes with their descriptions and some comments below!

Official OS 6.0.0.576 for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 & Curve 9300

Following the other releases by AVEA Turkey we now have some more official OSs that leaked earlier this month courtesy of AVEA Turkey spotted by N4BB

. This update is slightly higher at OS 6.0.0.576 and is available for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and BlackBerry Curve 9300. We don’t really know what is new in these updates but you can pick them up below:

• Download BlackBerry Bold 9700 OS 6.0.0.576 Fixed link – Thanks Bla1ze!
• Download BlackBerry Curve 9300 OS 6.0.0.576

Warning: This OS will not install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above. Don’t forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in c:program files>common files>research in motion>apploader to install it on a different carriers device. If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry OS please start by reading this step by step guide.

Official OS 6.0.0.570 for the BlackBerry 9780, 9800, 9100 and 9105 released by AVEA Turkey

Although all of these OS’ were previously leaked, it’s pretty awesome that AVEA just unleashed them all at once for everyone who either may not have had a chance to grab them yet or prefers to stick to official OS releases from a carrier. OS 6.0.0.570 is now available for the BlackBerryBold 9780, BlackBerry Torch 9800 and finally, the BlackBerry Pearl 3G (9100/9105). If you’re not on AVEA just remember to delete the vendor.xml file before installing and you’ll be good to go. 

Download OS 6.0.0.570 For the BlackBerry Bold 9780
Download OS 6.0.0.570 For the BlackBerry Torch 9800
Download OS 6.0.0.570 For the BlackBerry Pearl 3G

via:cb

Iconorific Apps Suite Gives You Quick Access to Key Smartphone Stats

Iconorific is a suite of apps that gives you the data you want to see on your homescreen at a glance. There is no setup for these apps and they display relevant information on the icon itself. Examples of some Iconorific apps include Data Meter, Monthly Data Icon, Monthly Minutes Icon and Talk Meter Icon. Whether you travel a lot or just want to keep a close eye on your device, these apps can help you out.

Check out the suite of Iconorific apps in App World at this link.[qrcode pix=170]http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/vendor/4952?lang=en[/qrcode]

via:bbcool