black

Only 1 in 8 would consider a BlackBerry 10 device, says poll

RIM may have trouble luring in buyers for its BlackBerry 10 devices, at least based on the results of a new poll.

A healthy 47 percent of consumers were intrigued by certain features found on the new BB10 phones, according to a poll from mobile app developer Bite Interactive. But only 13 percent would consider buying one, and just 1 percent plan to get one right away.

Specifically, one in two of those polled said they definitely would not buy a BB10 device, while one in four said they're unlikely to buy one.

RIM will pull back the curtains … Read more

RIM's BlackBerry 10 launch: Join us Wednesday (live blog)

Research In Motion will finally formally unveil its BlackBerry 10 operating system and the first BlackBerrys running on the platform on Wednesday.

The launch event, which comes after years of delays and half-starts, kicks off at 7 a.m. PT. CNET's Brian Bennett and I will be bringing you the news live from New York, while Sarah Tew will be capturing photos at the event.

You can tune into the live blog here:

CNET's live coverage of RIM's BlackBerrry 10 event on Wednesday

There's a lot riding on the success of BlackBerry 10, which represents a … Read more

RIM superfan keeps faith alive with BlackBerry 10 tattoo

What's likely to trigger more regret 10 years down the road -- a tattooed profile of that special someone who broke your heart and took your favorite records, or a permanent etching of an obsolete operating system that some critics thought was already bordering on irrelevance when it was brand new?

Most of us would probably just opt to skip both options, but not Brian Heffren of Middleton, N.Y. He's chosen to go all in on BlackBerry 10, which launches tomorrow, by getting the new mobile OS logo tattooed on his shoulder forever. Ladies, take note. This is a guy who understands what commitment is all about.… Read more

RIM to live-stream BlackBerry 10 launch tomorrow

Those of you who want to catch RIM's BlackBerry 10 action tomorrow can tune in to a live Webcast.

Scheduled to start at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET tomorrow, the event will run simultaneously in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Dubai, Johannesburg, Jakarta, and Delhi. People who can't make the trip to any of those cities can watch online through RIM's Newsroom page.

CNET will be covering the event, of course. You can follow our live blog with blow-by-blow news, photos, and commentary.

The event will see RIM spotlight its new BlackBerry 10 operating system … Read more

OoVoo app to bring voice and video calls to BlackBerry 10

With the long-awaited unveiling of BlackBerry 10 finally coming later this week, it's no surprise that we are hearing a lot of chatter about app developers planning to bring their work to the new platform. The latest to join the club is OoVoo, the free voice, video, and text-messaging app that has for some time been available on Android and iOS.

Even though it's widely speculated that the BlackBerry 10 OS will come with a new video-chat-capable BlackBerry Messenger app baked in, an app like OoVoo would still be hugely valuable.

BBM would presumably only be good for … Read more

BlackBerry 10 launch: What we know, what we expect

Yes, it's true. After several frustrating delays, Research In Motion is ready to formally pull back the curtain on its next-generation BlackBerry 10 operating system and its first wholly new BlackBerry in a year and a half.

Whether RIM has enough up its sleeves to really wow the public remains to be seen. But there's no question that the company has everything riding on the success of BlackBerry 10. A hit would inject life into RIM and offer proof that it has a place in an industry that it once dominated -- while failure could accelerate a breakup … Read more

BlackBerry Z10 may sell in U.K. starting January 30

While we've known for a while that RIM plans to launch its newest mobile operating system, BlackBerry 10, on January 30, new leaked documents report that the first handset running the OS (dubbed the BlackBerry Z10) may be available for the U.K. market on that same day as well.

According to The Verge, an employee working at Vodafone UK leaked a photo of an in-house memo stating that the carrier will start selling the device at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

The notice also said Vodafone will only sell a black version of the Z10 first, and will … Read more

Porn permitted on Twitter's Vine app

Monday's CNET Update is swinging off the Vine:

In today's tech news roundup, everyone is buzzing about the Vine app -- for a different reason this time. Twitter's overly hyped app for six-second video clips seems to have a porn problem. Users are posting pornographic videos, and Vine permits it. Apple has not yet pulled Vine from the App Store, even though it has a strict policy to ban apps with adult content. Could Apple be making an exception and giving Twitter time to clean up its app?

If you're curious what other video clips are … Read more

Lenovo downplays RIM acquisition rumors

Lenovo has backed away from speculation that it is planning to acquire Research In Motion.

In an interview last week with Bloomberg, Lenovo Chief Financial Officer Wong Mai Ming said that his company is "looking at all opportunities" as it pertains to acquisitions and that a dialogue is open between RIM and Lenovo.

Soon after, the Web erupted with claims that Lenovo and RIM are talking about a buyout.

However, in a statement e-mailed to CNET today, a Lenovo spokesperson said that Wong's comments were taken out of context:

We are aware that Lenovo's CFO...was … Read more

RIM to lower price tiers for BlackBerry apps

BlackBerry users should start to see lower prices for mobile apps, thanks to BlackBerry 10.

To push its upcoming mobile OS, Research In Motion is kicking off a new global pricing plan in its BlackBerry World store.

As described in a RIM blog post yesterday, the new pricing tiers used in the store will incorporate currency exchange rates and value-added tax requirements. The idea is to make sure that app prices stay consistent and competitive across the globe.

The new pricing tiers will first reach the U.K. and Europe, affecting the British pound and euro. RIM promises it will … Read more