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BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has been dealt another blow by the U.S. government. The U.S. Defense Department recently announced that it is opening its exclusive contract with the company to other device makers, including Apple and Google.

According to Reuters, the Pentagon said it would still use "large numbers" of BlackBerry smartphones but that it was also asking other companies to apply for a government contract to provide software that is capable of monitoring, managing, and enforcing U.S. military security requirements.

A Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters that it was broadening its reach with device … Read more

Research In Motion said today that more than 50 carriers are testing its BlackBerry 10 platform, a critical step to getting its next-generation smartphones in the market next year.

RIM reiterated the company's target of releasing its two BlackBerry 10 smartphones in the first quarter of next year.

Carriers need to test the platform and RIM's products before certifying it for use on their networks, a process known as "Lab Entry." The process, which could take anywhere from a week to several weeks and varies depending on carrier partner, is mandatory for any mobile operating system, … Read more

There might be hope for those who suffer from BlackBerry shame after all.

Once the de rigueur instrument of business communications, Research In Motion's smartphone has taken a beating lately. RIM's market share of mobile traffic has plummeted from 25 percent in September 2011 to just barely 1 percent in July, according to a recent Chitika study. Last month, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer practically declared the BlackBerry dead when she told her employees that she would buy them the smartphone of their choice, as long as it wasn't a BlackBerry.

Now comes word that some BlackBerry owners avoid using their RIM devices in public for fear of humiliation (see CNET's Friday poll on the subject). CBS' Bob Schieffer said he learned of the affliction from The New York Times while studying up on foreign policy to moderate the upcoming presidential debate. … Read more

Has the BlackBerry become the tech equivalent of a pimple?

That was the suggestion in a New York Times article this week quoting a few BlackBerry owners who say their old RIM smartphones have become a point of shame in their daily lives.

Rachel Crosby, a Los Angeles sales rep, told the paper that she goes as far as to hide her BlackBerry from view at parties and conferences for fear clients will judge her for it.

This got us wondering if most BlackBerry users actually feel the same way. … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- BlackBerry becomes a source of shame for users.

- Mental Floss asks: How did the Game Genie work?

- Schools across the country ban Flaming Hot Cheetos.

- Speaking of: 10 things you never knew about Flamin' Hots.

- Newsweek to shut down print edition and go all digital.

- Extra Life: Play games to raise money for local kids.

Bathroom break video: Gold-plated Canon copy machine.

The rep demoed the phone to Mexican site Hola Telcel, which posted a video online. During the clip (below), the rep shows off features of the new BlackBerry 10 operating system like the ability to virtually "rewind" a photo taken with the device to settle on an expression you most prefer.

It's official, BlackBerry 10 developers: RIM has declared open season for BB10 app submissions. A recent post on the company's development blog confirms that RIM is now accepting entries for applications that specifically target the long-anticipated BlackBerry 10 operating system.

The post in question also lays out how to begin the submission process to the BlackBerry storefront as well offering links to the Beta3 Developer SDK, if you'd like to get in on the coding action. In addition, RIM reminds potential developers that any app deemed worthy of the Built for BlackBerry program and earns $1,000 … Read more

The roundtable, hosted by the U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union in its Geneva headquarters, will cover topics such as "potential improvements to existing policy frameworks, entitlement to injunctive reliefs, and definitions of what constitutes a royalty base."

The group hopes to find out how standard essential patents can be enforced without hindering competition and how to make sure licenses can be offered at reasonable terms.

Research In Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook is playing hard to get at several retailers.

The tablet either doesn't appear or is listed as out of stock among several major vendors, including Best Buy, Staples, RadioShack, OfficeMax, and Wal-Mart.

Amazon and OfficeDepot still have stock.

RIM's own online store lists the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB editions as available. But the "Where to buy" drop-down list on its retail page steers you to some of the vendors who are out of stock. The current lineup also is in short supply at retailers in RIM's home base of … Read more