BlackBerry Users Get an App Store

Problem with IM software at fault, RIM urges upgrade

(AP) - BlackBerry email service in North America was restored this morning following its second outage in less than a week. Research In Motion said the root cause of the 8-hour lapse is still under review, but a flaw in two recently released versions of its BlackBerry Messenger instant messaging software appears to be the culprit. RIM has also provided a new version of BlackBerry Messenger (version 5.0.0.57) and is encouraging anyone who downloaded or upgraded the software since Dec. 14 to upgrade to this latest version, which resolves the issue. More»

(NEWSER) - Dell is considering a move into the smartphone business, the Wall Street Journal reports. The computer company has had engineers working on models for more than a year and could launch a competitor to the iPhone or Blackberry as early as next month. CEO Michael Dell also could pull the plug on the project, which remains officially under wraps. More»

Clamshell design updates popular Pearl model

(NEWSER) - Research In Motion rolled out its first Blackberry flip phone at a consumer show last night, CNET reports. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 features the same multimedia features and keyboard as its predecessor in a consumer-friendly clamshell design. The company plans to launch it worldwide this fall, with T-Mobile as the sole US carrier. More»

Smartphone sales double to $1.88B

(NEWSER) - Strong North American sales helped Research in Motion to a 54% fourth quarter earnings increase, despite a global economic slump, reports the Wall Street Journal. The BlackBerry smartphone maker said quarterly sales doubled to $1.88 billion. RIM yesterday also projected first-quarter sales of $2.3 billion, topping analysts' estimates of $2.01 billion. RIM stock rose 4.8% in after-hours trading. More»

RIM warns that it's going to lose money again this quarter

(NEWSER) - Research in Motion shares plummeted almost 8% in pre-market trading today, after the BlackBerry maker warned that it would lose money for the second straight quarter thanks to ever-dwindling sales. Analysts had been slashing their estimates on BlackBerry, but all assumed it would at least be profitable, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company said it was hiring advisers to try to figure out how to turn the company around—or sell parts of it. More»