Blackberry is Lying About Security, Are Apple and Android? - http://clapway.com/2016/01/12/blackberry-is-lying-about-security-are-apple-and-android-123/

Blackberry’s major selling point is that their devices and software is safer than all others. There’s a chance that they’re lying, and Apple and Android could be, too. The police in the Netherlands have gotten their hands on some encrypted emails in extra-secure PGP Blackberry phones, and their security and privacy policies are under question.

Blackberry Isn’t As Safe As They Want You to Believe

The findings were made by the Netherlands Forensic Institute. They claim to have gotten their hands on emails from a Blackberry smartphone that had been especially personalized to be extra safe through the use of PGP encryption. According to reports, they were able to access the data.

What Is PGP?

PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy. The program boosts any device’s security and offers encryption and decryption services. This adds some more safety to emails, files and text messages. PGP Blackberry phones are called more secure and sold by online vendors for people who want their emails to be kept safe.

The NFI has not revealed what methods were used to crack the codes, but sources have revealed that the forensics program was developed by private firm CelleBrite.

According to the Canadian company, the only way to crack one of their phones is if the hacker himself has his hands on the device. The Dutch police may just have disproved that statement. Just recently, Blackberry was forced to pull out of Pakistan due to threats from the government to allow them backdoor access to user data. As of July 2015, Blackberry is no longer active in the country.

Blackberry Has Been Busted, But What About Android and Apple?

Apple has been deemed perfectly safe by their users. Although their devices aren’t foolproof, they’re decently safe. Android has gotten mildly average rep for their security since their operations are so open. Many have called their systems vulnerable. Neither company has denied or accepted claims about security.

However, there are competitions designed for hackers to hack into iPhones. It’s an important event because the device is pretty difficult to break into, especially in the latest iOS 9. That being said, you can guess it’s a good bet to take Apple’s word when it comes to device safety. With Blackberry, apparently, not so much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nO8EdLtJj0

Blackberry is Lying About Security, Are Apple and Android?

Blackberry Sells Out, Apple Gets Sued, Microsoft Makes SIMs - http://clapway.com/2016/01/10/blackberry-and-microsoft-vs-apple-cellular-data-123/

The Blackberry Priv makes surprising numbers in sales, and Microsoft brings in their own SIM card. Apple, meanwhile, is getting sued. Turns out there was a feature in iOS9 that may not be beneficial to all customers.

iOS 9 Causes iPhone Users Some Trouble

The latest major update for the iPhone came with a Wi-Fi Assist feature. This feature makes it so your phone switches to using cellular data if Wi-Fi connection is too weak. When people make the upgrade to iOS 9, the feature is automatically installed and turned on.

Apple Sued Over Cellular Data Usage Settings

Most mobile carriers send customers alerts when they’re reaching a certain level of data usage. Sometimes it seems like a harmless notification, but it can be the difference between a $250 bill and one for $2,000. When cellular data is in use, there’s an icon on the status bar that indicates it. Some customers may be negligent and ignore it, but the truth is Apple should have made it a clear option.

Issues with this new feature have taken Apple to court in California. Users are claiming that Apple is not giving customers enough warnings or notifications on this new feature. This has caused significant spikes in many user phone bills. However, as always, there’s a catch. These settings can be adjusted with a single tap. Users can actually choose which applications they want to use cellular data with in case of poor Wi-Fi connectivity.

Meanwhile, Blackberry and Microsoft Soar

Microsoft introduced an app and SIM duo for their Surface Pro tablet series. This comes as a pleasant surprise to those who want to use their tablets on the go. Once users insert a SIM card onto the tablet and install the app, they can use their tablets as well as a phone.

This could be a step closer to getting a purely Microsoft Windows phone. Windows 10 users now have the unique ability to carry their devices around without eating up data from connectivity providers. This will potentially increase Surface tablet sales significantly, and brings in a whole new side to Microsoft to play. The announcement, made at CES 2016, did not detail how or when these SIM cards would be available. They did add that they will start to come built into certain Microsoft machines as of 2016.

Blackberry CEO Slams Apple Over User Data Privacy

Meanwhile, the Blackberry Priv has been selling surprisingly well. The phone has greatly benefited from an Android OS. The phone has since sold out at Best Buy, Walmart and Amazon.

Blackberry CEO John Chen actually took a shot at Apple while basking in the success. Recently, Apple denied a government request to go through user data to find criminal activity in a specific region. This request was denied by Apple. John Chen criticized this move, saying that while Blackberry is known to provide users with utmost security, the safety will not ‘be extended to criminals.’

Blackberry Sells Out, Apple Gets Sued, Microsoft Makes SIMs

Blackberry May Soon Partner With Kia, Google and Mercedes-Benz - http://clapway.com/2016/01/07/blackberry-may-soon-partner-with-kia-google-and-mercedes-benz-123/

Blackberry is moving into new territory after showcasing new software specifically designed for use with self-driving cars at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company has given many statements on its position regarding autonomous driving.

Blackberry is Committed to Improve Autonomous Driving

Analysts are predicting that self-driving cars will be on the roads in the next five years. Blackberry looks to be making early preparations for this. The company has said that the demand for mobile security and security services will only get higher. Wireless networks are going beyond phones and computers. With such a large consumer and industrial population owning these devices, security is a priority.

Hardware proved to be a bad market for Blackberry. However, it is still well respected in regards to security and high margin mobile-management software. The company’s goal is to generate $500 million in revenue from software and services in the current fiscal year, which ends February 29.

The Company Will Release Autonomous Driving Technology in the Second Quarter of 2016

Even though the self-driving and self-driving technology market is still very young, Blackberry is already gearing up. The profit won’t bring a significant difference to the company’s total revenue yet, but it will eventually. California even recently revealed preliminary regulations in regards to the operation of autonomous cars. With the Google self-driving car cruising Californian roads, this is the next logical governmental step before the cars are available to the general public.

Partnerships With Carmakers like Mercedes-Benz and Kia

Blackberry will likely partner up with carmakers like Kia or Mercedes-Benz, who are already manufacturing autonomous cars. A partnership with Google is a little less likely given their competition, but it could also happen. In any case, Blackberry would greatly benefit from partnerships from Kia, Google and Mercedes-Benz. This is on top of the countless other companies developing technology for self-driving cars.

The most relevant issue in terms of self-driving car software is awareness of space. These cars depend on a complicated system of sensors that prevent them from hitting other cars or pedestrians. It also enables them to acknowledge traffic lights and gives them a general assessment of conditions on the road.

The Canadian Company Unveiled Car-to-Car Communication Technology

The Canada-based company unleashed new technology that allows for autonomous cars to communicate with each other to improve traffic flow and prevent accidents. Blackberry detailed the technology in a press release. It adds that Blackberry is also launching software that combines camera and radar data to enhance autonomous car braking and steering.

The new software relies on Blackberry’s QNX operating system. This OS is commonly known for handling in-car infotainment systems. More than 40 car makers currently use this OS. It’s installed customer base will hopefully bring Blackberry new business for autonomous cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY9AzUfSdKU

Blackberry May Soon Partner With Kia, Google and Mercedes-Benz

Blackberry Priv is for the Rich, iPhone 7 is for Show-Offs - http://clapway.com/2015/12/29/blackberry-priv-is-for-the-rich-iphone-7-is-for-show-offs-123/

Blackberry is giving the smartphone world one more try with the Blackberry Priv. According to analysts, they might just make it back in.

The Switch to Android OS Could Save Blackberry

The biggest drawback that faced Blackberry was probably their OS, which excluded Blackberry users from using applications that are universal to both iOS and Android.

With the Blackberry Priv, things could be seeing a change. The smartphone came out on top in rankings for Android phones, for its updated OS and the security that Blackberry is well known for. Security, especially of the cybernetic kind, has become a huge concern for many people and many businesses.

Security Saves the Blackberry Priv

Because of its great security features, it has become an attractive buy for many enterprises. The biggest obstacle the company is facing is the device’s price. With a design courtesy of Samsung and an operating system courtesy of Android, the Blackberry Priv’s price tag is much pricier than its predecessors. With the average price of $699, it’s lined up against the iPhone 6s and Samsung Galaxy S6, though arguably with less perks.

Blackberry Will Release A Cheaper Priv in the Future

Blackberry CEO John Chen has nevertheless declared that the company is working on a cheaper iteration of the phone. This would make it a lot more accessible and boost sales. Blackberry surely needs the numbers if they want to continue being a part of the smartphone industry.

Following up the Priv with another device is a great idea, but it’s too soon to tell if the current Priv will sell enough to merit a follow-up device. Either that, or Blackberry will once again team up with other tech giants like Samsung and Google to find the same kind of elegance at a better price.

Will Blackberry Stay on the Smartphone Market?

It’s still too soon to tell if they will continue to release smartphones in the future. While the hardware is improved, the price is a really big setback for the company, and it could be their downfall. Nevertheless, 2016 will be a very important year for Blackberry’s handset exploits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d0bqe2Z7pI

Blackberry Priv is for the Rich, iPhone 7 is for Show-Offs

Blackberry Kicked Out of Pakistan - http://clapway.com/2015/11/30/blackberry-kicked-out-of-pakistan123/

After rejecting demands from the Pakistan government to have access to the company’s encrypted services, Blackberry has completely shut down in Pakistan. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority has been in talks to get into Blackberry’s backdoor since the beginning of the year, to the point where local carriers were ordered to shut down Blackberry Enterprise Service by November.

Pakistan Telecommunications Authorities Want Access to Emails and BBMs

On being forced out, Blackberry has simply stated that giving in to the Pakistani government’s demands would mean compromising user privacy, and that is just a sacrifice that they are not willing to make. The Pakistan government is looking to be granted all access to encrypted traffic going through Blackberry’s Enterprise Service, including emails and BBM messages. Blackberry, who has a significant market in Pakistan, will simply not comply.

The Pakistan Government Will Not Revise their Demands

It doesn’t look like the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority is backing down, either, given the fact that encryption is under such a watchful eye after Edward Snowden’s WikiLeaks scandal, and even more after the Paris attacks of November 13. This is a natural response, albeit a forceful one. It’s safe to say that Blackberry is choosing to protect their customers as opposed to fueling fire for the government to get into business that is private.

Pakistan is Not Alone in Wanting to Redefine Encryption

Pakistan is also not alone in the effort to cut down encryption, as the US recently shut down laws that make companies able to include backdoors in their software, and the UK is making some changes to their surveillance legislation that may encourage or discourage the use of encrypted services. The turmoil will hopefully soon settle, as the topic of encryption is better defined by companies, better used and better monitored by the people.

Blackberry Kicked Out of Pakistan

Blackberry"s Last Hope is Samsung - http://clapway.com/2015/11/25/blackberrys-last-hope-is-samsung123/

On-line benchmarking device GFXBench has recorded the look of a potential new mobile phone from BlackBerry. The design is identified as STV100-1, and includes a WQHD display, a 15-megapixel camera, and Samsung’s Exynos 7420 chipset as its processor.

Could This Be the Rumored Samsung Galaxy Blackberry?

This would not be the first time that BlackBerry has worked with Samsung on a mobile item. Previously this year BlackBerry announced that it was working with Samsung to produce the SecuTab. This tablet is modeled around the Samsung Galaxy S 10.5 and also features safe applications as well as software ported from BlackBerry’s BB10 OS Samsung Knox and IBM’s app covering modern technology.

Samsung Opening Doors to Other Phone Makers

This would be the first time that Samsung has actually allowed its chipsets to be used in another manufacturer’s mobile phone. Chinese maker Meizu revealed its Pro 5 handset in September with a 5.7 inch Super AMOLED screen, which is Samsung’s name for its OLED screen product with an integrated digitizer, and features the Exynos 7420 processor which rests inside devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 and also S6 Edge.

This Could Be the Last Blackberry Ever to Hit the Market

The Canadian-based producer doesn’t look to be leaving the mobile phone market in the near future, so it needs to be dealing with something in the style labs. There’s little reason why it would not be looking to Samsung for assistance and the continuation of an equally advantageous partnership.

Blackberry"s Last Hope is Samsung

Blackberry Priv is a Swan Song and Nothing More - http://clapway.com/2015/11/06/blackberry-priv-is-a-swan-song-and-nothing-more123/

If the Blackberry Priv doesn’t start flying off the shelves as soon as it hits them this week, this phone may well be Blackberry’s final bow in the smartphone market. The Blackberry takes up less than 1% of global smartphone sales, so it’s fair to say that as things stand, this is the Blackberry smartphone’s swan song.

Blackberry

The Blackberry Priv, though coming at a steep price, hoped to entice businesses with the phone’s new features. It runs on Google’s Android software, so it has wide access to apps and other utilities, and it remains protected by Blackberry’s formidable security features. The phone is also stylish, similar looking to the Samsung Galaxy S4, with a trackpad that doubles as a slide out keyboard. The rest is a touch screen, with an 18 megapixel camera. It also alerts users when apps are accessing location, camera or microphone, like a security push notification.

CEO of Blackberry John Chen himself has admitted that their handhelds have been selling terribly. Blackberry has only managed to sell 800,000 devices in its last quarter, and Chen hopes to bring this number up to five million. But with a starting price of $700 for a sim less Priv, it doesn’t seem very likely that users will jump to the opportunity to swap from their current devices. The same cannot be said for customers looking to upgrade, and if sales don’t increase, Chen claims he’ll pull the device from the market entirely.

Although the company is currently sitting on a fortune of $3 billion, it is unlikely that Blackberry will shut down entirely, but if the Blackberry Priv doesn’t sell well, it’s likely the last smartphone that Blackberry will release.

Blackberry Priv is a Swan Song and Nothing More

#Blackberry announced that it has agreed to acquire #mobilesecurity company #GoodTechnology for $425 million. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/06/blackberry-acquires-good-technology123/

Blackberry announced that it has agreed to acquire mobile security company Good Technology for $425 million. BlackBerry expects the transition to be completed at the end of the company’s 2016 fiscal third quarter.

BlackBerry Acquires Good Technology, Aims to Enhance Security and Mobile Enterprise

Blackberry acquires Good Technology with plans to offer customers the most complete end-to-end solution that secures the entire mobile enterprise across all platforms. Blackberry plans to expand its secure mobility platform, which is supported by a security that has been certified by governments around the world.

With the acquisition, Blackberry hopes to remedy “one of the biggest struggles for CIOs today”: securely managing devices across different platforms.

John Chen, BlackBerry Executive Chairman and CEO stated, By providing even stronger cross-platform capabilities our customers will not have to compromise in their choice of operating systems, deployment models or any level of privacy and security.”

Christy Wyatt, Good Chairman and CEO, maintains the alignment will advance mobile security and flexibility. She states, “We are excited to join BlackBerry, where together we will be the most comprehensive mobile platform in the market. Good has worked hard to deliver the highest levels of security across operating systems and applications. Our trusted Good Solutions will also help BlackBerry to accelerate its Internet of Things platform for managing endpoints beyond mobile devices.”

Will The Good Acquisition Help BlackBerry Gain Back Corporate Customers?

Once the Smartphone of choice among corporations, BlackBerry lost customers to the Iphone and Android due to its lack of available applications and BYOD (bring your own device) options. Through the Good acquisition, BlackBerry refocuses its attention on security, an issue of concern for government, corporations, and general users alike as fears of hacking and cyber terrorism increase.

Blackberry acquires Good Technology with plans to expand its presence with global enterprise and government customers. Good’s customer list includes: more than 6,200 organizations, more than half of the Fortune 100, all of the Fortune 100 commercial banks, aerospace and defense firms, and leaders across healthcare, manufacturing and retail.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD63kwQuZ2I

BlackBerry Acquires Good Technology at $425 Million