Category: Gadgets

This year will define whether or not BlackBerry continues with hardware

The brand is already struggling to return to a smartphone space that is only increasing in competition.

The attempts being made by BlackBerry to return to a level of success in the smartphone hardware business is certainly an ongoing one, but it appears that the company has been fighting an uphill battle.

Analysts from Scotia Capital are now saying that the company will be reaching a “critical juncture” in 2016.

As much as CEO John Chen has insisted that BlackBerry will not be leaving the hardware industry and while a number of highly strategic moves have been made to help ensure that its smartphones will keep heading to store shelves – and into the hands of consumers and business users – the fact is that it is continuing to lose subscribers and money. In fact, just as the analysts made their prediction, the company also revealed that it would be laying off 125 employees in Canada, in addition to 75 workers in Florida who would also be losing their jobs.

The analysts see a number of different strategic options still left for BlackBerry as this year progresses.

Deciding Year for BlackberryThe Scotia Capital analysts said that there are three main strategic options that the Ontario, Canada-based company currently has within its reach. The first would be to step out of hardware while facing a one-time cost that they predict to be around $100 million (USD). The second would be to license its operating system or brand as a whole to another hardware manufacturer. The third would occur if the company’s hardware segment manages to reach profitability this year, in which case it should continue its operations.

A great deal of the decisions that will be made by the company will depend on whether or not its latest smartphone, the Priv slider mobile phone powered by Android, ends up being successful in its sales. Investors have a very close eye on whether or not that key mobile device is managing to appeal to enough consumers to make it worthwhile.

At the same time, BlackBerry has been continuing its evolution as a provider of enterprise software. It could end up spending as much as $1 billion (USD) on the acquisition of companies over the next couple of years and still manage to keep up a net cash balance of $500 million (USD) in that business.

Among the top gadgets for youth is an external battery pack iPad users love

These days, the leading devices have a broad range of form and function to provide.

It feels as though a day can’t go by without another mention of the development of a new miracle gadget, from an external battery pack iPad owners can’t live without, to a mode of transportation small enough to fit into a backpack.

With all the latest technologies, the leading gadgets for youth are more exciting than ever before.

What is possible today, and completely available to today’s teens, and even younger children, are goals that would have been considered entirely out of reach only a handful of years ago. This has brought up the latest generation with an appetite for technology that is nearly insatiable. It’s no wonder something like an external battery pack iPad devices can use to charge more than once is considered to be a vital tool. People simply cannot live without their screens and WiFi connections.

That said, there is a lot more than an external battery pack iPad users need when it comes to top gadgets.

iPad Users - External Battery Pack iPadCheck out some of the latest, hottest gadgets that are appealing to young people right now:

• Creative D100 Portable Bluetooth Speakers – one thing that hasn’t changed is the love that the young generation has for music. It is only the technology used to play it that is different. These speakers allow for a full sound for music and videos, needing four AA batteries for an entirely wireless experience for 25 hours.
• Google Chromecast – this has not just become a new hit but it is now an ongoing one. This provides the opportunity to use a simple stick to stream video on any television with an HDMI port. Suddenly, any TV is a Smart TV.
• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite – this device may not have all the features offered by the Voyage, but it is often considered to be the best device Amazon has released, to date. It is light, durable and it does the trick for a very decent price. Furthermore, reading is easy in virtually any lighting because the screen brightness has been adjusted to perfection. For students, this can make a huge difference.