Tag: blackberry apps

The highly popular BlackBerry Messenger app has finally been released for those mobile device users.

BlackBerry has now announced that the long awaited release of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) for Windows Phone 8 has finally arrived, so those users can begin their downloading of the service so that they will be able to communicate with their friends, family, and work contacts through the mobile app.

The popular instant messenger app has already been a hit on smartphone platforms other than its own.

Earlier this year, BlackBerry released BBM for Android mobile device users and then for Apple’s iOS users, as well. Now, a few months later, the Canadian handset maker is jumping into another platform as it releases the service for Microsoft’s mobile operating system, as well. This is one of a range of different efforts that the company has been making in order to claw its way back to relevance once again, after experiencing one of the largest freefalls ever seen by the mobile sector.

The BBM app for Windows Phone remains in its beta, but it offers the same type of functionality for which it is known.

The beta version of the BlackBerry Messenger app still provides its users with chat, group chat, and even the broadcast functionality that the other versions of the application have to offer. This will allow users to be able to download and use it as it is updated and perfected until its official launch.

The company has also revealed that it intends to provide those users with a larger number of features in the not too distant future. A version two update will come with a range of new features that smartphone owners will be able to use but that are absent in the current version.

The BBM application is only one of a range of high profile mobile apps that have been making their way to the Windows Phone Store over the last few months. Although virtually ignored for quite some time, the Microsoft operating system is starting to draw some attention from important developers. Another recent addition that was seen to this marketplace was Adobe Photoshop Express, which drew considerable media and consumer attention.

BlackbBerry announces its first digital assistant.

The wireless and telecommunication equipment company has unveiled its new mobile technology, Blackberry Assistant, which is its first digital assistant designed to carry out tasks through voice command and the feature could be new competition for Microsoft’s Cortana, Google Now and Apple’s Siri.

The voice-activated personal digital assistant will allow users to perform daily tasks with ease.

Blackberry’s assistant has been developed to perform simple tasks. For instance, it can complete an email search, discover the latest trends on Twitter, send texts and set reminders. In addition it has been designed to adapt to the behavior of the user. Its Bluetooth capabilities enable users to activate and use it without them having to touch it. According to BlackBerry, its assistant recognizes user’s requests with accuracy.

In a blog post, Donni Halliwell, a social media marketing lead and editor for the official Inside BlackBerry blogs, provided details about the many capabilities the assistant will include. Halliwell said that “It is voice activated when I need it to be, and helps manage simple tasks on my device from searching my email and calendar, finding out what’s trending on Twitter, to sending trivia night invitations.” He added that the more he uses it, “the more it learns and adapts” to him and that the more he speaks with it, the “more tuned-in” it becomes to his queries.

Although Halliwell described the mobile technology to be “hands-free” it is unknown whether it can be activated exclusively through voice prompt, as is the case with certain Android smartphones. However, it will work though Bluetooth. That said, just like other digital assistants, users can directly type their requests into the app, if this is their preference.

The mobile technology will be part of the BlackBerry Passport.

Despite the mobile technology appearing to be a step in the right direction for the company, the digital assistant does seem to lack certain capabilities when compared to its competition. Nonetheless, Blackberry Assistant could prove to be quite popular among mobile users. It will ship as part of the BlackBerry 10 smartphone, the square-shaped mobile device which is BlackBerry’s next big release, for which a price or ship date has not been released.