Shawn the Sheep Stickers now available for BBM

Aardman Animations has finally released their Shawn the Sheep stickers for BBM! This sticker pack will run you $1.99 for all of their stickers. Shawn is the star of the Wallace and Gromit spinoff. Seeing these stickers come out, I just can't wait to see what others will appear in the BBM Shop. What would you like to see in the BBM Shop?? Let us know in the comments.

BBM 2.1 with Sticker Shop now available for BlackBerry, iPhone and Android devices

The latest version of BBM is rolling out across BlackBerry, iPhone and Android devices. BBM 2.1 brings with it BBM Stickers as well as some new features like pictures in multi-person chats and larger file transfers of up to 16MB.

The stickers will be available in both free and paid packs through the integrated BBM Shop. Packs will contain between 20-25 stickers and will be for brands like Shaun the Sheep and WWE.

Press Release
BBM Chats Just Got More Fun with the Introduction of Stickers
Multi-Person Photo Sharing and Larger File Transfers Round Out New Features
Waterloo, ON - BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in mobile communications, today announced an update of BBM™, a leading mobile messaging platform for private and secure communications, that allows customers to further personalize and enhance their chat experiences.
Available for download later today from the respective app stores for the Android™, BlackBerry® and iOS® platforms, BBM will now offer stickers – larger, bolder and more expressive images than emoticons – that BBM users can add to their BBM chats. Customers will be able to purchase and download sticker packs from the new BBM Shop found in BBM.
“Stickers are another great example of how we’re making the BBM experience more engaging and fun for our customers,” said David Proulx, Senior Director, BBM at BlackBerry. “Stickers let you personalize your chats and strike the right chord with people around the world who rely on stickers in chats when they connect with colleagues, family, friends, peers and partners.”
BBM customers will be able to download a variety of sticker packs right inside BBM from the BBM Shop. Each sticker pack contains between 20 and 25 stickers and features content developed by talented artists or relating to a theme or a character like CosCat, Gilbert’s Tales or Bubble Bot, as well as sticker packs featuring content from popular brands including Shaun the Sheep and WWE. To start, sticker packs will either be offered for free, or cost US $1.99, or an approximate equivalent amount in the local currency, and will be billed through the device’s app store.
With WrestleMania 30 just around the corner, WWE is planning to give away a free sticker pack to its fans through BBM. In addition, a free sticker pack created by BlackBerry featuring favorite BBM emoticons will be available to all BBM customers that download the new update. BlackBerry plans to add new sticker packs on a regular basis.
In addition to stickers, BBM customers can now easily share photos in multi-person chats*. Photos will be delivered in the chat as a thumbnail that can be opened to reveal the image in full size. BBM customers can also now send higher quality photos, videos and presentations thanks to larger in-chat file transfers. Files up to 16MB can now be shared in a chat, an increase of 10MB.**

Coming next to BBM: Stickers

With quite a big update to BBM on BlackBerry, Android and iOS recently, BlackBerry is working hard to bring more new features to BBM. What's next? BBM Stickers. Bigger and better than your regular emoticons, making your BBM conversations even more interesting. They will be available to download in packs via a BBM Shop that will be coming soon.

BBM Stickers will take the form of characters, themes and will be available in packs of 20-25 stickers. Some of your favorite emoticons will also be turned in to stickers too.

BBM Stickers will go into limited beta, so watch your inbox for any invites. As we get more information we'll keep you posted. The BBM Shop sounds very interesting and is said to be available right from inside BBM.

http://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/02/bbm-stickers-beta/

BBM for Android Gingerbread available now!

The BBM team has officially announced added support for Android device running Gingerbread OS. In a blog post this afternoon, Jeff Gadway announced the move as a way to get more people on board the messaging app, “With 21 per cent of the global Android user base running on Gingerbread, we're excited to welcome lots of new users into the BBM community.”

If you're using a Gingerbread device, drop us a comment below and let us know if it has all the featured on par with the other BBM for Android app or not.

Download BBM for Android from Google Play

Android and iOS users finally get the goods as BBM 2.0 has arrived.

Android and iOS users finally get the goods as BBM 2.0 has arrived. Starting later today, BlackBerry, iPhone and Android users will be able to download an updated BBM that includes BBM Channels, BBM Voice, local sharing with Glympse, Dropbox integration and much more. The update will bring things up to speed with the native BBM app on BlackBerry and make for some happy cross-platform users.

We'll have plenty more on this one soon so stay tuned — in the meantime, check out the full press release below.

Press Release
BBM Voice and BBM Channels Now Available for Android and iPhone Customers
New features also include simple file and photo sharing, location sharing, over 100 new emoticons and Dropbox integration for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry Smartphones

WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - February 13, 2014) - A new version of BBM™ will be available later today for Android™, iPhone and BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY)(TSX: BB) customers, giving them lots of exciting new features. Android and iPhone customers will now be able to make free voice calls to BBM contacts over a Wi-Fi® or data connection with BBM Voice(i), as well as access BBM Channels. In addition, BBM customers on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry(ii) smartphones will have more to chat about with fast one-click sharing of photos, documents, voice notes and more. BBM customers will also be able to share their live location for a specified amount of time with other BBM contacts by using location sharing, powered by Glympse, and will have 100 new emoticons available to help them say what's on their mind.

"BBM continues to deliver new functionality as a premier messaging platform that provides a simple and effective way to stay connected. Today's announcement gives Android and iPhone customers the rich experience of BBM Voice and BBM Channels - two great ways to connect with friends, family and colleagues, to build out communities around shared interests, and to follow your favorite people and brands," said John Sims, President, Global Enterprise Solutions at BlackBerry. "BBM continues to quickly evolve as a social mobile platform for consumers as well as for business customers through innovative features that give you great new ways to connect and share with each other."

BBM Channels

BBM Channels lets customers chat with other BBM users about topics that interest them. Customers can join channels about a range of topics from products, hobbies and sports to entertainment, fashion, cars and more. Channels can be created by brands, businesses and BBM customers alike and are a great way to communicate directly and immediately with people who share common interests in the broader BBM community.

By posting to their channel, channel owners immediately reach their subscribers with a message that can spark discussions. "Scheduled chat hours" allow BBM customers to have live chats with the channel owner - a great way to engage directly with their favorite channels one on one.

BBM Channels maintains the BBM core values of immediacy, privacy and control. Because BBM Channels live right inside BBM, BBM customers get notified the moment one of the channels they follow has a new post, or when someone responds to their comments.

With BBM Channels, customers can engage with brands or other customers without having to add them to their contact lists, thereby maintaining a high level of privacy. With BBM Channels, customers have the discretion to opt in only to channel brands that are relevant to them and always have control over the channels they subscribe to, while channel owners have control over how subscribers interact with their channel.

For brands and businesses, BBM Channels provides a new way to interact and connect with a highly engaged and targeted mobile audience. There are thousands of brands already using BBM Channels to engage with their customers. More on BBM Channels:

Open, yet private. Channel owners control the conversation on their channels. Channel owners can choose to: allow subscribers to comment on posts freely or to approve them first; let subscribers chat with them directly anytime, or set chat hours; they can interact with subscribers without ever giving out personal details, or adding them as a personal BBM Contact. And with private channels, channel owners can keep in touch with closer circles on an invite-only basis.
Channel reporting. Each channel has its own performance dashboard built right in. Channel owners can see stats on how subscribers are engaging with their channel, how many people have viewed each post and how the subscriber base is growing.
It's fast and easy. Start a channel right from a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android smartphone. It only takes a few minutes to set up a BBM Channel and once it is set up, posting to it is as simple as choosing a photo and adding a short message
Location Sharing

With location sharing powered by Glympse, customers can now share their real-time location with one or several BBM contacts for a specified amount of time - perfect for when people are running late, out with friends and more. BBM puts control in the customers' hands, allowing them to specify how long they want to share their location for, by setting a timer. When the timer runs out the customers' location becomes private again.

Dropbox Support

Built-in support for Dropbox™ makes it easy to send large files like presentations and videos. With Dropbox built in to BBM, you can send a file from your personal cloud directly to a BBM contact. On the receiving end, you can save the file directly to your smartphone or add it to your Dropbox account.

Emoticons

BBM customers have been asking for more emoticons, and now more than 100 new emoticons have been added to help you express yourself. Many of the new emoticons came from ideas submitted by customers!

BBM continues to connect friends, family and colleagues across a myriad of mobile networks, as the standard for mobile instant messaging with a fast, reliable, and engaging experience that puts control of privacy and personal information back in the customers' hands.

BBM for iPhone and Android updated with feature to Find Friends

There was never really a way to easily discover which friends and contacts are using BBM and quickly add them to your contacts. Until now.


The latest version of BBM adds the ability to find friends using BBM on Android and iOS by using your address book. This feature was in the leaked Gingerbread BBM leak for Android but this is not BBM v2.0 which is coming in a few weeks.

How to install an Android App on BlackBerry 10.2.1

BlackBerry 10.2.1 introduced the ability to install .APK files, which are the app files used in Android, directly to your phone. This throws the doors open to install a wide variety of Android apps on your BlackBerry 10 device, be it a Z10, Q10, Q5, Z30, or anything else. This used to be possible through a long, convoluted process, but it's much easier now. Basically, if you can't find an app in BlackBerry World, odds are there are other sources for your favorite app.


Step 1: Find your APK
We have a few sources you can count on.

Amazon App Store
1mobile Market
APK Train (website)
Snap APK Downloader​

Step 2: Get the APK file on your BlackBerry
You can get an Android APK install file on your BlackBerry by visiting the source in your BlackBerry browser (which is the easiest option), e-mailing yourself the file, or moving the file directly from your computer to your phone by plugging them together with a USB cable.

Step 3: Install the APK file from your BlackBerry
If you downloaded the APK from your browser, the Downloads window should have already popped up asking you where you want to save it and what the filename should be; just tap the file when it's done. If the download window isn't there, it's easy enough to get back up. Tap the overflow menu button in the bottom-right (three little dots), and tap Downloads.

If the file was moved to your phone in any other way, you can find it easily by tapping the magnifying glass icon from the home screen at the bottom in the middle and typing ".apk" in the search box at the top. Anything you've moved over should show up under the Documents and Files result. Just tap the one you want to install.

Your Android app should start installing after a short "Processing" indicator. Tap the Install button in the top right, and tap Accept on the pop-up window which informs you of the device permissions that are required for the app to run.



Extra information
The first time you install an .APK, you'll be prompted to turn off a safety setting which otherwise blocks installation of these files. The previous installation screen should return with a handy "Open" button replacing the "Install" button when it's done. At that point, the app will now show up alongside all of your other apps. Just swipe on the home screen from right to left a few times to find the icon and put it in whatever folder or home screen you like. Hold your finger on the icon for a moment to drag it around. Another thing you may want to do is hide the bar at the bottom of the screen. Just swipe down from the top when the app is open, and tap Hide bar.

Now, remember that there are no guarantees that these apps will function as advertised. BlackBerry does not run Android, it can just run Android apps. The Android app player in BlackBerry 10 is good, and should handle most of what you throw at it. Test things out and let us know what's working and what isn't in the comments! Having trouble installing something? You can ask for help in the comments too!

RSS on BlackBerry 10;

Want Feedly or NewsBlur on BlackBerry 10? You could sideload the android apps, or you could pay just $0.99 for gNewsReader. gNewsReader is an awesome BlackBerry 10 app that lets you sync NewsBlur or Feedly for all your RSS needs.

Related articles

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Voice and Video calling is coming to BBM on Android and iOS users very soon

Andrew Bocking, EVP of BBM at BlackBerry, took the stage at CBC’s The Morning Edition to state that “we have other ideas on how to monetize the service” aka BBM. He said that BlackBerry has a new social engagement platform in BBM. They said during the interview that BBM channels will be launching soon but not putting a specific date.

Even more interesting was confirmation that Voice and Video calling is coming to BBM on Android and iOS users “in the near future” which they defined as “within months.”

BBM.com now lets you easily invite your friends to BBM

BBM.com now lets you easily invite your friends to BBM

We've been on and on (and on) about BBM needing a better way to spread the word and invite contacts, and it looks like BlackBerry is taking some action. Vince let us know that on BBM.com, you now have the option to quickly and easily invite your contacts to BBM with just a few clicks.
The service works for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and email. Just choose your weapon and follow the prompts. You can select which contacts you want to invite so you don't have to spam every one of your Facebook friends or email contacts, but you'll be able to get the word out complete with your PIN so they know where to add you.
It's obviously not a super easy, on-device solution but it definitely takes the hurt out of spamming your friends to come join BBM. If you're ready to give it a whirl, head to BBM.com and click the "Invite your friends" button in the middle of the page.
Check out more at BBM.com

BlackBerry launches BBM for Android, iPhone

BlackBerry has officially launched its popular messaging service for Android and iPhone.
BBM was released for download on Monday on Google Play, the App Store and in select Samsung App Stores.
The user will then be contacted when they reach the front of the line and can begin using BBM.
“We are bringing the most engaging mobile messaging platform to all, with our BBM launch for Android and iPhone,” the company said in an open letter on Twitter Oct. 14.
BlackBerry had previously stated that 70 per cent of its customers used BBM.

BlackBerry looking into possible fake of BBM for Android

Victoria Berry, BlackBerry’s Director of PR for BBM, stated that “We have recently been made aware of a number of potentially fake five-star reviews of BBM for Android on Google Play. We do not approve of or condone such activities and are committed to working with Google to resolve this. There are also many genuinely great and useful reviews from our new BBM users on Google Play. We would like to encourage our passionate fans and users to continue to provide true assessments of the BBM experience through the proper channels.”

Although the overall experience of BBM for Android and iPhone isn’t impacted, it’s good to know that BlackBerry is looking into it.

BBM on Android and iOS TODAY

Exactly a month after it was originally supposed to be available, BlackBerry has given word that BBM for Android and iOS will FINALLY be launching today, over the next few hours.
You can hit up Google Play and the App Store and will be able to download BBM as it becomes available in your region.
The only catch here is that you may not actually be able to use the app just yet if you haven't signed up at BBM.com.

Related articles

• BBM on iOS and Android

BlackBerry today unveiled new cloud-based enterprise mobility management

BlackBerry today unveiled a new cloud-based EMM that will allow businesses to easily store and manage devices.
Solution provides cross-platform enterprise mobility management in the cloud BlackBerry today previewed a new multi-platform cloud-based enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution that will enable businesses to easily secure and manage corporate and personal devices.
BlackBerry's new multi-platform EMM cloud solution will offer businesses mobile device management (MDM), mobile application management (MAM), security standards, and self-service capabilities for the end-user.
As the industry has adopted BYOD and mixed mobile environments, we've responded with our multi-platform EMM solution," said Stephen Bates, Head of the Enterprise Business Unit at BlackBerry.
"The new cloud-based EMM solution will bring all the benefits of our on-premise offering, which is trusted by more businesses and governments around the world than any other enterprise mobility solution, to customers as a cloud service that lets them easily manage BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices more cost efficiently than ever before."

BlackBerry Launches Documents To Go BES 10 Edition For Android And iOS

Now you can use Documents To Go BES 10 Edition on your Android or Iphone.
If you use BlackBerry Work Spaces this will be a nice addition.
The app description notes the importance of BES10: IMPORTANT NOTE: The Documents To Go for BES10 application WILL NOT OPERATE unless your organization has the necessary back-end BlackBerry Enterprise software.
In other words, they are saying you must already have BlackBerry Enterprise software or this won’t work properly.
This is only for the BES Editions because you can also get just regular Documents To Go.

Sideload Apps to BlackBerry 10 that use Google Maps API

The new adventure of “sideloading” has certainly taken on quite an evolution:

• Back since OS 2 of the Playbook and the early days of BB10, we were able to quickly sideload simple apps – but not apps using Android native code.
• Along came what has become known as “the xsacha method ” to use the DebugToken to sideload apps that use native code, such as Angry Birds
• For me, there were still a bunch of apps that didn’t work until AT&T graced me with the OS 10.1 upgrade
• Along came the solid 10.2 leak which suddenly opened the door to even more Android apps that required a higher version of the Android OS than the Gingerbread that 10.1 had to offer, e.g. Feedly

But there has still always been a tremendous void. A whole handful of simple apps just would not work. Using Catlog (when it still worked – I believe tighter security in Jelly Bean blocks it from reading logs in 10.2 without root) it was apparent that the failure was due to the apps expecting the Google Maps API which is not baked into BB10′s Android runtime. I had simply resigned myself to the reality that those apps would just never work.

…Until now! I stumbled upon yet another CrackBerry Forum post  which lead me to a solution. In a nutshell, the AndroidManifest.xml file contains directives as to which libraries to expect and, more importantly, whether or not they are required. I will document the steps to modify the APK file so that the missing libraries are no longer required. For the purposes of keeping this as brief as possible, I will have to assume you are already familiar with how to obtain an APK  and “the xsacha method .”

• First, download and unpack the APKTool application
• Place the APK you want to modify in the same directory. Let’s call the APK Foo.apk
• Get a Command Prompt in that directory (Shift+Right-click, Open Command Window Here should work in recent versions of Windows)
• Type the following command:

  apktool d Foo.apk Foo

  This will create a sub-directory called Foo and decode the APK contents into it. Don’t close the Command Prompt just yet.
• Go into the Foo directory and open the AndroidManifest.xml file in your favourite text editor
• If the Google Maps API is the only problem, you are looking for the following line:
  <uses-library android:name=“com.google.android.maps”/>
• Modify it to look like so:
  <uses-library android:name=“com.google.android.maps” android:required=“false”/>
  (Repeat this process for any other required library which might be causing problems.)
• After saving the XML file, go back to the Command Prompt. Type the following command to repackage the APK to Foo2.apk:

  apktool b Foo Foo2.apk

• I wish I could say we were done. But unfortunately, I’ve found that since the resulting, modified APK is not signed, it will fail when you try to convert it to a .BAR
• The simplest way around I found, based on this YouTube video  was the SignAPK app. Follow the instructions in the video description to download and unpack the utility.
• Place Foo2.bar in the same directory and run the following command in a Command Prompt:

  java -jar signapk.jar certificate.pem key.pk8 Foo2.apk Foo2-signed.apk

• (Obviously, you need to have Java on the machine for that to work but anyone who’s come this far almost certainly does.)

That’s pretty much it! Foo2-signed.apk is now ready to run through the standard APK-to-BAR conversion process and sideload to your device. I’ve used this method to successfully sideload and run apps such as Dunkin Donuts, 7-Eleven and Geico. It should be noted that these apps do contain functionality that relies on Google Maps (such as “Find the nearest …”) and if you try those, the app will crash. Have fun!

BlackBerry Made the Right Choice Not to Use Android

There were rumors that BlackBerry was going to chalk things up and switch to Android. Instead, the company decided to build a completely new platform from the ground up. That might have been the right choice.

Android sales are absolutely dominated by Samsung. To put in perspective, Samsung sells about 7 times more Android devices than LG, who is the second largest Android handset maker.

In Q1 2013, Samsung sold 70 million Android devices. Whereas, LG only sold 10 million units. Similar results are seen in Q2 earnings. Where are the other Android OEMs standing?

What about Sony, HTC, and Lenovo? In Q1 2013, Samsung made about 95% of all Android sales. LG made up about 2.5%, which left 2.7% for the rest of the Android OEMs.

If BlackBerry had chosen to use Android, they very well may have ended up in a similar battered position as HTC. Instead, BlackBerry 10 looks to differentiate itself in a market that has been saturated with Android devices. Unless you’re Samsung, using Android just doesn’t look like a good idea.

via N4BB

BlackBerry may be looking to break off BBM into its own company

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that BlackBerry may be looking to break off BBM into its own company. According to sources, BBM Inc. could become a subsidiary of BlackBerry that would focus solely on BBM across BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices.

BBM has long been one of the top features of BlackBerry devices and in the coming months will finally be available for iOS and Android users as well. Much more than a simple instant messaging service, BBM already offers video and voice calls for BlackBerry users as well as screen sharing between BlackBerry 10 devices. BBM Channels was also introduced a few months ago in hopes to bring a bigger social aspect to the messaging service.

While there is still no official word on just when BBM will be available for other platforms, things should still be on track for a late-summer release as we've seen hints of some action already on multiple occasions. It's reported that BlackBerry is also moving more personnel and execs over to the BBM team to expand the service's offerings for the future. We know that internally they have structured the BBM team as a standalone start-up of sorts within the company, complete with its own P&L, under the management of Andrew Bocking. Formerly Bocking was Executive VP of Software Product management, and his LinkedIn profile for the past three months has read EVP of BBM. Bocking has a legendary reputation within BlackBerry (he'll reply to an email at 3am within a minute), and is one of the best get it done guys they have on the team. Essentially, within the BlackBerry corporate structure, BBM Inc. is already there.

Related articles

• BlackBerry considering separate company for BBM
• BlackBerry teases BBM for Android, iPhone

BBM coming to iOS and Android

BlackBerry is finally releasing BBM on iOS and Android. About time if you ask me.

If you're already a fan of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), we’ve got some exciting news designed to make it easier for you to connect with your entire mobile social network. BlackBerry plans to make BBM, our wildly popular mobile messaging service, available for the first time to iOS® and Android™ users this summer,

WordPress for BlackBerry 10 has gotten a major overhaul

WordPress users will be happy to know that WordPress for BlackBerry 10 has gotten a major overhaul to the UI in a recent update v1.0.69.0. Check out the full changelog below, and be sure to let us know how the update works for you!

What's new?

- Action bar updated for easy action to common actions.
- Use the menu drawer to quickly navigate to other areas of the app. Just tap the arrow in the action bar or swipe to reveal the menu.
- Use the 'view site' feature to view and share content on your site.
- Wordpress.com users can view the web dashboard (wp-admin).
- The Wordpress.com reader now takes advantage of caching for faster loading.

Download WordPress for BB10 via BlackBerry World

Via - BlackBerryOS