RIM Unveils BlackBerry BBX-Combines the Best of BlackBerry and QNX to Provide a Next Generation Platform for BlackBerry Smartphones and Tablets

Additional announcements and highlights from BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011 include:
- BlackBerry WebWorks and HTML5 apps compatible with current BlackBerry smartphones and tablets will run on future BBX-based devices
- Native SDK for BlackBerry PlayBook goes gold; released for general availability
- SDK for Adobe AIR Now Supports Adobe AIR 3.0
- BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Developer Beta now available, includes BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA--(Marketwire - Oct. 18, 2011) - BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011 – At BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011, Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today unveiled BlackBerry BBX, its next generation mobile platform that takes the best of the BlackBerry® platform and the best of the QNX® platform to connect people, devices, content and services.
In addition, RIM announced a series of developer tool updates, including WebWorks for BlackBerry smartphones and tablets, the Native SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook and a developer beta of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 with support for running Android applications. RIM also provided direction for developers on how to best develop and monetize their BlackBerry applications for today and for the future.
"With nearly 5 million BlackBerry apps downloaded daily, our customers have made BlackBerry one of the most profitable platforms for developers," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM. "At DevCon today, we're giving developers the tools they need to build richer applications and we're providing direction on how to best develop their smartphone and tablet apps as the BlackBerry and QNX platforms converge into our next generation BBX platform."
BlackBerry BBX
BBX is the next generation platform for BlackBerry smartphones and tablets. It combines the best of BlackBerry and the best of QNX and is designed from the ground up to enable the powerful real-time mobile experiences that distinguish BlackBerry products and services.
The BBX platform will include BBX-OS, and will support BlackBerry cloud services and development environments for both HTML5 and native developers. BBX will also support applications developed using any of the tools available today for the BlackBerry PlayBook – including Native SDK, Adobe AIR/Flash and WebWorks/HTML5, as well as the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps – on future BBX-based tablets and smartphones.
BBX will also include the new BlackBerry Cascades UI Framework for advanced graphics (shown for the first time today), and bring "Super App" capabilities to enable many advanced capabilities including deep integration between apps, always-on Push services, the BBM™ Social Platform, and much more.
BlackBerry WebWorks
Developers who want to support both existing smartphones (running BlackBerry 6 and BlackBerry 7 OS) and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets can monetize apps on both platforms today with BlackBerry WebWorks, which supports apps built on HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. The latest release, BlackBerry WebWorks SDK 2.2 (supporting both smartphones and tablets), is now available and includes updates for the new PlayBook OS SDK, PlayBook Simulator and more.
The BlackBerry WebWorks APIs are supported by the Ripple Emulator, a standalone, high-fidelity browser-like emulation tool that allows developers to test and debug their applications on multiple platforms and devices without having to compile or launch simulators. Starting today the Ripple Emulator is available in beta and can also be downloaded from RIM's WebWorks Developer site at: http://developer.blackberry.com/html5.
Native SDK - Content Rich, Fast and Smooth Running Applications
RIM also announced today the immediate availability of the Native SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook (1.0 gold release). The Native SDK allows developers to build high-performance, multi-threaded, native C/C++ applications and enables developers to create advanced 2D and 3D games and other apps with access to OpenGL ES 2.0 and Open AL, as well as device specific APIs. Applications developed with the Native SDK will run today on the BlackBerry PlayBook and will be forwardly compatible on BBX-based tablets and smartphones.
The Native SDK includes support for C/C++ POSIX library and compliance, device events like gesture swipes and touch screen inputs, access to code management systems using industry standard Eclipse CDT (C/C++ Development Tools) and advanced debug and analysis tools. QNX Momentics Tool Suite, an Eclipse-based integrated development environment, is included. It provides memory profiling, application debugging, and memory usage statistics to help developers debug sophisticated programs, including hardware accelerated OpenGL applications.
The Native SDK makes the development and porting of game applications to the BlackBerry PlayBook an extremely attractive proposition for developers. Well known game publishers, developers and major game engine companies have already started to bring their game titles and applications to the platform.
Scoreloop, the largest and fastest growing cross-platform social gaming ecosystem on mobile, is now available in beta for the Native SDK through BlackBerry® Beta Zone. The Scoreloop SDK provides everything a developer needs to easily integrate social capabilities into their native PlayBook applications and includes support for Leaderboards, Game Challenges, Awards & Achievements, and Player Profiles. Scoreloop's fully customizable and cross-platform technology empowers developers to add as many or as few features as they want, from a simple leader-board to more extensive player achievements. It makes mobile games more social and profitable.
BlackBerry Cascades - Create Visually Stunning Interfaces
RIM today showcased BlackBerry Cascades, a rich user interface framework coming to a future release of the Native SDK. Cascades unleashes a new breed of design centric mobile applications and provides developers with an exceptional feature set for creating visually stunning interfaces with custom layouts, animations, effects and 3D graphics. These features, combined with a strong set of built-in core user interface components, will make it easy to build beautiful native applications with innovative user interfaces for the current BlackBerry PlayBook and future BBX-based tablets and smartphones. Cascades is scheduled to be made available in beta later this fall.
Adobe AIR 3.0 Support
Adobe Flash enables developers to produce visually stunning, highly functional applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook that can integrate with the underlying OS and will be supported on future BBX-based tablets and smartphones.
The BlackBerry PlayBook now supports the recently announced Adobe AIR 3.0 runtime. Among the supported features are Encrypted Local Store that gives developers the ability to use the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to encrypt and securely store sensitive information on the device, as well as store passwords, keys or credit card information safely within the app; StageText that allows developers to take advantage of native text controls and the native interaction behaviors of those controls; Multitouch and Gestures built into applications to provide great usability; and more.
PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta
RIM introduced today the Developer Beta version of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. The Developer Beta includes the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the BlackBerry Plug-In for Android Development Tools (ADT), allowing developers to quickly and easily bring Android applications to BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.
The BlackBerry Plug-In for ADT (an Eclipse plug-in) extends a developer's existing Eclipse Android development environment to support the PlayBook, and includes the BlackBerry PlayBook Simulator for developers to test and debug their apps before submitting them to BlackBerry App World™. Developers can also test and debug their apps on a PlayBook running the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 - Developer Beta.
Android developers can also repackage Android apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook online by using the BlackBerry Packager for Android Apps. The web tool guides developers through a step-by-step process, allowing them to test their apps for compatibility with the PlayBook, and repackage and sign their apps for submission to BlackBerry App World, all without downloading any tools.
BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the associated tools allow Android developers to easily expand their market to include BlackBerry PlayBook users, and hence increase their apps' market potential.
The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 - Developer Beta also supports Adobe Air 3.0 and Adobe Flash 11, as well as WebGL, a new web technology that brings hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the browser without installing additional software. Developers will be able to generate rich, interactive 3D graphics within their BlackBerry WebWorks application.
For more information about the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 - Developer Beta and BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and associated tools, visit For more information about the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 - Developer Beta and BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and associated tools, visit: https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/android/bpaa/.
Increased Developer Productivity with Open Source Libraries on the BlackBerry PlayBook OS
RIM also announced the BlackBerry Open Source Initiative to port popular Open Source libraries to the BlackBerry PlayBook platform. Libraries already available include physics engines like Bullet Physics and Box2DX, scripting languages like Lua, multimedia libraries like OpenAL and SDL, gaming frameworks like Cocos2DX and general-purpose libraries like Boost and Qt. Also available under an Open Source license are a range of code samples that developers can use to get started quickly, as well as GamePlay, a new 3D native gaming framework.
RIM will continue to expand its involvement in the Open Source community to help increase developer productivity on the BlackBerry platforms. For more details on RIM's Open Source activities, visit http://blackberry.github.com.
About Research In Motion
Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ:RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "intend," "believe", and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause RIM's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of RIM's Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM's forward-looking statements. RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.

RIM Unveils BBX, BlackBerry's Platform of the Future

SAN FRANCISCO—Research in Motion lifted the curtain Tuesday on the next-generation BBX operating system that it hopes will breathe new life into its BlackBerry smartphone business and kick-start sales of its disappointing PlayBook tablet.
The BBX operating system, with HTML 5 support, robust security, and a commitment to open standards, is a blending of RIM's BlackBerry 7 operating system and the QNX OS that already runs on the PlayBook, the company said here at BlackBerry DevCon. RIM plans to use BBX for all of its future smartphones, mobile devices, and embedded systems.
RIM acquired QNX Software Systems last year and the smartphone maker has made it known for some time that it has been shaping the commercially targeted QNX OS for embedded systems to be its platform-of-the-future across a wide variety of devices.
"BBX is our next-gen platform," said RIM's president and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis. "It combines the best of BlackBerry and the best of QNX to connect, people, content, and services."
RIM's last major release of BlackBerry smartphones was the "largest and most successful launch in our history," according to Lazaridis. Those handsets, running the BlackBerry 7 mobile operating system, will also be the last to run anything but BBX, which RIM says combines the best features from QNX with the strongest parts of BlackBerry 7, while serving as a strong platform for both consumer and enterprise-focused smartphones, tablets, and other devices.
Lazaridis said RIM was already "transforming the tablet experience" with the BBX-based BlackBerry PlayBook and now "the whole company is aligning behind this single platform and single vision."
He said the company was "taking the power of QNX, open standards, and the power of BlackBerry" to develop a BBX platform that will be used for all of RIM's tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, and enterprise cloud services.
RIM is dedicated to making the BBX platform accessible to developers, no matter the tools they prefer to use to "write really great native applications," Lazaridis said, calling BBX a standards-based operating system and talking up open-source development possibilities on the platform.
Lazaridis also stressed the opportunities for game developers on BBX. He presided over demos of games like Roboto and a new Lara Croft title on the BBX-powered PlayBook, which looked pretty responsive and graphically rich, at least from the cheap seats here at DevCon.
RIM also demoed the very first HTML 5-based WebGL app running on one of its devices, a cool tunneling game that really showed off the physics engine and shader effects of the application.
"This really rounds out the picture, doesn't it?" Lazaridis beamed. "[The PlayBook] is being used on trains, planes, automobiles all over the world. We've added open source to be able to write really great native applications. And with HTML 5, we're intercepting the future. Almost 75 percent of our developers say they plan to do something with HTML 5."
Those developers may get short shrift sometimes, given RIM's recent woes, but BlackBerry developers actually make more money per app than their counterparts who develop apps for Apple's iOS and Google's Android, according to the company. BlackBerry developers make "43 percent more [money] than iOS developers and 48 percent more than Android developers," according to RIM.

Welcome to the world's first spaceport! Richard Branson opens $209m terminal where tourists will blast into orbit

It is the luxury terminal where wealthy tourists will blast into orbit for $200,000 per return trip.
And Virigin's new space terminal in the New Mexico desert looked suitably futuristic as it was unveieled yesterday.
The building will house Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, mission control and a preparation area for travellers when flights begin sometime after the end of 2012.
With his usual flair, British billionaire Richard Branson rappelled from a balcony, shook up a big bottle of champagne and took a swig while christening the building.

Out of this world: Future space travellers gather outside the hangar facility at Spaceport America, northeast of Truth Or Consequences, on Monday

Ground-breaking: Sir Richard Branson addresses a crowd of guests and media in front of WhiteKnightTwo, with the SpaceShipTwo vessel in the middle, at Spaceport America

HOW WILL SPACE TOURISM WORK?

• Ticket cost: The starting price for flights is $200,000 with refundable deposits starting from $20,000
• Training: Passengers are required to go through a 'Pre-Flight Experience Program', including three days of pre-flight preparating onsite at the spaceport to ensure passengers are physically and mentally fit to fly
• Once aboard: SpaceShipTwo will carry six passengers and two pilots. Each passenger gets the same seating position with two large windows - one to the side and one overhead. The space ship is 60ft long with a 90in diameter cabin allowing maximum room for the astronauts to float in zero gravity
• Flight path: A climb to 50,000ft before the rocket engine ignites. Passengers become 'astronauts' when they reach the Karman line, the boundary of Earth's atmosphere, at which point SpaceShipTwo separates from its carrier aircraft, White Knight II. The spaceship will make a sub-orbital journey with approximately six minutes of weightlessness, with the entire flight lasting approximately 3.5 hours. The spaceship accelerates to approximately 3,000 mph - or nearly four times the speed of sound
• Flight frequency: Initially one per week, eventually to have two flights per day
  

Branson's Virgin Galactic will stage its commercial space tourism venture from Spaceport America in a remote patch of desert in southern New Mexico.
Branson was joined by Governor Susana Martinez, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and scores of would-be space travellers at the terminal-hangar for the dedication.
It had been nearly a year since Branson was in New Mexico to celebrate the completion of the runway.
'The building is absolutely magnificent,' he said. 'It is literally out of this world, and that's what we were aiming at creating.'
With the spaceport and mothership completed, the company is now finalizing its rocket tests.
'We're ticking the final boxes on the way to space,' Branson said.
He hopes enough powered test flights of Virgin Galactic's sleek spacecraft can be done by the end of 2012 to start commercial suborbital flights from the spaceport soon after.
More than 450 people have purchased tickets to fly with Virgin Galactic. About 150 of them attended the ceremony.
Before getting to enter the hangar, the crowd was treated to a flyover by WhiteKnightTwo, the mothership that one day will help take space tourists on suborbital flights.
The $209million taxpayer-financed spaceport will be a launch station for people and payloads on the rocket ships being developed for Virgin Galactic.
With custom metal panelling and massive panes of glass, the state-of-the-art terminal rises from the desert floor to face the nearly 2-mile(3.2-kilometer) concrete runway.

Making a splash: Sir Richard Branson pops open a bottle of champagne while abseiling down the exterior of the hangar facility at Spaceport America

Celebration: Branson swigs champagne after repelling down the side of the new Spaceport America hangar

Defying gravity: Sir Richard Branson joins performers mimicking the motion of flight while abseiling down the exterior of the hangar facility
The building will house Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, mission control and a preparation area for travellers.
It was six years ago that Virgin Galactic and New Mexico officials reached an agreement to build the spaceport. Officials said the completion of the terminal and hangar marks another major milestone that brings the dream of rocketing tourists into space closer to reality.
Still, the question many are asking is when the first ships will launch from Spaceport America. It was Branson who once predicted the maiden passenger flight would take off in 2007.

First private manned space flight: Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise set a milestone to become the world's first manned commercial space vehicle

To the moon! Former U.S. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin presents Sir Richard Branson with a plaque from Virgin Galactic's London offices during a ceremony in Upham, New Mexico on Monday
Branson acknowledged the wait in an interview Monday. He and his two children will be among the first to fly, and he said he wants to ensure he can bring them home safely.
'We want to be sure we've really tested the craft through and through before turning it over to the astronauts who bought tickets to go up,' he said. 'If it takes a bit longer, we'll take a little bit longer.'
Commercial service will start up after the company gets a license from the Federal Aviation Administration. NASA has already signed a $4.5million contract with the company for up to three chartered research flights.

Groundbreaking: More than 450 people have purchased tickets to fly with Virgin Galactic. About 150 of them attended the ceremony

Futuristic: WhiteKnightTwo, carrying SpaceShipTwo, sits on display outside the Spaceport America Terminal Hangar Facility at Spaceport America

Spacecraft: The WhiteKnightTwo, which carries SpaceShipTwo at Spaceport America, the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport in southern New Mexico

A new era: Branson dedicated the newly completed terminal and hangar where his Virgin Galactic will stage its commercial space tourism venture on Monday
Tickets for rides aboard WhiteKnightTwo cost $200,000. The two-and-a-half-hour flights will include about five minutes of weightlessness and views of Earth that until now only astronauts have been able to experience.
Like development of the spacecraft, construction of the 110,152-square-foot (10,233-square-meter) terminal and hangar facility has been complicated. There were delays, building code problems, contractor disputes and costly change orders.
State officials blamed the unprecedented nature of the project as well as its remote location, the lack of infrastructure and the weather.

Prepare for blast off: A crowd of guests and media gather for a view of WhiteKnightTwo, carrying SpaceShipTwo, about to take flight over Spaceport America

Sky high: A man watches as WhiteKnightTwo, carrying SpaceShipTwo, takes flight over Spaceport America, northeast of Truth Or Consequences

Grounded: A security guard mans his position in front of WhiteKnightTwo, carrying SpaceShipTwo, outside the Spaceport America Terminal hangar facility

Government backing: Richard Branson and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez dedicate the ëVirgin Galactic Gateway to Spaceí terminal at Spaceport America near Las Cruces, New Mexico on Monday
New Mexico Spaceport Authority executive director Christine Anderson arrived at the spaceport a day early to find WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo stowed in the hangar.
'This was quite a feat,' she said of the construction, joking with the crowd that she was glad the spacecraft fit in the cavernous hangar.
The building was designed by United Kingdom-based Foster + Partners, along with URS Corp. and New Mexico architects SMPC.
Virgin Galactic and officials with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority are touting the design as green.
It uses geothermal energy; tubes running through the earthen berm surrounding part of the building help cool the interior; and natural ventilation can be used during mild seasons.

‘Sorry’ BlackBerry to give £63 of free apps to users as apology for three-day blackout

Apps available from Wednesday until December 31

• 'Immediate and aggressive' steps being taken to stop problem reoccurring
• City institutions such as RBS 'trialling iPhones'
  

The free apps will be made available on the BlackBerry App World from Wednesday until December 31
Blackberry today announced it is offering free apps worth £63 to appease customers hit by its three-day global blackout.
Research in Motion, the Canadian company behind the phones, attracted widespread anger after millions around the world were unable to access email, surf the web or use the BlackBerry Messenger service.
Many vented their fury on Twitter and other social networking sites.
The problems began last Monday and services were only fully restored by Thursday.
RIM said the selection of premium apps will be offered as 'an expression of appreciation for their patience' during the disruptions.
The apps will be available on the BlackBerry App World from Wednesday October 19 until December 31.
The move to repair the damage to its reputation comes as a survey last week revealed that one in five BlackBerry users were considering switching to another supplier following the problems.
Even BlackBerry's 'core' business - providing secure email and messaging to business - seems to be under threat.
Financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley and the Royal Bank of Scotland are reportedly trialling iPhones and iPads within their management teams.

WILL IT MAKE YOU 'APPY ?

BlackBerry has posted a partial list of the apps it is to offer. They include:

• SIMS 3 - Electronic Arts
• Bejeweled - Electronic Arts
• N.O.V.A. - Gameloft
• Texas Hold’em Poker 2 - Gameloft
• Bubble Bash 2 - Gameloft
• Photo Editor Ultimate - Ice Cold Apps
• DriveSafe.ly Pro - iSpeech.org
• iSpeech Translator Pro - iSpeech.org
• Drive Safe.ly Enterprise - iSpeech.org
• Nobex Radio™ Premium - Nobex
• Shazam Encore - Shazam
• Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant - Vlingo
  

'I'm not sure that the business users who rely on BlackBerry for important messages are going to be satisfied,' says Will Findlater, editor of Stuff magazine.
More than 1,000 customers quizzed by shopping comparison website Kelkoo found that 19 per cent were thinking about moving to another manufacturer.
Meanwhile, 42 per cent said they would consider changing later and eight per cent said they had already bought a new mobile phone.
Research among another 3,000 people found that seven out of 10 who were planning to get a BlackBerry in the future admitted they would need some reassurance from the manufacturer as they would be put off by last week's problems.
Announcing the free apps RIM co-chief executive Mike Lazaridis said: 'Our global network supports the communications needs of more than 70 million customers.
'We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers.
'We've worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we're committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future.'
Free apps will include SIMS 3, Bejeweled, Bubble Bash 2 and Shazam Encore.
Mr Lazaridis said: 'We are grateful to our loyal BlackBerry customers for their patience.

The unprepossessing headquarters of BlackBerry Europe in Slough. Last week it was at the centre of the meltdown that spread across five continents

A peek inside BlackBerry's Slough offices. Announcing the free apps, RIM co-chief executive Mike Lazaridis said today: 'We've worked hard to earn their [Blackberry's customers] trust over the past 12 years, and we're committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future'
'We have apologised to our customers and we will work tirelessly to restore their confidence.
'We are taking immediate and aggressive steps to help prevent something like this from happening again.'
What began as a minor inconvenience a week ago today had turned into an fiasco by Tuesday morning as problems spread throughout Europe and the Middle East before hitting users in India and Latin America.
By Wednesday the problems had reached America and Canada.
At least ten million of the company's 70million users encountered disruption, reporting problems with email, web browsing and instant messaging following the server crash at the firm's data centre in Slough, Berkshire.
The firm said it had problems with its 'core switch', a series of specialised computers which receives and redirects millions of emails and messages every minute.

BlackBerry's limited number of data centres worldwide has been blamed for a number of failures in the past, as well as the current three-day outage