BlackBerry sues ‘Idol’ host Seacrest’s firm
SAN FRANCISCO — Troubled smartphone maker BlackBerry Ltd. is accusing a company backed by “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest of being a rip-off artist. The allegations emerged in a patent infringement lawsuit filed Friday in a San Francisco federal court by BlackBerry. The suit targets an iPhone keyboard made by Typo Products LLC, a Los […]
BlackBerry posts $4.4B loss, but CEO still eyes turnaround
TORONTO — BlackBerry reported a massive $4.4 billion loss in the third quarter and a 56 percent drop in revenue in its first quarterly report under new chairman and chief executive John Chen. Despite the results, Chen said on a conference call with analysts that BlackBerry “has a really good shot” of turning a profit […]
Report of possible company sale lifts BlackBerry stock
NEW YORK — Shares of BlackBerry Ltd. rose more than 3.5 percent Monday on a report that the company is in sale talks with a handful of companies. Reuters reported Friday that the struggling smartphone maker was holding discussions with Cisco, Google and SAP about a possible sale of all or part of itself. It […]
Fairfax to buy BlackBerry for $4.7B
TORONTO — BlackBerry has agreed to sell itself for $4.7 billion to a group led by largest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. BlackBerry said Monday that a letter of intent has been signed and its shareholders will receive $9 in cash for each share. Fairfax head Prem Watsa is a former board member who owns […]
BlackBerry previews big loss, to cut 4,500 workers
TORONTO — BlackBerry said Friday that it will lay off 4,500 employees, or 40 percent of its global workforce, as it reports a nearly $1 billion second-quarter loss a week earlier than the results were expected. Shares were halted pending the news and plunged as low as $8.01 when the stock reopened for trading. Shares […]
BlackBerry weighs putting itself up for sale
TORONTO — BlackBerry will consider selling itself after the long-awaited debut of its new phones failed to turn around the struggling smartphone maker. The company said Monday that its board has formed a special committee to explore “strategic alternatives” in hopes of enhancing the company’s value and boosting adoption of its BlackBerry 10 platform. The […]
BlackBerry name change approved by shareholders
WATERLOO, Ontario — Research In Motion has won formal approval to change its name to BlackBerry. The Canadian company announced plans for the name change in January, when it unveiled new phones running a revamped operating system called BlackBerry 10. The company hopes the new devices will be more competitive with iPhones and Android devices. […]
BlackBerry maker posts larger-than-expected loss, shares plunge
TORONTO — Shares of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion plunged nearly 30 percent Friday after the company posted a loss and warned of future losses despite releasing its make-or-break new smartphones this year. RIM also announced that it will stop developing new versions of its slow-selling tablet computer called the Playbook. Analysts were looking for […]
Apple revamps look of iPhone, iPad software
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is throwing out most of the real-world graphical cues from its iPhone and iPad software, like the casino-green “felt” of its Game Center app, in what it calls the biggest update since the iPhone’s launch in 2007. The new operating system, called iOS 7, strives for a clean, simple, translucent look. […]
Long-awaited keyboard BlackBerrys hit U.S. stores
TORONTO — Modern BlackBerrys with physical keyboards are now available in the U.S., months after the touch-screen versions went on sale. T-Mobile USA began selling the BlackBerry Q10 on Wednesday. It has Research In Motion Ltd.’s new BlackBerry 10 operating system, which addresses shortcomings that allowed the iPhone and Android devices to surpass the once-pioneering […]
RIM unveils cheaper BlackBerry
ORLANDO, Fla. — Research In Motion unveiled a lower-cost BlackBerry aimed at consumers in emerging markets on Tuesday, stepping up its efforts to regain market share lost to Apple’s iPhone and Android devices powered by Google’s software. The lower-cost gadget, called the Q5, is the company’s third smartphone to run the new BlackBerry 10 system. […]