It was a big day for Research In Motion and for their new CEO Thorsten Heins as he unveiled BlackBerry 10, their future mobile operating system. Highlights of the day included a sneak peek at the Developer Alpha Hardware, some insight into new keyboard and camera technology as well as a QNX-ready Porsche.
The day ended on a high note as RIM threw a party in Universal Studios Orlando featuring the Martinez Brothers (of the we need tools, not toys fame). It was a great way to celebrate the good news that RIM is back in the race and a nice break before everyone goes back to work to make BlackBerry 10 a contender later this year. Hit jump for all the highlights of the conference so far.
BlackBerry World is attended by more than 5,000 delegates including developers, analysts, media, and many others, RIM provided an in-depth look at the company’s vision and future, what’s on the horizon for the developer community and announcements with new partners. Following are the highlights from Day 1 at BlackBerry World:
First Look BlackBerry 10: RIM unveiled its vision for the BlackBerry 10 platform and released the initial developer toolkit for native and HTML5 software development. The toolkit is available as a free download from http://developer.blackberry.com. “BlackBerry 10 builds upon the core values and exceptional user experiences that have attracted more than 77 million BlackBerry customers around the world today,” said Alec Saunders, Vice President, Developer Relations and Ecosystems Development. “Developers building for BlackBerry 10 will be able to easily create the kind of cutting-edge apps that deliver truly engaging experiences and ‘wow’ customers, whether through integration with native features and other apps like BBM or by leveraging the new signature design elements of this new and powerful mobile computing platform.” Read the full press release here.
Developer Momentum Around the BlackBerry 10 Platform: Developers and top brands are already beginning to commit to the BlackBerry 10 platform for their mobile application development. Today at BlackBerry World, RIM revealed endorsements from a number of key partners who have already confirmed their excitement for the upcoming launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform. These include Endomondo, Wikitude, Gameloft, Mippin, Occipital, PixelMags, Poynt and Truphone. Read the full release here.
Pacemaker DJ on BlackBerry PlayBook: BlackBerry World delegates and attendees had the opportunity to see a demo of the new Pacemaker DJ app for the BlackBerry PlayBook. In collaboration with RIM, the Pacemaker DJ app offers effects like auto beatmatching, vinyl mode with scratching, digital mode, looping, loop travel, pitch control, beat skip and "pro level.”
BlackBerry World Keynote Presentation: President and CEO Thorsten Heins unveiled details about the BlackBerry 10 mobile computing engine and provided his vision for the future of BlackBerry. If you missed it, you can catch the keynote online – and a sneak peek video on what to expect on BlackBerry 10.