Samsung ChatON client for BlackBerry

Earlier this morning, we were wondering as to when BlackBerry Messenger for Android would officially hit the market, and since there were no forthcoming answers, it was time to exercise some patience. Samsung seems to be moving faster in this aspect by announcing the availability of their Samsung ChatON client for BlackBerry devices, which would more or less “complete the collection” as ChatON is already well and alive on iOS, Android and Bada platforms. The only missing party? Windows Phone. First unveiled by Samsung in August 2011, ChatOn advertises itself as a new multi-platform mobile messaging service that can send text, images and video clips not only between the company's Android- and Bada-powered smartphones, but also onto other platforms. With BlackBerry next in line to receive ChatON, one can make an intelligent guess that a Windows Phone version is not too far off in the horizon. Would you use a service like ChatON, or do you prefer to stick to other solutions like WhatsApp?

BlackBerry remains top smartphone in Washington

Research in Motion's BlackBerry operating system has gone from being a leading smartphone platform to the struggling OS it is today. While adoption rates may be slowing with consumers and businesses, the same cannot be said for U.S. Government workers, a new report claims. The Washington Post on Tuesday reported that nearly half a million federal workers, including President Barack Obama, are still using BlackBerry phones. That number hasn't dipped over the past few years despite RIM's plummeting sales. “We appreciate RIM's focus on security, which is paramount for government use,” said Casey Coleman, chief information officer at the General Services Administration. Some agencies are changing their policies and allowing workers to choose other smartphones, however, which may impact BlackBerry's government market share moving forward. Coleman added that other platforms are proving equally secure, and that the GSA places “a priority on adoption where appropriate of innovative new technologies.”

Apple and Google's OS share slides in March as BlackBerry shows narrow gain

The smartphone and tablet landscapes remained largely unchanged in March as far as operating system usage share is concerned. New data from analytics firm Net Applications shows that the collective operating system share owned by Apple's iPhone and iPad inched down to 59.87% in March from 60.59% in February. iOS's share had skyrocketed in February as it continued to gain after losing share ahead of the holidays. Google's Android smartphones and tablets dipped as well in March according to Net Applications's data, dropping to 18.66% from 19.02% in February. Symbian stayed flat at 2.77% in March, and the only mobile operating system to show gains during the month was RIM's BlackBerry OS, which climbed a fraction of a point to 2.21% from 2.15% in February.

BlackBerry Curve 9220 specs detailed, simulator available

RIM isn't feeling too good lately, but that won't stop it from readying the launch of new devices. And one of the company's upcoming devices is the BlackBerry Curve 9220. As its name suggests, the Curve 9220 is an entry level smartphone. A simulator for it has been released by RIM, which means the handset itself should be officially announced pretty soon. Feature-wise, the 9220 offers a 2.44 inch QVGA display, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GSM / GPRS / EDGE connectivity, 512MB of RAM, 512MB of internal memory, MicroSD card support, and a 2MP rear camera. Those who want the 9220 device simulator can get it here at RIM. According to previous rumors, the BlackBerry Curve 9220 should become available in mid-2102, running Blackberry OS 7.1.