The free Animal Sounds app has been updated to version 1.2 in BlackBerry World. This update reduces the size of the app, adds support for a swipe-down menu, and improves the app’s support for the higher resolution of the BlackBerry Passport.
This is a simple app that plays back the sound made by various animals. From Horses to Dogs to Cows, this app includes a variety of animals that will make a sound when you tap on their picture.
One year ago today BlackBerry released OS 10.2.1 as an update for all BlackBerry 10 phones. Since then BlackBerry has developed both OS 10.3.0 and 10.3.1 but have yet to release these updates for an in-market phones.
Originally the current devices were expected to get a new OS in November, but that has been continually delayed. Instead BlackBerry has allowed their new user base to become fragmented and have begun driving customers towards downloading leaked OS versions. Based on statistics collected from users of my apps, I am seeing the most people running leaked OS versions than I have since 2009. BlackBerry needs to get it together, and push out OS 10.3.1 to their full user base.
Head Words is a new free party game for BlackBerry 10. This is a multi-player guessing game similar to Celebrity, Hedbanz, and Heads Up. After selecting a category, one player places the phone on their forehead while the other players give clues. With one minute to guess as many words as possible, the player can tilt the phone down for each correct answer, or tilt the phone up to pass. At the end of round a word list will show what was guessed right and wrong. The swipe down menu provides an option to turn the sound on or off.
The game includes five categories for free, and the option to purchase access to five additional categories for a dollar each. An update will bring even more categories to the game in the future.
The game 10,000 Farkle has gotten updated to version 2.5 in BlackBerry World. This update adds support for the recently released BlackBerry Passport and BlackBerry Classic while also reducing the file size of the app by 2.5 percent.
Farkle gives you six dice to roll and awards points for a straight, three pairs or three or more of the same number. Fewer points ares also awarded for each individual 1 and 5. Any dice that do not score can be re-rolled for additional points. If all 6 dice can be scored, then all of the dice can be re-rolled on the same turn.
The skill in this game comes from knowing how far to push your luck, and which scoring combinations to take, and when to re-roll.
The default game mode gives you 10 turns to score as many points as you can. The 10,000 point mode gives you unlimited turns to reach 10,000 points. The two competitive game modes both use the traditional format of racing to 10,000 points.
Last week rumors swirled around that Samsung would be acquiring BlackBerry. Both companies were quick to deny this news, yet it feels as if it is only a matter of time until BlackBerry is sold to a larger company.
Yesterday BlackBerry’s stock price closed at $10.24 per share which is close to a two year high. While this will make an acquisition more expensive, it also makes for a more attractive story for companies looking to add expand. Since joining as CEO with the stock price in the $7 range, John Chen will be able to show a sale at $15+ as a huge win for him. His action over the past year has been to eliminate the parts of the company that are less attractive to potential buyers in order to make BlackBerry easier to sell. This progress for the shareholders has largely come at the expense of BlackBerry’s users and developers. I understand why Chen has gone in this direction, but I really wish that things had gone in a different direction.
The end result is that BlackBerry is poised to sell.
Regardless if BlackBerry is purchased by Samsung, Lenovo, IBM, SAP, Amazon, or somebody else, I fully expect BlackBerry to be sold off within the next year. I just hope that the BlackBerry user base is not left behind…
BBOS usage was flat for another month. December saw 55.6% of users were on OS 7 and 80.0% of users were on OS 6 or higher.
This data was collected by BlackBerry World for downloads of the free BlackBerry strategy game Pixelated. Data shown on the chart is from the beginning of December 2013 through the end of December 2014, and does not include BlackBerry 10 or PlayBook devices.
Last month BlackBerry unveiled OS 10.3.1 yet allowed very few of their users to download and install the new operating system. This is beginning to lead to a very fragmented landscape as very few users are on the newest version of the OS, and most users are actually two versions back on an operating system that by the end of the month, will be over a year old.
In slightly better news, over 99% of users are now running OS 10.1 or higher. Additionally, users of leaked OS versions have propped up the usage of OS 10.3.X beyond just those that have purchased the Classic or the Passport.
This data was collected by BlackBerry World for downloads of the free strategy game Pixelated and the free checklist app Stuff I Need. Data shown on the chart is from the beginning of December 2013 through the end of December 2014.