RIM CEOs Balsillie And Lazaridis Step Down As COO Takes Top Post

Just when it seemed like Research In Motion would never make the dramatic management changes advocated by investors and analysts, the BlackBerry maker announced its longtime co-Chief Executives were stepping down from their posts Sunday night and would be replaced by Chief Operating Officer Thorstein Heins.

The news capped months of escalating problems at the Waterloo, Canada-based company. First, RIM’s spring launch of its much-anticipated tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook, fizzled. In October, the company endured a global service outage that had scores of subscribers threatening to switch cellphone brands. In December, RIM delayed the introduction of its BlackBerry 10 operating system by several months for somewhat murky reasons.

 

Equally troubling was the way RIM’s share of the smartphone market dropped throughout 2011. By the third quarter, BlackBerrys made up just 11% of the U.S. smartphone market, according to market researcher The NPD Group. That was far behind phones powered by Google‘s Android operating system, which claimed 53% of the market, and Apple‘s iPhones, which made up 29% of the market.

The troubles spawned rumors of takeover attempts. Some of those companies, like Amazon, actually were interested in RIM, though they ultimately backed away. Others, like Samsung, publicly denied any such interest or related talks.
RIM’s co-CEOs – Mike Lazaridis, who co-founded RIM in 1984, and Jim Balsillie, who joined RIM in 1992 — aren’t completely severing ties with the company. RIM said the two would relinquish their CEO and board chairmen positions but that Lazaridis would transition to board Vice Chair and Balsillie would remain a board member. (Barbara Stymiest, a RIM boardmember since 2007, is now Board Chair.)
Both Lazaridis and Balsillie also continue to be major RIM shareholders, collectively holding 12% of the company’s outstanding shares.
Heins, who is now RIM’s president and CEO, joined the company in 2007. In his previous job as one of RIM’s two COOs, he oversaw the company’s product engineering. In a press release describing the changeover, RIM cited Heins’ 27 years of telecommunications experience and management skills. He is a native of Germany and served as Chief Technology Officer of Siemens’ Communications Division before coming to RIM.
In recent weeks, RIM’s board had been evaluating ways to revive RIM’s sinking stock and improve the company’s competitiveness against rivals like Apple and Google. Industry observers believed Lazaridis and Balsillie would be pressured to surrender their co-chairmen roles but would stay CEOs.
According to a Jan. 3 Financial Post article, RIM’s independent directors were scheduled to deliver a “governance review” report outlining recommendations by Jan. 31. Given the timing, the CEO shake-up appears to be related to that initiative.
It remains to be seen how much of a difference Heins’ elevation will make to RIM’s fortunes. In the company’s release, Heins described RIM’s current direction, which is focused on a transition to a new operating system and an increased investment in marketing, as “the right path.” The company also noted that Lazaridis will “work closely” with Heins to “offer strategic counsel” and that Lazaridis will head a new RIM board group known as the Innovation Committee. All are signs that Lazaridis will heavily influence RIM’s technology strategy going forward. (See also “Research In Motion: CEO Shift Isn’t Enough”)
RIM has already altered its webpage to reflect the management shifts and planned to hold a conference call at 8 a.m. Monday to discuss the changes. 

 

Cell Phones : RIM gets kicked while down, sued over BBM trademark

It's been a long December for RIM, and there's reason to believe this year won't be any better than the last. This month, the company was sued for its use of the BBX trademark and was forced to change its name to BlackBerry 10; then, it all hit the fan when co-CEO Mike Lazaridis broke the news that phones running the aforementioned OS won't arrive until late in 2012. And let's not even get started on the quarterly earnings report. Sadly, it's not over: BBM Canada, a Toronto-based broadcast industry group that has used the BBM moniker in one way or another for six decades, wants to reclaim its name -- used and made popular by RIM's BlackBerry Messenger service -- and has filed a lawsuit against the phone maker for trademark infringement. BBM Canada CEO Jim MacLeod says he's made several attempts to resolve the matter with them in hopes of avoiding the courtroom -- even to the extent of offering to rebrand his own company as long as RIM footed the bill -- to no success.

MacLeod told The Globe and Mail that "I find it kind of amazing that this wouldn't have been thought about before they decided to use the name -- the same thing goes for BBX." And according to court documents, it actually was: in February 2010, RIM attempted to apply for the BBM trademark with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, was told that it wasn't registerable, and still went ahead and used it for its BlackBerry Messenger service anyways. We'll see what kind of explanation the company has for going ahead and using the three-letter acronym in a couple weeks, since a hearing has been scheduled for January 11th.

Cell Phones : BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Torch 9860 coming to AT&T November 6th, Curve 9360 inbound November 20th

It's been a few months in the works, but the BlackBerry 9900 and Torch 9860 have finally received AT&T's stamp of approval and will be available this coming Sunday. And as an added bonus, the Curve 9360 isn't too far behind, jumping onto the lineup November 20th (though if you're a business or government customer, you'll be able to snag one on the 14th). Pricing? With two-year commitments, the Bold 9900 will wind up costing $200, the Torch 9860 can be yours for $100 and the Curve 9360 will be a mere $30. The Torch appears to be destined only for virtual shelves right now, though we're not certain if it'll be making a physical appearance in retail stores any time soon.

 

Press Release

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and All-Touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 Smartphones Arrive for AT&T Customers on Nov. 6

New 3G BlackBerry Curve 9360 Hits Store Shelves Nov. 20

Key Facts

AT&T* today announced the price and availability of the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900, the all-touch BlackBerry® Torch™ 9860 and the BlackBerry® Curve™ 9360.
AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of the latest 4G BlackBerry smartphones, including three models – the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860, and the previously-released 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810. On AT&T's 4G network, the three 4G smartphones are capable of speeds up to nearly four times the network speed capability of previous models.
AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of BlackBerry smartphones at the best prices, ranging from $29 to $199, so customers can choose the best form factor for their needs at a great price.


BlackBerry Portfolio from AT&T

AT&T delivers the broadest portfolio of BlackBerry® 7 -based smartphones, including three 4G models – the Bold 9900, the all-touch Torch 9860, and the previously-released Torch 9810, the first 4G BlackBerry smartphone from AT&T. All 3 4G smartphones take advantage of AT&T's 4G HSPA+ network to deliver network speeds nearly up to four times faster than most previous 3G BlackBerry smartphones. In addition to the three 4G options, AT&T is also releasing the new BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone, which is a significant upgrade of the Curve series, and a great option for messaging-intensive and socially active consumers and business users.

All the new BlackBerry smartphones from AT&T support multitasking, so customers can send and receive messages or browse the web while on a telephone call on AT&T's mobile broadband network. They also follow global roaming standards so customers are able to enjoy international voice roaming in more than 220 countries and data roaming in more than 205 countries.

The complete portfolio allows customers to choose the best BlackBerry smartphone for their needs – whether it's the premium touch QWERTY Bold 9900, the touch/ slider QWERTY Torch 9810, the all-touch Torch 9860, or the classic QWERTY Curve 9360. AT&T offers excellent pricing across the full portfolio so customers can choose the right BlackBerry form factor at the right price.

Full Suite of BlackBerry 7 Smartphones

Each of the new BlackBerry smartphones features BlackBerry 7 OS, a powerful evolution of the BlackBerry software. BlackBerry 7 OS delivers speed, efficiency and UI enhancements, and introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience.

BlackBerry 7 OS also includes the premium version of Documents To Go free of charge, BlackBerry® Balance to allow customers to fully experience work and personal features without compromising the IT department's need for advanced security features, as well as voice-activated universal search, among other features.

BlackBerry Bold 9900

The new, premium BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone is distinguished by its iconic Bold design and delivers best-in-class productivity for people who want the industry's leading full QWERTY keyboard while enjoying the convenience of a touch screen. The thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever at just 10.5 mm, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 boasts 4G speeds, a brilliant 2.8-inch touch screen, 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics™ technology, which delivers a highly responsive touch interface with incredibly fast and smooth graphics, 768 MB RAM, 8GB of onboard memory (that you can expand to a total of 40 GB with a 32 GB media card), HD video recording and dual-band Wi-Fi®.

BlackBerry Torch 9860

The BlackBerry Torch 9860 smartphone is AT&T's first all-touch BlackBerry smartphone and delivers the largest screen on any BlackBerry. The 3.7-inch display makes your photos, videos, games and apps come to life in incredible detail for a rich multimedia experience. Similar to the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the all-touch Torch BlackBerry smartphone also boasts 4G speeds, a 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics technology, 768 MB RAM, and HD video recording.

BlackBerry Curve 9360

The new BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone is slim, stylish and ergonomically designed with a comfortable keyboard for fast, accurate typing and an optical trackpad for easy, one-handed navigation. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 features a 2.44-inch hi-resolution display and includes a 5MP camera with flash and video recording so that memories can be captured and instantly shared on social networks. Customers will welcome the increased productivity and enhanced user experience delivered by the faster processor, increased memory, and up to 2x the network speed of previous BlackBerry Curve models from AT&T. A non-camera version will also be available for purchase.

Price and Availability

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be available starting November 6 for $199.99 with a two-year contract online and in company-owned retail stores. The all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available online the same day for $99.99 with a two-year contract. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available for $29.99 with a two-year contract starting November 20 in company-owned retail stores and online. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 will be available to business and government customers on November 14 while the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available in those channels starting November 7.

Cell Phones : RIM offers free apps to make up for that whole BlackBerry outage

RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis has already apologized for last week's widespread BlackBerry outage, but apparently, that wasn't enough. Today, the manufacturer announced that it's offering customers a full slate of "premium apps" for free, in the hopes of earning back some of the goodwill it lost following that mysterious blackout. In a statement, the company said the gesture is "an expression of appreciation" for the patience that many BlackBerry users demonstrated during the incident, with Lazaridis adding that his company remains "committed to providing the high standard of reliability" that consumers have come to expect. For now, the company's offering a total of 12 apps (collectively valued at around $100), including SIMS 3, iSpeech Translator Pro and Shazam Encore among others, though more will be added at a later date. The offer kicks off on Wednesday and will last for a month

Cell Phones : Mike Lazaridis apologizes for BlackBerry outage: 'We've let many of you down'

Now that BlackBerry services are returning to full functionality, RIM founder Mike Lazaridis has decided to issue a public apology for this week's mysterious global outage. In a video address published today, Lazaridis acknowledged that RIM dropped the ball this week, but assured that his company is working hard to remedy the situation. "I apologize for the service outages this week," Lazaridis said. "We've let many of you down." The executive went on to say that services are approaching normal levels across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, but could not give an estimate as to when RIM may see full global recovery. "It's too soon to say that this issue is fully resolved," Lazaridis explained, adding that there may be some instability as the system returns to normalcy. He reiterated, however, that his company is "working tirelessly" to restore services and, perhaps more important, consumer trust. 

 

Cell Phones : RIM's BlackBerry Torch 9850 goes official for Sprint and US Cellular

What's a BlackBerry launch without a bit of love for RIM's CDMA partners? Infinite sadness, that's what. While the outfit (understandably) couldn't showcase the BlackBerry Torch 9850 at its London launch event this morning, the CDMA sibling to the Torch 9860 is making its official debut in the US of A. Destined for US Cellular and Sprint here in the States, the 9850 (shown right) will ship with a 3.7-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchpanel, BlackBerry 7 OS, a "waterfall" screen design that tickles the edges ever-so-slightly, and not one inkling of a physical keyboard. As with the 9860 -- which is destined for AT&T, Rogers, Telus and Bell -- you'll get a five megapixel "zero-shutter lag" camera, 720p movie mode, inbuilt GPS and a 1.2GHz processor. There's no mention yet of a price or release for the SIM-less duo, but you can bet that we'll keep you posted as we hear more.

Update: Sprint's just pushed out a full presser of its own (embedded after the break), which also confirms that the Bold 9930 -- shown above on the left -- will also be making its way onto The Now Network. We're told to expect "fall" availability for both BB 7 OS phones, but specific pricing isn't expected until that already-ambiguous time frame draws nearer. As for the 9930, it's boasting an all-too-familiar design, with a 10.5mm-thick chassis, 2.8-inch capacitive touchpanel, the "widest QWERTY keyboard available on a BlackBerry smartphone" and a trackpad to boot. Moreover, NFC support is thrown in, as is a magnetometer for AR apps.

 

America's First BlackBerry 7 Smartphones Coming to Sprint This Fall

BlackBerry Bold 9930 boasts thinnest design and widest QWERTY on a BlackBerry smartphone; BlackBerry Torch 9850 will be the first all-touch BlackBerry smartphone for Sprint customers

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Aug. 3, 2010 – Sprint (NYSE: S) announced an expansion of its robust portfolio of BlackBerry® smartphones with the fall availability of America's first two BlackBerry® 7 smartphones – BlackBerry® Bold™ 9930 and BlackBerry® Torch™ 9850 from Research In Motion (RIM). Specific pricing and availability will be provided closer to availability.

Both new smartphones are powered by the next-generation BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 7, a performance-driven operating system designed to deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity. Both smartphones also feature Liquid Graphics™ technology, a key new feature powered by BlackBerry 7 to deliver incredibly fast, smooth performance and a highly responsive touchscreen experience. They are also both powered by a 1.2GHz processor, offer 5MP cameras and are World Phone capable.

"Sprint's incredibly loyal BlackBerry customers will appreciate the benefits of the BlackBerry 7 user experience on these two new smartphones – BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9850," said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. "BlackBerry 7 is an evolution that extends the ability to support our customers domestically and internationally as they juggle their busy personal and professional lives with one easy-to-use device. We are excited to continue our strong relationship with RIM through these new powerful devices."

Two options – Super Thin or Full Touchscreen
At just 10.5mm thick, the BlackBerry Bold 9930 smartphone is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever. It features a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display, the widest QWERTY keyboard available on a BlackBerry smartphone and a trackpad for easy navigation.

Key features of BlackBerry Bold 9930 include:
• BlackBerry® service with access to up to 10 supported business and personal email accounts, plus BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support for corporate email installations
• DataViz Docs To Go® Premium suite preloaded, for editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from anywhere
• BlackBerry App World™, the official app store for BlackBerry smartphones offering customization, fun and productivity
• BlackBerry® Playbook™ support with BlackBerry Bridge™ (Bridge is available as a free download on BlackBerry App World)
• Near Field Communications (NFC) support for a secure exchange of information between NFC-enabled devices over a very short distance
• Augmented Reality using the built-in compass (magnetometer) to support augmented reality applications

The sleek BlackBerry Torch 9850 smartphone will be the first full-touch BlackBerry smartphone from Sprint. It features a spectacular, new 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen display, the largest ever on a BlackBerry smartphone, and trackpad for easy navigation.

Key features of BlackBerry Torch 9850 include:
• BlackBerry® service with access to up to 10 supported business and personal email accounts, plus BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support for corporate email installations
• DataViz Docs To Go® Premium suite preloaded, for editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from anywhere
• BlackBerry App World, the official app store for BlackBerry smartphones offering customization, fun and productivity
• BlackBerry® Playbook™ support with BlackBerry Bridge™ (Bridge is available as a free download on BlackBerry App World)
• Augmented Reality using the built-in compass (magnetometer) to support augmented reality applications

Enhancing the Experience with BlackBerry 7
BlackBerry 7 introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience that is up to 40 percent faster than BlackBerry® 6 based smartphones and up to 100 percent faster than BlackBerry® 5 based smartphones1.

The new BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9850 smartphones also feature Liquid Graphics technology, with each smartphone combining a dedicated high-performance graphics processor with a blazingly fast CPU and stunning high-resolution display to deliver an incredibly fast, smooth and responsive visual experience.

Building upon the Universal Search feature introduced in BlackBerry 6, BlackBerry 7 expands the capability to include voice-activated search. This new capability makes it easier and more convenient to search for content on the smartphone or web.

BlackBerry 7 also integrates BlackBerry® Balance™, which separates personal content from corporate content, giving users the freedom and flexibility to use the smartphone for personal email, Facebook®, Twitter®, multimedia, games and other apps, while satisfying the need for corporate data to be highly secure and manageable. BlackBerry Balance works in conjunction with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server 5.0.3, which provides a number of unique IT policy controls, such as wiping only corporate data or blocking work-related content and apps from being copied or forwarded to personal contacts.

BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9850 use the Sprint 3G Network domestically and offer World Phone capability for international travel to nearly anywhere in the world. Sprint customers have the power to make or receive phone calls in more than 185 countries and access to BlackBerry® data services, including email, apps and web browsing in nearly 150 countries. Customers also have the option of using a third-party SIM for international voice and data services.

Cell Phones : RIM releases BBM 6

It's been quite awhile since RIM's mobile chat service got a facelift. Since then, millions upon millions have waited with bated breath for its release, and now they must wait no more: BBM 6 has finally been unleashed upon the world. This new bit of code brings support for BBM-connected applications -- so you can chat within apps and both view and download your friends' favorite apps from lists on their BBM profiles. The new functionality means programs for real-time project collaboration are possible, as are new types of social gameplay. Nifty features, all, but are they enough to reverse RIM's less-than-rosy recent fortunes?

Cell Phones : TEAM BLACKBERRY - Preview of The Blackberry Bold 9900

RIM's BlackBerry 9900 is the device that the BlackBerry diehards have been hoping, wishing, and waiting for since the original Bold launched way back in 2008. However, this time around the company has added in a capacitive touchscreen, swapped the trackball of yesteryear for an optical trackpad, and slimmed the whole thing down into a 10.5mm thick package.

 

BlackBerry Bold 9900 preview!

The Bold 9900 bears a striking resemblance to the original "big Bold" 9000, and fans of that device's large but sturdy form factor will absolutely love the 9900. Gone is the faux-leather back cover, which has been replaced with a slick carbon fiber-esque flat battery door. Interestingly, whereas the entire back of the device could be removed and swapped on the 9000, only the part of the housing that covers the battery itself comes off on the 9900. The carbon fiber midsection is surrounded by soft touch black rubber finishes that taper the outer edge of the device slightly, resulting in a really nice overall form factor.

This Berry's front face is split between a 640 x 480-pixel capacitive touchscreen up top and a full-sized QWERTY keyboard down below. The screen size has been bumped to 2.8-inches from the 2.6-incher on the 9000. The display is bright and vibrant, and boasts superb viewing angles and clarity. As with the Torch 2, touch sensitivity also seems to be quite good, with the screen registering even slight touches on its nearly edge-to-edge surface. Overally, we're quite impressed with the screen on the 9900, as we were with the Torch 2's.

So far as we can tell, the keyboard is the same size as that of the OG Bold, though the buttons seem to be a bit more 'clicky.' It's kind of difficult to explain, but the keyboard feels more firm than mushy -- but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We also noticed that the four main navigation buttons for the BB OS (send, menu, back, end / power) are all flush with the device and backlit, rather than having splits between then. There's also the now ubiquitous trackpad located front and center, and it has a nice white backlighting that helps make it stand out against this BlackBerry's murdered-out facade. When the screen shuts off for standby mode, the trackpad glow rem for an extra few seconds before fading back into darkness.

On the inside, the 9900 boasts a 1.2GHz processor, which is bumped from the 624MHz of the 9780. In fact, we're pretty sure that the guts of the 9900 are identical to those of the Torch 2 -- just crammed into a thinner, non-sliding enclosure. We've known the specs on this bad boy for a while now, but after playing with one for day or so, we're impressed with the real world translation into performance. It's noticeably more snappy than current BlackBerry devices on the market, and the fading transitions of BlackBerry 6.1 OS 7 didn't seem to stutter in regular use. Of course, this is still BETA software -- and from what we've heard, our build is quite a bit older than what's currently on demo devices -- so performance is subject to change.

A five megapixel shooter is located on the backside of the device, but it's been relocated to the upper left corner as opposed to the centered position on the 9000. Again we're convinced that this camera is identical to the one in the Torch 2, which means it's capable of capturing 720p HD video. If you want to see some performance of this shooter, head back to our Torch 2 preview -- what you get on the 9900 isn't vastly different.

Blackberry Apps : Leaked: BlackBerry Messenger 5.0.1.46

You can download it over the air using the link below. Let me know if you notice any changes!

Download BlackBerry Messenger 5.0.1.46 >>

Cell Phones : RIM Says It Can't Give India Access to BlackBerry E-Mails

RIM may have resolved its BlackBerry issues in the Middle East and Indonesia, but the company's negotiations with India seem to have hit a wall. Today, the smartphone manufacturer reiterated that it cannot allow the Indian government to monitor corporate e-mails sent from Blackberry devices because, according to RIM, the technology simply doesn't exist.

"We can't give a solution for enterprise services [corporate email]," said Robert Crow, RIM's VP for industry, government and university relations. "It's not possible to do so, because the keys of that service are with the corporate enterprises and corporate entity that owns the server." Earlier this month, the company gave India access to data sent via its BlackBerry messenger service, but government officials were hoping for more.

The Indian government has long maintained that access to encrypted mobile data is crucial to its domestic anti-terrorism agenda. Crow will hold further discussions with Indian authorities over the next few days, though the country has yet to set a hard deadline for resolving the issue.

Blackberry Apps : Brew World for BlackBerry locates local breweries & pubs

New App: Brew World for BlackBerry locates local breweries & pubs

There’s a lot of great GPS applications out there which allow you to find out what’s around you whenever you want. Brew World does just about the same but goes more specific for only local breweries and pubs around you. You can use your built-in GPS or type in a city and zip code to location hot spots for beer. When you get the local listing, you’ll be able to see contact information of the venue along with a list of beers that they offer. Creating an account within the application allows you to add beers you’ve had at venues along with reviews. The application is great for social drinkers and beer enthusiasts.

Tech : RIM extending tools to other smartphone platforms, going cross-platform?

Over the past year or so it's become clear that there is a cure for the CrackBerry addict. For many it's called the iPhone, for others it's Android, while still others are getting their kicks from other platforms. IT departments worldwide are relaxing their rules and getting a little smartphone agnostic and now it sounds like RIM is thinking about finding a way to reel those newly straight-edged users back into their former habits. RIM Vice President Pete Devenyi had this to say on the subject:

BlackBerry is and will continue to be dominant in most corporations, [but] it's not going to be the only device given the fact that consumers have the choice to bring in their own devices and IT departments are often letting them in. So there's a question there. Do those corporations have to manage those devices differently or is there the possibility that RIM might extend capabilities to make it easier for those corporations to manage those devices as well? ... If the right thing to do is to extend a subset of those [BlackBerry] capabilities to be able to manage other devices, it's worthy of a conversation

Right now he's just talking about device management, but if this goes forward it could be a sign of a willingness for RIM to move some of its proprietary services to other devices. BBM on Android and iPhone? We know a few people getting positively giddy at that (highly speculative) prospect.

Tech : RIM shows off PlayBook's browser chops, SDK in latest round of teaser vids

It looks like RIM's really sticking to this "you don't need an app for the web" mantra for its hotly anticipated PlayBook -- at least according to the latest crop of videos the company has outed. In what is no doubt an attempt to drum up some buzz before a swarm of other tablets descends on CES, the company has chosen to highlight its latest browser improvements to prove just how "real" the web is on the PlayBook. HTML5 video playback looks super smooth, as does Flash video in the desktop YouTube site. Impressively, the entire Facebook experience works exactly like it does on the desktop -- even supporting Facebook chat, which the iPad's browser can't handle. They demonstrate Flash games working without a hitch, so you can breathe a sigh of relief, Farmville-addicts. The second video explores the SDK -- no doubt in an attempt to reiterate the ease of programming for the PlayBook -- and while there's a good bit of technical jargon, we have to say that the Fantasy Football app shown off looks pretty sweet. Why RIM can't somehow manage to bring these improvements to its already-shipping BlackBerry line, we still can't quite comprehend, but we'll be visiting the RIM booth as soon as the show opens to see the latest improvements for ourselves. In the meantime, peep the videos after the break.