The SmartPhone Arena: BlackBerry narrowly beats iPhone (Apple, tech, RIM, news, report, update, Auckland)

TORONTO: Research in Motion Ltd (RIM), the maker of the BlackBerry, said its third-quarter earnings jumped 45% as sales keep surging overseas despite tough competition in the smartphone market.

The results beat analyst expectations, and the company provided a forecast for the current quarter that also exceeded Wall Street expectations. Its shares rose in extended trading.

RIM said it shipped 14.2 million BlackBerrys in the quarter, narrowly beating Apple Inc's iPhone sales in its latest quarter, which ended in October.

Most of RIM's growth is now coming from markets outside the United States, Canada and Britain, where the BlackBerry is already the business phone of choice.

In August, RIM launched the BlackBerry Torch, with a touchscreen and a slide-out keyboard for an overall look that's similar to competing devices. It also refreshed the look of the operating system.

RIM has said it will launch its first Tablet computer, the PlayBook, early next year. On the call, Balsillie didn't give a more specific date. He said the initial versions will be WiFi only.

BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said the results were "definitely solid" but said there's nothing that alleviates his concern that RIM will lose market share to Apple's iPhone and phones running Google Inc's Android software next year.

"Everyone knew there was a strong quarter coming out of the company and they delivered," Gillis said. "The concern over the future is still intact. There's definitely still demand for the phones in the international markets.

"Let's see what happens next quarter when they report and give guidance. It will be that May quarter where you'll see if they pulled through or you're going to see the cracks." - AP

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2011: HTC has a new DESIRE for this year (Google Android, mobile phone, news, update, Auckland)

HTC has added two more smartphones to its Android stable, the Desire HD and Desire Z.

Desire HD is a multimedia centric device with a large 4.3in display that's great for watching videos and surfing the Web.

It also has virtual surround sound to complete the experience.

The phone, which has a sleek exterior crafted from a solid piece of aluminium, has a 8-megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash. The camera can also record 720p high-definition video.

The Desire Z has a 3.7in touchscreen and a slide-out Qwerty keyboard.

The keyboard has dedicated shortcut keys for quick access to common functions. Plus, it has a trackpad for easy navigation.

The phone has 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, and also records 720p HD videos.

Both phones will run on Android 2.2 (Froyo) with the new HTC Sense interface.

They also come with Locations navigation app that works with the built-in GPS and digital compass.

The compass will automatically orientate the map in the direction you are facing which will make it easier to get your bearings.

Also, Locations comes with preloaded maps so users won't incur additional data charges when using the phone to navigate.

You can even answer calls while using Locations as it will continue to guide you while you are on a call.

This post is sponsored by Abby Technology Limited, your Google Android network unlock specialist

Google, Jordan seal US$10 mil deal (internet, web, news, report, update)

AMMAN: Jordan sealed US$10mil agreement with Google Inc that allows the kingdom to use the world's leading Internet search engine for advertising.

Western-educated King Abdullah II is an Internet enthusiast who has been desperately seeking to turn his resource-barren country into a regional high-tech hub.

The ICT (information and communications technology) sector contributed an average of 20% to the gross domestic product in the last two years, making it one of the highest revenue generators in Jordan. Last year, Internet giant Yahoo! took over the Jordan-based Maktoob.com, the biggest Arabic content provider.

Under the deal, Google will reinvest US$2.5mil - a quarter of the agreement's amount - back into the Jordanian market, assisting the nascent ICT sector.

The money will be spent on different projects, including for digital media startups and to train students in online advertising, Google said in a statement.

Jordan's ICT Minister Marwan Jumaa said the deal will "go along away" in boosting the sector marketing through "know-how transfer from Google to local organisations - a crucial knowledge to have in this day and age."

Google's vice-president Carlo D'Asaro Biondo said Jordan will have far greater digital exposure.

The Google statement said 10 Jordanian businesses will be able to reach global customers more efficiently, using Google's services.

Among them are the flagship Royal Jordanian airlines, Jordan Tourism Board and other government entities. - AP

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