BlackBerry Adds Voice Calls and Channels for Andoid/iPhone BBM Users:

BlackBerry has announced that it is offering an upgraded version of its BBM app for all three smartphone platforms BlackBerry iOS and Android

Android and iPhone customers will now be able to make free voice calls to BBM contacts over a Wi-Fi or data connection with BBM Voice, as well as access BBM Channels.

In addition, BBM customers on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones will have more to chat about with fast one-click sharing of photos, documents, voice notes and more.

BBM users will also be able to share their live location for a specified amount of time with other BBM contacts by using location sharing, powered by Glympse, and will have 100 new emoticons available to help them say what's on their mind.

BlackBerry Bleeds Red Ink As It Posts $4.4 Billion Loss:

Blackberry, which describes itself as "a global leader in wireless innovation" has posted a net loss of US$4.4 billion for the three months to the end of November.

The loss was primarily due to a non-cash, pre-tax charge against long-lived assets of US$2.7 billion and an inventory write down of US$1.6 billion. There were other reconstructing cost of US$266 million.

Excluding the charges, the company would have still posted a loss of US$354 million.

Revenues also more than halved -- falling by 56% to US$1.2 billion. The revenue breakdown for the quarter was approximately 40% for hardware, 53% for services and 7% for software and other revenue.

During the quarter, approximately 4.3 million BlackBerry smartphones were sold through to end customers, although that included shipments recorded the previous quarter. Of the smartphones sold, approximately 3.2 million were BlackBerry 7 devices.

"With the operational and organizational changes we have announced, BlackBerry has established a clear roadmap that will allow it to target a return to improved financial performance in the coming year.