Seven Miles Bridge

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The seven miles bridge is located between the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Strait. It was finished in 1982 at a cost of 45 million dollars. The seven miles bridge connects the city of Marathon in the middle keys of Florida to little duck key in the lower keys of Florida. Sent in by our subscriber, Segun Ayantoyinbo.

BBM Channel : Bridges of The World Photos and Stories pin C001472FB

PFC Systems on BBM Channels Guide: We want to include YOU to learn more about YOU

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Here is some information on some of our BBM Channels:


PFC Systems C0007F38F parent:
Official BBM Channel of PFC Systems, Inc. Info on BlackBerry, Technology, Photography, Entertainment, Travel, Science and Food.

We want to include YOU to learn more about YOU:

We want to include your stories, recipes, photos across our channels. Just send us a story, photo, show announcement and we will share it, as appropriate with our network of channels and blogs. Send to: info@pfcsystems.com  By sending the story you allow* and acknowledge free share and distribution rights of PFC Systems, Inc to use the material.  Our parent channel will mainly focus on Tech, Science, Photography and some and Food and Education microBlogs, as well as breaking news stories. Our other Channels are more focused to a specific theme as you can see below. Occasionally, there will be overlap, especially in the early phase of BBM Channels.

Some of our child channels:

Bridges of The World Photos and Stories C001472FB:
Famous iconic  and not so famous physical and metaphysical bridges. A PFC Systems, Inc Travel (real and metaphysical) Channel.

Calabria C0012455C:
Calabrian food, photography and culture. A PFC Systems, Inc Travel Channel.

Engaging Education C0043BFF9:
Empowering ownership of learning using tech, and Pedagogy Focused Competency(sm/TM). A PFC Systems, Inc Education Channel.

New York City C00120F16:
All about NYC. A PFC Systems, Inc Travel Channel.

PFC Calculus I C00123F0F:
Official BBM Channel for Calculus I app from PFC Systems, Inc. Post questions, answers, where PFC stands for “Pedagogy Focused Competency”® (SM/TM): “PFC Live Tutor” ® (SM/TM) with “PFC Live Chat” ® (SM/TM). A PFC Systems, Inc Education Channel.

check out our first App: https://pfcsystems.wordpress.com/2013/11/26/our-calculus-i-app-is-the-most-popular-app-on-blackberry-world/

PFC Recipes and Food C001245A9:
Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, All About Food. A PFC Systems, Inc Food Channel.

Simple Things in Life, Floral Fantasies  and Garden Getaways C00476A0A:
Simple Things in Life, Photo microBlog about Flowers, Street Scenes, Gardening and other Getaways/Escapes. A PFC Systems, Inc Entertainment Channel.

Stock Market C00249F4E:
Stock Prices of Interest. Stories about Companies and their people. A PFC Systems, Inc Channel.

Toronto C001212D8:
All about Toronto, Canada. A PFC Systems, Inc Travel Channel.

Voyage Montreal C00121EAF:
All about Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A PFC Systems, Inc Travel Channel.

World Stage C001241C3:
The world stage: Stars and Spectacles of Theatre,Opera, TV, Movies, Concerts and Performances. A PFC Systems, Inc Entertainment Channel.

Yonkers C0012071A:
All about Yonkers, NY. A PFC Systems, Inc Travel Channel.

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*Emailing any stories, photos or other items for us to use across our Blog,  BBM Channels and other channels, implies that you allow PFC Systems, Inc. the rights to the use and distribution of said content. You will be acknowledged for providing the content, as the owner of said content.

Capicollo-The Real Deal

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Submited by a subscriber to our “Calabria” BBM Channel, pin C0012455C:

Capicollo! Vicino al capicollo c’é una melenzana con dentro il tonno!! Eggplant with tuna fish next to capicollo. Sent by a subscriber, Francesco Benedetto :)I love capicollo! Have you tried it, along with the variety of salumeria in Calabria?

Third mainland Bridge,Lagos-Nigeria

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Sent in by Segun Ayantoyinbo, a subscriber to our “Bridges of The World”, BBM Channel pin, C0014727FB:

The Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria to the mainland, the other two being the Eko and Carter bridges. It is the longest bridge in Africa. The bridge starts from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi express way and Lagos-Ibadan express way, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. There is also a link midway through the bridge that leads to the Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. The bridge was built by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and opened by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990; it measures about 11.8 km in length.

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NCG Banco: ‘We will continue supporting BlackBerry as a corporate solution’ – 27 Nov 2013

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In a statement made November 27th Novagalicia Banco expresses strong support for BlackBerry, because of safety, security & reliability!

Here is the story from** “Computing”:

NCG Banco: ‘We will continue supporting BlackBerry as a corporate solution’ – 27 Nov 2013

NCG Banco, one of three state-administered banks in Spain, is loudly and proudly demonstrating a firm commitment to BlackBerry, even as the beleaguered smartphone firm has seen the departure of three more C-level staff in the past week.

Fernando Quintela, mobile solutions manager at NCG Banco, told Computing that the bank will “continue supporting BlackBerry as a corporate solution”, after replacing its entire mobile real estate of older BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) and BlackBerry devices with BES 10 and its accompanying new handsets. This includes over 1,650 BlackBerry 10 devices across a bank network spanning 680 branches nationwide.

“For NCG Banco, mobility is a strategic investment,” said Quintela.
“Within our sales and operational forces a new paradigm called BYOD has emerged. We saw a strong demand from our employees to open the selection process and find a solution to manage this new trend in our organisation.”

Quintela described the tendering process as “hard and competitive”, with Afaria and Mobile Iron at one point in the running for security infrastructure.

“Our strategic aim was to provide the maximum user experience for our employees, and we judge our solutions against four main pillars: reliability, speed, usability and security. This would enable us to provide all of the user experience benefits of a personal device but in a business environment and at the same time provide maximum security. This was one of the key factors behind our decision to select the BlackBerry platform,” said Quintela.

“We have also deployed a new financial application for the BlackBerry 10 internally,” said Quintela.

“What we call ‘smart office mobility’, which can be accessed by clients from any BB10 terminal anytime, anywhere.”

Quintela praised BES 10’s abilities as a BYOD solution: “It covers the most commonly used features of MDM in iOS, but with more security and reliability in service provision. Further distinguishing features of BlackBerry 10 are its ability to integrate perfectly with the legacy platform, and offer management capabilities far beyond other market solutions that lacked the same level integration with the installed legacy platform.”

Quintela is less enamoured with Android.

NCG Banco: ‘We will continue supporting BlackBerry as a corporate solution’ – 27 Nov 2013 – Computing News
http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2309648/ncg-banco-we-will-continue-supporting-blackberry-as-a-corporate-solution

** http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2309648/ncg-banco-we-will-continue-supporting-blackberry-as-a-corporate-solution

Learn more about NCG Banco :
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCG_Banco

BlackBerry Black Friday Sale

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The sale is available for BlackBerry 10 smartphones for North America and Latin America and will take place  from Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2. Some of the big titles include “Modern Combat 4”, “Mass Effect”, “Asphalt 7”, “Dead Space”, and “Need for Speed” on the apps and games side. On the movies and music front, popular films and artists included are “Jack Reacher”, and “Skyfall” with albums by “Kings of Leon”, “Fun”, and “Lady Gaga”.

The sale banner is already live in BlackBerry World so if you want to browse through all of the titles you may hit up the link below. If you’ve had your eye on any of these items, be sure to take advantage of this low price and grab them while you can. Please be aware though that while apps, games, and movies will be $0.99, music albums are at a discounted price.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Check out all of the Black Friday Deals in BlackBerry World

Grace’s Potato Croquettes Recipe

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Makes 40 to 50 croquettes

Ingredienti
5 lbs of Idaho potatoes
3 eggs in the mix and 3 on the side
Freshly chopped parsley 1/4 cup
1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese
(breadcrumbs on the side, not in mix)

Procedure
Boil potatoes and smash
In a bowel mix smashed potatoes with all of the other ingredients
Scoop into meatball size and roll into football shape
Dip in beaten eggs and dip in Italian breadcrumbs
Put on a tray with sprinkled breadcrumbs and freeze to harden
(about 3hours or until ready to use; use freezer bags to freeze/store what will not immediately cook)
Deep fry in vegetable oil
Drain excess oil with tissue paper
Buon Appetito !

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Happy Thanksgiving USA!

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We hope our friends and subscribers from the USA are enjoying the NYC Thanksgiving parade and holiday. The parade features gigantic  balloons of all shapes of iconic brands and characters. Here you see the Ronald McDonald float. The parade is a tradition. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

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Eggs Florentine

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285 g (10 oz.) pkg. frozen or fresh chopped spinach, cooked & drained
1 (10  oz.) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
4 eggs
1 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. minced dry onion
1 tsp. mustard
1/2 c. croutons

Combine spinach and 1/2 of the soup. Spoon into individual casseroles. Spread evenly on bottom and up sides. Break 1 egg into each casserole. Bake in 350 degree oven 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set. In pan heat and stir remaining soup, milk, onion and mustard. Spoon over eggs. Garnish with croutons.

No Flat Lines and How to Use BBM Channels

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We’ll be launching a new initiative across our channels to offer a more engaging experience. Take a look back as we prepare to bring this for you over the next week.

HOW TO USE BBM CHANNELS

1)Launch BBM Channels From The New/Updated  BBM App

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2)There are 4 options in this blue header. Clicking on the first (Left to right) “Compass” icon will provide featured channels:

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3)Clicking on the second icon, from the left,  will provide the icon links to your created “My Channels”and “Subscribed to Channels”:

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4)Clicking on the third icon from the left will list any replies to comments and other Channels related notifications.
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5)Search for a specific Channel, example  PFC,  by clicking on the magnifying glass icon (fourth icon from the left)  on the top blue banner when selecting the “Channels” option in the new BBM:

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You can also enter any channel “pin” there to find and join any channel, like our main channel, PFC Systems, Inc with pin C0007F38F.

New Updated BlackBerry Messenger Adds Channels

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As we wrote earlier today:

https://pfcsystems.wordpress.com/2013/11/26/blackberry-channels-launching-today-on-os10-and-legacy-os-phones/

BBM Channels are now added to BBM. Just download the updated BBM App on BlackBerry World. It’s a free update for all OS 10 and legacy OS 5 to 7 BlackBerry devices. The channels upgrade is coming to Android and iPhone next.

Check out our PFC Systems, Inc. Channels, with our parent channel having pin C0007F38F or scan the bar code below.
IMG_00000801 IMG_00000802

Get the updated BBM app that now includes Channels for all BlackBerry cell phone devices at the following link:
http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/3729/?lang=en&countrycode=US

 

Learn how to Use BBM Channels here:

https://pfcsystems.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/no-flat-lines-and-how-ti-use-bbm-channels/

Holiday Travel

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Crossed into NJ. A traffic nightmare with holiday traffic clogging highways in NJ already. Do you know what bridge I used?

Having a reliable GPS with traffic alerts
is helpful living in the tristate area, NJ-NY-CT. Being familiar with the traffic patterns on the GWB, which is what I took heading west into NJ from the Henry Hudson Bridge via the West side high way (pictured above) avoids traffic. One really wants to be going against traffic on the bridges. West on GWB or North on the Tappan Zee in the morning. As much as possible avoiding the GWB in either direction during rush hour is a good idea. Otherwise, one can easily get stuck on a bridge for hours!

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What is your commute like?

BlackBerry Channels Launching Today on OS10 and Legacy OS Phones

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As of 3PM Eastern time today, people with  BlackBerry 10 and legacy BlackBerry OS devices can use the Tumblr-like service for themselves, subscribing to content feeds from both major providers and their friends. Android and iOS users, meanwhile, will have to sit tight — BlackBerry says that Channels support for their platforms is arriving in the “coming months.”

Be sure to subscribe to our PFC Systems Channel, pin C0007F38F. Official BBM Channel of PFC Systems, Inc. Info on BlackBerry, Technology, Photography, Entertainment, Travel, Science and Food.

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We could tell you how engaging Channels are as a social platform, but you can try it your self  soon! Search for “PFC” and join all of our channels.

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Get the latest information on updating BBM to include channels here:

https://pfcsystems.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/new-updated-blackberry-messenger-adds-channels/

Has BlackBerry® Created a Better Android Run Time With Its Latest Android Player Than Google Android?

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We recently wrote about Google’s use of  Dalvik and its efforts to save battery life and run apps more efficiently by developing a better Android Run Time (ART):

https://pfcsystems.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/dalvik-or-art/

Has BlackBerry® beaten them to it? You decide.

Here is an excellent article By Andrew Orlowski, 25th November 2013 , from “The Register”*:

Meet the BlackBerry wizardry that created its ‘better Android than Android’

The ingenious hack that throws the company a lifeline

Exclusive Some remarkable technical wizardry lies behind BlackBerry’s Android coup. When it was launched in January, BlackBerry’s new OS was brand new BlackBerry 10 and largely app-less. But today it can execute Android apps at impressive speed. How did they do it? Thanks to some helpful inside knowledge, The Register will reveal it all.

Android runs Java applications on a JVM called Dalvik, which runs on a Linux kernel. As it’s open source, Dalvik was straightforward to port to QNX, the sophisticated embedded Unix that RIM acquired in 2010, and which powered its PlayBook tablet (released the same year).

RIM promised that this Android Player would also appear on its first QNX-based phones. But not all apps could run, and there was an insurmountable stumbling block in the way. Android apps may also call native extensions, which are ARM Linux binary libraries. And there was no way of running these on the phones – so the apps couldn’t run either.

At first, RIM’s engineers attempted to support native extensions by making BB10 another build target for extensions developers. They would choose BB10 as a target at compile time. But this required persuasion. And unless the developer bought into the idea, Android apps that called these Linux ARM extensions wouldn’t run. Even then, the BlackBerry system could not allow side-loading of native apps. It didn’t look like the Android Player would ever be truly worthwhile.

‘Binary blobs’? No probs

But one or two RIM engineers were convinced they could bridge this gap between native QNX and Linux code. They would attempt to run the Linux extensions natively on QNX, without recompilation or pre-processing. Nobody was quite sure it would work – one source says he was “90 per cent sure” – but management supported the gamble, and the team set about their work in the summer of 2012.

While Linux and QNX are “Unix like”, that hardly helped. The Linux extensions looked like “binary blobs”, so the RIM engineers couldn’t be sure what was code and what was data. Which meant they couldn’t inspect and patch the Linux libraries on the fly, something called opcode substitution. It also ruled out pre-processing.

“We had to let the SWIs trigger live and discern whether it came from a Linux binary or a QNX binary at runtime, without sacrificing performance of QNX code,” a source familiar with the work told us:

“Our work used a wide, labour-intensive component: dynamic cross linking, validating and shimming of the Linux APIs on QNX, and a really deep and tricky hack: catching syscalls in apps that bypassed libs, or had libs statically linked.”

“Linux and QNX used the same ARM SWI instruction, but passed the syscall number in different registers.”

Surprisingly, perhaps, gaming applications proved the easiest to get running smoothly. There were more hurdles, however.

“Skype and Instagram were much more insinuated into Android services and required a lot more work. I believe one of Skype or Instagram even had self-modifying code as part of its security obfuscation, which would have killed any strategy that involved translating the binaries,” our source told us.

Nevertheless the team could demonstrate unmodified Skype, Instagram and Angry Birds Android apps to management and got the green light to productise their work. In BB 10.2.1, which is currently in beta testing, we can start to see the benefits.

As I wrote here modern BlackBerry machines will be able run Android apps in place without side-loading. Users can download Instagram and it works. The miracle of compatibility is thanks to the extensions support.

It’s an ambitious “hack” – in the old-school sense of the word, an ingenious piece of wizardry – that has thrown BlackBerry a lifeline. And just when it needs it. Here’s hoping it’s a reminder to BlackBerry’s new management to appreciate the talent of its engineers. ®

*http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/25/revealed_how_blackberry_made_its_better_android_than_android/

Our Calculus I App Is The Most Popular “Calculus” App on BlackBerry World

MostPopularCalculusAppNov25-2013

Considering that our application, Calculus I,  is in early Beta release and is designed and available only for OS 10 BlackBerry devices, truthfully, we are pleasantly surprised and delighted that our app has shot to the number one “Calculus” app in popularity on BlackBerry World.  This includes applications being built for legacy OS devices, which have had a longer run time and, presumably,  have a larger market with OS 5-7. This happened today (November 25, 2013), thanks to our social media and relational marketing efforts. We are thankful for the support so far, and hope that we reach the 1000 download mark to proceed with the next phase as outlined in our press release:

https://pfcsystems.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/press-releasenew-free-blackberry-educational-app-calculus-i-version-1-0-1/

which provides the development road map for the app.

We are excited to deliver an already useful application for FREE that students can now use to prepare for upcoming final exams and  that we plan on developing further, as the numbers and downloads warrant it, to make it a uniquely engaging, social, educational, application by leveraging the unique aspects of the BlackBerry ecosystem.  We plan to engage the students with social sharing (Facebook, Twitter, BBM) and with two unique offerings on BBM Channels, “PFC Live Tutor” ® (SM/TM) and “PFC Live Chat”® (SM/TM) where PFC stands for “Pedagogy Focused Competency”® (SM/TM). We plan to use quizzes and a game to link to “score-loop” with high-score statistics and other metrics.

Right now, in its most basic form, we have developed the content that we feel is appropriate for Calculus I, and we have decided to make the table of contents and cards selected available for FREE so students have a mobile and complete reference study guide for a first class in College level Calculus.  We welcome feedback and suggestions, and especially appreciate any feedback on typos or other errors, in this use as is Beta version.  We tried to catch most of these errors/typos, but are aware of a few minor and obvious typos/errors that we will correct soon with an update. We are working on a release for Tablet OS 2.1 which will bring the application to all legacy PlayBook devices from BlackBerry®.

This FREE Beta version of the  app is already designed for recall and review and consolidation–ie—meta cognition—where the student should ask: “Do I understand the examples?” “Do I know how to workout the examples on my own?” Repetition using pencil and paper and problem solving is absolutely part of the review part of learning for math and science. Working out the examples to make sense of the answers is a good strategy.  The app should be useful to high school students taking AP Calculus I or College students taking a first class in Calculus.

We see learning as: 1)Introduction to the material (by the teacher, by reading, by chatting, by study groups, and by Pedagogy Focused Competency ® (SM/TM) with “PFC Live Chat”® (SM/TM) and “PFC Live Tutor” ® (SM/TM) in our BBM Channel), 2)Review and problem solving (with problem solving teams/groups or “PFC Live Chat” ® (SM/TM) and “PFC Live Tutor” ® (SM/TM) in our BBM Channel, PFC Calculus I ® (SM/TM), channel pin C00123F0F) and 3) Consolidation (“PFC Live Chat” ® (SM/TM)) and “PFC Live Tutor” ® (SM/TM) in our BBM Channel). There are formative (“PFC Live Chat” ® (SM/TM) and “PFC Live Tutor”  ® (SM/TM) in our BBM Channel) and summative  (Quiz/Test and Gaming) aspects to learning and teaching.  We plan to leverage the BlackBerry ecosystem to cover all three areas in both formative and summative engagement. We plan to reach the learning different students with didactic, visual and auditory engagement.

Thank you for taking this  first step,with us,  towards a new mobile educational paradigm, with this first version  of Calculus I ® (SM/TM). A mobile educational app needs to be relevant, engaging, and social. It needs to add value and even enjoyment to reviewing and studying for tests. It needs to be much more than a PDF of a traditional review book.

The Simple Things in Life are Good!® (SM/TM)IMG_00001155IMG_00000026-original®

Follow us on Twitter:

Like us on facebook: facebook.com/PfcSystemsInc

http://www.pfcsystems.com

Info@pfcsystems.com

Download the FREE “PFCSystems” app on BlackBerry World:

http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/24419891/?countrycode=US

BBM Channel, PIN C0007F38F.

IMG_00000801 IMG_00000802

PFC Systems, Inc.

People Focused Company ® (SM/TM)

Programming Focused Creations ® (SM/TM)

Pedagogy Focused Competency ® (SM/TM)

Copyright 2013 (logo/sm, since 1993), all rights reserved, all content on this site! Photos may not be used without explicit permission, in writing, from PFC Systems, Inc.

BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY): The German Government Might Give An Unexpected Boost To BlackBerry

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Apparently, the German government is about to ban iPhones for BlackBerry devices in all official communications.

George Kesarios Writes in “Seeking Alpha”:

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. (More…)

In an interesting twist of events, the German government has decided that official matters of state are too important to be held on just any phone, ever since the NSA eavesdropping scandal surfaced. The interior ministry of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and the SPD (Social Democratic Party) have decided on “urgent” guidelines for ministers’ and top ranking officials using mobile phones.

According to German site local.de (quoting Bild), the iPhone will no longer be a device that will handle “official correspondence.” The BSI (Bonn federal office for information security) has drawn up guidelines and phones used by the government must be BSI approved.

And since the software developed by the BSI is not compatible with Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone, the conclusion of many observers is that soon iPhones will start disappearing from the German Parliament.

Spiegel reported a while ago that the German Chancellery and government ministries switched to newly developed crypto mobile phones that have been approved for use by officials in Berlin since September. So far, no foreign intelligence agency has succeeded in breaking the encryption on the phones, the German Interior Ministry claims.

The German firm Secusmart turns BlackBerry (BBRY) devices into ultra secure devices by installing an encryption engine via a micro SD card. Once installed, BlackBerry phones meet NATO requirements for classified communications.

And for all the fuss about Merkel’s phone being bugged, CEO Hans-Christoph Quelle of Secusmart said:

The high security solution from Secusmart for secure communication within the government was not affected. The Secusmart company’s encryption technique was developed together with security experts at the BSI (The German Federal Office for Information Security) and their security is openly documented. It’s based on the Secusmart Security Card, a micro SD card with an integrated SmartCard chip. This miniature crypto-processor takes care of the encryption of voice and data communication within the mobile phone including authenticating calling parties. Its 128-bit AES encryption enables 340 sextillion different keys-imagine 36 zeros after the number 340.

Theoretically, it would take 149 billion years to crack this code based on today’s technical standards, even with the use of special computers. The universe itself isn’t even that old. That’ll definitely keep the USA busy for a while.

According to sources, the German government has ordered about 40,000 BlackBerry Z10 phones so far, including one for Chancellor Angela Merkel. And if many people start using BlackBerry devices throughout the German government, this might lead to an intergovernmental trend towards Blackberry… one never knows.

BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY): The German Government Might Give An Unexpected Boost To BlackBerry – Seeking Alpha
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1859521-the-german-government-might-give-an-unexpected-boost-to-blackberry

Current CMO, Frank Boulben and COO, Kristian Tear, Exit from BlackBerry

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BlackBerry has today announced some changes in their board and management. Kristian Tear, the current COO and CMO Frank Boulben will be leaving the company. James Yersh, who has had a role as comptroller with BlackBerry, will also be replacing Brian Bidulka as CFO.
 
According to the NY Times*, ” Adam Emery, a spokesman for BlackBerry, said that the company would no longer have chief operating and chief marketing executives. He said he was unable to elaborate on that decision, citing a “quiet period” preceding the company’s quarterly financial report, due on Dec. 20. It will follow a quarter in which BlackBerry reported a $1 billion loss. Many analysts anticipate that BlackBerry will again write down large inventories of unwanted phones, which will again force it to post substantial losses.”

Press Release

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – November 25, 2013) – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY)(TSX:BB), a world leader in mobile communications, today announced that as part of the on-going reorganization of BlackBerry, Kristian Tear, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, and Frank Boulben, the Company’s Chief Marketing Officer, will leave the Company. BlackBerry also announced that James Yersh will replace Brian Bidulka as its Chief Financial Officer. Yersh, who has worked at BlackBerry since 2008, previously served as Senior Vice President, Controller and as the Company’s head of Compliance. Bidulka will stay on as a special advisor to the CEO for the remainder of the fiscal year to assist with the transition.

“I thank Kristian and Frank for their efforts on behalf of BlackBerry. I look forward to working more directly with the talented teams of engineers, and the sales and marketing teams around the world to facilitate the BlackBerry turn-around and to drive innovation,” said John Chen, Executive Chair and CEO of BlackBerry. “I also thank Brian for his eight years of dedicated service to BlackBerry. I look forward to working with James and his Finance team as we move forward, execute on our plans and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”

Chen added, “BlackBerry has a strong cash position and continues, by a significant margin, to be the top provider of trusted and secure mobile device management solutions to enterprise customers around the world. Building on this core strength, and in conjunction with these management changes, I will continue to align my senior management team and organizational structure, and refine the Company’s strategy to ensure we deliver the best devices, mobile security and device management through BES 10, provide multi-platform messaging solutions with BBM, and expand adoption of QNX embedded systems.”

BlackBerry also announced today that Roger Martin, a Board member since 2007, has resigned. “Our Board has benefitted from Roger’s expertise and insights over the past six years and we wish him the best,” said Barbara Stymiest, Board Member and Former Chair of the Board.

James Yersh has more than 15 years of experience in the technology and telecommunications industries. Yersh previously served as the Senior Vice President, Controller and head of Compliance for BlackBerry. Prior to joining BlackBerry in 2008, he held various senior positions at Cognos Incorporated and Deloitte.

Third Quarter Fiscal 2014 Results Conference Call Details

BlackBerry will discuss additional details around this announcement when it reports results for the third quarter of fiscal 2014 on December 20th, 2013. A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at8 am ET, which can be accessed by dialing 1-800-814-4859 or through your BlackBerry® 10 smartphone, personal computer or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet at http://ca.blackberry.com/company/investors/events.html. A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 10 amby dialing (+1)416-640-1917 and entering pass code 4612570# or by clicking the link above on your BlackBerry® 10 smartphone, personal computer or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. This replay will be available until midnight ET January 3, 2014.

* http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/11/26/business/international/blackberry-chief-removes-some-top-executives.html

Sausages in The Sauce

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Sausages take different fillings in different cultures. Italian sausage can be sweet, no chili peppers, or hot. Often the casing is filled with seasoned pork, fennel, salt and other ingredients. What is your sausage stuffed with?

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Pennoni in a nice chili pepper spiced sauce with salsicce. Buon gusto e buon appetito!