RIM’s new leader Thorsten Heins in further interviews has outlined how he plans to take on competition in the short term. He revealed to Reuters that just 20 percent of BlackBerry owners are using a modern version of the OS, in some cases using BlackBerry 5 or even older. Much of the company’s focus would be on getting them to upgrade to new phones, including special carrier deals that could bundle devices together or give carriers phones with bundled apps….
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RIM: only 20% use modern BlackBerrys, LTE PlayBook in spring
Schneider Optics was one of many companies at the Macworld iWorld expo showing off its latest accessories. Electronista stopped by the lens maker’s booth to check out their latest addition to the iPro interchangeable lens system for the iPhone 4 and 4S. A 2X telephoto lens now complements the company’s wide angle and fisheye lenses…. 
The Macworld iWorld expo always hosts a number of unique products, and this year was no exception. MacNN was surprised to find no less than three iPhone cases that double as bottle openers. We checked out the Opena case, along with two ‘Intoxicase’ models offered by Spicebox…. 
An AppleInsider report by Daniel Dilger provides some illuminating insight on the recent New York Times article criticizing Apple and Foxconn and the labor practices they and the rest of the electronics industry pursue to keep innovation high and prices low. The newspaper recently reprinted its report in China, soliciting comments for use in the US. What it got — and subsequently buried — was charges of its own bias from Chinese workers and management…. 
Several successful Kickstarter projects are currently on hand at the Macworld iWorld expo for potential customers to try out, including LandingZone’s docking station for the MacBook Air. Electronista initially wrote about the device before it had gathered enough funding to pass through the Kickstarter program, so we were excited to get a chance to see it in person…. 
For those who have always yearned to “get in touch with their inner dictator,” Feral Interactive has ported over the third instalment in the Tropico city-simulator game series, Tropico 3: Gold Edition for the Mac. Originally developed by PopTop Games, the series is now handled by Haemimont Games and Kalypso Media for Windows and Xbox. The third entry is a “re-imagining” on a grander scale of the economic, political, construction and management simulator…. 
Project managers rejoice! The Omni Group has announced a full-featured iPad version of its project management software. 
Mac luminaries had just five minutes to impart some knowledge on the crowd at the Thursday night Rapid Fire session at Macworld | iWorld. Here’s a rundown of some of the highlights from that event. 
Of the numerous app developers that brought their latest offerings to the Macworld iWorld expo, WebIS’ updated Pocket Informant utilities captured the attention of many attendees. MacNN checked out Pocket Informant 2 for the iPad, along with the company’s cloud services that will eventually enhance the iOS apps…. 
Israel has followed Australian footsteps in planning its own national broadband network. The country’s Israel Electric Corporation plans a purely fiber-based network that will supply many of the country’s homes with at least 100Mbps speeds. They picked fiber with the intention to scale and could theoretically hit 1Gbps in time…. 
