Zombie #Blackberry is a great name for a #punk band
Zombie #Blackberry is a great name for a #punk band
In 2005, Google paid $50 million to a software engineer called Andy Rubin, together with his team for a dying phone company giving away their FREE software.
Critics called it the "dumbest acquisition ever."
Today, that "dumb decision" is worth over $500 BILLION and is the reason why you are holding a less expensive but quality phone that is not an iPhone
Here's how Google saw the future before anyone else: and built the world's most used mobile device - Android phones
It all started with a tiny company called Android Inc.
Founded by 4 top tech entrepreneurs and business executives, Led by Andy Rubin.
Their goal?
To create smarter mobile devices
that are more aware of their owner's location and preferences, and an operating system that is completely free & open-source.
Any manufacturer could use, modify, or make it their own. But at this time, this seemed insane.
Because the company was struggling financially:
No products.
No revenue.
Just 4 guys and a dream.
To make it worse, the mobile phone industry was locked down tight by software giants:
• Nokia controlled its software
• Microsoft charged for Windows Mobile
• BlackBerry kept everything in-house
The idea of giving away a free Mobile phone Operating system (OS) was Laughable.
But Google, just as they saw the future of YouTube, saw something much bigger - Mobile phones would become the primary way people access the internet. With that google search engine will be irresistible
They weren't buying software.
They were buying the future of computing.
To protect their search engine business, they pushed to buy
This was the real threat:
If Microsoft or Nokia dominated mobile, they could:
• Block Google Search
• Push their own services
• Control the future of digital advertising
Google couldn't let that happen.
So they made their boldest move yet. Buy out the entire company, not just the product.
But they didn't just buy Android. They kept it open-source.
Why?
This was genius because they wanted:
• To give Phone makers free software,
• help Android developers get a free platform
• Help Users have more choices.
Result? Companies like Samsung, Huawei, HTC can distribute their Android devices freely
Everyone won...
Except Google's competitors.
Blackberry
Nokia
Microsoft
Because within 10 years of Android's free open-source purchase, their company was gone.
wondering why you have not seen them again today.
Cos' everyone prefers an open-source free phone where you don't have to pay for anything after the initial purchase.
That's the masterstroke
In 2008, the first Android phone was launched;
The HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
It wasn't pretty.
It wasn't smooth.
But it was the beginning of a revolution...
Because Google did something unprecedented:
They gave manufacturers complete freedom:
• Change the interface
• Add new features
• Customize everything
This sparked an explosion of innovation...
Companies like Samsung, HTC, LG, and others could now compete with Apple without building an OS from scratch.
The result?
Android powers 71% of all smartphones worldwide.
That's billions of devices running Google's software.
But here's what makes this truly genius:
In everything Google builds, it always finds a way to monetize.
How does Google make money from its $50 million investment?
The truth is, Google doesn't make money from Android directly.
Instead, they make money from:
• Play Store fees
• Google Search
• Digital advertising
• User data
The platform is free, but the ecosystem is priceless.
This $50M bet didn't just transform mobile.
It transformed how we:
• Connect
• Shop
• Work
• Live
The lesson?
Sometimes the biggest opportunities look like the riskiest bets.
Google's Android gamble teaches us:
The best investments aren't about what something is today.
They're about what something could become tomorrow.
And sometimes, giving away value is the best way to capture it.
Source FB
When you look at your career, did one company you'd worked at get turned into a movie and a book?
I did - #BlackBerry.
And now, another company was turned into a book. And it's quite a read:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216247552-no-more-tears
I wonder how I can relate these lessons to my kids...
@loic @eniko the original #Xbox360 #Chatpad sadly isn't reachable as a regular keyboard in my testings on #Linux.
Otherwise I do love it as it's a #BlackBerry-Style clicky board...
Kinda like the CTFWIKE-4....
@eniko I can recommend the CTFWIKE-4 from personal use. It has #clicky, #BlackBerry-Style keys.
They also have a predecessor/succesor model CTFWIKE-3 with bluetooth and a stick for mouse too. Not shure of the keys tho.
One person's pest is another person's dessert! For those of us who intentionally cultivate #Blackberries...
14 Plants to Grow Alongside Your #Blackberry Bushes to Keep Them Happy
By Kate Chalmers
March 11, 2025
"Blackberries are among the easiest fruits to grow. In addition to providing an abundance of delicious fruit, blackberry bushes boost biodiversity and can be used to create a natural hedgerow.
"However, as with any plant, choosing the right blackberry companions is essential. Careful companion planting can boost soil health, deter pests, attract beneficial insects, and guarantee huge yields of delicious blackberry fruits."
https://homesteadhow-to.com/plants-to-grow-alongside-your-blackberry-bushes-to-keep-them-happy/
#Gardening #SolarPunkSunday #CompanionPlanting #FoodForests #Berries #GrowYourOwn
@Landkieker Ich habe jeden #BlackBerry Bold gehabt und geliebt. Es war nur die Kamera, die sie massiv vernachlässigt haben und danach ging's ganz bergab. Ja, sehr schade!
Ich bedaure immer noch, dass #Blackberry seinerzeit den Technologieanschluss verpasst hat.
Donnerstag: Amazons Aufbau des Satelliteninternets, Glasfaserausbau kommt voran
Project Kuiper unter Zeitdruck + Start der Fiberdays 25 + Blackberrys sinkende Geschäftszahlen + Minecraft im Kino + Nikons neue Vollformatkamera + #heiseshow
Blackberry schrumpft, Betriebsgewinn verschwindet
Blackberry kämpft mit sinkenden Umsätzen. Die Aktie kehrt zur Erde zurück.
@ajsadauskas @JessTheUnstill also #BlackBerry's #PlayBook #Tablet was released as a accessory screen for their Phones, which gave it "#WiiU-Effect" in terms of marketing.
I mean, the hardware was never their problem and #SMS-Typists swear by their #BlackberryCurve's #keyboard but BlackBerry's #toolchain - just like #SymbianOS's - was just hideous to the point that devs like @fuchsiii didn't even want to try making #Apps for those devices.
#Sony even released some #Symbian #S60 devices but since they didn't have the same signing keys, one couldn't even #sideload apps (not to mention they didn't had the #OviStore on those either!)...
@JessTheUnstill One of the big fuckups for BlackBerry was just the delays in getting BlackBerry 10, plus the Z10 and Q10, to market.
I got to use BB10 for a couple of months, and it was nice. It was built on QNX, with a modern swipe/gesture based UI built with Qt.
Arguably a better OS than the iOS and Android releases at that same time.
There was a feature called the Hub, which wax a unified inbox for your email messages, social posts, and text messages. Plus a modern app store, and separate personal/work profiles built into the OS.
There was a version without a physical keyboard (Z10) and with (Q10).
The problem is they didn't start working on it until 2010, and BB10 wasn't released until 2013.
For about two years before BB10 came out, BlackBerry didn't release any new phones.
Had BB10 come out earlier, it *might* have saved the company.
..ich will wieder ein #BlackBerry #kanada
Raspberries, blackberries, black currants, and peaches are starting to grow.
New Post From Cliff's Vernissage
Day 74 of the #365in2025 challenge.
Let's see how good this combo tastes!
#365in25 #CrownRoyal #DrPepper #Blackberry #Drink #Drinks #Alcohol #Photography #iPhonePhotography #iOSPhotography
View on Vernissage https://vernissage.photos/@CliffWade/7482111141649320210
Day 74 of the #365in2025 challenge.
Let's see how good this combo tastes!
#365in25 #CrownRoyal #DrPepper #Blackberry #Drink #Drinks #Alcohol #Photography #iPhonePhotography #iOSPhotography