BlackBerry 6
BlackBerry 6 (BB6) is a smartphone operating system from the Canadian manufacturer Research In Motion( RIM), it was launched in August 2010. The graphical user interface of the BlackBerry 6 can be operated via touchscreen and touchpad and offers a WebKit-based browser, messaging functions for managing social media and multimedia features.
The user interface displays the applications and content of a Blackberry smartphone in several views, optionally all, favorites, media, downloads or the most frequently accessed. On the home screen, you'll find the icon of a "Universal Search Tool" that searches either the smartphone, the web or RIM's" BlackBerry App World" for terms or content with a click or finger touch.
The applications are controlled by clicking and holding the trackpad or pressing longer on the touchscreen. The user can switch between several applications via a taskbar with the currently activated applications. A WebKit-based browser presents emails and several websites simultaneously, which can be switched between via tabs. A double- tap function zooms in the web pages and texts.
BB6 also offers a transition to social networks like Facebook, Twitter or MySpace. The integrated BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and the applications for AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger are suitable for instant messaging. Users can send updates to their accounts simultaneously via various networks and add RSS feeds from the Social Feeds application or directly from a website.
Media Sync synchronizes photos, videos, and AppleiTunes and Windows Media Player libraries on a desktop computer with the smartphone, but individual music formats and digital rights management technologies are not supported. If a WLAN is available, the libraries of iTunes or Windows Media Player can also be viewed without a cable connection via WiFi Music Sync. Changes to the libraries are synchronized and the tracks are downloaded to the smartphone. With an application for YouTube, videos can be watched or forwarded to friends.
A software development kit( SDK) is offered for BlackBerry 6. Developers can use it to write their own apps via more than 40 APIs. The UI(user interface) elements offered, including pop-up menus and toolbars, enable faster development of custom menus and submenus. The further development of BlackBerry 6 is BlackBerry 7, which was introduced in 2012.