I love accessories. Period! It doesn’t really matter if we’re talking shoes, watches, curtains, throw pillows, or garden gnomes, I love them all and my technology is no exception. I’ve recently started using a BlackBerry Q10 and I have really enjoyed choosing my accessories. I get the feeling everyone else does too. The accessory booth is hopping here at BlackBerry Live with people itching to get their hands on this incredible line up of accessories that have been designed specifically for the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone.

Don’t worry if you weren’t able to join us this year. Head over to www.BlackBerry.com/Q10accessories or your local retailer to pick up these awesome accessories.

What’s the first accessory you’d buy for your BlackBerry Q10?

As the BlackBerry Live keynote news keeps flowing in I’m happy to introduce you to the youthful and fun BlackBerry Q5 smartphone, running BlackBerry 10. With a QWERTY keyboard and a confident design, this new BlackBerry smartphone has been built to provide a fast, effortless experience that helps you explore, create and share while on the go. Thorsten Heins just revealed the device onstage at BlackBerry Live, but we’ve got all the details ready to share with you below.

I’ve been using this device for a few days now and I’m already in love. It fits into my lifestyle perfectly offering the powerful experience I need and allowing me to flow seamlessly from task to task throughout my day.

Highlights and features of the BlackBerry Q5

• The evolution of the classic BlackBerry Keyboard:
  The BlackBerry Q5 features a classic BlackBerry Keyboard with discrete keys that has been re-engineered and elegantly designed to help you type fast, accurately and with the least amount of effort. Plus with Instant Action shortcuts you can type to perform tasks faster. The BlackBerry Q5 smartphone gives you the best of both worlds – a classic QWERTY keyboard for optimized communications and a 3.1” touchscreen for all the rest.
• Create the perfect shot with BlackBerry Time Shift mode and Story Maker
  Create the picture perfect shot with BlackBerry Time Shift mode, then create and share your story, weaving together your photos, videos and music into a movie with BlackBerry Story Maker.
• Share and be seen with BBM Video with Screen Share
  Instantly switch your BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) chat to a BBM Video conversation and catch up face-to-face. You can even share your screen, whether it’s a photo, a page in the browser, an idea, or a view from your camera.
• Stay close to what’s important to you with BlackBerry Hub
  With BlackBerry Hub, all of your messages and social conversations are only one swipe away. There’s no need to stop what you’re doing. Simply peek into the BlackBerry Hub from anywhere with a swipe to effortlessly flow in and out of your messages and conversations.
• BlackBerry World delivers a rich, thriving app and content ecosystem
  Discovering and sharing great apps and content is easier than ever with recommendations based on similar purchases, and access to more than 100,000 apps on the BlackBerry World storefront.

Here’s what Thorsten had to say in a recent press release on the new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone:

“BlackBerry is excited to bring the new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone to our customers in selected markets around world,” said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry. “The BlackBerry Q5 gives you the best of everything with its cutting-edge BlackBerry 10 functionality and a physical QWERTY keyboard. It is for youthful fans that are passionate, confident and bold, and it makes it easy for them to have fun, create, share and stay connected.”

Pricing and Availability
The new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone will be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America, with availability beginning in July.

There you have it folks – if you live in the areas listed above, you can look forward to getting your hands on the new BlackBerry Q5 with BlackBerry 10. What do you think of this phone? Let us know your thoughts on this stunning new BlackBerry device in the comments below.

Woohoo! For all you social media fiends out there, we’re keeping the updates flowing. Both the Twitter and LinkedIn apps will be receiving an update for BlackBerry 10 smartphones today. The apps will be available for free download in the BlackBerry World storefront. These enhanced apps make it easier than ever to stay connected and do more with your social and professional contacts, while on the go.

I’m sure you can’t wait to check out some of the new features and enhancements you can look forward to when you pick them up. Check out all the details below.

New Features for Twitter version 10.0.3/10.1.3

• Enjoy more content with Universal Search –See more content when you’re searching. You’ll be able to view related profiles, tweets and top tweets, photos and relevant searches all on one page.
• Always Fresh Content – Content that is always fresh and up to date. Automatic caching gives you the current information at your fingertips without having to manually refresh your tabs.

New Features for LinkedIn version 10.0.3/10.1.3

• Find your current contacts on LinkedIn: With the latest update, you can import the personal address book from your BlackBerry 10 device to LinkedIn, making it easier to view and connect to your contacts on LinkedIn.
• UI improvements: We’ve updated the overall design of the LinkedIn application for BlackBerry 10 to improve the user experience. These updates include improved visual styling, better pull down functionalities for refreshes, touch down feedback on clicking list items, and more.
• Follow and learn about companies :An important element of LinkedIn is the ability to connect to companies and subscribe for company related updates and content. The latest version of LinkedIn for BlackBerry 10 allows you to view information about the companies you follow in greater detail, such as:
• How you’re connected
• About
• Jobs
• Similar Companies
• News & Updates
• Other Updates: We’ve made quite a few additional updates to LinkedIn for BlackBerry 10. These include inbox enhancements, deleting and archiving messages, people search improvements, and the ability to update your profile photo from within the app. To get all the details, visit the official app page on the BlackBerry World application storefront.

Do these updates have your mouth watering? Download them now on BlackBerry World: Twitter v10.0.3/10.1.3 and LinkedIn v10.0.3/10.1.3 and let us know what you’re most excited for in the comments below.

Please note the apps may take up to 24 hours to appear in BlackBerry World storefront.

We first tipped our hat that Skype was coming to BlackBerry 10 back at the global launch event on January 30th. Now I’m happy to announce that Skype is available for the newly launched BlackBerry Q10. BlackBerry Q10 and Skype are the perfect pair allowing you to chat with other Skype users from the palm of your hand.

While you’re on the go with your BlackBerry Q10 and the Skype app, you’ll enjoy the ability to have:

• Free face to face video and voice calls
• Instant messages
• low cost voice calls and text messages to landlines and mobiles over WiFi® or wireless network connections.

Skype System Requirements:

Skype runs on the 10.1 Operating System on the BlackBerry Q10. As this new version of the BlackBerry 10 operating system launches on the BlackBerry Z10 in the coming weeks, BlackBerry Z10 owners will have the ability to download Skype for BlackBerry from BlackBerry World. We will be talking more about BlackBerry 10.1 on BlackBerry Z10 at BlackBerry Live, so stay tuned and keep it locked to Inside BlackBerry for more information.

Did you just pick up your brand new BlackBerry Q10 and want to give Skype a try? Download it from BlackBerry World and Let us know what you think about the app in the comments below.

So… you’ve been hearing all of this talk about the new BlackBerry Z10, and even though it’s designed to deliver the best touchscreen typing experience, you’re a physical keyboard enthusiast at heart. You’ve been holding out, waiting to get your hands on a shiny new BlackBerry 10 smartphone – and you know the BlackBerry Q10 is just right for you.

You’re not alone! The anticipation is mounting around the world for this highly-anticipated smartphone, and we’re getting one step closer to getting it in your hands.

Today, Carphone Warehouse customers in the United Kingdom will be able to pre-order the BlackBerry Q10 on O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Three, EE and TalkMobile. Plus, the handset will be available for purchase in Carphone Warehouse stores from the end of April. For those of you in other markets, we’ll have details on availability to follow soon. In the mean time head by our global availability tracker for BlackBerry 10 to see where you can pick up a BlackBerry Z10 today!

We showed it off originally on January 30th when we officially launched the BlackBerry 10 platform. There, we showed you some of the amazing capabilities built in to BlackBerry 10, like messaging in the BlackBerry Hub, BlackBerry Balance and BlackBerry Remember. In case you need a refresher – watch this video and prepare to start drooling.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Are you a BlackBerry physical keyboard fanatic? Is this the BlackBerry 10 device you’ve been waiting for – let us know in the comments below.

A few weeks back we took a look at some of our favorite, or most anticipated apps for BlackBerry 10 and Melanie M. mentioned that she can’t wait to get BlackBerry Travel on her new BlackBerry Z10. Good news for her (and everybody else who’s picked one up) BlackBerry Travel is now available for BlackBerry 10.

If you’ve been using previous generations of BlackBerry Travel, you’ll know that it is definitely a must have for travelers. I’ve written a few times in the past about how the app makes your life easier while on the go. You can plan, book, manage, and share their travel arrangements with friends, colleagues and on social and professional networks while on the go.

BlackBerry Travel for BlackBerry 10 includes all of the great features that make travel simple for BlackBerry customers including: Automatic Trip Scanning, Travel Notification in BlackBerry Hub, Hotel and Car Rental Booking, Itinerary Management, Social Sharing, Search Flights, and Time-Saving Tools. On top of that there are also some new features added as well.

Check them out here:

• Trip Status Sharing – It’s now even easier to post your trip updates on BBM, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. With Trip Status Sharing, you can keep your friends and colleagues up-to-date on your travel adventures immediately as they unfold.
• Flight Status Sharing – BlackBerry Travel has always kept you up-to-date with real-time flight statuses and with BlackBerry Travel for BlackBerry 10, you can share this information with your colleagues, friends and social networks. If your flight is delayed, cancelled or changed terminals, you can easily and quickly inform others and make sure they know when and where to pick you up from the airport.
• Price Alerts, Change Offers and Upgrades – The new Price Alert service with BlackBerry Travel for BlackBerry 10 helps ensure you’re always getting the best hotel deal. It will put your mind at ease and automatically notify you if there’s a better price for the hotel room you booked, a comparable hotel for a cheaper price, or if there’s a much better hotel for slightly more. In many cases, you can cancel your original booking without penalty and re-book the better deal through BlackBerry Travel.
• BlackBerry ID – With BlackBerry ID, you’ll never have to login to BlackBerry Travel again. You’ll have instant access to all of its features as soon as you launch the app. Even on your first time using BlackBerry Travel, BlackBerry ID will automatically fill in the registration form for you.

If that’s got you excited, you’re not alone – and better yet it’s available as a free download on the BlackBerry World storefront. Planning any trips in the near future? Be sure to share the excitement with us in the comments, and if you’ve got any tips for using BlackBerry Travel, we’d love to hear your story.

Please note the app may take up to 24 hours to appear in the BlackBerry World Storefront.

We spent part of last week at BlackBerry Jam Europe, which is generally a conference dedicated to those who already develop apps for BlackBerry. However, there are also many programs for beginners. Since I’ve never created an app, I decided to take a run at developing an app for the Inside BlackBerry Blog. As I have literally no experience developing apps, I asked Alex and Luke for some help.

We used the BlackBerry App Generator to automatically pull content from the Inside BlackBerry Blog, and the BlackBerry Facebook and BlackBerry YouTube pages. It took us only about 10 minutes from start to finish and it was absolutely free. The result is a great-looking app that pulls in all of our articles, posts and videos. Let’s have a look as Alex walks us through the process.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

See how easy it was? Using the BlackBerry App Generator you could have your own app up and running in just a few minutes, even with no development experience. Do you have a blog or content and think it would make a great app? Give the BlackBerry App Generator a try for yourself and let us know.

In a bold move (if I do say so myself), we’ve renamed the company to reflect our brand. Research In Motion (RIM) is now officially named BlackBerry. Seconds ago on stage at the BlackBerry 10 global launch event, Thorsten Heins made the announcement to press and advocates from around the world.

“We are now BlackBerry. One brand. One promise. One focus. Around the world, we are known as BlackBerry, so this will come as no surprise to those of you joining us from Paris, London, Johannesburg, Delhi, Jakarta and Dubai. Our customers are BlackBerry owners, we work for BlackBerry, and our partners and investors are supporting BlackBerry.”

To explain this move further, I sat down with Frank Boulben, CMO, earlier this week in New York City. Check out the interview below.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

As we wrote last week, RIM was founded in 1984 – that’s almost 30 years of heritage built into the BlackBerry brand. Reflecting on this change, I believe Thorsten put it best when he said:

“We are now, more than ever, a company united in our vision for mobile computing and it all starts today with our renaming and with the global launch of BlackBerry 10.”

It’s a new day, a new name and new products. We are BlackBerry – please share your thoughts on the change with us in the comments.

We are only minutes away from showtime here at the new BlackBerry 10 launch event in New York City. The press has filed in and the anticipation is building. The show is about to kick off with a montage of guests and interviews from excited fans, analysts and media from around the world. It has definitely been a spirited journey and a fantastic build-up to launch – check out a few of the stories being highlighted.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

There you have it – I definitely echo the host’s sentiment when he said, “I hope after today Lil E can get some sleep.” Stay tuned – all your BlackBerry 10 launch news is coming up next. Are you excited? Be sure to leave us a comment telling us your journey to BlackBerry 10.