In an interesting twist, BlackBerry has announced plans to release its BlackBerry Messaging service on Android and iOS. Plus: a new Q5 entry-level device. BlackBerry has been known for its exclusivity, particularly with BlackBerry Messenger, which is perhaps the messaging service that has inspired the presence-indicator and read-receipt features now common among instant messaging services. Read the full article…

China’s Forgame is making a strategic investment into Hong Kong’s Animoca, and the two firms will play each other’s complementary strengths to expand reach. Hong Kong-based game development startup Animoca has recently announced a strategic minority investment from Chinese game development firm Forgame Holdings Ltd., through the former’s holdings company, Appionics Holdings Ltd. The terms Read the full article…

Near-field communication (NFC) has been around for the last decade, but should be watched closely right now. The question begs, “Are consumers ready to go entirely cashless?” In the last two months, we have been hearing tons about these three alphabets: N-F-C. And it stands for “Near-field communication,” which gives smartphones and other devices the Read the full article…

Transport-based apps are growing in popularity in Metro Manila, with the likes of Tripid and RideIn. If you need to hail a cab, you can also try MyTaxi.PH. Finding a taxi in Metro Manila is not always that easy, especially during rush hours, when passengers would compete for even the most dilapidated of cabs. There Read the full article…

Evernote has updated its Food app for Android devices, making it easier to add user customizations and annotations to food-related clippings. Evernote is the app for remembering everything, whether these are clips from the web or mobile sites. With social media users finding food a favorite topic on their photo sharing activities, Evernote has released Read the full article…

Google has just announced the release of their previously Android-exclusive Google Now app for Apple’s iOS platform. Previously an exclusive to Google’s own Android smartphone and tablet platform, Google Now has launched on the iPhone and iPad as part of the updated Google Search App. So what is different about Google Now? Google Now is Read the full article…

Freelance online jobs are on the rise, and data from Freelancer.com indicates that BPO jobs are the fastest growing as of Q1 2013. With April 2013 coming to an end, let us take a quick look at the jobs market in the online economy with data from Freelancer.com. With the recent economic downturn and recession Read the full article…