RIM to join forces with Windows Phone in bid to survive?

 Good bye BlackBerry, hello Windows Phone? 

Research in Motion may have to bite the bullet and admit it's in serious trouble, with executives under pressure to do something radical in a bid to save the company, such as joining forces with Microsoft.

Earlier today we heard that RIM was going to delay its BlackBerry 10 operating system launch until next year, and cut a further 5,000 jobs, as the firm recorded larger than expected losses.

Reuters' sources say the RIM board is under increasing pressure to explorer other drastic options, one of which is ditching BB10 altogether, in favour of Windows Phone 8.

Twitter for Windows Phone gets pushy, adds Notifications support

Starting this week, Windows Phone users with a Twitter fixation will have a much easier time feeding the little, blue, bird-shaped beast. The latest update to the app features long-awaited Notifications support. Downloading version 1.5 will deliver such important Twitter info as retweets, mentions, direct messages, new followers and favorited tweets to the forefront where they belong. You can download the app in the source link below and then tell all your friends through the microblogging service of your choice, whatever that might be. Fair warning in the meantime -- a number of folks are reporting issues with the update, and we've had some difficulty getting it up an running on our own handsets. Feel free to sound off in the comments below -- since you may have some trouble doing so on Twitter.

RIM: QWERTY BlackBerry 10 phone launches in 'close proximity' to its all-touch cousin

RIM hasn't had much good news to offer along with its glum fiscal first quarter, but it has given a reason to mark early 2013 on the calendar if you're a BlackBerry fan. CEO Thorsten Heins revealed during the results call that the first QWERTY BlackBerry 10 phone will arrive in "close proximity" to its touchscreen-only counterpart. What that entails is still very much under wraps, although there were clues. Heins stressed that the early batch would focus on the "premium" space, while BlackBerry 7 would hold down the entry and mid-range markets until their BlackBerry 10 replacements were ready. The tidbits won't provide much comfort to someone who has to decide on a phone by the holidays, but they hint that the truly patient could be rewarded for their calm under pressure.

New Windows Phone store lets you wear your 'I heart WP' on your sleeve

So you love Windows Phone, but how can you let the world know? Until now, you'd either have to wave your object of desire around, or keep showing colleagues those "Smoked by Windows Phone" YouTube videos. Now, you can simply wear your alliance across your chest, or favorite beverage, thanks to a new CafePress store. Revealed in a Windowsteamblog post, the shop will let you grab mugs, t-shirts, stickers, magnets and more emblazoned with "I Heart Windows Phone" in icons. Not only that, in case all those soccer moms didn't know which side of the fence you stood, you can clear up the doubt by snagging a bodysuit for your youngest. Credit card at the ready? Jump on that source link for the goods.

ZTE Tania waves Windows Phone flag for China, makes official mainland debut

When it rains Windows Phone in China, it pours. After HTC claimed top honors for being the first to bow a Redmond-powered handset in the region, the floodgates opened with Nokia quickly doling out its Tango wares and, now, ZTE. The company, formerly a white label manufacturer, has finally gotten its Tania act together, releasing the not-so-secret phone on China Unicom with a slight upgrade to its previously announced spec list. Though most of what it offers falls in line with WP hardware requirements -- 800 x 480 display, 512MB RAM -- the processor's been bumped from 1GHz to 1.4GHz, giving the 4.3-incher a welcome speed boost. Interested parties can also look forward to a 5-megapixel rear shooter, 4GB of storage, as well as black and white color options. If you're living in the land to the far east and like the live tile approach, you might want to consider this as your next.

ASUS Padfone now available in Australia, priced at 899 AUD unlocked for phone and tablet

We got a tip early this morning that the ASUS Padfone is now available in Australia through Mobicity for 899 AUD (approximately US$890). Customers get the phone (unlocked) and the tablet dock for the amount.

Strangely enough, I haven’t found a mention of the keyboard dock, while the stylus-cum-bluetooth headset can be purchased for another 90 dollars.
Thanks, Jarrad!