Information about Blackberry

Blackberry
Blackberries on a bush Blackberries on a bush
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Rosales Family: Rosaceae Subfamily: Rosoideae Genus: Rubus Subgenus: Eubatus
Species
Rubus fruticosus - Common Blackberry and hundreds more microspecies (the subgenus also includes the dewberries)

The blackberries (singular, blackberry; genus Rubus, subgenus Eubatus; also called bramble or occasionally "bramble raspberry") are a widespread and well known group of several hundred closely related apomictic microspecies, native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere.^[1]

They are perennial plants which typically bear biennial stems ("canes") from the perennial root system. In its first year, a new stem grows vigorously to its full length of 3-6 m, arching or trailing along the ground and bearing large palmately compound leaves with five or seven leaflets; it does not produce any flowers. In its second year, the stem does not grow longer, but produces several side shoots, which bear smaller leaves with three or five leaflets. Both first and second year shoots are usually spiny, usually with numerous short curved very sharp spines (spineless plants also occur). The flowers are produced in late spring and early summer on short racemes on the tips of these side shoots, each flower about 2 cm diameter with five white or pale pink petals. The new primocane fruiting blackberries flower and fruit on the new growth. The fruit, in botanical terminology, is not a berry, but an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets ripening to a black or dark purple fruit, the "blackberry". Unmanaged mature plants form a tangle of dense arching stems, the branches rooting from the node tip when they reach the ground. They are very vigorous, growing at fast rates in woods, scrub, hillsides and hedgerows, covering large areas in a relatively short time. It will tolerate poor soil, and is an early colonist of wasteland and building sites.^[1][2]

The early flowers often form more drupelets than the later ones. This can be a symptom of exhausted reserves in the plant's roots, marginal pollinator populations, or infection with a virus such as Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV). Even a small change in conditions, such as a rainy day or a day too hot for bees to work after early morning, can reduce the number of bee visits to the flower, thus reducing the quality of the fruit. The drupelets only develop around ovules which are fertilized by the male gamete from a pollen grain.

Blackberry leaves are also a food for certain Lepidoptera caterpillars. See List of Lepidoptera which feed on Rubus

Cultivation and uses

The soft fruit is popular for use in desserts, jams, seedless jellies and sometimes wine. Since the many species form hybrids easily, there are many cultivars with more than one species in their ancestry.

Blackberry flowers are good nectar producers, and large areas of wild blackberries will yield a medium to dark, fruity honey.

The blackberry is known to contain polyphenol antioxidants, naturally occurring chemicals that can upregulate certain beneficial metabolic processes in mammals. It is not advisable to use or eat blackberries growing close to busy roads due to the accumulated toxins from the traffic.^[3] The astringent blackberry root is sometimes used in herbal medicine as a treatment for diarrhea and dysentery.^[4] The related but smaller European dewberry (R. caesius) can be distinguished by the white, waxy coating on the fruits, which also usually have fewer drupelets. (Rubus caesius) is in its own section (Caesii) within the subgenus Rubus.

In some parts of the world, such as in Chile, New Zealand and the Pacific Northwest region of North America, some blackberry species, particularly Rubus armeniacus (syn. R. procerus, 'Himalaya') and Rubus laciniatus ('Evergreen') are naturalised and considered an invasive species and a serious weed.^[1]

As there is forensic evidence from the Iron Age Haraldskær Woman that she consumed blackberries some 2500 years ago, it is reasonable to conclude that blackberries have been eaten by humans over thousands of years.

Commercial cultivars

Numerous cultivars have been selected for both commercial and amateur cultivation. Recommended cultivars^[1] in the United Kingdom include 'Ashton Cross' (vigorous, thorny), 'Bedford Giant' (heavy cropping, vigorous, thorny), 'Black Satin' (vigorous, thornless), 'Dirksen' (thornless, very hardy), 'Thornless Evergreen' (heavy crops of high quality fruit; thornless), 'Fantasia' (very large fruit; vigorous), 'Hull Thornless' (heavy cropping), 'Loch Ness' (thornless, semi-erect canes), 'Marion' (vigorous, thorny; good flavour), 'Smoothstem' (thornless), and 'Thornfree' (moderate vigour, thornless).

'Marion' (marketed as "marionberry") is an important cultivar and is from a cross between 'Chehalem' and 'Olallie' (commonly called "olallieberry") berries. It is claimed to "capture the best attributes of both berries and yields an aromatic bouquet and an intense blackberry flavor".^[5]. Olallie in turn is a cross between loganberry and youngberry. 'Marion', 'Chehalem' and 'Olallie' are just three of the many trailing blackberry cultivars developed by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) blackberry breeding program at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The most recent cultivars released from this program are the thornless cultivars 'Black Diamond', 'Black Pearl' and 'Nightfall' as well as the very early ripening 'Obsidian' and 'Metolius'. Some of the other cultivars from this program are 'Waldo', 'Siskiyou', 'Black Butte', 'Kotata Berry', 'Pacific' and 'Cascade'. Trailing blackberries are vigorous, crown forming, require a trellis for support, and are less cold hardy than the erect or semi-erect blackberries. In addition to the Pacific Northwest of the USA, these types do well in similar climates such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Chile, and the Mediterranean countries.

Semi-erect, thornless blackberries were first developed at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK, and subsequently by the USDA-ARS in Beltsville, Maryland. These are crown forming, very vigorous, and need a trellis for support. Cultivars include 'Black Satin' 'Chester Thornless', 'Dirksen Thornless', 'Hull Thornless', 'Loch Ness', 'Loch Tay', 'Merton Thornless', 'Smoothstem' and 'Triple Crown'. Recently, the cultivar 'Cacanska Bestrna' (also called 'Cacak Thornless') has been developed in Serbia and has been planted on many thousands of hectares there.

The University of Arkansas has developed cultivars of erect blackberries. These types are less vigorous than the semi-erect types and produce new canes from root initials (therefore they spread underground like raspberries). There are both thornless and thorny cultivars from this program, including 'Navaho', 'Ouachita', 'Cherokee', 'Apache', 'Arapaho' and 'Kiowa'. They are also responsible for developing the primocane fruiting blackberries. In raspberries, these types are called primocane fruiting, fall fruiting, or everbearing and have been around for some time. Prime-Jim^TM and Prime-Jan^TM were released in 2004 and are the first cultivars of primocane fruiting blackberry. They grow much like the other erect cultivars described above, however the canes that emerge in the spring, will flower in mid-summer and fruit in late summer or fall. The fall crop has its highest quality when it ripens in cool climates.

'Illini Hardy' a semi-erect thorny cultivar introduced by the University of Illinois is cane hardy in zone 5, where traditionally blackberry production has been problematic, since canes often failed to survive the winter.

The blackberry tends to be red during its unripe ("green") phase, hence the old expression that "Blackberries are red when they're green".

In various parts of the United States, wild blackberries are sometimes called "Black-caps", a term also used for black raspberries, Rubus occidentalis.

Blackberry production in Mexico has exploded in the past decade. While this industry was initially based on the cultivar 'Brazos' it is now based on 'Tupy'. 'Brazos' was an old erect blackberry cultivar developed in Texas in 1959. 'Tupy' was developed in Brazil and released in the late 1990s. 'Tupy' has the erect blackberry 'Comanche' as one parent, but the other parent is unknown. In order to produce these blackberries in these areas of Mexico where there is no winter chilling to stimulate flower bud development, chemical defoliation and application of growth regulators are used to bring the plants into bloom.

Superstition and myths

Superstition in the UK holds that blackberries should not be picked after Michaelmas (29 September) as the devil has claimed them, having left a mark on the leaves by urinating on them. There is some value behind this legend as after this date wetter and cooler weather often allows the fruit to become infected by various moulds such as Botryotinia which give the fruit an unpleasant flavour and may be toxic.^[6][7]

See also

• Black Raspberry, a North American fruit sometimes confused with blackberries.
• Kotata Berry, Oregon State University hybridized.
• Redberry mite, a common pest of North American blackberry crops.

References

External links

• Nutritional values of Blackberry
• Ways to Process and Use Blackberries An article on historical uses and ways to process blackberries
• Blackberry Pollination Images
• h2g2 article on Blackberries
• Botanical Information
• USDA Plants Classification Report
• From Idea to Supermarket:The Process of Berry Breeding Article on berry breeding including pictures of blackberry emasculation and pollination

Ripening blackberry fruit	Many ripe blackberries	Thorns	Pollinated, developing blackberry

---

BlackBerry
Screen	320x240 pixels (8300/8700/8800 Series') 240×260 pixels (7100/8100 Series') 65,000 colors
Ringtone	Polyphonic, MP3, MIDI
Memory	64 MB
Networks	GSM850/900/1800/1900 GPRS/EDGE/UMTS CDMA/1xEV-DO
Connectivity	microSD, USB, Bluetooth
Physical size	50 mm×106.7 mm×14.5 mm[8]
Weight	87.9 g

The BlackBerry is a wireless handheld device introduced in 1999 which supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, internet faxing, web browsing and other wireless information services. Developed by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM), it delivers information over the wireless data networks of mobile phone service companies. BlackBerry first made headway in the marketplace by concentrating on e-mail. RIM currently offers BlackBerry e-mail service to non-BlackBerry devices, such as the Palm Treo, through the BlackBerry Connect software. The original BlackBerry device had a monochrome display, but all current models have color displays.

While including the usual PDA applications (address book, calendar, to-do lists, etc.) as well as telephone capabilities on newer models, the BlackBerry is primarily known for its ability to send and receive e-mail wherever it can access an atmosphere wireless network of certain cellular phone carriers. It has a built-in keyboard, optimized for "thumbing", the use of only the thumbs to type. System navigation is primarily accomplished by the trackwheel (or "thumbwheel"), a scrolling wheel with a "click" function, located on the right side of the device. Newer models are now utilizing a trackball in the middle of the device as Research In Motion has moved from the trackwheel to the trackball. Some models (currently, those manufactured for use with Nextel, TELUS, AT&T, and other iDEN networks) also incorporate a two-way radio. Some BlackBerry devices don't depend on mobile phone service coverage and are Wi-Fi compatible like similar handheld devices that are on the marketplace.

Modern BlackBerry handhelds incorporate an ARM 7 or 9 processor, while older BlackBerry 950 and 957 handhelds used Intel 80386 processors. The latest GSM BlackBerry models (8100 and 8700 series) have an Intel PXA901 312 MHz processor, 64 MB flash memory and 16 MB SDRAM.^[9]

The devices are very popular with some businesses, where they are primarily used to provide e-mail access to roaming employees. To fully integrate the BlackBerry into a company's systems, the installation of BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is required.

In November 2004, RIM announced that the number of subscribers to the BlackBerry service had reached two million, having doubled within ten months.^[10] Continuing their growth, RIM announced an additional one million subscribers in May, 2005, only six months after reaching two million.^[11] On December 21, 2005, RIM announced that their subscriber base reached 4.3 million subscribers^[12] and had surpassed 5 million by March 2006, despite slowing sales.^[13] In October 2006, RIM announced that the number of subscribers had reached 6.2 million. On April 11 2007, RIM announced a jump up to 8 million BlackBerry subscribers, partially due to their new 8800 model.^[14]

Keyboard

Most BlackBerry devices come with a full, albeit tiny, QWERTY keyboard, using the "Alt" key to enter numbers and special characters. A self-configurable "AutoText" feature can be used for frequent words or easier input of special characters like umlauts^[15], The 7100 series and Pearl (8100) devices feature a reduced-key keyboard and use a technology called 'SureType.' SureType allows each key to represent multiple letters, numbers, and symbols and uses a prediction dictionary to figure out which word a user will want, similar to Tegic's T9, used on many cellphones.

Operating system

RIM provides a proprietary multi-tasking operating system (OS) for the BlackBerry, which makes heavy use of the device's specialized input devices, particularly the thumbwheel. The OS provides support for MIDP 1.0 and WAP 1.2. Previous versions allowed wireless synchronization with Microsoft Exchange Server's e-mail and calendar, as well as with Lotus Domino's e-mail. The current OS 4 provides a subset of MIDP 2.0, and allows complete wireless activation and synchronization with Exchange's e-mail, calendar, tasks, notes and contacts, and adds support for Novell GroupWise and Lotus Notes.

Third-party developers can write software using these APIs, and proprietary BlackBerry APIs as well, but any application that makes use of certain restricted functionality must be digitally signed so that it can be associated to a developer account at RIM. This signing procedure guarantees the authorship of an application, but does not guarantee the quality or security of the code.

CPU

Early BlackBerry CPUs were Intel286 based. . Later BlackBerrys, such as the 8700, and the Pearl, are ARM XScale ARMv5TE PXA900 based.

Database

Data extracted from a BlackBerry to a host computer is stored in a single file in IPD format.^[16]

Supporting software

BlackBerry handheld integration into an organization's e-mail system is provided through a software package called "BlackBerry Enterprise Server" (BES). Versions of BES are available for Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise.

Individual users can often use e-mail services provided by the wireless provider and therefore may not be required to install a BES server on their local network, but organizations that have multiple wireless users usually run BES on their own network. While it can be very expensive having an own BES, third party companies provide hosted BES solutions. These are solutions with most of the advantages of a private BES, but without the costs. Every BlackBerry has a unique id called BlackBerry PIN which is used to identify your device to the BES.

BES can act as a sort of e-mail relay for corporate accounts so that users always have access to their e-mail. The software monitors the user's local "inbox", and when a new message comes in, it picks up the message and passes it to RIM's Network Operations Center (NOC). The messages are then relayed to the user's wireless provider, which in turn delivers them to the user's BlackBerry device. This is called Push procedure, where the mobile user doesn't have to synchronize the data by hand. All new e-mails, contacts and calendar entries are pushed to the BlackBerry device automatically. Device storage also enables the mobile user to access all data offline in areas without wireless service. As soon as the user connects again, the BES sends the latest data. This way the handheld is always up-to-date.

BES also provides handhelds with TCP/IP connectivity that is proxied through a component called "Mobile Data Service" (MDS). This allows for custom application development using data streams on BlackBerry devices based on the Sun Microsystems Java ME platform.

In addition, BES provides security, in the form of Triple DES or, more recently, AES encryption of all data (both e-mail and MDS traffic) that travels between the BlackBerry handheld and a BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

The universal and push-based connectivity of the BES/MDS infrastructure are among the most valuable aspects of Research In Motion's product. An organization can have devices on different carriers, and connected through different cellular network protocols, all functioning in an integrated fashion.

Most providers offer flat monthly pricing for unlimited data between BlackBerry units and BES, which also enhances the value of the component. In addition to receiving e-mail, organizations can make intranets or custom internal applications with unmetered traffic.

With more recent versions of the BlackBerry platform, the MDS is no longer a requirement for wireless data access. Beginning with OS 3.8 or 4.0, BlackBerry handhelds can access the Internet (i.e. TCP/IP access) without an MDS - previously only e-mail and WAP access was possible without a BES/MDS. The BES/MDS is still required for secure e-mail, data access, and applications that require WAP from carriers that do not allow WAP access.

Criticism

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details. This article has been tagged since September 2007.

RIM have been criticized for not including 3G/UMTS on any models other than the 8700 series. However, email delivery on 3G units is often slower than EDGE and even GPRS, as emails are broken down into very small packets, each with its own encryption key. The UMTS networks are more suited to streaming media, so for BES/BIS email delivery there is little or no advantage.^[17]

Name origin

RIM settled on the name "BlackBerry" only after weeks of work by Lexicon Branding Inc., the Sausalito, California-based firm that named Intel Corp.’s Pentium microprocessor and Apple’s PowerBook. One of the naming experts at Lexicon thought the miniature buttons on RIM’s product looked "like the tiny seeds in a strawberry," Lexicon founder David Placek says. "A linguist at the firm thought straw was too slow sounding. Someone else suggested blackberry. RIM went for it."^[18]

Nicknames

The ability to read e-mail that is received in realtime, anywhere, has made the BlackBerry devices infamously addictive, earning them the nickname "CrackBerry". Use of the term CrackBerry became so wide spread that in November 2006 Webster's dictionary named "crackberry" the "New Word of the Year".

Within the company, various model families are named after subatomic particles; names used include Tachyon (BlackBerry 5810), Tachyon 2 (BlackBerry 6700), Electron, Proton, Baryon, Quark (BlackBerry 7200) and Charm.

Models

Main article: List of BlackBerry Models

• Early Pager Models: 850, 857, 950, 957
• Monochrome Java-based Models: 5000-series and 6000-series
• First Color Models: 7200-series, 7500-series and 7700-series
• First Non-QWERTY Phone Models: 7100-series
• Modern BlackBerry Models: 8000-series including BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry Curve

Phones with BlackBerry e-mail client

Several ordinary mobile phones have been released featuring the BlackBerry e-mail client which connects to BlackBerry servers. All these phones have full QWERTY keyboards (except the Motorola MPx220, Nokia E50, Nokia E60, and Samsung t719).

• HTC TyTN Operates on 3G/HSDPA/850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 240x320 pixel touch screen, QWERTY keyboard
• Motorola MPx220 (selected models only), Operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 176x220 pixel screen
• Nokia 6810 Operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 128x128 pixel screen
• Nokia 6820 Operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, American variant on 850/1800/1900 GSM network, 128x128 pixel screen
• Nokia 9300 Operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 128x128 and 640x200 pixel screen
• Nokia 9300i Operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 128x128 and 640x200 pixel screen
• Nokia 9500 Operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 128x128 and 640x200 pixel screen
• Nokia E50 Operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 320x240 pixel screen
• Nokia E60 Operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 416x352 pixel screen
• Nokia E61 Operates on 3G-UMTS/850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 320x240 pixel screen
• Nokia E61i Operates on 3G-UMTS/850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 320x240 pixel screen
• Nokia E62 Operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 320x240 pixel screen
• Nokia E70 Operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 416x352 pixel screen
• Nokia E90
• Qtek 9100 Operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 240x320 pixel touch screen and QWERTY keyboard
• Qtek 9000 Operates on 3G-UMTS/850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 640x480 pixel touch screen, QWERTY keyboard
• Samsung t719 Operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 176x220 pixel screen
• Siemens SK65, Operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 132x176 pixel screen
• Sony Ericsson P910 Operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, American and Chinese variants on 850/1800/1900, 208x320 pixel screen
• Sony Ericsson P990
• Sony Ericsson M600i
• Sony Ericsson P1

Certification

• BCESA (Blackberry Certified Enterprise Sales Associate, BCESA40 in full) is a Blackberry Certification for professional users of RIM (Research In Motion) Blackberry wireless e-mail devices.

The Certification requires the user to pass several exams relating to the Blackberry Device, all its functions including Desktop software and providing technical support to Customers of Blackberry Devices.

The BCESA, Blackberry Certified Enterprise Sales Associate qualification, is the first of three levels of professional Blackberry Certification.

• BCTA (BlackBerry Certified Technical Associate)
• BlackBerry Certified Support Associate T2

more infos can be found here

See also

• Mobile Internet Device
• Personal digital assistant
• Ultra-Mobile PC
• Tablet PC
• Smartphone
• Personal Communicator

External links

• BlackBerry.com, the main site.
• Research In Motion, the manufacturer of the BlackBerry.

References and notes