Looks like RIM has given us a nice little surprise today by formally announcing the availability of BlackBerry OS 7.1. We have seen it in the wild already and many users already have it loaded on their devices, but we never heard anything official from RIM about it. Today RIM has released some information over at their inside BlackBerry Blog, that lets us know about the new features included OS 7.1.

Here is a summary of some of the new features you can expect in OS 7.1:

• Mobile Hotspot: Turn your BlackBerry 7.1 OS device into a Wi-Fi® router anywhere, anytime! The new OS seamlessly provides Internet access for up to five Wi-Fi devices, including laptops and tablets.

• Universal Search: For this new release, we wanted to focus on the intelligence of our system and our apps – in other words, we wanted to create an intuitive experience that does the thinking for you. For example, Universal Search now has a new auto-suggest feature that that intelligently filters Bing® search results to offer you a variety of relevant Web sites based on your search terms.

• BlackBerry® Tag: Share contacts, media and files, and even invite friends to BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM) through a simple touch. BlackBerry Tag unlocks near field communication (NFC) capabilities for everyday use and makes sharing a lot faster and much more personal.

• Wi-Fi® Calling (where available): With BlackBerry 7.1 OS, you’ll be able to make Wi-Fi calls using your carrier’s Wi-Fi calling service (aka UMA-lite or GAN-lite). Wi-Fi calling allows you to save your talk time minutes and make phone calls over any Wi-Fi network. Not all carriers offer such a service so check with your carrier for availability.

• FM Radio: The BlackBerry 7.1 OS update will let BlackBerry® Curve™ 9360 and 9380 smartphone customers enjoy FM radio. The Curve models include a built-in FM radio so you can tune in to local FM radio stations. Simply plug in your headset to boost the reception (it acts as the antenna). Plus, no data usage or data plan required!

So as you can see there are some really hot new features that bring a little spice to your OS 7 device. I am glad to see RIM starting of the new year right with fresh new updates.

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The long awaited PlayBook OS 2.0 is set to have a guest appearance at this months Consumer Electronics Show (CES) RIM has been sending out invitations to an "intimate event" that will allow attendees to experience the BlackBerry PlayBook's new OS 2.0. This also suggest RIM is not going to have a very strong presence at the years biggest electronic show.

Back in October we heard that PlayBook's OS 2 would be delayed until February. Does this mean that we could see an early release? Over the past few months we have seen glimpses of OS 2.0 and have been really impressed. I was able to get hands on at the BIF 2011, and I can confirm it is everything that has been missing from OS 1.0 and much more. The release of this OS is a make or break for the PlayBook device so I am looking forward to updating to OS 2.0.

RIM has just released the new native Music Store app via BlackBerry Beta Zone. With Music Store you can find and buy music directly from your device and keep that music integrated into your media library for easy playback. It's also BBM, Facebook and Twitter integrated for easy song and album sharing with your fans and friends. Nice to see RIM becoming more media friendly. Note: We have heard reports that Music Store is NOT OS 7.1 friendly.

The most recent news that the BlackBerry community has gotten wind of was that Research in Motion has plans to show off the new BlackBerry 10 operating system at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain from February 27th through March 1st.

A spokesperson at RIM has stated:

"2012 will be the year of BlackBerry 10 so we'll be showcasing the capabilities of our future operating system as well demonstrating the power of BlackBerry 7, with a particular focus on NFC and BBM connected apps. Research in Motion will be there in force."

While this doesn't necessarily mean that the actual phones will be set up to be played with, having official details on how the new OS will work is a definite plus. That may hold off the riots for a little while longer. On top of the reveal of BB10, BB7 seems to be another popular aspect of RIM's revival plan. I'm curious about the new operating system, sure, but those phones could be a long way out. I'm more excited to see how much more I can get out of my BlackBerry Bold 9900. Research in Motion says this is "The year of BlackBerry 10", but the year is young, and we've got a long way to go. Hopefully their determination stays strong and continues for a long time down the road.

Could this picture end up being a reality sometime in 2012 or 2013? Could we end up seeing BlackBerry 10 on HTC, Samsung and other hardware manufacturers' devices? According to Jefferies' Peter Misek this is definitely not only a possibility but talks have already started to make it happen.

Why would RIM even think about doing this? Well if you think about it, the costs of manufacturing hardware would be cut down as less phones would need to made and they would instead take a more Google-like approach and rent out their OS per say.

Both HTC and Samsung run Android and WP7 OSes and have been successful doing so. The chance of them taking on another OS with such an uncertain future as the BlackBerry 10 OS could be unlikely. Also the hardware compatibility issue is big one as well as BlackBerry 10 sounds like it'll be a gesture-dependent OS for which who knows if HTC or Samsung could develop hardware.

That being said, the perspective of having BlackBerry email and BBM as anchors to this new OS could make it very enticing for some of these companies to adopt BlackBerry 10.

I love rumors, especially during such a slow time of the year with BlackBerry news. We'll see if anything comes out of this one in the near future.

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You may find yourself this holiday without the new BlackBerry P’9981 in your stalking this Christmas morning, but you can get something else that's also delightful to the eyes. The theme from the luxury device has been successfully extracted and can be installed on your OS 7 device. The Porsche Design BlackBerry P’9981 is said to start appearing at the luxury retailer Harrod's any day now, and will set you back a nice £1,275. If you install this on your device let us know.

Warning: This theme is NOT OS 7.1 compatible (OS 7 only). Also, installing this theme will overwrite your stock theme on your device.

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