新黑莓將是個大雜燴The Patchwork Smartphone

When Research in Motion Ltd. unveiled the prototype of its upcoming BlackBerry last month, two features stole the show -- a predictive touch-screen keyboard and a camera that takes a series of near-instantaneous images for the perfect shot. Research in Motion Ltd.

（簡稱RIM）上個月公佈下一代黑莓(BlackBerry)手機的原型機時，有兩個特性最引人注意。一個是具有預見功能的觸屏鍵盤；另一個是照相頭可以幾乎同時拍攝一系列照片，以從中選取最好的一張。

But unlike with earlier BlackBerry models, RIM didn't design either tool -- it's licensing the technology from two different European developers. In fact, most of the device's critical features are a patchwork of hardware and software obtained quietly through about a dozen acquisitions and multiple licensing deals over the past two years.

ReutersRIM首席執行長海因斯手持一個新黑莓原型機。但和以往的黑莓手機不同，這兩種特性都不是RIM設計的。它從歐洲兩家不同的開發商那裏獲得了相關技術的授權。事實上，原型機的多數關鍵特性都是用過去兩年RIM通過十幾筆收購和多筆授權交易悄悄取得的硬件和軟件拼湊起來的。

The features include the device's interface, which allows a user to navigate through the phone's features, and the operating system itself.

這些特性包括手機的界面和操作系統本身。在其界面上，手機的各項特性可以一目瞭然。

Buying up or licensing the latest technological gizmo is nothing new in the arms race that has broken out among the world's top smartphone makers. But RIM has taken the strategy farther than most big players, at a crucial time for a company that practically invented the smartphone and once held unrivaled dominance over the market.

在全球主要智能手機廠商之間爆發的競賽中，收購最新技術或獲取新技術授權都不新鮮。但身處關鍵時刻的RIM對這個策略的運用比其他多數公司都走得更遠。RIM實際上可以稱爲是智能手機的發明者，一度在這個市場上佔據不可匹敵的霸主地位。