Well my friends, The Astonishing Tribe (TAT) was recently purchased by RIM. Â This acquisition really surprised me, since TAT originally helped to polish up the original UI on the T-Moble G1. I brought the story of their Live wallpapers and TAT Home for Android to you guys not too long ago and was really looking forward to TAT Home possibly coming to us someday. Now that RIM has them under their belt it would seem that my hopes and dreams are now shattered. The official statement from Blackberry’s blog can be found below.
Today we are pleased to confirm plans for The Astonishing Tribe (TAT) team to join Research In Motion (RIM). We’re excited that the TAT team will be joining RIM and bringing their talent to the BlackBerry PlayBook and smartphone platforms.
For those who don’t know, TAT is renowned for their innovative mobile user interface (UI) designs and has a long history of working with mobile and embedded technology. TAT focuses on delivering great user experiences, from a design, technology, and usability perspective. Their design technology is used today in a variety of industries including the consumer electronics and automotive sectors. Examples of TAT’s UI designs and concepts can be viewed on their web site at www.tat.se.
– David Yach, Chief Technology Officer at RIM
You have to give some credit to RIM though, as they work quietly and don’t make a huge spectacle of who they are aiming to buy. I’m not sure if it’s their personal strategy or if RIM is becoming less of a contender. I may be a huge Android advocate, however Blackberry does have its pro’s. Maybe this latest acquisition will help to move RIM into a better spotlight, but only time will tell.
Source: Blackberry Blog
