Is it a new beginning or just another milestone in the decline and eventual demise of BlackBerry? In spite of diligent efforts to regain its position as a viable competitor in the smartphone market, BlackBerry has agreed to be acquired by a consortium led by Fairfax Financial, a Canadian insurance company that has been BlackBerry’s largest shareholder. The price will be $9 per share or $4.7 billion. For some this could be good news, but the sale was announced shortly after BlackBerry reported that it would lay off 40% of its workforce and that it expected a second-quarter loss of nearly $1 billion. The future of the brand remains unclear. Read more.