In today’s mobile news roundup: BlackBerry reports profit as co-founder departs;  Google Glass will be made by Foxconn in the US; Google Maps now includes real-time subway departure data; India toughens up tax laws, plows through companies such as Nokia; and Google Translate gets updated with offline language pack.

BlackBerry reports profit as co-founder departs

The company formerly known as Research in Motion has proved that it still has a lot left in the kitty, despite falling behind other mobile manufacturers in recent years.  BlackBerry has posted its fiscal fourth quarter report, impressing analysts.  Though BB subscribers fell from 79 million to 76 million in the previous quarter, the company managed to ship 6 million smartphones, including roughly one million BlackBerry Z10 units.  The Canadian company reported $98 million profit, or 19 cents a share, and posted an annual operating loss of $1.2 billion, lower than the $1.16 billion it reported the previous year.

Aside from posting somewhat impressive numbers, BB also reported that the remaining co-founder, Mike Lazaridis, will also be leaving the company.  Lazaridis will cut all ties from the company come May.  Jim Balsillie, RIM co-founder who previously served as co-CEO and co-chair with Lazaridis, is no longer part of the company as of December 31, 2012.

“With the launch of BlackBerry 10, I believe I have fulfilled my commitment to the Board,” Lazaridis said. “Thorsten and his team did an excellent job in completing BlackBerry 10. We have a great deal of which to be proud. I believe I am leaving the company in good hands. I remain a huge fan of BlackBerry and, of course, wish the company and its people well.”

Google Glass will be made by Foxconn in the US

Foxconn, the controversial factory in China, is said to be the chosen manufacturer in charge of making the upcoming connected device Google Glass, but it will be made in the USA.  Its stateside subsidiary, Hon Hai, is based in Santa Clara and will be responsible for the production of the first 8,000 Google Glasses, as well as the commercial release version set to arrive later this year.

Google Maps now includes real-time subway departure data

In an effort to help subway commuters plan ahead, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority previously released real-time arrival information and hoped that developers would use the data to make apps of their own.

Now, Google has included the real-time departure data for the New York City subway’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 trains, as well as the Times Square Shuttle, in the transit directions for Google Maps on the web and its mobile apps.  Commuters will now see the information flashed on “countdown clocks” mounted on subway platforms and on their mobile devices.

India toughens up tax laws, plows through companies such as Nokia

India has been going after foreign companies in tax claims to avoid getting a credit rating downgrade.  The latest casualty is Nokia, with the Delhi High Court issuing a $383 million income tax demand for five fiscal years starting 2006/07.  The Finnish company was not pleased, stating its plans to fight back.

“Nokia reiterates its position is that it is in full compliance with local laws as well as the bilaterally negotiated tax treaty between the governments of India and Finland and will defend itself vigorously,” the company said in a statement.

India has previously targeted other foreign investors such as Cadbury, Royal Dutch Shell, Vodafone and LG Electronics.

Google Translate gets updated with offline language pack

Google has updated its Google Translate app and delivers offline mode translation.  By allowing users to download languages, users can now start translating even without an internet connection, but there are some drawbacks.  First, offline mode is only text-based, and downloading language packs will take up a lot of space.  The new version of Google Translate is now available for download on Google Play and is compatible with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and above.

For a full recap of today’s top stories, watch this segment from this morning’s NewsDesk show with Kristin Feledy.