Back in January BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins suggested that the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will receive the BlackBerry 10 update. This seemed like a logical step considering the QNX based PlayBook tablet paved the way for the company's current mobile operating system.

However during the earning conference call on Friday, Heins announced that the company was abandoning their plans to bring BlackBerry 10 to the BlackBerry PlayBook.

He stated that his teams had spent a great deal of time and energy trying to optimise the BlackBerry 10 platform for the PlayBook, but had abandoned their attempts as they were unable to produce a satisfactory performance out of the aging device. Because of this he said the company has taken the difficult decision to axe plans of bringing BB10 to PlayBook and instead would concentrate efforts on to the company’s core hardware portfolio. “We will, however, support PlayBook on the existing software platforms and configurations,” he added “BlackBerry has made a lot of steady progress in the past year.”

The BlackBerry Z10 and the BlackBerry Q10 may be the new kids on the block but the BlackBerry PlayBook is far from forgotten by the company. BlackBerry is pushing an update out for their only tablet which is 132MB in size and updates the software on the device to the 2.1.0.1526 software version.

This unfortunately isn't the BlackBerry 10 update that many will be expecting for their PlayBooks but is a good indicator that the update may not be to far off.

The update rebrands the BlackBerry App World to BlackBerry World, allows SMS chat through BlackBerry Bridge , adds improvement to the browser and boost the volume of the tablet. The update also adds support for in-app payments, to benefit developers.




source – CrackBerry

BlackBerry’s CEO Thorsten Heins has confirmed that all existing BlackBerry PlayBook tablets will receive the BlackBerry 10 software update. The PlayBook is the only tablet released by the company but comes in various capacity and connectivity options.

The PlayBook features a 7 inch touch display with a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, up to 64GB of internal storage, a 5 megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video capture, a secondary HD camera for video calls which is also capable of 1080p HD video capture, optional 4G LTE connectivity and is powered by a 1GHz dual core processor with 1GB of RAM.

He unfortunately didn’t have any news about the company’s future plans for tablets, but considering that the new BB 10 devices have similar hardware to the current PlayBook it doesn’t make a lot of sense to upgrade something which is capable of handling the new software. He did however mention that the company was planning several value added services which would be made available for the tablet.



source – BlackBerry

The BlackBerry PlayBook is a very capable device and Groupon is giving users an opportunity to get a great deal on the tablet. The 32GB version of the tablet is priced at $159 while the 64GB version costs $199. The deal will be available until midnight on Sunday, so make sure you grab your PlayBook while stocks last.

The PlayBook features a 7 inch touch display, up to 64GB of internal storage, a 5 megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video capture, a secondary camera for video calls and is powered by a 1GHz dual core processor.

Groupon claims that they have sold over a thousand units and have limited supplies. They have also restricted one device per-person and your order will be shipped sometime in the first 2 1/2 weeks after you order.

The price is quite competitive and will give you an added choice if you were planning on a new  Amazon Kindle Fire HD and the Google Nexus 7. For what the PlayBook lacks in apps it makes up in storage, allowing you to get a whopping 64GB of storage compared to the 16GB you get with the similarly priced Nexus 7.


Will you be getting a PlayBook this holiday season on Groupon? If you want one hurry and grab yours by following the source link



source – Groupon

The U.K. may have a speedy new LTE network but RIM has decided to stick to 3G, by releasing their BlackBerry PlayBook 3G+ in the region. The device features a 7 inch touch display, 32GB of internal storage, 3G HSPA+ data connectivity, a 5 megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video capture, a secondary camera for video calls, and is powered by  a 1.5 dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM.

The device has been priced at 420 which is surprisingly 30 more than its equivalent Apple iPad mini, which has already been criticized for its high pricing.

RIM has included a more powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor compared to the 1GHz processor on the Wi-Fi model. Now users have a selection of 7 inch tablets to choose from in the U.K. which include the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and the Google Nexus 7. But we don’t think RIM will stand a chance competing with these newer offerings.

With the holiday season approaching and RIM’s continuous work on BlackBerry 10 we can expect some price reductions on the PlayBook and other BlackBerry devices. Stay tuned for updates.


source – Electronista

RIM has released the PlayBook OS 2.1 for its BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. The change-log was first leaked back n July giving us an idea of what to expect in the 2.1 update.

This is the first major update for the device since February and will initially roll out to the WiFi variant of the PlayBook and follow with the other variants based on carrier approval. The update brings several new features and improvements along with better support for Android apps, improvements to BlackBerry Bridge, email and PIM.

Check the detailed change-log of the PlayBook OS 2.1 update below:

• Updated BlackBerry Bridge: Now you can view, respond and compose new SMS messages on their BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet when connected to a BlackBerry smartphone over Bluetooth®. You’ll also enjoy increased performance and speed of other BlackBerry Bridge functions as well. So you can do more, more efficiently. Txt away, my friends.
• Email and PIM Enhancements: You’ve asked for it and we’ve delivered portrait support for email, calendar and contacts, giving you the option to use your tablet in either orientation to message. This will definitely come in handy for those of you who enjoy thumb typing in portrait mode like I do.
• Improved Android Application Support: Includes Multi-Window Applications, Camera Support and In-App Payments. We all love a richer app experience, and with the improvements to the Android runtime, that’s just what you’ll get. Running the applications in separate windows allows you to multi-task between Android apps easier, and in-app payments will make it easier for you to enhance your app content. Game on!

The BlackBerry PlayBook is RIM's first attempt in the tablet market, and it hasn't been a successful venture against Apple's dominance with the iPad. However RIM has aggressively marketed their QNX based tablet giving users more than one reason to choose the PlayBook.

So while one would expect that the cheapest of the PlayBooks - the 16GB model would remain the most successful, RIM has decided to discontinue it in favor or the higher capacity 32GB and 64GB variants.

This news was revealed by RIM in an email sent out to its employees which also stated that there was more value found with the higher capacity models. While we do agree that 16GB may not be enough for heavy multimedia users, we felt that the attractive price range will continue driving sales among folks looking for more options in the Amazon Kindle Fire price range.

Having said that it is important to remember that the PlayBooks storage cant be expanded passed its based storage and with the recently added ability to run Android apps it would make sense that users would continue to want more space.

Does this mean that we wont see 16GB tablet models from RIM ? Or will this decision only impact the PlayBook? We will have to wait to find out.

Meanwhile head over to your closest retailer if you want to grab the cheaper 16GB variant of the BlackBerry PlayBook before stocks runs out.

Doodle Grub is a popular game on the Android and iOS platform, and it's now available for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The game offers motion controlled addictive gameplay.

You can download the game directly to your device through the BlackBerry App World or by using the link which follows:



You can also download the application using the following QR code:

RIM is holding a contest on Twitter giving it's followers a chance to win a BlackBerry PlayBook and a BlackBerry Bold along with some other prizes. The contest will start off today at 2.00 PM EST and continue daily through Friday.

The Contest is open to residents of Canada and the United States. Head over here to read the official rules of entering.

If you qualify head over to @BlackBerry on Twitter and watch out with the invitation which will be posted giving you the task you need to complete to win.

There are 10 prize packs to be won and each pack contains the following items

• BlackBerry PlayBook (16GB)
• PlayBook charging Pod
• PlayBook Sleeve (black)
• BlackBerry Bold 9900 or BlackBerry Bold 9930

source - RIM

Monopoly for the BlackBerry PlayBook has been updated to version 1.3.15. While Electronic Arts has not shared the change-log for this update, we can assume it adds support for PlayBook OS 2.0.

You can download Monopoly for the BlackBerry PlayBook directly on your device from the BlackBerry App World or by using the link which follows:


Play the game you know and love in an ALL-NEW VERSION fully designed for sleek and fast fun. From Mediterranean and Baltic to Boardwalk and beyond, enjoy new ways to play with friends – or friendly computer opponents! Check out Tabletop mode for an immersive, interactive equivalent of the original board game and Teacher mode with helpful hints and tips that will improve your strategy. You can even customize your Game Rules!

 Now that BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 has been released for the BlackBerry PlayBook, its time to take advantage of the new features which are available through the OS.
One of the first things you will want to do is to set-up your email and social network accounts like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Modern Combat 2 Black Pegasus HD is now available for free for the BlackBerry PlayBook for all countries (except South Korea) through the BlackBerry App World. In Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus, complete the mission unveiled in the first opus of one of the most acclaimed FPS games for smartphones, this time on fronts all over the globe.

Before you proceed with the guide please download the following files

• Download and Install DDPB Installer
• Download Honeycomb Launcher
• Download and Install WinSCP
• Download and extract Cyanogen Google Apps (remember location)
• Root your PlayBook. Your device needs to be rooted in order to run the Android Market on it. Make sure you can SSH to your device and see the # on the command prompt before you continue.

PREPARE YOUR PLAYBOOK FOR THE ANDROID MARKET
In order to install Android applications on your PlayBook we will be using the Honeycomb Launcher, so we will first sideload that onto your device. Make sure your PlayBook stays connected to your computer during the following steps.
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1. Connect your PlayBook to your computer using your USB cable

• Enter Development Mode on your Playbook
• Go to Security under Settings.
• Switch Use Development Mode to On.
• Enter a password when prompted.
• Make note of your Development Address, you will need this later.
  

• Open DDPB which you previously installed.
• Enter the development address and PlayBook password under PlayBook.
• Click 'Add' browse and select the Honeycomb Launcher bar file and Click OK.
• Click 'Install'.
  

• After some time, the HCL Updater will appear on your PlayBook
• Open the app
• Select Honeycomb Launcher when prompted with 'Complete action using'
• Close it for now once it's open, we will get back to this later.

• On the left panel browse to where you extracted the  Cyanogen Google Apps files
• On the right panel browse up to the root directory (/)
  
• Click the system folder

• Select Copy from the Files menu
• You will get the following confirmation dialog
  
• When asked if you want to overwrite Select Yes
• On the right panel (PlayBook) browse to /system/app

• Search for and find SetupWizard.apk
• Select the file, Right Click and Select Delete.
• Confirm that you want to delete the file
  
• Return to the root (/) folder

• Open the apps folder
• find a folder called sys.android.(stringofcharacters).ns and open it
  The 'stringofcharacters' represents a string of characters which are unique to each PlayBook each device should have a unique folder
• Open the native folder
• Open the scripts folder   
• Find android-player.cmd.sh Right click on it Scroll down to Custom Commandsand select Execute
  
• Find kill-android-core.sh Right click on it Scroll down to Custom Commands and select Execute
  
• Restart your PlayBook
• First start HCL to launch your Android environment on your PlayBook

• Click Apps on thr top right
• Select Market and provide your Google Account details to login

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0  for the BlackBerry Playbook may not be considered a major update but it brings some valuable features to the RIM tablet giving it a full range of functionality. The visual changes in the update are minimal. The menu has been changed a little and the visuals for the docked icons has also been updated.



The functionality has some welcome changes starting off with an improved e-mail application, a calendar application and an updated contacts app which brings LinkedIn and Twitter integration. Other improvements include the addition of folders and an enhanced BlackBerry Bridge which allows you to control your PlayBook from your BlackBerry smartphone and visa versa.

Check out the following demonstration of BlackBerry PlayBook OS at the CES 2012 courtesy of PhoneArena.

Angry Birds Rio arrived on the BlackBerry PlayBook, available through BlackBerry App World for $4.99. The release was limited to the PlayBook at launch as it required the QNX platform. BlackBerry smartphone users were left out at the time, though BlackBerry OS 10 was expected to bring QNX to smartphones the following year.

What's in the Game

In Angry Birds Rio, the original flock is kidnapped and taken to Rio de Janeiro, where they escape their captors and set out to rescue Blu and Jewel, two rare macaws and stars of the hit animated film. The BlackBerry PlayBook version launched with four episodes and 135 levels, hidden fruits to collect throughout, new achievements, and a boss fight to round out the experience.

Angry Birds Seasons is now available for the BlackBerry PlayBook and can be downloaded from the BlackBerry App World for $4.99. Unfortunately BlackBerry smartphone users are left out of this release as it requires the QNX platform. Which should however be available on smartphones next year with BlackBerry OS 10.

You can download Angry Birds Seasons directly on your device from the BlackBerry App World or by using the link which follows:

Angry Birds is now available for the BlackBerry PlayBook and can be downloaded from the BlackBerry App World for $4.99. Unfortunately BlackBerry smartphone users are left out of this release as it requires the QNX platform. Which should however be available on smartphones next year with BlackBerry OS 10.

You can download Angry Birds directly on your device from the BlackBerry App World or by using the link which follows:

When RIM decided to reduce the price of the BlackBerry PlayBook, it was quickly sold out at retailers like BestBuy and has remained out of stock for the last couple of weeks. Now the tablet is back on sale on BestBuy's online stores and should also be available at the outlet stores.

The price drop saw the Wi-Fi tablet priced as low as $199 for the 16GB version, with the 32GB version costing $249 and the 64GB version costing $399. This totals $300 off on a decent tablet which has features which can be compared to the Apple iPad 2.

While this isn't as low as the HP TouchPad which was priced at just $99, it is still a great price for a tablet with a decent set of specifications.

The only issue anyone would have with the PlayBook is the lack of applications on the platform, but the upcoming software update which is due in February 2012, promises to make the experience on RIM's tablet much better.


source - BestBuy

Developers revealed that the BlackBerry PlayBook had been rooted a couple of days ago. Now one of the developers have uploaded a video proving that the root is indeed a success. The developer demonstrates some pps/services to log into the PlayBook with root access. The video also shows the brightness and the various LEDs though a computer.




The developer also points out that the root works on BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 and that Android Market can be installed allowing you to directly install APK files directly on the tablet without having to convert them to BAR files.

Check out the demonstration of the rooted BlackBerry PlayBook





source - Crackberry

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RIM has released the native SDK 2.0 for the BlackBerry PlayBook to developers. This is the first beta of the release and gives developers access to the latest BlackBerry Tablet simulator.







This release also includes:

• Added Sensors API (magnetometer, gyroscope, and accelerometer support) (device only for now, not available for the simulator at this time)
• Added Payment Service support for subscriptions and in-app purchasing
• IDE improvements in usability, performance, and reliability
• Scoreloop SDK 1.0 Beta 1 is included - try out some social game features for your apps, such as leaderboards

This update is not intended for general consumers, and meant for developers only. If you have updated and want to downgrade you can use this guide to do so.

GUIDE
For you to be able to install the Native SDK 2.0 you will first need to register your BlackBerry PlayBook PIN using a form hosted in the microsite.

To register your device head over here and enter your BlackBerry PlayBook PIN and your email address; Reveiw the Terms and Conditions, check the box to indicate your consent and click Submit.

Within an hour you will see an icon ( ) appear in your status bar on your device and you will have 24 hours to complete the upgrade. To update,

1. Select the top-right corner of the screen
2. Select 'Software Updates'.
3. Select 'Check for Updates'.
4. Wait for the update to complete.