RIM confirms PlayBook OS 2.0 delayed until February, still no BBM in sight

BlackBerry PlayBook

Well, we hope you weren’t expecting to have PlayBook 2.0 up and running on your BlackBerry tablet any time soon, cause it’s been officially delayed till at least February. Word has come straight from the mouth (well, keyboard) of David Smith, senior vice president for the PlayBook project. In a blog post Smith announced that RIM would be holding back on the release to ensure many of the new features, including native email and enterprise app deployment, work as advertised. The OS update will be getting a decently long beta test, with it rolling out to some in the Early Adopter Program “shortly.” Sadly, it seems that some features have fallen by the wayside with the focus on polish — namely, BBM. Since the messaging service relies on a one-device per-PIN model, getting it on the tablet has proved troublesome. For now users will have to rely on BlackBerry Bridge and their RIM handsets to get their BBM fix. Considering the company’s track record, we wouldn’t be shocked if the OS update slips even further into the future — remember an email client was promised within 60 days of launch… that was back in April.

RIM confirms PlayBook OS 2.0 delayed until February, still no BBM in sight originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Playbook 2.0 developer beta previewed, Android apps look right at home (video)

Are you in DevCon withdrawal? Need a little BBX preview to ferry you safely into the weekend’s arms? Well, you’re in luck, as German site Macberry.de took the time to film a walkthrough of the recently released BlackBerry Playbook 2.0 developer beta. The homescreen of this new build now offers users folder options similar to that on iOS, neatly collecting your gaggles of data into appropriate bundles — like documents and games. But you probably care less about that, and more about seeing BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps in action. We’re happy to report those Google-specific applications are shown here running quite smoothly, filling the 7-inch tab’s screen without any hint of lag. You can download the dev build now for your own first-hand account, or simply click on past the break to gawk at the silent tour.

Continue reading BlackBerry Playbook 2.0 developer beta previewed, Android apps look right at home (video)

BlackBerry Playbook 2.0 developer beta previewed, Android apps look right at home (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 20:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM announces PlayBook 2.0 Developer Beta and Runtime, marries Android to BlackBerry

Research in Motion announced the developer beta of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 today at its annual DevCon event. The new beta will be released today, and has a few goodies that we’ve been waiting a long time for: namely, BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the BlackBerry Plug-In for Android Development Tools, which will give developers the opportunity to bring their Android apps to the PlayBook. Also coming along for the ride is support for Adobe AIR 3, Flash Player 11 and WebGL, a new tech that enables hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to show in the browser without needing additional software. Needless to say, this changes the ballgame a bit for Waterloo. Sounds great, but is it enough to keep the company’s head above water? Remains to be seen, but check out the press release after the break to get the full scoop, and head over to the Runtime site to get started.

Continue reading RIM announces PlayBook 2.0 Developer Beta and Runtime, marries Android to BlackBerry

RIM announces PlayBook 2.0 Developer Beta and Runtime, marries Android to BlackBerry originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM’s BlackBerry Packager for Android emerges in leaked video

Well, what do we have here? RIM has just posted a video outlining its new BlackBerry Packager for Android, just a few hours ahead of today’s DevCon event. The tool, which received brief mention in RIM’s conference schedule, essentially allows Android developers to port their apps to the PlayBook platform by converting their APK files to BAR files. As explained in the clip, developers should first obtain their signature keys from BlackBerry’s Developer Zone before undertaking any porting or development. From there, they can check their existing app’s compatibility with the PlayBook. If everything checks out, all they’d have to do is simply click “repackage and submit,” and the system will automatically sign and package it away. We’re expecting to get more details on RIM’s new Packager in the very near future, but you can catch a sneak peak in the video, after the break.

[Thanks, Ferganer]

Continue reading RIM’s BlackBerry Packager for Android emerges in leaked video

RIM’s BlackBerry Packager for Android emerges in leaked video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry PlayBook native SDK opened to devs, time to get rich?

Selected app developers who impressed RIM with their source code struttin’ have been rewarded with access to the closed beta of the PlayBook’s native SDK. The kit includes the Mac-compatible QNX Momentics Tool Suite, updated APIs and samples as well as support for Adobe AIR extensions. We know there aren’t millions of PlayBook users out there, but we also know a platform doesn’t have to win gold to make gold.

[Thanks, Ferganer]

BlackBerry PlayBook native SDK opened to devs, time to get rich? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM details Android compatibility, apps written with NDK see Canadian visas declined

While you’re undoubtedly aware that the PlayBook will gain the ability to run Android apps at some point, RIM’s come clean with specifics as to which ones will run on the biggest BlackBerry. According to Thinq, engineers from the Canuck company confirmed that the upcoming compatibility layer will not support apps written with the NDK — you know, wares written in C instead of the typical one-two Java / Dalvik punch. Also on the chopping block are those that incorporate Google Maps, in-app billing or Mountain View’s text-to-speech engine. Similarly, live wallpaper and applications that use VoIP or have more than one activity linked to the launcher are also on the outs. It’s been decreed then: don’t expect a fantastical bevy of apps to make the jump sans elbow grease, which if we’re honest, is about right given the other news out of Waterloo.

RIM details Android compatibility, apps written with NDK see Canadian visas declined originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is a second generation Kindle Fire tablet hitting early next year?

Shortly after information started leaking out about the warmly-named Amazon tablet, gdgt offered up some supplementary details from sources explaining why the Fire looks an awful lot like the PlayBook. According to the anonymous informants, the thing was built using the same template as RIM’s device. Apparently the product is more or less being rushed out the door to make it out in time for the holidays. It seems that there may be another pressing reason for the rush to bring the reader-friendly tablet to market — namely a much improved second generation device, which is currently on-tap for the first quarter of next year. Why so close? Well, the newer tablet’s release date has supposedly been secured for some time, while its predecessor was pushed back for various reasons. It wouldn’t be the first time that Amazon launched two Kindle products months apart, with the Kindle DX arriving shortly after the Kindle 2. It’s not exactly the same thing, given that one device wasn’t meant to replace the other, but it certainly doesn’t bode well for the company’s ability to schedule. There are still some questions here, of course — even if the above is true (and that’s certainly a big “if”), that doesn’t mean that this second-gen tablet will hit its own mark. If it does, however, a lot of early adopters may get burned by the Fire.

Is a second generation Kindle Fire tablet hitting early next year? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rogers employees get 50 percent BlackBerry Playbook discount until December 1st

Items tend to sell better when they’re cheaper. There are rare moments when items sell better at higher prices, but that hasn’t been the case with tablets – think HP’s TouchPad. With the iPad as the current king of tablets, times are especially tough for BlackBerry PlayBook. RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said that there would […]

Citrix Receiver comes to PlayBook, RIM maintains enterprise credentials

RIM has always been a business thoroughbred, and this lineage continues with the release of Citrix Receiver for its PlayBook slab. Currently in beta, the remote access / virtualization tool is available via the BlackBerry App World, and boasts a smorgasbord of features sure to keep even the most tortured of Sys-Admins happy. Like? The ability to control which of your company’s applications are available, multitasking, single sign-on access, and of course secure access to your enterprise systems. This ain’t the first slate to offer up the service — HP’s now-defunct TouchPad had it months ago — but at least it’s keeping the enterprise happy while dodging that consumer-focused firestorm.

Citrix Receiver comes to PlayBook, RIM maintains enterprise credentials originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusion Garage Tablet Jumps on the Price-Slashing Trend

Fusion Garage’s Grid 10 tablet is now set to launch October 1. Image: Fusion Garage

Everyone making a tablet that doesn’t run on iOS is getting serious about unseating Apple’ iPad from its lofty throne. More and more are deciding to sacrifice the bottom line for a bit of user adoption.

The latest example is Fusion Garage, which is dropping the price of its Grid 10 tablet from $499 and $599 (for Wi-Fi and 3G models), to $299 and $399, respectively. Carriers for the 3G model have not been announced yet.

We got to check out the Grid 10 tablet firsthand, and it was pretty cool. It’s based on the Android kernel, but completely re-skinned to provide a unique grid-based user interface. It’s got a 10-inch, 1366 x 768 resolution display and a front screen free of buttons.

We’ve seen a number of tablet makers drop their price points below the iPad in recent weeks, after iPad-like prices haven’t fared so well. One case in point: the Motorola Xoom. Lenovo’s A1 tablet will start at $200, making it one of the cheapest options out there. Amazon is purported to be debuting a $250 7-inch tablet in the coming months. And the HP TouchPad positively flew off shelves once HP dropped it down to $99.

According to Fusion Garage, the reason for the price drop was that the company “was able to negotiate better supply chain pricing from its manufacturing partner.”

Fusion Garage’s Grid 10 was set to debut September 15, but that date has been pushed to October 1 to accommodate testing to satisfy Adobe Flash Player’s new certification requirements.

Fine by me. We’ve seen what happens when a tablet (or any product) is pushed out too soon, with the Blackberry PlayBook being a recent case. Although the Playbook’s launch was delayed, it still shipped prematurely, without native support for important features like e-mail, contacts or messaging and with problems displaying Flash. It ended up getting panned by critics and consumers.