Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve been eager to see what The Astonishing Tribe (otherwise known as TAT) would come up with for the PlayBook since RIM acquired the design firm back in December, and we’re now finally getting our first glimpse at a few of the things they’ve been working on. Those include a scrapbook app that takes advantage of four-fingered multitouch, and a weather app dubbed “Aura” that was built with the WebWorks platform and makes use of the PlayBook’s accelerometer — both of which are relatively simple, but are intended to demonstrate how easy and quickly developers can build applications for the PlayBook. Also on display at Mobile World Congress this week was fairly impressive media player that can be used when the tablet’s connected to a TV via its HDMI port — it will not only let you view videos, but play games (albeit just a Rubik’s Cube in the demo) and even view 3D content as well. Head on past the break to check them out on video.

Continue reading RIM shows off TAT-developed BlackBerry PlayBook apps

RIM shows off TAT-developed BlackBerry PlayBook apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA Sports isn’t one to give things away, but that’s exactly what it’s doing on RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook. We still haven’t heard a concrete ship date for this thing, but EA swears up and down that these two titles will be finalized by the time it goes to market. Both Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover will come pre-loaded on the device, with both being full, unabridged versions; in fact, NFS will feature a new mode specifically designed for getting into the game quickly on this very tablet. Smartly, there’s even a “slo mo” mode which slows everything down to enable accurate control even during hectic rides on the subway. We’ve lauded the PlayBook before, but we were duly impressed with just how well this thing handled multitasking. Even with NFS running in the background, we were able to play back a video in the foreground with nary a bit of lag during the transition. Tetris was predictably Tetris, and it only works when holding the slate vertically. We’ve got to confess that the inclusion of these two titles is quite the gesture, and considering the first four letters of this product’s name, we’d say it’s more than fitting. Hop on down to see a demonstration video of both, showcased here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook to ship with full versions of Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover (video)

BlackBerry PlayBook to ship with full versions of Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d heard sweet, sweet rumors that RIM would include a Java virtual machine in the BlackBerry PlayBook and even bring Android apps on board — and lo and behold, Bloomberg‘s corroborating those claims with no fewer than three anonymous sources. Where the new rumor diverges is that the Dalvik virtual machine used in Google’s OS reportedly won’t be part of the formula; RIM considered it, these sources say, but decided it didn’t want to get involved in the Oracle / Google legal fracas. Apparently, the company’s working on this secret project in-house and targeting a possible release in the second half of the year. We have to say, the ready availability of roughly 200,000 Android programs could be quite the shot in the arm if WebWorks and AIR don’t produce killer apps right away.

Bloomberg: RIM working to let BlackBerry PlayBook run Android apps, but Dalvik’s not the way originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 01:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At last, the webOS-empowered TouchPad, HP’s answer to the growing tablet market. And make no mistake, it’s coming in with guns blazing — specs-wise, the slate stands up pretty well to the competition currently in play (e.g. iPad) and the other up-and-comers not quite out the gate (e.g. Motorola Xoom and BlackBerry PlayBook). Stacked side-by-side, it’s clear Apple’s entry is lacking a bit in both memory (256MB vs. 1GB for everyone else) and front-facing camera — not that we expect that to be the case for all of 2011. When it all comes down to it, what’ll set these slates apart will be the platforms and software themselves — should make for an interesting summer, no? In the meantime, for the nitty-gritty on technical specifications, venture past the break.

Continue reading HP TouchPad vs. iPad vs. Xoom vs. PlayBook: the tale of the tape

HP TouchPad vs. iPad vs. Xoom vs. PlayBook: the tale of the tape originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM held a BlackBerry WebWorks developer event in San Francisco this evening, and while hard news was not in attendance, we did score a number of tidbits about the company’s BlackBerry PlayBook. First and foremost, there’s most definitely a portrait virtual keyboard in the latest QNX tablet build, and we literally gave it a spin, watching as the landscape layout slowly switched to portrait mode as we changed the slate’s orientation. Second, we may have gotten our first hint about what RIM’s doing with the recently-purchased TAT — we overheard that the PlayBook’s bezel gestures actually aren’t quite finalized yet, and that the astonishingly silent UI design division may be lending a hand. On the all-important subject of battery life we don’t have much to add beyond earlier boasts, but a staffer did tell us that RIM’s shooting for a “full work day” of juice. Last but not least, we were told that Jim Balsillie’s module cavity certainly exists, but it’s not the user-upgradable slot or socket we’d hoped — rather, it’s a orifice deep inside the PlayBook for hardware enhancements at the factories where devices are built. Like this one, perhaps? Video after the break.

Continue reading RIM tilts BlackBerry PlayBook keyboard on side, drops hints about TAT, module cavities and battery life

RIM tilts BlackBerry PlayBook keyboard on side, drops hints about TAT, module cavities and battery life originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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