Hasta La Gadget!

A round of leaks today has potentially pinpointed the second week of April as the launch window for RIM’s slick seven-inch PlayBook. An email purportedly sent out by Sears up in Canada confirms earlier echoes, informing buyers that the device will up for grabs on April 10, with preorders possibly beginning as soon as tomorrow. On top of that, an image from Staples’ backend sent to Crackberry pegs a 33-day count down to start on the 15th, which lines up nicely with another leaked shot denoting an “ad date” of April 17. We’ve also received an unconfirmed tip from a Sprint rep saying that the PlayBook would be landing on the 15th, along with an a smattering of cases and a… stylus? Finally, we’ve been sent shots of some PlayBook signage apparently on display in a Future Shop in Canada highlighting the device’s multitasking capabilities, reminding us “it’s whats on the inside that counts.” Oddly, the same signage mistakenly attaches the Xoom moniker, though we’d imagine that’s just a blunder on the retailer’s part. Of course, all of this is still completely unconfirmed by RIM itself, so until we hear otherwise, anything could happen. Signage shot after the break, and other photo goodness available at the source links.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook launch-date palooza: tablet to finally drop in mid-April?

BlackBerry PlayBook launch-date palooza: tablet to finally drop in mid-April? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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7digital and RIM are back in bed with news that the BlackBerry PlayBook will ship pre-installed with access to 13 million high-quality (320kbps) MP3 tracks from the London-based media company. At launch, the deal affects the US and Canada only, with more countries promised in 2011. PlayBook users will be able to search and preview tracks before purchasing with a discovery assist provided by 7digital’s music recommendation engine. The whole kit will be previewed this week at South by Southwest where we hope to get some hands-on time. Full press release after the break.

Update: RIM’s now also announced a new BlackBerry Podcasts app to go along with the music store, and it’s provided a video showing off both. Check it out after the break, and hit up the link below for some additional details.

Update 2: The eagle-eyed folks over at Crackberry have noticed an entry for a PIN around the 2:37 mark. This certainly seems to jive with the fact that the PlayBook will eventually be getting native BlackBerry services, so the presence of a PIN shouldn’t be too surprising — though hard evidence is always welcome. Screencap after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry Playbook to feature 7digital’s 13 milllion track music store (update: PIN seemingly confirmed, too)

BlackBerry Playbook to feature 7digital’s 13 milllion track music store (update: PIN seemingly confirmed, too) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last time we checked in with ComScore’s report on smartphone platform market share among US subscribers three months ago, Android was doing a little happy dance as it overtook iOS for the number two spot overall. Well, the cuddly green bots have self-replicated yet again, enough to overtake RIM this time thanks in part to a 5.4 percent decline on BlackBerry’s part (down to 30.4 percent in January) coupled with a 7.7 percent boost on the Android side, moving up to 31.2 percent. We imagine ComScore’s next report — covering the period through March — will see a little boost on the iOS side thanks to Verizon’s iPhone launch, but RIM’s knight in shining armor might be further out; we still don’t know when QNX-based phones are going to happen, after all, and devices like the Monaco don’t really seem like cure-alls.

ComScore: Android leapfrogs BlackBerry among US smartphone subscribers to take first place in market share originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Woah, now here’s a juicy rumor to start your Thursday morning off with. BGR reports word from multiple trusted sources that RIM intends to take its BlackBerry Messenger outside the cozy confines of the BB ecosystem and straight into its competitors’ app stores. BBM is reputedly all set to make its debut as a messaging app on both iOS and Android, though the specifics of what it might cost you have yet to be ironed out. It’ll come in a stripped down version, you’ll still need to own a BlackBerry for the full-flavored BBM experience, but that should nonetheless be extremely welcome news for folks finding themselves torn between platforms. The Android version is expected this year, say the sources, while the iOS app may take a little while longer thanks to Apple’s more capricious approval requirements.

RIM preparing to bring BBM to iOS and Android, change everything again? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s a short and sweet disclosure from BGR this morning as multiple sources have apparently informed the news outlet that RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook will make its debut on store shelves on April 10th. The BlackBerry Tablet OS will reach Gold Master status on March 31st, according to the same soothsayers, which is late enough in proceedings to necessitate it being delivered as an update upon first booting up your device. We too have heard of a late March / early April launch for the PlayBook, which RIM itself promised for the first quarter of 2011, though the intrigue of what carriers will be providing you with connectivity on this 7-incher remains. You’ll know more as soon as we do.

BlackBerry PlayBook to be released on April 10th? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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