BlackberryBridge
Latest
BlackBerry PlayBook update adds BlackBerry World rebranding, puts SMS into Bridge
It isn't all about the Z10, you know. BlackBerry just gave PlayBook owners some equal time in the sun with a new (if unceremoniously titled) 2.1.0.1526 update. The release puts the tablet through the same BlackBerry World rebranding we've seen on the Z10 along with truly functional improvements, such as support for in-app payments and the addition of SMS chats through BlackBerry Bridge. Less conspicuous audio and browser upgrades lurk underneath. While it's not the BlackBerry 10 upgrade that some would crave, the patch is proof the company still has love for its original QNX-based gadget.
BlackBerry PlayBook 2.1 update goes live with SMS, portrait email
RIM's attention around its QNX-based platforms might revolve around BlackBerry 10 as of late, but don't think that it's leaving BlackBerry PlayBook users behind. A PlayBook 2.1 update is rolling out today that fills in some of the gaps left by 2.0 earlier this year. Habitual messagers can now start SMS text messages directly from the tablet when tethered through BlackBerry Bridge; they also get overdue support for a portrait view in email, calendars and contacts. If communication isn't the cornerstone of your life, you'll still find a few niceties such as Android App Player support for the camera and in-app purchases, device encryption that extends to personal data and wireless printing beyond the local network. For now, you'll have to be an owner of the original, WiFi-only PlayBook to leap on the 2.1 train today -- those who sprang for the usually carrier-bound PlayBook 4G LTE should get their upgrade within a month.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Mobile Miscellany: week of February 20th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This week, we greet a new version of BlackBerry Bridge, and we've also come across an interesting new launcher for users of Ice Cream Sandwich. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride. Let's explore the "best of the rest" for this week of February 20th, 2012.
BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 review
More Info BlackBerry PlayBook review RIM shows off new features for PlayBook 2.0 at DevCon BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 now ready for download Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the world of email. Yes, email! Sure, many of you have given up on the stuff in favor of more instant means of communication, but don't worry, because that's here too! Yes, the BlackBerry PlayBook, which was released 10 months ago, is now finally able to send messages all by itself. Sure, BlackBerry Bridge is still there and more useful than ever, tying the PlayBook even closer to your work-issued smartphone, but the 7-inch slate finally feels like it can stand a little more solidly on its own two feet. Thankfully that's not all -- this recently refreshed tablet has a few other tricks up its sleeve, most notable being the ability to run some (focus on the some) Android apps without having to resort to any messy tweaks or hacks. The experience isn't entirely clean, nor does it quite feel like the refresh the "two dot oh" moniker implies, but it is a nice step forward. Click on through to see what you get.
BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 now ready for download
After touring the exhibition circuit for what seems like an eternity, PlayBook OS 2.0 is finally ready to settle down and make itself available for download. Check for updates via Settings on your tablet and you should see it sitting there, wearing last season's fashions but nevertheless looking every inch the major OTA update that it is. Expect improvements like native email, calendar and contacts, integration with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, some newfangled Bridge functions, and access to the first crop of Android apps in BB App World. You'll find more details in the PR after the break and how-to demos at the More Coverage link. Enjoy!
RIM shows off new features for PlayBook 2.0 at DevCon
All eyes are on Amsterdam this morning, as RIM hosts DevCon Europe. Among all the usual avowals about how well things are going are a few nuggets of the new and the noteworthy. One such morsel was a demonstration of new BlackBerry Bridge features. Now, swipes and touches from your BlackBerry handset get translated over to the Playbook, as well as keyboard input. This means you can use your phone much more like a controller, while taking advantage of the PlayBook's generous display. The calendar also gets a healthy dose of social lubricant, showing you info about the people you'll be meeting, and stressing how busy you are by visually emphasising dates when you are busier. Fortunately, PlayBook 2.0 is slated for release this month, so the more eager amongst you shouldn't have to wait long to give it a spin.
BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 hands-on (video)
Highlighting RIM's presence at CES 2012 is the official unveiling of PlayBook OS 2.0. On track for a February arrival, this release will deliver many features that productivity-minded users have pined for since the tablet's arrival. First and foremost, we were given a demo of the PlayBook's new email client and address book. The new software is functional and intuitive, which offers a unified inbox, application integration and ties to social networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Also quite nice, the calendar displays both day and agenda views, along with the individuals you'll meet during the day. We also saw a quick demo of the BlackBerry Bridge functionality, which offers integration between the smartphone and tablet. While the PlayBook fell on its face a few times during this bit, we ultimately saw the smartphone successfully push web links and pictures to the tablet for easier viewing. Due to the Bridge hiccups, we noticed the PlayBook took especially long to boot, which RIM states is due to the support for Android apps. We were given a quick demo of this feature as well, and much to the company's relief, this segment went quite flawlessly and without fanfare. Be sure to check the full demonstration just after the break.
AT&T to enable BlackBerry Bridge support before sundown
Most tablets function just fine on their own, but RIM's BlackBerry Playbook introduced a unique, yet restrictive interface that limits Bluetooth tethering to a similarly-branded handset. This feature, called BlackBerry Bridge, lets your tablet piggyback on a handset's 3G data connection, also enabling access to productivity apps like email and calendar, which are still otherwise unavailable on the PlayBook. Unfortunately, this option hasn't been made available for AT&T users, but that's about to change, as the feature will be added to App World today. While the Bridge suite is totally gratis, enabling the AT&T 3G data connection requires a monthly tethering plan of $45, which means anyone grandfathered into the unlimited data feature will need to decide if it's worth the jump. Bridge not sounding like your cup of tea? Don't worry -- at least you can take comfort in knowing that the days of pining for native email are numbered.
BlackBerry Bridge not available for PlayBook users on AT&T, unofficial workaround available
We're not sure why this was never mentioned before the BlackBerry Playbook launch, but it looks like AT&T customers opting for RIM's new tablet won't be able to take advantage of one key feature, at least officially. For reasons yet unknown, AT&T appears to be blocking folks from downloading BlackBerry Bridge to their BlackBerry smartphones, with the speculation being that it doesn't like the free tethering the Playbook enables. As the folks at CrackBerry have discovered, however, AT&T is only blocking the Bridge app, not the actual Bridge process -- which means you can still download the app though unofficial means and Bridge your AT&T BlackBerry to your Playbook. Here's hoping AT&T figures out a workaround of its own sooner rather than later. Update: We just heard back from AT&T, and it's looking like you'll need to have a bit of patience here as the kinks are worked out. Here's the direct quote from a company spokesperson: AT&T is working with RIM to make the BlackBerry Bridge app available for AT&T customers. We have just received the app for testing and before it's made available to AT&T customers we want to ensure it delivers a quality experience for our customers.
BlackBerry PlayBook review
The words "play" and "book" are a bit of an odd choice for RIM's latest attempt at consumer relevance, a tablet that, at its core, runs one of the most hardcore and industry-friendly operating systems known to man. The OS is QNX and the hardware is, of course, the BlackBerry PlayBook. It's an enterprise-friendly offering that's also out to conquer the consumer tablet ecosphere, hoping to follow in the footsteps of the BlackBerry handsets that have filled the pockets of corporate executives and BBM addicts around the globe.It's something of a serious tablet when compared to the competition running software from Apple and Google and, while it certainly has games, its biggest strengths are rather more boring. It does a really great job at displaying PowerPoint presentations, for example, and has the security chops to keep last quarter's dismal sales figures from falling into the wrong hands. Exciting stuff? No, but useful features for sure, and regardless of whether you find those intriguing or boring this is RIM's seven-inch, Flash-having but 3G-lacking tablet clad in an unassuming but extremely sophisticated exterior. It's what's running behind the glass that disappoints.%Gallery-121160%
