BlackberryWorld2011
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Jaguar XJ with BlackBerry integration hands-on (video)
This week at BlackBerry World 2011, Jaguar is showcasing one of its lovely XJ sedans outfitted with a prototype of its upcoming Connect and View technology which the car manufacturer is developing together with RIM, Denso, and RealVNC. Like Terminal Mode, the system allows a client running on the vehicle's head unit to connect to a server installed on a BlackBerry smartphone. Communication is handled by VNC -- a platform-independent remote framebuffer protocol, which mirrors the handset's display on the car's infotainment screen and maps the device's physical buttons to softkeys. This provides control of the phone directly from the center stack of the XJ sedan but lets the company block potentially distracting apps. Audio is piped via Bluetooth while VNC traffic is routed over USB, thus also keeping the BlackBerry conveniently charged. Jaguar hopes to have Connect and View in its vehicles by late 2012. Until then, check out our hands-on video (above) and the press release after the break.
Android apps on PlayBook eyes-on (video)
We knew it was coming, but today at BlackBerry World 2011 we were treated to a demo of Android apps running natively on the PlayBook. The end result isn't too far removed from what we saw with Myriad's Alien Dalvik at Mobile World Congress. Android's menu and home buttons are emulated using the standard PlayBook gestures, and the back button is replaced with an on-screen softkey. Of course, you'll have to visit App World to download Android apps for the PlayBook when the Android Player (as it's called) finally becomes available. And speaking of Android apps, the wildly popular Angry Birds is coming to the PlayBook as a native game - no cross-platform trickery required.
BlackBerry to integrate Bing services at the OS level (update: video)
Steve Ballmer made an appearance today at BlackBerry World 2011 and after briefly pimping Windows Phone live on stage, announced a partnership between Microsoft and RIM to integrate Bing into BlackBerry products. In addition to making Bing the default search and map provider for all BlackBerry devices going forward, the services will be added at the OS level instead of being bundled as a series of apps. This will provide features ranging from voice and location-aware search to panorama stitching. It also suggests that we'll likely see another iteration of the BlackBerry OS beyond version 7 -- based on QNX, perhaps? -- sometime before the holidays. Update: We dropped in a video after the break demonstrating a future (aka, this coming holiday season) where Bing is integrated into the BlackBerry OS. Hope you can handle the hipness.
BlackBerry Messenger on PlayBook hands-on (video)
We just spent some time with Ryan Bidan, senior product manager for the PlayBook, who gave us a hands-on demo of BlackBerry Messenger on RIM's little tablet. It's not a native app -- it requires the PlayBook to be paired with a BlackBerry smartphone via BlackBerry Bridge. The functionality is being pushed out "tonight" with a Bridge update on the handset side, and an OS update on the tablet side. So if you and your PlayBook have been longing to get your BBM on, today's your lucky day -- assuming of course that you have a BlackBerry phone on another network than AT&T. Expect a standalone app sometime in the future, but in the meantime hit our video above for the full demo.
BlackBerry Bold 9900 hands-on (update: video)
So we finally got our dirty little hands on RIM's new BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone here at BlackBerry World 2011. It's basically the old Bold but with a capacitive touchscreen and updated innards including a 1.2 GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM, a GPU , HSPA+, and NFC support. From a design perspective it mixes BlackBerry's traditional formula with iPhone 4-like materials (that familiar stainless steel rim). It certainly looks premium and feels lovely in the hand, and the keyboard is typical BlackBerry -- which is to say fantastic. The screen is beautiful too, perfect to showcase that elusive new BlackBerry 7 OS. Still, we can't shake the feeling that we're looking at the device RIM should have shipped last summer instead of the lackluster Torch. We'll have a hands on video up soon but for now take a peek at our gallery below. Update: Our video is now live after the break. %Gallery-122644%
BlackBerry PlayBook to get Video Chat and Facebook apps in May (updated)
Who's going to get the very first "tablet-optimized" Facebook app? Why, it's RIM and the PlayBook! The Canadian company has today revealed it's bringing a native Facebook app to its 7-inch, QNX-based slate, which will also be joined by a new Video Chat application. The latter will be available to download on May 3rd, with an over-the-air update dishing it out to current PlayBook owners. Its functionality will be no different from what we've come to expect from such clients -- both voice and video calls will be available anywhere you can find a WiFi connection. As to the Facebook app, it's coming some time later in the month, and will let you view and add your friends, share photos and videos "seamlessly," access Facebook Chat, and view and interact with the news Feed. Both should be getting extensive demos at BlackBerry World, which is taking place this week, and we'll be sure to have a gander and report our findings. Skip past the break for the full press releases. Update: Well, that was quick -- looks like Facebook for PlayBook is already up for grabs, and Canadian Reviewer has posted several screenshots for your amusement.
BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 (Bold Touch) official
We've seen it photographed, videotaped, and even, briefly, up on RIM's own website. Now it's up there to stay, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 (aka the Bold Touch) have been made official as RIM kicks off BlackBerry World in Orlando. As expected, the phone packs a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor that has only a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen with a 287dpi pixel density to worry about. On the back is a five megapixel camera and inside is 8GB of internal storage (with microSD expansion) and NFC circuitry. At 10.5mm it's RIM's thinnest handset yet, featuring a stainless steel circumference and a fiberglass back, while up front of course it makes room for a full QWERTY keyboard. The 9900 supports HSPA+ connectivity to get its 4G on, while the 9930 is the world variant, adding dual-band CDMA and quad-band GSM to the mix, and both do 802.11a/b/g/n along with Bluetooth 2.1. Both, quite naturally, include the new BlackBerry 7 OS, including a faster browser and voice-activated search. Another picture and full specs are listed after the break, which will have to do you until this handset releases sometime in the summer, meaning this could be your next great beach accessory for those working vacations. Update: Full press release and more images after the break.
RIM announces BlackBerry 7 OS with better browser and BlackBerry Balance, but no legacy support
The BB OS 6.1 update that grew too big for its name has just been made official by RIM as BlackBerry 7. Its ambassador into the wide world of smartphones will be the newly minted BlackBerry Bold Touch, which is expected to arrive "this summer." What can you look forward to? The user experience is promised to be both easier and faster, voice-activated searches are available for content both on your phone and the web, and the browser has been "significantly enhanced" with new features like a JIT (just-in-time) JavaScript compiler and HTML5 Video support. BlackBerry Balance is also part of the new OS, allowing you to compartmentalize your personal and professional lives into neat and separate piles of content. Full PR can be found after the break. Update: RIM has just noted that there will be "no legacy support" with BB 7, meaning that older devices, even those running version 6 of the OS, won't be getting any (official) updates to the latest stuff. This has been justified by how tightly integrated the software build is with the underlying graphics hardware in the touch-capable Bold handsets. Basically, the old phones won't be able to run the new OS. Oh, and in case you were wondering, there's no trace of QNX in BB 7.
RIM deems BlackBerry OS 6.1 a 'major upgrade,' promises a spring release
We weren't expecting to hear too much about it, but RIM's year-end / Q4 fiscal 2011 earnings call uncovered a good bit of information surrounding BlackBerry OS 6.1. As you've likely learned by now, we weren't exactly throwing our iPhones and Droids into the nearest refuse bin after handling the Torch, and it seems as if quite a few bigwigs at RIM were equally disappointed. In response to a question about the rollout of BB OS 6.1, we were told that it would truly be a "major upgrade" over what's out there now, and rather than being an incremental update, it'll be more like "an overhaul." The company made no bones about its excitement for the release, and frankly, we're having a hard time keeping our expectations in check after listening in. Thankfully, we'll be able to get our paws on it at some point this spring, with a number of elements to be teased at BlackBerry World this May. Naturally, we'll be there to keep you up-to-date with how it's rolling along.
