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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.
Kindle Fire vs. BlackBerry PlayBook... Fight!
How much does the Kindle Fire look like the PlayBook? It looks this much like the PlayBook. %Gallery-135085%
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.
Adobe's launching Flash Player 11, Air 3 bringing HD video and 3D gaming to all
While we've had access to Adobe's Flash Player 11 in beta form for months, the company announced it will finally get official, along with Air 3, next month. Among the many new features included are support for accelerated 2D and 3D graphics with a claimed 1,000 times faster performance than Flash Player 10 and Air 2. That's enough to enable "console-quality" gaming on both computers and connected TVs and on mobile devices (Android, iOS, Playbook) with a pre-release version of Flash 11 (a production release you can take on the go is expected in "the near future"). Other new options include allowing developers to package Air 3 along with their apps in a single install, HD video quality on multiple platforms including iOS, DRM for video rentals, 64-bit support and more. Check out Adobe's pitch to developers with a press release and demo videos after the break, including a look at the hit iPad game Machinarium which was built with its tools.
RIM's Q2 earnings report: $329 million in net income, not enough to fend off critics
The first quarterly earnings report post-Wake Up Call have just been published for Canada's own Research in Motion, and while the cash is still flowing, investors and analysts alike aren't feeling too rosy about the future. Despite Q2 revenue of $4.2 billion and a GAAP net income of $329 million, RIM's stock plummeted nine percent following the news. Why? That reality was at the lowest end of estimates, and as we've seen, it takes a blowout quarter to please the folks on Wall Street. Nevertheless, the company's touting a subscriber base that ballooned 40 percent year-over-year (surpassing 70m total), and while it's quick to trumpet the rollout of seven new smartphones, not a one of them managed to astound the QNX-desiring critics. The report also notes that 10.6 million handsets were moved in the quarter, around $780 million was invested as "part of a consortium of companies that successfully bid to acquire intellectual property assets from Nortel," and it's forecasting that BlackBerry smartphone shipments in Q3 will grow between 27 percent and 37 percent compared to Q2. Sadly, the company only "shipped" 200,000 PlayBook tablets, with the prevailing thought being that it actually sold far fewer. Moreover, nary a forecast was given for future PlayBook sales.As for thoughts from the head honcho(s)? Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO, stated that "overall unit shipments in the quarter were slightly below our forecast due to lower than expected demand for older models," further noting that his firm will "continue to build on the success of the BlackBerry 7 launch to drive the business as we focus our development efforts on delivering the next generation, QNX-based mobile platform next year." Next year is a long, long way away, though, and there's no doubt whatsoever what kind of competition will be in place by the time 2012 rolls around. We'll be hopping on the analyst call here in a few, and you can look beyond the break for any notable mentions.
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.
How the iPad is changing baseball
Baseball is undergoing a digital revolution thanks to the iPad and the iPhone. Sports fans, management and even players are using the iPad to improve America's favorite game. Fans can watch every Major League game on their phone or tablets. Managers can keep track of their rosters and players can analyze both their own performance and that of their competitors. Companies like Baseball Info solutions have embraced this trend. The service compiles the statistics for every player in the Major Leagues and makes it available to all thirty MLB teams. Sports professionals are not alone in this move to a digital future. Recently, we took a look at Extra Innings Mobile Instructor, an app which lets coaches and parents record and analyze the technique of both hitters and pitchers. And baseball isn't the only sport being transformed by the iPad. Recently, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers handed out iPads to all its players and management to replace the paper-based playbook.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers to use iPads as playbooks, not PlayBooks
With the NFL season just a few days away, players and coaches have been busy lifting weights, doing interviews and counting their money. Sometimes, they even get the chance to study their playbooks -- or, in the case of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their iPads. This year, the franchise has distributed a fresh batch of iPad 2's to all of its 90 players, as part of a new initiative from coach Raheem Morris. With the tablets, the Bucs can spend their free time reviewing their downloaded plays, while analyzing video footage from practices, games and opposing teams. In related tech news, the Detroit Lions just discovered fire.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers give each player an iPad as a playbook
When is a football playbook not a PlayBook? When it's an iPad! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now equipping all of the players on the team with iPads, and both players and management seem to love the idea. According to the St. Petersburg Times, the Tampa Bay players now just turn on their iPads to get up to speed rather than leafing through a phone directory-sized printed book to memorize plays. The team started its love affair with iPads when coach Raheem Morris apparently used one to watch video of team prospects with GM Mark Dominik and player personnel director Dennis Hickey. Buccaneer players used to need to request a copy of a DVD if they wanted to watch film of past games, and then they were constantly using the fast-forward button on the remote to view plays that were applicable to their position. Now, the players simply flick through plays to watch those that are important to them. Morris said that it took about two minutes for Buccaneer co-chairman Bryan Glazer to approve the purchase of 90 iPad 2s. Many of the players listen to their own personal soundtracks while watching past game footage and studying plays that are downloaded to the devices automatically. Should a player lose one of the iPads on the road -- while visiting the New England Patriots, for example -- the team can wipe all of the plays from the device remotely. The Bucs are the first NFL team to embrace the iPad, but certainly won't be the last. As a baseball fan, I won't be happy until MLB players are using their iPads in the dugouts.
BlackBerry to run Android apps on future QNX devices?
One of the biggest gripes from BlackBerry users is the lack of apps, which is why RIM hopes to boost sales by adding Android compatibility in future devices -- DroidBerry, anyone? According to Bloomberg, sources familiar with the matter say RIM may add support for Android apps on future QNX-based devices, enabling access beyond RIM's relatively limited App World. The feature is said to go live in the QNX-powered PlayBook tablet by the end of the year, but there's no word yet whether the 2012 line-up of QNX phones will get a Google-friendly makeover. Rumor has it that anyone who bought the most recent batch of BlackBerrys won't get to have a taste of Gingerbread, Honeycomb or any other mouth-watering Android flavor for that matter. Guess they'll have to settle for plain old vanilla.
Editorial: tablets aren't the 'third device' I'd hoped for... from a productivity standpoint, anyway
Hang tight just a second -- let me preface all of this with a quick reminder that I'm speaking on a personal level, and I'm absolutely certain that slates have a place in this world somewhere. We could go back and forth for hours with use-case scenarios (and the same could be done with cars, time machines or your luxury good of choice), but this isn't about proving that a tablet can do one or two things; it's about the limitations and awkwardness of using one that no one seems to talk about. After years of watching the masses fawn over the iPad (and every other PC maker scramble to come out with something that serves a similar purpose), I still can't ever imagine myself investing in one, let alone actually using one in place of a smartphone or laptop. I've met quite a few folks in my line of work that all ask me the same thing: "Should I buy an iPad?" It's worth noting that no one actually asks if "they should buy a tablet," but that's speaking more about Apple's absurdly enviable mind (and in turn, market) share than anything else. My response is always the same: "If you can't think of a reason you'd need it, you don't need it." Tablets, for whatever reason, seem to defy logic when it comes to purchase rationalization in the consumer electronics realm. I've yet to meet a bloke who purchased an ultraportable without knowing full-well that they would take advantage of enhanced battery life and a highly mobile chassis. Everyone I've know that invested in a high-end gaming rig knew why they were shelling out on that $500 GPU (read: frames-per-second). And all of my movie cuttin' pals knew precisely why they just had to have a Thunderbolt RAID setup. But tablets? People are just buying these things in a fit of hysteria -- does anyone actually know why this "third device" is such a necessity? Let's dive a little deeper, shall we?
BlackBerry Music to serve up 50 songs for $5 a month?
Well, it looks like BlackBerry's banking on another BBM to pull it out of the enterprise-only lurch, and this one should be like music to your ears. Earlier this week, we reported that RIM was readying a new music service, and now All Things D is giving us some juicy (unofficial) details on the tentatively titled BlackBerry Music. The publication says $5 a month will give users access to 50 songs that they can share with their BlackBerry-toting friends (also signed up for the service). What's more, it could be officially pumping the jams to the UK, US, and Canada as soon this fall, with other territories to follow in 2012. Rumor also has it that users won't be able to port the music to other devices, unless they happen to have a PlayBook handy. Somehow we suspect that last bit won't be what draws the youngster in.
Dead Space lands on BlackBerry PlayBook and Android ... well, Xperia Play
In this chart of non-iPad tablets compared to "obscure" video game consoles, the BlackBerry PlayBook is somewhere between the Philips CDi and the Atari Jaguar. That is to say, the PlayBook hasn't set the world, or really much of anything, on fire. Google's Android OS, on the other hand, is increasingly taking over the mobile space (albeit not the tablet space, where all Android tablets combined are somewhere between the 3DO and the Virtual Boy). While gaming on Android is still something of a challenge, thanks to a fragmented install base, unique platforms, and multiple stores, that hasn't stopped EA from giving it the ol' college effort. So Xperia Play owners can go to EA's own Flexion Android Store to download EA Mobile and IronMonkey Studios' excellent Dead Space mobile game -- easy! We weren't able to confirm that ourselves, not owning an Xperia Play, so we've put a word into EA for confirmation. But EA didn't stop there – it's also ported Dead Space to the PlayBook. Premiering today for the same $9.99 price as its far more popular iPad-based twin, the PlayBook audience is getting one of mobile gaming's most successful "core" games. And yes, it's a small audience (smaller than the Xperia Play?) but if EA plans to continue its mobile dominance, it helps to be everywhere. [Thanks, Gerry]
Will RIM's PlayBook get WiMAX? The Now Network says no (update: RIM focusing on LTE)
Whoa there, RIM -- not so fast. Despite an earlier commitment from Sprint, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Now Network has cancelled its plans to bring WiMAX to the BlackBerry PlayBook, leaving Research in Motion to continue selling WiFi-only models of the half-baked tablet. Sprint representatives cited poor adoption rates among business customers as one reason for the move to cancel PlayBook sales, along with an already crowded tablet market, also adding that the decision will have "no impact" on the carrier's relationship with RIM. We can't say that a WiMAX-capable PlayBook would have topped our back to school wish list, but this latest move is somewhat shocking nonetheless. Update: RIM wrote in to share the following statement: RIM has decided to prioritize and focus its 4G development resources on LTE. We remain excited and committed to delivering innovative and powerful 4G tablets to the US market together with our carrier partners. Testing of BlackBerry 4G PlayBook models is already underway and we plan to enter labs for network certifications in the US and other international markets this fall.
Verizon Wireless year-end roadmap leaks, Android and LTE spotted on the horizon?
Nope. There's no mention of a Nexus Prime in this glimpse of VZW future, but don't let that stop you from drooling over the purported goods. The leaked shot over on IGN lays out a back-to-school road filled with Android phones a plenty, and one lone RIM entry. September 8th is gearing up to be a busy Thursday for Big Red, with launches slated for the Droid Bionic, Motorola Xoom 4G, BlackBerry Curve 9370 (the LTE cousin of 'Apollo'?) and Samsung Stratosphere -- the operator's rumored Galaxy S II variant. The end of the month gets a 2.3 combo of Gingerbread phones as the Samsung Illusion (codenamed Viper), and HTC Bliss touch down on the 29th. Refreshes for a couple of the carrier's early LTE phones debut in October, when the Thunderbolt gets pushed aside by the virile HTC Vigor and LG gets a redo with the Revolution 2. Samsung's Galaxy Tab P8 (most likely the Galaxy Tab 8.9) gets an unconfirmed November mention, while BlackBerry's PlayBook languishes in a release date grey zone. Ready for that end-of-year upgrade? From the looks of things, there'll be no dearth of options.
Gmail for Mobile gets a facelift, now ready for its Retina Display close-up
Gmail for mobile was looking a little tired around the eyes, so Google went ahead and gave the ol' web app a cosmetic lift. The update, announced on the Gmail blog, packs a hat trick's worth of tweaks aimed squarely at iOS and QNX (read: BB PlayBook) users. Email messages can now be manually refreshed with a top-down pull and release -- a feature similar to Twitter's own drag-down approach. The team also added a bit of finesse to inbox navigation with new sliding transitions, and even beefed up the graphical interface, taking full advantage of that Retina Display. Curious to see these tune-ups in action? Then head to the source for your own hands-on.
BlackBerry PlayBook will run Android apps by 'late fall,' later than expected
RIM previously announced that its PlayBook tablet would be able to run Android apps by the summer, but we've just heard something to the contrary. A reliable source told us that this highly anticipated feature of the BlackBerry slate now won't arrive until "late fall." With RIM struggling against ever-stronger competition, delays like this are bad news -- the PlayBook needs this new lease of Android life as soon as possible.
How would you change RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook?
RIM's 7-inch PlayBook may be lovely to hold, and that gesture area along the bezel is downright genius, but the QNX-powered slate hasn't had the easiest time taking on the likes of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Apple's iPad 2. Still, RIM's following is amongst the most loyal in the industry, and those who wouldn't leave the house sans a BlackBerry handset may have been inclined to give this guy a go. If that's you, we're overly interested in hearing how you'd do things differently. Would you have preferred a larger screen? Android app support right out of the box? A beefier software store? Go on and get creative in comments below -- something tells us RIM isn't exactly in a position to turn a deaf ear.
Android Market seen running on BlackBerry PlayBook (video)
We've already seen the Android App Player leak out, and now the BlackBerry PlayBook has taken one more (unofficial) step towards being a full-fledged, psuedo-Android tablet. While it's described as a "proof of concept," the video above from CrackBerry forum member Lawguyman shows that the tablet is at least capable of running the Android Market and downloading apps, albeit with a few PlayBook-induced obstacles -- check out the furious swiping around the 1:30 mark. Here's hoping for a slightly more official solution before long. [Thanks, Steve]
RIM brings video editing service JayCut into the BlackBerry fold
If it's going to try and compete in the tablet world, whether or not it wants to be known as the enterprise-friendly slate, RIM will have to step up its multimedia game. The company clearly understands this, that's why it's snatched up the online video-editing service JayCut. It's obvious the startup's expertise will be used to create a video editing app for the BlackBerry platform, but we wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of sharing and cloud storage service built on top of it as well. Obviously we're just speculating for now. Check out the brief announcement posts at the two source links.
